Cookie Me Christmas

To kick off the holiday baking season, I decided to start with a fool-proof stand-by recipe: the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie. This recipe makes a bunch of cookies (as in 40 or so) and is easy to make and bake. It's not diet, or gluten free or even dairy free but it is an old stand-by and I'm sure many of you out there are going to be looking for a great cookie recipe this season.

What you'll need:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I did sub half of the white flour with whole wheat and it worked out fine)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
34 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips + 1 cup nuts (optional)

Preheat oven 375 degrees F

Like many cookie recipes, you make this one in two stages: wet and dry. First combine the flour, baking soda and salt together in one bowl and stir with a whisk to get any lumps out. Second, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the soft butter, sugars and vanilla. Combining butter and sugar is called "creaming" and you'll know it's done combing when the mixture is lump-free and fluffy. Then you add one egg at a time, combining after each addition, to the wet mixture. Finally, combine the dry into the wet (in batches and slowly so you don't end up with a snow-storm of flour in your kitchen). Stir in the chocolate and nuts by hand with a spatula.

You then drop the cookie batter onto non-greased cookie sheets with a spoon. I use two spoons, one to drop and the other to pry off the dough hanging on to the original spoon. It's a technique that's good if you don't want to get your hands in a mess

Bake each cookie sheet 9-11 minutes until the cookies are just set in the middle and brown on the edges. You may have to rotate and/or turn your sheet in the oven depending on how hot your oven is, if it's convection, if it's old, etc. I recommend not putting more cookie dough on a hot, out-of-the-oven, sheet because it causes the dough to melt a little and screws up the baking time.

Let baked cookies cool on the sheets on top of the stove for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to complete cooling. Pour up a glass of milk and enjoy! Merry (early) Christmas!

Don't you want me, Biscotti?

This recipe is adapted from an old Company's Coming cookbook recipe for cranberry-pepper biscotti (but doesn't that sound awesome?!). I didn't have cranberries but I did have chocolate chips. And a few hours one Sunday morning. I've made biscotti before and remember it being a little labour-intensive. This recipe, however, wasn't bad and the results were just great. Here's the recipe:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 cup butter (or margarine) softened
1/2 cup sugar (but you can use less)
2 eggs

Put first 6 items in a large bowl and mix well.

Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add all this to the first bowl's mixture. Slightly mix it all together until it's barely holding together. It'll be lumpy and bumpy and crumbly.

Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and get your (clean) hands into it. Knead the dough a few times. You can make small or large biscotti cookies. For large ones, use the whole mixture and form it into a long log. To make small ones, divide it in half and make two logs (about 8 inches long).

Place the log(s) on a greased baking sheet and flatten them slightly. Bake at 350F for 20-25 mins until the edges are golden. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.


Biscotti means "twice baked" so when it's cool enough to handle, cut each log into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife. Arrange the cut-side down cookies on a baking sheet and bake for another 20 minutes at a reduced heat of 275F. Let stand in oven about 20 minutes after that with the oven turned off.

Biscotti are supposed to be dry and crispy. They're great for dunking into coffee or tea (or wine). This should yield about 2 dozen smaller biscotti...less if you like 'em big!

You can use this basic recipe and substitute the chocolate for anything you'd like, including dried fruit (like apricots, cranberries, raisins) and nuts (almonds are pretty traditional in biscotti). Enjoy!

Switch it up: cookie edition

So remember the thrill I got when I discovered Skor toffee bits? I had a similar feeling when I re-discovered white chocolate chips in the supermarket this weekend. I just had to have them...and make something with them. I decided on a fail safe recipe: reverse chocolate chip cookies. They're chocolate cookies (thanks to cocoa powder) with white chips. There isn't much butter and only one egg so it makes a stiff batter that's easy to handle. Bonus? They're also easy to freeze. I have a feeling my co-workers are starting to get wary of all the baked goods I'm bringing them. Hey, I like baking...but I also don't like gaining weight, hence why I offer goodies to other people. So I baked half this recipe and then froze the rest in a log for easy baking in a pinch.

Here's the easy peasy recipe:

1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pk (226 g) white chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugar until blended and smooth. Whisk the egg and vanilla in a small bowl and then add to the butter mixture and blend in. Gently incorporate the four and baking soda. Then mix in the cocoa powder and finally the chips. The batter will be tight and easy to mold. To bake, drop onto a ungreased cookie sheet (about 1tbs cookies) and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. I found 9 minutes fine but ovens differ. Just be sure to watch the cookies because it's difficult to tell if they're too dark or burning! Once they're done, let them cool on the cookie sheet about 2 minutes before removing. The cookies will be cracked but if you don't over-bake them they'll still be chewy. These will store well baked, or free unused dough sealed tight in plastic wrap. Wouldn't your co-workers love some of these?

