Creating the Perfect Cookie

I have visited the ever-popular chocolate chip cookie recipe time and time again, hoping to come to that 'a ha!' moment of, 'how can I make this special?', and it's always just been fine.  Or worse, the Nestle Tollhouse recipe trumps my new ideas every time.  

I work best with a deadline, an end goal in my sightline, and I gave that to myself:  create your own, awesome cookie to sell in cafes.  I've done my research and it's all very possible:  I already have my Food Handler's License, so all I'd need is clearance from the health department so that I could bake from my home shelf-stable items like cookies, then create a name and a brand for myself, and make it happen.  The business logisitics I'm working on, so then on to the busy part:  coming up with the right balance of ingredients to make it great.  I watched a Ted Talk on cookies and learned a thing or two, plus added other research on what the science is behind a good cookie.  

I'm very proud of what I've come up with:  chewy center, crispy edges, nicely browned, chunky, and special!  I work in a few different flavor combination of the ultimate chocolate chip cookie (to me, of course.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion) and will hope to sell them in a cafe near you soon!  

So this is what I've got:  Black & Green: cardamom, green & black pepper, thyme, dark chocolate.  

                                     Chocolate Salted Coffee: salt, coffee, dark chocolate.

And I didn't stop at chocolate chippers.  I decided to take on the peanut butter cookie and make it good for those who have both gluten and nut allergies:

                                     Sunbutter S'More:  sunflower seed butter, mini marshmallows, dark chocolate.

                                     Sunny Crunch: sun seed butter, unsweetened coconut, toffee, and toasted sun seeds

Another favorite of mine is the shortbread cookie. I took a Scottish shortbread recipe and melded it with traditional American style, with my own twist:

                                     Lemony Shortbread: lemon zest, whole wheat, salt.

And lastly, who doesn't love an oatmeal cookie?  This one has bourbon-soaked golden raisins and a nice moist center:                 Golden Bourbon Oat: bourbon-soaked golden raisins, salt.