Cracked Cauldron Spillings

Once again, we approach Cookie Day.

And we do so still without a physical location.

I know it's taking a very long time, but we really are working towards getting the Cracked Cauldron open in a real, physical place.

Manager is working at getting some experience and certifications that will allow potential investors to be more comfortable with her avant garde ideas on running a bakery. That her ideas have borne fruit for others over the past year is one indication of her ability to be a trend setter, to know what her customers will want almost before they want it, and to be prepared to offer it as soon as possible.

But that's not enough for the leery Oklahoma investors. They want her to take a far more traditional approach - even though indications are that such an approach carries with it far higher failure rates.

Ok - even though her ideas have no failure rate because they are still unproven as a new business, they have proven to turn around several businesses that were otherwise floundering. Unconventional? Yes. Unproven? Possibly. Unworkable? Not at all.

So, anyway, we've neeb working on several cookie recipes to debut this Cookie Day. One is a variant on our delicious pizelles. I've added sweet potato and pumpkin to the batter, along with a few spices, raisins, and nuts. It is very yummy and crisp - a perfect accompaniment to hot cider or coffee.

Another is a remodel of pfeffernusse - using spices from India - including just a teeniest pinch of asafoetida. It's amazing, what that does to the cookie! Asafoetida is a stinky herb, probably one of the worst smelling herbs ever, yet, in teensy tinsy micro-pinches, like pepper, it enhances the other flavors of the dish. I'm calling this variant Snowfire Drops, because the peppermint in it is cooling, the Indian spices are heating, and the powdered sugar coating is meltingly yummy.

Then, we have 2 new biscotti: a Nutella Biscotti and a Gingerbread Biscotti. If you love Nutella as much as I do - that smooth blend of hazelnuts and chocolate, the crunchy Nutella Biscotti is heaven. And if you love gingerbread, but want something a little more sophisticated, the Gingerbread Biscotti fits that bill to a T. It's a dark gold biscotti with a spicy cinnamon glaze. Eat it with hot cocoa or a rich unflavored coffe to get the best experience of the cookie.

We've also been playing around with shortbreads, as we are wont to do. This year, for the winter season, we've designed a shortbread spiced with nutmeg and cardamon and white pepper, the flour partially replaced with finely ground nuts (almond and pecan), and glazed lightly with cinnamon and orange.

I wish we were open so everyone could sample these seasonal delights.

We'll be baking htem this weekend, so I'll post pictures next week, along with recipes.