Let’s start with a classic

It’s no secret that I’m working toward opening a small home bakery. It’s a major work in progress – painting, putting up back splash, installing cabinets, etc. Lately I’ve been working on my favorite part: RECIPES!

On November 10th my place of employment closed for 2 weeks due to a positive Covid test in an employee. This meant I was at home for two weeks trying to find something to keep be busy – besides watching every single episode of Hell’s Kitchen. That’s when I started thinking about what kind of cookies I want to make for the holiday season this year.

When it comes to holiday cookies, you always have to do the classics. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, and sugar are the three that I consider classics. Now the sugar cookie doesn’t have to be a cut out – I enjoy making cut outs but I also like to do drop sugar cookies and make them crazy color combinations. I’m pretty sure I’m going to stray a little from those cookies most people take part in during the holiday season. I am going to offer cookie trays – not many though.

My cookie list:
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Thumbprint Cookies (Not sure what jam I’m making)
Peppermint melts (A peppermint butter cookie)
Snickerdoodles

The Mexican hot chocolate cookies were a big hit last year, as well as snickerdoodles. This is the first year I’m playing with the idea of a peppermint butter cookie. I’m going to dip the top of the cookie in melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy cane.

Now I’m back to work – my first day back was Monday (11/23) – it means I can get to actually testing the recipes. The guys I work with are totally fine with me playing with recipes and bringing in what comes out because it means free dessert for them.

Last night I tested out my chocolate chip cupcake. The cake didn’t work out so well, which I already know what I did wrong with it so it’s an easy fix. The cake itself is a chocolate chip cake. The frosting is an edible cookie dough frosting.

Before I go on let me say, if you’re going to make edible cookie dough of any kind you HAVE TO heat treat your flour to kill any bacterial to keep anyone from becoming ill. All you have to do is spread your flour out on a cookie sheet and pop it into a 350°F for 5 minutes.

Okay, back to the cupcake!

Where was I….Chocolate Chip Cake, Edible cookie dough frosting… The top of the frosting was covered in chocolate chip cookie dust, a few milk chocolate chips and half of a chocolate chip cookie. I liked how everything turned out, except for the cake. I’m going to try it again soon.

I do have a small notebook that I have around 10 other cupcake recipe ideas wrote down in. Some of the ideas sound crazy, but I know they’re flavors that actually work very well together. Like I really want to do a chai cake with apple, cinnamon and a basic caramel sauce. Another one is a cardamom cake with blueberry and mint.

My next baking time is going to be Monday. I’m going to make either a rocky road cupcake or a turtle cupcake. Right now I’m leaning more toward turtle cupcake because I’ll have heavy cream I need to use. So, the cupcake will be chocolate pecan, bourbon caramel filling, chocolate ganache cover the top of the cake, chocolate frosting, chopped pecans, caramel drizzle & a chocolate drizzle. I may chocolate cover a couple pecans to put on top.

I’m all about EXTRA! Dessert is suppose to be fun and should never make you feel guilty! Sometimes I actually feel bad if I don’t have anything “extra” on a cupcake.

Saturday night I’m going to be attempting my first panna cotta. We’re having a little dinner Sunday afternoon, I was going to make poached pears. I’ve done poached pears before, so I switched it up and I’m trying something I’ve never done before. I know what can go wrong with it – you end up making a weird big gummy candy. The panna cotta I’m making is going to be a pumpkin panna cotta (with agar-agar), toasted graham crackers, homemade vanilla whipped cream & a chocolate drizzle. I’ve kind of been having nightmares over this dessert because I don’t want it to turn out to be a weird gummy thing – but I also don’t want it to not set up and be a weird soup.

Sunday is normally my day off, so I’m going to spend Sunday night working on some more ideas. I’m trying to go for the things I grew up eating, but in cupcake form.

What were the sweets you ate growing up that you’d like to see in cupcake form?

2 thoughts on “Let’s start with a classic

  1. Yum! That looks so tasty!

    I bet you’re glad to be back at work. Being out due to a positive Covid test is no fun (even if it doesn’t involve you, it’s better safe than sorry). I was furloughed for almost 3 months from April to the end of June so I know exactly what you had to deal with (even if you weren’t out as long as I was). I’m wondering what these next few weeks are going to look like with lockdowns going back into effect again seeing as cases are rising again.

  2. Wow you’re quite into baking. That’s cool. I used to like baking a lot too. Far as Christmas cookies we usually do peanut butter blossoms, sugar cookie cut outs, chocolate cherries, some kind of Italian chocolate ones, some weird ones made with pretzels and chips, and melt aways.

    I hope the new stuff you’re trying works out!

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