The scientific Cookie investigation

So, you would think that right after Christmas I wouldn’t want to bake any more cookies.  However, since simply didn’t have time for cookies during Christmas, I really wanted to catch up on the unbaked cookies, waiting to happen.

Besides, Dr. Tae Yun Kim, just recently returned from 2 months in Korea, always emphasizes that we determine when there is a season – let the season serve you, don’t become a slave to it.  Just because Christmas is usually December 25th – if your circumstances prevent you from celebrating on that date, why not do it another day?  Isn’t that the very message of Christmas?

Bowl is ready…well, sort of

So, here I was, looking at 2 recipes for chocolate chip cookies, undecided which one to bake, when a bunch of Jung Suwon demo team members stormed into the kitchen.  “What are you gonna bake?” they wanted to know.  When I told them I hadn’t made up my mind yet as to which of the recipes, they gleefully told me that I should do both, with their help.  We could do a very scientific comparison as to which recipe would produce the best cookies!

How could I say no to these budding scientists!  So, we went to work, busily measuring, mixing, shaping and baking cookies.

Here are the two recipes we used:

Shirley’s gluten free brown sugar chocolate chip cookies

and

Worlds Best Chocolate Chunk Cookies – unfortunately the website for this recipe doesn’t exist anymore, so use whatever recipe you feel like comparing 😉

The first taste test, starting with testing the cookie dough (science is all about being thorough, right?) proved that both recipes had superior tasting dough and we had to cut short this test in order to have enough left for the baked version.

Then the real test started.  I couldn’t believe some of the vocabulary I heard from these kids, that normally don’t have such refined and amazing words!  I heard “ethereal”, “light as a feather”, “melt in your mouth” and a lot more of those kinds of expressions.  When asked which of the cookies produced what reaction, I felt a certain resistance.

I was informed that after just one test, you couldn’t really tell, right?  So on they went, to round two of the very scientific test, munching down another set of cookies.  After a lot of head tilting and squinting and looking like they were deeply thinking, they announced another round of testing was necessary for statistical reasons.

And so it went.  After they couldn’t possibly eat any more cookies, and with a mischievous look on all their faces, it was decided that another batch of each was needed to make sure the quality is consistent and that the goodness wasn’t just a fluke.  😉

Ok, and as for my opinion?  Well, I am not being politically correct here, I am just saying as it is:  each of those recipes makes a most outstanding cookie, and it just depends what you are looking for.  If you want something nostalgic that reminds you of afterschool cookies and milk, or when you just plain in need of something comforting, my vote goes to Shirley’s cookies.

If you look for something airy and ethereal, and melt in your mouth quality, then Brittany’s cookies are your choice.

So, there you have it, from the experts.

And here is a word from a more universal expert, my Martial Arts teacher Dr. Tae Yun Kim:

“Each person, each being, has their own beauty.  A daisy is just as beautiful as a rose, but it is very different.  It should never try to be like a rose, but be the best daisy it can be.  And a dolphin will never be able to fly like an eagle, and neither should the eagle try to swim like the dolphin.  Each has their own unique beauty and place in this world, and each needs to fill their very special place in this Universe.”

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Nutty Christmas cookies, gluten free

Since Dr. Tae Yun Kim, my Martial Arts Grandmaster and Mentor, will be celebrating Christmas in Korea, her home country, this year, I really wanted to send some healthy cookies that also hold up well during their long trip.  Not only do they have to be sturdy enough to not disintegrate, but they also cannot spoil along the way.

What to do?

I saw this recipe, and this inspired these absolutely marvelous, incredible, irresistible cookies:

http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2012/12/red-velvet-peppermint-blossom-cookies/

Pretty, huh?

So, first order of business, I had to convert them to gluten-free and that seemed pretty simple.  Just take a gluten-free cake mix.  Although – be careful with that, not all gluten-free cake mixes are created equal and you have to do your homework to make sure you get one that is actually certified gluten-free.  I happened to have a Betty Crocker mix at home, and just used that.

But then I wanted to make double amount, and I only had one gluten-free cake mix.  I didn’t have time to go to the store – they cookies had to go out that day – and so I measured the amount of mix in the bag.  Instead of another cake mix, I used half almond flour and half Pamela’s baking mix and doubled the rest of the ingredients.

In addition, I added about 3/4 finely chopped walnuts, and about 1/8 cup maple syrup.

And the rest I just followed along the original recipe, times 2.

They tasted wonderful, nice, tender, yet very “cookie.”  You know, comfort food cookie.  And from what I heard, they survived the journey beautifully!  So, give it a try and see if you like it!

And because I happened to read and really like this one today, I thought I would share with you:

“Doesn’t a flower bloom just by being true to its own nature?  What if it tried to be a potato for some reason?  Wouldn’t this be a senseless waste of energy?  It takes far less effort to be your original self and far more energy to fight against your true reality!” (The First Element, by Dr. Tae Yun Kim.)

I hope you all had a most beautiful Christmas, and I wish you all the best in 2013!

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Beautiful sights and smells on a drab and rainy day

Don’t get me wrong – I love this 55 degree rainy and blustery weather – it’s very rare this time of year where I live!  But for other household members and many native Californian Jung Suwon warriors, this is not what they would call fun weather.

So, while I normally would post a recipe for soup on a day like this (read up on yesterday’s blog, that’s the soup I have on the stove right now) here are some bright and wonderfully sweet, yet still healthful treats.

Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim has emphasized the goodness and healthful qualities of nuts, and so today’s contribution is for peanut butter sandwich cookies!  These are gluten-free, and healthy enough for Jung Suwon warriors as a snack in between classes, or as a post Jung Suwon class pick-me-up.  There is no flour in these cookies, and you can even use less sugar than the recipe tells you to, I have tried it out with as little as 1/2 the amount and the cookies still came out great.

The recipe for these cookies and the idea to make them into sandwiches comes entirely from Shirley Braden , and you get get the recipe for them here,  from her very informative website called, “gluten free easily.”

And while you make these little gems, keep Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim’s words, from her book, “The Silent Master,” in your mind and thought:

“When you prepare your food, the energy you put into the process will affect the quality of the outcome.  Was your food prepared with love and care and the will to nourish?  Or was it prepared with feelings of anger and resentment, anxiety and hurry?  When you eat food prepared either way, it will have a nourishing quality that corresponds to the energy and intent of the preparer.”

If you have the will power to let them cool off unharmed – while they are cooling off, whip some low-fat cream cheese until very smooth, and add some nutella.  How much, is up to your taste buds.  Sometimes I just go with straight nutella, but I do like the tanginess of the cream cheese.

These are worth the wait though.  As Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim says, great things seldom come from convenience or fast food stores, but put in your energy and see the results!

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