Crumbl Cookies review #7 - Chocolate Caramel and Birthday Valentine

Crumbl Cookies: Chocolate Caramel and Birthday Valentine - February 17, 2022

On paper, this chocolate caramel cookie has all the feels for me. I love a good chocolate and caramel combination and I don't mind the salt flakes sprinkled on top to offset some of the caramel sweetness and chocolate richness.

So I was a little surprised that I didn't love this cookie as much as I expected. It was good, don't get me wrong. But this tasted like the kind of cookie I could make on my own by using a good chocolate cookie recipe (and by using high quality chocolate), melting some Kraft caramels to pour on top and sprinkling with fleur de sel. What my picky taste buds have gotten spoiled by with Crumbl cookies are the ones I can't make as well as they can, namely the thick, chewy-cakey cookies with the good-but-not-overly-sweet frostings. This wasn't quite in that category. It belongs to the "good but I can make it myself" classification.

Now, the Birthday Cake Valentine is a whole 'nother story. I loved this cookie. Love as one (*I* in particular) can love an amalgamation of butter, sugar and flour. It's pretty similar to the Vanilla Sugar, hence why it has my love.

I was initially leery at first and had to make sure they didn't get too cute with those heart sprinkles though. I don't mind the scattering on top of the frosting but didn't want that in my cookie. Fortunately, the purist in me was satisfied they left the cookie well enough alone.

Perfect texture, even when warm, as it wasn't mushy, underbaked dough but cakey-cookie perfection. Definitely getting this one again when it comes around.

Crumbl cookie review #6 - Peanut Butter Buckeye

Crumbl Cookies: Peanut Butter Buckeye - February 11, 2022

I just got done saying in the last post that I try to limit myself to only 2 different cookies/flavors at Crumbl each week because there's only so much exercise I can do to offset these empty calories (but what a way to go) and I have to at least try to exercise some restraint.

But anyone with access to a calendar can see this is the third cookie I tried in the same week. Why a peanut butter one when I keep saying I'm indifferent to peanut butter? Well, it was mostly because I was with my niece and she loves peanut butter. I figured it was a good chance to try a piece of a cookie I wouldn't ordinarily get and she could enjoy the rest.

That turned out to be a good call. If you're a peanut butter lover, you'd probably like this cookie. If you're a peanut butter and chocolate lover, you would probably love this cookie. I fall into neither camp. The chocolate cookie part was fine, albeit a bit rich. But what killed this cookie for me is the peanut butter "patty" on top is literally one big thick disc of peanut butter. You can't even bite it without the rest of the piece sticking to your teeth and trying to leap into your mouth with the rest of the bite. Needless to say, that wasn't enjoyable. I think this cookie would've been much better had the peanut butter been less stiff and more creamy, like a frosting versus a slice of peanut butter cut right out of the jar. This goes into "no need to get again" category.

Crumbl Cookies review #5 - Hazelnut Churro and Vanilla Sugar

Crumbl Cookies: Hazelnut Churro and Vanilla Sugar - February 10, 2022

That "gash" you see in the hazelnut churro cookie above wasn't my doing. The store gave it to me that way.  I assume someone accidentally wielded a spatula at the wrong spot on the baking sheet. But no matter, I'm not one to make a fuss over such an inconsequential thing and it didn't affect the cookie other than appearance. This is the literal definition of "don't sweat the small stuff".

I expected to like this cookie a lot. I loved the churro, both a copycat version and the real thing at Crumbl and I love Nutella so I thought this was a shoe-in. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The cookie was a little too underbaked but I can get around that by letting it come to room temperature. The texture is usually fine after that and not too mushy. 

But, sadly (yes cookies can make me sad...or happy), the churro cookie had too strong of a cinnamon flavor that was jarring against the Nutella. I think if they had made it more subtle on the cinnamon, it would've paired better with the Nutella. Instead, the cinnamon fought with the Nutella and I'm not sure who won.

It wasn't bad and the piece I tried without any Nutella in it was just fine as a cinnamon cookie. But this pairing wasn't my favorite. Unless they cut back on the cinnamon flavor, I probably wouldn't get this one again. Not that it was horrible but presumably, I'd want to try other flavors instead of a repeat of this one.

The other cookie I got this week was the Vanilla Sugar. Remember my dissing their traditional Pink Sugar cookie because it had too strong of an almond extract flavor? I don't seem to be the only one who feels that way so Crumbl rolled out a non-almond extract flavor one simply called Vanilla Sugar.

Cue my salivating taste buds. I love this cookie. Amazingly delicate texture and I love the simplicity of the vanilla flavor. No artificial almond extract here. 

