Millionaire's Shortbread Cookie Cups Filled with Milk

Cronuts. Brookies. Donnolis. S'moreos. The world of mash-up desserts, or the "hybrid trend", as it has been called by food consultants and PR peeps, has pretty much gotten out of control. But as annoyed as you may want to be with the trend, the fact is...if some is good, more has the potential to be amazing. And so we continue to--excuse the pun--eat it all up.

A recent dessert hybrid dreamed up by cronut creator Dominique Ansel was the chocolate chip cookie "milk shot"--a cup made of chocolate chip cookie, enforced so that it could hold milk long enough to take it as a "shot" and then eat the vessel from whence it came.

It never hit as big as the cronut, but I still think it's a pretty nifty idea, because how many desserts can actually allow you to utter the words "I'm gonna get milk and cookie CRUNK right now!"...? Seriously. No other dessert I can think of.

And an easy-to-make version hit my radar recently with an email from Pillsbury featuring several of their easy mash-ups (cannoli doughnuts, crescent bagels, etc). Their version included chocolate chip cookie dough baked in cupcake tins, then lined with chocolate, then filled with milk. Here's their version:

Looks yum, right?

But of course, I didn't want to do EXACTLY what they told me to, so I thought "why don't I do a Millionaire's shortbread spin?".

It was quite easy to do: I used sugar cookie dough instead of chocolate chip, then added a layer of caramel (since I think I'm pretty cool sometimes, I made my own) atop which I added a layer of chocolate. These fat cookie confections held the milk perfectly, and after a minute or two it begins to soak in to the rest of the cookie and soften the caramel. You can either drink the milk then eat the cookie, or break it apart and then let the pieces "soak" in the spilled milk for a while longer.

No matter how you decide to eat it, the unrefutable truth is that these things are delicious. I mean, sugar cookie dough, caramel, chocolate, a touch of salt, and milk too? There is no part of this equation that is wrong or bad. The taste is classic, but the method of presentation and the mode of eating is fun. And isn't that what dessert is about, joy and fun?

Here's the recipe. 

Millionaire's Shortbread Cookie Cups Filled with Milk (printable version here)

You need: a cupcake tin (jumbo or regular, but not mini), parchment paper, spoons and spatulas

Ingredients

• 1 box Pillsbury sugar cookie dough (or one batch of your favorite type), dough prepared per the package instructions but not baked
• 1 bag chocolate morsels (12 ounces)
• 1 cup sugar
• Milk

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Generously grease the cupcake tin, sprinkle each cup with confectioners' sugar, and place a sheet of parchment along the bottom (for easy removal later). Why not just use cupcake cups? I didn't want the ridges on the sides. You can use the cups if you don't mind the ridges, though. No judgment. 

2. Grab big fistfulls of dough and press them into each of the cupcake cups. Press a dent in the center. You want the cups to be about half full of dough. My entire batch was sufficient to fill a 6 cup "texas sized" cupcake pan. This is to say, these cups were no mere shot glasses. They were fatties. 

3. Now, bake the cookie cups. Since mine were so thick, they baked for about 25 minutes--longer than the time you'd bake the dough if you were making mere cookies. My advice? Keep an eye on their progress around the suggested cookie bake time, but then keep them in the oven until they are puffy and golden.

4. Once puffy and golden, remove from the oven. They will start to deflate in a matter of minutes. This is actually a good thing for you. 

5. After 5 minutes or so, approach with a spoon and knife. First, use the knife to loosen the edges of each cookie cup to ensure easy removal later. But keep them in the cupcake tin. Now, use the spoon (or go ahead and use your impeccably clean hands) and press the cookies into a more pronounced cup shape. 

6. Let the cookies cool for about 30 minutes in the cups.
7. Now, make your caramel. Simply put the sugar in a dry saucepan, and put it over medium-high heat. Caramelize it per the instructions in this tutorial. Once liquid, pour a little into each cookie cup and spread using a spoon to ensure even coverage inside of the cup.  Let the caramel set for about 30 minutes before proceeding.
8. Now, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Once melted, pour some on top of the caramel layer in each cup and spread so it covers the inner cup evenly. Don't make it too thick or you won't have anywhere to put your milk.

