Experiment No. 2: Cookies Part 3

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

It smells like banana bread in my room. The mixture of rolled oats, bananas, and chocolate chips is irresistable. Each cookie is like an individual banana bread serving, crunchy on the outside, gooey and warm inside. Mmmm.

These are my Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chips. I made the rest of them for my dear friend’s birthday. I feel like they are somewhat legendary. They have definitely changed people’s perspectives on different cookie types. I see them as a sort of bridge to newer flavors.

Think of yourself in a cold winter’s day, curled up with a blanket and a book, maybe a candle on the end table next to you. Steam rises steadily from your tea cup and the smell of bananas, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oatmeal caress your senses. You reach for the cookie resting against your tea cup, and take that exploratory step into the unknown. Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip? I wonder what that tastes like….you crunch into the outer crust, into a nutty, homey feel. The oatmeal and banana stick to the rough of your mouth in a good way, and the chocolate is a little satisfactory surprise waiting to dress up your experience. Now you can’t get enough, you are an addict of the infamous Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies.

Experiment No. 2: Cookies Part 2

Peanut Butter Cookies

While thinking about blue food ideas for a recipe this Friday night’s cooking session, I decided to use up the rest of my peanut butter by making peanut butter cookies. 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 egg (I learned this recipe from one of Emeril’s kid cook books). It is the most simple, pure, and delicious recipe for peanut butter cookies I have come across yet. It makes about 2 dozen.

The peanut-y scents really overwhelm my hall, and I have the guys across the hall salavating, waiting for the beep of my toaster oven to summon them. One of my friends mischieviously dipped his finger into the batter and proclaimed it an orgasmically delicious creation. I love baking in my dorm.

I pass my time by writing to you all, watching faces go by, and studying for my Nutrition test tomorrow. I am focusing on the section on glycogenesis…

They came out in perfect rounds, although I burnt the last batch. It had more of a roasted nut flavor than the smooth peanut-y flavor of the previous batches. If I had not run out of chocolate chips by making my Banana Oatmeal Cookies, I would have probably added them to the peanut butter dough…Enjoy!

Experiment No. 2: Cookies Part 1

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Good day friends! I have just finished the last batch of cookies – chocolate chip, to be exact – and people are really enjoying my room. One guy asked me last night if I could make a specific kind of cookie for him, and he would pay me for ingredients and time. Oh yeah.

So I got my recipe from my awesome, yet old fashioned Betty Crocker Cooky Book. It is straight up chocolate chip cookies, no twists. I thought you would all like to know about my new cooking experiences in my toaster oven, food porn included. One thing I have discovered is that is doesn’t take much for the cookies (or whatever you are making) to burn at a high temperature. I left a batch in the oven for a couple minutes longer than my alarm indicated, and I may regret it. Maybe not. Someone will eat them.

I took a bag full to my Buddhism and the West class, and they were a big hit, especially with my professor. My hall mates are also really enjoying the scents I am creating. I like to watch as they sniff the air in front of my door and try to guess what I am up to.

Addendum: I am really sorry, that was a terrible post. But I am going to ellaborate now! (sorry for the delay, this has been on my mind since I submitted this post….). Here are my cookies. They are gorgeous. Straight from the oven they are bursting with warmth, scent, and chocolate. As I broke one in half to split with my roommate (who particularly enjoys my baking skills), the outside of the cookie gave a crunch and the chocolate melted into a heavenly gooey mess on my fingers. The best part of homemade cookies is the ability to add what you want, and make them your own. This time I added more chocolate chips than the recipe called for….I usually do this. Perhaps I find most recipes lacking in their chocolate goodness. Like the Banana Oatmeal Cookies, which I will be making soon…mmmm.

I love that cookies can make just about anyone smile. It is one thing that I have learned with this recipe. Whether it is the smell, the taste, or the chocolate, an excellent feeling wafts through me when I see that smile crack across my friend’s face. I hope you can experience that joy as well when you make cookies, whether it is for yourself or friends.

Experiment No. 1: Bread Part 3

Experiment No.1: Bread Part 3

Hi again! I haven’t baked since last week, and I was due, especially as my Buddhism class tomorrow want chocolate chip cookies, so I needed the bowl my dough was occupying. So this is my last loaf of this particular round (don’t worry, I will make another batch soon enough).

This past Friday, I spent a good deal of time on my hands and knees weeding a row of scallions at Three Sisters Farm. It was a wonderful day, and a gorgeous farm. They are helping the UofR set up a garden, and I am very excited to help out with the project.

Anyway, back to baking. This was my mast loaf, and it came out beautifully. I folded in about a 2 teaspoons worth of cinnamon, 1.5 teaspoons of chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of cumin. Once I had shaped my loaf around those seasons (which made a nice swirl through the middle), I smoothed some olive oil over the top, then sprinkled a good helping of cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, crushed pepper flakes, and salt. I cut the top with an X, and baked it for about 40 minutes.

The crust came out the best, all crisp and covered in flavor. I really love the salt alone on the crust; it gives it the definitive crunch when you bite into it. The middle was gooey with warmth and chewy gluten, and the swirl caught some of my eaters with a delicious surprise in their normally plain-flavored bread insides.

Now the bread is gone, leaving only a few crumbs and the delicious scent of cinnamon and bread baked in a wonderful limbo, leaving everyone yearning for more.

Experiment No.1: Bread Part 3