I've heard Crumbl plans to alternate the pink sugar and the vanilla sugar each week or couple of weeks and I'm glad to hear it. This way they can cater to both sets of fans. I usually only let myself get two different flavors each week and the vanilla sugar or the milk chocolate will be good fallbacks during weeks when the specialty flavors don't appeal.

Crumbl Cookies review #4 - Banana Cream Pie

Crumbl Cookies: Banana Cream Pie - February 3, 2022

This marks the first week and the first official opening day of my local Crumbl. Before this, I was chancing upon travels within hailing distance of a Crumbl and getting my cookie fix(es). But now, instead of the closest Crumbl being almost 100 miles away, it was now just over 9 miles away. 

I'd already blogged about one of the special flavors I got during opening week, which was the Chocolate featuring Oreo, the copycat recipe I made beforehand and trying out the real thing. But I neglected to mention the other cookie flavor I tried which was the banana cream pie. And there's an opening day story I hadn't mentioned in the other post that goes with it. 

I had placed my order the day before on the app and chose the Chocolate ft Oreo and banana cream pie. When I went to pick up my order at the appointed time, I was waiting for my name to be called and ended up chatting with the person ahead of me in the virtual line. She was picking up a cookie order to share at work. Like me, she'd had Crumbl cookies before. She loved banana cream pie but unfortunately, at the time she went to place her order, it was sold out so she'd had to order other flavors. I had ordered the banana cream pie just to try it out so I told her she could have a piece of mine to try. She politely declined at first but I insisted. I knew it was going to be too big for me to eat by myself and, more importantly, I know what it's like to want to try a cookie and have it be out of reach, lol. I appreciated her nice manners in refusing but I didn't mind sharing. She took a piece, loved it and thanked me. I hoped she would have another chance to order her own later on as she seemed to really enjoy it. 

I ate a piece when I got home and holy moly, it was amazing. To put into context how awesome this cookie was, I'm not a fan of cream or pudding desserts. Too many calories, I don't generally like the texture of whipping cream-based mixtures (I'd rather have ice cream) and, given a choice, I don't go for banana cream pie overall. But this cookie defied all my former biases. No, wait, it obliterated them. The shortbread crust was delicious, the filling had the perfect blend of banana pudding and pieces of real banana with the perfect state of ripeness and the overall cookie was feckin' drool-worthy. I didn't actually drool - that anyone will ever know of - but damn, it was close. I will absolutely be getting this again next time it's on the menu. 

I was still a relative Crumbl newbie at this point so I only made the one trip and got the one banana cream pie (plus the Oreo) but in hindsight, knowing what I know now, I understand people's enthusiasm for their favorite Crumbl cookie and their plans to buy multiples and store them in the freezer to eat at a later date. I haven't succumbed to that part of the craze (yet) but I'd probably think about it the next time the banana cream pie cookie comes around. Yes, it was that good.

Crumbl Cookies review #3: Gingerbread

Crumbl Cookies: Gingerbread - December 11, 2021 

I clearly remember getting this cookie as I was making a 4-hour drive to an in-person work offsite and there just happened to be a Crumbl at the very convenient halfway point 2 hours into the drive. Gotta take a Crumbl, I mean bathroom break, right? 

It was December so one of the specialty flavors was, appropriately enough, the gingerbread cookie. If memory serves, this was topped with a cream cheese frosting. It was freaking delicious, frosting and all. I'm not normally a big gingerbread or ginger molasses cookie fan as I find the molasses flavor too strong. But this was flavored just right, not too overpowering and not bland. It was also baked to perfection so that, when warm, it wasn't too mushy or underbaked. This one definitely goes into the "get again when it's on the menu" category.

Crumbl cookie review #2 - Apple Pie and Carrot Cake

Crumbl Cookies: Apple Pie and Carrot Cake cookies - November 17, 2021

I had to make a random trip somewhere in California when I got these two cookies from the local Crumbl store. Despite the circumstances of the trip (family emergency that ended up with me driving over 600 miles in less than 2 days but that's another story), the silver lining was I got to try these two flavors that I ordinarily wouldn't have been able to.

If you like apple pie (and I do), this is a great rendition of it in cookie form. It had a crumb crust as opposed to a "real" pie crust; instead it was more like a graham cracker-oatmeal crust. It's served warm which is a hallmark of a great Crumbl cookie for me (I don't like chilled cookies) although it is a messy cookie to eat like a cookie as opposed to eating with a fork. I'd get it again if the rest of that week's lineup didn't have other flavors I want to try.

The carrot cake, on the other hand, I would get again, whenever it makes an appearance, competing flavors be damned. I mean, why, yes, I liked it.

