Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vu has been craving for chocolate chip cookies so I decided to take on the cookie challenge.  Let’s just say that cookies are not my forte.  When I was still in pharmacy school, I failed miserably trying to bake chocolate chip cookies for a potluck.  A classmate of mine, O, took a bite of my cookies and said he felt sorry for whoever would marry their creator.  Then he kept on going without realizing that I had heard the entire commentary.  When O was done, I quietly took ownership of those cookies.  All of our friends roared with laughter as O’s face turned beet red and he started apologizing profusely for his comments.  I laughed it off and admitted that I was not born a baker.  Ever since, I am still intimidated by cookies.  Today, I am using a bit of help from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home.  I altered the recipe a bit, using less butter and sugar to cut down on the calories.  They turned out quite delicious, one of the best chocolate chip cookies ever!  Quite moist and chewy! Too bad O is not around to taste them.

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 stick of butter, cut into small cubes

¾ cup of brown sugar

½ cup of granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 oz of chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.

Add both sugars and beat until well combined.  Add the eggs one at a time and then mix in the vanilla, scraping the bowl as necessary to blend everything.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine.

Mix in the chocolate chip.

Use an ice cream scooper, take about 2 tablespoons per cookie and transfer the dough onto a baking sheet.  Leave about 2 inches between the dough because it will spread.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes.  Enjoy them with a glass of milk.

Take a bite of this!

Thomas Keller’s Bite Sized Brownies

After 15 days of work, I asked my boss for a day off to relax and catch up on my sleep.  When I woke up, I was craving for chocolate, a rather unusual feeling.  Maybe it was the residual chocolate craving after that dinner at Ruth’s Chris.  I wanted something simple and flipped through Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller when the recipe for brownies caught my eyes.  Brownies remind me of comfort food, something so simple yet likeable by everyone, from little kids to the grandparents.  Brownie is a perfect pick me up after a long day of work or a lazy Sunday morning, something you can pair with a glass of cold milk, rich vanilla ice cream, or by itself.  I adapted the brownies recipe from Ad Hoc at Home but substituted applesauce for two thirds of the butter, a much healthier alternative!  It was my first time baking with applesauce so I was a bit nervous.  I was pleasantly surprised when I had the first bite.  The brownie was rich and retained all of its goodness even with the applesauce!  My husband could not taste the difference either!  I am happy to report that it was a successful batch of brownies filled with gooey goodness!

Ingredients

¾ cup all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 stick of butter, melted (save half the stick for buttering the muffin pan)

1 ½ cup of applesauce

3 large eggs

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cup of chocolate chips

raspberries and powdered sugar for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

Mix the eggs and sugar on medium speed, and then pour in the vanilla.  Add the applesauce and continue mixing.

On low speed, pour in half of the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add the butter and continue beating.  Mix in the remaining dry ingredients.

Add the chocolate chips and mix well.

Pour about 2 tbsps of batter into each buttered well of a mini muffing tray and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Let them cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and garnish with raspberries and powdered sugar.