Mother's Day Breakfast (Fruity Breakfast Muffins)

Two posts in one day. . on a roll! Here is once again a recipe so old that these muffins were another part to my mother's muffin basket for mother's day. This is also one of the many dozen recipes that I have stored away in my blog drafts because ironically it is the safest place to hide them far from the trash can or from being put into lost hands. However, it is just now being posted to the public because of my four month strike from Blogger. (In which I am deeply sorry to any readers out there who have missed reading up on my recent culinary creations.)

These fruity breakfast muffins are a top favorite amongst me, my friends, and my family. They are fresh with fruit, vibrant with lemons, and have the classic crunch from walnuts that balance off the moist flavorings from the banana. Of all the muffins in the muffin basket, the breakfast muffins were the first to go because they are that good and definitely hands down a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lemon, zested
1/2 pint blueberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
LETS COOK!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit 15 minutes until strawberries give off juices. In a small bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, oil, 1 cup sugar, strawberries, and lemon zest. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in blueberries and walnuts. Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs but not wet, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature and enjoy!

Sticking With The Classics (Blueberry Muffins)

Okay so it has been what? Nearly four months since I have yet to post anything in this silly blog. Sounds like an insanely long time, but to me those four months have flown by as I denied the length in time and yes, sadly I will admit, have even at times denied my blog. It has just infuriated me to extremes such like denial of the entire process. Why? For one I have and forever will remain irritated at the fact that Google has ripped any earnings that I potentially had and could have made with their stupid Google Ads. And two, a virus has been roaming my posts which sends visitors to virus staked sites waiting to scam one of money. However I have grudgingly put all that aside because my sister's wonderful Bama friends have easily persuaded me that they have missed reading my blog, therefore here I am four months later and still blogging away.

With that said, I am finally, FINALLY sharing my mother's day recipes to the world wide web of bloggers and starting with my all time favorite muffin recipe; classic blueberry muffins. They are soft and moist on the inside, but have an outer, crunchy coating of sugar toasting on top. The classic muffins have yet to disappoint as they have been given as part of a mother's day muffin basket and shared amongst many of my closest friends. 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh
coarse white sparkling sugar for garnish

LETS COOK! 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with papers, and grease the papers. in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand-held or stand mixer, until light, fluffy, and almost white in color. Start the mixer at low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, then gradually increase speed to medium-high until the desired color and texture are reached. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand-held or stand mixer, until light, fluffy, and almost white in color. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the batter is smooth. It will be thick. Fold in the berries by hand. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, using a heaping 1/4-cup for each. Bake the muffins for 18 to 24 minutes. Remove them from the oven and while still warm dip the tops into melted butter and then into sugar. Allow to cool and enjoy! 

For The Tennis Ladies (Blueberry Crumble Bars)

I often love to seek any and every excuse to bake up something sweet. I don't bake often, for when I do, I always find at least half of the baked goodness lingering around my kitchen weeks after. I am beginning to think expiration dates are much needed when baking anything in my kitchen that contains sugar, flour, and butter. However, I continue to find pleasure in the kitchen standing by an overheated oven for hours on end waiting for perfection to ring. Luckily today I knew I would be baking for a dozen tennis ladies, thus my blueberry crumble bars would not go to waste. My mother was attending a tennis ladies luncheon day thing and she was to bring a dish of any kind. Therefore, I jumped at the opportunity and eagerly agreed to make Smitten Kitchen's/AllRecipe's Blueberry Crumble Bars for her.

I believe I am often craving to bake because of the sensational aromas which are given off through out the house, and then the sweet, savory smell that lingers on into the morning. (Or until doors and windows are swung open to let loose of the beautiful lemon zest and blueberry juices.) There was no exception to my blueberry crumble bars. They not only turned out to look fabulous, but tasted just as good. The crumble on bottom and top reminded me of cookies that my grandmother and I bake during Christmas time, and the blueberries in between oozed all over as they popped and exploded in the oven. This is a wonderful dessert to give away for it is easy to cut and serve, but it also just as good to eat right at home warm over cold vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
LETS COOK!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×13 inch pan. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Serve and enjoy!

Happy Birthday Grandma! (Carrot Cake)

Last Saturday was my grandmother's birthday which was spent at our lake house in Montgomery, Texas. It was a lovely time for my mother's cousin, Susann, was in town visiting from Switzerland. My grandma is probably one of the best cooks I know of and when she asked me to make her birthday cake I was more than delighted to do so. However, I have to admit I was a bit nervous and made sure the cake turned out absolutely perfect, because I could not risk making a mistake on my grandmother's cake, let alone on a cake that is her very own recipe. (For she knows exactly how the cake should taste.) Luckily the cake turned out beautifully and I was more than satisfied with the first one, thankfully, because I was not about to hand grate another three large carrots!

