Soft-Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

First of all let me start by saying…… YES! These were such a hit in my house as well as my dear friend Jessica’s house. They passed the five-year old test and won over the thirty something crowd without any hesitation. These cookies are going to be a new classic for me, and I am proud to present that to you!

I have been a real stick in the mud the past week or so and my poor boyfriend was so overly patient and understanding of my irrational ways. I decided that the only true way to say “I’m Sorry” was with cookies. He eats and claims to like all of my baking, so I thought I would make something that he always asks for, soft-batch chocolate chip cookies. It is amazing what a little cornstarch can do to a cookie!

These cookies are chewy without being under-baked and they stay fresh for up to seven days! They are kind of a wonderful cookie. There were four other test batches before this one, and I finally got the results that I was looking for…. mouth-watering chocolaty chewy goodness.

There are a few fun little tips when trying to make a thick, chewy and soft cookie. First of all, chilling the dough results in thicker cookies. You have to chill this dough for at least 3 hours, but you can chill up to 3 days. Second, using melted butter and a dash of extra flour will result in a more chewy cookie! The Chocolate chips don’t really stick to the dough because of the butter, but if you evenly distribute them to the best of your ability, the cookies will be just fine.  You can always add more to individual cookie dough balls before baking. Using more brown sugar thank white sugar will give you a very moist and soft cookie! But finally cornstarch will give you the desired softness you have been searching for! These are simple tricks and tips to making a crowd pleasing cookie that all people can enjoy!

Here is what you will need…

• 2 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. Cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 3/4 C. Butter, melted, just a touch browned
• 1 C. Brown Sugar
• 1/4 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 1/4 C. Chocolate Chips

Here was my process…

1. In a large mixing bowl lightly mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Place to the side.
2. In a medium size bowl combine melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk together until smooth and o lumps of sugar remain.
3. Quickly whisk in vanilla, egg and egg yolk until well whisked!
4. Pour butter mixture over flour mixture and mix until just combined. The dough will be very, very soft but that is how it is supposed to be!
5. Fold in Chocolate Chips, they will not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but again, just fold them in and you can add a few here and there if needed.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
7. Once chilled, let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. While you let the dough sit, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Roll dough into balls about 1 inch around, and place on baking mat. If you need to smush them down a bit go ahead, they will taste amazing no matter what, but the higher the ball the thicker the cookie!
9. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 – 12 minutes. The cookies will no look done, but take them out anyway. They bake for a little bit longer on the baking sheet. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 9 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

These cookies are so super yummy…. I am thinking about baking more right now. Not to mention they are a real treat for your tummy!

Happy Baking!

Honey Cinnamon Doughnuts w/ Brown Sugar Glaze (low fat!!!)

I was trying to think of the perfect Father’s day treat, and I had a few ideas, but I wanted to do something special. So, I thought of the things my dad enjoys, and Honey was right at the top of that list. And who doesn’t like a doughnut?! So, I took the ‘love of Honey’ idea and turned it into a delicious baked treat.  This is a masculine doughnut with bold flavors, yet light in consistency and low in fat. Win win!

And just like with anything else that is sweet, a little bit of honey goes a long way!

So, you will need…

• 1 c.  Whole Wheat Pastry Flour ( makes a more tender doughnut)
  
• 1/2 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
  
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 3 Tbsp. Canola Oil
• 2 Large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. Buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp. Honey

* I used the cinnamon sugar butter from the popover recipe to “grease” the doughnut pan.Just for a little extra pizzazz.

Here was my process…

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease doughnut pan with cinnamon sugar butter.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk, and set aside.
3. Combine eggs, buttermilk, Canola Oil and honey in another bowl. Whisk until mixture is foamy.
4. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and mix just until combined.
5. Put dough into a pastry bag and pipe into each doughnut form until half full.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10  minutes.
7. At 7 minutes, brush tops of doughnuts with cinnamon sugar butter.
8. Remove from pan and let cool completely before glazing.
9. While the doughnuts are cooling, you can whip up the glaze. I used 1/4 C. Brown Sugar, 1/4 C. Confectioners Sugar and added 1 tablespoon of Milk at a time until I got the consistency that I wanted.

These are a low fat doughnut so make sure to have at least two! They are light and not too sweet, and sooo easy to make.

