Cookies

Rebekka Gaerber
Sep 5, 2018 · 6 min read

Final Idea + Recipe

I chose a greek yogurt, dill cookie which I named “Zazz Cookie” after the Greek sauce “tzatziki” which is made from greek yogurt, dill and cucumber. I am glad this recipe turned out the way it did since I have been wanting a savory cookie like this. This recipe is thoroughly revised unlike it’s predecessor. The base is adjusted such that the consistency is actually enjoyable.

I have researched this plenty and found no evidence of such a cookie existing. I felt it was necessary to try this out, simply for my own curiosity. I think this is creative based on the fact that nobody has done this before, it turned out pretty well, and could be added to people’s recipe books for a new spin on cookies.

My recipe is as follows:

  • 1 cup of butter
  • ½ cup of greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups of chopped dill
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 ¾ cups of flour

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add dill and flour in increments. Once blended completely, cover and refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once set, roll the dough into little balls and use a spatula to flatten them to a desired thickness. Decorate as desired. Depending on the thickness, bake for about 8 minutes.

Idea Generation

My idea came from the general wish to make savory foods a dessert item. I liked the idea of adding spice to recipes, so I thought about maybe chili or garlic. My first idea, chili chocolate cookies was a step in the right direction; but the chili was not coming across well enough and it didn’t seem as original to me. Therefore I moved on to some of my other spiced savory items. The thing I came up with, that I had not seen on the internet before was a tzatziki themed item, which is made with yogurt, dill, garlic and cucumbers. I tested a recipe but it did not turn out the way I wanted. I adjusted the consistency and some of the ingredients to be less goopy and more like a cookie. The final product is highly edible and a whole new twist on dessert. It is different from anything I have had before, it lies somewhere between a cookie and a cracker. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating this cookie and feel motivated to make even more.

Idea 1 Test

My first idea was to go with a spicy chocolate and a fruity note on top of a regular cookie. I planned a sugar cookie recipe and topped it off strawberry jelly, as I could not find any orange jelly anywhere. I glazed the whole thing in chili chocolate. One of the issues that arose was that the chili was not prominent enough to make a difference, another was that the chocolate most likely would have been too melty to sell at the bake sale. It is also a very heavy dough which means maybe the overall cookie size should be reduced. Either way, this was not the cookie I chose for my final. I think this idea is creative but I’m sure there are more successful versions of this cookie.

Idea 2 Test

For my final idea I chose a Greek dipping sauce that I enjoy and I wanted a cookie with a kick. The first thing I did was research the recipe for tzatziki and see if there is a way that I could blend the sauce with a cookie recipe. I ended up using an existing recipe for greek yogurt cookies and substituting all the sweet items out of a peanut butter cookie recipe and replacing them with my alternates. I first made the sauce from scratch and then I went on to create a dough where the greek yogurt was actually the tzatziki sauce.

This idea is very creative since nobody has done it before, most likely for obvious reasons. It is a novel idea, however this one is not the one that will remain in my portfolio of cookies.

Iteration

I most edited the final idea. I changed the recipes to make a cookie that incorporated all the ingredients I wanted. The first attempt turned out poorly since it had none of the original solidifying substances in it. Then I added a full cup of flour and it made the world of a difference.

However, the flavor of the cookie was not up to par. I had multiple taste testers who were not so much a fan of the cucumber flavor or texture. Then I chose to leave out the cucumbers in the next attempt and substitute sugar. This was a far better choice. I also changed the entire base of the cookie to be less of a pancake consistency and more of a shortbread. They gained a full cup of butter and then only had a half a cup of greek yogurt rather than two full cups.

Timeline:

    Rebekka Gaerber

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