SPOTLIGHT PROFILE: The Dublin Cookie Company

I am pleased and excited to be writing the inaugural SPOTLIGHT post.

I have great love and passion for the array of artisan producers and products available throughout Ireland at the moment; as indeed do the people behind these goods. I've always been interested to hear about how they got into what they're doing, why the love it and why we should too.

Along with some whimsical food questions, I'm attempting to peer behind the veil a little in these new instalments, I hope you enjoy them. First up, the wonderful ladies, Jenny and Elaine, behind The Dublin Cookie Company.

How did you start baking?

Elaine might not call herself a baker, but pitches in when needed around Dublin Cookie Company HQ. Jenny began baking when she was tall enough to see into the oven - maybe 4 or 5. Her family had a cottage near Cape Cod where they spent every summer. Two sisters living in the cottage across the lane taught Jenny and her brothers to bake cookies - specifically Oatmeal Raisin cookies - early on and never said no when they arrived at the door requesting a baking session. Jenny's mom was an avid baker as well, so she was always surrounded by the most delicious cakes, cookies and treats.

Do you remember the first thing you ever baked, or what became your signature dish?

 Elaine often 'baked' special treats with leftover bits of dough her Mom gave her on baking days in Cork. We don't have a signature dish, per se, but a few of our cookies and doughs have won awards lately. Specifically the Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwich (Great Taste gold star 2015), Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie (Blas na Heirann finalist 2015) and White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookie Dough (Great Taste gold star 2016). Outside of the cookie world, Jenny bakes a mean mint chocolate brownie.

What influences your baking?

Our recipes here at The Dublin Cookie Co are influenced by Jenny's American roots, Elaine's love of fresh Irish produce and the availability of seasonal products. We also listen to our customers and try out some of their suggestions. We've had some amazing people through the bakery on work experience who's ideas and creations have contributed hugely to our menus. Finally, we love to take food trends from other categories and recreate them in cookie form. It's so fun to be innovative and try new ideas like Banoffee Cookie Sandwiches and a Terry's Chocolate Orange Cookie.

Take us through a regular day for you both (location here) 

We arrive at the shop around 7 or 7:30, bake a round of the day's cookies and open up at 8 AM. Our mornings are spent chatting with our regular customers while fixing their usual coffees for them. Elaine generally has a project in the office on the go while Jenny is either mixing dough for the shop or retail deliveries, replenishing the counter or - on the best days - trying out a new cookie. We finally close the doors at 6 PM, clean up and prep for the following day. Our days are very long, but as we always say - our worst day in our own shop is still better than the best day anywhere else we've worked!

Where do you get inspiration for your recipes?

From all over! Restaurant menus, the fresh fruit/veg aisle at the grocery store, Jenny's grandmother's old cookbooks, Dublin itself! When we attend festivals, we try to create cookies to go along with the theme of the festival - summertime foodie festivals might inspire a line of summer cocktail cookies. A BBQ festival favourite is our Candied Bacon & Chocolate Chip cookie. We sped a lot of time at craft drink festivals and have had lots of fun collaborating with brewers and distillers on boozy cookies. We even tried a cookie with Citra hops!

If you were a baked good, what one would you be?

Elaine would be a classic shortbread - never out of style, neat, traditional, goes with loads! Jenny might be an Eton Mess - smooth and crunchy, messy and sweet.

What advice would you give to a) newbie bakers and b) established bakers?

Even if it isn't in the classic baking cookbooks, give it a try! And then try again. Baking is such a temperamental art. A recipe could turn out perfectly one day and and flop the next. Pay attention to the quality of your ingredients and use the best you can afford. Be palyful. Never overmix! 

For your last meal, what would you have?

Most likely something with duck, new Irish potatoes and a crunchy green salad. And of course cookies for dessert. Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwich for Elaine and Dark Chocolate Shortbread for Jenny. Yummy!

You can keep up to date with the girls on Instagram (@dublin_cookie_co) and Twitter (@dublincookieoc) or visit their site https://www.thedublincookieco.com