Meredith Wong grew up in a home where her mom always baked. In fact, her mother is such a talented baker that she won a Betty Crocker baking award. Cooking was also always a huge part of her childhood, as her family has put together two cookbooks comprised of cherished family recipes. “I was always helping my mom in the kitchen growing up,” says Wong. “What kid doesn't want to lick the beaters after baking?” And her favorite food memory was with her mom, baking sour cream cookies, a special recipe that has spanned generations in her family. Her mom would cut out each cookie while Wong would slyly steal the scraps to eat. “It is one of my most favorite memories with my mom in the kitchen,” she says.
Wong didn't have a traditional start in the culinary industry. She started her baking business, Sugar Mere, after attending a baby shower and being inspired by the handmade cookies served there. “I remember thinking, I could do this!” Determined, she started baking much more regularly. “My friends and I would watch The Great British Bake Off each week, and I would bake my way through it—baking what contestants had whipped up the previous week and sharing it with my friends.” Wong taught herself how to frost cookies and was inspired creatively by almost everything. “My mind never turns off and I am always thinking about flavor combinations and new, fun and delicious cookies to create.”
She picked the name Sugar Mere because “mere” means mama and she is the busy mother of three kids. In 2020, she enrolled in pastry school, earning herself a degree and the official title of chef.
Wong is so grateful for her customer base and all of the opportunities that have been presented because she followed her dream. If you want to order some sweet treats, reach out to her on social. Her yummy cookies and charismatic demeanor will surely win you over! Here, she is sharing her recipe for Honey Graham Cookies, a soft and chewy cookie with a rich frosting that is topped with Honey Graham bears and a drizzle of sweet or hot honey.
@sugar_mere | @sugarmerebakery
Ingredients
Cookies
- 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ® cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 egg
- ½ Tbsp. vanilla extract or paste
- 1 ® cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 9 sheets processed in a food processor)
Frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp. salt (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste
Instructions
Cookies
Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl and let cool to room temperature (about five minutes). Once cooled, pour into mixing bowl and add sugars, mixing well until incorporated and smooth. Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.
In a separate bowl add all of your dry ingredients and lightly mix before adding to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined—avoid overmixing.
For uniform cookies, use a scoop or weigh out into even balls in your desired size (Meredith likes a big cookie, so she uses a ¼-cup scoop). Place on plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes for a thicker cookie or bake from there for a thinner one.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake for 10–14 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Once removed from the oven, you can use a glass or large cookie cutter in a circular motion around the cookie to make it an even and perfect circle for that bakery-style touch.
Allow cookies to cool completely before icing.
Frosting
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until creamy (about two minutes on medium high). Add the sifted powdered sugar, salt and vanilla and beat until frosting is soft and creamy.
Transfer to a piping bag and swirl around the cooled cookie.
Garnish with some crushed or chopped graham crackers or Honey Graham bears and then drizzle your favorite honey on top. Meredith likes to use Mike's Hot Honey for an extra punch of flavor.
Her final step? “Eat it and revel in the glory of your newfound favorite cookie recipe!
Published as "Beyond the Menu" in the August 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
Tag @lvstylemag and #livelvstyle when you make it at home!