I sometimes get leery about carrot cakes and carrot cake cookies because some of them contain raisins and I despise raisins. Thankfully, as you can see from the picture, this is the purist carrot cake version, which I prefer. I loved this cookie. It had just the right flavor and a perfect texture. Crumbl sometimes get (rightly) criticized for underbaking their cookies too much and sometimes you have to let them cool to room temperature to get the right texture. But this one was baked perfectly and, even warm, had the perfect cakey-cookie texture that earmarks it as a would-get-again favorite, frosting and all. And I didn't even get salty about the garnish of nuts over the frosting since they were just that: a garnish and not in the actual cookie itself.

Crumbl Cookies review #1 - Peanut Butter Reese's and Pink Sugar

Crumbl Peanut Butter Reese's and Pink Sugar - October 21, 2021

I'm going to do something a little different for the next few posts. I'm still not trying out new recipes and am mostly baking tried and true ones I've already blogged about, which is what I send out in military care packages for deployed troops. But I don't want my blog to go completely silent until I feel like trying out new recipes so for the next little while, the focus will be on Crumbl cookies (what else?) and my own personal review of the flavors I've tried. I emphasize personal because these are based on my taste buds only, not anyone else's. Lots of people will disagree with me on what I think of the cookies. That's cool. They have their own taste buds and what they like, I have mine.

My obsession for Crumbl has abated (maybe? nah, probably not) but I'm starting from the very first days when there wasn't a local one near me and I had to rely on getting them when I was going somewhere else and there was one nearby or on the way. In the case of these two, they were from my niece and her husband who were visiting and brought me a few. The ones I hadn't tried before were the Reese's and the chilled pink sugar. 

I really wish I was a peanut butter fan. If I was, I think I would be in raptures over this cookie as so many Crumbl fans seem to be. It's a peanut butter cookie, topped with peanut butter and garnished generously with peanut butter cups. Peanut butter heaven if you're a peanut butter lover. Me: it's good, it's fine. Which goes to show what we all already know. Everyone's tastes are different and what one person might love, another might be indifferent over. I was slightly warmer than indifferent, colored by the fact that I appreciated my niece and her husband bringing the cookies in the first place since they know how much I like Crumbl and that I couldn't get it that often back then. This one was awhile ago and I didn't make any notes so I'm only going off memory. IIRC, the peanut butter cookie wasn't cakey but was a more typical peanut butter cookie of being not quite a shortbread but not quite a snickerdoodle texture either. So somewhere in between of a crisp/dry texture, moistened by the peanut butter topping.

I remember the pink sugar cookie more clearly. It's one of Crumbl's signature cookies and up until a month or so ago, a weekly staple along with the milk chocolate chip cookie. The milk chocolate is one of my faves. The pink sugar is not.

I wanted to like it as I do like thick sugar cookies. I don't care for chilled cookies in general so I ate this at room temperature to improve its chances. But, alas, the almond extract flavoring killed this cookie for me. Killed it dead.

I love almonds but I despise the artificial flavor of almond extract. And this cookie had it in spades. I know other Crumbl fans love this cookie and that's fine. I'm not one of them and that's also fine. I always find it a little funny when people get a little, er, heated with their opinions about the various cookies. C'mon, they're cookies. I liked the texture of the cookie but I couldn't get past the strong artificial almond extract flavor So I'm back to defaulting that I enjoyed the thoughtfulness of my niece and nephew-in-law in bringing me the cookies more than the actual cookies themselves. Fortunately, they also brought me the milk chocolate chip cookie and that was always amazing.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - made dough March 19, 2022 from Together as a Family

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats (I used old-fashioned rolled oats)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add in the egg yolk, egg and vanilla extract, beating just until combined. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl to keep mixture even textured.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture in 2 additions, mixing until just combined after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl to keep mixture even textured. Add in chocolate chips and stir just until incorporated.
3. Chill dough, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Portion dough into golf-ball-sized dough balls (or smaller if you prefer) and evenly space on prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass to make thick discs. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are pale golden brown and middles look just barely not raw. Let rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

I'm alternating between being weighed down by all that's going on in the world (still thinking of Ukraine) and the swirl going on in my own life with trying to forge ahead with even small acts of kindness or positivity. The quote above really spoke to me in how to reframe my thinking. Instead of thinking something is tone-deaf because you want to talk about (or eat) cookies rather than the very bad, big, terrible, no-good things happening, I'm shifting my perspective to think of those cookie-things as what fuels my activism and caring to deal with those very bad, big, terrible, no-good things happening. Someone made a kind comment in my last post that my posts help brighten their day. I appreciate that feedback and it helps keep me on an even keel; if I can create a bright spot even for one moment for one person, then all isn't lost and I can help provide a little bit of that fuel to move us all to a better world. So onward with this cookie post. 

