A Glimpse of Glam

Hey everyone!

All us Starbucks lovers got our own special order, whether it is simple or super long and complicated.  My current favorite drink is a chai tea misto made with coconut milk. As a Starbucks barista, I have started to develop a special drink on the complicated side. It's hard not to have a specific taste once you know what you are actually making and what all the options are.

Working at Starbucks got it's perks like getting free drinks. And hey, I gotta take advantage of that, right? I usually order a big huge venti size of my usual, and have three tea bags because I love it stronger than usual. Venti teas usually get two tea bags as standard, but I like the strong tea flavor. I like letting it steep longer as well. I also prefer having the tea bags over the chai sauce because I find that the bags add a flavor that is deeper. Plus, there is less sugar and preservatives in it. I like to try and stay as healthy as I can while indulging in good food that still satisfies me. This drink definitely hits the spot.

For all you out there who love Starbucks, but want drinks with less calories, less sugar, less artificial ingredients, this is a great option! It is a great alternative to those chai lattes that everyone has a love/hate relationship with. As in love to drink, hate to burn off. It's gluten free, dairy free, and delicious. 

Okay, okay, fine. Maybe it isn't that juicy of a secret, but yeah. I love cinnamon. Got it? Got it.

The one thing I DEFINITELY recommend is to MAKE SURE YOUR EGGS ARE ROOM TEMPERATURE! This is a very important step. VERY IMPORTANT! VERY IMPORTANT! This is what makes the cookies super chewy and gooey and yummy. If not, your cookies will end up as dense, rich fudgy blobs, which isn't bad, but that isn't what we're going for here.

Let the eggs sit in warm water to easily make it room temperature. You only need 3 egg whites, but there are 6 in this picture because I was baking two batches.

If you let your eggs sit in warm water for awhile, they will be at just the right temperature when it is time to add the eggs into the mixture.

3 cups confectioner's sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder

1 tbs cornstarch

1/3 tsp salt

dash of cinnamon

3 egg whites at room temp

1 tbs vanilla extract

2 oz melted chocolate

2/3 cup chocolate chips 

1/2 cup walnut pieces

salt for sprinkling on top

Whisk together confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon

Add in egg whites, first add in two then add in the third after you have begun mixing (you may not need the entire third egg white!)

Mix in the egg whites and while everything slowly starts incorporating together, add in vanilla extract, melted chocolate, chocolate chips and walnut pieces 

Continue mixing, the dough will start to come together and become very stiff and thick in consistency

(it should resemble brownie dough)

Drop onto parchment paper and shape into circles of choice (they won't spread much in the oven unless the egg whites were too warm; also, I used large tablespoon scoop amounts, but it is all up to you)

Sprinkle on a bit of salt on top

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then check and bake for another 1-2 minutes until the tops are glossy and crackling like brownies

Let cook completely before removing from the tray because they are very fragile

Makes 16 cookies

And those cookies are just that easy to make! Give them a try! They are super dark chocolate-y and chewy and yummy. If you take one bite, you may not want to stop. Those 16 cookies do not necessarily have to be shared, if you don't want to.

Who needs to waste money on Starbucks cookies when you can make them yourself for way cheaper?



Til next time
~A