Out & About #858 | The Great Cookie Box Research Endeavour

The idea of partaking in a charity bake sale had emerged from positive commentary towards my ever-evolving roster of sweet creations. Conducting business did not align with my personal baking goals, for the intent was to serve as a hobbyist, an enthusiast unbound by the expectations of others - usually those less learned in the field in which they are investing.

Baking succeeded in filling the void for scientific liberation: a process demanding precision, applications of principles, and proportional awareness, yet relieved from the numerous regulations, codes, and constraints governing the high-capital infrastructure works of the public realm.

​As the holiday season looms, I began to investigate volunteer opportunities as a home baker, but found a sheer absence of events that permitted provision of baked goods followed by immediate departure. It was, after some debate (and fears surrounding burnout) that I resolved to undertake the mission as an independent campaigner. The exercise would essentially utilize all facets of business planning, without income. I quickly realized the impact of ingredient and packaging costs, along with labour time and physical deterioration of the body. As such, all proceeds (ie. earnings after deducting direct expenses only), would be donated.

Leading up to the event, test batches were prepared.

1) Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

​SK's Browniest Cookie formula was revisited for the creation of Peppermint Crinkle Cookies. About 1/2 tsp of peppermint and mint extract was added to the batter, though, in reality, it could have used a greater quantity. I had erred on the conservative side to avoid sharp bitterness in the resulting product. The festive inclusion boasted a nice tingle of the tongue and lasting aftertaste, but its potency withered over the subsequent days, likely a result of drying out.

A small batch of seven were baked in the toaster oven for sampling purposes. Comments are as follows:

• Too chewy; brown sugar shall be reduced in next iteration, or swapped for golden yellow sugar (for a lower molasses content)
• Too large; to combat spread, cookies shall be formed using a melon baller instead of medium-sized cookie scoop (
• Not fudgy enough; perhaps baking in the lower third of the oven will reinstate its crisp edge and soft interior
• Too dry; do not overbake (350 F, ~12 mins)

2) Mini Gingerbread

I've never had much luck with gingerbread, quite frankly.
The 2020 edition sourced from June was tragic to work with, being horrendously soft, requiring extensive chill time, and spreading significantly to yield chubby gingerpeople. The 2021 edition from Sunday Baking was much easier to handle, but, as she indicated in her video, "not for eating" (cue sitcom laughter).

For this year's edition, I took to yet another formula. The recipe of choice, presented in a cinematic yet concise format, was interesting in that it involved exposing the spices to heat in a mixture of honey and granulated sugar. There was initial concern over the syrup burning in the absence of water, but I later recalled that honey contained water.

Heating the spices first allowed for unleashing of their aromatic properties, filling the kitchen with a cozy and subtly floral aura. The recipe involved bringing the spice-infused honey-sugar mixture to a boil, though did not specify an acceptable temperature range. As the first few steps were nearly identical to dalgona, I aimed to raise the temperature to 170 C, however the mixture began to boil as per the video before reaching that temperature. The pot was removed from the heat at reaching 130 C and baking soda was mixed in. Next came the butter followed by the lone egg, which was whisked vigorously to prevent scrambling. Lastly came an incredulous amount of flour - 400-450 g of it, to be exact. It wasn't exactly (no pun intended) an uncommon amount, but perhaps I had reduced the honey-sugar mixture too far, for the emerging dough was quite rigid.

​Showcased within the cookie was a gingery, lightly peppery profile, which was quite tasty even without citrus zest or orange extract for contrast. In regards to baking time, I'd likely need to experiment given the size modification. A total of 71 mini gingerpeople were cut out (some docked with buttons) and set in the freezer. A few larger pieces and a handful of extra-thin mini gingerpeople were baked as part of the test batch.

According to the recipe, the cookies would supposedly need 10 minutes at 350 F. The larger pieces expanded gently while maintaining their shape, but quickly burned at its edges. The mini gingerpeople, which were baked at 350 F for 4 mins were crisp and decently enjoyable, though a softer centre would have been preferred. Again, I would refrain from overbaking this variety as well.

3) Oolong and Matcha Snowballs

​Timeless (and unapologetically messy to consume), the two-bite snowball was given a twist of matcha by Sunday Baking. Building upon the tea-inspired profile and organically egg-free, gluten-free qualities of the recipe, I opted to construct an Oolong rendition using one of my Paragon purchases.

​Timeless (and unapologetically messy to consume), the two-bite snowball was given a twist of matcha by Sunday Baking. Building upon the tea-inspired profile and organically egg-free, gluten-free qualities of the recipe, I opted to construct an Oolong rendition using one of my Paragon purchases.

I had, at the same time, taken to using a forgotten container of expired O-Sulloc matcha for comparison purposes. Instead of Sunday's 67 g of butter, the remainder of my block weighed in at 85 g; I scaled up the recipe accordingly, which yielded a total of 13 matcha and 15 oolong snowballs. They were dry in appearance and quite crumbly, as expected of the gluten-free format.
Rolling the cookies in powdered sugar within minutes of removal from the oven led to an excess of moisture forming on their underside. The classic constituent of holiday cookie boxes was less snowy than the typical variety, yet also sweeter with a sophisticatedly grassy edge.

Comments are as follows:

• Baking for 15 minutes at 325 F is adequate - I will not be altering the baking time nor temperature
• Too sweet; will be reducing the sugar quantity in the official batch
• Extremely simple to construct, but impossible to prep beforehand and freeze due to lack of structure
• Oolong boasted greater complexity than matcha, leading me to lean towards supplementing the O-Sulloc with a sprinkle of Paragon's lovely Genmaicha

​Test baking was prematurely ceased for the week due to lack of energy and recurring wrist pains. Linzer cookies (and potentially spiced chocolate biscotti) shall be visited next week and, if not, then researched thoroughly for a no-fail first go.

​The week marked the first snowfall of the GTA, making for a pleasant second-floor view but utterly disastrous morning commute into downtown.

​Admittedly, the presence of flakey precipitation and stooping mercury levels urges a sense of holiday spirit. With seasonal décor appearing in every window display and building exterior, we are reminded of the arrival of Christmas, as well as the passing of another year.