We're MOVING!!

WE'VE MOVED!!

We've decided to move our blog to our website.  Please visit us here www.thecookiechew.com/blog for all our adventures in cookies! :)

Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes

A very long time ago (like years ago) I made some Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes for a super good friend of mine and they turned out quite delicious.  Recently, a friend of hers had a super sweet simple wedding on the bay and requested I make the same Strawberry Champagne cupcakes I made years ago! I guess it didn't matter that I was a cookie company :).  Of course I was happy to do it but I haven't made a cupcake in SO long I had to turn to our trusted friend the internet to find a good recipe and I did! With a few tweaks the cupcakes came out delightful! (Even though my icing skills aren't).  Lucky for me she cared more about the taste than the look and she was one very happy bride :).

Champagne Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 egg whites

1 cup Champagne

Strawberry-Champagne Filling:

1 cup champagne I used the barefoot pink moscato and it made it just the right amount of sweet with no extra sugar)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 pint strawberries, hulled

Champange Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks butter, room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup champagne

Instructions

1.    Bake the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat in egg whites one at a time. Beat in flour mixture and champagne in three alternating additions, starting and ending with dry mixture. Pour batter into tins and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

2.   Make the strawberry filling: Cook the champagne over medium-high heat until the mixture is reduced by about half. Whisk in cornstarch and allow the mixture to thicken. Pour into food processor bowl and allow to cool. Add strawberries and pulse until combined.

3.   Make the champagne buttercream frosting: Beat butter in bowl of stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla, salt, and champagne; beat until frosting is creamy.

4.   Assemble the cupcakes: Using a small paring knife, cut a small cone from the top of each cupcake. Fill with a heaping teaspoon of filling. Using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake, swirling decoratively. Finish them off with a couple of candied strawberry chips, and serve.

Stuffed Carrot Cake Cookies - First Attempt at Making them Chewy

Cinnamon Almonds vs. Candied Pecans...candied pecans fo sho! My first attempt at our newest stuffed cookie taste wise turned out fabulous! However consistency and texture wise it fell a little short. I've never been a fan of cakey cookies. I just personally like my cookies dense and chewy so I always try to make my cookies in the same way I like them.  In this recipe I used grated carrots, which leave a lot of the water found in the carrots in the cookie batter.  I actually think I am going to juice the carrots first before putting them into the cookie batter.  I am thinking it will have less moisture and therefore bake a little less cakey.  I also think I am going to increase the amount of coconut to make up for the loss in moisture from the carrots.  I will let you know how it goes.

I will also testing which one I liked better...cinnamon almonds or candied pecan and the candied pecans came out so much better.  I ended up cutting them up and putting them on top of the cookies before baking them.  They stayed crunchy which I was very happy with and gave the top a nice crispy crunch in each bite! Delish! Now I just need to work on the texture.....keep you posted ;)

Tiered Cookie Cakes - Wedding Cookie Favors

Being in the wedding industry is sometimes really tough for me.  I've tried to make my mark with making very chewy dense super delicious stuffed cookies and unfortunately sometimes that can be really hard if you're trying make it look really cute too.  The cookies  that look the cutest don't ever really taste the best. Often they require a lot of fondant & icings and harder cookies that can hold specific shapes.  And that is my dilemma.....BUT yay! I think I've found a compromise with these tiered cookie cakes.  Here are my first attempts at making tiered cookie cakes.  I've even been able to stuff each cookie layer (except for the top layers) to go along with my style.  These are definitely the first attempts so hopefully they will get better the more practice.

Oven thermometers...small life saver!

Baking can be so frustrating! It is so crazy inconsistent it drives me insane! The same exact recipe sometimes will come out different every time I bake it. Ugh!! Although I still struggle with consistency, one thing I have found that has helped me out TREMENDOUSLY is an oven thermometer.  So cheap and easy to get, I think every baker must have one. Ovens are really testy and often very wrong.  It might say it's set at 375 degrees but often the actual temperature inside the oven isn't even close to 375 degrees and my cookies come out under baked or over baked.  Especially if I've been baking for a while, the oven is always hotter than what it's set at.  Hopefully, the consistency part will get better since I know thats incredibly important when trying to run a small business.

