Category: Miscellaneous Thoughts

National Cookie Day

Saturday is National Cookie Day, and we thought we’d celebrate with our favorite cookie pairings! We are proud to offer a variety of flavors, including gluten-free and vegan options! For those who can’t get enough chocolate, we also offer chocolate dipped cookies. Yes, that’s right. Cookies covered in rich, velvety Guittard chocolate. The best part: you can get all of these in a half- or baker’s-dozen!

If you’re wondering which cookies go best together, these are our favorite pairings. You can’t go wrong either way, but why not give you a little friendly advice?

Snickerdoodle and Ginger Spice

This is the ultimate holiday pairing – what’s more Christmas-y than cinnamon and ginger? They’re practically the hallmarks of winter.

Mint Condition and Dr. Midnight

Mint is a strong flavor, so don’t fight the taste. Instead, match its chocolate with even more chocolate to bring out the green mint chips in full force.

Cahootz and Almond Joe

Both Cahootz and Almond Joe have hints of coconut. And coconut mixed with both macadamia nuts and toasted almonds? A chef is kissing their fingers right now.

Chocolate-Dipped Lemon Drop and Chocolate Chip

Our Lemon Drops have a strong flavor that tastes delicious when dipped in chocolate, so pair them with Chocolate Chip. Buttery goodness complements the sugary bite, while chocolate chips and chocolate dips mingle with lemon – without fighting for dominance.

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Raisin

We know it sounds weird, but salty peanut butter actually tastes delicious with sweet raisins. And oatmeal tastes good with everything, so the combination is extremely flavorful without clashing.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and chocolate-dipped Chocolate Chip with Walnuts

Of course the chocolate chips go together, and peanut-butter-walnut-mixes are a healthy source of energy that won’t cause a carb crash.

Vegan Chocolate Chip and Vegan Oatmeal Raisin

We occasionally offer Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, so pair our Vegan Chocolate Chip with our Vegan Oatmeal Raisin for that sweet bite minus the animal products.

Chocolate-dipped Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip with Gluten-Free Double Chocolate

If you can’t have gluten, our Chocolate Chip dipped in chocolate will deceive you. And paired with our chewy Double Chocolate, the combo will taste and feel like a fudge brownie.

What are your favorite cookies to pair together? Share your favorite combinations in the comments!

Happy National Small Business Day!

We love celebrating Santa Cruz-based companies, so in honor of National Small Business Day, we thought we’d share our favorite products from Toque Blanche. They sell some of the best cooking and baking products in Santa Cruz!

Filled with goodies to make every chef a pro, Toque has carried on despite the struggle COVID brought to our local businesses. The least we can do is lift them up! These are our favorite items that will up your baking game.

Wood Handle Whisk

While many people love metal whisks, we know that for some, nothing can replace a wood handle. This whisk uses lacquered birch hardwood for the handle and stainless steel wires. Best part: it’s dishwasher safe.

Wood Handle Whisk, $9.99
Bread Loaf Baker

Bread-making doesn’t have to be stressful with this bread loaf baker! Throw your dough into this loaf pan and then place it in the oven. It will crisp up the edges while keeping your insides soft thanks to the refractory ceramic and domed lid managing humidity; holes on the bottom and top guarantee the perfect crust.

Emile Henry Bread Loaf Baker, Linen, $99.99
Cookie Sheet

What makes this cookie sheet so unique: it’s topped with a nonstick Americoat, a type of silicone coating that makes it easier to peel cookies off – minus the middles sticking to the sheet. Clean-up is also easy: just wash gently with a sponge and dish soap.

Cookie Sheet, $18.99
Stainless Steel Scoop

We’ve written about why cookie scoops are so important (like, a bunch of times), and Toque Blanche sells the perfectly-sized scoop for your perfect cookies. You’ll no longer have to worry about uneven burning and mushy insides.

Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop, $19.99
Digital Scale

Scales are better than measuring cups and spoons because they’re the most accurate. And, with baking, accuracy is crucial – too much flour and you’ll have crumbly dough, too little and it will be runny. (We wrote about these issues before!) This scale is highly rated and will measure your ingredients to the gram, so you’ll never have issues with dough again.

Escali Primo Digital Scale, $34.99
Springform Pan

If you’re baking a cake of any sort, a springform pan should be your best friend. This one is made of carbon steel and can withstand 390ªF. Its nonstick coating is perfect for cakes that require a light touch. The spring opens with a simple flip of a latch, but it’s tight enough to avoid seeping out while in the oven.

Mrs. Anderson’s Nonstick Springform Pan, $13.99
White Marble Rolling Pin

Marble is porous, meaning it withstands the cold better by absorbing heat: perfect when you’re mixing cold ingredients into a recipe, like cold butter into flour. It’s simple to clean – just wipe it down and stick it on its stand, making it a fab décor item in your kitchen.

Endurance White Marble Rolling Pin, $24.99
Mix-n-Measure 2-Cup

We love this mix-in-measure cup. Sure, you can use a scale for grams, then translate it to ounces; teaspoons into tablespoons; or tablespoons into cups. But this cup makes it way easier by having marks for every measurement, taking the guesswork out of baking. No more googling like a mad chef – it’s all in this two-cup glass.

