The Quest for the Best Cookie

This week for the Genius Hour project was all about gathering information. The original idea for this project was sparked by a discussion I had with my mom about an article she had read on BuzzFeed. It talks about how different leaving agents, sugars, chocolate type, flours and fats cause the cookies to react in different ways when baked. We found this interesting and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try some new ideas out and find the best combination to share in the future. But, in order to bake a bunch of cookies, I needed a total of 4 different recipes. I first turned to my mom for our favourite chocolate chip cookies we make all the time at home for family and friends, there isn't anything special about these cookies, they're just the ones we like the most. Next, I turned to my
friends over on Twitter and asked them to send in their favourites. One of my friends, Angus, sent me a recipe that included maple syrup into the mixture as a sweetener. As a Canadian, I decided it was my duty to attempt this recipe. Next, I chose to look at different butter types and stumbled across a recipe that called for melted butter rather than softened as I usually use. I also found this one interesting as it called for an egg as well as an egg yolk. The final recipe I decided to take a different approach and think about the aesthetic side of things. I decided to switch out chocolate chips for M&Ms, thinking this will give the cookies a nice rainbow effect.

The only trouble I really had this week was choosing the recipes I wanted to make. I'm a very indecisive person and just wanted to make them all. Unfortunately for me, that would be very costly and unpractical, but a girl can dream. Before my Genius Hour next week, I will have to ensure I have all the necessary ingredients for recipe 1, our usual go-to cookie. Next steps I need to think about would be how I am going to 'rate' my cookies and which categories I want to look at to compare all 4 recipes. I will also need to find some people to taste test them as well, which I don't think will be too difficult. 😜

Next week, the baking begins!

Curious about the recipes I will be making? Try them out for yourself below:
BuzzFeed article: Buzzfeed's Guide to Making the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie
Recipe 1: Our Recipe
Recipe 2: Maple Syrup Cookies
Recipe 3: Melted Butter Cookies
Recipe 4: M&M Cookies

Comments

Everything is Sweeter with Maple, eh

I realized this week that I need to make 2 cookie recipes to be on track to complete my Genius Hour project on time... Therefore, this post will include the next 2 recipes in one! As the true Canadian I am, I have decided to make Maple Syrup Cookies for my first recipe this week! As for the backstory behind the discovery of this recipe, I had tweeted that everyone should send me their favourite chocolate chip cookie recipes. Since I am Canadian, my Australian friend, Angus, thought it was funny that these cookies included our drink of choice, maple syrup (please see the meme I created featuring the lovely Angus, I am very proud of it). I found the making of this dough to be very different than what I am used to because you need to melt your butter, but then once you're done the preparation, the dough must chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You then must continue to put it back in the fridge between each batch. I don't usually work with chilled dough, so I found...

Cookies with a Crunch

Last blog post I stated that I would need to come up with a rating system during my next Genius Hour time slot. I am happy to announce that I have done just that! Behold, my rating system. Each participant will be given 4 scales to complete while enjoying their cookie. First, they will evaluate the cookie aesthetic. This means that they will be looking at how much the appearance of the cookie makes them want to eat it, or not eat it. I'm sure we have all experienced foods that look a little funky, and we don't want to put it in our mouths. Second, the lucky participant will be evaluating taste. This is pretty self-explanatory. Do they like the flavour. Next, they will be rating the consistency or texture of the cookie. Is it soft, crumbly, chewy? We want to know. Finally, the judge will rate their overall enjoyment of the cookie, taking all categories into consideration. As you can see on the number line above, 1 is the lowest ranking, with the exclamation of 'gross'...

Harley Quinn, Nice to Meet Ya

Remember, in the first blog post, when I said my biggest trouble was that I was indecisive... Well, once again, I have changed my plans on what cookies I am going to be making. I wanted a cookie where the secret ingredient wasn't extremely obvious like the potato chips had been, so I went searching the internet for a more incognito ingredient. I have decided to swap out the M&M cookies for a cookie made with pudding (hence the Harley Quinn reference 😉). At this point, my whole house is filled with cookies, and you would think I would be sick of baking, but here I am, still having a great time. The making of this dough was by far the easiest out of all the recipes I attempted during this project! I also found it interesting that there was no salt in this recipe, as I am so used to the dry ingredients always consisting of flour, baking soda, and salt. Watch the video of these (D)elicious (C)ookies (see what I did there?) featuring a LIVE taste test at the end! (link w...

One Chip at a Time

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