I really do think my grandma liked the carrot cake, as I am sure anyone biting into a slice of creamy, crunchy carrot cake glazed over with a lemon frost would. The cake is moist from the carrots, yet the taste is indistinguishable. It has a slight crunch that allows each bite to be savored, and the lemon glaze adds a nice comparison to the carrot cake its self. It is the perfect balance between sweetly original and richly authentic. My grandmother's carrot cake rates up to my seventeenth birthday cake, the tiramisu cake, and it is simply just irresistible.

Ingredients:
1 ½ c grated almonds
1 ½ c grated carrots
1 ¼ c sugar
5 egg yolks
1 c flour
½ tsp baking powder
Juice of one lemon
1 cup powdered sugar
5 beaten egg white
LETS COOK!
Prepare nuts and carrots, Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Fold in dry ingredients. Last fold in beaten egg whites (beat them with electric mixer). Bake between 350 and 325 f (depending on heat of oven) for 45-60 minutes. (check occasionally)
Glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar and lemon juice stirred together just enough to make icing after it cooled. Serve and enjoy!

Who Would Have Guessed (More Chocolate Chunk Cookies)

Um wow. Can we just take a moment to soak in this absolutely beautiful picture of this absolutely beautiful super chocolaty chunky and oh so ooey and gooey and precious and good and beautiful little cookie? That sure was a mouthful, but so is this cookie! Seriously, after last month's chocolate chip cookie challenge I thought I was all cookied out especially ones with chocolate chunks and chips, but then my mother. . . oh my sweet, sweet mother nearly begged me to bake more chocolate chunk cookies! It was for a good cause so I simply could not say no, but I did go behind her back and come up with an entirely new recipe versus making one of my dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes already posted. Devious little me ignored her input and baked a one of a kind gorgeous chocolate chunk cookie hailing all the way from little land Germany. In the end, she thanked me for if this cookie was entered into my previous challenge, well it is obvious it would have won the blue ribbon!

These cookies are giant, gooey and soft in the middle, slightly crunchy around, and extremely chocolaty with the large and irregular chocolaty chunks that surround the entire cookie. I thought I would never eat another chocolate chip cookie for a long, long time. That is until I discovered this recipe which changed my whole perspective on home made chocolate chunk cookies. They are picture perfect and look like they walked out of a local bakery. They smell like raw sugar and pure chocolate and dough. They taste absolutely perfect and I could not have asked for better textures from a chocolate chunk cookie. Also, after making these cookies, I don't think I can ever (and seriously, ever!) go back to making regular Ole' cookies out of chocolate chips. Chocolate chunks are the new fab and the absolute only and best way to make an award winning and crowd pleasing cookie. This is for sure one recipe that can not and WILL NOT be passed up because yes, it is that amazing!
Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
17 tablespoons butter, melted and allowed to cool a little
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 egg yolks
3 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups chocolate chunks, roughly chopped to give large, irregular chunks
LETS COOK!
Preheat oven to 325 and lightly grease baking sheets. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl. Combine butter and sugars in a large bowl and then add eggs, yolks, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add flour and chocolate chunks and stir until combined. Divide the dough into even and large rounds and space them graciously on cookie sheet. Bake about 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden and soft (they harden) Serve, and enjoy!

My Grandpa's Specialty (Flan Dessert)

The first time I had ever heard of this dessert was while sitting at a very inclusive and upscale Mexican restaurant with my family while on the beaches of Cozumel, Mexico. It was our last night and my dad was in a generous mood to treat his three lovely ladies out to dinner. For dessert my mom had ordered the flan, which I had never heard of before so I was eager to see what this "flan" was all about. And wow, the second the waiter placed that flan in front of my mother, silence over took and I was in utter awe. It just looked so eloquent and FANCY! I thought for sure the chefs slaved over that little and petite dessert for hours, but years later I would soon discover how wrong I had been. . .

