recipes

Happy Father’s Day!

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

Happy Aussie Father’s Day to all the Dads out there.  It’s been an action packed Father’s Day but also quite a normal Sunday.  It’s funny, the longer you spend as a parent, the less significant Mother’s Day and Father’s Day become.  It was still gorgeous to see how excited Thomas was to give his Dad the gifts he had picked out at the Father’s Day stall at school… and to hear why he picked them.  It’s amazing to watch him become a fully formed person.  I couldn’t be prouder of the person he’s becoming.  

We only have so many Father’s Days when he’s an actual kid.  He’s nearly 9- closer to being a moody teenager that we have to convince to eat with us  than the cranky toddler in a high chair that we’re trying to distract long enough for us to enjoy a meal in public.  We saw both ends of the spectrum at lunch today– and it was a reminder to me to enjoy every stage and age.

Not just as a Mom but as a person.  Nothing lasts forever.  It’s nearly been a year since I was made redundant and who knows what the next year will bring.  

For now, I’m enjoying the cookie phase.  Even on busy Sundays when it seems like there is so much to do, I love this phase of my life.  It feels good to do something for other people not because I have to, but because I want to.  It feels good to be appreciated. It feels good to spark a moment of joy for someone else.  And it feels good to do something so totally frivolous as baking cookies.  The world is full of so much awfulness, that doing something to brighten other people’s day feels nice.  I’m not sure if I’ll do this forever but for now, it’s nice.  

This week, I baked a request and an anti-request (is that even a thing?).  Dylan, my gym’s manager, requested Dark Dark Chocolate Cookies with sea salt.  And Stella, from pole, requested Peanut Butter Cookies- because she’s training for a pole comp and hates peanut butter cookies and doesn’t want to be tempted to eat them!  

Both cookies have come from my 100 Cookies Cookbook.  I tweaked her Triple Chocolate Pan Banging Chocolate Cookies by adding sea salt flakes.  I also made the Peanut Butter Cookies.  I’m not a huge fan of peanut butter cookies myself but these are ok.  I don’t mind them but they’re not my favorite.  Hopefully they’re peanut buttery enough to turn Stella off and hopefully Dylan likes the dark dark chocolate.  

The Cookies that started it all…and I make friends with AI

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So this week, we go back to the beginning- Von Stapele Cookies aka The Amsterdam Cookies aka THE cookies that started the baking journey.  It’s been almost a year (I think) that I’ve been baking cookies every week.  And it’s been a crazy year.   One major down (and some not so major ones) and lots of big ups too.  So, it’s just been life.   We skate along every day until we come to a big bump in the road, we fall down, we get back up and keep skating until the next big bump.  I can’t really complain.  This is what being alive is.

I lost my job and gained a job, I lost a lot of confidence and gained a lot of resilience.  I got to spend time not working and realised how much I was missing by constantly running from one thing to the next.  I lost someone who I loved and loved me, and I gained a new appreciation of the tiny person I made.  I grew.  I still miss what I lost, and I still grieve and wonder, “what if?”  But I’m happy.  I mean I still complain about lots of First World Problems, and still hassle the humans in my house over a range of things.  But overall, at at the risk of jinxing myself.  Things are ok.

Looking back, I had NO idea what was ahead of me.  But none of us ever do really.  A year ago, I couldn’t imagine anything changing- everything was great.  A year from now, I know things could look totally different and that’s ok.  It could be better, or it could be worse.  But it will be different.  That’s the only thing I know for sure.  Will I still be baking every week?? Who knows??

And in the spirit of Change.  I’ve tried something new-ish.  I made friends with AI- well ChatGPT and for one of the first times used ChatGPT to create a new recipe.  Well, multiple new recipes.  

Bonkers.  Game changing.  Bizarre.  

So, why now??  What happened this week? 

