Category: Announcements

National Cookie Day

Celebrating National Cookie Day: 5 Utensils for Your Best Cookies

Today is National Cookie Day—an appropriate holiday to start the gift-giving season!

Here at Pacific Cookie Company, we’re preparing our ovens for overtime. Though 2020 has been strange, to say the least, one thing remains true: cookies are one of the best sweets for the holidays!

Wondering what you need to start? Below, you’ll find some important utensils you’ll need to create your best cookies yet. Have a baker in your life? These gifts just might nudge them to make an extra batch… but we didn’t say that.

1. Cookie Scoops

Wanting that perfect bite? A cookie scoop will help you out! Differently-sized dough balls may bake irregularly, giving you an uneven batch. With cookie scoops, you’re guaranteeing a satisfying outside crunch and gooey middle in ALL of your cookies.

2. Food Scale

As Sally’s Baking Addiction puts it: “an ounce is always an ounce. A cup is NOT always a cup.” For the most precise measurements, put your ingredients on the scale; nothing will be as accurate. Plus, you can reuse your utensils—no need for three different measuring spoons when you can use the same bowl to measure your ingredients.

3. Cookie Cutters

We’ve all seen those #CookieFails: people make dough into custom shapes… only for the dough to expand and turn into an unrecognizable shape. (Still delicious, but not a snowman like they’d hoped!) Invest in cookie cutters if you’re wanting to branch out from circles, rather than free-handing it—the sharp edges will keep your dough in shape from pre- to post-bake.

4. Spatula

Sounds obvious to have in the kitchen, but when do you use spatulas for cookies? Well, there are lots of times. After mixing ingredients, use a spatula to get every bit of dough out from the bowl. It’s also necessary for folding in ingredients, like chocolate chips and sprinkles. And, most importantly: tasting the excess dough!

5. Cooling Racks

We won’t blame you if you snag a few cookies right off the sheet. But cookies need adequate cooling to avoid melting in the bottom, creating a still-delicious-but-sopping-mess cookie. These will raise them up and allow for good air circulation—bringing them to the perfect consistency.

We hope you have a good time baking on National Cookie Day. And, hey, if you’re not just feeling it, you’re welcome to stop by our store or order online! We’re here for you this holiday season.

International Day of Disabled Persons

Today is International Day of Disabled Persons As someone with a plethora of disorders and diseases, I am beyond grateful that there is a day that brings awareness to us, that celebrates us, that empowers us.

One question I receive often: how do I support someone with a disability? What can I say? What can I do? How can I help?

Luckily, there are many ways to be of service to your differently-abled friends. Read on below for some ways you can talk through and support your friends and family—no acrobats required.

1. If you want to go somewhere, and your friends has accessibility needs, find a place that allows them to be comfortable there. For example, if there aren’t any ramps, and your friend can’t climb up steps, it’s a no-go. Ask what they need in advance, then accommodate.

2. Offer to help with chores that are difficult. Sometimes, people with disabilities are embarrassed (or, in my case, too stubborn!) to ask for help. So, gently provide your services. For me, I sometimes need help with cooking dinner, so I am always grateful when a friend or family member comes over and helps me with food on difficult days. Your friends and family will be thankful.

3. Listen. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is hear someone out. Don’t attempt to minimize their feelings or offer advice unless they specifically ask for it. Being differently-abled is difficult in a world where stigma is attached to it. Being a safe space for your friend to vent their frustrations, anxieties, sadness, and any other emotions will help them to process.

4. Address injustice or insults, even when your friend isn’t around. If you’re with somebody who has a disability, and you see or hear someone talking down to them, say something. While people certainly can stand up for themselves, it’s nice to feel that someone is in their corner.

If your friend isn’t around, it’s still important to address these people. They may continue with the bullying behavior, but they’ll have at least had someone point out their ignorance.

There are many ways to help out, but if you’re unsure, just ask your friend or family member. You can’t know what they need if you don’t ask! Be gentle, be kind, and treat them with dignity. They’ll be happy to have an ally.

Meet Our Newest Blogger!

Hello everyone! My name is Tess, and I am a HUGE Pacific Cookie Company fan. I’m a local Santa Cruz musician, but I also enjoy writing—mostly about food, and especially about cookies.

I’ve said it before: I can barely stop myself from entering the store on Pacific Avenue whenever I smell fresh cookies down the street. They’ve been icons in Santa Cruz for the past forty years for a reason. Take a bite into one of their cookies, and you’ll be hooked for life.

My first Pacific Cookie Company taste-tests were when I was a little girl. My parents would run around Santa Cruz for work, and they’d often stop and grab some fresh cookies prior to picking me up from school, or dance, or swim. It became a routine, a ritual: congrats, kid, you made it through the day, so eat a cookie.

Eventually, I moved away for college and work, and I had to leave the cute little shop and delicious cookies that had become a part of my sweet tooth. But six years later, I have returned to Santa Cruz—and the trips to Pacific Cookie Company have resumed once again!

I am so excited to join the team and contribute to their blog. The Pearsons are absolutely fantastic, and they clearly know what they’re doing in the kitchen. Here’s to much more taste-testing in the (very, very, very near) future.

Check in for recipes, baking tips, and other fun/informative articles on a weekly basis! I’m here to educate and amuse those who are as invested in cookie culture as I am.

Stay sweet,

Tess

Happy Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

Hip hip hooray! It’s National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! We aren’t sure where we would be without this classic cookie, but we are here to celebrate! It continues to be our most popular flavor and we can understand why. There is something so nostalgic about this cookie. Whether it reminds you of making your first batch as a kid, or perhaps picking up a warm cookie from our downtown bakery, you really can never go wrong with Chocolate Chip.

  • Our Chocolate Chip cookies are made with the finest ingredients, including Giustos Flour,
    Guittard semi-sweet chocolate and pure vanilla extract.

The History of the Chocolate Chip Cookie

The Chocolate Chip cookie was invented in the 1930’s by a woman named Ruth Wakefield. While on vacation, Ruth was brainstorming a cookie idea that involved adding chocolate squares into a “blond batter.” She broke up a chocolate bar into small pieces and to her surprise, the chocolate did not melt into the dough! It makes us wonder if the creation of the Chocolate Chip cookie was accidental, but regardless, we can’t thank Ruth enough!

Order Online Today!

To celebrate this special day, we are offering our customers $5 off our Chocolate Chip Cookies by the Dozen Gift Box! Use code CHOCOLATECHIP during checkout to redeem this offer. Offer is valid through this Friday, May 17th!

While we have some fun variations (Almond Joe – a chocolate chip cookie with a tantalizing medley of toasted almonds and coconut, Chocolate Chip Walnut – a popular variation on the All-American classic with fresh California Walnuts, Dark Chocolate Cranberry – a sweet and tart variation with dark chocolate chips and dried cranberries, Cahootz – a white chocolate chip cookie with macadamia nuts and a hint of coconut), we appreciate the simplicity of a Chocolate Chip Cookie – the epitome of all cookies!