The only chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need

A few weeks ago on a sunny, gorgeous fall afternoon, my work was done and Davis was still at school. I decided to head to the kitchen and bake chocolate chip cookies to surprise him with when I picked him up at school.  I love baking but in particular, I love baking in my kitchen on a sunny day with the windows open.

It seemed like such a luxury to whip up a batch of cookies in the middle of the day and I savored that time in the kitchen.  I also thought about how it's taken a while to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I wanted to make again and again but finally, I've found it.

These cookies are crisp around the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. Perfection. They can seem a little flat but when you take a bite, you know you've found cookie bliss.

Davis was quite happy when I greeted him after school with warm-out-of-the-oven cookies and my reward -- in addition to a cookie -- was seeing his happy face.  As I noted in a previous post, Davis' tree nut allergy complicates food a bit, but particularly when it comes to cookies. We can't grab a cookie at the local bakery after school as a treat like we used to so this was a nice way to bring him a treat that was safe for him.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

Directions

**Please note, I find I need to bake the cookies longer than 8-10 minutes as recommended in the recipe. Watch the cookies carefully and add time by the minute if they don't look quite ready after the allotted 8-10 minutes. Don't hesitate to take them out of the oven when they are a bit soft in the middle because you can easily overcook them and ruin the consistency if you over-bake. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Brown sugar + butter + apples = what's not to like?

Earlier this fall, I took a trip with Davis to a local apple orchard where we somehow managed to pick 11 pounds of apples in a frenzy. We had intended to pick enough for an apple pie with a few left over for a snack but we outdid ourselves!

My eyes definitely bulged in shock when the cashier weighed our apple haul, but I knew there was no turning back. In fact, it turns out it was great we over-picked because otherwise, I might not have had enough apples (or courage for fear of using the coveted apples for a dessert debacle) to try something new beyond the usual apple crumble I make.

Which leads me to the divine apple cinnamon brown sugar cake that I made.  I knew the minute I smeared the cake pan with copious amounts of butter and sprinkled brown sugar on top of the butter that we couldn't go wrong with this cake.

After the butter and sugar, I arranged the apples in a somewhat circular pattern on the bottom of the pan, put the springy cake mixture on top and sent it to the oven to bake in all it's buttery, brown sugary glory.

And, oh how glorious it was.

I highly recommend you try making this cake in place of a beloved apple cobbler/apple pie/apple crumble recipe that I'm sure has been your stand-by.

When you invert the cake onto a plate when it is still slightly warm and see the apples glistening in the butter and brown sugar goodness, you will be glad you left your apple comfort zone.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Apple Cake

Ingredients

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

3 apples, Empire or Gala (about 1 1/2 pounds), each peeled, cored, and sliced into 8 wedges

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle bottom with brown sugar. In a medium bowl, toss apples with lemon juice; arrange in prepared pan in two concentric circles (you might not use all of them).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs and vanilla; beat until incorporated. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in three parts and the milk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter over apples in pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours (if cake has risen above rim of pan, simply push back inside rim).

To serve, run a knife around edge of pan, and invert cake onto a rimmed platter.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Because no one should go without brownies

Earlier this year, we had one of those heart-stopping parent moments.

After eating a big bowl of shrimp fried rice from our favorite Chinese restaurant, our son, Davis, had what turned out to be an allergic reaction.

We naively thought at first he was a.) choking on a piece of fortune cookie and that's why he was having trouble breathing or b.) put a small Playmobil piece in his mouth and was choking even though he was past the phase of putting small things in his mouth.

After a harrowing few minutes at home before rushing him down the hill to the Georgetown Hospital Emergency Room, we learned he was having an allergic reaction to ... something.

Long story short, after seeing an allergist a few days later, we learned our son is allergic to tree nuts and shrimp. We came away with a slew of Epi Pens and a plan of action in case the worst happened.

I don't like to think about the worst, but in this case, you have to. Ugh!

The allergist suspects there was a trace of tree nuts (specifically cashew) in the pan where his shrimp fried rice was cooked. The doctor also thinks that testing positive for a shrimp allergy may be a false positive. However, we are playing it safe for the next year until Davis is tested again and avoiding shrimp.

Our food world has changed a bit since Davis was diagnosed with his allergies but it's not insurmountable. Reading labels has become a regular part of my food shopping looking for the warning words of, 'this product was processed in a factory that processes tree nuts.' Or, reminding servers at restaurants that Davis' steak can't be cooked on the same grill where they cooked shrimp.  Usually, he likes to remind them himself. He also won't take food from anyone without saying, "My mom needs to read the label first to make sure it's okay for me."

Pre-food allergy discovery, Davis used to love the brownies I made from the Ghirardelli brownie mix sold in a box (and sold in bulk at Costco so you could really binge on chocolate deliciousness!). I make most things from scratch but the Ghirardelli boxed brownie mix was SO amazing that I never bothered to make brownies from scratch. Some days, I would make a box just for fun and spend the afternoon eating the brownies and then putting them in the trash trying to keep myself away from them.

And then, I would be tempted to eat them out of the trash. So, I would resort to covering them with dish soap (a la Miranda and the chocolate cake in that Sex in the City episode) so I wouldn't eat them out of the trash. They were THAT good. Trust me.

This weekend, Davis said he really missed brownies. Since the beloved Ghirardelli boxed mix is not tree nut allergy-friendly, I set out to recreate the goodness.

Because no one should go without brownies.

It would just be cruel, right? And Lord knows, we don't go without chocolate or food we love in this house!

