What do you do with all the cookies you bake?
I eat a few and share the rest. That’s one of the reasons this blog is about cookies. They’re easier to pack up and give away than fancier desserts. I love making cakes and pies, but don’t have enough people around to consume a cake or pie a day.
How do stay under 800 pounds?
By sharing and not eating the whole pan of cookies myself. Some days this is more difficult than others, but in general, baking is an activity that requires one to be up and moving. And in a way, the act of building the dessert somewhat satisfies the need to eat it…at least for a while. The problems arise a few hours later when you’re hungry again and the cookies are calling you from the kitchen. This is when I brush my teeth or go on a walk.
Can I substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar or use applesauce in place of oil?
Yes, but you’ll have different results. If you make a substitution and it turns out great, please share! I usually stick with sugar, but I love it when I can find another natural sweetener or sugar substitute that yields good results. As for the applesauce oil replacement, that’s trial and error. But I do love hearing recipes with successful modifications.
Why do you recommend a kitchen scale?
Grams are more accurate than volume measures when it comes to certain ingredients. For instance, a cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 4 oz to 6 depending on how it’s packed. It seems like a lot of baking failures are due to incorrect flour measurements. Luckily, more chefs and recipe writers are featuring grams in recipes and scales are becoming more mainstream.
What’s your favorite brand of chocolate?
I like just about all chocolate, but I tend to switch back and forth between Ghirardelli, Guittard and Scharffen Berger.
I want to start a blog, can you share some tips?
Get on Wordpress or Blogger, find a template you like, and play around with it a little. I’m really not an expert on blogging or building traffic or monetizing or any of that. My goal with blogging was always to have fun and the ads help pay for the ingredients. I buy a lot of butter! So my tip is to blog about something you really like – an activity you do all the time. I was baking cookies constantly even before I had a blog.
Do you have any professional experience?
No, and sometimes I read my own writing and think “Boy, I sound like a bossy know it all.” But that’s just my lack or writing talent. Really, I am just experimenting and learning like everybody else. My learning comes from experiments and reading. I’m also in awe of chefs and food pros who bake high volume every day. That is so completely different from baking in a home kitchen. If something I say sounds completely wrong and you are positive I’m wrong, please send me an email and let me know. I’ve gotten used to correcting myself over time.
Do you have any sources for cookie packaging?
I like to save money, so I order in bulk from a site called Papermart that sells wholesale and to the public. They’re reasonably priced.
I found several typos and your grammar makes me wonder if English is your first language. Should I correct you in the comment section?
No! Please don’t use the comment section for correcting grammar and typos unless the typo is one that involves the recipe. For instance, if I list ¼ cup sugar in the ingredient list but say ½ cup in the directions. If you’re bothered by a grammar error or just want to give some advice, please shoot me an email at anna at cookie madness dot net.
Can we do a link exchange?
Sure, but not until I actually see your blog. If you send me an email pointing to it, I’ll check it out. I usually link to people who visit frequently, bake things I like eating, or who make me laugh.
Why do you mention brand names? That’s tacky.
Different brands don’t always work the same in recipes. For instance, a certain brand of jelly might set up better in the refrigerator than another, so I’ll mention the brand. I don’t find it tacky, but helpful. And I love product review sites.
Do you have a policy on product reviews?
Occasionally I get asked to review a product in exchange for a sample. I usually tell the sample provider I will review it if I like it. There have been products I’ve not been able to review, but most of my reviews are for things I find, buy, and use.
As for giveaways, I’m thinking about buying special prizes with my own money and doing giveaways for readers. At this point, I usually do that when someone is willing to donate a prize. But I like the idea of buying prizes and giving them away myself and may start.
I wrote a comment but it didn’t show up. Did you delete it? And I noticed you didn’t reply to my comment or answer my question. What’s up with that?
My spam filter is pretty aggressive and I could give you some funny examples of things it deems inappropriate. Luckily, it rejects comments automatically which means you’ll know if it’s accusing you of spam right away. If that happens, just send the comment to me at anna at cookiemadness dot net and I’ll figure out the words it doesn’t like and publish it.
As for comment replies, I used to try to reply to every single one, but started wondering if that sounded too egotistical on my part. Also, it didn’t seem very helpful to reply to a “Great recipe!” comment with “Thanks!” So lately I’ve been replying to comments with questions about the recipe or questions in general. Now that there’s this FAQ, I won’t be replying to questions 1 and 2, my most frequently asked questions.
How do I contact you? anna at cookie madness dot net