So my first encounter with a flan happened a few years back, and my next encounter with a flan wouldn't happen until this past Sunday when my grandparents came in town. My grandfather had told me he wanted to teach me how to make flan and only if i wanted to and if it was up to par shall I write about it in my blog. Ha! He really made me laugh, because anything and everything that I cook is usually posted into my blog, especially such a decedent dessert like the flan! My grandfather kept reassuring me that I didn't have to put the recipe in my blog unless I felt that I absolutely wanted to. First off, my grandfather only knows how to cook the best of the best, so why wouldn't I want to write about his upscale dessert?! And second, I just could not wait to write about how giddy and excited he seemed over the fact that this fancy dessert only took a whopping eleven (yes, only eleven!) minutes! And third, I am thinking that he was also just so eager to be mentioned in my blog, because he kept bringing the subject up!. . . So this post is dedicated one hundred percent to my grandfather; the chef who cooks in style while wearing corduroy pants and a golfing vest with a martini by his side.

At first I always thought that a flan was a Mexican dessert or something that was originated from Latin America, because that is what I was always told. However, after doing a little research upon the dessert I came to find that actually it was first originated in France, Spain, and Rome. Okay, so maybe I don't quite know where this classy, little dessert originated from, but that is simply because every website had something different to say about the flan. (I mean how can one dessert somehow originate in multiple countries?) Well regardless of its origin, most all websites did agree upon the flan being mostly enjoyed by us Americans, Latin Americans, and Filipinos (So Vlad, if you are reading this. . . looks like I have found a step up from boxed brownies next time you're in town!) As my own unique definition, I would describe a flan as part custard/cake/pudding/jiggly jello and tastes a bit like a sweet custard with the definition of a cake and the texture of pudding. So basically this is a soft and cold dessert that is purely wonderful! I love you grandpa for teaching me this oh so easy recipe!

Ingredients:

12 ounces evaporated milk

1/4 cup sugar AND THEN 1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

LETS COOK!

Crack eggs into a medium sized bowl. Pour evaporated milk into the same bowl, as well as the 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Whisk together. In a serving dish, fill about half inch up with hot water. Place mini (5) ramekins into the water in the serving dish. (The water will be on outside of ramekins but inside of dish). Now over very low heat in a small sauce pan pour remaining sugar and stir watching carefully that sugar does not burn and melts to for a liquid. Remove immediately from heat when all clumps are gone and evenly pour into ramekins. Pour liquid mixture on top evenly in all ramekins. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for about 55 min or when a knife can come out clean in the center of the dessert. After, put in refrigerator and cool until ready to serve (stays good for days!) Flip the dessert over onto a plate where the carmalized sugar shows on top. Serve, and enjoy!

CCC Challenge: Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Cheers to the chocolate chip cookie challenge, for this is my last and final post about chocolate chip cookies for a long, long time. I have just written well over eight pages on chocolate chip cookies and the many varieties that have derived from a simple and classic cookie. So here it goes to my final cookie that underwent the ultimate chocolate chip cookie challenge. And this cookie was saved for last simply because I liked the pictures the best and wanted to have them posted first on my blog as of now. (Hah!) These cookies came from the ol' fashioned Toll House website which is known, well. . . , for their chocolate chip cookies! So to no surprise, these cookies were absolutely delicious!

As I have posted many chocolate chip cookie variation recipes up on my site, this here is a CLASSIC chocolate chip cookie. So all in all as it might not be my absolute favorite out of the bunch, could it be safe to say that technically this cookie should win the challenge due to the regulations that were broken by all the other "chocolate chip" (and so much more) cookies? Well aside from that, they were yummy, chewy, and just all around tasty! These cookies bring back young childhood memories of sitting with neighbors and digging into a fresh-from-the-oven classic toll house cookie. I loved making them and to bring this challenge to a close, I am now satisfied with chocolate chip cookies. And maybe there really is no "perfect chocolate chip cookie" and the search will continue long after my life, for newer and more experienced recipes will be invented towards perfecting the classic chocolate chip cookie. But when it all comes down to the basics, that is all that is needed to make a "perfect" cookie; a little flour, chocolate, soda, sugar, and butter.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup backed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Nestle toll house semi sweet chocolate chips
LETS COOK!
combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in a larger bowl and mix until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and then gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips. Wrap dough in parchment paper and refrigerate up to one hour and preheat over to 375 F. Cut and roll dough into small rounds and press a tad down on the cent of the round. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until done. Cool, serve, and enjoy!

CCC Challenge: Everything Plus Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies

I rate these cookies similar to my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip walnut cookies, but even better! Because these have coconut as well. I found this recipe from one of those health magazines that are always in the check lines of grocery stores, which got me thinking. . . is butter and chocolate good for you? Because if so, I just found my new diet! Hah. I'm definitely kidding, but it did give me a good chuckle reading this recipe in a Health magazine with a flat abbed women posted on the cover with subtitles advertising that you can eat cookies to stay slim? Well regardless and aside from all the questions about this particular magazine, I absolutely loved these cookies!