9. Let the cookie cups set again, this time for 2 hours or so, until the chocolate has become firm. 

10. Once the chocolate is firm, you're ready to serve! Remove the cups from the cupcake tin. Place each serving in a shallow bowl (just nicer in case the milk seeps out). Fill each cup with milk--pour it right in. And serve!

11. It's nicest to let the milk sit for a minute or two before drinking and devouring--this will soften the caramel and chocolate and make it, in my opinion, a more enjoyable experience. But you follow your bliss. 

Enjoy!

Candy Warhol: How to Make a Candy Mosaic

Candy just got more artful. Here's a fantastic tutorial on how to create a candy mosaic inspired by fine art! Mine, of course, is inspired by the work of Andy Warhol...making it, yes, Candy Warhol! Learn how to make this art here.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Well, yes, this peanut butter ombré cake is a thing.

The absolute cutest collection of canine themed cakes.

Tips for creating beautiful painted illustrations.

Chocolate chip cookie milk shooters. YES!

Life doesn't get much better than my mom's Blueberry Pie recipe.

Tips for arranging flowers...on cakes!

OMG alert: salted caramel ding dong cake.

Let's taco about it: An illustrated guide to tacos.

Think ink: an overview of pen and ink illustrations. If you're thinking about getting into pen and ink, this is a very helpful post I wrote!

Edible cupcake wrappers. I'm so down for this.

If you're interested in illustration, you may also have an interest in this post I did about the best types of paper for illustration.

I'm keen to try these Mississippi Mud cookies.

Book of the week: Marshmallow Madness!: Dozens of Puffalicious Recipes. From the puffy cover to the recipes for creative marshmallows (buttered rum, root beer float), I'm in love with this fantastic offering from Shauna Sever via Quirk Books.

How to Arrange Flowers on Cakes

Image via CraftsyCurious about how to make beautiful flower arrangements on cakes? Here's a wonderful, whimsical and fun guide to flower arranging on cakes. Lots of beautiful inspiration pictures included! Full article here.

Friday I'm In Love...With Cake For Lunch

When was the last time you consciously and lovingly treated yourself to a cake date? 

I did last Friday at lunchtime, like I do every Friday. It's one of my favorite moments of the week: I call it Cake For Lunch Day. I used to refer to it as my "naughty lunch day", but a beautiful reader comment on my facebook page reminded me that no dessert should really be considered naughty. Well, to be completely honest, I don't mind a little naughty in my life--it keeps things interesting. But I can understand how it might be playing into an unhealthy trend to classify dessert as "naughty", so to make it an accessible day for anyone, Cake For Lunch Day it is.

Important note: Friday is not the only day I eat cake or sweets. It's just the official day I have designated for this ritual. I eat something sweet every day!

Cake for lunch is a political act

Frequently, dessert is strongly associated with guilt. All too often, the presentation of a beautiful cake or pie is greeted with a chorus of responses:

"I couldn't", "I shouldn't", "I wouldn't want to spoil my diet!"

So when do we deserve cake? When we reach our "goal" weight? When it's our birthday? When we get the new  job?

Why do we have to wait for "someday"? While it's true that we shouldn't be eating cake all day every day, there is a part of these responses that smacks of sad exclusion: I can't eat cake because I don't deserve it. 

Having suffered from a potpourri of eating disorders in the past, I used to be scared of cake. I still am, sometimes. But this fantastic ritual has given me something sweet that I would like to share. It is a pleasure to eat cake for lunch. But it is also a statement: I deserve pleasure.

The unofficial rules of Cake For Lunch Day

On Friday morning, I eat breakfast as usual. Whatevs. Then I go about my duties for the day.

And then when it's lunch time, I go out on a spying mission for cake. It can be any type of cake I feel like; the only real "rule" is that it has to be made by someone else. Not because I can't bake, but because it's a real treat of a whole different level when someone else makes it. I generally like it to be a nice, fat slice of cake. 

I then come home with my cake, pour a glass of milk, and eat it for lunch. Sometimes I will eat the whole slice, sometimes half and then eat the rest after dinner. Sometmes I will eat 3/4 of it, take a short break, then finish it off with another mini-glass of milk. Usually, I will accompany my cake for lunch with either a beach-type novel or a fresh issue of In Touch Weekly. Is it still a guilty pleasure if I am proudly announcing it?

