Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from New York Times

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Rolled Buttercream

Rolled Buttercream

Adapted from Cake Central

1 c light corn syrup
1 c shortening
1/2 t salt
1 t clear vanilla (you can also add any other flavoring to taste)
2 lbs (approx. 8 c) powdered sugar

In a large bowl, stir together shortening and corn syrup. Mix in salt and vanilla, then gradually mix in the sugar until it is a stiff dough. If you are using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment. If dough is sticky, knead more powdered sugar until it is smooth. Store in airtight container in fridge or at room temp.

Sour Cream Bran Muffins

Sour Cream Bran Muffins

Adapted from Epicurious

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/4 cup dark molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup oat bran (available at Trader Joes)

1/2 cup flaxseed meal

In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, beat in the egg, the sour cream, and the molasses, and stir in the raisins. In a bowl whisk together the flour, the baking soda, the salt, and the bran, add the mixture to the sour cream mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined. (The batter will be lumpy.) Spoon the batter into 12 well-buttered 1/3-cup muffin tins and bake the muffins in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and springy to the touch. Turn the muffins out onto a rack and let them cool.

Aloha Bread

Aloha Bread

Adapted from Loma Linda University Medical Center's Cafeteria

1 c margarine or butter
2 c sugar
4 eggs
1 c mashed bananas
4 c sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp baking soda
1 15.5 oz can crushed-pineapple
1 c shredded coconut

Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, mix well. Stir in bananas. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture; mix well. Fold in undrained pineapple, coconut, and nuts. Pour into greased and floured 9"x 5" loaf pans. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until tested for doneness. Remove from pans and cool.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad
Adapted from a co-worker

1 head NapaCabbage
6 green onions, chopped
1 cup sesame seeds
2 chicken breast, cooked
½ c slivered almonds
2 pkgs Top Ramon (chicken flavored)

DRESSING:
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ cup oil
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ c sugar

In a skillet, mix sesame seeds, almonds, crushed Top Ramon, and chicken seasonings with 2 Tbsp butter until lightly browned. Cut up cabbage and dice chicken. Mix all ingredients in large bowl.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from former co-worker (thanks Allison!)

3 eggs, beaten
2 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 cup pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup nuts (optional)
3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg

Sift all flour ingredients together. Add nuts. Mix all other ingredients. Combine with flour mixture. Pour into greased 1lb coffee cans or loaf pans. Fill ½ full. Bake at 300F degrees for 1½ hours or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti
Adapted from unknown source so can't give appropriate credit

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. vanilla paste (or 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract)
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup melted white chocolate, for drizzling or dipping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl; stir well. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, stirring well with a wire whisk. Slowly add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Mixture will be very crumbly; it will gradually become moist after stirring.)

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until nuts are browned. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Knead or gently stir cooled nuts into dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 portions. Lightly flour hands and shape each portion into a 2 x 10″ long log. (Or I just made one large 8″ x 16″ log.) Place logs 3″ apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 24 minutes; cool logs 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 F.

After some cooling, move a loaf to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2″ thick pieces. Do the same to the other loaf. The interior of each biscotto should still be just a little moist (while the exterior is nice and hard). The crust of the loaf will probably be quite hard, so use a large serrated knife such as a bread knife for this job.

Place the biscotti with a cut side facing up on a half sheet pan and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan and flip all the biscotti over so the other cut side is now facing up. Bake for another 7 minutes. Set all the pieces on a wire rack to cool making sure that none of the biscotti are touching each other. If the biscotti are placed too close together, they could get a little soft or soggy as they cool.

Once the biscotti have fully cooled, they can be consumed as is, or white chocolate dipped or drizzled. To melt the chocolate, pop it in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds, then stir. Then continue heating in 15-second increments (carefully) and stirring in between until chocolate is melted. (I usually add in a little shortening to help it melt and avoid burning.) Then just dip a fork in the chocolate and swish it over biscotti to drizzle, or you can pour it in a Ziplock or pastry bag (with a tiny corner snipped out) and squeeze it out.

The biscotti tastes best during the first few days, but will keep for up to a month in a sealed air-tight container.