Quite Possibly One Of The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies... Ever!

Whenever I would search "the best chocolate chip cookie recipe" on the internet, this recipe kept popping up, so I figured my computer was trying to tell me something. It was the little things about this recipe, 2 cups PLUS 2 tbsp. flour, one egg PLUS one egg yolk, that had me believing that maybe everyone was right! Maybe this was the best chocolate chip cookie out there! So, of course, I had to try it and, either prove everyone wrong, or have the privilege of tasting one of the best cookies on the planet! Lucky for me, it was the second thought! I now understand what everyone has been talking about when they labeled these "the best". So, here it is... the recipe for the best chocolate chip cookie!

"The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie"

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Scoop dough out with cookie scoop and place the formed dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, about 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets, and get ready to bite into one of the best cookies in the world! Enjoy!

Oatmeal Butter Cookies.

For the start of the new year, I felt that it was time for a new cookie. With some of my favorite flavors and ingredients in mind, I constructed an oatmeal butter dark chocolate chip cookie which came out quite tastey. They look like your classic oatmeal cookie, however, they did not flatten out when baked. Either way, they are pretty delicious, and not to mention, you won't feel as guilty indulging in one of these babies! Enjoy!

Oatmeal Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
¼ cup I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 ½ tsp. butter and nut extract
1 cup flour
1 ¼ cup ground oatmeal
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, applesauce, and brown sugar. Beat until well combined. Add egg whites and extract and beat until combined. Combine flour, ground oats, baking soda, and cinnamon and add to creamed mixture. Stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.



Calories 117
Carbohydrates 19
Protein 2
Fat 4

Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas time is my favorite time of year... mostly because of the Christmas cookies! Every year I usually buy the Nestle Toll House Gingerbread Cookie Dough in the huge tub from the store, but this year, I decided to make my own gingerbread cookies from scratch. I was extremely excited to try my hand at it, because I absolutely love gingerbread cookies! The recipe I tried was so delicious and the cookies came out soft and fat! They definitely did not disappoint, and a major plus was that the dough did not have any eggs in it, which made me believe it was perfectly safe to taste. So, if you are a gingerbread lover, like me, be sure to try out this recipe! Merry Baking!

Gingerbread Men
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses, water and vanilla, then gradually add in flour mixture until a smooth dough forms. Place dough in container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm.

Preheat oven to 375F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters of your choice (2-3″ gingerbread men are perfect!) to cut dough. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on size of cookie cutter. Cookies should be slightly firm to the touch at the edges. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Information 1 cookie:

Calories 66   
Fat 2
Carbohydrates 9  



French Chocolate Macaroons

After spending some time in Paris, France this past April, I've been dying to make french macaroons. They are so light and delicious and I love a new challenge! I always have to work some chocolate into my baking one way or another, so my best bet was chocolate macaroons. For a first timer, I must say that I think I did pretty well in my macaroon making. It took a bit of time, considering I wasn't a pro at it, but overall, I will definitely make these again.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

Macaroons:

1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Filling:1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

To make the macaroons: Pulse the almonds with 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add the cocoa powder and the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and pulse until well blended.

Beat the egg whites with the salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl just until the whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the almond mixture.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the tops are cracked and appear dry but the macaroons are still slightly soft to the touch.

Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment paper, to barely dampened kitchen towels and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully peel the paper off the macaroons and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the filling: Bring the cream just to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the chocolate and butter and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm enough to hold its shape when spread.

If desired, transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe the filling, or spread it with a knife, generously on the flat side of half of the macaroons. Top with the remaining macaroons, flat-side down, pressing together gently to form sandwiches.

Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies

On my recent visit to London, England, I discovered a new breakfast cereal called Muesli. Very similar to oatmeal, Muesli, is packed with a blend of fruit and nuts, along with oats. At first, I thought Muesli was only sold in the U.K., but when I returned home to the states, I found some in my local grocery store. I became a fan immediately, and knew that I had to try to incorporate Muesli into some kind of cookie. So, once again, I started creating a cookie like no other. I decided to use my basic, yet delicious, oatmeal cookie recipe, and replace the oatmeal for Muesli. The result was out of this world! The cookies were soft and chewy, so this recipe is definitely a keeper! I added some chocolate chips for a bit more flavor which was an absolute plus! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup Muesli

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir until combined. Add Muesli and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 1 dozen.



Toffee Almond Meringue Cookies

For years I have been seeing recipes for meringue cookies and always wanted to give them a try. This year I came across the perfect recipe and decided that it was time to make these delicious little treats. Filled with two of my favorite things in the world: toffee bits and almonds, I knew this was going to be the perfect recipe. The cookies didn't just taste wonderful, but also looked wonderful. The toffee bits gave the cookies a chewy texture which balanced perfectly with the crunch of the almonds. If you like meringue cookies, be sure to give these a try.

Toffee Almond Meringue Cookies:

4 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk chocolate English toffee bits

1 cup finely chopped almonds

In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablesponn at a time, beating on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved, about 6-8 minutes. Fold in toffee bits and almonds.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 250 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until set and dry. Turn oven off; leave cookies in oven for 1 hour.

