For as long as she can remember, Shannon Melde has loved to bake.
“I specifically remember this ‘wacky cake’ recipe from a baking kit I had as a young child, and I made it constantly,” Melde says, adding that she also has fond memories of spending time in the kitchen with her mom, who she describes as an amazing baker.
“After that, I remember just wanting to create all kinds of baked goods,” she says.
While a brief stint in culinary school didn’t work out as planned, Melde didn’t let it stop her from pursuing her goal of being a professional baker.
“I am a culinary school dropout, but baking was my absolute favorite course,” she says.
Melde continued to be serious about her passion for baking—especially a chocolate chip cookie recipe that consistently got rave reviews from family and friends.
“People always said I should open up a bakery, but I always laughed it off. After marriage and kids and life settled down a bit, I got the idea to open my home bakery,” she shares.
Melde fulfilled her dream in August 2021 when she opened Sugar and Chip AZ, a made-to-order gourmet cookie bakery that she runs out of her East Valley home.
“I decided to focus on cookies because they are my favorite to make. They are easy to ship and it’s fun to create new flavors,” she says.
Currently, Melde is a “one-woman show” at her home-based business, adeptly handling all the baking, order processing, and shipping on her own.
“I offer curbside pickup and ship within the entire state of Arizona,” she says. “I hope to have my own brick-and-mortar bakery one day, and my dream is to become the next Mrs. Fields!”
Melde offers a variety of flavors at Sugar and Chip AZ, including classic chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, vanilla bean confetti, peanut butter, rocky road, and pineapple upside-down cake.
“Chocolate chip and snickerdoodle are especially popular with customers,” she shares.
To help home bakers create cookies that turn out great every time, Melde offers seven helpful tips:
· Start with the best quality ingredients. “It really does make a difference,” she explains.
· Make sure the eggs and butter are at room temperature before starting to make the dough. “This will make the dough easier to blend, as well as making it more smooth,” she notes.
· If possible, chill your dough for a few hours to overnight. “This helps the flavor develop and prevents the dough from spreading while in the oven,” Melde says.
· Don't overmix your dough! “Overmixing will create tough cookies,” she explains.
· If possible, use a scale to weigh the ingredients. “This step will help make the recipe come out consistent,” she notes.
· Make sure the cookies have enough room on the cookie sheet. “Avoiding overcrowding will allow the heat to surround the cookies evenly, which in turn leads to better baking,” Melde says.
· Sift your dry ingredients before mixing. “This will get rid of lumps and create a smoother dough,” she says.
“You don’t need formal training to be an excellent baker,” Melde shares. “By buying the best ingredients you can and following these tips, you can bake incredible cookies that your friends and family will be sure to love.”
SugarAndChipAZ.com
Pumpkin Cookies With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients:
3 sticks softened/room-temp unsalted butter (1½ cups)
1¼ cups dark brown sugar (10 oz)
1¼ cups sugar (10 oz)
2 tsp vanilla, divided
3 large eggs
1 can pumpkin puree (15-oz can)
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
6 cups flour (3 lbs)
Directions:
Combine softened butter and both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat again until well-combined. Add pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, remaining vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Beat again until well-combined. Add flour slowly, about 2 cups at a time. Beat only until flour has disappeared. Don’t overmix. Use a spatula, and by hand, mix the dough just a few times to make sure everything is combined. Put dough in a fridge-safe container and cover. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Dough may be too hard to scoop right out of the fridge. If so, let it sit out on the counter for a bit until it's scoopable. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use parchment paper or Silpat on your cookie sheets to prevent sticking. Scoop using a 30-milliliter (2-tablespoon) cookie scoop. Scoop out 12 cookies onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or Silpat. Bake about 14 minutes, depending on your oven. Take them right off the tray and onto a cooling rack. Cool.
Makes between 4 to 6 dozen cookies
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
8 oz softened cream cheese
¾ stick softened unsalted butter
Pinch salt
1½ cups powdered sugar
3-6 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Whip cream cheese and butter together until well-combined. Add a pinch salt. Add 1½ cups powdered sugar, using more or less as needed, slowly, a little at a time. Add milk intermittently, 3 to 6 tablespoons, more or less as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, alternating with the milk. Beat until it's a spreadable consistency. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Beat until well-combined. As soon as the cookies are cool, ice them or dunk them. They are good either way!