Getting close to turning the corner on February, and I am doing OK
Winter forces me to stay inside too often, facing tasks I hate to even think about, no less do, trying to fill the day, moving, moving, going nowhere. Cook, I say to myself, create, fill the house with wonderful smells and the grayness of the day will go away. I open up the fridge and it is filled with food that I made days ago for the same reason. Ignoring this, I continue on my pursuit to accomplish something. Soup, I will make soup. It is hardy, perfect for winter and I have all the ingredients. I have made so much soup this winter, hubby has been complaining. He reminded me the other day that he still has his teeth and would love something to chew upon. So I make cookies, lots of cookies. I take a few dozen with me to work on Thursdays. They are all grateful and that makes me feel so good that I go home and make more of them. The oven is going constantly; butter, flour and sugar must be bought on a weekly basis and if the sun doesn't shine soon and I continue with this obsession, Weight Watchers will cancel my membership and burn my card.
Today I made the most scrumptious chocolate chip cookies. Hubby came across this recipe on Yahoo and it was submitted by Alison Roman. Alison, dear Alison, we could become best friends, because your cookies were Divine. Here are the ingredients for......... Ta Da............
Delicious Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
8 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks
Sea salt
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat at 375 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in medium bowl and set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and powered sugar until light and fluffy - 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg yolks, egg and vanilla. Beat, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy, 4 - 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just to blend. Fold in chocolate.
Spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Sprinkle cookies with ground sea salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
This is what you get.
Chocolate and salt, a perfect food!
The recipe said you would get two dozen, but I got three dozen. I made them small because: 1) a smaller cookies gives me less guilt, 2) there are more cookies to love.
They say the cloudy cold days will continue till at least Saturday so there will be more baking going on. Although I know not to fool around with perfection, next time, when I make these cookies I will use almond extract instead of vanilla and add chopped walnuts. Hubby will like the walnuts as then he will have something to chew. Got to satisfy those choppers.
Winter forces me to stay inside too often, facing tasks I hate to even think about, no less do, trying to fill the day, moving, moving, going nowhere. Cook, I say to myself, create, fill the house with wonderful smells and the grayness of the day will go away. I open up the fridge and it is filled with food that I made days ago for the same reason. Ignoring this, I continue on my pursuit to accomplish something. Soup, I will make soup. It is hardy, perfect for winter and I have all the ingredients. I have made so much soup this winter, hubby has been complaining. He reminded me the other day that he still has his teeth and would love something to chew upon. So I make cookies, lots of cookies. I take a few dozen with me to work on Thursdays. They are all grateful and that makes me feel so good that I go home and make more of them. The oven is going constantly; butter, flour and sugar must be bought on a weekly basis and if the sun doesn't shine soon and I continue with this obsession, Weight Watchers will cancel my membership and burn my card.
Today I made the most scrumptious chocolate chip cookies. Hubby came across this recipe on Yahoo and it was submitted by Alison Roman. Alison, dear Alison, we could become best friends, because your cookies were Divine. Here are the ingredients for......... Ta Da............
Delicious Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
8 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks
Sea salt
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat at 375 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in medium bowl and set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and powered sugar until light and fluffy - 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg yolks, egg and vanilla. Beat, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy, 4 - 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just to blend. Fold in chocolate.
Spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Sprinkle cookies with ground sea salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
This is what you get.
Chocolate and salt, a perfect food!
The recipe said you would get two dozen, but I got three dozen. I made them small because: 1) a smaller cookies gives me less guilt, 2) there are more cookies to love.
They say the cloudy cold days will continue till at least Saturday so there will be more baking going on. Although I know not to fool around with perfection, next time, when I make these cookies I will use almond extract instead of vanilla and add chopped walnuts. Hubby will like the walnuts as then he will have something to chew. Got to satisfy those choppers.
