Cookie Flavor Combinations Help

[Amusement Gal]

I am planning on making a sampler of crazy, yet yummy cookies. Currently the basics which I'm doing right now are Chamomile, lemon and thyme, rosemary, sage, and mint. Lavender, too, but I couldn't find any, so that'll have to wait.

But then I thought about Mint and Vanilla cookies. Like together. I know they have tons of toothpastes, chapstick, and whatnot with the flavor, but a cookie? Why the heck not? Thing is, I know absolutely nothing of such a concoction, and need to know if it even sounds edible. I'm using Madagascar vanilla extract with bourbon, so the flavor is gonna be strong, and lord knows what happens with the mint...

So please, help me create the Frankenstein of all cookies! If the results are good I'll even share the recipe(s).

[shankyknitter]

hmmm... try using a mint frosting on the vanilla cookie. That way you get more of the mint flavor to counteract the vanilla flavor and you get a nice festive color on top.

[lupo pazzesco]

and I'd suggest a mellow mint, rather than say, peppermint. largely becuase the two are both very powerful flavors, they won't mesh well. think creme de menthe type mint flavor, subtle but still smooth.

Also, another good combo with vanilla? Raspberry or blackberry. Get some fruit preserves, and make thumbprint cookies. Vanilla cookies you make a thumbprint in ad fill with the fruit preserves. If you've got a really good vanilla (and it sounds like you do) the'll taste phenomenal!

[ArcticChicken]

Or, combine the two ideas, a mint jelly thumbprint cookie.

[Amusement Gal]

hmmm... try using a mint frosting on the vanilla cookie. That way you get more of the mint flavor to counteract the vanilla flavor and you get a nice festive color on top.

Yeah, I was thinking of that since it wouldn't be as intense...but I'm currently planning on making multiple types of cookies, so I might stick to one dough base, and do not know if I have any powdered sugar. But if it do, I certainly will make the frosting. I'm so great at planning things!

and I'd suggest a mellow mint, rather than say, peppermint. largely becuase the two are both very powerful flavors, they won't mesh well. think creme de menthe type mint flavor, subtle but still smooth.

Also, another good combo with vanilla? Raspberry or blackberry. Get some fruit preserves, and make thumbprint cookies. Vanilla cookies you make a thumbprint in ad fill with the fruit preserves. If you've got a really good vanilla (and it sounds like you do) the'll taste phenomenal!

Like I said before, I'm have absolutely no preparation involved except for the basics. It's silly, but it's my only day off. For the mint frosting, if mint extract is too strong, I can probably also just brew some mint tea and put it in lieu of some water for flavor. The thumbprint cookies still sound really good too. I also want to make Lindzer (sp? too lazy to double check) tarts, so I'm going to try those out after a get a good jam. Raspberry will probably be my weapon of choice. And yeah, our vanilla is awesome. It's so strong you can actually taste the bourbon if you put in a 'normal' dose from a recipe, so I just do 3/4 of it.

Or, combine the two ideas, a mint jelly thumbprint cookie.

Sounds awesome too, but alas, I only have Jalapeno jelly! Those would be some devilishly deceptive cookies if I tried.

Next idea, Ginger Overkill! Ginger molasses cookie with cut up chunks of ginger candies. The guy I'm making it for has...peculiar tastes, so I'm sure he'd enjoy a good kick to the throat. Keep it up guys, I need an army of Frankencookies!

[MaggieTheCat]

I made a batch of triple ginger cookies once. They had ground, fresh, and candied ginger in it. My husband and I LOVE ginger so we actually thought it could use more (I think I went easy on the fresh and candied since I wasn't sure how well they'd turn out.) I have a soft molasses spice cookie that we like better anyway, though.

I actually did more candy than cookies this year, since I was sending homemade gifts to all my family and figured candy would hold up better. I made pretzel turtles, spiced candied pecans and cashews, and jello popcorn. I've got a batch of sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge, though, that I'm going to roll out tomorrow 'cuz hey...it ain't Christmas without rolled sugar cookies!

[Amusement Gal]

Hey, don't upstage the newb! How were the x3 ginger cookies? For a semi-ginger-loving person? Because if they're truly going to be too much, I have another backup for the candied ginger. Thinking a ginger and coconut cookie. Don't want to poison my family, y'know.

[ArcticChicken]

Sounds awesome too, but alas, I only have Jalapeno jelly! Those would be some devilishly deceptive cookies if I tried.

Chocolate! Seriously, chocolate is good with spice. I don't know if the jalapeno jelly would be the right flavor outside of the spice, but it's worth a try.

I really wanna do chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips and red pepper flakes, but I keep loosing the damn pepper flakes.

