Chocolate Chip Cookies,...and Twixies!

As a high school lass in love (with a boy and with baking), I always made chocolate chip cookies (for the boyfriend and friends) that stayed soft long after they cooled. For years I had no idea why, I thought it was my wrapping technique. As I became a more serious baker, I changed my techniques to those found in cookbooks. Recently, while reading the baker and cook's guide to culinary awesomeness (aka: Cooks Illustrated), I read a recipe that made me realize that two things I did in my high school baking days were the keys to my chocolate chip cookie success! One, I melted the butter and two, I let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet before removing them. Viola! My soft cookies were back!

My chocolate chip cookie baking also yielded a new cookie, which I call a "Twixie." I put aside a small amount of cookie dough, minus the chips. Then finely chopped up a few mini-Twix bars, mixed with the dough and baked. Let's just say the time-honored chocolate chip cookie has a new rival.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, from Cooks Illustrated.com

INGREDIENTS

2 1/8	cups bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
12	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1	cup brown sugar (light or dark), 7 ounces
1/2	cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1	large egg
1	large egg yolk
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
1 - 2	cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet)

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.3. Following illustrations below, form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined 20-by-14-inch lipless cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet. Smaller cookie sheets can be used, but fewer cookies can be baked at one time and baking time may need to be adjusted. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.)4. Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.


STEP BY STEP: Shaping Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Creating a jagged surface on each dough ball gives the finished cookies an attractive appearance. Start by rolling a scant 1/4 cup of dough into a smooth ball.	2. Holding the dough ball in the fingertips of both hands, pull the dough apart into two equal halves.
3. Each half will have a jagged surface where it was ripped from the other. Rotate each piece 90 degrees so that the jagged edge faces up.	4. Jam the halves back together into one ball so that the top surface remains jagged.

Holiday Baking

The holidays are upon us, or at least the sales at the supermarket for holiday baking are. So it's time to plan out holiday treats. I have five recipes that I will be using: Butter Cookies, Pizzelles, Biscotti, Cream Cheese Spritzers, and Fudge. The first recipe is my own, not sure where it is from. The second is from one of my mom's old customers, who always made her pizzelles when she would drop off the woman's hearing aid. The woman was from Italy and was 94 years old when she gave it to my mom, they are the best I've ever had. The last two are recipes are from my mother-in-law's recipe collection, and my husband's favorites. Everyone loves the fudge, it is the best I have had outside of Douglas Fudge in Wildwood, NJ. Get out your Fat Pants my friends, it's time for holiday goodness!

Fudge

4 ½ cups sugar

½ lb butter or margarine

1 1/3 can evaporated milk

1 ½ teaspoons cocoa

4 6-oz pkg chocolate chips

1 12oz jar marshmallow crème

1 ½ cup nuts (optional)

Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and bring to a hard boil, stirring often. Reduce to low heat and boil for 9 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat; take ¼ cup of mixture out. Stir cocoa into removed mixture; add the chocolate chips and cocoa mixture to the boiled ingredients and stir well. When chips are melted, add the marshmallow crème (and nuts, if using). Stir well and pour into two 9x12-inch pans; let cool for 2 hours. Score and cut; put into covered containers. Yield: 5 pound fudge.

Butter Cookies

2 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla

colored sugar/sprinkles for decoration

Combine ingredients. Beat at low speed, 1-2 minutes. Cover, refrigerate 2 hours. Roll out dough with rolling pin, cut with cookie cutter, decorate with sprinkles and/or colored sugar. Preheat oven to 400F, bake 6-10 minutes.

Pizzelles

3 ½ cups flour – sift 3 times

1 ½ cups sugar

6 Jumbo eggs

2 Tablespoons vanilla

2 Tablespoons anisette (the alcohol)

4 Tablespoons baking powder

2 Sticks Marjorine, melted (NOT BUTTER)

Preheat pizzelle iron. Mix well together. Drop approximately 1 tablespoon mixture on iron. Bake approximately 30 seconds. Makes approximately 6 dozen.

Cream Cheese Spritzes

1 package (8oz) cream cheese cut in chunks, at room temperature

1 cup butter or margarine, cut in chunks, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

for decoration: red/green candied cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F, have cookie sheets ready. In a medium-sized bowl or in food processor beat or process cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually mix in flour until well blended. Spoon 1 cup dough at a time into cookie press or pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Press dough in 2-inch wreath shapes 1 ½ inches apart on cookie sheet. (Optional: Gently press a cherry in center of each wreath.) Bake 8-10 minutes until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool. Makes 54.

Italian Biscotti

6 eggs

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 tsp lemon or vanilla or anise

5 to 6 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheet, set aside. Mix all ingredients – will be very sticky. Take about 1 cup of mixture and mold into oval shape. You should be able to place two loaves on a cookie sheet. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove, cut into slices and put back in oven to toast on each side.

Golden-Crusted Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are my weak spot and my weakness. I cannot say that I am very good at making these. However, this recipe, I nailed! It is also from Real Simple Celebrations, and it was a welcome addition to our Christmas Eve dinner last year.