I think of oatmeal cookies as having more oats than flour so this technically wouldn't qualify other than as a chocolate chip cookie with oats in it. But I don't see the point of getting uptight about it when this is a pretty good cookie.

The brown sugar caramelizes nicely to give it a good flavor and the oats make it chewy but not dry. Or at least they won't be dry if you don't overbake it. I like to bake until the edges are golden brown but you can still see some moisture in the middle. When the cookies cool, they have a good chewy texture that's moist. The original recipe called for quick cooking oats as those are more processed/in bits. I used old-fashioned but I let the dough chill in the refrigerator to give the oats and the flour more time to absorb the moisture in the dough. Then I portioned into dough balls, froze and baked from frozen dough. It worked pretty well and hopefully these will survive the journey overseas in military care packages.  

With All That's Going on in the World

 March 9, 2022

You might have noticed my blog has been quieter than normal lately. I usually try to post every few days but frankly, with all that's going on in the world today, I haven't been up to it. It seems tone deaf and/or frivolous to post about cookies and baking and my First World problems with what's happening in Ukraine and elsewhere. I haven't had the heart to post like there's nothing going on outside of my baking and my kitchen.

But, in times like these, when I get into that downward spiral, I have to catch myself. Yes, things often suck and yes, I feel that sense of rage and helplessness as I watch people bombed out of their homes and driven out of their country. I have the "luxury" of scrolling past heartbreaking stories while they have no choice but to live them. I'm not going to put lipstick on a pig and pretend all's right with the world when it's not.

But I'm also not going to think there's "nothing I can do". There's always something. It's a choice to do something and a choice to do nothing. I choose to do something. Beyond monetary donations and pledges of support, I'm a believer in actions speaking louder than words. It's not enough to post your outrage on social media. That's not activism, that's typing. We all have a choice to do something. It doesn't have to be big, bold and daring like the journalists reporting on the ground or the power moves of politicians and government officials or direct aid of humanitarian organizations. It can be but if that's not something you can do, find something. Every positive action, no matter how small, is something. 

My little something today is two somethings: I want to tell you (again) about a small business that's female and veteran-owned called Kitchen Vixen. They make cookie molds and springerle molds. They're based in Savannah, GA but I recently met the husband and wife couple behind Kitchen Vixen when they came to Reno for CookieCon. Yes, a cookie convention focused on cookie art is a thing. Perhaps I'll blog about it when I'm in a more positive frame of mind because it deserves all the love and positivity beautifully artistic cookies can command. But that's for another day. 

Jen and Mike of Kitchen Vixen are the couple in the middle

Today, Mike and Jen, the wonderful couple behind Kitchen Vixen, has the business I want to amplify and tell you about. I'd post the link to their Etsy shop but they're traveling and not back until March 19 so please go to Etsy then and do a search for their store, Kitchen Vixen. You can read about the first cookie mold I got from Kitchen Vixen here. I wrote that post before I'd ever met them and I was feeling pretty positive about them already. I'm doubly so after having met them. Even though their Etsy shop is closed for another 10 days, you can check out their Facebook page here.

Mike and Jen had a booth set up at Cookie Con to sell their wares. After the event was over, a friend and I helped them take their booth done and put away all of their wonderful stock. In the generous spirit I've come to associate with them, they insisted my friend Kim and I each pick a cookie mold of our choice. That was completely unnecessary but they insisted we choose. They are truly generous giving people. The one I coveted the most is the mold you see here for the US Air Force. Immediately I thought of the stamped cookies I could send to service members in the Air Force in the care packages I send every month as a volunteer with Soldiers Angels.

Which leads me to the second something I want to amplify: with the increased troop deployments to the NATO countries, it's more important than ever for our troops to get support from back home. I'm not one for a lot of flag waving and "loud" patriotism that speaks a lot of words. It's not enough to just talk "patriot". I prefer to let my actions speak for themselves. That means baking, packaging up the baked goods and mailing them out to the troops. Which I did. It's a small thing. But it's something.

I used the stamped cookie recipe from Nordic Ware because I like the flavor but in hindsight, it didn't hold the impression of the finer details of the cookie mold very well. I had to include in the letter to the members of the Air Force I sent these to that they might have to squint to see the full design but they're there. Ah well, I'll have to try a different recipe for the next Air Force packages going out. 

I'm not so naive as to think a couple packages of cookies to the troops and a shout out to a small business is going to fix things or even make a huge difference. But even if it just makes a tiny difference, it's better than doing nothing. No matter what's going on in the world, do something positive for it. It's the only way I know how to feel better.