Sunday Morning Cookie

If cozy Sunday mornings conjure up thoughts of espresso, cinnamon, toasted sugar, and chocolate chips, then the Sunday Morning Cookie is you!

Cozy Sunday mornings are a thing of magic. Whether it's breakfast in bed, French toast in PJs, or brunch with family and friends, I think we can all agree Sunday mornings are magic. The smell of French toast, cinnamon, coffee, and sometimes chocolate makes me think of a cozy Sunday morning. The other six days of the week make me long for Sunday. But if I smell cinnamon in my heart, I am back on Sunday. I designed this cookie to capture the magic of cozy Sunday mornings.

As soon as you bite into this Sunday morning cookie, you will taste espresso and cinnamon, quickly followed by toasted sugar and chocolate chips. There is a sight cereal crunch giving this cookie texture and sweetness.

Jump to:

• Cookie Origins
• Techniques
• Ingredient Notes
• Storage
• Recipe

Cookie Origins

The inspiration for this cookie comes from the Corn Flake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookie sold by Milk Bar. The Sunday Morning Cookie uses the same technique as the Cork Flake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookie (that's a mouthful). I have to admit; this technique is mind-blowing good!

Techniques

Making this cookie follows the same technique as most cookies but with a couple of extra steps (or lack of). These techniques take this cookie from good to great and are worth the extra work.

Technique #1 - Cinnamon Toast Crunch -crunch: To give these cookies an extra edge, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal is tossed with milk powder, cinnamon (yep, I added more), sugar, and butter. The mixture is then baked for 20 minutes. By following this step, you create a crunch texture and intensify the flavor within your cookie. This step might seem too extra, but trust me; it is worth it!

Technique #2 - Creaming butter and sugar for 10 minutes: When making cookies, it is important to cream the butter and sugar using a stand-up mixer for 2-3 minutes. Then add the liquid (egg and vanilla extract) and continue creaming for another 6-7 minutes. This step is key to creating a lighter textured cookie. Because the Sunday morning cookie is heavy in flavor, this step is crucial for the overall texture of the cookie.

Technique #3 - Mix the dry ingredient until barely mixed: This technique is accurate for all types of baked goods. By just slightly combining the flour, you are restricting the stretching of gluten in the flour. Something we all want (right?)

Ingredient Notes

Cinnamon Toast Crunch - This cereal contains the Sunday morning flavors I wanted to capture within this cookie recipe.

Espresso Chips - These chips have a strong espresso flavor. I love it; however, it might be too much for some. If that is the case, increase the number of grams of mini chocolate chips and reduce espresso chips in equal portions.

Mini Chocolate Chips - I strongly recommend using mini chips to ensure equal distribution within the batter. These chips will help to sweeten and offset the bitterness in the espresso chips.

Unsalted Butter - Two things about butter and baking. 1. Always use unsalted butter. This allows you to control how much salt is in your recipe. 2. Use cultured, also known as European, butter if possible. This butter is slightly more expensive; however, it adds richness to your cookies which is worth the extra money (IMHO).

Non-Fat Dry Milk - Milk powder or powdered milk is the most concentrated form. This powder allows you to add all the extra flavor without changing the liquid content in a cookie. 

• This excerpt from Epicurious sums up why using non-fat dry milk makes a BIG difference. Chef Christina Tosi, author of Momofuku Milk Bar and Milk Bar: Kids Only, says she can’t think of a dessert that milk powder wouldn’t improve. “Milk powder has an amazing way of adding a terrific baseline flavor,” she explains. “It can make ice creams milkier, denser, silkier—and cookies chewier.” It’s the sort of “secret weapon ingredient” that doesn’t taste like anything special straight out of the container but works magic when included in a recipe. Tosi says you can experiment with adding a tablespoon of milk powder to your dry ingredients in any baking project: “It just makes things taste better.”

Storage

There are several ways to store this cookie and its components. The first is the crunch, the dough, and then the baked cookie.

1. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch.- Crunch should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one week or in the refrigerator or freezer for one month. 
   
2. The cookie dough should be stored in an air-tight container in your refrigerator for three days or in your freezer for one month. If you freeze the cookie dough, roll the cookie dough into balls and store the balls in a sealed ziplock bag. Place that bag in an air-tight container in your freezer. When you're ready to bake, place the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator overnight to bring them to the correct temperature before baking.
   
3. Baked cookies stay fresh at room temperature in an air-tight container for five days. If you want to freeze the cookies, place them in an air-tight container and store them for up to one month. (Warning, we tried that at our house and ate them frozen. They are that good.)

Great British Baking Show Bake
Season 2, Episode 4, Signature - Biscuits
GBBO Count: 20 down, 260 to go!

Recipe