Adventures with Vanilla: COOKIES!

Two posts in one day!? Actually, I've just been too busy cooking and sitting and visiting (with adults! yay!) over a good cup of coffe each morning and evening to post each day. So, the events of this post actually took place 4 days ago...

Welcome to the Hawaiian Vanilla Company!

Today, Sous Chef Megan will be showing us around the kitchen and packaging area.

The room in the back of the mill is used for packaging, labeling, sealing, and storing products that are

all made by hand and from scratch. The Mill produces and sells such products as jellies, jams, chutneys,  teas, spice rubs, baking mixes, baked goods, sauces, dressings, syrups, whole vanilla beans, vanilla extracts, and even lip glosses. All the products are hand packaged at the Mill.

Now... Time to put on an apron and get to work.

Check list: 

• Coordinating colors? Check. 
• A love for food preparation? Check. 
• Matching eyes and smiles? Double check! 

Sister chefs! Let's bake!

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Today's adventure? COOKIES! I love cookies! Although, I do not particularly care for semi-sweet chocolate, these cookies turned out, nonetheless, quite yummy. 

So, first I followed the recipe and mixed
up all the ingredients for an enormous
 batch of cookies. Mixy, mixy, mixy!

Then I scooped dozens of cute little

 cookies onto a large pan covered 

with parchment paper and

sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

End product. We weight the
cookies and package, label, and
seal them into 8 oz. bags ready for munching!
One of the Mill's best sellers.      

 

After baking in the convection oven...

We set them on the cooling rack for a bit.

Ooooooh! Golden-brown miniature

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies!

At the end of the day Missy Mu, the Mill's sweet little marbled tabby, stands on 

the steps to the back porch of the mill. See you tomorrow Mu!

Adventures with Vanilla

At The Hawaiian Vanilla company all the products - edibles, beverages, scented goods, etc, are hand-made in the kitchen. Since my sister is Sous Chef and Kitchen Manager I have had the opportunity to experience this first hand. Time for an episode of.... AVENTURES WITH VANILLA!


The walk from the Reddecopp's home to the mill is quite lovely. Down the winding, hilly, one lane road that runs next to a dense Eucalyptus forest.

After climbing the final steep slope The Mill (referring the the building which houses the kitchen, dining areas, and gallery/shop)  is visible just around the corner. The walk is only about 3/4 of a mile but it takes me almost 20 minutes to climb because of the mountainous terrain... and also because of the fact that I should exercise a little more often.

Upon approaching The Mill the back entrances are visible. We will begin here since this is were we will working today.

The kitchen is very open and specious with a huge island in the middle. Chefs Megan and Malia are busy preparing food and making products. Megan gathers the ingredients for the 'Vanilla Southwest Rub" while Malia fills 1/2 lb. bags of 'Sugared Vanilla Pecans.' Yum!

After Megan lays out all the ingredients for the rub it's my turn to get to work!








I add all the different ingredients to the food processor. Rainbow spices!

Look at all the layers of ingredients. Now.... Press PUREE!

After packaging and sealing we have the final product:

Keep reading to see what other adventures with vanilla await us in the kitchen!