[Amusement Gal]

Chocolate! Seriously, chocolate is good with spice. I don't know if the jalapeno jelly would be the right flavor outside of the spice, but it's worth a try.

I really wanna do chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips and red pepper flakes, but I keep loosing the damn pepper flakes.

To be fair, the jelly does have a really savory flavor to it, but it also has vinegar, so as much as I want my frankencookie, vinegar is NOT going near my sweets. However, pepper is an exception. Seems to do awesome in general with chocolate. Speaking of which, I want to make some chocolate truffles and put some cayenne on it... *nomnomnom*

[MaggieTheCat]

Here's the recipe for the triple ginger cookie I made:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Triple-...es/Detail.aspx

We liked them. Like I said, we could have used even more ginger, so it's not that they were too gingery. I think we just like the base dough for the other molasses cookie I make better. Maybe I should try making those and adding candied ginger? That sounds really good...husband and I both like candied ginger a lot, so mincing it fine and sticking it in anything (I put it in sauces for stir-fries) is always a good thing for us.

BTW most of the candy was super simple if you want any of the recipes I mentioned.

[Amusement Gal]

Here's the recipe for the triple ginger cookie I made:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Triple-...es/Detail.aspx

We liked them. Like I said, we could have used even more ginger, so it's not that they were too gingery. I think we just like the base dough for the other molasses cookie I make better. Maybe I should try making those and adding candied ginger? That sounds really good...husband and I both like candied ginger a lot, so mincing it fine and sticking it in anything (I put it in sauces for stir-fries) is always a good thing for us.

BTW most of the candy was super simple if you want any of the recipes I mentioned.

Thanks! I might try that, or I might just use my ginger molasses cookie recipe and stick 'em in there. I make mine so they're nice and chewy, and adding that would be nice. And it wouldn't exactly be triple ginger in that case, but Cardamom is close enough in flavor, so it should be close. Those babies are my darling. I actually perfected it by screwing up a friend's recipe.

And thanks for the offer for the candies, but I've already dabbled in that stuff, and I'm already swamped making cookies! That would probably be a later time, or after a month, if I'm still trying to make ganache truffles, 'cause by them I'm gonna be tired of making sweets. If I had all the time and money in the world I'd be making truffles, cookies, decorating cakes, and probably take over the world with my awesome cooking.

[AccountingDrone]

I made a batch of triple ginger cookies once. They had ground, fresh, and candied ginger in it. My husband and I LOVE ginger so we actually thought it could use more (I think I went easy on the fresh and candied since I wasn't sure how well they'd turn out.) I have a soft molasses spice cookie that we like better anyway, though.

I actually did more candy than cookies this year, since I was sending homemade gifts to all my family and figured candy would hold up better. I made pretzel turtles, spiced candied pecans and cashews, and jello popcorn. I've got a batch of sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge, though, that I'm going to roll out tomorrow 'cuz hey...it ain't Christmas without rolled sugar cookies!

can i get your molasses spice recipe? I sort of collect molasses cookie recipes =)

I am looking for a particular molasses cookie recipe a friends mother used to make back in the 60s and I cant find it ...

[KiaKat]

Mint and Vanilla together tends to taste like toothpaste. Definitely something to be avoided. Triple-mint, though...mmmm.

One of my favourite recipes is a spiced peanut cookie. A cup of peanuts crushed in the food processor with cinnamon and allspice, then mixed into a standard cookie batter. Works best as a drop cookie.

Every year, I make pinwheels. They're a pain in the ass, and I hate doing them, but they come out so well. I'll track down the recipe when I get home.

[Amusement Gal]

can i get your molasses spice recipe? I sort of collect molasses cookie recipes =)

I am looking for a particular molasses cookie recipe a friends mother used to make back in the 60s and I cant find it ...

Is it chewy? Because I have one that I borrowed (took) from a friend that's apparently pretty old. I'll be glad to let you have it if you want. Well, it was originally supposed to be crunchy, but then I forgot the other cup of flour. So I created a chewy one.

[AccountingDrone]

Is it chewy? Because I have one that I borrowed (took) from a friend that's apparently pretty old. I'll be glad to let you have it if you want. Well, it was originally supposed to be crunchy, but then I forgot the other cup of flour. So I created a chewy one.

they are rather odd =) the top surface is leathery looking but not tough to bite into, and they have raisins in the dough for them. Nice and chewy, but the thing that makes them very different from every other cookie i have tracked down recipes for is the leathery top surface. I vaguely remember watching her make them, and she didn't brush the tops with anything, she just mixed stuff up in a bowl and dropped them onto cookie sheets. I am figuring the recipe is one from the depression era.