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Blogs

  Christmas Cookies 2010
by Jim McGinley on 12/12/10 11:29:00 pm   Expert Blogs   Featured Blogs
20 comments Share on Twitter Share on Facebook RSS
 
 
  Posted 12/12/10 11:29:00 pm
 
Christmas Cookies 2010
Wife baked 72 cookies for recent christmas cookie swap.
She traded for 9 new types. Stopped coding to rate.

Qualifications & Bias
I love chewy chunky chocolate chip cookies.




Chocolate Raisin Walnut Mound

Slightly crunchy outside. Slightly chewy inside. Walnut atmosphere permeates. Fresh raisins.

4 out of 5 *
Shortbread Marzipan Ring with Strawberry Centre

Melts in mouth. Too sweet for manly palette. Strawberry overcome by sweet shortbread. Lovely presentation (classy icing).

3 out of 5

Surprise Guest Review
"Good. 4 out of 5."




Guest reviews do not affect score.


Poppy Seed Glaze Coated Moon

Pleasant taste but can't place it. Despite appearance, it's light. Not too sweet - is that lemon? What is that? It's good.

3.5 out of 5
Crouching Pac Man, Yellow Icing

Biggest crunch thus far. Thin. Packs compact taste punch. Lemon icing hits. Mmmmmmmm. Then it's over. Bonus for theme.

3.5 out of 5

 

Break for Diabetes

 

Yellowish Chocolate Cookie Blob with Surprise Raisins

Tons of tasty chocolate chips. Cookie taste lost in explosion of raisins and chocolate.

3.5 out of 5 but...

Controversy
Ate and reviewed this cookie earlier. See "Chocolate Raisin Walnut Mound" 4 out of 5. Credibility in question.

Final: 3.75 out of 5


Straight Chocolate Chip

The holy trinity: Chewy, Crunchy, Chocolatey. Supreme cookie taste. Original? No. Tasty? YES

4 out of 5
Icing Splattered Walnut Island

Sublime taste. Digging those walnut bits. Exciting when I tasted icing... then boring.

3 out of 5
Lonely Walnut Island

Tastes similar to above, except with more walnut bits. Still digging those walnut bits. Exciting when I tasted icing... WAIT... there's no icing.

2.5 out of 5
Hypnotic Organic Spiral

Mean baked buttery taste. Icing provides kinky counterbalance. Stealth poppyseeds? Nice.

3.5 out of 5
Outmeal Raisin Blotch

There's walnuts in these hills. Fills mouth like bread. Tasty, serious, not too sweet. Felt healthy. Had two.

4 out of 5
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Pyramid

Risking marriage. Coconut texture impressive. Coconut + chocolate = awesome! Plain coconut depressing. Handsomest. Icing snowflake coup de grace.

3.75 out of 5

 

Winner

When it comes to Christmas cookies, everyone's a winner.
Just kidding, "Straight Chocolate Chip" wins.



Just discovered icing snowflake on floor.
"Chocolate Dipped Coconut Pyramid" slapped with 0.5 deduction.


 
 
Comments

Alexander Bruce
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An excellent blog post. Very insightful!

Kris Graft
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Now do one about pies.

Alexander Bruce
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Or wrapping paper. I often feel like people underutilize decent wrapping paper.

Simon Carless
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I've highlighted this post due to its key importance at this time of year.

Kris Graft
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Gamasutra: The Art and Business of Making Games and Cookies

Mare Sheppard
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hmm, I think Pacman's colour might have been throwing you off -- there wasn't any lemon in that icing!

Simon Carless
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Thanks, Mare - clearly, this kind of factual rigor from our commenters (especially Pac-Man cookie-baking ones) is why people visit Gamasutra daily.

raigan burns
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Wait, you totally failed to review my favorites -- there should be 11 types of cookie!
The missing cookie is a plain circular yellow cookie with solid white lime icing on top that was amazing.

Methinks this review was, dare I say it, half-baked :p

p.s - also, "Lonely Walnut Island" totally had some spicy/gingerbread flavour happening.. 2.5?!

Jori Baldwin
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I totally agree Raigan. The lemony plain one was my favorite too.

Mathew Kumar
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What the hell guys you were all at some mad cookie party that I didn't even know about

I mean I know I wasn't even in the country but still

raigan burns
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The good news is that apparently it's something Thao does annually so if you're here next year you can get in on the delicious, delicious action.

Jori Baldwin
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RE: Poppy Seed Glaze Coated Moon. It's Orange. And Allspice

Xander Markham
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Outstanding work, like an early Christmas present. Judging by the look of that Lonely Walnut Island though - has ever a cookie name been more appropriate? - you were rating generously.

Chris Remo
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McGinley continues to be the star of Gamasutra blogs.

Erik Foss
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These all look incredible to me.

To be honest this is better than a boatload of the editorial content on this site.

Alexander Bruce
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Fish memories. For EVERYONE!

Jim McGinley
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That last comment wasn't meant for you humans.
It's something only Alexander and I understand.
Don't get detected.

Jim McGinley
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With regards to the cookies ...

- Thanks for the highlight!

- I honestly thought Pac Man tasted like lemon.

- My wife has confirmed the presence of another cookie type.
There should be 11 types. I'm too full to add it.

- If it's orange and allspice, how do you explain the poppy seeds?

- Rules prevent me from returning to Lonely Walnut Island.

Jori Baldwin
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Jim, are you asking that I list all of the ingredients to my secret family recipe? Nice try.


none
 
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