Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have found this blog to be the hardest one for me to write. I think it's because I just love cookies so much and have so many great memories with them that I'm not sure what story to share and which route to take for this blog. I love cookies SO MUCH! The act of making, eating, and sharing them provides me with so much comfort and pleasure. 

I use to think it was so odd that my favorite desserts were cookies and not the more traditional favorites, like ice cream, candy, or cake, until a couple winters ago when my Grandma Beth clued me in. Grandma Beth babysat me every day for the first couple years of my life use to treat me to cookies. So at a young age, I must have associated cookies with comforting thoughts. Grandma Beth is a sweet, caring, and artistic woman. These cookies are dedicated to my Grandma Beth, a beautiful woman who contributed to my wonderful childhood by providing me with love, happiness, and safety. I'm lucky to have her in my life. 

I'll end my cookie story sharing there so you can get on with baking your cookies and making your own memories. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 Stick Butter, Softened

1/4 Cup White Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1 1/4 Cup Flour

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix all the ingredients together in the order they are listed in the Ingredients section. For example, mix the softened butter with the sugars until fully incorporated and then add an egg. All the wet ingredients should be added before mixing in the flour, otherwise it may change the constancy of the dough. 

Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, drop the cookies on a grease baking sheet and let them bake for about 8-10 minutes. 

Alternative Ideas

This recipe is a great foundation for most cookie.  What you choose to do with your cookies is only limited by your imagination. I have tried countless alterations to this recipe and most have turned out delicious so don't be afraid to play around with it. 

Rocky Road Cookies: If you love rocky road ice cream then you may want to try this idea. When adding the chocolate chips, add 1/2 - 3/4 cup of your favorite nuts. If you have the time, you should try roasting the nuts to enhance their flavors before adding them to the dough.  Of course it wouldn't be rocky road without the mini marshmallows, so add about 1/2 - 3/4 cup mini marshmallows. Definitely DON'T forget to grease the baking sheet if you make these scrumptious rocky road cookies. 

Fruit and Nuts: Add about 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and 1/2 cup of walnuts to the cookie recipe. Another great addition would be 1/2 cup of toasted shredded unsweetened coconut. When making these cookies, I tend to add the chocolate chips but you can omit them. 

M&M Cookies: Simply substitute the chocolate chips for M&Ms and you will have some delicious hits. Using the M&Ms with peanut butter fillings may be a great idea. 

Eat, Share, & Enjoy!

Apple Spiced Bread Pudding

My husband and I recently decided to uproot our lives in Alaska and moved to a sunnier part of the country, Alabama. So we packed up our two little cars with all of our belongings, and my parents helped us drive across the country to start another chapter of our lives. Half of our trip was spent driving on the notorious Alcan Highway. The seemingly never ending construction zones, large wildlife grazing next to the road, and the desolate areas made this potion of our drive the prettiest, and most dangerous.

At the end of our third long day of driving we were approaching Muncho Lake area in British Columbia. We were eager to find a place where we could fill our bellies with warm food and lay our heads, but most importantly we wanted to get out of the metal contraptions we were held hostage to for so long. Thankfully, we stumbled across Double G Service Lodge, which from the outside looks rundown and a bit scary, however the rooms are clean and the owner while he looks like a grumpy old guy, is actually a friendly, and family-oriented. Pretty much this place should be an ad for the infamous saying "Don't judge a book by its cover".

The owners granddaughter had been practicing her cooking and decided to make apple bread pudding, a family recipe. It was absolutely delicious!

Ever since Double G Service, I have been thinking about the wonderful apple bread pudding and wanting to recreate it. Today, I finally did!

Apple Spiced Bread Pudding

Ingredients

14 oz. French Bread, Stale

1 3/4 lbs Apples, Preferably Red Apples (i.e., Gala, Honeycrisp)

8 Tbsp Butter

3 Tbsp Flour

1 1/4 Brown Sugar

1 Cup Water

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Allspice

4 Eggs

2 1/4 Cups Whole Milk

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions

Cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes and spread them out on a baking sheet. If you have time, you can cut the bread ahead of time and let it sit out for several hours to become stale. However, if you don't want to wait to make the bread pudding, I found placing the bread in the oven at its lowest setting for a few minutes drys the bread up nicely. Be careful not to brown the bread. You want it to feel dry while maintaining its color. 

