Cookies
Final Idea: Oatmeal-Blueberry Cookie topped with Lime Frosting

The quest to create a new cookie concluded, in a way, anticlimactically; however, the finished product is surprisingly amazing. My efforts to create a new cookie culminated with the creation of the Oatmeal-Blueberry Cookie topped with Lime Frosting: a modern take on a timeless classic. The citrusy notes added to the cookie by the lime flavor of the frosting is seldom associated with the rich and bold flavor of an oatmeal cookie. The blueberries add a dimension of sweetness that complements the moderately sour taste rooted in the lime flavored frosting. Never before has an oatmeal cookie filled with blueberries and topped with lime frosting been created or executed at this level. In its totality, the full bodied three-dimensional flavor of the Oatmeal-Blueberry Cookie topped with Lime Frosting is an exciting contemporary rendition of the timeless oatmeal cookie that is widely known and loved.
Recipe: Cookies — 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tbsp. butter, softened; 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon grated lime zest; 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional); 3 cups uncooked oatmeal; 1 cup blueberries (dried, fresh, or frozen). Frosting — 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar; 5 teaspoons fresh lime juice; 1 teaspoon grated lime zest.

Directions: Cookies — 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, Beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until cream. 2. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. 3. Add combined flour, baking soda, grated lime zest and salt; mix well. 4. Add oats and blueberries; mix well. (note: it may be easier to use hands to work blueberries into the dough.) 5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. (parchment paper recommended.) 6. Bake 8–10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Store tightly covered. Frosting — 1. Mix confectioners’ sugar and fresh lime juice in a mixing bowl until the confectioner’s sugar has dissolved into the lime juice to form frosting. 2. mix grated lime zest with frosting, stir. 3. Use underside of a tablespoon to paint cookies with frosting, or dip cookies in frosting.
Idea Generation: Upon hearing of this assignment for the first time, the thought that immediately rushed to the forefront of my mind was to make a pizza cookie. I always harbored this weird idea of a cookie appropriated into pizza form, and figured it would be a perfect time to try it out; however, instead of ending my creative thought process at the pizza cookie, I kept on thinking of new types of cookies and started consulting others for input on my own ideas and for ideas that could serve as inspiration. I originally wanted to create an entirely new cookie archetype, but later realized that it would be relatively worthless to create a crazy new cookie that’s only merit was earned through the means of novelty. I wanted to create a cookie that was balanced in flavor as well as presentation. Something you could eat in large quantities without growing accustomed to the flavor. Something that could acquire cult classic status. I chose to test the Oatmeal-Blueberry Cookie topped with Lime Frosting, as well as the sugar cookie stuffed with an Oreo. These two cookies seemingly fit the criteria of what I wanted to create.


Idea Test 1: The sugar cookie stuffed with an Oreo was quite simple, and perhaps a little too monotonous. I started by cutting store bought sugar cookie dough into disks and then placing an Oreo Thin onto the disk (I used Oreo thins because. I then cut another disk, placed it over the Oreo, and folded the excess dough on the sides of the cookie so that it covered spots where the dough was thin enough to see the color of the Oreo. After repeating this process to make more cookies, I baked them for roughly 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Upon pulling them out of the oven, I learned right away that this cookie had it’s fair share of issues. The dough laterally expanded far too much which made it look like a pancake and weakened its structural integrity. The decreased thickness of the cookie lead to problems when taking the cookies off of the cookie sheet: most of the time the cookie essentially splits into 2, as an Oreo does. Already an aesthetically non-appealing cookie, this made it quite clear that presenting this thing would be troubling. Unfortunately, it only tasted decent at best. It was sweet and rich in flavor, but was truly a one dimensional cookie. After finishing a single sugar cookie stuffed with an Oreo, one’s tastebuds would be exhausted. This is an “eat one and be done” type cookie, which is not I wanted to create.

Idea Test 2: Verbally and physically, the Oatmeal Blueberry Cookie topped with Lime Frosting is a mouthful in the best possible way. I tested this idea after testing the sugar cookie stuffed with an Oreo, and was blown away by the results. This cookie was remarkable. I followed the recipe and directions for a classic oatmeal cookie, but added blueberries. I noticed that mixing in blueberries caused the dough to become discolored, but this didn’t bother me as it looked sort of cool and mostly subsided after the baking process was completed.

The cookies came out of the oven golden brown with little hints and tinges of blue/purple. They tasted great on their own, but the lime frosting is what really transformed them into an amazing cookie. I mixed store bought lime juice with confectioners’ sugar to create a frosting. This frosting was delicious and complemented the flavors sourced from the cookie. I topped each cookie with freshly grated lime zest to make them look spectacularly and to add another layer to their physical appearance. I knew right away that I would be adopting this idea for my final cookie. It was obvious that the sugar cookie stuffed with an Oreo could not compete with this cookie as it is beat on all fronts.

Iteration: Upon further analyzing the Oatmeal Blueberry Cookie topped with Lime Frosting, I knew that there were a few changes I could make to create an evolution of this cookie that was improved on all facets. I started by modifying the recipe of the cookie. I swapped out the teaspoon of cinnamon for a teaspoon of grated lime zest in order to give it a very subtle boost of citrus flavor. I then substituted the store bought lime juice in the frosting recipe for fresh lime juice, which vastly improved the flavor of the frosting. The frosting now had a slightly more sour taste that was complemented by the sweetness of the blueberries. I originally used fresh blueberries, but they did not mix in well as they got squished. I changed the fresh blueberries to frozen blueberries because frozen blueberries are more resistant to pressure from the mixing process. Lastly, I switched the grated lime zest that I added on top of a frosted cookie to an ingredient to the frosting itself. Grated lime zest dries up after a short period of time, so adding it into the frosting preserves the zest.
Timeline:
Tuesday 09/04: Begin brainstorming different cookies that I have not heard of before.
Wednesday 09/05: Contact friends for input and assistance with the brainstorming process.
Thursday 09/06: Find someone who is willing to help bake the cookies. They must be confident enough to help experiment with different recipes because I have never made a cookie recipe.
Friday/Saturday 09/07–09/08: Finalize cookie concept and build the recipe. Take notes of process.
Sunday 09/09: Bake cookies! Iterate cookie recipe if needed. If cookie is yummy, I’ll start with my blog post. If not, keep iterating. Take notes and pics.
Monday 09/10: Continue blog post and upload notes and pictures. Buy ingredients for final batch that will be used for the class and the bake sale.
Tuesday 09/11: Finish blog post. Make sure everything is proper and thorough.
Wednesday 09/12: Bake final batch and prepare them for the group tasting session and bake sale! Review blog post, add anything if necessary, and submit it for grading.
Thursday 09/13: Present the class with the best cookies they have ever laid their eyes on.
