Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Chip cookies

 

• Active Time

  35 minutes

• Total Time

  2 hours

We all know the saying “as American as apple pie,” but a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe is perhaps the most iconic American dessert of all. Served warm with a glass of milk, this beloved treat is bound to bring up Proustian childhood memories of grandmothers’ kitchens, after-school snacks, and family celebrations.

Opinions vary about what makes the best chocolate chip cookie. Some people like their cookies crispy, while others prefer a chewier texture. This recipe splits the difference, giving you soft cookies with golden brown, crisp edges. And because this variation is so classic, it’s also extremely flexible. If your perfect chocolate chip cookie is slightly crunchy or more on the tender side, experiment with the range of bake times below, cooking just one or two cookies at first to see exactly how to get them just right. If you’re into bold chocolate chunks, you can opt to use chopped chocolate bars instead of chips. Is big crunch your thing? Fold in a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts. Lover of salty-sweet? Sprinkle on some fancy salt just before baking. 

For cookies with even more nuanced flavor, chill the cookie dough overnight before baking—this will also keep the dough balls from spreading too much on the cookie sheet. You can use a cookie scoop to portion your dough or a measuring cup, but make sure to moisten your palm before you flatten the cookies out, so they don’t stick to your hand.

 Makes about 28 large (4½-inch) cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1½ cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla

2½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces)

1. Step 1

   Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

   Step 2

   Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

   Step 3

   Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1¾ tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips.

   Step 4

   Scoop ¼ cup batter for each cookie, arranging mounds 3 inches apart, on 2 baking sheets. Flatten mounds into 3-inch rounds using moistened palm of your hand. Form remaining cookies on additional sheets of parchment.

   Step 5

   Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets. 

ATK Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

 READY IN: 45 mins

YIELDS: 16 very large cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ³⁄₄ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
• 14  tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• ¹⁄₂ cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• ³⁄₄ cup  packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1  large egg
• 1  large  egg yolk
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli recommended) or 1 ¹⁄₂ cups  semi-sweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli recommended)
• ³⁄₄ cup  chopped pecans (optional) or ³⁄₄ cup walnuts, toasted (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12- inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.).
5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking seet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

no boozy bourbon chicken

 

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut in 1-inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• ¼ cup minced onion

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

• 1/4 cup  apple juice)

• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 2 cups cooked rice

• 2 green onions, sliced

  
  

  step 1:  Gather Ingredients.

  step 2:  Toss chicken with 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a medium bowl.

  step 3:  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken. Cook and stir until browned; transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

  step 4:  Heat  remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until softened and fragrant, 1 to 3 minutes.

  step 5:  Stir remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, soy sauce, broth, apple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, and crushed red pepper together in a small bowl.

  step 6:  Add sauce mixture to skillet; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

  step 7:  Return chicken to skillet. Cook and stir until coated in sauce and heated through, about 2 minutes.

  step 8:  Serve over rice. Top with green onions.

  
  

soups I want to try

 Once I try these, I will let you know...

Chicken Tortellini:  https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a44653643/chicken-tortellini-soup-recipe/

Chicken Parm Soup:  https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a44964263/chicken-parm-soup-recipe/

Sheffield Lake's United Church of Christ Apple Pies

 My friend invited me (and of course I included Robert for peeling)

 to come and help the ladies of the UCC to make apple pies they sell.  About 5 wonderful friends of mine attend this church and do all things they can to keep this church in the black.  It was a joy to be with them for 2 days and the pies look amazing.  The pies are frozen and sold and then baked by the buyers for Thanksgiving.  They are mounded and filled with the apples.  This year however, they only made over 100 pies vs the usual 200+ as in the past.

This recipe came from a VERY VERY VERY old recipe from a cookbook this church assembled and it's the same recipe these ladies use every year.  No one can get the cookbooks anymore ... yes it's that old ... but Lynette said I could have the recipe.

FOR 5 PIES

Seasoning mixture

3 C. White sugar

1 C brown sugar

1-1/4 cup flour

1 T cinnamon

Sift all ingredients together so it is well blended.

This is Beverly House mixing the  ingredients on the first day

Apples

32 C sliced apples

Totally mix the sliced apples with the seasoning til each apple slice is covered with the mixture.

Linda Coleman brings in another huge pan of sliced apples from the men.

Crust

5lb +2 C flour

2 T salt

3 lb butter-flavored Crisco

3-1/4 C water

Create 10 oz balls

Line the pie tins (use foil pans)  with the crust...brush melted margarine (that is what they use) over the inside of the bottom crust.

 Lynette's daughter-in-law Stephanie coated the bottoms with the melted margarine as well as used a pizza crust press to flatten the pie dough. That took powerful strength to work the press.  To the right is Kathy Burrill who was an expert at sealing and crimping.  Lynette's daughter, Heather, who graduated with Dawn was the hand roller and she had the gift.  She also had a wooden circle the correct size for the top which she laid over the crust and cut around it.  PERFECT IN EVERY WAY.  Sadly I missed getting a pix of her. But on the 2nd day, she made a delicious soup for a lunch break.  The thing with the UCC ladies is that they always serve lunch or dinner at their service projects.

