Cookie Inspiration

I get a huge kick out of trailing after a new cookie inspiration. First something or someone catches my eye. It may be a live music performance: Eddie Turner, a local blues musician, was who set the Humdinger in motion. A goofy Kinder commercial on youtube brought the Chocadooby to light. And most recently a friend named Rita became the mother to Ugly Rita. Rita came into the bakery waxing over a new chocolate bar she had fallen for - a chocolove bar with dark chocolate, sea salt, and almonds. I will admit that my culinary ego clicked in to the tune of "I can do better than that!" and I immediately started noodling on a cookie version. With the flavors already fixed, it was a quick journey ( unlike some of my other cookie recipes which have taken a year or more to finally come together). Rita herself is anything but ugly. However my original plan to call the cookie Lovely Rita, with a nod to The Beatles, just seemed a bit ridiculous with the actual cookie in hand. Ugly Rita is definitely not Brigitte Bardot (for which I actually have a blondie named, appropriately, "Brigitte Bar", but she is my new favorite. Salty, rich, a bit crumbly, she makes me smile. As the Italians say "brutto ma buono"!