Smiley Corn Cookies

NinjaBaker — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 06:37:22 +0000

Is it summer or fall? Temps are 80 degrees and upwards in Southern California. However, reminders of autumn are everywhere when I get in my car. Orange-jacketed crossing guards demand stops in front of schools I only recently zipped past. I don’t mind though. It’s fun to see the parade of young kids. Their joy and innocence are inspiring. Confession: I also get concerned about society providing enough support to today’s youth.

Guaranteed smiles:
Smiley corn cookies in a Japanese bento lunch box.

Key building blocks include nourishing love and food. And what appears in lunch boxes and on after-school snack plates reflect parental care. Laura of The Spiced Life and Rebecka of At Home with Rebecka know a thing or two about raising children and have launched the Creative Cookie Exchange. Smiley Corn Cookies are my contribution to their Back-to-School themed blog hop. These buttery, crumbly goodies are actually somewhat healthy. They contain bits of organic corn. The vegetable in cookie form tastes extra good.

Momofuku Milk Bar inspired corn cookies

Click here for the recipe from brilliant Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook by Christina Tosi. You’ll need freeze dried organic corn. If you don’t have a Whole Foods in your neighborhood, click here to order online.

Once the corn cookies are baked and cooled, pipe chocolate smiley faces onto the cookies. You can use melted chocolate or whip up your favorite chocolate frosting. If you choose canned frosting, beat in ¼ cup of confectioner’s sugar to ensure better consistency for piping.

A smiley corn cookie is a somewhat healthy snack-time choice.

Note: Some of us don’t have our own children to pour love into but we can create cookies filled with love. There are always big and little kids who are hungry, eager for you to share.

Wishing you love.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

#CreativeCookieExchange

#Momofuku Milk Bar

corn cookies

smiley

Momofuku Chocolate Chip Cornflake Cookies, #SundaySupper

NinjaBaker — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 04:17:55 +0000

Fun fact: In Japanese momo (?)means peach and the character for fuku (?)reads as good fortune. However, in Japan the words are never paired together. There is no such word as momofuku in Japanese. Yet, the Momofuku restaurant group’s website boldly declares, “Momofuku means lucky peach.” (They even have a peach logo.)

The word and restaurant conglomerate are the clever invention of Virginia born Chef David Chang. His liberal use of language is in keeping with the whimsical, never-before-seen baked goods that come out of Momofuku Milk Bar’s ovens in New York City. At the famed Manhattan Milk Bar, David Chang’s Executive Pastry Chef Christina Tosi turns out goodies such as Red Velvet Ice Cream (with real cake inside!), Kimchi & Blue Cheese Croissants and Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow Cookies.

Momofuku Inspired Chocolate Chip Cornflake Cookies
with Bits of Dried Organic Cherries

Language and food are serious business to many. Yet, neither language nor food can be taken too seriously when flipping through the New York Times bestselling cookbook entitled Momofuku Milk Bar. The inventive titles and sweets are just so darn clever! And even though the recipes are time consuming and laborious, there is an inexplicable joy that bubbles up with each step. At least that was my experience as I baked a batch of corn flake cookies based on the Milk Bar’s Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow Cookies. Maybe the delight springs from the childlike play of crumbling corn flakes with fingers. Or the comforting smell of melted butter soaking the cereal. Perhaps it's the magical taste of crunchy, buttery corn flakes combining with bits of mini chocolate chips.

Whatever the je ne sais quoi mystery behind the Momofuku goodies, I’m so glad crunchy goodness - the theme of this week’s virtual #SundaySupper at Twitter – prompted me to make these fantabulous cookies. (See your invite to Sunday Supper at the bottom of this post. This week acclaimed food blogger Susan of Girl in the Little Red Kitchen hosts.) Before I tell you about my crunchy cookie recipe, may I brag for just a minute?

Mini chocolate chips, cherry bits and buttery corn flakes
play together in one delicious cookie.

My brother (who works for the U.S. Commerce Department) was visiting from Brazil. So, my husband who works on the FOX TV show Bones brought us to the set. We watched actors, Michaela Conlin (Angela Montenegro) and T.J. Thynes (Dr. Jack Hodgins) work their TV magic. I brought cookies to the set for the crew. I figure actors are always watching their weight and not interested. But Michaela and T.J. dove in and declared the cookies, “Really good!” This Ninja Baker was just a little bit pleased.

Okay, click here for a link to the recipe for the Milk Bar’s Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow Cookies. (You’ll have to scroll down just a tad.) The cookies I brought to the Bones set had no marshmallows. But, I did add a ½ cup of diced dried organic cherries. Also, worth noting; I used a smaller ice cream scoop than the recommended full size scooper. However, the baking time was exactly 18 minutes as stated in the recipe.

Scroll down for more #SundaySupper crunchy goodness. And your invite to the weekly Twitter event.

One bite of Chocolate Chip Cornflake Cookies will turn a frown into a smile.

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

Crispy Appetizers:

Bitterballen from The Urban Mrs.

Caprese Wontons from Jane’s Adventure in Dinner

Crispy Broccoli Cheddar Bites from Curious Cuisiniere

Waldorf Salad from Noshing With The Nolands

Crunchy Entrees and Sides:

Crunchy Baked Chicken with Homemade Shake and Bake from Growing Up Gabel

Crunchy Crusted Chicken Strips with Chipotle Honey Mustard from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure

Flautas de Rajas con Queso (Cheesy Poblano Pepper Taquitos) from La Cocina de Leslie

Penny’s Taco Salad from Webicurean

Popcorn Chowder from The ROXX Box

Rosemary Garlic Croutons on layered Savoy Cabbage Soup from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen