The Depressingly Awful, Alarmingly Crunchy Valentine's Cookies

Monday, February 16

Currently Listening to "Better Together," Jack Johnson

He loves me. He loves me not? He loves me. He loves me even though I bake really gross cookies?... He must love me.

As you can see with the big one, I was trying to get creative... a couple of them do kinda look like hearts... kinda...

Boyfriend has eaten more than his fair share of bad meals. I've burned things, forgotten ingredients, "improvised" and worse... but I thought I could handle some out-of-the-package cookie mix.

On Valentine's Day, I bought two packages of dry cookie mix and my first set of cookie cutters. I mixed quickly, cut out some shapes, baked, and when boyfriend got home the house smelled really good! The first cookie was ok... but then after they spent a couple hours in tupperware, they were hard. Like, tooth-breaking hard. I was so confused!

We were joking about the cookies later that night...

- Me: You should just take them to work! Boyfriend: But I want my co-workers to like me...

- Boyfriend
: If we don't eat them all we can just throw them outside for the birds! Me: No way they'll eat them, they'll think they're rocks.

- Boyfriend: What did you get the new cookie cutters for? I saw them in the drawer... Me: I used the cookie cutters!! You couldn't tell!? Boyfriend: ...Of course I could tell. ...Which cookie cutter did you use? (for the record, I was trying to use the heart.)

In picture-- They're so crunchy, I've been pretending they're biscottis!

New Girl Lessons of the Day:
  1. When baking cookies, remove from oven JUST BEFORE they're done-- they bake a little extra on the sheet. Not doing so will make your cookies really, really crunchy. Didn't know
  2. If using a cookie cutter, you have to have a really flat cookie. If it's too vertical, it'll spread out and the shape you cookie-cutted will disappear.
  3. A nice boyfriend will still eat a couple.
Luckily I made him a couple mixed CDs as well, so it wasn't a complete Valentine's bust on my part. Better luck next year!

7 comments:

April on February 18, 2009 at 12:15 PM said...

I loved reading about your cooking trials. : ) I've so been there (and sometimes still am!). Hope you don't mind that I blog stalked you!

The Duo Dishes on February 18, 2009 at 6:37 PM said...

A biscotti is kind of basically a cookie, right? :) No harm, no foul! As long as it tastes good, doesn't matter. Those are good tips though. It's all about ever so slightly underbaking cookies. Lining the sheet with parchment paper or a silicone pad is a savior too!

Rebecca on February 19, 2009 at 6:20 PM said...

I took me a while to realise that our oven isn't exactly at temperature and so had a few rounds of undercooked things before figuring out it runs a little cool. Fortunately I too have an appreciative boyfriend who happily munched underdone cakes and lied about them being nice. Best tool a baker can have is an appreciative partner :-)

Anonymous said...

I've always had a hard time with cookie cutters. I guess my cookies are always to fat. Well, it's the thought that counts, right?

Becca on February 20, 2009 at 12:12 PM said...

I've never really used cookie cutters so thanks for the tip to only use them on flat cookies. I always remove my cookies right away from the baking sheet to a cooling rack, and I have never had a crunchy problem. At least they tasted great!!!! :)

knitseashore on February 20, 2009 at 12:13 PM said...

I so sympathize! I made an absolute mess of the Christmas cookies and vowed that from then on, I would support the local bakery instead! You get an A+ for trying!!!

Melanie on February 23, 2009 at 10:44 AM said...

Well, Valentine's Day is all about the effort, right? Glad you have an appreciative boyfriend!

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