mango

The cookies continue, but the inspiration does not…

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

For the first time this week, I really struggled with what to bake. I knew I was going to bake this week, because, well, of course I was but I struggled with inspiration. Jinx had sent me a recipe from EasyGayOven which looked great on Instagram but sadly the recipe itself wasn’t online. Well, it was but for a fee. I love cookbooks but I’M NOT A FAN of paying for yet another subscription that I’ll use once and then forget all about! I tried searching for similar recipes but nothing was quite right– I looked at quite a few- it came down to this one for Coconut Chocolate Chip Mango Cookies and this one for Macadamia, Mango, and White Chocolate Cookies. So I improvised…. I used this recipe(-ish) for Macadamia, Mango, and White Chocolate cookies– but not exactly since I took out the macadamias and added more mango– actually dried mango and freeze-dried mango. I’m honestly not sure how they’ve turned out. I don’t love white chocolate and I tinkered around with the recipe a bit, so not sure it’s my best work. I’m wary of putting nuts in cookies- firstly, I hate nuts, and secondly, I don’t want to accidentally kill anyone who has a nut allergy. I think I’m just hypervigilant after being a parent for 8 years and hearing NO NUTS at all times. So, I try to avoid them in cookies…

I was also going to make Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies from the NY Times. But…. I panicked. I re-read the recipe and realised they were gluten free and dairy free and wasn’t sure I wanted to go down the route of two controversial cookies this week. Gluten free and dairy free isn’t for everyone, and who knows what these bootleg mango cookies will be like….

So I played it safe- I went with Mocha Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Cookies: The New Classics by Jesse Szewczyk. I’ve never done these cookies before but his recipes are always winners. So I thought they would be safe!

But it was a bit alarming. It’s my first cookie-related doubt/lack of inspiration. Normally I’m super excited to bake each week and it feels like a labour of love. This week, it just felt hard. I’m hoping it doesn’t show in the cookies, but these were more of a struggle than usual.

What I REALLY want to do is crack the recipe for Milkman’s OG Cookies. We had them in Gold Coast Airport last week on the way home and they’re good!!! But they’re different- thicker and slightly cakier??? than most cookies… I might need to order some and experiment to get them right!!

In the meantime, send inspirational cookie vibes…. and maybe some ideas for next week!

A first time for everything

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

Firstly, apologies for the lateness of my post.  I only realised as I was looking for THIS week’s cookies that I hadn’t written about LAST week’s cookies yet!  So, here it goes, better late than never…

This week, I did something I’ve never done before…. Asked Chat GPT for a recipe.  I’m doing my best to embrace AI and live in the future- or at least the now, and so I thought I would spice up my week by using Chat GPT for this week’s cookies.  

I hear you asking, “why?”   Why, with a house full of cookbooks and an internet full of recipes, would I turn to ChatGPT??   For fun… and to continue my streak of boozy cookies.  Quite frankly, I (and several other people) are digging the boozy cookies vibe.   The alcohol adds something special to the cookies.  And with the current state of the world, most people I know need a little something special.  So- this week, I wanted to try making ANZAC biscuits again- I wasn’t happy with last week’s efforts so I wanted to try again.  So, I thought I would shake things up and add something special to them but I couldn’t find a recipe for boozy ANZAC biscuits- so I asked ChatGPT.  And it delivered!  Spiced Rum ANZAC biscuits are amazing— however, I was told later that it’s un-Australian to alter the ANZAC Biscuit recipe… not sure why, but that’s what I was told.  So, I’ll have to find another name for what I made- Maybe Drunken ANZAC cookies, or Rum Rebellion Cookies– not too sure yet but they’re not ANZAC biscuits.

I also made Mango, Coconut and Chilli Cookies.  I used Tajin seasoning so they weren’t really Chilli but they were delicious!  Also, from my Cookies & Crumbs cookbook. TBH mango is really good in cookies. This might warrant further exploration now that I have mango powder…

This week though, we’re doing the Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies from Cookies & Crumbs– very excited because so far this cookbook hasn’t disappointed! And we’re also doing Bourbon Dark Chocolate Crack Cookies.