Film Friday: random acts of cookies

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On a particular morning, not unlike many before, I started to head down a dangerous path in my own head. You know the one – questions arise of the purpose of your path, and why you are not where you think you should be, and a wave of self-doubt starts to build. Usually I wander down that path, taking my time to really explore the scenery. Often unpleasant and dark, dreary and exhausting. It’s a path where the wandering seems to have intention but from up above it’s an endless circle, with no particular purpose except possibly to veer you off of the path you are really supposed to be traveling.

On this particular morning I had just started wondering before I realized I didn’t want to go there. I could tell on this day the there was no hope of it being productive and it was destined to be destructive and dangerous. So I stopped. And I realized that the only way I was going to keep off of that path was to concern myself with others. To take the focus off of myself and to redirect it towards bringing a smile to someone else’s day.

So I went home and baked. Smore’s krispie treats to be precise. My mind was content to focus on the browning of the butter, letting the wafts of soft nuttiness wash away any lingering bits of negativity. It’s hard to not smile when dealing with marshmallows and that’s just what I did as I stirred them into the browned butter.

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Any remaining sense of aggression was pounded away as I crushed graham crackers and stirred them together with rice cereal and dark chocolate chips. The incessantly sticky marshmallows and butter brought everything together and just ever so slightly melted the chocolate. Not long after we sampled then packaged the rest up to deliver.

Random Acts of Cookies.

A cookie. It’s such a simple thing, but it’s a guarantee of a better day, especially when it’s completely unexpected.

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On that particular day I never even thought to wander down that destructive path again. I was happy to be in the kitchen and even happier to imagine the smiles brought on by the surprise of something sweet. I’ve found a new path that has nothing to do with me and everything to do with thinking of someone else and in that I am filled with joy.

There will be more Random Acts of Cookies. I think we should start a movement. Of course it takes more than cookies to heal the deep pain present in this broken world but it’s definitely a start. A good start.

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Smores Krispie Treats

  5 tablespoons butter ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 5 cups mini marshmallows 5 cups crisped rice cereal 9 sheets graham crackers (yields 2 cups crumbs) 1 cup dark chocolate chopped or chips Butter an 9 or 10” square pan. In a large pan melt the butter on medium heat. Once all the melted the butter will continue to boil and the milk solids will start to bubble up. The butter will foam. Once the foam settles back on itself you will have browned butter. You should notice a nutty smell and there will be flecks of golden butter bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and add the marshmallows and salt. Stir to combine and let sit. Crush the graham crackers to create crumbs. Keep some pieces larger so you’ll have bits of graham crackers to bite in to. In a large bowl combine the rice cereal, graham crackers, and chocolate chips. Continue to stir the brown butter and marshmallows until they are completely melted. This will also help to cool the butter enough so that it doesn’t melt the chocolate chips too much. Add the marshmallows to the cereal mixture and stir to combine. Press firmly into prepared pan and set aside to cool, about an hour. Cut and serve. Package and give.  

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grilled soft cheese, thyme honey and fresh figs

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Here’s the story of how I met my new favorite snack.

First I saw this image of brie with honey and figs and thought, “I must eat this.” Then a couple weeks later I ran into another image, this time the cheese stood alone but was grilled.

You’ll notice a couple things so far. 1. I adore cheese. 2. I adore Pinterest.

So I married those two ideas, threw in a little inspiration from this and now have an incredibly simple and stunning appetizer that is best served on a picnic blanket, under the sun, and washed down with light, refreshing adult beverage of your choice.

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Isn’t that often how ideas start? By the inspiration of others? Sure, there are those wonderfully rare moments when a sudden gust of creativity hits, nearly knocking me over before I have a chance to write down whatever revelation just struck. In those moments I am thankful, brimming with excitement and grateful.

Most of the time inspiration is gleaned from one another. An image, recipe, phrase, etc. somehow grabs my attention. I write it down, take a photo of it, or pin it on one of my boards, and save it for another day. That initial idea gets reworked in my head and comes out with a stamp that is more uniquely mine. I have not necessarily made the original idea better but I have adapted it to resemble my own creativity in a way that makes me resonate with it even more clearly.

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It has been said that everything under the sun has been done. Sometimes I am disheartened by that, wanting so badly to create an idea, a recipe, an image that is evocative, new, ground breaking – only to find that someone has already done it.

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The hope is found in the continuous process of strengthening your creativity. As you persist in the process of creating, your own voice becomes more clearly defined. After a while you have created a style and an artistic identity. Believe me, if it’s not there already, it will come. Often we are far too immersed in our own work to realize it. Ask loved ones around you to describe your artistic voice. You’ll be amazed at how clearly your message is coming across and you’ll have the beauty of seeing yourself through the eyes of people who love you most.

Ideally we should humbly inspire and be inspired by others. We should give credit where credit is due and applaud other artists around us. And we should, without a doubt, eat more cheese that has been grilled.

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Grilled Soft Cheese, Thyme Honey and Fresh Figs

  1 small wheel of soft cheese such as brie or a triple cream (I picked this one up from Trader Joe's for under $5 and was very happy with it) 1/4 cup honey a couple sprigs of thyme fresh figs (as many as you'd like) In a small saucepan add the honey and thyme and heat on low. You simply want to warm the honey and infuse it with the flavor of thyme. If it starts to simmer, remove from the heat and set aside. Preheat a grill (indoor or outdoor) until very hot. Carefully place the cheese on the grill and sear until marks appear and the inside starts to melt, about one to two minutes on each side. Using a spatula, remove the cheese from the grill and transfer to your serving platter. Half and quarter several figs and place on top of the grilled cheese. Drizzle the figs and cheese with the honey. Serve immediately with crackers and/or bread.

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