Happy Baking!

Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

I love coconut, but I am not a fan of chunks of it in my cookies! I love the tropical flavor and the how much fun it is to break one open. I also love Chocolate Chip cookies but you can only blog about the simple, yet delightful cookie so many times.

I was wandering through a little co-op type place in Randolph, Vermont when I found the solution to my cookie problem. Coconut Sugar?! As skeptical as I was, I bought it. I let it sit around for a week or so before I said, “What is the worst that can happen?” Fully knowing the answer I proceeded anyway. I mean, how terrible could it really be?

The cookies were amazing! The Coconut Sugar has the same effect as a brown sugar, and my cookies were buttery, crispy and chewy in the right places and an overall fantastic surprise.

So, you will need…

• 1 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 C. Butter, softened
• 1/2 C. Coconut Sugar
• 6 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg White
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 C. White Chocolate Chips, for the best flavor look for the white Chips that contain Cocoa Butter 😉
• 1/2 C. Dark Chocolate Chips

Here was my process…

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine butter, coconut sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Feel free to use your mixer.
4. Add the egg white and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients in increments of your choosing until everything is well mixed.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Drop spoonfuls of dough on to prepared baking sheets allowing 2 or so inches between each cookie for expansion.
8. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, at 350 degrees F for 10-13 minutes. Tops should be a rich golden brown, and somewhat firm to the touch.
9. Let stand for around 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.
10. Enjoy!

This is just a slight variation in ingredients, but a rather large variation in taste. served warm with a little  Talenti ‘Sea Salt Caramel’ Gelato or maybe a nice glass of Cupcake ‘Angel Food’ wine, or a classic glass of cold milk… no matter what, you will not be disappointed.

Happy Baking!

Maple Bourbon Caramels

The only thing that goes better with Bourbon than a smoldering Don Draper is caramel. Well, it might be a tie, but if I can’t have that tall, dark and handsome man with his slick hair, wearing a classic 1960’s suit standing right in front of me holding a glass of bourbon ( no ice) while I am drinking bourbon, I might as well turn it into a candy. I have been really digging the whole making candy thing lately, and I love love love caramel. So this was a fun little project. And I did it all in my nightwear! Hair all bunched up, slippers on, and no, I didn’t spill a drop. This is cooking like a lady!

These caramels came out smooth and silky, with a hint of the beloved bourbon. The maple flavor is not overwhelming at all, it adds the prefect amount of sweetness to this fun little treat! It is a simple, sophisticated candy my friends. The are divine!

So, you will need…

• 2 C. Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
• 1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 C. Milk
• 1 C. Pure Maple Syrup
• 4 Tbsp Butter
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp Bourbon

Here was my process…

1. Line half of a baking sheet with tin foil, and lightly butter. Create edges, so that the caramel will maintain a brick shape once cooled.
2. In a large saucepan combine brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, milk, maple syrup, butter, salt and 1 Tbsp Bourbon. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
3. Once the mixture comes to a boil cover for 3 minutes. If sugar crystals form on the sides, use a pastry brush dipped in warm water to wipe down the sides.
4. Remove lid and place a candy thermometer in the mixture. Once the candy reaches 246 degrees F, remove from heat.
5. Immediately stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp of bourbon.
6. Pour into prepared pan and let cool for  a few hours until the caramel sets.
7. Once hard, you can cut and shape your caramels.

Enjoy in your nightwear 😉

Happy Baking!

Chili Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I was in possession of a beautiful bar of dark chili chocolate, and I wanted to make some cookies… so…. I combined the two! Instead of using chocolate chips I simply cut the chocolate bar into chunks and tossed it in my dough when the time was right. I tasted the chocolate and fell in love with the way the chili crept up on me. It is subtle and smooth, the perfect amount of chili! Lindt really mastered this one!

I wasn’t too sure if these cookies would be any good so I made a small batch to test out. These cookies definitely go better with a nice red wine than with the traditional milk, but throw a little ice cream between a few cookies and you are in for a treat!

If you just have chocolate chips you can use a 1/4 tsp of chili powder instead!

