Jess Tries It: Learning the secret to Ralph White’s Gooey Butter Cake Cookies
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — WWAY’s Jessica Keisling is heading into the kitchen for this month’s edition of “Jess Tries It.”
Keisling joined Ralph White, owner of Ralph’s Cravings and Candles, to learn how to make his signature Gooey Butter Cake Cookies and learn more about the story behind his growing business.
Keisling first discovered White’s cookies at The Rift in Wilmington and decided to find out how they were made.
White, 27, started Ralph’s Cravings and Candles by making handcrafted candles before expanding his business into baked goods. Despite his success with cookies, White said baking was not always something he enjoyed.
“I hated baking growing up. I told myself I’d never bake. I love to cook… I hate baking. Something last year switched… and I decided I’d give it a better shot.”
White begins his Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by mixing cold salted butter and white sugar before adding cream cheese.
He then adds one whole egg, one egg yolk, vanilla extract and another ingredient that helps give the cookies their buttery flavor. Gluten-free flour is then added and mixed until a dough forms.
White measures the dough into 3-ounce portions, rolls each portion into a ball and coats it in powdered sugar.
The dough balls are then placed in the freezer. White recommends allowing them to freeze completely before baking to help create the gooey texture in the center of the finished cookies.
The cookies are baked between 325 and 350 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the oven. White said they should still be slightly jiggly in the center when removed from the oven.
For White, baking has also become therapeutic. He often works in silence and enjoys the process of preparing each batch.
His motivation for building the business is rooted in his family and the example set by his mother.
“Raising 3 kids on 20K a year in Miami is tough…. I’m proud of her for that….she’s my best friend.”
White said he hopes to build a business that can eventually support the family he wants to have while also creating something for the Wilmington community.
His long-term goal is to grow Ralph’s Cravings and Candles into a combination bakery, candle shop and community third space where people can slow down and feel safe.
White currently bakes fresh cookies and pastries and delivers them to three Wilmington businesses: The Rift, Canary Yellow and Current Coffee.
If you have an idea you would like to see Jess try for a future edition of “Jess Tries It,” email newsroom@wwaytv.com.