Orange Cream Cheese Cookie Squares

I can't think of anything worse that affects so many people I know....being allergic to chocolate! It just breaks my heart! ;)  Well here's a recipe that even the poor unfortunate choco-phobes can enjoy.  Light, fruity & not to sweet with a crunchy with cookie bottom and crumble topping. Perfect to close out the summertime and head into the fall!

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

8oz cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 canned mandarin oranges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter & sugar together.  Sift flour.  Add flour & walnuts to mixture until it becomes crumbly.  Pat mixture into 9 x 9 pan, but reserve some for topping.  Bake crust for 12 mins.

Combine all other ingredients together, except for oranges.  Remove baked crust from oven and layer mandarin oranges on top.  Pour cream cheese mixture over and add topping. Bake for another 20 mins.  Cool & serve!

!0 Wedding Myths...Debunked

I recently read a post by BrideFinds about 10 wedding myths de-bunked that I found very interesting.  Getting married just a little over a  year ago I can say I totally agree! I think there may have been one tradition we actually kept (which was wearing white - I'm not that bold yet!!) and the rest was completely a reflection of our personality and who we are as opposed to tradition.  My brother actually walked me down the aisle, we totally skipped the garter & bouquet toss, my husband wore TOMS as his shoes, my husband didn't technically have a best man, and we held a buffet dinner.  And it was great! I think the best complement we got after was from my brother in law who told me .  Perfect!

Here are the 10 myths debunked:

1. You have to wear white.

2. You can’t ask for cash.
3. You need something borrowed, blue, old, and new.
4. You have to have a bouquet toss and garter toss.
5. You have to serve a full meal.
6. You need a full wedding party
7. You need a planner.
8. Your father has to walk you down the aisle.
9. You have to spend a small fortune.
10. The bride’s family pays for everything.

I think I totally agree!

Cinco De Mayo Cinnamon Chips Dessert Recipe

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican militia's over the French army with food drinks & traditions unique to Mexico.  You had me at food & drinks & celebration! I'm always down for that :) We used to make these cinnamon chips at our celebrations and there are super easy and super delish! How will you be celebrating today?

INGREDIENTS:
- 6 Flour Tortillas
- 7 TBS melted butter
- 6 TBS sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Brush each tortilla with melted butter. Combine cinnamon & sugar and sprinkle over each side of the tortillas.  Stack on top of each other and cut into 12 wedges.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees  for 12-14 minutes until crisp.  SO easy! ;)

You can always make dessert nachos with these as well topping with caramel, chocolate, fruit & whipped cream.  A little chopped pecans and candied walnuts would be delicious too!

Mother's Day Gift - Gourmet Stuffed Cookie Gift Box

There's a Jewish proverb I love that says, " God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers." 
If there's one thing most mothers have in common it's how they always just seem to know to be there when you need them the most.  I could NEVER pull a fast one over on my mom including leaving my stable accounting job to start a cookie business :). But throughout the years she's been the most supportive & encouraging mother a girl could ever ask for.  

So this year's Mother's Day Cookie Gift pack is made in honor of my mom! Get a dozen of my mom's most favorite cookies specially packaged for Mother's Day with FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the US!
- 2 Velvet Loves
- 2 Twisted Oats
- 2 Mudslides
- 2 Sweet Fiestas
- 2 Sweet & Salty &
- 2 Peanut Butter Truffies

Get one today!!! »
Orders must be placed by May 7th for shipping and May 11th for pick-up.

Why do my cookies spread so much when baking?

