Thinking of new ideas

A big part of making cookies comes down to thinking about new ideas for cookie flavors. I guess I'll just hash through some ideas for cookies that might be tasty. Let's see... Okay. I have my thinking cap on. Dusty though. I don't use it very often. Thinking is so over rated. But anyways. Okay.. I have my "ah-ha" lightbulb as well. I think I'm set.

#1. Creme Brulee

The Idea: Creamy vanilla bean sugar cookie. Make an indention right out of

the oven, such as with jam thumbprint cookies. Fill with a custardy pastry cream. Then top with raw sugar and torch to a crunchy top. Yum. Maybe even put a bit of ginger into the pastry cream. Ginger vanilla creme brulee? fab.

The Others: Some others have done the creme brulee cookie. Target has a creme brulee cookie. But it's the "out of the box, tastes like cardboard" variety. Not for me. Park 19 has a creme brulee cookie. They put the crunchy sugar on top. Looks killer. But I feel like it is missing the creamy custard that it such a part of the dessert.

#2: S'mores

The challenge: replicate the graham cracker flavor, have lots of chocolate, and make the marshmallow component taste like it came straight from the campfire.

The Idea: Replace about 1/2 of the flour with finely ground graham crackers. Add a bit of honey to the dough. Incorporate in chocolate chunks, maybe even chopped hersheys bar. Bake it up and fresh out of the oven top with marshmallows. Once the cookie is cooled, take the torch to it and toast up the top of the marshmallows on the cookies.

The Others: So I found quite a few s'mores cookies on the net. Paula Deen has a recipe, but it's more of a Smore made with 2 chocolate chip cookiees. There are also quite a few s'mores bars with recipes on the net. There is also, of course, a Park 19 S'mores cookie. So this is not too original of an idea, but I think my way of doing it may be a bit different. It needs to have that toasted and almost burnt taste on the marshmallows to really embody the treat, in my opinion.

#3: Chai Tea Latte

The Challenge: Make a cookie that embodies the flavors of a creamy chai latte without actually using a chai concentrate. Bring not just the flavors, but the creamy goodness of a steaming latte.

The Idea: Process some black tea leaves in a food processor until very finely ground. Use a sugar cookie base. Add in the actual spices of chai, such as cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, cloves and a bit of pepper. I saw some

recipes that rolled the cookie in cinnamon and sugar like a snickerdoodle. But I think instead I would top it with a honey flavored frosting/glaze to help bring the creaminess to the cookie.

The Others: There are quite a few Chai tea cookie recipes, but they all use a chai concentrate in them. I don't like adding too much liquid to my cookie recipes, so I felt it needed to be spicy

without adding extra sugar and liquid. Also, the other cookie recipes treat it more like a flavored snickerdoodle and I feel it misses the creamy element of the latte.

#4: Tropical

The Challenge: Make a cookie taste like a tropical vacation.. or at least a very tropical drink.

The Idea: Cookie with bits of dried pineapple, toasted coconut, toasted macadamia nuts, and rum. Maybe top the whole thing off with a rum

glaze.

The Others: There are quite a few cookies like this out there as Pina Colada cookies. Most use extracts to come up with the flavors. I prefer the idea of using the real ingredients to bring the flavors out.

#5: Cup of Earl Grey

The Challenge: Make a creamy and ultra sophisticated cookie that almost makes you feel like you are sitting in a coffee shop wrapped in a cozy sweater. An ultimate morning cookie.

The Idea: A creamy sugar cookie base with finely ground earl grey

tea leaves. Add in lemon zest, a touch of honey, and a small amount of finely ground lavendar. No chips, no chocolate. Process some sugar, lavendar, and lemon zest together until finely mixed. Roll the cookie in the lavendar sugar before baking.

The Others: There are quite a few recipes on the net that give recipes for earl grey cookies. Some add chocolate to them as well. I think the difference with my idea is that mine will bring together a bit more flavors to add some complexity.

#6: Poached Pear

The Challenge: Create a cookie that brings together the flavors of red wine and oregon pears. I make a poached pear pie in the fall that has cranberries in it. There is almost no sugar, as all the sweetness comes from the pears and wine. I want to try and bring this same idea into a cookie.

The Idea: A not-so-sweet cookie to start with. Reduced red wine, chopped dried pears, toasted hazelnuts, and dried cranberries. Accent with some grated orange zest and a bit of cinnamon. The idea of this cookie, to me, is distinctly "Oregon". As such, I think it's important to to have the toasted hazelnuts too.

The Others: I found some recipes for italian red wine cookies online, but I can't really find anything that brings in the pear aspect. I always come up with my ideas first, and then look to see if there is anything else like it. At least that way, in my own mind, I can sort-of claim that it was an original idea. Sometimes I have found that there are others that think like me, and have many of my same recipe ideas. Maybe this is a true original?