Monday, January 11, 2010

The way it crumbles....

Today was my first day back at school in a new semester of culinary management. Tomorrow I'll be in the land of cookies as my class and I undertake the arduous task of baking some 2000 cookies for charity. Maybe. Tomorrow also happens to be a scheduled province-wide student walkout protesting a pending teacher strike that has the potential to set students back a full year in their programs.

It's a pretty crap decision to have to make. I love baking cookies, and doubly so for charity; but I also want to voice my opinion on this strike issue, especially if a yes vote on the strike means another year before I graduate.

I already know I'm going to school tomorrow, but I'm not going to learn or even have my attendance taken. I'm going to help make cookies, and that is all. Now, as my title suggested; a cookie recipe (my favorite):

Mayan Chocolate Sparklers

Ingredients:
  • ¾ cup shortening
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ cups cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
Method:
  1. Beat shortening, butter and sugars until creamy.
  2. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  3. Add next 6 ingredients, mixing until incorporated.
  4. Stir in chocolate chips.
  5. Roll in 1” balls, don’t flatten.
  6. Roll into cinnamon and sugar topping.
  7. Place on prepared cookie sheets, about 2” apart.
  8. Bake @ 350° F for about 10 minutes (should still be soft in center)


I made these for the first time this past Christmas and I see no reason why they shouldn't make it into the regular rotation. Despite the title of this post, these cookies are exceptionally soft and moist with no crumbling tendency at all. The pepper gives them a nice little unexpected kick. Truly good food for a picket line. :-)




FRR47AHUVW7N

3 comments:

  1. 1. i didn't know we're supposed to bake TWO THOUSAND cookies.
    2. i don't want to be set back a whole year! i didn't know that either!
    3. when you made these for your christmas party, i want you to know they are some of the best cookies i have ever had. they inspired me to make cayenne pepper chocolate truffles. which were not as delicious. i forgot to tell you that.
    4. oh hey look, i'm totally creeping you.
    if posting something on the internet for everyone to see and showing me your new blog at school counts as me creeping.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they resolve their differences before a strike is called. You and countless other students deserve so much better.

    And if I haven't said it before, your career path is inspiring. You make me believe that anyone can follow his/her dream.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have said it before, and I'll say it again (in a public forum!) - Students need to be rioting! DO NOT accept a strike for even a second! Nonsense!! Contractual obligations, etc!

    Support your faculty, yes... stand behind them and demand a resolution without an interuption to the school year.

    Bah. Now I'm angry.

    ReplyDelete