It turns out, Ghirardelli has the recipe for their brownies on their website to make them from scratch. Most importantly, their semi-sweet chocolate baking chips are safe for Davis. Thank goodness!

You guys, these brownies are AMAZING.

I am sorry for the use of caps but the brownies are so good that caps is warranted.  I took a bite of the new brownies, tentatively, after they came out of the oven and prepared for disappointment.

Instead, it took all my self-control not to eat the whole 8x8 pan right then and there. Well, that and the fact we were heading to the pool one last time before summer ended, aided my self-control.

But, back to the little man, Davis. He took a bite of brownie and declared it better than the 'old ones that were made in a factory where tree nuts were processed.'

Success!

Even if Davis does grow out of his tree nut allergy (which the allergist says is possible), I will never go back to boxed brownie mix.  And he emphasized he doesn't want to go back, either.

This recipe is a tiny bit more work but trust me, it's worth it.

So, indulge. And put the dish soap away and enjoy whatever is left after your guests leave.

Homemade Ghirardelli Brownies

Ingredients

• ¹/₂ cup Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips 
• 4 ounces Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips
• ¹/₂ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ³/₄ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¹/₄ teaspoon baking powder
• ³/₈ teaspoon salt 

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
• Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan. 
• Chop the 4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate bars into 1" pieces. In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the 4 ounces of Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. 
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature. 
• Stir the brown sugar and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. 
• Add the eggs and mix well. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Slowly fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, mixing well until blended. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Recipe adapted from Ghirardelli Classic Brownie recipe

A salsa to end the summer

And just like that, summer is over.

Can you believe it? I feel like I was just sitting by the pool all pasty white on Memorial Day weekend wishing for a tan.

But what a great summer it was.  It was a summer I will remember as one full of firsts for my son (who turned 4 years old in July) including learning to swim and go off the diving board by himself, going to day camp and loving it.

I'll also remember it for the wonderful vacation to Colorado that my little family of three shared.  It was a trip filled with delicious food (of course) and adventure including a white water rafting trip that took us through Class 3 rapids on the Colorado River. It was exhilarating for my adult self and even more so for my son who enjoyed every minute! He was so brave and loved the adventure.

At the end of the rafting trip, we were treated to a fresh taco lunch that included a salsa bar. That is where we encountered black bean and pineapple salsa for the first time. We were ravenous after over two hours on the water and as we settled in the grass to enjoy lunch, Davis and I both commented that we loved the salsa.

I spent most of this weekend cooking after being reunited with my kitchen after being gone for a good portion of August. One of the best parts of returning from vacation is attempting to re-create any amazing food we enjoyed on the trip.

First up to try to re-create: black bean and pineapple salsa.

It's so easy to make, very refreshing and great with tortilla chips or used as a light topping for tacos or fish. 

I pretty much could eat it by the spoonful.

My advice in making this is to take time to chop the pineapple, onion and jalapeno into very finely diced pieces so that they blend nicely with the black beans.  Somehow, it tastes better when everything is the same size in the salsa so that one ingredient doesn't overwhelm the other in your mouth. Also, like most salsa, the longer this sits and marinates, the flavors become even more vibrant and meld together nicely.

This salsa was part of our farewell to summer on this Labor Day and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did today.

Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (likely juice of one whole lime)
• Coarse salt (to taste

Directions

• In a medium bowl, combine the black beans, pineapple, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season with coarse salt.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food, March 2011

Chocolate decadence in a bowl

I was on the prowl for dessert last week after we had finished a delicious dinner at a barbecue restaurant. I'm not sure how I still had room for dessert after a 1/2 pound of brisket and assorted sides but that's neither here nor there. 

Badly.

I saw chocolate pudding on the menu but ... meh. I remembered the pre-packaged pudding from the grocery store and was not at all excited.  That is, until the waitress told me the pudding was homemade and featured crushed Oreos and mini chocolate chips.

SOLD!

The pudding was rich, smooth and thick -- almost mousse-like. The cookies and mini-chips added a nice crunch.

It was a dessert I desperately wanted to recreate at home and thankfully, my son turned 4 years old this week so it was the perfect opportunity to experiment. After an earlier birthday party with friends and then one with family which both featured his beloved ice cream cake, I needed something different that didn't involve ice cream for his actual birthday.

This pudding is beyond simple to prepare. Just be sure to use good quality chocolate. The fewer the ingredients in a recipe, the more important it is to use the highest quality ingredients you can find.  This recipe is from Scharffenberger which makes wonderful chocolate. I used Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and they worked beautifully.  I also substituted the copycat Oreos made by the brand Newman's Own and again, no issues with the substitution.

I will give you fair warning that this is an extraordinarily rich dessert and probably not for you if you don't LOVE chocolate.  But, if chocolate is your thing and if it is sweltering hot by you tonight, I highly advise tucking into a ramekin full of cold, silky chocolate pudding. It truly is decadence in a bowl.

Chocolate Pudding with Crushed Oreos and Mini-Chocolate Chips

Serves 4-6

**This recipe requires a double boiler. I do not own a double boiler but simply fill a pot up with a small amount of water and rest a glass bowl on top of the pot. Take care to make sure the water, once bubbling, does NOT hit the bottom of the bowl.  If it does you have too much water in the pot.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 6 ounces high quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Oreos or other comparable cookie (use as many as you wish)
• Mini-chocolate chips (use as many as you wish)

Details

• Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping th ebottom and sides.
• Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Pour pudding into small ramekins or bowls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
• When you are ready to serve the pudding, place cookies in a bag and crush them and sprinkle on top of the pudding along with mini-chocolate chips.

Recipe adapted from Scharffen Berger