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Chef’s Blog: Kidding around with Cookies

by Nick Benninger | October 2024

I’m many things, including a few surprises. I’m a chef, a proud girl dad, a TV host, a novice writer, and even a super heavyweight amateur boxer. One thing I think would surprise you is that I’m a goat yoga guy! While it might be a “stretch” to call me that, I have done it and had way more fun than I thought I would. I think that’s a common occurrence at Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life

Chef Nick Benninger coxing a pygmy goat onto the back of Cheryl Haskett at Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life.
“Kidding’ around with the pygmy goats and Cheryl Haskett – owner of Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life in Bright.

When I first met owner Cheryl Haskett, it was in my capacity as a chef and restaurateur, running multiple restaurants with a reputation for supporting local makers and growers. She had reached out, hoping for an audience with me to share her new line of frozen treats, Udderly Ridiculous Goat’s Milk Ice Cream. Always keen to meet new folks in the local culinary world, I agreed to meet her with cautious optimism. I say “cautious optimism” because I’m a kid when it comes to eating ice cream, and goat milk ice cream seemed a little too adult for my taste. Nonetheless, we met in the morning before the restaurant opened, had a lovely chat, and I instantly knew Cheryl was going to be a force. As promised, Cheryl left me with a full spectrum of samples. Kindly, she didn’t have me try them in her presence, something I thought was a blessing at the time because I’m not good at feigning delight. I brought those samples home, and after dinner, we all dug in. Well, I was floored—it was great ice cream! Not only were the flavors divine—think craft beer and coffee, lemon cream, and lavender vanilla—but the way the characteristics of the goat’s milk intertwined and enhanced the ingredients was exceptional. Cheryl and her team at Udderly were not kidding around. 

Now, just five years later, I can confirm Cheryl is indeed a force on the local scene, specifically in experiential culinary and agricultural tourism. The “Farm Life” experiences at Udderly Ridiculous have won countless awards, welcomed thousands of visitors to the region, and have been exemplary ambassadors in doing so. Cheryl mentors other up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the world of experiential tourism, myself included. Her knowledge, fearlessness, and stewardship are boundless—like the springy jump of a pygmy goat! 

Chef Nick Benninger and the owner of Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life, Cheryl Haskett, in the field with Muriel the mini Highland Cow
Muriel – the mini Highland Cow

Udderly Ridiculous may have started out as a goat dairy and ice cream maker, but it’s become so much more since its inception. For starters, Cheryl’s father-in-law’s quonset hut, which once stored implements needed for a working farm, is now a market store boasting over 100 local products—from maple syrup to chips, pepperettes, nuts, eggs, dairy, and more. They’ve got the best of Ontario under that curved roof. 

Once you’ve satisfied your pantry needs in the shop, check out the alpacas, mini goats, Highland cattle, mini “melt-my-heart” Highland cattle, and new this year, glamping! Yes, they have a very nice RV on-site, and you can experience everything from goat yoga to gourmet treats, alpaca socials, and time spent with my bestie, Muriel the mini Highland. Oh, and while it might seem mundane after listing all those animals, they also have the best boy ever in Aspen, who acts as the farm greeter and is the goodest dog around. 

The fun doesn’t stop when you leave the farm—bring home some ice cream and check out my recipe below for some outstanding ice cream cookies! Whether visiting from afar or being a tourist in your own backyard, The Farm Life at Udderly Ridiculous is sure to leave a lasting impression. 

Below are two excellent cookie recipes, these recipes both produce exceptional results, so make extra, because as good as the idea of ice cream sandwiches are, you will be snacking! Also, these recipes store in the freezer without consequence, so I recommend making a big batch, getting all the way to the slice the cookie but still raw stage, and freezing them at this point. That way, you are mere minutes away from cookie nirvana at any given time!

Once you have the cookies baked and cooled, it’s pretty easy to sort the next step, make ice cream sandwiches. I designed this recipe to combine the lavender vanilla with the lemon shortbread cookies, and the red wine chocolate ice cream with the double dark chocolate cookies. But I’ll be honest, we mixed and matched and found no wrong answers, so enjoy without limitations!  

Sugar Cookies  

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature 
  • ½ cup granulated sugar 
  • ¼ cup icing sugar 
  • 1 large egg room temperature 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or extract of your choice 
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Glaze 

  • Lemon juice  
  • Icing sugar  

Instructions 

-Whisk the flour and cornstarch together and set aside.   

-In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.   

-Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and continue mixing on low for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is well incorporated.     

-Add the remaining dry ingredients all at once, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together and no dry flour remains. Be careful not to overmix.     

-Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper, working with your hands roll it into a cylindrical shape 2” wide, roll it tightly, twist the ends to seal it and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. 

-Pre heat oven to 350*f 

-Cut cookie log into ⅓” coins, arrange on a baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, remove and cool.   

-to glaze, mix lemon juice with icing sugar just enough to create a think and smooth glaze, dip the cooled cookies face side down and set back down to dry 

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies  

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder  
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda  
  • ¾ teaspoon salt 
  • 10 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature 
  • ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar 
  • ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 1 teaspoon honey  
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature 
  • 7 oz dark chocolate chips 

Method 

-Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. 

-Combine softened butter with both sugars and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat or “cream” using the paddle tool, mixing vigorously until smooth and slightly fluffed. It should look like damp sand, add the honey and mix, then add the egg and mix until well incorporated. 

-Add flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once and mix on low until most of the flour is absorbed. 

 -Before fully combined, add chocolate chips and fold them in so they are evenly distributed.  

-Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper, working with your hands roll it into a cylindrical shape 2” wide, roll it tightly, twist the ends to seal it and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. 

-Pre heat oven to 350*f 

-Cut cookie log into ⅓” coins, arrange on a baking sheet and cook for 8-11 minutes or until puffed up in the center, remove and cool.   

A dish on an outdoor table with two cookie ice cream sandwiches on it - one appears to be vanilla, and one is chocolate

*****

Chef Nick Benninger standing in a filed on a summer's day. He is holding a bunch of kale.

Chef Nick Benninger has deep roots in Ontario’s hospitality industry. After discovering his passion for cooking at a summer camp, he trained at George Brown College. Nick co-founded the Fat Sparrow Group, operating restaurants and more in Waterloo Region. As the host of Farm to Fork TV on Bell Fibe, Nick is a keen advocate and curious explorer of the area’s farms. Now, as the Farm to Fable Chef, he works as a consultant and content creator, championing local food, producers, and the community through writing and volunteer work.

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