Full disclosure, I was inspired by the Cabaret show I went to last week hosted by Dame Chilli Rox.  Chilli or Dame Chilli happens to be the only person I’ve seen consistently every week for the past 18 years, and someone who I treasure dearly.  She’s my Pole Dancing Teacher and an absolute icon, and the person who I’ve seen once or twice a week almost every week since 2007(ish).  I’ve known her longer than my husband and seen her more regularly than almost anyone else I know.  I’ve been through relationship changes, career changes, house changes, every type of change- but I’ve taken Pole Dancing Classes with Chilli on Wednesdays at 830 for most of my adult life.  

Anyway, Chilli, who is also the Most Influential Pole Dancer in Australia and an amazing MC, hosted a show last week and in the show, she had ChatGPT come up with cocktails for people she knew in the audience.  (Mine was a Half-Assed Spritz- because I’m very bubbly, loyal, but I don’t try very hard in class.)  

Anyhoo, I was inspired to use ChatGPT to come up with cookie recipes– what a brilliant idea!  Last week’s Dulce de Leche Cookies were a huge hit– and someone said, “ooh, Banoffee pie cookies would be really good.”  I searched for recipes online but then, inspired by Chilli’s AI cocktail creations, I thought what if I asked ChatGPT for a Banoffee Cookie recipe.  AND it delivered!!!

So then, I asked Chat GPT for a recipe inspired by Dame Chilli Rox- and it delivered on that too!  

The description was amazing–

“Let’s create something as fiery, fierce, and unforgettable as Dame Chilli Rox herself — a cookie that’s spicy, sultry, and unapologetically fabulous.  

Vibe:

Think: dark chocolate for drama, chilli for her name and boldness, cinnamon for heat, and raw sugar sparkle for the glittering glam she brings to the pole.” 

 And it is!!!!  Spicy chocolate chocolate chip with glitter sprinkles!!!    Throw in a jade split and it’s Chilli in a Cookie!

ChatGPT also suggested adding Fireball Whiskey or Chilli Liqueur for an extra kick.  I might try them again and call them Chilli Rox on the Rocks.

I also asked for a recipe for Von Stapele copycat cookies… and 3 or 4 other cookies that I was inspired to create… (they may make an appearance next week!)

I”m VERY pleased with how they’ve turned out (they look and smell very credible!) and it was super fun creating a recipe of my own(-ish).  Who knows, this could be the next evolution of my baking.  Creating recipes not just baking from recipes… I mean, I don’t know if I trust AI for everything all the time but it’s fun to try!


Highs and Lows

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I’ll start with the bad news.  I had my first (or maybe second) cookie fail this week.  I tried to re-make the Cornflake-Marshmallow-Chocolate Chip cookies from a few weeks ago and they did not turn out- at all.  They were too crunchy, too dry, too ick.  Wrong wrong wrong.  I should have known better.  

I really should have known better. These were not bueno. Muy bad. A cookie disaster.

I decided to make them again because I had leftover cornflake crunch.  What I didn’t realise is that I didn’t actually have enough leftover to make a whole second batch of cookies.  Also, I tried to make them smaller– but didn’t adjust the cooking time.  So, wound up with dry, hard and pretty below average cookies. 

People still ate them, people still complimented them, but in my heart of hearts, I know they’re a fail.  And I know it’s me, not the recipe.  But oh well, they can’t all be winners!  And sometimes the fails make you appreciate the wins!

And now for the HIGHS!

We’ve reached a new highpoint in our Cookie journey…

Y’all Jesse Szewczyak has entered the chat.  I will admit to not knowing who he was 6 weeks ago, but I stumbled on one of his cookie recipes a few weeks ago and almost immediately I ordered his cookbook.

He has not disappointed.  Last week I made his Bananas Foster Cookies and they were *chef’s kiss*.  So Good!  I know I say this every week, but they were seriously “the best cookies yet”.  They’re at least top 5.  And they’re straight out of his cookbook!   

  • One Excellent Cookie!

So based on that,  I decided to try two more cookies from his cookbook this week.

Initial opinions (mine especially!), I’ve picked two winners.  Or at least one winner and one “pretty close to a winner.”  We’ll see what the public says.

