Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

It was recently brought to my attention that I had not ever posted my most favorite recipe in all the world.

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
(pictures soon to come)
If followed exactly, the baker of this recipe will end up with consistently perfect chocolate cookies every time.  Promise.

This recipe requires a couple of very specific pieces of kitchen equipment to make them perfect: a digital kitchen scale and an upright mixer.  The mixer might be able to be bypassed with a hand mixer (although you may be tired afterward), but the scale is necessary as all of the loose/dry ingredients in this recipe are measured in grams.

2 1/2 sticks real butter
227 g white sugar
284 g light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp real vanilla
2 eggs
241 g bread flour
241 g cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 bags 60% cocoa or greater chocolate disks (Ghiradeli or Hershey's)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together room temperature butter and sugars for 5 minutes in an upright mixer on high, scraping as needed.  While still on high, add the vanilla and one egg at a time.  Beat on high for another minute.  While mixer is going, weigh flours and add baking soda and powder to the flours, along with the kosher salt and whisk until blended.  Turn mixer to low and slowly add the flours into the mixer until JUST MIXED.  Once flour is added, mix for a minute or LESS.  Remove bowl, add chocolate and stir.  Put in a glass container and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap.  Put in the fridge for 48-72 hours.  Remove the dough and allow time at room temperature to soften and make it easier to handle.  Weigh out dough to 50 gram portions and roll into a ball, pushing in any chocolate that sticks out.  This will make for a prettier cookie.  Place dough on parchment paper cut to fit on a metal cookie sheet.  Sprinkle tops of each dough ball with a tiny bit of kosher salt.  Leave plenty of space, they will spread to be about 2 inches in diameter.  Bake for 18 minutes.  Check after 15 minutes.  You want the cookie only slightly browned.  Let sit for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then gently transfer cookies with a large, very thin spatula to a cooling rack until cooled.

MORE INFORMATION:
You can pre-make dough balls, freeze them in a tightly closed container and bake as many or as few as you need over the course of a few weeks.  Why weigh loose ingredients and not use cups to measure?  Well, cups can be VERY inconsistent each time depending on how packed down the ingredient is.  Therefore, weighing in grams is a more accurate and consistent way to make the same cookie every time.  The kosher salt adds just the tiniest amount of saltiness to bring out the sweet of the cookie and the bitter of the chocolate, YUM!  The mix of flours give the cookie the perfect amount of chewiness and rise.  Using all purpose flour will not yield the same quality of cookie.  If you over mix the flours, your cookie will NOT rise properly.  This is not a recipe for your stoneware baking pans.  Parchment paper on even the cheapest aluminum cookie sheets work best.  Spacing is key so cookies are round, not lop-sided because they ran into each other or the sides of the pan.  Even on my large cookie sheet, I only put about 6 dough balls, on my small pan, only four.  This means more rounds in the oven, but well worth it for pretty, round cookies!

I got this recipe originally when I went on a Paula Deen cruise.  One of her guest chefs was doing a cooking show (well, "cookie" show, as it turned out) and I was chosen from the audience to be the chef's helper.  His name is David Liete.  He spent 6 months of his life researching and perfecting this recipe (must have been a tough job!) to make the ultimate chocolate chip cookie every time.  I have made this recipe hundreds of time in the last few years, when I follow it to a "tee", they turn out perfect and the same every time.  Any changes or short cuts are noticeable in the quality of cookie produced.  Please let me know how yours turn out!! Bon Appetit!!

Cabbage Creole (and a lesson, too)

One weekend, my mom brought over a dish.  It was the most delicious cabbage recipe I had ever tasted.  I am not a fan a cabbage.  Of the healthy-eating foods I will eat, it is very low on the list.  I kind of like the taste, but the smell...oh the smell...when it is cooking is nearly unbearable.  That is...Until I tasted this recipe.  Then I was certain I could endure the smell if this wonderfully simple and delicious flavor was at the finish line.

