Cookie week is off and running with nothing flaccid

Cookie week is here. And we inadvertently had two bakers today showing off their skills.   One had signed up. The other, having been the beneficiary of a few Four Seasons favors, took the "suggestion" to contribute to cookie week very seriously and whipped up a batch or two.  No bridges being burned here.

Our pretend baker!

Two kinds of treats today!

Standard Sugar Cookies with holiday sprinkles!

Peanut Butter Cookies with a Kiss

Classic Toll House Cookies!

Our expected baker made some festive holiday sugar cookies and American classic peanut butter cookies - the ones with the Hershey's kiss in the center.
Our luxury loving co-baker opted for traditional Toll House chocolate chip cookies.

Digression - Let it be said here.  The Toll House recipe never has to be modified. It is a classic and short of adding extra ingredients such as oatmeal or nuts or changing the chips to peanut butter or white chocolate, the basic recipe should be sacrosanct as no other one matches up. If you don't believe me you can look up the episode of Friends where Monica is trying to duplicate the recipe of Phoebe's deceased grandmother who supposedly took the recipe with her to the grave.  In the end it turned out to be the Toll House recipe.  So if you want to come at us with a new and improved recipe - don't bother - hear that Mrs. Fields?

Don't mess with this cookie!

The sugar cookies were very good and baked to be surprisingly white. There were red, green and white holiday sprinkles in the shapes of Christmas trees. The cookies were good though some thought they were a little sweet including the baker. What would you expect from a sugar cookie?  The sprinkles made the cookies extra fun as they were sort of a booby trap. They did not stick well and so anyone who went to eat one got showered with the sprinkles. Once we realized this we didn't say anything and just watched them fly all over everyone. Kudos to our one colleague who managed to consume the whole thing without losing the sprinkles.

Rather white - don't you think!

Photographing the work!

Might be a touch too sweet!

Before!

After a little shaking!

The aftermath!

The peanut butter cookies were great and went the quickest. The chocolate chip cookies were irresistible and we probably could have downed about 8 each but held back so as not to overdo it.

These didn't last long!

It was a successful first day but not without controversy. We wonder what the Facebook post of the first baker meant when she showed a picture of the cookies with the comment "pretending to bake cookies."  That that mean she didn't really bake them or is she dissing he own baking skills. Hmmm!

Furthermore, both bakers used a baking stone - say what? This is something used for pizzas and according to baker number one can be used for cookies to get a smooth surface on the bottom during baking.  Baker number two, however, also tried a baking stone but only got the smooth bottom surface on the cookies she made on the usual cookie sheet. This situation is contradictory but the Toll House cookie evidence is compelling enough to make us not bother with a stone when baking cookies. Pizza might be a different story.

Left -cooked in the pan.  Right on the stone - you be the judge!

There was some minor opinion about whether cookies, especially the Toll House, should be crunchy or soft.  When someone said they liked them soft that was dismissed as not appropriate with the comment "Cookies should not be flaccid!"  And that is the quote of the day.

I like 'em soft but hard would be better than flaccid!

A preview of cookie week courtesy of Sam's Club

Next week is Holiday/Christmas cookie week.  One of our colleagues manifestly denies she has any baking talent whatsoever but wanted to be involved with the cookie festival as it were. Since during cookie week only self baked cookies are allowed she signed up for the Friday before and came with a holiday cookie assortment courtesy of Sam's Club. As you can see the brand is Artisan Fresh which is their "premium" bakery product line although some people do not associate the word premium with Sam's club.

Something to start off the cookie week!

Artisan Fresh Selection!

A respectable selection well presented for sure!

This was a nice assortment actually and certainly better than a lot of the prepackaged stuff you find at supermarkets.  There were five types  - german chocolate toffee pecan (that's a mouthful), red velvet with white chocolate chips (why is red velvet showing up everywhere all of a sudden), cranberry orange, almond toffee shortbread and wedding cookies.  Although we could mostly gather which is which by looking at them, since we don't know what a wedding cookie is we determined by the process of elimination that it was the powdered sugar coated cookie in the center of the tray. Interestingly the closest thing we could find the resembled them was something called a Mexican Wedding cookie.

What is what?

Uh, duh, do you think this is the red velvet cookie!

Almond toffee shortbread.

Obviously, this is the german chocolate toffee pecan.

Cranberry orange..the cranberries are the giveaway!

Therefore these must be the wedding cookies

The full selection ready for the taste test!

The ingredients and the flavors were somewhat predictable. The german chocolate contained cocoanut like the German chocolate cake, the shortbread was good with the almond toffee, the cranberry orange were shortbread like also. The red velvet cookie was very distinctive.  The best of the bunch was probably the wedding cookie. It was like a lighter version of shortbread with the added touch of nuts and the powdered sugar. All in all if you don't feel like or simply can't bake anything this is not a bad alternative. You just have to get to Sam's Club where according to our colleague has even larger cookie assortment for all sizes of holiday parties.

