By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
It’s that time when holiday cookies are on everyone’s mind.
For Paula Murtha, cookies are a year-round obsession. She made that obsession an occupation when she established “My Cookie Friend,” a business that provides custom-made cookies and other treats.
Paula Murtha
A Korean adoptee of white parents, Murtha has loved baking all of her life. She has been decorating her baked goods, she told us, for over 25 years. After a career in the U.S. Air Force, Murtha attended pastry school for two years and received a pastry certificate. In addition to making cookies with her signature brown sugar recipe and a printer to make custom designs, Murtha enjoys teaching classes. She loves helping her neighbors realize how easy and accessible making cookies works of art can be, and giving people the confidence to continue on their own. Two of the students that Murtha has taught have gone on to create their own businesses.
After the purchase of a cookie design printer, Murtha’s husband, Mike, suggested she go into business. Yes, she needed to justify her “toy,” Murtha joked, yet also she just loves making cookies. She acquired her cottage baker license, so that she could hold classes at her home.
“I’ve always taught friends. It’s just more formalized now,” Murtha said. A full-time mom, including this year an exchange student from Japan, Murtha intentionally keeps her orders on the low side, about four to six orders per month. She never wants to get caught up in the business so far that she loses her joy for the craft. She prefers receiving jobs by referral.
Murtha and her family live in Lakewood, near Steilacoom and Gravelly Lakes. She especially enjoys decorating the house for the winter holidays. Growing up, she told us, her adoptive family didn’t have a lot. Murtha remembers helping a friend clean houses, and seeing a beautiful Christmas tree. At home, it was more of an economical holiday, with tinsel from the box and nothing matching.
“I didn’t even know there was such a thing as matching, or a color scheme,” Murtha said. She decided that, for her family, the holidays would be a thing. Being able to do something special for the winter holidays every year for her kids means the world to her. She starts decorating as soon as possible. As an adoptee, she is still learning about her natural parents’ culture and hasn’t adopted many Korean seasonal habits as of yet. Instead, this is her personal holiday tradition.
One of the big things Murtha and her family like to do every Christmas is make a candy house. “The kids go pick out the candy in bulk…it’s a fun thing,” she said. Sometimes they take part in the Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park, and/or simply drive around to look at other houses and the holiday decorations their neighbors have put up outside. And of course, Murtha makes cookies.
Murtha uses a delicious brown sugar cookie recipe. It doesn’t taste like a run-of-the-mill sugar cookie. Instead, it tastes like a chocolate chip cookie without the chips. She adds a little corn starch to help the cookies keep their shape and cut cleanly. For her icing and her batter, there are no artificial ingredients. She also makes custom s’mores in the spring and summer, with the design printed on the giant marshmallows; caramel chocolate pretzel rods; Ghiradelli-chocolate-dipped Oreos; and brown butter Rice Krispie treats. Everything is wrapped lovingly and professionally.Murtha was kind enough to share her batter and frosting recipes with us. Enjoy!
Vanilla brown sugar cookies
Yield: Approximately 3 dozen 3″ cookies
- 1 cup butter (slightly softened)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and both sugars together. Add the eggs and the extract and mix thoroughly. Add the salt and baking powder and again with the mixing of the dough.
Add only 3 cups of flour to begin with. Then add additional flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticky and holds together.
Roll dough between parchment paper at 5/16″. Cut shapes and bake for 10-12 minutes. Less if you roll dough thinner.
Royal icing
Yield: Approximately 5 cups
Ingredients
- 2 pound bag confectioner’s sugar
- 1/3 cup meringue powder
- 2 tbsp corn syrup
- 1 tbsp clear vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2-3/4 cup warm water
Instructions
Whisk meringue powder, extract, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water until foamy.
Add powdered sugar; mix on low until combined.
Increase speed to medium and mix 2-4 minutes until icing is thick and fluffy.
My Cookie Friend is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mycookiefriend, or to inquire about orders or classes, contact Murtha by email at: mycookiefriend@gmail.com.
Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.
Leave a Reply