4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup heavy cream

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup whole milk (optional)

Heat oven to 400 F. Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes; return them to the pot and mash. Add 8 tablespoons of the butter, the cream, salt, and pepper and combine. If a thinner consistency is desired, add the milk a few tablespoons at a time. Transfer the potato mixture to a casserole dish and dot with the remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, until the top is crisp and golden, about 30 minutes.

Very basic and simple turkey

Fortunately before cooking my first turkey last year, I stopped at the library and checked out this book on a whim, Real Simple Celebrations. This book is a must-have, and I later purchased it. This was a simple and tasty recipe from that book, with a modification of adding the apple.

Also, prior to cooking this turkey, I purchased a Mauviel Aluminum Roaster from Williams-Sonoma, on the recommendation of Real Simple Magazine. I also purchase the world's most useful roasting rack, which doubles as a turkey lifter, Cuisipro Roast & Serve Roasting Rack. I purchased a carving set from Bed, Bath and Beyond, which has been very useful as well. Finally, I already owned a digital meat thermometer, which has forever changed how I cook meat (I cook by temperature). Sometimes it is all in the tools, and for this occasion, I agree!

In summary, in addition to the ingredients below, you should have: a roasting pan, a roasting rack, a carving set, and a meat thermometer.

1 10-12 pound turkey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

1 apple

Heat oven to 425 F. Remove the turkey giblets. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cool running water, and then pat dry with paper towels. Insert the apple into the cavity where the the giblets were. Place the turkey on a wire rack in a metal roasting pan. Spread the oil evenly over the turkey and season with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add about 1 cup of water to the pan and cover the turkey loosely with a large sheet of foil. Reduce heat to 375 F. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 180 F, about 1 ¾ hours more, depending on the size of the turkey. Leave the foil in place and let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Mac & Cheeses

My mother-in-law made the best mac & cheese ever! While dating my husband, I would wait for him to bring it home after Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners (before we spent holidays together). She did not measure it nor follow a specific recipe. This is what we were able to put together, and it is pretty close to hers. Of all of her great recipes, how could she not write this one down? The family loves it, and waits for holidays for it. In honor of a great woman, a great food!

Mac & Cheeses

1 box elbow noodles, cooked

butter (several pieces of it)

small amount of milk

a block of Velveeta cheese

a block of cheddar cheese

some mozzarella (i think about a handful)

Preheat oven to 375. Place several pieces of butter in baking dish. Add a small amount of milk. Add cut up pieces of Velveeta, cut up cheddar and mozzarella to the baking dish. Pour hot noodles over the cheese mixture and stir up to mix a little. Cover and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. If cheese is melted, return to oven without the cover. If it is not melted, cover and return to oven until melted.

Ham with Pineapple

Thanksgiving and Christmas both require ham in this family! I discovered this recipe on allrecipes.com, and it has served us all well. People talk about it until they have it again. It is very easy to make, and even more fun to eat! Although I have not (yet) posted a picture, it is very photogenic!
I love to serve this with Potato Roesti (see previous post for the amazing recipe) and Mac and Cheese (see next post). Enjoy!

1 (12 pound) bone-in ham

½ cup whole cloves

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings in heavy syrup

1 (4 ounce) jar chopped maraschino cherries

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
2. Place ham in roasting pan. Score the rind of the ham with a diamond pattern. Press a clove into the center of each diamond. Drain the juice from the pineapple rings into a medium bowl, and stir in the brown sugar and lemon-lime soda. Coat the ham with this mixture. Arrange the pineapple rings over the outside of the ham. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring, and secure with a toothpick.
3. Bake uncovered 4 to 5 hours, basting frequently with the juices, until the internal temperature of the ham is 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). Be sure the meat thermometer is not touching the bone. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Nothing says love like a heart-shaped buttermilk waffle

Several years ago (2002) when dating the man who is now my husband, I thought it would be very Valentine's Day Fantastic of me to make him heart-shaped waffles for breakfast. I finally found an overpriced heart-shaped waffle maker at Williams-Sonoma. The day finally arrived. He woke up, jumped in the shower and I got up to get working in the kitchen. In his usual morning daze, he asked "What are you doing?" I replied "Surprise! I made you a Valentine's Day breakfast!" He said "I don't eat breakfast this early in the morning." I said "You do today."
Until last night, that waffle maker remained unused. Then I had a craving for waffles. I found the recipe below online, and made waffles for dinner. They were fantastic! As a matter of fact, I am going to reheat the leftover waffle now.
Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon fine-ground cornmeal (optional)
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1/4	teaspoon baking soda
1	large egg , separated
2	strips unsalted butter , melted
2/3	cup buttermilk
	Pinch cream of tartar

1. Heat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cornmeal (if using), salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, butter, and then the buttermilk. Beat the egg white and cream of tartar with a hand-held mixer on high speed until the stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the buttermilk mixture into the well, and whisk very gently until the buttermilk mixture is just incorporated (a few lumps should remain). Toward the end of the mixing, fold the whipped egg white into the batter.

3. Following the manufacturer's instructions, spread the appropriate amount of batter onto the waffle iron and cook until golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, serving the waffles immediately or holding them in a 200-degree oven (see the note above) until all are cooked.