So the “pretty close to a winner” are Buttered Rum Sugar Cookies- very good, very solid. Very much aligned to my previous Boozy Cookie theme. Jesse actually has a whole chapter on Boozy Cookies in his book… no, I won’t be doing the Absinthe cookies.

The winning cookie though is – wait for it- Oatmeal Chocolate Covered Raisin Cookies.  These are the PERFECT cookie,  Oatmeal raisin isn’t my favourite HOWEVER these are basically Oatmeal Raisinet cookies.  And Raisinets are my favourite all time candy.   Like bring it back from the US with me but love it too much to eat it favourite candy.  Raisinets are the best.  Raisinets+cookies= perfection.  I was super excited as soon as  I saw the recipe.  My only dilemna was whether to use my precious precious American raisinets or to buy subpar Aussie chocolate covered sultanas (not as good!)  Of course, being slightly selfish I bought subpar Aussie ones– and then had to top them up with some American Raisinets.  It was worth it!  The cookies are amazing!  10/10- no notes!  

A big shout to Jesse Szewczyak- his cookbook is 3 from 3 so far!

Back into it!

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I can’t believe it’s February already- January flew by in a flurry of fun- and a lot of tennis! The United Cup in Sydney, AO in Melbourne, and the quickest trip to the US ever (that also included two tennis lessons). It was the best way to cap off my months of Funemployment. And unbelievably- and quite sadly, I go back to work TOMORROW!

It’s been over 4 months of fun, and it ends tomorrow. Not only am I back at work, but I’m back into an actual office 2-3 days a week for the first time in 5 years. Needless to say, I am NOT ok.

I’ve learned so much over these past few months and above all, I’ve developed a LOVE of baking cookies. No matter how busy the work-life juggle gets, I hope I will continue to bake now that I’m back at work. We’ll see but I’m hopeful!

Last week, I baked two versions of Christina Tosi’s Chipless Chocolate Chip Cookies- Chipless and Chipful. She calls them her Chipless Wonders and they were excellent both with Chips (Chipful) and without (Chipless).

This week, I’m baking Christina Tosi’s Ritz Cracker Cookies and a version of Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies from Trejo’s Tacos Cookbook.

And yes, I am obsessed with Christina Tosi and her All About Cookies Cookbook after receiving it as a gift for Christmas. Full disclosure: It was a gift to me, from me. Her cookies and recipes are amazing. She is a next level genius, I’m only sad that some/many of her quirky ingredients are based on US ingredients but I LOVE everything I’ve made from her so far. These cookies are no exception. On paper, they’re bonkers, but so so so delicious when you taste them!

I also love Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies. I made some with marshmallows ages ago that The Runner loves. He was quite disappointed that these are not those, but they’re still pretty good!

So that’s it for this week- wish me luck for my first day!!

Dirty Chai and Macarons.

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Happy December!

I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of the year. Christmas carols are playing, the tree is decorated, the turkey and ham are ordered and I’ve been reading Christmas Cookie recipes.

My experience with Christmas cookies has been mixed at best. There was one time when I baked them as a child- but forgot the sugar in the sugar cookie recipe, and wound up with cut out Christmas trees and stars that tasted like cardboard. As an adult, I find that cut out cookies are a lot of effort for very little reward. Sugar cookies aren’t amazing. Sugar cookies that a toddler or 5 year old has decorated are– worse. So when I think about baking cookies this Christmas, I can’t say that Sugar cookies are high on my agenda.

What is on the menu? Spicy cookies. Flavourful cookies. Cookies that make your mouth happy. Cookies like these Dirty Chai Earthquake Cookies. They have coffee and all the spices and flavours of a dirty chai latte- but rolled in two types of sugar and baked in the oven. AND they’re pretty good. What makes them Christmassy- the spices. They taste like a chai tea- and they have that gingery, cinnamony, clovey goodness that feels like Christmas.