Kolder Glass Mix-in-Measure, 2 Cup, $7.99

Toque Blanche doesn’t just sell amazing bakeware – they also sell amazing kitchen tools, like cutting boards, crepe makers, herb strippers, and more. But we had to rave about the tools that will make your baking life easier.

Have you shopped at Toque Blanche? What’s your favorite cookware and bakeware? Let us know below!

2020

2020

2020 was a challenging year to say the least. From the coronavirus pandemic, to the devastating California wildfires, 2020 kept throwing obstacles. While so much transpired, we wanted to take a moment, reflect, and share important highlights of 2020.

March

On March 17th, 2020, Santa Cruz County was placed under a Shelter in Place order in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Several businesses were forced to close their doors to the public, restaurants were only allowed to serve to-go orders, and toilet paper was nearly impossible to find. There were so many unknowns at the time, but we watched as our world began to adapt to a new “normal”.

Luckily, we were able to keep our ovens on and serve to-go orders. Social distancing was implemented and all public surfaces were sanitized hourly to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

April

In response to the Santa Cruz County Shelter in Place order, Ride Out The Wave was launched in an effort to support our local businesses. It’s basically a directory for purchasing gift cards to Santa Cruz County businesses. Gift cards to participating businesses are available for purchase online and can be sent directly to the recipient (or to yourself). Purchasing gift cards may seem small, but it is such a great way to help small businesses!

June

On June 19th, we joined bakers all across the country for a virtual bake sale with Bakers Against Racism. Bakers Against Racism is an organization that has brought THOUSANDS of bakers together to put an end to racial inequality.

This virtual bake sale raised nearly $2 million for social justice causes worldwide! Proceeds from our bake sale were donated to The Color of Change: an organization that challenges injustice and advances solutions for racial justice.

Graphic owned by Rob Rubba and Bakers Against Racism

August

We reached quite the milestone in August: our 40th Anniversary! While we wish we could have a big party to celebrate, we shared some throwback photos on social media and celebrated with you virtually! Here are some sweet comments:

  • “My favorite stop downtown! When I was little I would save my quarter to get a cookie and milk after ballet class!” – Cayce Ellison
  • “Congrats to Pacific Cookie Company for creating a vision that would become part of Santa Cruz history!” – Michele Trgovac
  • “We love you so much! Your family is such a special part of the fabric of our downtown and our Santa Cruz community! So grateful for you!” – Dell Williams Jewelers (this may or may not have made me ugly cry like Kim Kardashian)

Pacific Cookie Company, December 1980

September

Our Santa Cruz mountains were devastated by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire which burned over 86,000 acres during August and September. Thousands were evacuated from their homes and nearly 1,500 structures were destroyed.

While several businesses were suffering from effects of the coronavirus pandemic, our community rallied together in response to this tragedy. We, alongside numerous Santa Cruz businesses, held fundraisers to support those affected. It only made sense to title our campaign, “We Love Santa Cruz” and donate proceeds of our “Surf City Sweets Tower” to local fire relief funds. In just one week, we sold out of our towers and raised $5,000!

Surf City Sweets Cookie Gift Tower

December

The holidays are particularly a busy time for us (we have learned that cookies and Christmas go quite well together). We always have so much fun being little elves and putting together your orders!

Since families did not gather this year due to the pandemic, many of you decided to send cookies to your loved ones…and your support did not go unnoticed! We are SO grateful for every single order. Our only wish was to be able to add a smile to your loved ones’ face on what may have been a difficult holiday.

Simple Wishes Cookie Gift Box

2021

As we start the new year, we can only hope for a brighter 2021. Thank you for supporting our bakery during a difficult year. The shop local movement has kept us going and we ask that you continue to support your local bakeries, restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, grocery markets, and other small businesses. There are still many hurdles to jump over, but what we have learned is that our community is resilient. Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is this week, and we at Pacific Cookie Company believe in practicing gratitude. Not just now, but always.

However, the winter can be hard for some people. Cold weather, darkened days, rain season—it’s all a huge change from the cheer that comes from summer. So, it’s important now to tap into the positivity that the holidays bring and stay mindful. Needing some ideas on how to practice gratitude? Here are some ideas!

1. Keep a gratitude journal, and write in it every day. It can be one word, three paragraphs—whatever you’re feeling that day. No matter how minor the occurrence or small the object, it’s worth writing down.

2. Thank those in your life. Thank colleagues for their help through difficult tasks; thank family for being kind and consistent; thank the janitor for all of their after-hours work; thank friends for always listening. You’ll pass along positivity to those in your life, and that joy will come back around.

3. Reach out those you love but don’t speak with often. How are your grandparents? When was the last time you called them just to catch up? Make their day and make the call. Try to talk about a variety of subjects, or ask about stories from their childhoods. They’ll love to bond with you and form a deeper connection.

4. Share little treats. Whether you’re making food for the homeless shelter, donating leashes and collars to the SPCA, or adopting a family for the holidays, share some joy. It doesn’t have to cost a thing—bake cookies or paint giftbags, for example. You can also partner up with friends and family for a cause and donate your time and efforts together.

5. Set an alarm for every other hour, then focus on grounding yourself with positive affirmations for 30 seconds when it rings. It doesn’t sound like much time, but bringing your attention to the good can be helpful in our overwhelming season. Think about your dog, your volunteer work, the upcoming holidays, family—whatever brings you back to the now.

We hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving. From all of us, stay safe, and stay grateful!