There were so many ingredients, I at first thought it might be a tad overwhelming. But indeed it was the exact opposite; each ingredient played a key roll in the taste of this cookie, and the cookie just would not have tasted nearly as good if any of the main ingredients went missing. There is something about chocolate and oatmeal that make my mouth water. And don't even get me started about the mix of a nutty chocolate with coconut! The taste of these cookies were just extraordinarily delicious and a new fave of my family's. Anyone is bound to enjoy this scrumptious little thing.
Ingredients:
one cup butter softened
one cup light brown sugar packed
one half cup granulated sugar
two teaspoons vanilla extract
two extra large eggs
one teaspoon ground sea salt
one teaspoon fresh baking soda
one and half cup all purpose plain flour
one cup rolled oats
one and half cup sweetened coconut
eight ounces semisweet chocolate chips
one cup finely chopped toasted pecans (have some only coarsely chopped)
LETS COOK!
preheat over to 375 F. In large bowl beat butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, salt, baking soda and flour until mixture is all combined. stir in rolled oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and pecans. Drop one tablespoon of dough on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9 to 13 minutes or until brown on bottom and edges. Cool, serve, and enjoy!

CCC Challenge: Smitten Kitchen's Chocoalte Chip Cookies

I just love and adore Smitten Kitchen. She has saved me from tragedy, helped me step by step to create my dream birthday cake, and now has contributed to my chocolate chip cookie challenge. She has yet to disappoint, and this is no exception. I enjoy baking anything and everything from her sweet and innocent website, for she has never let me down and everything I have made from her is recently on my list of faves. I love the stories behind every recipe she has to offer, for they bring character and really bring the food to life. She is inspirational, and I don't even know where I would be right now with out this trusty and delightfully sunny website. Her cookies are one of a kind, simple, and a real, true, chocolate chip cookie.

These cookies are posted under Smitten Kitchen's website as crispy and chewy. Indeed they are crispy in the right spots, as well as chewy in the center. They are the perfect size, and a perfect bite can be found every time. I love these cookies so much because they are simply that; chocolate chip cookies. They are easy to make, easy to store, and don't even take much time away from the day! They are pure and classic and a true definition of a chocolate chip cookie. I love and adore these cookies almost as much as I love and adore Smitten Kitchen as a whole.
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted melted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
LETS COOK!
Preheat over to 325 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In separate bowl, cream the melted butter, and sugars until blended. Beat in vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. and press down the center of the cookies just a little. Bake for about 8 to 12 minutes or until ready. Cool, serve, and enjoy!

CCC Challenge: Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate and hazelnut cookies are also in tie for first place for my ultimate chocolate chip cookie challenge. The reason being is simply because I used hazelnuts, which are my absolute very favorite nut. They aren't very well known nor used here in the suburbs of Houston, but to me they are my idol, my super hero, my everything. I can not even imagine a cookie any more without the key ingredient of a simple chopped hazelnut. The taste is just impeccable and takes my breath away. The cookie as well is simply just fascinating with how extremely soft I was able to make the entire cookie, and the chocolate is so rich and creamy it melts instantly in my mouth. Typing this post up, I think it is decided that these truly have won me over and could very well win the gold medal for the first round of my chocolate chip cookie challenge.

So to New York Times; I am sorry to say, but I disagree that the secret to the best chocolate chip cookie is when dough is refrigerated up to thirty six hours, because this dough was not refrigerated for even a minute. Yet, it is my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie, for I taste buttery goodness, fresh chocolate, coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and a soft yet not too gooey center. In fact, for once, I think I have found perfection towards a simply delectable cookie.
Ingredients:
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butte, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
LETS COOK!
heat over to 375 degrees F. Stir flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugars at until creamy and soft. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Mix until all incorporated. Gradually stir dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Serve, and enjoy!

CCC Challenge: Tyler Florence's Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

For my ultimate chocolate chip cookie challenge, I tried to go to trusted blogs and trusted websites in order to find a trusted and perfect recipe. So it is apparent I went to Smitten Kitchen's blog, the nestle toll house website as well as Ghirardelli's, and a few others that have been known to be very trusted. But I also went to a website that I love and adore simply because I love all of the chefs on it's television station, and that is the food network website. When I opened up this website and typed in chocolate chip cookie, over ten pages worth of recipes popped up immediately. However, I noticed one in particular, and that was Tyler Florence's, because he had well over 400 ratings all of which gave this specific cookie a five star. And if I were to go back to the website and rate this cookie, well, I would also have to give it a five star. (I mean it must be good if my dad loved it just as much!)