Mound the pie filling over each pan gently packing the apple slices.

  This is their fearless leader, Lynette Moore.  She can do everything and does everything. She's a mover and a shaker in the community, library, as well as her church.

Place about 2 T of margarine over the top by using your fingers to break off bits.

Place the top crust over the pie.  Moisten the endges and seal and then crimp the edges.

Store in a plastic bag and place in a pie box and freeze.

This is Mary Ruth Halas, who like me was a friend agreeable to help with the process.

DO NOT DEFROST THE PIE as no one wants a soggy pie.  PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 450.  When the oven comes to temperature, cut a few slits in the top crust.  Bake 25 minutes and then lower oven to 375 and bake for another 40-50 minutes..til the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender when pricked with a fork.

• Add a cookie sheet under the pie plate as it bakes to catch any drips.
• 
  
  If your crust begins to brown too much during baking, cover the top with foil and continue to bake until the apples are cooked through.

Chinese Chicken Ramen Salad

 I'm always looking for the best recipe for Chinese Chicken Ramen Salad.  

https://zonacooks.com/chinese-chicken-ramen-salad/

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 1/2 pound cooked cubed boneless skinless chicken (or shredded)
• 3 ounce package ramen noodles (uncooked and discard seasoning packet)
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 8 ounces coleslaw mix with red cabbage
• 2 green onions
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Hands Free Mode:

Prevent screen from sleeping

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Instructions

1. Slice the green onions.
2. Place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat. Cook, shaking the pan and stirring often until the seeds are fragrant and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Don’t leave the pan because the seeds can easily burn.
3. Remove immediately from the heat and transfer to a plate to stop the cooking.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Crumble uncooked ramen into small pieces and place on a baking sheet along with the sliced almonds, spread into an even layer.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until golden, tossing once halfway through baking, about 6 - 8 minutes total.
7. Set aside to cool.
8. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well blended.
9. To two large dinner bowls, add the coleslaw mix, green onions, cooked chicken, toasted ramen with almonds and toasted sesame seeds, dived evenly.
10. Drizzle dressing over tops and toss to evenly coat.
11. Serve immediately for the best results.

Notes

• Add a sprinkle of cayenne for some spicy heat.

Heart Beef and Gnocchi (or red-skin potatoes) Soup

 Holy Cow...this soup was amazing.  I had saved the recipe from FB but afterward found another recipe for a soup I thought I'd make, even purchasing all the ingredients. But today I couldn't find the 2nd one and made the first.   SO glad I did since a red-based soup is not usually to my stomach liking.  This came from the Cooking Panda

I DECIDED TO USE THE RED-SKIN POTATOES VS THE GNOCCHI BECAUSE I REALLY DO LIKE THOSE POTATOES AND HAD THEM ON HAND.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup Cranberry Juice
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 pound potato gnocchi (or peeled diced red skinnedpotatoes)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced
• Salt & pepper to taste

 

1. Prepare the roast by patting it dry and trimming the fat. Then, cut into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven (or a large soup pot) until shimmering (1-2 minutes). Add half of the beef and brown on all sides. Transfer to a bowl using tongs and set aside. Brown the remaining beef cubes and move to the bowl along with any beef juices.
3. In the same pot, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Stir in onions, carrots, and celery, cooking until softened (about 8 minutes).
4. Add garlic, thyme leaves, paprika, and tomato paste to the vegetables. Sauté for about 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant. Stir incranberry juice and deglaze the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.
5. Next, add the browned beef to the pot along with the beef broth. Stir the bay leaf to the soup, cover, and reduce the heat to medium/medium-low. Simmer for 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef & veggies are tender.
6. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until dissolved. Slowly stir the mixture into the soup, followed by soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and gnocchi. Cook until gnocchi is done (3-5 minutes, depending on package directions).
7. Remove the bay leaf and stir in peas and minced parsley. Serve up hot with your favorite bread!

Mindy's Almond Cherry Freeze Smoothie

I enjoyed a couple of these when I was going through treatments.

Tasty!

Jocelyn's giant bubbles

You will want to increase all ingredients for a huge crowd. Plus a large enough container because of the wands you will be using.   

See below for how to make the wands. 

Ingredients for Bubble Solution:

• 1 heaping tablespoon baking powder (find online here)
• 1 heaping tablespoon guar gum (find online here)
• 1 cup blue Dawn dish soap (find online here)
• 1 gallon (16 cups) water

How to Make Bubble Solution for Giant Bubbles: 

Step 1: In a large bucket or pot, whisk together dish soap, baking powder, and guar gum until all lumps disappear. Remember, it has to be bigger than 1-gallon size because you will be adding a full gallon of water to this mixture.

