Cookies Inspired by Books! (Newest Creations)

As mentioned in my September 30th post, a new project I created for myself this year was to create cookies based on books. Which I have done! Ta da! In the story collection I am writing baking/cooking plays a strong role in some family dynamics and in a YA book I've outlined, centering around one of the characters in my anthology, the main character is a teen preparing to go to culinary school and uses cooking/baking as an outlet for her feelings. So if my writing was inspired by cooking why couldn't it also be the other way around?

As mentioned in my earlier post the two books I created cookies for were Amy Garvey's Cold Kiss and Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Both books were published in late September and I had the chance to snag ARCs for both at Book Expo this past May.

Via Twitter and her blog I found out that Amy is an avid baked goody lover! That endeared her to me as much as her lovely book did. Cold Kiss is the story of a teenage girl named Wren who has special powers, of the Wiccan persuasion, and uses them to resurrect her first love and recently deceased boyfriend Danny. The results are not what she expects and it's a tale of a lot of internal conflict in dealing with the decisions she's made and the growing selfishness she feels for what she's done. What's beautiful about Cold Kiss is the way that Amy toggles with Wren wanting to consume herself with memories of Danny while also wanting to move on. It's a tough thing to do but she makes Wren both sympathetic and relatable. I mean, if any of us were in the same situation and had the capabilities would we not think about doing the same thing? Also stay tuned for a sequel to Cold Kiss that I believe is due out next year from HarperTeen.

My first thought for the Cold Kiss cookie was lemon (because I love it). I had suggested lemon or coconut to Amy and she said she had a preference for coconut. This worked because coconut could also represent snow hence cold. 

My goal was to create a cakey-type cookie that had a coconut flavor but not too heavy since I am not a huge fan of the stuff. I also knew I wanted to use sour cream because it helps to retain moisture in the cookie and give it that fluffed up texture I like. Ricotta has a similar effect in cookie dough, but is also quite thick (see my fave Lemon Ricotta Cookies a la Giada DeLaurentiis).

Here's the result and the recipe:

Ingredients

Cookie

¼ cup butter (softened)

¾ white sugar (superfine)

1 egg (can use 2 egg yolks for a lighter consistency)

½ cup sour cream

½ tsp coconut extract

1 1/3 cup flour

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1/3-1/2 cup of shredded coconut (dependant on your enjoyment of coconut or you could eyeball it)

Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tbs milk (or coconut milk for extra coconut flavor)

1 tsp vanilla extract (or coconut extract for, again, extra coconut flavor)

Shredded coconut (optional for ‘snow’ effect)

Cream together softened butter, egg, and sugar. Once mixed add sour cream and extract.

Then combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda & powder and salt, suggest mixing these together beforehand).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees or higher (dependent on oven as mine is SUPER hot).

As dough will be kind of liquidy you should refrigerate for an hour or longer. Could even do overnight.

Drop 1 tablespoon or smaller bits of dough on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (a fave of mine). Cookie cookies for 10-15 minutes or until edges are light brown. Try to make sure the tops are a bit firm.

Cool completely on a rack before making glaze. After drizzling glaze atop cookie sprinkle shredded coconut.

The simple glaze can be made with coconut extract but I think vanilla extract adds a nice complement since you have coconut extract and flakes within the cookie and the glaze adds a nice stickiness to have coconut flakes (representing snow) on top which gives it a nice balance. Putting vanilla extract inside the cookie probably would overwhelm any coconut flavor you have so it's best to use coconut extract but not be too heavy handed.

I sent the cookies to Amy and was glad they got to her in two days time. I saran wrapped the heck out of that Tupperware to make sure to retain moisture.

She said and I quote: "They came! And oh my GOD, are they delicious. Like a tiny coconut cake in my mouth! Thank you so much!" And quote: "And Sara, seven and very picky, calls them the 'best cookies ever.' SCORE!" Score indeed. :-)

The next cookie was one I got a quick idea for which was the Karou Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie in honor of the protagonist of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I knew I wanted to do chocolate because Karou and her best friend Zuzana are fans of the stuff and pastries galore as they study in Prague when the story begins. Hazelnut seemed perfect because this is a huge flavor for coffee and with the story taking place in the colder months and winter approaching here in NYC it seemed like it'd be a perfect pairing. And then I thought cinnamon! So that's a bounty of flavors right there.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is most often referenced as the story of an angel who fell in love with a devil and it not ending well. Which is true. To say too much more would give away the crux of the story of Karou and her mission for the next two books as Smoke and Bone is the first in a trilogy. Karou has a nice life living with said devils who are very humane and kind in raising her like a daughter. But mayhem happens and Karou learns more about her origins realizing she was right in feeling something was missing. Laini is a master of words. Her writing is fluid and engaging and fun and I am in awe. She's also quite sweet and has an awesome artist husband in Jim who's a major talent himself and the most adorable little girl!

