How I Develop Recipes

I always have ideas for new cupcookie flavors running through my head, so I love it when I have the time to test out some recipes.

Here's how I go about it:
1. I get an idea for a cookie/frosting combo.
-I have already developed great recipes for most of the common cookies like chocolate chip and peanut butter, so now I am on to less "mainstream" cookie types. Today I tried lemon-cornmeal cookies and mexican wedding cookies.
-After deciding on the cookie, I think of what frosting would go well with it. I paired lemon buttercream with the lemon-cornmeal, and I paired caramel buttercream with the mexican wedding cookies. The caramel idea was inspired by dulce de leche.

2. I start on the cookies: I get a basic recipe to start with. I look at it and make any changes I see fit. I keep in mind that it will be eaten with frosting, which is sweet. I also keep in mind that I want it to have the texture of a cookie and not a cake (some cookie recipes can be pretty cake-like when you bake them in mini-cupcake molds). Then I make a small batch and bake it. Usually the cookies are good, but not the best they could be. So then I make some changes and try again and again until...yay! It's a winner!

3. I make the frosting: I start with my basic buttercream. I then divide it into the same number of bowls as kinds of frosting that I will be making. Today it was 2: lemon and caramel.
-To make lemon, I added lemon curd that I had made. I start by adding an amount smaller than what I think will be enough. Then I taste a small bit and add more. I taste, add, taste, and add until I have the right taste. Sometimes I'll add sugar or even a pinch of salt.
-To make the caramel flavor, I did the same process but with a thick caramel sauce that I had made.

4. Then I pipe the frosting on the cookies and do the final taste test. Sometimes they aren't quite right and I'll either have to make a change or start over. But most of the time, they taste delicious! I also take a look and see if they are visually appealing. I may add a garnish.

5. Then I make sure to sit down with a cup of coffee and eat a whole one...for testing purposes of course.

And that's it! I love the creativity of it.

Here are some pictures of me and the process:


( I tried a chocolate recipe too which you can see in the picture)

Here are pictures of my finished products:
Lemon-cornmeal cupcookies with lemon frosting


Mexican wedding cupcookies with caramel frosting