The cake of gratitude

Today was a day of thanks. Not like that holiday of about three weeks ago. Instead we were served up a nice little chocolate cake with the words Thank You on top.  There was a major procedure involving a lot of preparation and requiring several things that were not immediately available.  This prompted a number of requests that needed to be addressed quickly.  Those responsible for taking care of such things co-operated in making sure that everything necessary was procured promptly thereby making the execution of the work that much simpler.

I'm glad it's over and I'm saying thanks!

Simple cake with a simple message!

Lots of good size chocolate shards!

Aw, you're welcome!

So the person who was coordinating the whole thing was gracious enough to offer thanks to those who had helped by coming with the cake.  It was a very nice gesture and much appreciated. It wasn't really necessary because everyone was doing their jobs but we are not going to crab about someone's act of generosity especially if a cake is involved. 

One layer of chocolate cake with a fresh whipped cream frosting!

Simple and good!

The cake was very simple and good. A single layer of good moist chocolate cake with a whipped cream frosting and shaved chocolate pieces.  We've had them many time before and they are liked because the pieces are never too big. It is also not heavy so you don't feel like you overdo it calorically by having a slice.  We were happy to dig in and for bringing the cake we say thanks to the person who was thanking us!

Anything Goes

It's opening night again!  Every year we celebrate the first night of the musical production of the Braintree High Theatre Guild. Why you wonder? Because I am the director!  Because lots of colleagues and friends come to show their support by being in the audience or by donating money to the production we have a celebratory/recognition cake hour so I can thank everyone for getting involved one way or the other.

Our in house director

This year the production was the Beaumont Version of the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes".  This is in my humble opinion the best version.  Patti Lupone starred in it and it was a big success. As part of the revision they put back in some of the original songs, took out some frivolous ones that they added in a 1962 version and then threw in a few of Porter's most popular numbers for added measure.  The orchestration was one of the best things, however.  It was reorchestrated to sound like a ship's band so it is big and brassy and just freakin' awesome. The band also was on the stage like it was on the boat where the action takes place.

Patti Lupone in the title number

Interestingly,  this version was revived in 2010 featuring the latest Broadway diva Sutton Foster. it also did very well but in my opinion they made it softer and cuter. Sutton did a great job and the tap dance was indeed a showstopper, as it was in the Lupone version, but Patti and the 1987 version wins out and we did the full version - five minute tap dance and all.  And as was expected once those kids put on those tap shoes there was not stopping them.

The 2010 version with Sutton Foster

It was tradition to bring a Black Forest cake from Ursula's to opening night but since they went out of business it has been tough finding a comparable cake.  So now I pick up something at Pastiche - another excellent bakery cafe in Providence.  We had two cakes- their Almond Dacquoise - or I think that's what it is by the description on the website.  The second was a pumpkin tart - like a pumpkin pie but in a tart shell.  The mocha almond cake was especially good. It was surprisingly light - probably because of the almond meringue and was unique.  The filling for the pumpkin tart was also delicious and hopefully, unlike most, prepared fresh and not from a can.

Two cakes for the day in lieu of the Black Forest Cake

With the name of the show!

Well decorated dacquoise

Seasonal Pumpkin walnut tart.

Almond meringue, mocha mousse and other good stuff!

White chocolate disc with the inscription!

How the layers stack up!

Genuine pumpkin filling or so we hope!

People showed up to enjoy cakes which were a big hit. The show was too. Four sold out performances, an incredible audience response and lots of exhausted tap dancers who probably didn't realize what they were getting into.

If you brought your check or bought your tickets you get the cake!

The Braintree High Tap Number

With Our Reno Sweeney!

Pineapple Cakes Again

Prior to 2012 we had never heard of Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes.  In contrast, in 2012 we have now had them three times. That is largely because we have had people pay visits to Taiwan and get them as souvenirs.  In one case they were actually homemade. Apparently these cakes are pretty popular - particularly among visitors. However they are considered an appropriate treat representing Taiwan what with pineapples being grown there that represent hospitality and such.  For lots of information about this take a look here: http://taiwanfoodculture.net/ct.asp?xItem=48618&ctNode=2680&mp=1502.

More Taiwan Pineapple Cakes!

Definitely made in Taiwan

Nice individual wrapping

Nobleness!

The ones we had today were a commercial product probably acquired in a gift shop or at an airport.  They boxes contained nicely wrapped individual cakes. We liked the name - Nobleness Traditional Dessert. These are basically a simple, not too sweet dough that are filled with a concentrated pineapple gel.  They go great with coffee or tea and are not overly sweet. We have liked them each time they were provided and are not adverse to getting more when the next person heads to Taiwan.

It looks like a little cake, nmo?

Just a little sugar on top!

And the obligatory pineapple filling!

In addition to the cakes we learned a little about Taiwan history. You will notice how nicely packaged these are with them all individually wrapped. This is very similar to what one sees with Japanese products.  We learned that this is actually an emulation or adoption of the Japanese custom that stems from Taiwan having been occupied by Japan from the late 1800s through the Second World War. Who knew?  Taiwanese are also sushi fans, although they have developed their own style.  We were told that the Japanes influence also affected Korea which was also occupied by Japan at one point. Clearly Korean barbecue and Kimchi would be exceptions to the Japanese influence.  We learn a lot at cake hour and now we know more about pineapple cakes.