The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe... For Now



My quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie will never end. It's a journey that I will relentlessly travel as long as I live. I know you're on it, too. That search for the crunch around the edges, the soft, gooey middle, the melty chocolaty goodness, the smudged fingerprints that you carelessly wipe on the back of your jeans. The cookie that gives you the "Oh my God, I never want this cookie to end" kind of feeling. I know you know that feeling.

To date, the best chocolate chip cookie I've ever tasted happened on an unusually warm and sunny January day in Seattle. My mom and I popped into Macrina Bakery and Cafe for an afternoon treat. As soon as we walked in, the tray of Rick's Chocolate Apricot Espresso cookies were slid inside the pastry window, steaming the glass. Sold.

I ordered what was - and still is - the best chocolate chip cookie to ever grace my lips. Now, I foresee some commotion from the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever Committee over the addition of the apricot and espresso here. Sure, it's not a classic recipe. But maybe that's what we've been missing all these years?!

What made it exactly? The apricot, with its alternative, chewy texture? The espresso, with its subtle lingering essence? Or was the extra heaping of chocolate chips that made it? Most likely. Or was it situational? The uncharacteristically balmy winter weather? Or that my mom and I had just found the perfect wedding dress? The scent - that perfect scent - that made me want to stand frozen in time?

Regardless, on that day, at that moment, Rick's Chocolate Apricot Espresso cookie was perfect.  I don't know who Rick is but I do know that he is a good, good man.

And then... it was gone. My intentions to slowly savor every last crumb were bested by my impassioned fervor to piggishly shove every bite in my mouth before the cookie cooled. I never learn. Sigh.

So there you have it. The best chocolate chip cookie ever... for now anyway. Come to think of it, Macrina also makes my favorite muffin ever - the Morning Glory. Which, I suppose, means that Macrina is (again, to date) my favorite bakery ever. Whew, bold statement. I'll keep the search going, though. In fairness to all the cookies, muffins and bakeries out there, of course.

Now here we are, all this talk about these amazing cookies with the apricot and the espresso and I don't even make them. But this recipe is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I personally have ever made. And I've made my share. From well-known food bloggers with the fancy chocolate to the Nestle chocolate chip bag to the depths of Google, I've found this recipe from Allrecipes.com to be my favorite.

Cheers (with milk)!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe... For Now
From Allrecipes.com

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.               

Yeah, Yeah, Yam and No, No, Gnocchi

Well... I suppose I owe you an apology. Perhaps more than an apology. Unfortunately, the blogging (and sadly, the cooking) fell to the backburner over these past few months. But I'm back in action (with lots of new fun cooking gadgets!) and excited to share my future adventures in the kitchen. Let's try this again, shall we?

Gnocchi. Oh yeah, that's good stuff. One of my all-time favorite meals, in fact. I remember the first time I ordered it, though. I was hesitant to try this"potato pasta". Sounded more like a Polish dish than a homey Italian plate if you asked me. A potato, I thought, should remain in its awesome potato forms. You know, roasted with rosemary, mashed with butter, fried with ketchup. But I decided to give it a shot.

But when my bowl of gnocchi arrived, I was even more disappointed; turned off by its bland white appearance and quite frankly, the small portion. Just a few little dough balls sitting atop a few wilted leaves of spinach.

So with low expectations, I smothered a bit of smashed, roasted garlic on my fork and begun a journey I would surely forget.

But a funny thing happened. Once that little potato pillow hit my mouth I was hooked. The firm, ever-so-slightly browned outside, the feathery inside, the buttery herb sauce. The spinach wasn't half bad either, though let's be honest, it needed more garlic. The portion size also proved to be perfect (by the way, that's a rare phrase to exit my mouth). I was an instant gnocchi lover.

The first time I made my own gnocchi, it looked like a flour plant exploded in my kitchen... and subsequently my living room. It's not a recipe for the faint of heart. Heidi at 101 Cookbooks even told me so. But if you like scrubbing dried potato dough out of your dishwasher vent, which apparently I do, then go ahead and try it for yourself.

I don't know why I thought the second time would be different. Or why a yam gnocchi recipe (which calls for MORE flour than regular potato because of the yams' lower starch content) would be different. It wasn't. But the result was. The yams are much more difficult to work with, but the end product is a deliciously sweet, beautifully orange little potato pillow (atop an extra garlicky bed of wilted spinach).

Adding the sauteed onion into the dough added so much depth to the flavor. Though if you aren't keen on bits of onion ruining your pillowy experience, you can just include the onions in the sauce. My husband couldn't get enough of this meal; said it was the best meal I'd ever made! And we actually weren't married at the time he ate this meal so it was quite possibly the reason he showed up on our wedding day :)

Buon Appetito!