The cookie indeed was big and fat and much more at that! I loved this soft and chewy cookie. It tastes just as good warm as it does cool, and I even made sure to make extra dough to freeze for those days that my stomach is begging for the taste of rich and creamy chocolate with a a super fab cookie dough. Now Mr. Florence prefers his cookies to be extremely big and fat, but to me, I believe that they should maybe be just a little chubby and possibly on the large side. My cookies did not turn out as big as Tyler probably would have preferred, but hey, who's to judge? Can't we all make the size of a cookie that we, ourselves, prefer? Because I say, I am the one eating this cookie and not him so I will make them the size my mouth can handle. (As well as those that I know are eating my cookies.)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted, softened butter
1.2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 ounces block dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
LETS COOK!
preheat over to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour baking soda, and salt into medium bowl and set aside. Place the butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy, Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms. Turn off the mixer and fold int he chocolate chunks using the spatula. To for the cookies, scoop (your preferable size) of a cookie and roll into a ball. Place on uncreased cookie sheet and press down the tops of the dough slightly and bake until the cookies are light brown. About 11 to 12 minutes for a soft and chew cookie. Cool, serve, and enjoy!

CCC Challenge: Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now what chocolate chip cookie does not go well with milk? . . . hmm. . . none! Especially these chocolate chunk cookies. The mix between dark chocolate and white chocolate pairs quite well with a glass of cold, refreshing milk. Before I started making the cookie, I was a bit iffy with the fact of using white chocolate, because I am not a fan of chocolate that is pale in color and resembles something more bland and vanilla tasting. However, when paired with the extremely dark chocolate made of 60% cocoa,  the two balance out and create a taste so unexplainable and so spectacular that now I am almost convinced to love white chocolate all on its own!

These chocolate chunk cookies are so wonderful, because the aroma of the different chocolates makes my home melt with happiness and the rigidity, authentic look of the cookies really brings out the trueness in what a home-made chocolate chip cookie should be like. I also believe these cookies are so wonderful, because they are made with real and pure chocolate bars and not with the new and packaged uniformity of a chocolate chip. The chunks create variety as well as a bold texture with the randomly sized chunks through out the moist and gooey dough.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.2 teaspoon baking soda
170 grams unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool a litter
one cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1.2 cup granulate sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces chocolate chunks (half dark and half white)
LETS COOK!
Preheat over to 330 fahrenheit. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl. Combine melted butter and sugars in a large bowl. Add the eggs, yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Add the flour and chocolate chunks and stir until just combined. Divide the dough evenly into little rolled balls and space evenly on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until done. The dark the cookies, the crisper they will be. Let cool, serve, and enjoy!

CCC Challenge: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

This here cookie is one of the seven different cookies that underwent my ultimate chocolate chip cookie challenge. And because I am an extreme chocolate addict, I have to say the double chocolate chip cookie is definitely in tie for first place. However, they might loose a few points for irritation. It took almost an hour before I could figure out their baking process and be able to actually bake more than one cookie at a time on the baking sheet. Either the temp was too hot and the bottoms would burn, or the time was not just right and the inside would be completely gooey and undone while the outside would be clearly burnt. This is why I like to refer to these little cookies as something Goldie Locks would like... justtttt right.

These bite size cookies are super rich with the Ghirardelli chocolate and chocolate chips. The nuts add a clean crunch to break your mouth away from all that gooey goodness of chocolate. I love how it is extremely crisp and a tad hard on the outer surface, but as soon as one breaks away into the center, the chocolate will melt in your hands. They are irresistibly delicious and this recipe will definitely being staying by my side for years to come. . .
Ingredients:
2 cups ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups bittersweet ghirardelli chocolate chips
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose-flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
LETS COOK!
In double boiler over hot water melt bittersweet chocolate chips and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs and sugar until thick; stir into chocolate mixture. In small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture. Gently mix in semisweet chocolate chips and walnuts. Using a sheet of plastic wrap, form dough into a log. As dough will be VERY VERY soft, use plastic wrap to hold dough in log shape. Wrap tightly; refrigerate as least an hour. Heat over to 350 farenheit. With sharp knife, cut slices of cookie and roll into a ball. Press down the center a little bit and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about ten minutes or until shiny crust forms on top but interior is still soft. Cool on baking sheet, serve, and enjoy!