I received a message from a friend last night in desperation trying to bake hundreds of cookies for her son's school that kept spreading.  After about two failed attempts in the oven she called.  Baking is SO sensitive! Here are some of the most common causes as to why your cookies may be spreading too much:
- Your dough is too warm and needs to be chilled
- The baking pans were greased - tip: don't grease baking pans unless the recipe calls for it
- The butter was too soft when using it in the batter.  At room temperature you should be able to poke an indentation with your finger but the indentation shouldn't stay
- You substituted shortening for butter
- The baking pan was warm when before you put it in the oven
- You used the wrong kind of flour.  Unbleached all purpose flour is the best for cookies.

Always bake a test batch when baking a large amount of cookies.  If the test cookie does not come out right you can then adjust before baking an entire batch.  Hope this helps! If anyone has any other baking questions.  Please feel free to ask!

Drumrolll please.....Carrot Cake Cookies finally in test phase

Okay, so maybe it's not that big of a deal but for years now it's been on the back of my mind to add a carrot cake stuffed cookie onto the menu.  However it wasn't until I had the most amazing dinner of my life at Truclucks in La Jolla that I was finally convicted to start the R&D process. (The constant nagging of the crazy sweet tooth of my husband helped too).  After a huge dinner of crab cakes, oysters, crab legs, bacon mac & cheese, garlic mashed potatoes and the best risotto we've ever had.... (yea I know....what? we like food!! :) I thought I couldn't add a single nibble of food into my incredibly stuffed belly.  That was of course until I saw the 10ft carrot cake being presented to me on  the dessert tray.  We just couldn't resist.  This 7 layer carrot cake, with just the perfect combination of cream cheese and cake drizzled with a butterscotch glaze and topped with candied pecans was a dessert you just didn't say no too! It demanded at least a bite....or two....or twenty! We devoured the ENTIRE thing!!  Really? Cause we don't eat enough sweets as it is! But it got me thinking I would totally come back just for this cake.  What if I had a cookie that just demanded to be eaten? Wouldn't you try it at least once? Stay tuned for how it turns out!

Monkey Cookie Pops

So a couple posts ago I posted the monkeys I was going to use for the baby shower cookie pops and here are how they turned out.  I used the Red Velvet Chocolate Chip cookie because the Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie wouldn't hold as a cookie pop.  It was too soft.  And drizzled it with white chocolate.  What do you guys think?

Maple French Toast Bacon Cupcakes

I have to admit I've jumped on the bandwagon and crossed over to the dark side and absolutely love the new trend combining desserts with bacon. This recipe is from the Food Network but it is absolutely incredibly! It's totally the combination of Sweet & Salty that gets me every time!

For the Cupcakes:

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         1 cup cake flour

·         1 3.9-ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 tablespoon potato starch

·         1 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

·         1/4 cup granulated sugar

·         1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         4 large egg whites, at room temperature

·         1/4 cup maple syrup

·         1/2 cup half-and-half, at room temperature

·         1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon (5 strips)

 

For the Frosting:

·         1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

·         2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

·         1/4 cup maple syrup

·         2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·         3 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Prepare the cupcakes: Combine the flours, pudding mix, baking powder, potato starch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl with a whisk.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a mixer on low speed until combined, 6 to 8 minutes. Gradually mix in the vanilla and egg whites. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the maple syrup and half-and-half, mixing after each addition and ending with flour. Mix until the ingredients are just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the bacon.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely.

Cute Monkey Cookies

So I have never really been into decorating cookies.  All the decorated cookies I've ever had are dry hard sugar cookies....they look beautiful but don't taste all that great! But when my sister called asking for monkey cookies for her best friends bridal shower, I decided I had to at least try. So I recruited the help of a super talented cake decorator friend and asked what kind of monkeys she could make that would look good on top of a cookie and this is what she made me.  And I love them! They are too cute! I'm thinking I can still do a delicious stuffed Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chip cookies stuffed with a Dark Chocolate Banana Truffle.  That way they will look super cute and still taste great! I'll let you know how it goes :)

Happy Birthday to the Oreo Cookie!!! Can you believe a cookie can turn 100 and still taste this good?!

Yesterday the Oreo Cookie turned 100! Here's how we celebrated!! Stuffing them instead a chocolate chip cookie! Yum!!