Yam Gnocchi with Herbed Butter Sauce (adapted from Pip in the City)

3 pounds yams (about 2 large yams)
2 tbsp butter
2 egg yolks
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup grated parmessan cheese
1/2 onion, minced and sauteed onions (I used red onion and loved the sharp flavor with the sweet yams)

salt and pepper

Brown Butter Sauce:
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated parmessan cheese
1 clove garlic

1 bunch fresh sage

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1. Peel and slice the yams.
2. Steam until tender and mash them right away, making sure they are no lumps. This will require you getting in there with your fingers to smooth out some of the lumps.
3. Add the butter to the hot puree, then salt and pepper. Then incorporate the egg yolks, whisking fast so as not to scramble the eggs.

4. Add the grated parmessan and the onion and

5. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients. Then flour your hands, add the flour slowly, and mix gently with your hands until you get a tender dough. Let the dough rest for a while. Do not overdo the kneading so the gluten doesn't develop

6. Separate the dough in smaller balls and roll them into snake-like cylinders. Keep flour nearby for your hands so the dough doesn't stick to your hands. You will get messy!

7. Cut the cylinder into your desired gnocchi size. Use a sharp knife or a kitchen scraper (scooper?) and cut with purpose so that the gnocchi separates easily. Flour the plate or cutting board so that they do not stick to the surface. Do not stack the gnocchi on top of one another.

8. Roll the back side of a fork over each gnocchi; this will help the little guys catch the sauce.

9. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt the water, and drop the gnocchi in. You'll know when they're done because they will rise to the surface. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon.

For the sauce:
1. Melt the butter in a skillet

2. Add the chopped garlic clove, sage, and rosemary. Let everything cook for a while, but make sure the butter doesn't burn.

*Tip: to prevent the butter from burning as easily, you can replace half the butter with olive oil, which will rise the burning temperature of the butter.

3. Add the gnocchi to the butter sauce and mix everything for one minute.

4. Serve it quickly with the grated parmessan sprinkled on top.

Waffles for Dinner = Winner

Let's be honest... one of the best things about being an adult is the fact that we get to eat whatever we want when we want it. And while usually my conscience tells me to throw something green into my dinner, I wanted nothing of the sort last night. I wanted breakfast. So I made breakfast. Like that logic?

I had originally been scouring through Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italy for a new recipe to try. But pretty much everything required me to go to the store. And while the spaghetti with clams beckoned, going to the store just wasn't in the cards. But hey, what's the next best thing to spaghetti with clams? Waffles... obviously. But without buttermilk in the fridge, I had to search for a new waffle recipe. Enter Google + search term, "best waffle recipe". Voila - best waffle recipes galore!

 
Good waffles are easy to come by. Great waffles aren't. The perfect waffle has a golden, crunchy exterior, but is soft and doughy in its interior. Crunchy waffles 101: Separating the eggs! Mix the yolks in with the rest of the wet ingredients, and then beat the whites until they're light but stiff. Then fold the whites into the full batter. Crunch perfection.

 A lil' extra cinnamon in the batter doesn't hurt.















I also felt the need to make something healthy... but still breakfasty. So I grabbed all the fruit in my fridge and blended up a pineapple/strawberry/banana smoothie. Delightful.

So here's to making adult decisions... breakfast for dinner.

The Best Waffle Recipe
adapted from Serious Eats

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 egg whites

Plug in the waffle iron so it's good and hot when you pour the batter in.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in milk and oil.

Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (should be lumpy).

In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. I recommend beating w/ an electric mixer if you don't want your hand to fall off in the process.

Gently fold egg whites into flour and egg yolk mixture. Do not overmix.

Spoon waffle batter into your waffle iron, making sure not to overfill it. 

Cheers!

 

Cake Madness

In the spirit of March Madness, I went a little mad myself. In honor of my alma mater, Butler University, dancing its way to the NCAA national title game (yeah Dawgs!), I attempted... The Cake Pop.

Cake pop, you ask? What in the world? It's this... or this... ooh or this. Cute little things, right? I thought so. However I learned very quickly that despite their delectable taste, they are evil. They suck up hours upon hours of your night, give you sugar-induced coma, and don't even come out remotely cute looking. I spent over 4 hours creating these little things and I didn't even bake the cake from scratch (blasphemy!). I quite literally laid on my kitchen floor at 11:30pm, with melted chocolate up to my elbows, cursing the cake pop name. My neighbors must have thought I was doing chemistry homework or something. But they tasted good. Delicious even. So... here's the recipe in case you are far more patient and artistic than I. 

 I guess they can't be all bad if this is how they start...

Which turns into this...

And then into this...

Which turns into these!

And eventually these!!




 

GO DAWGS!

Cake Pops
Adapted from everywhere on Google, but particularly Seakettle

50 lollipop sticks (or 25 for a half batch)
Cake mix of your choice
Frosting
Candy melts or chocolate bark (I used white chocolate chips... bad idea)
Tube of black gel icing or edible pen
Wax paper
Styrofoam block (I did not have one. I strongly recommend you use one)

Bake your cake according to the directions (I know, I know...)