Peel, core, and dice the apples into approximately 1/2 inch pieces. This process can be time consuming. If you don't have an apple peeler and are going to be taking the skin off by a knife, don't worry about removing every bit of the skin. Just do your best. 

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter until full incorporated. Add 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp allspice. Once the ingredients are mixed together well, stir in the water and apples. Cover the apples and let them continue to cook over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes. 

Once the apples are tender, drain the apples but save the sauce to use as a topping. Let the apples cool. 

Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 13 x 9 inch pan. 

Place the stale bread into the pan then add the diced apples. Mix the bread and apples slightly so that all of the apples don't remain on the top. Pour the egg mixture evenly onto the bread and then lightly pat the bread to ensure the the top layer of the bread has absorbed some of the egg mixture. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Once the bread pudding has been fully cooked, remove from the oven, and let cook. 

Drizzle the sauce from the apples on top of the bread pudding before eating. 

Alternative Ideas

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere: The combination of apples and brandy pair nicely for the holiday season. To make this Apple Spiced Bread Pudding more festive, try adding 1/4 cup of Brandy to the sauce pan before cooking the apples. 

Minimalists: To make things simpler, you can replace the spices with apple pie spice. You would use 2 tsp apple pie spice in the sauce pan to cook the apples, and 1 tsp apple pie spice in the egg mixture. This way you only use one spice, as opposed to three but many people such as myself don't have apple pie spice in our cabinets. 

Apples! Apples! Apples!:  Instead of using 1 cup water, you could try replacing it with 100% apple juice or apple cider. This may give the sauce some more apple flavoring. Yum!

Eat, Share, and Enjoy!

Oatmeal Banana Bread

Every time I buy bananas, I say to myself, "Oh yeah, I can eat these up in time". By time, I mean before they start to brown. Well, despite my motivation to eat them up, I'm always left with two to three bananas that have all of a sudden browned and I know I won't eat. As a result, I start thinking about what to do with the browned bananas. I've tried several banana bread and muffin recipes, as well a banana cookie recipes.

An ingredient that I was usually looking for when searching through banana recipes was CHOCOLATE. I thought banana bread without chocolate chips just doesn't seem right. However, the chocolate chips makes the bread sweet and feel more decadent which normally is good but for me it never worked out. The only time I'm interested in eating banana bread or muffins is in the mornings but if there are sweet and seem more of a dessert, I won't eat them for breakfast. As a result, only a few muffins and a portion of the bread gets eaten which means more was wasted than just the lonely two or three bananas I started with.

This oatmeal banana bread recipe is a great addition to your morning coffee. It's not too sweet and the oats makes if feel more hardy. However, if you want banana bread with your evening cup of decaf coffee, simply add about 1 cup of chocolate chips to the dry ingredients. :)

I put an oat topping onto this patch of bread. To make this topping simply cut 1/4 cup of cold butter into 1/4 cup flour, 1/3 brown sugar, 1/4 cup oats, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Oatmeal Banana Batter

Oatmeal Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 Eggs, Beaten

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

1/4 Cup Oil

1 Cup Mashed Bananas

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1/3 Cup White Sugar

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 Cup Oats

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. 

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until flour is fully incorporated. 

Pour batter into a greased 8 inches x 4 inches bread pan. 

Bake for approximately 55 minutes. If you are able to, insert a toothpick into the bread to ensure the bread is done before removing. You can remove the bread from the oven if the toothpick comes back clean. 

Let the bread cool before cutting into it.  

Alternative Ideas

As with most recipes on my blog, there are tons of creative ways to play with a banana bread recipe. How I decide to tweak recipes just depends on my imagination and what I already have in my kitchen. Here are some suggestions:

Espresso: Adding a tablespoon of instant espresso powder tends to be a hit. However, you could try replaying the heavy cream for strong brewed coffee but I would make sure the coffee has cooled down before adding it. 

Orange Zest: Adding a tablespoon or two of orange zest would give the bread a nice fresh flavor. If you decide to add orange zest and like nuts, a good addition to the bread would be an orange pecan topping. For the topping,cut in 4 tablespoons of cold butter into 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup oats, and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Mix in 1/4 cup chopped pecans, and 1/4 cup orange juice. Place topping onto bread batter then place in the oven. 

