Cookies

Katie McMaster
Sep 6, 2018 · 7 min read

Final Idea + Recipe

After making both types of cookies, I decided on the Puppy Chow Cookies. I decided on these for a few reasons. First, I liked the taste better. I was so happy when I tried them and they tasted just like puppy chow. I also liked how easy and fast they were to make without an oven. Finally, they can keep for a while without getting stale. I kept the first test batch in the fridge and tried them when I went to make the new batch days later, and they were still amazing. Here is my final recipe once I added more chocolate and peanut butter, and a little less Rice Chex, so they would bind together even better:

  • First, boil about an inch of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Once it is at a boil, place a glass bowl over the top and turn off the heat. (This is called tempering).
  • Add 3/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of peanut butter.
  • Also add two teaspoons of vanilla for flavor.
  • Stir until everything is mixed together. (Be patient).
  • Add about 3 cups of Rice Chex to the bowl.
  • Mix together to coat the cereal with the peanut butter chocolate mixture.
  • Gently crush so that there are some chunky pieces. Do not over crush.
  • Shape cookies into circles and lay out onto wax paper.
  • Grab a smaller piece of wax paper. Use to crush pieces down a little more to make cookies thinner. Finally, dust with powdered sugar.

Idea Generation

I sat down with my notebook and thought about how I could make a unique cookie. I thought about what was different about me and applied that to a lot of my ideas. I am part Japanese so a lot of my ideas were influenced by Japanese foods/flavors. In the end I decided to test the Pocky idea as my first idea. For my second idea to test, I decided to do the Puppy Chow cookies.

Here are my 10 ideas from my notebook:

Idea 1 Test

I chose the Pocky cookie because I did not find anything like this on the based on my internet research. Also, due to the fact that these are now available in stores like Target and Lunds so if people like it they can recreate it easily. When I was little they were only available at one Asian grocery store in Minneapolis. I did not end up choosing these because I thought the Puppy Chow Cookies would be more appealing to people at the bake sale. Here is the recipe:

First, set the oven to 350 degrees.

Get two packs of Pocky cookies. They come in multiple flavors like chocolate, matcha, almond crush, but I chose strawberry.

Snap 12 tops off to stick in the top of the cookie for decoration in the end.

Put the rest in a zip block bag and crushed them, but not too much.

Then, follow the instructions on the packaged sugar cookie mix (add one egg and one stick of butter). Then, put the crushed Pocky’s in and gently mix together.

Shape into 12 balls.

Bake for 10–14 minutes, until edges are browned.

Take out and stick in Pocky tops at a slight angle.

Put on a cooling rack and enjoy!

Idea 2 Test

The first reason I chose to test the Puppy Chow cookies was because I thought it would be a good idea, and it would be interesting to test a no bake option. Another reason I chose this cookie type was because I always loved puppy chow growing up and it was rare that I got to make it because my parents always frowned upon it because of the mess I would make with the oozy chocolate, sticky peanut butter, and messy powdered sugar.

Ingredients for the Puppy Chow Cookies.
First boil about an inch of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Once it is at a boil, place a glass bowl over the top and turn off the heat. (This is called tempering). Add 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of peanut butter.
Stir until everything is mixed together.
Add about 4 cups of Rice Chex to the bowl.
Mix together to coat the cereal with the peanut butter chocolate mixture.
Gently crush so that there are some chunky pieces. Do not over crush.
Grab a smaller piece of wax paper.
Use to crush pieces down a little more to make cookies thinner.
Finally, dust with powdered sugar.
Final test cookie!

Iteration

When I tried the first batch of Puppy Chow cookies, I loved the taste, but wanted the cookie to be bound together better. Some pieces were falling of the side and the chocolate peanut butter taste was not enough. I could see the potential for them, I just had to tweak a few things. For the second batch I ended up putting 3/4 cups of chocolate and 3/4 cups of peanut butter instead of 1/2 each. I also added some vanilla extract to the mix for extra flavor. Lastly, I put 3 cups of Rice Chex in instead of 4 cups. Here you can see that there is way more peanut butter-chocolate mixture coating the cereal which allowed them to hold together much better:

Timeline

September 5th, 2018- Finish this timeline and start brainstorming process. As I brainstorm, use google to make sure I am making a new product that has not been created before.

By September 8th, 2018- Research recipes to make sure I have the right idea of how to make the cookie- not to replicate. Explore flavors. Add to blog post as well.

By September 9th, 2018- Have two ideas picked out with recipes, ingredients bought, and test both. Decide which I like better and want to move forward with. Alter ingredients if needed.

By September 10th, 2018- Make final cookie and make sure the cookies taste amazing.

By September 11th- Work on details of blog posts.

By September 12th, 2018- Upload all pictures. Final blog post finished.

By September 14th, 2018- 12 final cookies baked and brought to class.

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