Cookie Sheet

Chocolate coconut cookies

This is an adaptation from the Canadian Living Mud Pie cookie recipe. I was on a roll last week in the kitchen and took out my trusted Canadian Living Cooks cookbook. Their recipes are tested until perfect and this one promised to be a cookie version of a brownie. Yum. I had the basic ingredients but not the add-ins so I used what I had: chocolate and shredded coconut. Here is the recipe and what I did:

6 oz chocolate (bittersweet and chopped)
1/2 cup butter (I used a little less)
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350F.

In a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water melt together chocolate and butter. Remove from heat when almost melted and stir until fully combined.

Then whisk in sugar, eggs one at a time, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Pour over chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Add in coconut and combine. Drop by tablespoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto prepared pan(s). These cookies tend to spread while baking so take that into account. You can also make them smaller if you wish.

Bake one sheet at a time in the centre of the oven until firm around edges but still soft in the centre. This should take about 10-12 minutes. Let stand on the pan until firm (about 5 mins) before transferring them to racks to completely cool.

The recipe book also says you can make these ahead by layering them between wax paper in an airtight container to be stored at room temp for up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 weeks. This recipe makes a lot of cookies (about 3 dozen) so it's great you can store some if needed! Happy chocolate fix!

Adventures in entertaining

Everyone has the need (or want) to entertain once in a while. Holidays, birthdays, housewarmings, congratulations, etc. They're all excuses for celebrations complete with food, drink and good company. While I have been known to go a little out of control with my food and drink preparation, I have learned some useful tricks and techniques over the years that have made entertaining enjoyable and easier than ever. First, I try to have one or two signature dishes. Then the rest of the spread can be easy cheese/fruit/meat platters, veggie or fruit trays, ready-made frozen apps or even chips and dip. Have one drink you can offer guests (and make sure there's a non-alcoholic option) but more often than not people will bring their own libations so don't sweat it. Focus your energy on taking pride in your work, setting a nice grouping of finger foods and then forget about it. When guests stat arriving you need to relax and enjoy their company. The middle of your party is no time to be worrying over un-made dishes, stuff in the oven or if a pot is boiling over on the stove!

I threw a bash this past weekend and here are some things I threw together for the occasion. Complete with my recipe for my go-to party dish: guacamole!

There are a million different ways to make guacamole and I've been known to just throw together some avocados, tomato and lime juice and call it a day. But if I'm really serious, here's how I do it:

3 avocados
1 tomato
1/2 lime (juiced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 onion (minced)
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper (minced)
pinch salt & pepper

Combine everything in a medium/large bowl and mash avocados with a fork until the mixture is still slightly chunky but well combined. Then transfer the mixture into your serving dish. To save the guacamole for the party, put plastic wrap over the mixture and press it into the top of the guacamole so it touches all the surface. This will prevent the mixture from browning. Refrigerate until it's time to party. Serve with chips or veggies. Yumm-0!


Cheese and crackers is easy peasy but pleases lots of people. This was simple brie and pepper goat's cheese. Below: a spread on a table makes it easy for people to mingle and dash back and forth for treats. Besides what I talked about here, I also made bacon-wrapped asparagus (yes, it is an excellent idea!) and did a couple veggie platters and candy bowls in strategic places around the apartment.




One of my signature dishes and an essential sweet treat in a sea of salty, savory appetizers. Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes get easier to make every time and are are a great conversations starter! Happy entertaining!

Awesome chocolatey brownies

Photo: Guilty Kitchen

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon (and celebrate my dad's birthday) than make a batch of easy but choco-gooey brownies? I have a go-to Toblerone brownie recipe but wanted to try something new. Then I remembered a brownie recipe had come through the pipes on FoodBuzz recently. It's the Guilty Kitchen's recipe for The Perfect Brownie.

I followed it to the letter - except I also added chocolate chips - and the end result was indulged, decadent and, well, awesome. Prepare all the ingredients on your counter, and pre-heat the oven while you're mixing everything together. The recipe goes by in a snap. This wonderful treat is so easy and quick to make. It's a sweet brownie that's heavy on chocolate. Here is a the recipe and I highly recommend you try this out! Thanks fellow food buzzer!

3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cocoa
6 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or more)
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp instant coffee
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 brownie pan. In a bowl, whisk together or sift the flour, salt and coca powder. In a double boiler (metal bowl resting on top of a saucepan of water), melt together the chocolate, butter and coffee. Add sugars and remove from heat.
Add in eggs and vanilla, but do not over beat. Sprinkle flour over chocolate mixture, folding gentle with a spatula. Again, to not over mix. Pour into baking pan, bake 30 minutes (rotating halfway) or until edges are completely cooked and center is slightly underdone. Let cool in the pan, cut into squares and enjoy!