Nuts: Again, I prefer nuts placed on top of some baked goods, such as brownies and breads, so that it preserves the texture. However, if you prefer nuts baked into the bread, roast 1 1/2 cups of pecans or walnuts. Once roasted, roughly chop them and add to the dry ingredients of the batter. 

Eat, Share, and Enjoy!

Oatmeal Pecan Scones

These are magician scones as they are able to vanish within one day. Seriously, I have made these scones three times and each time I am lucky if I get a bite. 

It appears that everyone has their own way of eating scones. Some grab a scone before they are even glazed, some eat chunks of the scone at a time, and others warm them up, split them in half, and add butter.

If you brought these scones to work one morning, you would probably be the queen or king of the office for that day. They would also be nice to have for breakfast or dessert with coffee when you have guests over. 

Oatmeal Pecan Scones

Ingredients

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Old-Fashion Rolled oats

1/3 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/2 baking powder

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

10 Tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons) Cold Butter, Cubed

1/2 Cup chopped pecans, roasted

GLAZE:

1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking powder. 

Cut butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or your hands until the butter has reduced to the size of a pea. Be careful not to melt the butter if you use your hands. It's best to limit contact between your hands and the dough because  we want the butter to stay cold. 

Combine cream, milk, and vanilla into another bowl. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Mix until the flour and oats are fully incorporate. Once dry ingredients are incorporated, add pecans.  

Next, place your dough on a lightly floured surface. Pat your dough into an 8 inch circle and approximately 3/4 inches thick. To help pat down the dough, I used a flat surface like the bottom of a bowl or measuring cup. Then cut the dough into 8 pieces. 

Place the scone wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I didn't have parchment paper so I lightly wiped the baking sheet with oil. 

Bake the scones for about 15 minutes or until the top of the scones are golden. Let the scones cool slightly before placing a glaze on them. 

For the glaze, mix the sifted powder, syrup, and cream. The glaze may look thick but it will thin out once you place them on the warm scones.

Alternative Ideas

Glaze: This recipe is fairly basic so you could top these scones with almost any flavored glaze. For example, I placed an apple cider glaze on these scones which turned out delicious. However, some people may not like glaze, in which case you can refrain from glazing these scones and they will still be delicious. 

Spices: To make these scones festive for the fall season, you could add 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice to the dry ingredients, or perhaps 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. 

Zesty: Adding about 1 tablespoon of orange zest to these scones would also be delicious. If you added orange zest then perhaps an orange glaze would also make a nice addition. 

Eat, Share, and Enjoy!

Bodacious Brownies

I'll admit it, I was someone who use to buy brownie mix from the store because I assumed making brownies from scratch would be a hassle. Probably because they are heavenly squares of chocolaty deliciousness  I assumed they must take a lot of time to create. Well, I was wrong. This brownie recipe is just as easy as opening a box, adding a few liquids, and following the instructions. You probably dirty the same amount of dishes too. Also, one of the best things about making brownies from scratch is the bragging rights. So now you can do the same amount of work and you don't have to be embarrassed if someone asks you if you made them from scratch.

There are SO many things you can do with brownies, they are very versatile. Your creativity with brownies is really only limited to your imagination. Based off the type of ice cream, I've made rocky road brownies with mini marshmallows, and nuts. You can play around with the type of chocolate you use, such as using dark chocolate cocoa powder and either dark chocolate chips or maybe milk chocolate chips to smooth out the bitterness of the dark chocolate. Play around and have fun with it!

For these brownies, I decided to top half of the batter with chopped pecans. Some people may not prefer nuts on their brownies and some people may be nut lovers. This way there is a brownie for everyone!

Bodacious Brownie Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/3 Cups Butter, Softened

2 1/3 Cups White Sugar
4 Eggs, Large
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Instant Espresso Powder or Crystals 

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened

12 Oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 13 in. x 9 in. pan. 

Using a KitchenAid or hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.   

Mix in vanilla, espresso, flour, and cocoa powder. Once the ingredients are fully incorporated, add chocolate chips. 

Place batter in greased pan and bake for 30 minutes. 

Once the brownies are cooked, remove them from the oven and let cool before cutting into them. 