My First Ultimate Challenge: The Search For The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie

The search for the very best chocolate chip cookie first started last weekend. Well I guess technically you could say that it started the first time I ever bit my mouth into an ooey, gooey, chocolate chip cookie. But really the idea of actually searching, and I mean digging deep into history, was last weekend when Blake and I had just completed a forty mile bike ride in the blistering cold weather and were now snuggled up against my fireplace eating one of Brittany's chocolate chip cookies. I couldn't help but notice that her cookie was buttery, soft, chewy, crispy, moist, and so much more that would describe the perfect cookie. I knew the cookie would be good the moment Blake put it in my hand and it nearly crumbled to pieces; this is how I determine one of the best chocolate chip cookies. So after eating one of Brittany's cookies, Blake and I got to talking and were curious about who could make the best chocolate chip cookie. I mean for decades or even centuries there has been a universal debate over that secret ingredient or that special technique to finding the absolute, very best, and one of a kind, chocolate chip cookie. So that is exactly what I decided to do. . . research a little, compare a few recipes, add some things here and there to make them my own, experiment, and simply have fun in finding my favorite chocolate chip cookie!

So when making a chocolate chip cookie, I came to find that most of the recipes called for flour (that's an obvious) chocolate chips (once again another obvious) brown sugar (some prefer light over dark) granulated sugar, vanilla (some more than others), and ohh lots and lots of butter. Now the New York Times once wrote an article over the perfect chocolate chip cookie, and they said that in order to meet expectations, one must refrigerate the dough for at least 24 hours. So for half of my doughs that I made that is exactly what I did. But I soon came to find not much of a difference, in fact I think my favorite cookie out of all seven that I made was one with the dough that was not refrigerated at all. So I believe that new papers can come across as A. either bias, or B. the writer of this column did not take a big enough survey when proposing his hypothosis. I also came to find that many recipes liked to add more than just chocolate chips to the cookie to make a more dramatic and unique cookie. For instance I made one that also included oatmeal, coconut, and walnuts. Another added hazelnuts, another with double chocolate and walnuts, and another mixing dark with white chocolate. With so many extreme variations, it is difficult to pick out the very BEST chocolate chip cookie.

I think when adding extra ingredients, it is not very fair to the true and simple chocolate chip cookie and it can not be fair to compete against such extravagant added flavors. Therefore I still have yet to find the ultimate and perfect chocolate chip cookie. However, I do believe (and this is my opinion for myself) that when adding a variety of flavors aside from the chocolate chips, and when using real chocolate chunks versus the plasticy taste of a chip, the cookie will not only taste better, but is much more sophisticated and is a great "wow" factor for friends and family. . . as well as pleasing to the taste buds.

So in honor of Brittany, my first Ultimate Challenge in search of the very BEST chocolate chip cookie; this post goes out to her for inspiring me to expand my horizons and look beyond a simple chocolate chip in order to find the very best and perfect cookie.

My Favorite Cookies (Chocolate Walnut Oatmeal Cookies)

It was a Tuesday afternoon when I warmed up my house with the home sweet smell of baked oatmeal and chocolate. There was nothing special about this particular Tuesday, and there was no special reason why I was baking these delightful cookies. My mother had just come back from the grocery store with a container of oatmeal, so I decided to make a few people smile in my life. And that is how I came to make my favorite chocolate chip walnut oatmeal cookies. A few for my dad, a few for me and my mother, and lots for Blake and his family. Ohh and maybe I was also procrastinating on studying for the most extremely dreadful class of all time; Physics. . . blehhhh. Who likes to study for that? So I came up with a new studying technique that I believe works quite well for me; make some cookies and while they are baking away in the oven, read over my notes! However, I am still crossing my fingers this method works considering my teacher recently won the award for slowest grader in history and has yet to grade a test that was taken well over a week ago.

I have added all my favorite ingredients into one recipe. That is probably why I consider this my favorite cookie of all time. The chewiness of the oatmeal makes this cookie soft while the chopped walnuts add a crunch and the chocolate chips give the cookie a rich and melted sensation. All these extravagant varieties of texture blend together so well on the pallet of one's mouth, that it is quite difficult to eat simply one of these tasty little devils. They are just that good!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups uncooked oatmeal (not instant microwavable kind)

1 full bag nestle chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

LETS COOK!

heat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Beat together in a food processor margarine and sugars until creamy and smoothed together. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well in a large bowl. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Stir in oats, raison, and chocoalte. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 11 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and not quite hardend. Cool on a cookie sheet and then serve and enjoy!