So in creating this cooking I knew I didn't necessarily want it to be cakey per se, just chewy.

Here's the result and the recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter (softened or near melting)

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp of salt

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup nutella

blue sugar for sprinkling

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside (may want to sift if you have clumps in cocoa powder). Cream together butter and dark brown sugar then add egg then nutella. Mix together well but make sure not to overmix. Fold in dry ingredients in two portions until mixed well. 

Scoop out 1 inch balls with your hands or spoons onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (I'm all about parchment! Less cleaning!) Sprinkle blue sugar atop dough. 

Depending on your oven these can bake pretty quickly. At least 10 minutes or at most 15. For my oven at 350 degrees these were done within 10 minutes. You can tell they're done by how brown they get around the edges and if they are somewhat firm to be scooped up with a spatula. Try not to overbake as they will get hard on the exterior. 

Cool on a rack and enjoy. And watch out for the sugar! I suggest putting a towel or paper towels under cooling rack to catch rogue blue sugar bits.

(Also depending on how big or small your scoops are these can make a little less than two dozen cookies or a little more. Size will also affect baking time.)

As you can see I added blue sugar on top in honor of Karou's blue hair which is a signature physical trait in this book. I was thinking of adding a blue colored frosting or glaze but the blue sugar seems to work well and adds a nice boost of sweetness. Also, the beads in the picture are meant to poke fun at the small trinkets she makes wishes on from her adopted father of sorts, Brimstone.

This is a work in progress for me. My landlord and her husband enjoyed it. I like the cookie but feel like I may have overdone it. I was struggling with whether to use hazelnut spread (nutella) or crushed hazelnuts. In the end I used hazelnut spread and I like the flavor but feel the cinnamon got a bit lost in the mix and that perhaps it should come out more with the chocolate. I could also add chocolate chips because the unsweetened cocoa powder doesn't necessarily give you a high octane chocolate flavor if you're a chocoholic. Again, a good cookie, but I aim for greatness, people.

I brought these to work and got overly positive results. Mainly because people are nutella lovers and since the flavor is there it became a fast fave. But I'll see, since baking/cooking is all about experimentation right?

So those are my two cookie/book creations so far. Any further suggestions? Should I make one based around Libba Bray's Beauty Queens or my fave YA series The Hunger Games? Maybe Eugenides' new title The Marriage Plot or Bonnie Jo Campbell's latest? We'll see.

[Recipes © Jennifer Baker-Henry, 2011]

My NYC Midnight Submission, 2nd challenge (Flash Fiction)

This past weekend all of NYCMidnight registrants were either excited or solemn about the second challenge in the first round of this year's Flash Fiction contest. Rankings were posted late last week and many of us in the Twitterverse were not happy, though some were. Rankings encompassed people receiving points (or not). You could get from 1-25 points. The higher the points the higher your ranking. I was in the top 15, but rated pretty low with 2 points. Those not in the top 15 received a score of 0.

That being said a low score on the first challenge doesn't necessarily remove you from the entire challenge. You can score pretty high on the second challenge and the combined score, if high enough for your group, could carry you to the next round.

Feedback I received from members was generally very complimentary and helpful. Comments from the judges noted that my science fiction piece was sci-fi all the way (score!) but a bit too political and not subtle enough (nuts!). I do like the story and as mentioned in my previous NYCMidnight post I got inspired pretty quickly and wrote it within a few hours. I'll more than likely edit it down and rework it a bit and see if I can submit to a lit mag that specializes in science fiction. We'll see. First I have to get through my growing literary and YA projects.

This challenge I received the following: genre, horror; location, aquarium; item, mouthwash. Pretty random huh?

I have to say I didn't like it at all. I've read and seen a lot of horror in my day but have yet to write any successfully.

Since the flash fiction challenge takes place from 11:59pm on Friday to 11:59pm on Sunday you can imagine being blocked may hinder your creation. While I was gung ho about my story last challenge I was completely (read: completely) blocked for this one. I wrote several drafts that I hated and the damn aquarium was getting in my way! I didn't want to utilize any animals in the aquarium as that seemed too easy. In many moments of being blocked I thought "What would Stephen King do in this situation?"

One of the contest members sent me this freaky post about a giant worm that ran rampant at an aquarium in the UK for inspiration. Did you check it out? Way creepy, no?!

In the end I wrote a piece I semi-liked. And when I was done I realized that the location prompted was not a predominant locale in the piece. I tried to rework it in the remaining time I had but it just wasn't working. So, there is an aquarium but the judges may disqualify me for not having a majority of the action inside it. Eh. I wrote and submitted and cheered my fellow writers on. Doubt I'll make it to the next round, but there's always next year.