3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted softened butter
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 cups AP flour (sifted)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz chocolate chips
1 packaged of oreo cookies (extra for snacking)

Cream butter & sugars together.  Add vanilla and egg yolk.  In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda & salt.  Add to butter & sugar mixture until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips. Chill the dough for at least 45 mins.

After the dough has chilled roll the dough into tablespoon sizes in the palm of your hand.  Flatten it out and put an oreo cookie in the middle.  Cover it with the sides of the chocolate chip dough so that none of the oreo cookie is showing.  Bake for 8 mins in a 375 degree oven.

Make sure you enjoy with milk!! :)

Cookies & Wine - Better Together

In life there are three things you need, good friends, good chocolate & good wine! This Valentine's Day we are helping you out with two of the three! When I first tried 12 Signs Wine I just loved the concept! We all love feeling special and how special is it to have a wine paired specifically for you and your sign! (The wine was fabulous too! :) We just knew we had to create some wine and cookie pairings and with Valentine's Day was the perfect occasion! Picture this: a nice warm fire, a delicious dinner, spending time with the one or ones you love and for dessert wine specially paired with decadent cookies....sounds good to me for a perfect Valentine's Day!

We've created two options for the perfect Valentine's Day Gift!

"Sweet Love" Valentine's Day Gift Basket - One bottle of wine (choose the sign or your other) paired with 8 mini cookies - $40.00

"Better Together" Valentine's Day Gift Basket - Two bottles of wine (choose both of your signs) paired with 10 mini cookies - $75.00

ORDER HERE!

Available for pick-up in the San Diego area or delivery for an additional charge in the San Diego area.  Cannot be shipped. All orders must be placed by 2/13/12.

Best Valentine's Day Dessert Ever! 2 mins in a cup!

Every Valentine's Day I want something super chocolately super decadent and super indulgent! Its a day where I don't have to feel guilty about it so if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right! And this recipe does it right! I saw this recipe on The Family Kitchen and just HAD to try it! Besides containing two of my all time favs, chocolate & salted caramel....best of all there's no batters, there's no mixers, all you need is a mug and a sweet tooth! From start to finish this recipe takes 5 minutes, leaving your Valentine's night free for other things.... :)

Salted Caramel Mug Cake
What you’ll need: {makes 2 mug cakes}
8 tablespoons all purpose flour
8 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs – beaten
6 tablespoons skim milk
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 salted caramels

What to do: 
1. Into a small bowl add: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix to combine.

2. Pour mixture into a regular sized coffee mug. Drop caramels into center of mixture one at a time.

3. Microwave on high for one minute and 30 seconds. If needed {if cake batter is still gooey}, microwave on high for up to an additional 30 seconds.

I also added a little sprinkle of sea salt on the top just to salty it up just a bit.  Delish!

How Sweet It Is - Valentine's Day Gift of Gourmet Cookies

Probably one of my favorite holidays of the year because I'm a hopeless romantic is Valentine's Day.  I love the feeling that of love in the air and that as long as your with your honey everything will be alright....at least for one day! This year is one of my favorite Valentine's Cookies packages of all time.  It's just soooo cute! :) I found these adorable mini cookie boxes, the super plush bear and a fun balloon and thought this would be a super cute Valentine's Day gifts.  Choose from our most popular stuffed cookies & un-stuffed cookie flavors and surprise someone special with even more sweetness.

Wedding Cake Alternative: Tiered Cookie Cakes

I saw this idea from Martha Stewart and loved loved loved the idea! Cookies to me have always been one of those desserts that may not look very pretty but better taste amazing... with these tiered cookie cakes, now they can both taste and look amazing!

My first attempt did not turn out as well as Marthas as you can tell :) but here are are some other pictures I found and loved! If anyone wants me to practice on them let me know! :)

Jessicakes

Cakes by Look

Cookie Creatives

Jessicakes

Baked Goods Unlimited

The ideas are just flowing now.......!!