CABBAGE CREOLE

1 lb. of LEAN ground meat, seasoned, browned and drained (beef, venison, turkey)
(I use Tony's to season meat, but the flavor here is up to you)
1 chopped onion, sauteed
1 chopped green bell pepper, sauteed
1 LARGE head of cabbage, roughly chopped to about 1 inch squares
1 can of Rotel
1 can of Cheddar Cheese soup -OR- 1 8 oz block of Velvetta, cubed

In a large dutch oven, brown meat and drain, set aside.  Saute onion and bell pepper in a little of the meat drippings until just under-done.  Add cabbage and Rotel, cover and cook until just done, stirring occasionally.  Add meat and cheese, stir and let simmer for an hour or two.  Or put a lid on it and put it  in the oven at 250 degrees for the same amount of time.  I prefer the oven method, mainly because all my gas burners are too hot and simmering for too long usually burn on the bottom.

That's it!  A fairly healthy meal of simple deliciousness.  And only one pot and one colondar is dirtied!  It is a meal I can throw together on Sunday morning, and it is ready when church is over.  Speaking of which....

One Sunday morning, Easter Sunday as a matter of fact, I did just that.  Only, I had forgotten to turn the oven on when it was time to leave and put the pot in the oven.  So, in my infinite culinary wisdom (haha), I turned the oven on to 500 degrees to get it heated up more quickly, then I was going to turn the heat down and head out the door.  Only thing is...I forgot to turn the heat down. At first, walking up to the back door, it almost smelled good, then we walked into the kitchen.  OH NO!  It was not good.  Not good at all!!!

As I have mentioned previously, the smell of cooking cabbage usually prevents my preparing it in my house, however, the smell of burned to a crisp cabbage is enough to turn a person off to cabbage-eating for a lifetime!  Now keep in mind...it was in a cast iron dutch oven with the LID ON, and it still burned a layer of solid blackness an inch deep on the top and two inches deep on the bottom.  Only the thinnest layer of color was visible in the middle.  I was tempted to throw out the dutch oven and all, but with some hard work of three days of elbow grease, I am pleased to report I was able to recover the use of my dutch oven once again (I know, you were concerned, haha).

THINKING METAPHORICALLY:
Because I was so busy by the numerous things I was doing to get us out the door on Easter Sunday, I  missed some very important steps in the process of the task that I had been given, to make the Cabbage Creole.  More importantly, I and my family missed out on the blessings of deliciousness in my inattention and lack of focus on the other things.

I do this in my spiritual life at well.  I take my eyes off the important things and put my  attention and focus on other things.  This causes missed blessings.  And may even cause those closest to me to miss out on His blessings in a ripple effect.  It may not be as obvious to me at the time, like the stinch of burning cabbage, in fact we may never know we missed a blessing at all.  However, to teach and discipline us, sometimes God gives us the opportunity to see the missed blessing and we learn just how much He truly desires us to stay close to Him, focused on His ways, not for the what He can do for us, but simply the joy of having Him near.

Homemade Granola

Loose Granola Cups

Soft Granola Bars

I LOVE to make the things I use.  I always felt that granola was too difficult to do.  I was wrong.  I tried some a friend made and fell in love.  Now, I love make my own because I can put my favorite stuff in it and make exactly how my family likes it.  I am posting 2 recipes here.  One for crunchier, loose granola and one for soft granola bars.  BOTH ARE DELICIOUS!!!

  RECIPE 1 - Loose granola (pictured above) perfect for a crunch addition to yogurt or a quick dry snack when put in individual snack cups.  Add or subtract ingredients to your liking.

SOLID INGREDIENTS
2 C Steel cut or slow cook oats
1/4 C milled flax seed
1/4 C Chia seeds
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C dried cranberry or raisins
1/4 C chopped dates
1/4 C 60% or higher cocoa dark chocolate
1/3 C sliced almonds
1/2 C shredded coconut

1.  ---Mix the above together in a large bowl.