Baking With LB... (Classic Chocolate Pecan Brownies)

So as many Americanos are aware that yesterday, January 8, 2010 was the night of the big football game between the infamously famous University of The Broken Horns and the even more famous school, University of Crimson Tide. Parties and gatherings were held for this was one ordeal to not be passed up. One could possibly say it is as famous as V-Day or even Halloween. My sister, LB, had gone to a friend's house to watch the big game, but it would not be classy to show up empty handed. Therefore it was decided that classic home-made brownies would go with her. Unfortunately due to the ever so suffering of school, I was too busy to make brownies for my sister so she was forced to make them out of a box. It was then decided I would make them today for an additional party that she would be attending.

These splendid and ever so delish brownies must be credited to my sister as much as they are to me. LB was right along side me stirring the faces on the chocolate until they swirled with the thick and luscious butter until smooth and glossy which then would make one indulge into these little devils only to beg for more.

This brownie can not even be compared to that of a box, because they are simply different. Yes, I do have to admit that boxed brownies can be quite good, but I do also have to admit that home-made brownies are somehow different and just flat out better. Maybe it is because love went into each ingredient? Or was it the fact that I was able to bond with my big sister before she went off to Bama for another semester? Whatever the reason, these classic brownies are to die for and the unsweetened chocolate makes for a great balance creating brownies that are rich and chocolatey, yet not to sweet for one's tooth.

 Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans
LETS COOK!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and line an 8 inch square glass baking pan with foil. In top of a double boiler set over barley simmering water, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir together until melted and smooth. Pour into a bigger bowl. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir in eggs one at a time and then the flour. Stir until very smooth and the mixture pulls away from sides of the bowl. Add the chopped nuts and pour batter in pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until ready. While brownies are cooking, fill sink with one inch of water and lots of ice (making an "ice bath"). when brownies come out of oven put pan into ice bath avoiding water on any part of the brownies. Allow to cool completely. Cut and serve. (Best when warm). And enjoy! (Also brownies are always great with icecream!)

KYLIE ASTLE'S Famous Rice Krispie Treats

Okay, so first off I absolutely have to start this blog post by giving ONE HUNDRED percent credit to my second sister Kylie Astle. She baked these krispie treats all her own in her very own kitchen and even came up with the chocolate peanut butter topping as her own little twist. I was no help what so ever for I didn't even know she was going to be baking such a wonderful treat until I noticed her by my winter fireplace as I was arriving home from school today and she was holding a box of these oh so delicious and chocolatey treats. I was so excited over these fab little desserts that I just had to post them for the world wide web to enjoy as well! She was so generous that I didn't even have to beg her to post these on my blog. So thank you Kyle Astle for allowing me to put up your dessert on my very own blog.

These rice krispie treats originated from a simple little recipe posted on the side of the snap, crackle, pop cereal box. However, with Kylie's twist these simple marshmellowy treats are turned upside down into a decadent and rich, chocolatey dessert which is swirled with a hint of peanut butter. The soft and sweet marshmallows are mixed with thick chocolate and peanut butter making for the perfect dessert mixture! As half will melt in your mouth, the other half of this treat will swirl around in ones mouth and linger on a bit letting you enjoy the sweet and savory taste this krispie treat serves.
Ingredients: 
 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies® (from Kellog's cereal)
6 blocks of almond bark
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
peanut butter to your tasting (as much as one desires!)
LETS COOK!
In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Allow to cool. Melt almond bark and stir until smooth. Stir in cooking oil and as much peanut butter as desired for your tasting (optional). Pour over rice krispies and let cool.(again) Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day, and enjoy!!
*Special thanks again to Kylie Astle*

Christmas Cookies Galore!

Once again I am blogging about Christmas cookies! That is because Christmas is the time that my family will make lots and lots and lots of cookies. My grandma and I made a total of five different kinds in one day! (And that is not even counting the four different kinds that she brought with her.) So yes, I am going to have to admit that my family and I are obsessed with Christmas cookies and baking, and when I say obsessed, I mean OBSESSED! I may make the cookies in bland Houston, Texas, but these cookies have expanded my horizon to some of the greatest measures. These cookies come from all over, such as Switzerland, Germany, my grandmother's good and trusted cook book, and even from her best friend as a little girl.

A whole entire day was set aside simply for baking cookies with my grandmother. Yes, I could have easily done them on my own, however this is Christmas time and baking is always more fun when done with your partner in crime. (Yes, that is you grandma, for I am not the only one who makes flat moons or crooked fingers!) Also, she has been baking these holiday traditions way longer than I have, and she does know best.

