Monday, May 2, 2011

Lavender Whoopsie Cookies with a Lemon Mascarpone Filling for National Cookie Week



When the fabulous Michael of the Gay Gourmet asked me to participate in his first-ever National Cookie Week event, which he is co-hosting with Schmackary's Cookies of New York, I enthusiastically said "yes" for two reasons. For one thing, I would never say no to any request made of me by any of my gay friends - they are all simply too marvelous for words. And besides, my gay bffs always accommodate me, and I certainly wouldn't want to do anything to buck that trend.

The second reason I agreed to participate may strike you as odd: I hate baking cookies. I know, I know. Cookies are supposed to be that fun easy thing that everybody loves to make and eat. Brings out the inner child and all that. Regular readers will recall that I am not the biggest fan of sweets, but that's not the problem here. The trouble is, cookies never turn out the way I want them. Never. And that frustrates me to no end.  If I'm going for crispy they end up chewy. If I want puffy they turn out flat. Sandy goes gooey and moist ends up dry. Combine that with the fact that by the time I have finished with a batch my hands are sticky, my kitchen is a mess, and I am so nauseated by the smell of butter and sugar that I am put off my dinner, you start to get the picture that there's no love lost between me and the cookie.The only reason I keep coming back to them is because the masochist/perfectionist in me cannot rest until I get it right.

It really is a good thing I switched to culinary from pastry arts, isn't it?

All that said, even though things don't turn out as I plan, they generally (I am told) taste pretty darn good, and these babies are no exception. I wanted little cakey cookie domes, and I planned to call them "whoopie cookies." Instead, I got, after two attempts, not-so-puffy discs that I  have instead dubbed "Whoopsie Cookies."

So here's the deal: If you're reading this, you probably know how to make cakey fluffy cookies, right? I am not going to tell you what I did, because by the time I got it sort of right I had lost track of how much of this and that I had tweaked. So the next time you make cakey cookies, substitute honey for half of the sweetener and add  a heaping tablespoon of culinary lavender. And if you are feeling fancy, mix up equal parts red and blue food coloring and dye them an adorable shade of purple.

And then what you must do - you really, truly must - is make a cookie sandwich using this lemon mascarpone filling. Unlike my cookies, I could eat this stuff all day. Behold its creamy goodness:
Here's what you do: In a mixer with the paddle attachment, combine 8 oz mascarpone, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice and the zest of one lemon. It's so simple, even Rachel Ray could do it! Whip until fluffy and try not to eat it all with a spoon. The tart sweetness works very well with the not-too-sweet spicy lavender. This stuff has a lot of uses, and I just may be posting about one or two of them in the future.

If you want to check out other, less cookie-challenged contributions, check out the National Cookie Week Facebook page where links to recipes will be posted throughout the week.

In the meantime, my quest to conquer  the cookie continues ... 

Happy Cookie Week!





29 comments:

  1. You are too funny Trix -- and, I suspect, a little too hard on yourself...these look fab, and I`m sure none of your friends, whether they be gay or straight, would turn one (or a dozen) down! Theresa

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  2. Wow, I'm amazed that you're baking something sweet for a change! Even as you profess the imperfectness of these cookies, they still have me swooning over the perfectly paired flavors (really? You used a whole tablespoon of lavender?). Whoopsie, I think you may have found my weakness!

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  3. Oh you! Not a cookie baker and you turn out these beauties. And with such a flavour combo too! You rocked it out, lady. Whoopedeedoodah! :D

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  4. Yum! Yes, hard not to jump on Michael's bandwagon! I'm in too!

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  5. The lemon mascarpone filling sounds lovely! Junior and I will be baking cookies in a few minutes here, and we've got leftover mascarpone so we could make cookie sandwiches like this too, she'll love the idea!

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  6. They look great and that lemon mascarpone is beautiful!

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  7. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw "cookies" in the title of a post by Trix!! And they look sooo good!!! I wish I could have a lick of that lemon mascarpone filling...that sounds incredible!

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  8. Your cookies look delicious! I've been dying to do more baking with lavender ever since the weather has turned into Spring...I might have found my inspiration here!

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  9. Oh Trix, this is going to be a good week, now I just have to get my hands on a cookie as appealing looking as these beauties you've made here;-)

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  10. These look delicious! I love lemon. I have several cookies I want to make, and still haven't started! Time to get off the computer...

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  11. Lavender and lemon....delightful!

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  12. The only thing I love more than this flavor combo is...the dig at Rachael Ray. Glad you decided to brave pastry - the results are lovely!

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  13. It's National Cookie Week? Gah! I'm so behind. I love your mascarpone filling!

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  14. I hear angels singing while I am reading this! What a decadent combo! And I can definitely get on board with cookie week!

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  15. Lavander and lemon sounds like a wonderful combination !

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  16. There is nothing that would be a whoopsie cookie here for me I would eat them all, love the filling and the cookie looks wonderful! The combination is awesome~!

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  17. These look like pretty darn good cookies to me. You never know... "Whoopsie" cookies could be the next big thing =)

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  18. Who is this Michael and can I jump on his, er, bandwagon too? The cookie looks great and I love the name you gave them.

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  19. I so know what you mean about your cookies never coming out the way you plan. I have the same issue. Combine that with the fact that I tend to crave savory over sweet and there isn't a whole lotta cookie baking in my kitchen. I'm planning to break that pattern for National Cookie Week though. Anyway, your Whoopsie cookies look pretty sweet and you're right, purple would be adorable!

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  20. Now how did I miss that it was national cookie week???? You certainly did it justice...these gems look fabulous!!!

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  21. Trixie Girl! I remembered seeing this post, then thinking, I gotta leave a comment for girlfriend, then I was swept up in another hormonal jolt into some other distraction (trouble with focus lately)! So here I am first thing this a.m.--and on said cookies: Yum! Anything lemon. Anything.

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  22. Thanks for letting me that it is national cookie week. Cookies looks awesome.

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  23. Cooke week ? sounds great! I'm also not big on sweets but I do like cookies now and then. I think yours look great and I love the lemon mascarpone filling. My new addiction is lemon and lavender, can't get enough so I'll have to try yours.

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  24. perfect cookie for the event - lavender lemony cream-filled oops whoopsie puff at the hands of a masochist... you are always so clever and innovative in creating thingies for events...
    hey, I too have a project I am working on & need your help, will message you in a week or so...

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  25. Yes, yes, YES! You had me at lavender. Nothing screams SPRING to me more than floral scented treats!

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  26. The filling sounds wonderful and I would eat your cookies any day! One does always feel a stronger strength in cooking or baking but you are great in both. I am still on the fence as to which side to pic.

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  27. kay, awesome. i love anything lavender but, these look amazing even without their purple component. thanks so much for sharing, love you and your blog :)
    -meg
    @ http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com

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  28. Thanks for this lavender whoopsie cookies recipe. They look wonderful.

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