Step 2: Add water. I found it’s best NOT to use hot water with this recipe because it ended up making all the ingredients clump up and it didn’t mix well for some reason. Also, I found gallon-size twist-top containers at the Dollar Tree and have been using those to store and transport my bubble solution since I’ve been making 3+ gallons per week.

Step 3: Gently whisk all ingredients approximately 10 seconds or until well mixed.

Step 4: Let mixture sit in container overnight or up to 24 hours before using. This final step is important! If you try to use this bubble solution right away, it will not do nearly as well as if you wait. I have done it after an hour or so and it has worked okay, but overnight to 24 hours will give you the best results! I have learned that it is normal for the mixture to separate after sitting overnight. No worries. Just give it a good stir or shake before using and you will be fine.

Materials for Bubble Wand for Giant Bubbles

• 2 sticks approximately 6-12 inches in length (I used the full length of  te dowel rods)
• Cotton string or yarn (all recipes I’ve read have emphasized it needs to be cotton)
• Metal washer or similarly heavy bead

How to Make a Bubble Wand for Giant Bubbles:

Step 1: Tie the top of the sticks together with string approximately 12-18 inches in length.

Step 2: Then tie another length of string to the top of one of the sticks (“Stick A”). This string should be approximately twice the length of the first string.

Step 3: Thread the washer/bead onto this second string, and tie the other end of this string to the second stick (“Stick B”). When you hold up the two sticks, the string should form a triangle with the washer at the bottom. Some tutorials suggest threading on the washer and then tying a knot just above it in order to hold it in place at the bottom of the triangle. I haven’t found that necessary, but it’s not a bad idea.

Step 4: Wrap rubberbands around the tip of each stick to prevent the strings from sliding off when they become slimy with bubble solution. This step is optional, but highly recommended. I learned this the hard way after several students’ strings kept sliding off their sticks!

remember that the longer you make your strings, the larger your triangle will be, and the larger your bubbles will be. If your strings get super long, you may need to use longer sticks. I used these wooden skewers because I didn’t want to buy special sticks and I randomly happened to have a whole pack of them in the trunk of my car (life of a pediatric occupational therapist!). I have seen video tutorials that recommend using wooden dowels from the hardware store for larger bubble wands, and I have even seen one tutorial that uses full-length fishing poles (yes, you read that right, fishing poles) as giant sticks for GINORMOUS bubbles! Watch that one here. It’s pretty amazing.

***Robert and I used the dowel rods and rather than tying the string to the ends or adding the eyelets, we drilled holes in the top of each dowel and inserted the cotton rope thru that.  Worked perfectly!

How to Form Giant Bubbles:

Step 1: Put bubble wand sticks close together, slowly lower them into the bubble solution until all the string has been immersed, and then slowly lift the sticks and string up and out of the solution.

Step 2: Gently pull the sticks apart so the string makes a triangle shape, and let the breeze blow through the triangle to create giant bubbles! If there is no breeze, you can gently blow into the triangle to create bubbles, or you can walk with the sticks to create wind and bubbles.

grandma Holman and gunner's cucumbers

 THINLY slice cucumbers (peeled if skins are thicker)

add to a bowl with water and sugar (for me the more sugar the better)  Allow the cukes to sit in this mixture for at least an hour so that the water allows the 'pores' to open.

Then add Apple Cider Vinegar and allow to sit for another hours to so.  Taste test and if need be add more sugar.

FOR A MORE MEASURED RECIPE USE PAM BARLOWS.  She adds more things and freezers her and they taste exactly the same and are delicious.

7 cups  thinly sliced cucumbers, not peeled 1 cup  sliced onions 1 cup  sliced green peppers 2 cups  sugar 1 cup  cider vinegar (apple Cider)_ 1 teaspoon  salt 1 teaspoon  celery seeds 1 Mix together the cukes, peppers, and onions 2 Mix the other ingredients. 3 Pour over the veggies. Stir. Set 24 hours in frig 4 These can be frozen.

MG Classic Canadian Butter Bars

Classic Canadian Butter Bars
If you don’t like butter tarts, then you’ve never had one. The classic Canadian mini tart made into bars are especially easy and feed a crowd in short time. If you like pecan pie but without nuts, this bar is for you. Totally addictive! I feature a classic tart crust for these bars but if you had pie dough on hand, that would also work.

 

Bottom Layer

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Filling
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons flour
¾ cup dark corn syrup
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Tiniest pinch salt

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously spray a 9 by 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 F.

For the bottom later, in a bowl, blend the butter with the icing sugar. Add in salt and flour to make a thick batter. Chill ten minutes and then pat out into pan. Place pan on baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven while making filling; leave oven on.

In a mixer bowl, blend the butter, brown sugar, flour, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and salt well. Pour into the bottom crust and place in oven. Bake until just set 30-35 minutes.

Cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Cut into squares.
Makes 24-30 bars, depending on size.