This is the final week for the July theme of Favorites. And this week I’m pulling out the big guns.
The department favorite.
Drum roll, please.
No, I don’t know why I typed that because it’s in the blog title.
Of course the perfect cookie to round out Favorites month is the Jalapeño Chocolate Chip Cookie.
I’ve already pulled my butter out to rest at room temperature and next I will be rehydrating the dried jalapeño pieces. Because I don’t know about you, but I have serious reservations for purchasing raw salad stuff this month.
You know why.
I’m going to do the mis en place work so I can just bake in the morning.
I have 2 things to bake.
The first is the jalapeño chocolate chip cookies for the OR but the second is the make for the hospital awards that I am still in charge of, but the ending is in sight.
The big thing with the Daisy Award is to have Cinnabon cinnamon rolls at the ceremony. This is because it was what Patrick Barnes was interested in eating in his final days and he asked his family to bring in enough for the nurses. After his death, his family set up the Daisy Award to recognize outstanding nurses. I could go on, I’ve given the speech about the award enough times.
However, the local Cinnabon shop closed down a couple of years ago. This left us in a quandary. Ever since I have either been making cinnamon rolls, buying cinnamon rolls, or making treats that evoke cinnamon rolls. Quarter 1 2026 awards ceremony, I made a stunning cinnamon roll shortbread.
But I don’t like to repeat myself.
By now you should know, I collect recipes. Not all recipes; just the ones that catch my eye. That is what I am making for Quarter 2 2026 awards ceremony.
You’ve had garlic bread? It was one of the first things I learned to bake. French bread, butter, garlic salt/garlic powder. Spread the mixture on a halved loaf of French bread and bake until browned. But what if it was cinnamon toast flavored instead?
Brown sugar, cinnamon butter on ciabatta. Bake until the edges are golden brown and then cut up to serve to the nominees and winners. I plan to use ciabatta because it was the only loaf that was the right size/shape when I was at the store.
Well, in theory.
I think it will be a winner.
***time lapse***
It is now Thursday afternoon and the awards ceremony went off without a hitch. I have been involving my newish co-chair in the details and the ceremony and the choosing of the flowers.
I struggled a bit to describe the cinnamon make for the awards ceremony. I said garlic bread, but make it cinnamon sugar toast and most people got it.
However you explain it, the make was yummy.
I have notes. Of course, I have notes, have you met me?
The first note is that the cheaper bread from the grocery store bakery would be better. The spreading of the cinnamon/brown sugar/butter mixture went well and it baked well. But when it came time to add the glaze, the little pockets on the ciabatta swallowed every bit of it. That meant there was no visible glaze after I spread on the glaze. And the bread was squishier and harder to cut.
It tasted great and people went back for seconds. Which is good because it made A LOT. 2 entire 8×12 containers, with lids. Both containers were half full at the end. I gave one to my friend to give to her family and I took the other to the OR along with the jalapeno
After the ceremony, I dropped off the cinnamon French bread container and the jalapeño chocolate chip cookies make for the week. No word yet on how they were received. I’ll drop by tomorrow and pick up the containers. I did leave a sign that said Cinnamon French Bread but who knows if anyone opened the container.
Mystery to be solved later!
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 