New York Times-Chocolate Chip Cookies

22 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by in Chocolate, Comfort Food, Cookies, Desserts

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I haven’t tried these yet! I’ll report back when I do. I found this recipe at NYT Cooking.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
  • 1 ⅔ cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
  • 2 ½ sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate disksor fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (Valharona makes these if you want to be fancy. I think I will try dark chocolate chips)
  •  Sea salt

Method-

  1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
  2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
  3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
  4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

“The Best Brownies Ever”

20 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food

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That is the description the Food Network gave these brownies.  The recipe is from The Wire Whisk. I haven’t made them yet. I plan to soon. Mascarpone makes everything “the best,”right? Thanks for sharing this brownie recipe Allyson!

Ingredients-

1 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I might try Scharfenn Berger chocolate for these since I can get it at Target)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Ganache-
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method-

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by 8 square baking pan with parchment, leaving at least a 2 inch overhang. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour in the hot butter and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir until completely melted. Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder. Beat in the mascarpone, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check at 35-40 minutes. it is so easy to overcook brownies. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

While the brownies are cooling, make the ganache. Place the chocolate (6 oz.) in a mixing bowl and set aside. Bring the cream and butter to just below boiling point in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until smooth. Spread the ganache over the brownies while it is still warm. Allow the ganache to set completely before cutting into squares. Once they are cooled completely, use the parchment over hang to gently lift them out of the pan. I cool mine brownies in the refrigerator so this step works out better.

Jere Miller’s Chocolate Chip Fudge Brownies

19 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Brownies, Comfort Food, Desserts, Quick and Easy

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I have quite a brownie thing going on here in my attempt to find a good recipe again. I had this problem for several years with chocolate chip cookies until I finally found the Subarashi Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I deleted this recipe awhile back when it failed me. Then I regretted getting rid of it. It’s back, I am so glad Ally sent it to me.

Ingredients-

2 cups sugar
1 cup melted butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup flour
1- 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Method-

Combine melted butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until smooth. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake in a well greased 13X11″ pan (who has a 13X11 inch pan????It must mean 9X13!”) for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. The sides will begin to pull away from the pan. Don’t over bake!

Hershey’s Best Brownies

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts

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I made these today with gluten free flour. They were thick and good! I think I’ll like them even better when made with regular flour. The original recipe is found on the Hershey’s website.

Ingredients-

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Method-

1- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9X13 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2- Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave butter for 1-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies barely begin to pull away from sides of pan. Be careful not to over bake. It is so easy to over bake brownies. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. I usually put them in the freezer for a few minutes before using the foil to lift them out of the pan and on to the cooling rack. Peel away the foil and cut into bars. Makes about 24 brownies.

 

Kim’s Brownies

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts

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Ingrdients-
3/4 pound butter, melted
2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided use
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
5 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts), chopped
Method-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.Melt butter in a saucepan. Add 1-3/4 cups chocolate chips and stir until melted. Add melted mixture to cocoa in a bowl and combine. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whip eggs with brown sugar.

Mix flour with baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to egg/ brown sugar mixture. Mix in the butter-chocolate mixture. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips and nuts. (Some nuts and chocolate chips may be saved to sprinkle on top of the brownies before baking.) Spread batter into a prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Cool before slicing.

One Bowl Brownies

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts, Institute Treats

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I was browsing at Smitten Kitchen for a brownie recipe. I have had many failed attempts recently. On one of her recipes she was talking about her very favorite one bowl brownies which had been dissed by her commenters for being off the box of Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate. Many other commenters said how much they liked the “off the box” recipe. I am not one who likes recipes that include boxed ingredients, but this one doesn’t. It’s a from scratch recipe. I decided to try it today to make brownie sundaes for tonight’s activity at institute.

Ingredients-

1- 4 oz package Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour

Method-

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Line a 9X13″ pan with foil, leaving some hanging over the sides. Spray with cooking spray.

Microwave chocolate and butter on high in a large microwavable bowl for two minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and combined with the butter.

Add sugar and stir to combine. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Finally stir in flour until just mixed.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely and then using the sides of foil carefully lift brownies out of the pan. Refrigerating them for awhile makes them easier to cut.

Marbled Brownies

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Brownies, Institute Treats

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This is my one and only brownie recipe from a box mix. They are good and easy to make when I am in a hurry. I started making them with a Duncan Hines mix, lately I prefer a Ghirardelli Brownie mix. Be sure to use a mix that makes a 9X13 pan of brownies.

Cream Cheese Mixture
12 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons margarine
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon vanilla

Beat the above ingredients together until smooth.

Brownie Mixture
Mix a brownie mix following the directions for cake like brownies

Pour ½ the brownie mixture into a greased 9X13 inch pan. Drop cream cheese mixture over the brownie mixture by spoonfuls, spoon remaining brownie mixture here and here. Pull a knife through in wide curves to create a swirled appearance.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

Frosting
Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in 1 tablespoon cocoa until dissolved. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir until smooth. Spread on cooled brownies.