Alternative Ideas 

Peanut Butter Lovers: Chocolate and peanut butter go so well together! You could add in approximately 1 cup of peanut butter morsels along with the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Another way to add peanut butter would be to heat up some creamy peanut butter and swirl it into the brownie batter using a knife and spoon. 

Nut Lovers: I personally don't like nuts in the batter because it changes the texture of the brownies but if you do then add about 1 1/2 cups of preferred nuts (e.g., pecans or walnuts) to the batter before placing it in the baking pan. Also, before placing the batter in the oven you could top it with chopped nuts. 

Cake Lovers: If you want to make the brownies more fluffier and less fudgey, you can try adding 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. If you do this you will want to reduce the cooking time. I would recommend checking the brownies after 20 minutes. To check if they are done, insert a toothpick and if it comes back clean you are good to go. If not, back for a couple more minutes and then check with a toothpick again.  

Eat, Share, and Enjoy!

BELGIAN WAFFLE RECIPE

When I returned home from college during holiday breaks I worked as a barista, cook, and waitress in an adorable eatery known as the Waffle Company. It was located in Auke Bay, Alaska next to one of the harbors. Fisherman, families, and passerbys would stop in for something hot to drink and eat, but would stay for the atmosphere. During this time I was given the chance to perfect my waffle making techniques. There were a few flops, a ton of success, and several messes to clean up. Well, the Waffle Company was recently sold and became Gonzo, but I will never forget the lessons I learned on making a good waffle.

Completed Waffle Batter

This recipe works best if you have a large and deep waffle iron because it allows the batter more room to raise which helps them turn our very fluffy and soft. This morning I used a smaller iron and the waffles still tasted delicious, it just means I didn't have the room to make the waffles you will find in the Alternative Idea section. However, if you are just interested in topping your waffles with syrup, butter, and/or jam, the small iron works great.

Before proceeding to the recipe, I have one simple advice I would like to give so you can learn from my mistake. Try, really try, not to over-fill your waffle iron because it can be a pain to clean up. And I have learned that if the waffles or whatever goodies you are making are not worth the mess and time to clean up then you probably are not likely to make them again. As a result, I tend to put less batter in the waffle iron to start with and then slowly add more, if needed.

Belgian Waffle Recipe

Ingredients

Stiff Egg Whites

4 Eggs, Separated
1/4 Cup Butter, Melted and Cooled

1 Tablespoon White Sugar

1 Cup Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 Cups Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Directions

Separate egg whites from the yolks. Using a KitchenAid with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff. 

In another bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until light then add melted butter, milk and vanilla extract. 

Once liquids are combined, add flour, baking powder. Make sure dry ingredients are fully incorporated. 

Gently fold egg whites into the waffle batter. 

Grease your waffle iron. I didn't have any pam so I gently rubbed a stick of butter on the hot iron which seemed to work well.

The amount of batter you place in your waffle iron will depend on the size of your waffle iron. You may start with about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of batter and then depending on the fullness of your first waffle you can adjust the amount of batter. 

Allow the waffles to cook for a couple minutes before checking on them. The waffles should be done once they are golden brown. 

Alternative Ideas

There are so many things you can do with waffles. You can top them with yummy syrups and sauces, or mix them with fun ingredients. I'll give you a few of my favorite ideas. 

Ham and Cheese Waffle: Place about 1/4 cup (depending on the size of your waffle iron) of batter on the waffle iron, then add small cubes of ham and cheese on top of the batter. Finally, add approximately 1/4 cup of batter over the ham and cheese. Close the iron and wait for the waffle to turn golden brown. 

Omelet Waffle: Place one beaten egg (maybe two depending on the size of your waffles iron) in your waffle iron. Top the egg with small cubed ham, diced bell peppers, and cheese. Then add approximately 1/3-1/2 cup of batter. Close the iron and wait for the waffle to turn golden brown. 

Buttermilk Substitute: You can substitute milk in the recipe for buttermilk. I recommend making this recipe with milk first so you know what the consistency of the batter should look like before using buttermilk because you may need more buttermilk than you would regular milk.  

Waffles are very versatile. You can make them a sweet waffle with berry toppings or a savory waffle with meat, cheese and vegetables. Play around with them and have fun!

Eat, Share, and Enjoy!