WET INGREDIENTS
1/2 C Natural organic peanut (or another nut) butter
1/2 C raw organic honey
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract (no imitations here)
5 T real butter or organic coconut oil or combination of the two
***(coconut oil will increase shelf life)

2.  ---Combine above ingredients in a small sauce pan to met together on low heat for a few minutes.  No need to boil, just get combined and pourable.

3.  Pour wet ingredients over mixed solid ingredients.  

4.  Mix together.  Spread on a cookie sheet.  I like to use my stoneware cookie sheet here. 

5.  Press down into pan.
  
6.  Cook at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until it is all evenly browned. 

7.  Let it cool completely.  (It will be difficult to stay out of it at this point, but you must persevere.)

8.  Scoop into an airtight container(s) and no need to refrigerate.


RECIPE 2 - Solid soft granola bars 
Change the above recipe to exactly what follows.

1.  Use 1 C quick oat and 1 C slow oats
2.  Use 2 T butter and 3 T coconut oil
3.  Use smooth natural organic peanut butter
4.  Press firmly into a shallow cookie sheet.
5.  Cook only 20 minutes at 250 degrees.
6.  Let cool completely and cut into bars.
7.  I store these in the fridge to keep them more solid.

Soft Granola Bars

Once A Week Cooking Logistics

Cover of Binder

Week 1 Shelf: Empty/Week 2 Shelf: Full

Another way I aim toward being a good steward of what God has given is cooking and freezing meals for feeding my family of five.  Back in September, I decided to begin preparing freezer meals.  I shop on Thursday and cook on Friday as the kids do their school work at the island in the kitchen.  I have three weeks worth of recipes which means on the fourth week I get a Friday off.  It also means that we never have the same meal more than once a month.  Plus, no meal has ever been frozen longer than a couple of weeks at most.  That way your hard work doesn't end up freezer burned.  I make eight meals a week.  That is a dinner each night and a lunch Sunday after church.  However, since some nights we eat at church or at someone else's house, we rarely eat all eight meals.  Having meals leftover in the freezer is how I am able to take the fourth week off.

Timing:
I date everything and keep different weeks on different shelves in my freezer.  I keep a list of meals on the outside of the freezer door and mark them off as they are removed.  This is helpful in saving energy and the freezer's effort by my not standing with the door open looking for which meal to cook that night.  Some meals don't need to thaw at all or will thaw in a few hours.  Some meal need to be thawed overnight.  Therefore, I try to make the decision about the next dinner the night before, just in case.

Leftover Mac and Cheese

Perks:
I prepare more food than we need to feed our family of five for that meal.  Instead of putting leftovers in one large container, I put them in small individual serving containers.  This way we can just pick what we want for lunch the next day.  I always have food in the freezer for those occasions in which I need to share a meal with a friend or family who have lost a loved one.  I also have plenty of food ready for those impromptu invitations for lunch after church or dinner with a friend (as the Lord leads).  The meals are all fairly healthy.  I have made adjustments recently to my recipes as I have needed to remove all sugar and white flour from our meals.   We have a member of the family who needed this, so we all made the switch.  Everyone in the family has their favorites, and their not so favorites, but it all seems to work out.

Shopping:
I have a binder in which I keep three folders, one for each week.  That week's recipes are in each folder along with a shopping list.  I keep those printed out.  On shopping day, I get a list and mark off the items I have at home.  I have arranged the shopping list according to like items (pantry, canned, fridge, freezer, etc.), so this does not take too long.  This arrangement also helps save time at the grocery store as most stores are arranged in much the same way.  Some meals may need a side dish.  I have included these items in my shopping list for those weeks.  They usually consist of canned or frozen vegetables.  I also purchase some standard breakfast items for the kids and toiletries, as needed.  That is all I have to shop for since lunch is already included in the leftovers from dinner.