Dixie’s Sugar Cookies

14 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in Cookies

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Ruth’s friend, Dixie, has an amazing party every year to decorate Valentine sugar cookies. One of the amazing things is how many hundreds of these it appears that she makes. The other amazing thing is that the party is an open house and she invites anyone to drop by. She’s an “amazing” woman. Here is the recipe from her Facebook page.

Ingredients-

2 C Sugar
1 C Butter, softened
1/2 C milk, room temp
4 eggs
1 Tbs Vanilla
5-6 c flour
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Baking powder

Method-

Cream Sugar and butter together until fluffy.  Add milk and combine.  Add eggs one at a time.  Mix in vanilla.  Combine 5 C flour and baking soda and baking powder, add to butter mixture in three batches making sure flour is incorporated each time before adding more.  Add extra flour if needed.  This is a very soft, tender dough.  Heavily flour surface to roll out, and flour top of dough before rolling.  roll out 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Bake 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Tips – this dough is sticky, but will make super soft cookies if you can manage the stickiness.  If you add extra flour, it will be easier to work with, but you will have a tougher cookie.

Does not need to be refrigerated, but you can if you want to – it will help with the stickiness of the dough.

This recipe makes about 50-60 cookies depending on thickness.

 

Kitchen Sink Blondies- from Glorious Treats

05 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in Bar Cookies, Institute Treats

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I had several partial bags of chips (all kinds of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter chips) and candies in the pantry when this recipe from Glorious Treats popped up in my inbox. The perfect treat for institute last week. I also made a half batch in an 8″X8″ pan with Krusteaz Gluten Free flour from Sam’s and they were very good. The only trick with the half batch was half of three eggs. I beat three eggs together and weighed them and took out half.

Kitchen Sink Blondies

Yield: 1- 9″x13″ pan (about 24 bars)

Ingredients-

1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter melted
3 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups mixed chips (I used 1/2 cup each mini M&Ms, Semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. You can use whatever you have or like.)

Method-

1. Preheat your oven to 325*F and line a baking pan with parchment (or foil). Leave some paper hanging over the sides, so you can pull the bars out of the pan after baking.

2.  In a large bowl blend together both sugars and melted butter. Blend until well combined, then add eggs (one at a time) and vanilla. Stir together until fully combined.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter and sugar mixture. Stop mixing as soon as all the flour is incorporated.

4. Add mixed chips of your choice and blend just until evenly incorporated.

5. Scoop dough into prepared pan and spread with a spatula (the surface should be level before baking).

6. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and there is no wet batter visible.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool FULLY before cutting (1 hour or more). For easiest cutting, run a knife around any edges of the bars that are touching the sides of the pan, then pull up on the parchment paper and place the giant bar on a cutting board. Cut with a serrated knife, wiping off between cuts as needed.

Recipe source – Glorious Treats

Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner

11 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by in Chicken, Main Dishes

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This yummy recipe is from Our Best Bites. I made a few small changes. I just found a section in their recipe index for Healthy Meals. I plan to try some of their recipes every week and post the ones that I like here so I will remember to make them. Maybe I’ll even remember to take some photographs to post with the recipes.

Today, when I made this I didn’t feel like eating green beans and so I used asparagus instead. It turned out great!

Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner
Adapted from Cooking Light January 2015

Ingredients

12 ounces baby red potatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 (6 ounce) chicken breast halves, pounded to 3/4-inch thickness*
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup whole milk
5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves**
3/4 cup+ low-sodium chicken broth
6 very thin lemon slices
8 ounces trimmed fresh green beans or asparagus spears cut into 2 inch pieces

*If your chicken breasts are thick, consider slicing them in half instead of pounding.
** If you are using ground thyme, start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste. I like using the Lighthouse brand that is dehydrated instead of dried. It tastes closer to fresh.

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.

3. Line a baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Turn chicken over and cook for 1 minute.  Transfer chicken to foil-lined pan and place in oven for 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

4. While chicken is cooking, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. Add potatoes, cut sides down to one side of the skillet, and the mushrooms and garlic to the other. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned, stirring mushrooms and garlic. Be careful with the garlic, it can burn easily and then it tastes bitter. Remove vegetables from pan and set on a plate to the side.

5.  Combine milk and flour in a small bowl.  Add  flour mixture, 3/4 cup of the chicken broth, thyme and sprinkle of salt and pepper to the skillet and stir until smooth.  Bring sauce to a simmer, and add beans or asparagus.  Simmer 2-3 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Add lemon slices, potatoes and mushrooms, and chicken.  If sauce is too thick, add small amounts of chicken broth to thin.  Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes or until beans or asparagus are crisp-tender. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information: 1 chicken breast and 3/4 cup potato and bean mixture: Cal: 342, Fat 8.6g, Protein: 46 g, Carb: 23g, Fiber 4g