Cool completely on pans on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.



Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies.

As usual, I was thinking of some kind of new cookie recipe to whip up. This time, I took a slightly different approach and combined sweet and salty flavors into one DELICIOUS cookie! The idea came to me one day when I saw the new chocolate chips that my mom had purchased at the store. Nestle Toll House is now selling dark chocolate chips and I thought that dark chocolate would pair perfectly with peanut butter. But that just wasn't enough for me, so I decided to add some pretzels. The result was an absolutely delicious and perfect cookie that I have to share.

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies:

1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter*

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips**

1 cup crushed pretzels

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and both sugars until well mixed. Stir in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla, and blend together. Add the flour mixture and stir together all the ingredients. Fold in your chocolate chips and pretzels.

Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Pop the cookies in the oven and bake for about 8 – 10 minutes, depending on your cookie size and oven. As soon as the edges turn slightly brown I take the cookies out and allow them to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet.

*It is extremely important to use chunky peanut butter to add that extra crunch!

** It is also extremely important to use dark chocolate chips. This is what brings out the deliciousness in this sweet and salty combination.



Red Velvet Cookies

One of the best flavors in the world is red velvet. I think it's safe to say that most of you agree. Most of the time, I make either red velvet cake or cupcakes, but this time, I took a different route and made some red velvet cookies. This recipe sticks to the usual format of pairing red velvet with cream cheese frosting, however, these cookies are not frosted, but instead, swirled with cream cheese that is baked right inside! WOW! I had to try this! The cookies came out great, but a bit on the dry side. Overall, the recipe is a keeper, but I will work on making them a bit more moist. Anyway... enjoy!

Red Velvet Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
5 tablespoons reduced fat cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla, then beat in food coloring.
Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder and mix until just combined.
Add cream cheese to dough and mix briefly until just swirled.
Scoop out by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets.

U2 Concert and a Delicious Cookie!

Last night me and my mom went to see U2! Ahhh it was such a great night! But, besides being serenaded by the one and only Bono for 2 and a half hours, I had to sample one of the Mrs. Field's Cookies that the vendors were selling all around the new Meadowlands Stadium! Soft, gooey, and so delicious! I think I might just have to clone these wonderful works of art! But for right now, I'll just share the picture I had to take of the cookie before I work on the recipe!



(Not to mention, the chocolate chips had melted a bit since it was about 100 degrees!)




(Yes, we were a bit high up there, but it was still an amazing night!)


 


(Bono has put on another great show yet again!)



Seriously One of the BEST Cookies I've Ever Had!

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened hazelnut paste* or peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp scraped out, or 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
2 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces or larger
*1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional).

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars. Add the hazelnut paste or peanut butter, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla bean pulp or extract, scraping down the bowl as needed.

2. In another bowl, sift together the flour, the baking soda and the salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and combine at low speed until the dough comes together. Mix in the chocolate pieces and, if desired, the nuts. Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets, flattening them slightly by hand.

3. Bake until lightly browned, 9 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookie sheets on a wire rack before removing the cookies.

*Hazelnut paste is a paste made from roasted and ground hazelnuts. To make: Roast nuts slightly in oven; let cool; ground in food processor.

*Personally, I don't like to use nuts when baking, especially when a recipe calls for hazelnut paste or peanut  butter. When using peanut butter, it gives the cookies a natural nut flavor, which will over power the cookie if you add more nuts. But, of course, feel free to add more if you would like!

Go Bananas!

For those of you who love bananas, this recipe is for you! Banana's Foster Bars are so delicious and literally melt in your mouth! Yes, they take some time, but so so so worth it in the end. Below I've posted the recipe, so leave your comments and enjoy!!!

Banana's Foster Bars

Preheat oven to 325F (racks set to the middle and near top)
Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper

Shortbread

1 cup + 5 tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
3 cups + 3 tbsp flour

Melt butter, set aside until cool. Mix butter and sugar together. Whisk in egg yolks. Stir salt into flour. Mix into butter mixture until combined. Transfer 2 cups of dough to the prepared pan & press evenly. Prick dough with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 min.
For the topping, mix 1/4 cup sugar with the remaining dough & crumble together. (This is to make a nice crumbly crust after pouring the banana filling on the cookie... but we'll get to that later!)

Banana Filling
3 bananas
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dark rum

Over low heat, melt butter, sugar and cinnamon stirring until almost dissolved. Add sliced bananas and saute. Turn slices over once. Add rum and heat through - boil or flambe until the sugar is fully dissolved. Mash or cut bananas into small pieces. Take out 1/4 cup of the rum sauce and mix into banana mixture. Heat the remaining rum sauce, bring to a boil and reduce down slightly and add the rest of the rum mixture with the mashed bananas. Take pan out of the refrigerator and bake in the middle of the oven for 18 mins. until slightly brown on the edges. Increase temp. to 350F. Spread banana mixture over hot crust. Scatter remaining dough on top. Bake on the near top rack 25+ min. until top is browned. Cool 1 hour. Cut into bars.

I've made this recipe multiple times and loved it every time! I try to incorporate bananas into all of my baked goods so this was the perfect cookie for me!