Cooking:
On cooking day I get out that week's recipe folder.  I usually separate recipes into poultry and red meat recipes.  I cook all the chicken and begin to assemble those meals.  I then cook all the red meat and assemble those meals.  All meals get put either in a gallon sized zip top bag or an aluminum pan with a lid (I purchase these at my "big box warehouse club").   A few meals, about one a week, do not require cooking the meat first.  These are slow-cooker meals and the meat gets cooked on the day of the meal.  So, I just make sure to remove this meat before cooking the rest.  Also, I set aside any milk products (sour cream, cream cheese, evaporated milk, etc.) and add them the day of the meal.  I have learned from experience that these do not freeze and reheat well, but I use them a lot in our favorite recipes.  Therefore, I have just adjusted my recipes accordingly.

Time-Saver:
I was skeptical at first that I could save time, but this method really is a time saver.  I used to spend about an hour to make dinner.  I thought it would take an hour to make a meal regardless of whether that time was each night or in one day.  But this turned out to be not true.  As I cook, I am reusing utensils, pans, bowls, etc. I am not waiting more than once for pans to heat up.  I am not pulling out the knives and cutting boards more than once.  I even reuse boiling water to cook pasta.  All combined I spend an average of 30 minutes to make a meal.

Our Brass Piggy Bank

Money:
We have saved a fair amount of money since I began cooking this way.  The meals are mid-range in price.  Not the cheapest, not the most expensive though, either.  I spend only a little less than I used to at the grocery store.  The biggest savings come because we rarely have that issue of being hungry and weighing the decision of going home to eat or eating out.  In fact, in the last five months of doing this, we have paid for a meal eating out only about 8 times.  That is less than twice a month!  That is a vast improvement on our twice a week habit of eating out prior to starting this.  And since our kids are as big as adults, it costs us an easy $60 to eat at a sit-down restaurant with tip or $30 at a fast food place.  That is a huge savings for us!

Here is a link to all the documents I use in my book.  Print or share as you desire.  I know this method of cooking is not for everyone.  I am blessed to be a stay at home mom, which make this a whole lot more convenient.  This is just one more way that God has empowered me to be a good steward of the time, money, resources, health, and skills He has given me.  I give Him all the glory for that!

Cinnamon Rolls

To be a good steward of the money God provides our family, we make many (actually most) of the treats we enjoy from scratch.  Cinnamon rolls are one of those occasional treats.

 Here's the recipe:

1/4 C warm water

1 t sugar

2 pkg or 2 T Yeast

Warm water, add sugar, stir in bowl.  Add yeast.  Stir well.  Let sit about 10-15 minutes until sponge is formed.

1 1/2 C warm buttermilk

1 stick butter, melted

1/3 C sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

4 1/2 C AP flour (576g)

Add to large bowl or stand mixer.  Mix on low setting until combined.  Slowly add flour in 1/2 C increments, mixing until combined after each addition.  Let sit a few minutes and stir in yeast sponge until combined.

Turn dough out onto floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic (about 20-25 fold/press/turns). Use rolling pin to roll out dough about 12x18 inch rectangle.

FILLING:

1 stick melted butter

1/2 C sugar, brown (110g)

1/2 C sugar, white (100g)

1/4 C cinnamon

Melt butter in bowl.  Mix together sugars and cinnamon.  Pour butter onto dough rectangle, spread out with fingers, quickly add sugar mixture and spread with fingers (you want them to slightly mix together so loose sugar doesn't fall out after you cut rolls) out to the THREE edges of the dough.  Leave about a 1 inch space on a short edge so you can seal the dough after you roll it out. Roll the rectangle so the roll will be the longest possible.  Seal the edge.  Use a pastry cutter or knife to cut 1 inch wide cinnamon rolls.  Place in a greased glass 9x13 pan.  May need an additional pan if you cut too many.  Leave room between each roll to rise.  Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 25 mins.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 25 mins.  Immediately glaze, ice, or eat them!

ICING:

10 oz. powdered sugar (288g)

1/2 bar cream cheese (4oz)

1/2 stick butter

Cream together ingredients and spread gently on warm rolls so it will melt and run inside the rolls.

GLAZE:

1 stick butter

1/4 C brown sugar (55g)

1/4 C white sugar (50g)

1 T vanilla extract

1 T milk

Cook on stove top until bubbly for about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and drizzle over warm rolls.