The positive effects of Cake For Lunch

Some people might be tempted to start in with the naysaying, with statements like "eating cake for lunch isn't healthy!" or "you should really watch carbs during midday" or "is the cake at least gluten-free?". Probably, I am making some nutritionist somewhere scrunch up their nose. Heck, even my formerly anorexic-leaning self wants to start calculating how many calories were in that slice of cake and how little I can eat for the next week to "make up for it".

But I resist all of these voices. Because here's the thing: when the cake is gone, I always have a feeling of supreme happiness. Look at this wonderful thing I just did for myself! Even though the cake is eaten in less than 20 minutes, the experience has ripple effects of happiness that last all day long. These happy ripples make the following happen:

• I am nicer to people and even to my pug.
• I don't feel like it's a hassle to hold a door open for someone or let someone into my lane of traffic.
• I feel calmer, which makes me feel better if I encounter a long line at the post office or see someone pull out a checkbook in the grocery store line.
• I have just enough of a sugar high that makes me want to turn the radio up and do a little dance.

You can't tell me that these things don't contribute to making the world just a little nicer. 

The best thing about Cake For Lunch Day (aside from the cake)

The best part of Cake For Lunch Day isn't the cake itself. It is the fact that I took the time and energy to be sweet to myself. To give myself something that is in the scheme of things unnecessary, and a thing that sometimes society can deem downright devilish. 

But I am not anorexic or bulimic anymore. I don't have to just dream about cake, or deprive myself then binge on it in such a dissociated way that I don't even stop to taste or enjoy.

Breaking free of an eating disorder means that I am free to treat myself to, eat, and enjoy cake. On the one hand that might seem a a gift I've always had the ability to give myself...but now, I'm willing to receive and enjoy it. Maybe you could, too.

Make your own Cake For Lunch Day

I urge you to make room for a dessert date in your life. If you want, it can be Cake For Lunch Day on Friday, just like me--it's a day good enough to share, and I like the thought of virtually being a lady who lunches with you.

It doesn't have to be a slice of cake--it can be a brownie, or a cookie sandwich, or even a slice of pie. What it does have to be, however, is something that gives you pleasure.

So go ahead, I dare you--no, I invite you--make a date with yourself to enjoy cake. Because we all deserve to enjoy something sweet.

How do you treat yourself (cake-related or otherwise)?

How to Draw Unicorns

So you want to learn how to draw unicorns. Well, you've come to the right place. I have been a professional illustrator of unicorns since 2007, and have been an appreciator and collector of these magnificent beasts since long before that. What I'm saying is this: I'm pretty much the best person to teach you how to draw them.

I'm not going to twinkle-toe around it, because I want to get straight to the good stuff. And by that, I mean creating magic with pen and paper. So here we go:

How to draw unicorns

No superior work of art ever resulted from a lackluster state of mind. So before you get started, you have to get inspired. There are a few sure-fire ways: surround yourself with unicorns you love, read this post about hipster unicorns, watch Planet Unicorn on youtube, or rent The Last Unicorn. 

 

Now that you're fired up, grab some supplies. I am demonstrating simply using a sharpie with pink construction paper, but you can feel free to use whatever medium makes you happy. I have yet to discover how a tiny naked baby can assist in the unicorn-drawing process, but I am a believer, so I am sure that one day I will learn.

Oooh, ooh, ooh. Now that we're suited up and insprired, it's time to get drawing!

You'll start with the horn. It's easy, really: a thin, tall triangle with stripes for the ridges of the horn.

Now, add little ears on the sides of the horn. You want your unicorn to be able to hear the clatter of cupcake tins that means you're getting ready to bake, don't you?

Now, extend the face, adding two little "knobs" on the side for nostrils. You want your unicorn to be able to smell it when you bake cookies, don't you?

Now for the biggest and possibly scariest step. Draw a long line which starts at the ear and cascades all the way down in a wave, forming the unicorn's back and the back of its hind leg. Whew!

Now, starting at the bottom of the middle of the unicorn's face, draw another line--this is the front leg.

In the space between, draw a total of 4 legs. Be sure to add hooves at the bottom, otherwise your unicorn's feet will be too sensitive to prance about.