I found 30 mins to be the perfect timing but all ovens vary. Just keep an eye on it towards the end of cooking time. Leaving the brownies underdone is, in my opinion, the best method because they'll be more ooey gooey. This recipe would also be good with some add-ins like marshmallow, nuts or or dried fruit (though all those things would take away space from the coveted chocolate) and the perfect pairing is a big glass of milk!

Toblerone cheesecake

Yes, you read that right. Toblerone cheesecake. There's Toblerone bar in the cake and also on top of it. Sweet indulgences! As if Thanksgiving turkey dinner wasn't enough, this is what I made for dessert. It was good but almost too rich if there's such a thing. Here's the recipe and some suggestions I'm going to take for the next time I make this.

• 1 1/4 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

• 2 (250 g) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar

• 2 (100 g) Toblerone chocolate bars, divided
• 1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip, divided (or other whipped topping)
• 
  

Mix the butter and cookie crumbs together and pat into a 9" springform pan. Put in the refrigerator to chill while you make the cake.

Mush together the cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter until smooth. As I mentioned, this was a very rich cake and I think next time I'm going to use less cream cheese and more peanut butter. I also used less sugar than the recipe called for (about 3/4 cup) and I think I could have gotten away with using even less. I also used the "low fat" versions of cream cheese and whipped topping. You could go with whatever version you want and some may say why not go whole hog full fat, but hey why not save where you can?

Then chop up one Toblerone bar and fold that into the cake mixture. Also fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping until it's just combined. Spoon the mixture onto the prepared cookie base and smooth until even. Place the cake into the fridge to cool about 3 hours.

For the topping/glaze, melt the other Toblerone bar (it helps if you chop it up first) in the microwave. Stir in 1/2 cup whipped topping and smear over the top of the chilled cake. There you have it!

Peanut butter cookies

I'm just going to tell the truth: these cookies aren't healthy and they don't have many redeaming qualities. Except they are awesome. The recipe comes courtesy of Canadian Living.



Ingredients:

1 cup buter
1 cup peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips (my own reciep tweaking)

Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with peanut butter; beat in granulated and brown sugars.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; beat in vanilla.

separate bowl, whisk flour with baking soda; stir into butter mixture until blended.

Roll by rounded 1 tbsp (15 mL) into balls.

Place, 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on prepared pans.

With fork, press to flatten to 1/2-inch (1 cm) thickness.

Bake in top and bottom thirds of 350°F (180°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until golden on bottoms and edges are darkened, 12 to 15 minutes.

Transfer to racks; let cool.

You can make these ahead of time by storing them in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Alternatively you can bake off one batch for now and freeze the remainder of the dough in a log-shape wrapped in plastic wrap. This gives you freshly-made cookies on hand any time you want them...or frozen cookie dough. Use as you see fit!

Awesome chocolate cake

It's flourless and has an unexpected ingredient...chickpeas. But try it before you scoff 'cause it's awesome! Part cake, part brownie and 100% gluten free (for my sister's birthday). If you cut the cake into 10 slices, each serving is 3 Weight Watchers points and South Beach Diet friendly. It could even be 100% vegan and diabetic friendly if substitutions were made. And if you made two it would be a great layer cake.

Perhaps the BEST part is that this cake is so easy to make.

1C semi sweet chocolate chips
2C chickpeas
4 eggs (or 1C egg substitute)
2 tsp vanilla
1 C brown sugar (or splenda granular for baking)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
cooking spray
coco powder

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments until melted. In a blender or food processor, combine chickpeas and eggs until smooth. Add chocolate, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and sugar. I added about 2Tbs coco powder for some extra omph. Spray a 9" cake pan (spring-form works really well) with cooking spray and add the batter. For extra non-stick protection, dust the greased pan with coco powder or line with parchment paper. Bake the cake at 350F for 45 minutes. The top will crack a little but it won't sink like most flourless cakes. The texture will be brownie-like and still slightly gooey in the middle.

You can serve it with whipped cream, ice cream, berries, chocolate sauce...the possibilities are endless. One blog

Do not try this at home!

I'm not an amazing baker or anything but there's rarely a time when a recipe I try goes horribly, unbelievably wrong. Last night was one of those rare occasions.

I tried to make cookies...chocolate chunk cookies to be exact. And I used a tried-and-true recipe book Cook This by Amy Rosen. It was, admittingly, the first time I tried this recipe. But I thought, "Hey, it's chocolate chip cookies. Four, eggs, butter, chocolate. How could this go wrong?" Well...

The batter went over well. I must have ate two cookie's worth of batter before baking! If I had known better I would have stopped the whole process there and been content with a big batch of uncooked cookie dough. IN fact, Rosen herself has a tip on the recipe page about how good the dough is to eat raw.