Once the cake is cool, cut it into 4 large pieces and place in a very large mixing bowl or another cake pan. Mix in the tub of frosting until you get a smooth consistency. If you're using chocolate cake, the mixture should look like dirt. Mmm.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and roll the cake mixture into small balls. Voila - the cake ball!

Freeze for 30 minutes. In the meantime, melt your chocolate in a double boiler (or a makeshift double boiler). Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Dip a lollipop stick in the melted chocolate, then slide halfway into a cake ball. Dip the cake ball into the melted chocolate until it is mostly covered. Then insert into a styrofoam wreath of some sort. Highly recommended... I did not have one and I sorely regret it.

Let dry and decorate... hopefully your decorating skills > mine.

Let's go BU!

St. Paddy's Day Soda Bread

You know those ultimate comfort foods that instantly trigger a feeling of warmth? Irish soda bread is one of my comfort foods. It brings me back to sitting at my grandmother's kitchen table, among the scent of baking potatoes and corned beef (which I insisted was called beef corn), snacking on a loaf of homemade soda bread. My grandmother, a native of the Emerald Isle, makes an amazing bread. But being the raisin fanatic that I am, I always wanted more raisins. Must be my sweet tooth. I realize that adding raisins to my loaf makes me an Irish impostor. But my blood will tell you otherwise, so I'm not ashamed to add more than the called-for amount of raisins to my bread.  I added a touch more buttermilk than was called for but kept the baking time at an hour, just to ensure the inside would remain moist. 

On this year's St. Paddy's I prepared the soda bread for eight friends. The evening was filled with a whole lot of Irish imitation... Guinness stew, Guinness floats, and you guessed it... Guinness. We all anticipated going out to continue the celebration, but instead stayed parked on my couch enjoying good food and good company. It's rare that I get so many friends together in one room. So I sat back, sliced myself another piece of soda bread, sipped my stout, and reflected on how much I love cooking for my friends.

Irish Soda Bread
Adapted from the Food Network

5 cups sifted all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
2 1/2 cups raisins (or 3 c if you're a fanatic like me)
3 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 1/2 cups buttermilk  (I probably added an extra 1/8 of a cup)
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter 2 (9 by 5-inch) bread pans.

Stir together the sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in the butter and mix very thoroughly with your hands until it gets grainy. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds.

Add the buttermilk and egg to the flour mixture. Stir until well moistened. Shape dough into 2 loaves and place in the pans.

Bake for 1 hour.

Granilla

A few weeks ago, some friends and I completed a three week detox. You know, no meat, dairy, gluten, soy, sugar, salt, caffeine, or alcohol. Right... cleansing, torturous, same thing. And while by no means am I a proponent of meatless or sugarless eating for the long haul, it did feel fantastic to get back to clean eating. I found some delicious recipes, shed the holiday guilt, and rediscovered my love for brussel sprouts. Not all bad.

That said, the detox ended. Sayonara celery. Helloooo... granola? Yes, for the those veggie-filled three weeks, I was craving granola. And while I could have made a detox-approved version, it just wouldn't have been the same. You just can't get it crunchy enough without the right amount of oil and honey. So hour 19 into return to toxicity, my kitchen was filled with the sweet smell of toasting pecans and baking cinnamon. The kitchen was also brimming with two anxious ex-detoxers as well as one ecstatic fiance, doing a celebratory dance over his long-awaited end to Meatless Mondays.

Granola: the perfect return-to-food food. Though did I mention we had previously eaten leftover BBQ pulled pork (that we willfully avoided on Super Bowl Sunday)? Or that the aforementioned fiance may or may not have run to the store for an emergency tub of vanilla ice cream (without contest from the granola fiends)? Oh, well I should. But because we are heart-conscious at heart, we subbed the majority of oil with honey and fresh blended pineapple. It was gone in three days.

Granilla
Adapted from Apples & Onions

4 cups rolled oats
2 cups raw nuts (I like a combo of pecans and almonds)
2 cup raisins
A few shakes of cinnamon (don't ask me how many shakes I shook)
1 tsp nutmeg
Dash of allspice
Dash of ground clove
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup cup honey
1 cup fresh blended pineapple
1 giant tub of vanilla ice cream (semi-optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the oats, nuts, raisins and spices in a (very) large mixing bowl. Pour in oil, honey, and pineapple and mix together with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are coated and small clusters begin to form.

Lay parchment paper (or a smear of olive oil) over 2 baking sheets and lay granola flat. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes with wooden spoon.

When slightly crunchy, turn the oven off but leave the granola in the oven with the door propped open. The mixture will dehydrate and become even more crispy. Check on it every 5 minutes until it's at your preferred level of crunch.

Serve over a bowl of creamy vanilla ice cream (and again atop your morning oatmeal). The granola will keep for about a week (if you let it) if stored in an airtight container.