IMBB? # 10: Cookie Swap



Oh the joy of a cookie! Is there anything as good as sinking your teeth into that slightly crunchy, buttery disc of goodies, or dunking that biscotti in that mug of latte? Exactly the reason why I was bouncing with joy when Jennifer, our Domestic Goddess, announced this months IMBB? theme of a Cookie Swap! And then I went and nearly forgot...

I had this very cute idea of doing a traditional Scandinavian cookie - or by it's proper name, småkage - my sister always used to make us when we were younger, called Finskbrød - it's a crunchy, cocoa-y thing with lots of big granules of sugar sprinkled on top - I LOVE it, but can't remember when the last time was I had it! And then, all of a sudden, Sunday was here, and I found myself without that special sugar for the sprinkling - and well, I'm sorry for being a nit-pick here, but that sugar is just the ESSENCE of that cookie, so I couldn't bring myself to do it without it!

Again, I turned to Baking by Flavor - and found out I've never tried a cookie from it, oh the shame! I fell for a Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookie one, which I - coincidentally - had everything for in the house - or at least, for making half a portion!

Well, now I suppose you're looking for the recipe. And I will post it, if I make it again, and it goes well. This time around, it just wasn't that... good. Probably my own fault, seeing I halved the recipe, which never really works for me - why is that? You can easily double a recipe and it works fine - but halve it and your in deep. Then there's the thing about the butterscotch. I'm not sure what I used was actually butterscotch because... well, I'm not at all sure I know what butterscotch is! I'm sure you'll enlighten me? But from the description in the cookbook it sounded like the fudgy thing I used... Does this look right?


At one point, it did look good:


Anyway, it sorta ran away from me, as you can tell...


Boyfriend did eat 'em (And they didn't even have chocolate in them!). But they will NEVER EVER beat the chocolate chip to-die for cookie we usually make...

But um.. Wanna swap? I'll make some new (and other!) ones!;-) Stepmom and I will be doing the traditionel Danish småkage extravaganza in a couple of weeks - that oughta get me some nice recipes and pictures to blog about...

Comments

Niki said…
I think maybe what you used were soft caramels - like what the British call Jersey Caramels? I think butterscotch is a hard, brittle confectionary, a bit like toffee.
I like your site, incidentally, and I'm really looking forward to the next SHF. Only last week I went to a spice workshop at Books For Cooks here in Melbourne, so I'm inspired!
Anonymous said…
Zarah, don't be disappointed; mistakes in the kitchen are all part of learning! Trust me! Glad to see that your site is no longer giving you headaches, though -- I was worried we wouldn't see you in this IMBB. And I think Esurient (Niki) is right, butterscotch is a hard candy -- you might find it in a specialty chocolate or candy store.

Thanks so much for joining in on the cookie swap!

Jennifer - http://www.domesticgoddess.ca
Cerebrum said…
Ah, thanks for the encouragement ladies! I was kind of jiffed - good thing I made a decadent chocolate cake the day before to comfort myself with instead of these! And yes, I know, I know, it's all part of the game, having disaster strike like that - but OH! I'm never gonna like it! Think you're right about the butterscotch-thing - it was very soft, definetly not brittle...
Anonymous said…
Hi Zarah - Sorry to hear that your cookies didn't turn out as you'd expected. Butterscotch is most commonly a hard candy, although some people do sell it as a fudge consistency. (More info here: http://www.baking911.com/candy_butterscotch.htm) I'm seriously considering buying Baking With Flavour....

Angela
Cathy said…
Hi Zarah - too bad about the butterscotch, but I bet they tasted pretty good anyway. Can't wait to hear about the more traditional Danish cookies!!
Anonymous said…
Greetings from Lisa Yockelson, the author of Baking by Flavor. Here's the reason your cookies behaved so funky: The recipe calls for "2 cups butterscotch-flavored chips" and you used caramels! No wonder they oozed all over the place! Butterscotch-flavored chips are designed, much like chocolate chips, to hold their shape. Caramel candies, at least in this recipe, cannot be substituted for them. Perhaps you would like to amend your comments to reflect the misuse of the ingredient, as it is really not fair to the recipe! Happy baking, Lisa

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