Our Christmas cookies are stored away in many adorable little tin boxes to give them the whole antique and traditional look. However, they are not stuck hiding in a box for long since by the third or so day our cookie collection dwindles drastically as they soon move from boxes to stomachs. Every year we create some of the same cookies, however each year they all tend to turn out a little different than the year before. However they turn out, I know one thing, it is always a joy to learn and bake with my lovely grandmother. (Or am I just saying this because I know she reads my blog? Ha! I am kidding grandma, and you know I love you!)

So from my family to yours: may your Christmas be as lovely and yummy as ours! Merry Christmas

Vanille Kipferl ("The Moons")

These cookies have been in my family longer than I can even remember. But what I do remember is oh how sugary and lovely these cookies are! I used to refer to them as "The Moons", because they are shaped like little moons. However, the correct pronunciation for the cookies are Vanille Kipferl originating all the way from a small, peaceful country known as Switzerland. These are definitely a crowd pleaser, for they are my dad's favorite, my sister's favorite, my neighbor's favorite, as well as my favorite! I mean what is not to resist?! This cookie is not only made with sugar, but coated with loads and loads of little white crystals known as calories, oh wait I meant sugar.

The little moons are absolutely scrumptious! They are soft and loaded with SUGAR. The textures are so magnified from tasting the pure crystals of the sugar, and the lightly packed cookie that breaks so gently and softly in ones mouth as the butter and sugar melt off the tongue. This is a great holiday cookie, because somehow it tends to bring friends and family happily together. These will be the talk of the town, because they are so different considering most people would never dare to add pure sugar right on top of an already sugared dessert. This is one recipe your stomach will have to splurge on, for it is far worth it.

Ingredients:

2.5 sticks of butter (cold)

3/4 cups sugar

1 cup almonds peeled and ground

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

LETS COOK!

With electric mixer beat butter until little pieces. With wooden spoon, stir in sugar almonds, flour, and vanilla. Work with the dough with your hands and try to blend all the butter into the dough. Form a ball of dough and chill for a few hours. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough and then take section of dough and form moon shapes with hands. Place on cookie sheet and bake at about 375 or a little less in fahrenheit for about 10 min, or until light color and look ready. (This is a cookie you need to use your gut instinct. Also, sometimes these can be a total flop and you just have to get "lucky", therefore only bake a few at a time until u know you have your oven just right and the time just right before baking the rest of the batch.) When they are still warm, roll them and coat them entirely with pure sugar!!!!

*Special thanks to Marianne Messmer*

Nuss Stengel (Nut Finger Cookies)

The direct translation of these cookies are literally "Nut Fingers", and when I say fingers, yes, I am referring to fingers as in human fingers on a hand. Now I am assuming these cookies were named simply after their look, because they are rectangular and somehow if you squint your eyes and cock your head, look like fingers. My grandmother makes her "fingers" to be tall and slender as if creating a cookie for a supermodel. And I however, made my "fingers" short and fat as if creating a cookie for a stubby little person. Either way, they all resemble someones fingers, therefore being called Nuss Stengel (Nut Fingers). And we add the "nuss" in the beginning simply because these are a nut cookie and nuts are the main ingredient.

This is a simple nut cookie, and is simply delicious! The brushed egg yolk on top gives it a nice smooth glaze and pairs wonderfully with the creaminess of the butter and the nutty crunch from the ground walnuts. They are small and dainty, and nearly irresistible! It does not have an extravagant and over-the-top taste, which makes it a wonderful Christmas cookie that can go great with the many other cookies. Because honestly, when baking for Christmas, who would ever dare to only make ONE type of cookie? This is simple, easy to make, and flat out yummy!
Ingredients:
125 grams ground walnuts
125 grams butter softened
150 grams sugar
2 egg yolk
pinch of salt
180 grams flour
LETS COOK!
with an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and yolks. Then add salt. With a wooden spoon stir in flour until the mixture is "crumby". Then take your hands and form a ball of dough. Refrigerate and let cool and harden for easier handling when rolling out dough. Roll out on lightly floured surface to about a cm or so think(want cookies somewhat thin). With a knife, cut lines down the down as if you are creating rows. Then, at a diagonal cut across the dough (opposite way that you made the rows). Depending on how thick your rows are and how long your columns are will all depend if you prefer fat or skinny fingers. Ha! Place onto cookie sheet and brush the top with an egg yolk mixture. (Consists of one egg yolk and just a splash of water, but may need more for more cookies.) Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 min, or until golden on top. (you want your fingers to be made for someone tan and not so pale and sickly looking!)