So, you will need…

• 1 1/4 C. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 C. Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1/2 C. Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/4 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 C. Chopped Chili Chocolate

Here was my process…

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, SIFT together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and beat with your trusty wooden spoon until smooth.
4. Add beaten egg and vanilla, beat until well combined.
5. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients until everything is mixed entirely.
6. Fold in chili chocolate chunks.
7. Drop 1 inch balls of dough, 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt at when they are fresh out of the oven.

If you are up for something different I say give these a try. They aren’t the everyday cookie which makes them that much more fun!

Happy Baking!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Hello my little  bakers! So, I was trying to come up with a “healthy” version of a pumpkin cookies, and as it turns out, a “healthy” pumpkin cookie is a muffin! SO, back to test kitchen with some delicious Pumpkin Spice cookies! You need butter to make these cookies the way I want them! Believe me, these cookies melt in your mouth, and it is so worth it to run that extra mile once you taste these! I’m going to run five today!

Anyway, these cookies have all the taste of a spiced pumpkin pie, but with a light and airy body. They literally melt away as you take a bite! They are easily made into cookie sandwiches, and they taste amazing both ways. If you want a crisper cookie try cooking them for 20 minutes or so, checking the bottoms after 15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn.

So, you will need…

• 2 C. Butter, softened
• 2 C. Sugar
• 2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• 15 oz. Pumpkin puree
• 4 C. All Purpose flour

Frosting

• 1/2 C. Butter
• 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
• 1/4 C. Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2 1/4 C. Powdered Sugar
• 3 Tbs. Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  

Here was my process…

1. Set the oven to 350 Degrees F.
2. Beat butter in a large bowl for 30 to 45 seconds until fluffy.
3. Add sugar, baking soda, baking, powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. (You can use a hand blender, a stand up mixer or a good old-fashioned wooden spoon.)
4. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
5. Add pumpkin, mix until well combined.
6. Add flour gradually and use a wooden spoon to mix the flour in until well combined.
7. On a parchment lined baking sheet, use a pastry bag to pipe out cookie onto sheet. They should be about 1 1/2 inches wide and 2 inches apart so they don’t spread out into one another.

 

1. For the Frosting, in a saucepan heat up the butter and brown sugar until smooth and melted.
2. Stir in milk and vanilla.
3. Beat in powdered sugar  and cinnamon until smooth.
4. Add  Heavy Cream to cut the sweetness
5. Let cookies cool completely before attempting to frost them, unless you want to try one immediately!

If these cookies don’t put a smile on your face, you might just be dead! Please try and enjoy!

Happy Baking!

White Double Chocolate Stout Cookies

My day started with building a fire in the fireplace, drinking my coffee while making a batch of  Double Chocolate Stout Cupcakes. Things were perfect and everything smelled good. Then I figured, I couldn’t waste the rest of the stout, it is too damn yummy! But, alas, it was entirely too early to start drinking, yes, there is a too early. So… Cookies were the next obvious step. I wanted to offset the chocolate with a salty aftertaste to really highlight the beer flavor. Pretzels seemed boring, so I just threw some good old coarse Sea Salt in with some white chocolate chips. It was a complete experiment turned awesome for these cookies are amazing. Even my good friend, who is the ultimate “All American” eater loved these. He is a Chocolate Chip cookie kind of guy, so this is so far out of his box, they must just be that good!

They are dense and delicious, not for the faint of heart. I baked mine for 18 minutes for a softer cookie, but you can bake them for a few more minutes to get a good crisp cookie. Either way you can dip them in some nice cold milk… or a nice glass of beer!

So, you will need…

• 1 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 C. Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 C. Butter
• 1/2 C Brown Sugar
• 1/4 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 6 oz Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
• 1 Egg
• 2 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
• 3/4 C. White Chocolate Chips

Here was my process…

First Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with Parchment.

In a large bowl wisk together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, beat together butter and sugars until fluffy, roughly 3 minutes. Add vanilla and egg, beat until combined. (I like to use a hand mixer when working with cookies, it is way more fun! But feel free to use your stand up mixer.) Add sugar mixture and stout to flour mixture and either mix by wooden spoon or mixer until everything is happily married.

Fold in White Chocolate Chips and Sea Salt with spoon.

Spoon mixture onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Bake on 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.

Enjoy warm with some milk, or cool with some beer. It is really up to you my little bakers!

Happy Baking!