I also made Soft Chocolate Chip cookies– just in case the Dirty Chai vibes were divisive. Chocolate chip cookies are always a crowd pleaser and these are are more soft and pillowy than crunchy. They weren’t quite what I was after… I was hoping they’d be closer to the OG Keebler Elf Soft Batch cookies that I used to eat bags of as a kid. I used to bring them back to Australia, and then suddenly they were gone. Discontinued in a cruel twist of fate. Their familiar and comforting red bag no longer on the supermarket shelves in the US, or anywhere on the internet. And the internet wasn’t happy. I wasn’t the only one that missed Soft Batch cookies. Articles were written. Blogs were posted. Apparently, Keebler has brought them back in a yellow package- but I’m sceptical. I will try this recipe for Mock Batch Cookies in the next few weeks just to see how close it is to my memories!

I also had the absolute pleasure of having my friend, Feliken, over today to make macarons. Ok, full disclosure. She made them and I watched. Macarons are not for the faint hearted. They’re not for the type of baker that forgets to put sugar in sugar cookies. In short, kids- do not try macarons at home. Or do, but it’s hard work. Feliken made it look super easy and they turned out really well. But they are a lot of work, a lot of steps, and they’re pretty fickle little things.

In short, I was in awe of her. The patience, the consistency, the level of detail, so many steps.

Ah-mazing. And they tasted soooooo good too. Am I inspired to try them on my own??? No. I’m a bigger fan of cookies that are simple and hard to get wrong. I mean any recipe with more than 4 steps, or more than 4 different action verbs and I’m lost. Dump everything in a bowl. Yes. Separate eggs, mix, add, whip, pipe, pop, wait, bake, cool, scrape, pipe, smush. I’m lost. Those poor little macarons wouldn’t stand a chance with me. But Feliken is a master at them! And it was great to see a master at work!

Happy Thanksgivng Y’all

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It shouldn’t be a suprise that Thanksgiving is one of my all time favourite holidays. Food, family, friends, and football. What else could you ask for? Other than family, Thanksgiving is one of my favourite things about America. So this time of year, I’m always a bit sad to be here and not there.

And yes, tonight I am making a bit of traditional dinner. Corn Casserole, turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and this week, I’ve baked Thanksgiving cookies. Honestly, I’m not sure about them. They’ve gotten good reviews so far from the usual suspects but something about them just isn’t right.

Could it be that they have veggies in them or could it be that I’ve never heard of a Thanksgiving cookie before this week? Or was it just homesickness making me a bit sad that I’m eating Thanksgiving in cookie form rather than pie form? Either way- I’m not sure how I feel about them.

I mean on paper, they scream Thanksgiving. And no, they’re not turkey flavoured or even turkey shaped. But they don’t quite taste like Thanksgiving.

Can you guess the flavour?

I made two types- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip– using Libby’s Pumpkin, of course and Sweet Potato Pie cookies.

The Pumpkin Chocolate Chip ones are interesting- the texture is quite pillowy and soft. Not the standard cookie texture but I think that’s why people are liking them. And they don’t taste like what they are. I also don’t think that they have a big punch of flavour. Not sure if it’s the recipe or just that Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are subtle. I mean I’m kind of happy they’re subtle because Aussies don’t always vibe with vegetable desserts (for good reason!). I’m not sure I’d make these again- not just because Libby’s canned pumpkin is expensive and hard to find in Australia, but they’re also just.not.a.vibe.

Sweet Potato Pie Cookies were different in a different way. They kind of were like Sweet Potato Casserole but in cookie form- because Marshmallows. And sugar. And cookies. These I would make again- but not all the time. Kind of like sweet potato pie casserole- and turkey. It’s fun once a year but not EVERY day.

So Happy Thanksgiving. I hope wherever you are, you’re with people that make you feel thankful and grateful and loved.

Just normal Chocolate Chip.

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Last week I made Chocolate Chip Cookies. You know the ones. The boring, old favorites that have the recipe on the back of the bag of chocolate chips. Tollhouse chocolate chips if you grew up in the US, no idea what recipe is on the back of the Australian chocolate chip packages because I didn’t make those.