When I did try to bake them, the first attempt resulted in flat, wet circles which continued to spread into flatter, wetter circles in the oven. They didn't cook!

Then I thought of the bright idea to put the dough into my mini-cupcake tin which would enclose the batter so it couldn't run. Bad idea. They came out little burned mini-cupcakes of cookie dough gross-ness.

Anyway, I wasted all those ingredients and a 1/2 hour of my night for nothing. Well, not nothing. Now I can avoid this recipe like the plague and I recommend you do so too.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
8 oz semi sweet chocolate (chips, chunks, or broken-up bars)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray
2. In a large bowl, mix shortening and butter, add sugars and beat until no lumps appear and batter is smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; stir to combine.
3. Add in flour, salt and baking soda. Add chocolate and stir away. You now have cookie batter...[STOP HERE! Enjoy it while you can!]
4. Using hands, roll dough into 1-inch balls, and place on cookie sheet 4 by 4, at equal distances apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown [yeah, right!]. Let rest for a minute and remove from tray and let cook on wire rack.

Good luck!

Blondies

Sometimes you discover something so good it needs to be shared! Did you know Hershey makes Skor chips? I may be a out of the loop on this because I just discovered these at the grocery store last week. What's more, I decided to make the recipe for blondies which was on the back of the package. Sounds base, I know, but it was well worth it. You'll never be unpopular at the office with these...and they're dead easy.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 cup CHIPITS® SKOR® Toffee Bits, divided
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Heat oven to 350°F Grease 13 x 9-inch (baking pan.

2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs until creamy.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture with milk.

4. Stir in 1 cup of the toffee bits and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spread evenly in baking pan.

5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle evenly with remaining toffee bits. Let cool. Cut into bars (Makes 24 bars).

(Picture and recipe from hersheycanada.com)

Mmm muffins

Though convenience food is tempting there is something terribly satisfying about making food yourself from scratch. The conflict of craving is always better resolved when the filling comes from your own work. Boxes and take outs are never as good, or good for you, as a homemade treat.

So when I wanted a muffin the other night I thought to my favorite muffin recipe and wondered what I had in the house to make it. I used Amy Rosen's base recipe for Smooshed Banana-Chocolate Muffins. But since I didn't have much chocolate (I know, a sad day) I subbed in some walnuts and toffee chips. I got my muffin and some more that did us for the rest of the week!

Here's the recipe, and I suggest experimenting with your own filling substitutions:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsb baking powder
pinch salt
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tbs milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar baking powder and salt. Add mashed banana, egg, butter, milk and vanilla. Stir until just blended. Toss in chocolate chips and give another quick stir.

Spray muffin tin or line with paper liners. Divide batter between cups (about 3/4 ways up) and bang the tin on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into centre of the centre muffin comes out clean.

To quote Rosen's Cook This: Recipe's for the Goodtime Girl, "muffins are the perfect snack for people on the go."

These are super quick to make, really take substitutions well, and you can control what goes into them (instead of those monster fat muffins you get at the store). Want more fiber? Add whole wheat flour or some ground flax. Want more vitamins? Add berries! Less fat? Substitute applesauce for some of the butter. Easy peasy.

I've used this recipe before and doubled it, and added more chocolate, to make cupcakes for a friend's birthday. And they really do wonders at the office!

Best chocolate cake

Let me take you back about about two years. I fiound a recipe for Guinness chocolate cake which I wanted to make for my work's St. Paddy's Day party. I tried it and it was fab. But heavy and fudgy...so the next time around I borrowed a friend's mini muffin tin and made Guinness chocolate two-bite brownies. Deadly. They've been a hit ever since and I've bought my own mini muffin tin and all. The original recipe called for a cream cheese frosting but I thought it'd be too heavy so I made a ganache instead using chocolate and cream. This was especially good for dipping the mini cupcakes into and made for an easy finishing touch. You can't really taste the Guinness but it makes for a rich chocolate cake batter. You can also add a touch of coffee to the ganache for extra richness.

The whole process takes a while and has a few steps but it'll be the best cake batter you've ever licked off your spatula!

Here's the original recipe (posted on my facebook profile Thursday, March 15, 2007):

Cake Ingredients

* butter for pan
* 1 cup Guinness Stout (and one for me)
* 10 tbsp unsalted butter
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 2 cups superfine sugar
* 3/4 cup sour cream
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tbsp vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Topping Ingredients
* 1 1/4 cups icing sugar
* 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
* 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
2. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.
3. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.
4. Topping: Using a food processor or by hand, mix icing sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable. Also add a little cocoa powder to give the icing the murky look of the Guinness frothy. (Perhaps a bit more icing sugar, it seemed a bit too spreadable to me.)
5. Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.

Makes one 9-inch cake, 12 servings (or a heck of a lot of two-bite mini cupcakes!!)