Oh, goody! We've reached what I personally consider the funnest part of drawing a unicorn.

Add a mane, both as a little puff of hair in front of the horn and between the ears, and a nice cascade of hair down the back of the neck.

Add a swingy tail, too!

Add two assertive dots for eyes. Finally, your unicorn can see your pretty smile! Now, add two lighter dots below, for the nostrils.

Be sure to add a heart near the unicorn's butt. This is a spot from which it draws power and magical love energy.

Hooray! Now you have a unicorn to be your friend and companion. What will you name it? What kind of adventures will you share?

Enjoy the magic of unicorn art!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Milk Shooters

Forget Algebra. THIS is a skill which will serve you well for the rest of your life: how to transform chocolate chip cookies into little cups that you can fill with milk. Here's a tutorial and recipe.

Tips for Creating Beautiful Painted Illustrations

When it comes to illustration painting techniques, the sky is the limit. In fact, there are so many ways to tell your story in painted images that it can just about make your head spin. But we can help you manage the creative madness. Get ready to prep, sketch and paint: Here are the must-know techniques for amazing painted illustrations! Check out the full post here.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Inspired by Jameson FinkLattice entertain you: how to make an easy yet impressive lattice crust.

AMAZING: cinnamon rolls stuffed with chocolate chip cookie dough.

FYI: you don't need an ice cream maker to make ice cream at home.

Who says these limes are only for pie? Key lime white chocolate cookies.

Baltimore versus the Big Apple: look to the cookie(s).

Definitely love this: apple pie tacos.

Ever heard of "Trench Cake"? An old timey wartime treat.

Why drink one color of tea when you can have several in one cup? Thai iced tea. 

Seriously love: German chocolate banana bread. 

Pop-rocks cookies. Perfect for your upcoming 4th of July celebration!

What are cake stamps and impression molds, and how do you make cake decorating magic with them?

Interesting read: what it's like to be the chief baking officer at Magnolia Bakery.

For those who love drawing as well as sweets: Tips for making your pen and ink illustrations super sweet.

Book of the week: The Harvey House Cookbook: Memories of Dining Along the Santa Fe Railroad. Have you ever heard of Harvey Houses? This book details the fascinating story of self-starter Fred Harvey, who literally changed the way the West ate. Many of the recipes from his establishments have remained favorites. This book beautifully melds history with food, which in my opinion is a very winning combination. I can't put it down!

Cool DIY Project: How to Make Permanent Marker Mugs

You probably shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet, but usually I do.

So when I came across a tutorial that told me that I could draw on a plain ceramic mug with permanent marker, pop it in the oven for a spell, and when it came out the ink would be baked in, I believed it enough to grab the closest sharpie. My friend, a unicorn named Creampuff, was eager to jump in and help.

By the way, as an aside, if you're wondering how Creampuff got her name, it had to do with this incident:

But I digress. Back to the mugs. Before, this one was plain and boring.

So together we drew all over the mug, then popped it in the oven for a while.

When it came out, it was too hot to touch, but after a half hour or so it had cooled. Lo and behold, that ink wasn't going anywhere! (For best results, hand wash). So I'm comfortable passing on this sweet trick I learned from the internet, to you, dear readers!

How to DIY Mugs Using a Sharpie and Not Much Else

Supplies

• Plain ceramic mugs (colored or white is fine)
• A baking tray (we used a pie plate)
• Sharpies

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. While the oven preheats, get artistic. I had help from a unicorn, who whispered clever sayings in my ear, but you do the best you can if you don't have a unicorn around. Try not to smear anything--it's somewhat tough on the curved surface!

3. Place the mug in the center of a baking sheet or pie plate and put in the preheated oven.

4. "Bake" for 30 minutes. Remove the tray gently. Even though this looks like a mug that you want to touch, DO NOT. It is very hot. I know this sounds dumb but you just wait. You will be tempted to touch it.
5. Once its' cooled, use as you normally would.So far, mine has proven dishwasher and sink-washing safe. 

UPDATE: After four washings in the dish washer, the pen started to fade off. So for best results, hand wash.

As for the easter paper behind the mug in the pictures? What can I say, the unicorn chose it. They think it should always be jelly bean season.