I made Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (minus the nuts of course!) and they were lovely. Easy to make, and just like Mom used to make. Well, not my mother per se, but you know what I mean…

This week’s are called Cowboy Cookies. I wanted to make Halloween Cookies but 1, it’s next week, and 2, I don’t have Halloween Cookie Cutters– and even if I do happy to buy them, I’m not sure I’m going to spend the time actually decorate the cookies to make them look like pumpkins or ghosts or witches. Even though I techincally have the time, I’m not sure that I actually HAVE THE TIME to decorate cookies.

So, instead of Halloween, I’m going to focus on something FAR scarrier than Halloween for the next three weeks- the US Election.

Namely, the First Lady Bake Off or Presidential Cookie Poll. It took place from 1992-2016- after Hillary Clinton’s famous “I could have stayed home and baked cookies” comment and continued until Family Circle magazine went out of business in 2019.

So, I’m going to try a few recipes out–starting with Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies. There are a few others that might pop up in the next three weeks before Election Day so watch this space!

He Runs, I Cookie

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So, I’m currently in the midst of figuring out my next career move. I absolutely loved my last job and now that it’s over, I have a lot of choices to make and a lot of paths to explore.

While I continue to figure it out, I’m baking.

This week’s cookies are Red Velvet Chocolate Crackle Cookies by Donna Hay. I LOVE Donna Hay. I had nearly every issues of her magazine and I LOVE her cookbooks. These cookies are yum! I brought them to a BBQ on Sunday, and they were a hit. So, I baked another batch today. As I mentioned last week, I’m building up a bit of a cookie fan club. One batch isn’t enough to last the week, and since I’m currently funemployed, I have time to bake cookies twice a week.

I also baked the world famous Neiman Marcus Cookies. If you haven’t heard of these cookies, there’s a whole urban myth/legend about a woman who paid $250 for the recipe because she liked the cookies so much.

I mean they were good- but not sure I could charge $250 for them.

Some people have told me I could into the baking business- I mean, it’s not going to happen but it’s a fun idea. I’d have to bake a LOT of cookies to be self-sustaining, so I don’t see it in the future– but I do kind of like the idea of calling them, “He Runs, I Cookie…”

Until next week!

C is for Cookie…

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“Today, me will live in the moment, unless it is unpleasant. In which case me will eat a cookie.”

 – Cookie Monster

So I’ve been on a cookie baking binge over the past few weeks- or maybe even months. Actually, I can trace it back to July.

My friend, Jinx (not her actual real name, but her real pole name) went to Europe and brought back THE best cookie I’ve ever tasted in my life. It’s from Van Stapele, a bakery in Amsterdam, that only does one thing. These cookies. And they’re life changing. They’re also, unfortunately, only in Amsterdam. So, I did what any normal obsessed person would do and googled the recipe.

Of course, being a world famous cookie house, it wasn’t online. But there were loads of copycats which gave me plenty of fodder for my re-creation attempts.

Now, a smart, conscientious blogger would have made careful notes about what she baked, how it turned out and where the recipe came from. But that’s not me so please don’t ask which recipe was the best. (From memory, it was these or these but don’t quote me.).

I trialled a couple of different recipes before moving on to OTHER cookies. Chocolate Chip, Compost, Playdate, Snoop Dogg’s PB Chocolate Chip Cookies (Thomas was NOT a fan), Oatmeal raisin (by request), Mexican icebox, Coconut Sugar (bland!) and then I found them.

After weeks of searching, I’ve found the perfect cookie.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies from the NY Times.

I’m obsessed. I’ve made one batch this week, and because they are amazing I have a second bath ready to bake for tomorrow. These cookies are amazing.

I have to make a second batch, because I’ve gotten into a bit of a pattern. The people in my life now expect that I’ll turn up places with cookies. Tuesday at the gym, Wednesday nights at Pole Class. All of this cookie trialling has led to a lot of cookies. Far more than three people can eat, so I share them. And they must be better than ok, beacuse now people look forward to them, request flavours and are generally, a bit disappointed when I run out of cookies and they don’t get one. So, I’m making two batches of these- and also starting a list (or at least trying to be better) to record my cookie exploits.

So, join me on my baking journey!