Salted Triple Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are the reason I go to the gym 6 days a week and torture myself! They are absolutely amazing. The flavors are layered and exciting and the salt finish adds an element of surprise that the common chocolate chip cookie lacks. I wanted to make the chocolate chip cookie my own, so I threw in white chips, semi-sweet chips and dark 60% cocoa chips and a teaspoon and a half of coarse sea salt. It might have been a pure moment of baking insanity, but it worked better than I could have hoped. I originally made these cookies with milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet, and they weren’t as good. I don’t really care for milk chocolate, so my solution was to omit it! I also prefer to use a higher quality of chocolate, just like my eggs, flour, sugar etc., So I prefer to work with Ghirardelli Chocolate chips for this kind of thing.

If you only make one more cookie in your life, let it be this one. I don’t mean to grease my own baking sheet, but this is a brilliant cookie!

So, you will need…

• 1 1/4 C. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. Coarse Sea Salt
• 1/2 C. Unsalted Butter at room temperature, NOT MELTED
• 1/2 C. Packed Dark Brown Sugar
• 6 Tbsp White Sugar
• 1 large Egg
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 C. White Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 C. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 C. Dark Chocolate Chips 60% cocoa (Ghirardelli chips for all three)

Here was my process…

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Next  line 2 baking sheets with baking paper (parchment).

In a bowl, SIFT together flour and baking soda.

In a large bowl combine brown sugar, butter and white sugar. Beat until smooth. (I often opt to mix by hand, but feel free to use a mixer). Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients until everything is nice and mixed in. Then add all chocolate chips and salt. Mix until you feel they are well stirred in!

Spoon the dough on the prepared baking sheets and make sure there is 2 inches between each cookie. I fit about 8 on each baking sheet.  Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes, 1 sheet at a time,  until the bottoms and edges have a lovely light golden brown color to them.

That is that. Easy, life altering cookies. YOU ARE WELCOME!!!!! 😉

Happy Baking!

Oatmeal Drop Cookies w/ Ghirardelli Chips or Raisins

For the past two days I was attempting a juice cleanse, and it was pretty miserable. After 2 days I packed it in and really wanted to bake something delicious without being terribly unhealthy. My little reward for trying!  Alas, I turned to the ever faithful and tasty oatmeal cookie! (I like to drop them instead of flatten them to keep the oaty texture. I like the way they look and taste so much better.) I mean, I couldn’t go right for the Sinful Brownies after trying to be on a healthy cleanse… could I?

So, what you will need…

• 4 1/2 C. Rolled Oats
• 3/4 C. of Butter
• 1 1/3 C. Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 5 Tbs Water
• 1 Tbs Vanilla
• 1 C. all-purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda
• 1 C. Chocolate Chips or Raisins, or both!

Here was my process…

First I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and greased two cookie sheets.

Next I blended the butter and sugar until it was light and fluffy. I beat in the egg, water and vanilla until the mixture was smooth. In a separate bowl I mixed the Oats, flour (sifted), salt and baking soda. Then I slowly added the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, and mixed until all the ingredients were thoroughly combined.I took half of the dough and put semisweet Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa chocolate chips in it, and the other half I added raisins.

Then I dropped spoon fulls of dough onto greased cookie sheets and let back for 18-20 minutes.

These are really tasty cookies and you don’t really feel  guilty eating them. They are still a cookie, but they have a healthier attitude about them!

Happy Baking!

Delightfully Sinful Brownies

Brownies… they are just so damn good. I tried a few “healthy” brownie recipes and I really, really tried to make a delicious yet health conscious brownie. I gave up for today. Today, I made this completely sinful, buttery, moist and downright amazing brownie. It is another must on your baking bucket list.

So, you will need…

• 2 cups sugar (1 cup white, one cup brown)
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Here was my process…

First preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Next melt butter. Then I mixed all the ingredients as they are listed above. I mixed everything together until a beautiful gooey batter formed. If the batter seems too thick add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins and bake for 18-22 minutes. If you want to use a 9 by 13 greased pan, bake for 30-40 minutes. Once cooled dust with powdered sugar to make them pop!

This is a truly easy recipe, and it is definitely fool proof. It isn’t for the fair weather brownie eater!

Happy Baking!