Gourmet or Grotesque? A Gluttonous Explosion of the Conventional Chocolate Chip Cookie

VISA0100 Cooking Project
Group: Lucy S, Lucy BC, Chris, and Allison

Title:

Gourmet or Grotesque? A Gluttonous Explosion of the Conventional Chocolate Chip Cookie

Abstract:

We conducted this experiment in order to better understand the idea of the monster cookie; a cookie made up of so many different delicious foods, that it may or may not actually be appetizing. Having concocted a basic cookie batter, we went on to add ingredient after ingredient, which though they individually encompass deliciousness, combined together to become an inevitably disgusting monsterous cookie. Our experiment resulted in 44 small cookies made at the time each ingredient was added, and a monster cookie made up of 4 different batters. In the end, we found that these exaggerated "garbage cookies" were nothing short of, well, garbage.

Introduction:

This project was born of the idea of a monster cookie, of sensory confusion surrounding food. It is common to hear, “Believe me, I know it looks gross but it tastes really good!”, or “eww it looks better than it tastes” as we often ignore smell or sight in favor of taste or our misguided when we try to do the opposite. For this project we wanted to push the idea of monster cookie (inspired by Meeting Street), to look for the place where appetizing becomes disgusting. We went through many different thoughts, considered making “spring cleaning” cookies which questioned the idea of age of food by adding all sorts of contradictory cues in the form of conflicting holiday candies like candy corn ostensibly from Halloween with peeps from Easter and Hanukkah gummies. Or a break-up cake which we would dramatically drop a beautiful cake on the floor. We ultimately settled on the theme of evolution and family tree to explore these issues. We wanted to start with all of the same ingredients, have the same palette and then let ourselves loose with the batter, taking a cookie “snapshot” at each step along the way to document the mutant cookie strains.

Materials and Methods

Gather 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 cup (2 sticks) butter (softened), 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and 2 large eggs. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and other bits (i.e. Butterfingers, Oreos, M&Ms, Oats, Snickers, Sprinkles, Marshmallows, Reese's Pieces, jelly beans...). Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased backing sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Results:

Discussion:

As you can see from the photographic evidence, a true "monster" cookie is far more delicious in theory than it is in practice. The final result is entirely inedible - a concrete-like conglomerate of processed sugars, corn syrup, flour, and other decadent ingredients (including Tequila!) that would indubitably nauseate even the strongest of stomachs. The creation of this cookie raises a number of pressing concerns regarding contemporary food habits in this country. What, after all, are we actually putting into our bodies? Just because we think something is delicious does not mean it is actually possesses any nutritional worth, and yet we often continue to eat it without interrogating the processed ingredients that have gone into its production. Additionally, what effect is the overwhelmingly gluttonous appetite of the American people having on both ourselves and the rest of the world? Clearly, too much of a good thing is anything but...and, as this cookie physically demonstrates, we might be well served to think more carefully before we gorge ourselves to oblivion.