If you want a quick way to expand your master list of I-Can-Cook-These-Dishes (or, in this case, cookies), identify your favorites and change ‘em up.  It’s called improvising and it works just as well in the kitchen as it does behind a microphone or a musical instrument.  Here’s the catch: not everything turns out the way you planned.  And that’s exactly why it’s helpful.

First:  Identify a favorite.

This should be something you love to make or do, and something you do often enough that you know it pretty much by heart.  It’s easier to improvise with a recipe that you are familiar with.  When you first get to know a recipe or an activity, you might spend a lot of time going over the rules, the directions, and just getting it right.  That’s not the time to improvise.  Until you know what you’re doing, it works better to use a safe and familiar favorite.  Think of something you make or do all the time.

Two of my favorite cookies are Snickerdoodles and Chocolate…Anything.

Second:  Ask yourself what it is you like so much.

I love my Snickerdoodles because they are the perfect simple cookie.  It’s a fast recipe and they are plain and seem very traditional and simple, like… like a good sugar cookie.   Hmm….

I like the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies because of the authentic gingerbread taste and because of the chocolate.  I wonder…

Third:  Answer “What if…?” with free association to make new versions.

What if I didn’t roll snickerdoodles in sugar and cinnamon?  My Snickerdoodle recipe could be fantastic as a stand-alone sugar cookie recipe.  Use it for any cookie you need to ice, just leave off the cinnamon/sugar coating and roll out the dough for the cookie cutters, instead of shaping and flattening them.  Keep the part where you chill the dough, though, or you’ll end up with cookies that don’t hold their shape and are too flimsy to cut and lift.  Sift a little flour on your table, on your dough and on the rolling pin and Voila!  Sugar cookies extraordinaire.

Throw in some giant M&Ms.  Mmmm… Or chocolate chunks.   Heck, I think it might even make a really good chocolate chip recipe, but this time, I won’t chill the dough.  I’ll just use a spoon and drop it on the pan. 

What if I took the chocolate chunks out of these Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies?  I really like the retro gingerbread taste and I love chocolate – wouldn’t it be easy enough to make chocolate gingerbread without the chunks? What cute little gingerbread men it would make!  Or if you want a fantastic and traditional gingerbread, go without any chocolate.  Keep the fresh ginger or throw it out – that’s four additional recipes right there.  Use it for cut-out cookies, gingerbread men, or gingerbread houses, and you’ve just expanded your repertoire to seven gingerbread variations.  Wow.

Ginger is a very Asian ingredient.  Have you ever thought about what would happen if you added another Oriental favorite – coconut?  Hmm… I’m dying to try a gingerbread with coconut milk as my liquid or chunks of fresh coconut meat.  What about a dusting of sugared coconut flakes on top, added halfway through so they’ll just be slightly crunchy but not burned?  You get the idea.

I’m not sure if it would all work.  You see what I mean about not everything turning out the way you thought it would?  Some of these ideas would be spectacular failures.  And some would become family favorites.  But when you take this three step approach, I think you’ll find that variety really is the spice of life. 

Start with something you love, think about what it is you really like about it, and free associate new versions by asking “What if…” 

That’s it!  I’m off to bake a batch of coconut gingerbread cookies!  I’d love to hear what you changed up this week (food or not)– drop me a line and I’ll feature one comment or blog entry next Monday!