When
I lived in Paris, one of the things I missed about American sweets was the
utter absurdity. Twinkies. Magnolia cupcakes. Cornflake marshmallow chocolate
chip cookies. As lovely and divine as a macaron or chocolate éclair is,
sometimes you just want to sink your teeth into something over-the-top
decadent.
Enter
Gooey on the Inside. These cookies are like the chubby, eccentric love child of
Levain and Momofuku: hefty, chockablock, slightly mad, but all kinds of
delicious.
And,
as you’ll soon see, their mad creator, Kafi Dublin, has just the personality to make these over-the-top cookies absolutely irresistible.
Q:
Give us the skinny on Gooey on the Inside!
A:
There are two things that I'm innately good at: baking and fashion. I had
enough of working in the private sector around idiots with no common sense, so
I said it's time to follow my passion. It was the best decision I ever made! As
I am fanatical, obsessive compulsive and detailed oriented, I relentlessly
worked on perfecting my recipes because failure was not option and I know how
brutal NYC foodies and critics can be. And I was not going to fall prey to such
criticism.
Q: Let's play a quick game of association. What's the first word that comes to
mind when you hear...
Red
Velvet= addicted
Peanut Butter=sticky
Birthday Cake= comforting
Honeycomb=unique
Creme Brulée= sophisticated
Chocolate Chip=childhood
Q: You clearly have a penchant for over-the-top flavors. Where do you get your
inspiration?
A:
Have you seen my closet?! People who know me, know that I am not "normal.”
I embrace my eccentricities! I have never been one to follow the crowd and so
there was no way due to my DNA that I could create "simple" cookies.
Impossible!
Q: How often do you introduce new flavors?
A:
Whenever I get inspired. Whenever I eat something that impresses my taste buds,
I always think, “How can I take this item's flavor profile and convert it into
a cookie?" Buffalo jerky didn't really work out; foie on the other
hand... brilliant!
Q: Are there any flavors that you thought would be delicious but just didn't
make the cut?
A: Buffalo jerky, grilled cheese and green tea. Yucky!
Q: Who are some of your baking heroes?
A: I don't really have any except for my
mother. All my memories of " the best things I've ever eaten" come
from my mother.
Q: Where can people find you and
your madly delicious cookies?
A: Currently, they can be purchased on my website: www.gooeyontheinside.com
Starting May 25, until October, I will be at the Hester Street Fair. I'm hoping to open a little dessert "nook" in NYC in the
near future.