So, here goes nothing...here's my 2nd challenge entry, First Date:

I noticed him working at the café in the Pacific Aquatic Center. I was there for a school assignment. I saw him staring at me before quickly turning away as I sketched the stingrays. He's one of those lonely, quiet boys. Keeps his head down, barely speaks, but is polite, has a nice smile even.

Our date is at the aquarium. He can get us in for free. A perk he says. When he picks me up in his beat up car he seems happy to not be wearing the prerequisite sea green shirt and hat with a copyrighted mermaid on it.

As soon as he steps out the car to get our tickets I check the glove compartment. Soap, mouthwash, toilet paper, hair gel, and deodorant spill out onto my lap. I grin when I see the bulging garbage bags in the backseat, shoes scattered on the car floor.

He isn't quiet when we have sex in the aquarium. He pushes me up against the shark tank. As marine life swims around us he presses against me, whispers in my ear that I am beautiful and lovely and all those nice words he thinks girls like to hear during.

After, I smooth my skirt and he checks the fly on his jeans. The air is musky and damp, water under our feet. He takes my hand as we wander through the makeshift sea around us. He tells me this was one of his favorite places to come as a kid. I nod as he talks about his life now that his parents are gone. Losing mine is something I'm trying to prevent. 

  He tells me he had a nice night. Kids holding balloons shaped like sea turtles and dolphins bump into us while we're in queue to exit.

“It doesn't have to end,” I say. “I live right across from here.”

He starts to shake his head but I hold his face still with my hands.

“I'll take care of you,” I assure him like I do all the others.

He whispers it seems like everything creaks once we're in the house. He holds back but I take his hand, urge him to follow me.

  He asks if I hear something, a buzzing underneath us. I almost curse under my breath at my mom working when she's supposed to be resting. I shake it off, force a grin.

“I'm on the first floor,” I whisper. Pointing upstairs I tell him, “My mom's room is up there.”

I see his shoulders lower and him relax.

I close the door behind me. Move to sit on the edge of my bed and lift my skirt a little higher, mid-thigh. The edge of his lips curl. I know he'll do whatever I want.

He clears his throat, asks if I have anything to drink. “Maybe a beer?” I tell him I have something stronger. I open the drawer beside my bed, pull out the round yellow pills, offer him one on the tip of my finger. He hesitates before taking it and swallowing. He watches me as I pretend to do the same.

I push him down on the bed, lay atop him. He's about to start in on his litany of beautiful words when I place a finger on his mouth and tell him to “shh,” just “shh.” Within minutes he's out, his limbs limp when I pick one up to make sure.

I change into my work clothes. Remove the skirt, pull on my overalls and boots. The clear poncho goes over everything. I grab my goggles and consider how heavy he'll be.

I pad down to the basement. See Mom's back hunched over as she starts the table saw. The lower torso of my previous date in front of her drained and chilled, ready for slicing.

Our packs are dwindling. Only a few crimson ones hang on the walls.

Mom coughs into her elbow. “We may have to find a bigger town,” she says without looking up.

“Yeah. Maybe a big city? No one would miss anyone then.”

“Maybe. So expensive though.” She turns to me. Her face is paler now. Her plastic apron is pristine and I remember her when she was a healthy homemaker. Before she got sick. Before Dad left. Before she stopped being a nurse. Such a shame to bloody it.

“How's this one?” she asks, motioning upstairs.

“He's nice. Homeless.”

Her lips go wide, curl up at the sides. “That's my girl.”

“He's an okay lay too.”

Her smile turns to a frown. “You know I don't like to hear that.”

“I used to hear you and yours you know.”

Mom's cheeks turn as red as the contents of our packs. She mumbles, “I hope you're at least being safe.”

I roll my eyes, put my hands on my hips. “Duh. I'm always careful,” I say.

Mom approaches me, takes off her thick gloves. Her hand shakes as she reaches to pat my cheek.

“I know you are, sweetie. I love you.”

Now my face blushes and I look away.

“You've handled this really well,” she adds.

“I had to. Dad was so chicken shit--”

She holds up a hand to silence me as she sighs.

“The cancer is spreading, sweetheart.”

I try to push her hand away but she closes in, hugs me.

“Yeah and I found someone. I'll keep finding someone until you're well. We'll hoard as many organs and blood and marrow as possible.”

I look around the basement. At the tubes, sharp metal, and machines meant to help us transfer blood. At the freeze locker emitting white smoke. At the severed head of the last guy I met, his eyes closed thankfully.

“I know,” she says into my hair. “You're so proactive. A go-getter.”

I tell her she'll be fine. I'll take care of us.

“Speaking of which, I'll go get him now.”

[© copyright 2011 Jennifer Baker-Henry]