Sugar Cookies pt 2 or Why flour substitution sucks

I had a weird dream last night that I was selling goods at the Farmers market, but I wasn't supposed to be there yet, so I was sneaking in. I was so worried about getting caught, but everyone was so excited about my products! Also, instead of a table I was selling my products off of a very large toilet tank! So strange!

Anyway, I am going to see a commercial kitchen tomorrow, possibly two once I find out if I can actually use a car tomorrow or not. So I'm excited to get started!

Wednesday I tried to make cookies. I had two recipes, one for shortbread and one for sugar cookies. I switched the flours and had no eggs... Those two changes may have caused the cookies to become almost inedible. They fell apart before you ever picked them up, it was awful! I burnt one batch, and the other was so flat it was pathetic. So I am hoping to have better luck today. I'm going to try different recipes, as the ones I attempted last time were more labor and time intensive than I'd prefer (rolling them into a log and refrigerating them, for up to an hour!) so hopefully I can google some better results.

So it's been a day since I started this post. I tried a new recipe for sugar cookies and I had great success! They turned out perfectly, well almost. I think they might need just a little more milk and then they will be just the right amount of crunchy and soft. I'm going to make another batch this weekend and take pictures. They will be Easter cookies! :) Maybe I can cut them into bunnies?

Special shout out to Emily and Brian Bowers who gave me cookie cutters for Christmas, I'll be using them!!

But for now the pasta is boiling so I'd better attend to that. More soon

Alison Wonderland

To permit or not to permit? or How to Join a Farmers Market.

Headache from all of this running around and calling and form filling out, its a mess!
All I want to do is watch TV until I fall asleep... But alas, that is not an option tonight. I found out that I don't need the two permits that I thought I needed but I do need two that I was not aware I needed. They are about equal in cost $400 :( Far too much in my opinion, and that doesn't even include the cost of renting a commercial kitchen!! So add however that much is to the cost of materials, storage, and a tent, table, banner, etc. At least I already have a square card reader and a tablet! I really hope that I end up making money, because like most of the world I am not a wealthy lady and I can't afford to lose!

I tried to make some chocolates tonight, part of the reason I have a headache, too much sugar. However when I added the lavender I added too much and now it just tastes terrible. I hate to throw away food, but I'm afraid I'll have to. However, the orange chocolate I made tastes great :) I was going to make cookies, but the I ate too many carbs, and too much sugar and the TV is loud and the computer is distracting. So here I am writing this blog instead of baking cookies. 

I seem to be having problems using cacao powder and making and kind of sweet or milk chocolate with it. Whatever I make comes out very bitter. Perhaps I need to find a cocoa powder instead. I want to figure out how to make chocolates using something besides the enjoy life chocolate because my dad is unable to eat those and I want to make something everyone can eat.

I wish there were more hours in the day, but then again I think we all have at some point. I hope to hear back from some commercial kitchens tomorrow. The kitchen that my farmers market recommended is all booked up and has no refrigerator space left. So I contacted three today. I did however hear back from the market and they said if I get everything together I could start selling as early as next weekend!!

So I am excited, exhausted, and a little nervous. I just want this to all be over so I can get to the point where I bake and sell, bake and sell, repeat indefinitely.

Well, I have an early morning, so farewell for now!

Alison Wonderland