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!!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Witness Protection
I have no doubt that Christians are involved in a war that we cannot see. It is as real as anything we can see. The issues we experience with our physical bodies have temporary value. The war that we cannot see has eternal value. Spiritual warfare is real. Having an intimate relationship with God is the best defense against Satan's attempts to discredit the cause of Christ.
First of all, we must know our enemy, but not fear him. Christians fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. God is not losing the war and does not need us to fight for Him. God has won the war, but Satan still battles for our focus, to try to get our eyes off God. Satan wants to kill and destroy our witness and cause us to be a stumbling block for the unsaved. Satan still has a purpose to put us into "fight mode".
Don't think that once we are saved, we are safe from his attacks. That is why God laid out a plan of defense for Christians; it is called the full armor of God. You can read more about exactly what that entails in Ephesians 6: 10-18. These verses are written in the imperative, voice of command. It is not optional. It is necessary. God know this, so He provided a way.
God graciously gave us all we need to live when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross where, by the way, Satan was defeated. Satan is still the prince of lies, however, and uses the same ol' tactics to discourage and cause us to call into question anything that is good in our lives. Remember, all good things come from above, right??? So, it is in his best interest to deceive those who have a relationship with God. Our faith is based on facts, not feelings. Even when we don't feel like "this" or "that", if those feelings oppose the facts by which we have been saved, we can dismiss them as Satan's attempt to deceive us, by causing us to deceive ourselves. He is a tricky one!
The best defense is a good offense. Here are somethings I do when I "feel" defeated (or offended). Sharing my faith with someone is a great faith builder. I live my life as a witness to His provisions. I make time for God everyday. I don't doubt the facts of my salvation. I have faith that God is with me always, just as He promises.
Everything we have, outside of Jesus, is just icing on the cake of life. He is all we "NEED". I am grateful for His blessings and provisions. Lest I never forget that God never promised it would be easy, only worth it. I accept and are grateful for God's provisions through a relationship with Him and His armor to endure through the difficult times, rejoice in the sweet times, and praise Him all the time!
First of all, we must know our enemy, but not fear him. Christians fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. God is not losing the war and does not need us to fight for Him. God has won the war, but Satan still battles for our focus, to try to get our eyes off God. Satan wants to kill and destroy our witness and cause us to be a stumbling block for the unsaved. Satan still has a purpose to put us into "fight mode".
Don't think that once we are saved, we are safe from his attacks. That is why God laid out a plan of defense for Christians; it is called the full armor of God. You can read more about exactly what that entails in Ephesians 6: 10-18. These verses are written in the imperative, voice of command. It is not optional. It is necessary. God know this, so He provided a way.
God graciously gave us all we need to live when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross where, by the way, Satan was defeated. Satan is still the prince of lies, however, and uses the same ol' tactics to discourage and cause us to call into question anything that is good in our lives. Remember, all good things come from above, right??? So, it is in his best interest to deceive those who have a relationship with God. Our faith is based on facts, not feelings. Even when we don't feel like "this" or "that", if those feelings oppose the facts by which we have been saved, we can dismiss them as Satan's attempt to deceive us, by causing us to deceive ourselves. He is a tricky one!
The best defense is a good offense. Here are somethings I do when I "feel" defeated (or offended). Sharing my faith with someone is a great faith builder. I live my life as a witness to His provisions. I make time for God everyday. I don't doubt the facts of my salvation. I have faith that God is with me always, just as He promises.
Everything we have, outside of Jesus, is just icing on the cake of life. He is all we "NEED". I am grateful for His blessings and provisions. Lest I never forget that God never promised it would be easy, only worth it. I accept and are grateful for God's provisions through a relationship with Him and His armor to endure through the difficult times, rejoice in the sweet times, and praise Him all the time!
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Crisis Management
I've been told that you are either just coming out of a crisis, currently in a crisis, or about to be in one. I have been going through a family crisis the last couple of weeks. It has kept me from writing, but I now feel led to write about this very topic.
I have learned by experience that it is in these crisis moments that I am closer to God than other times. I have a tendency to get a little too dependant on myself and forget from Whom my strength comes. In times of crisis, however, when I do not know what to do, I MUST turn to Him, run into His shelter for comfort. Therefore, if there is ANY truth the first sentence of this blog, then I should not ever depend on myself. If I am coming out of crisis, then out of gratitude for His provisions, I should stay close. If I know at anytime a crisis is around the corner, then I should stay in His loving arms of protection. And, if I am in a crisis, then He is the only one who can guide me through to the other side, closer to Him than before.
I am blessed to have a Savior who draws me to Him even when it seems my life is crumbling and others are controlling the path I must take. I have been told that the Teacher is always quietest during a test. He never forsakes or abandons us. The truth is, it is only God who is in control of our lives, even though it seems that someone else is. He is a Strong Tower, therefore, my life cannot crumble when I am in His arms. I have but one enemy and Jesus has already defeated him. I come into crisis fighting not FOR victory, but FROM victory, in Jesus Name!
I am human. I have my moments when I indulge in my humanity, tinker with my idols, give-in to anxieties, and allow myself to wallow in self-pity. All of which are sinful behaviors. I quickly return to Truth, ask for His forgiveness and nestle into the loving arms of my Creator, my Rock, my Jehovah-Jireh, my Friend.
Here are some verses that have been a source of joy and encouragement during the past couple of weeks.
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
James 1:2
Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let that endurance have its perfect result so that you may live perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
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| Add caption |
I am blessed to have a Savior who draws me to Him even when it seems my life is crumbling and others are controlling the path I must take. I have been told that the Teacher is always quietest during a test. He never forsakes or abandons us. The truth is, it is only God who is in control of our lives, even though it seems that someone else is. He is a Strong Tower, therefore, my life cannot crumble when I am in His arms. I have but one enemy and Jesus has already defeated him. I come into crisis fighting not FOR victory, but FROM victory, in Jesus Name!
I am human. I have my moments when I indulge in my humanity, tinker with my idols, give-in to anxieties, and allow myself to wallow in self-pity. All of which are sinful behaviors. I quickly return to Truth, ask for His forgiveness and nestle into the loving arms of my Creator, my Rock, my Jehovah-Jireh, my Friend.
Here are some verses that have been a source of joy and encouragement during the past couple of weeks.
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
James 1:2
Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let that endurance have its perfect result so that you may live perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Rest?...I don't need no stinkin' rest!
---I know, my grammar ear is ringing, too! "Double negatives in the title? Is she crazy???" No, I'm not crazy, I was just using them for emphasis. (::smile::)---
Have you ever worked out and the next morning, when you crawled out of bed, your muscles were sore? They were healing. You see, muscles don't hurt when they are working, they hurt when they rest and are healing. It is in the healing that they grow and become stronger.
That sounds like my life. If you are like me you are forever busy, running around like a mad-woman, filling your schedule to capacity and then some. Naps are rare, if ever, and as a light sleeper, even sleeping a full night through is never guaranteed. We run at full speed all the time and think slowing down is not option if we are to get it all done. However, slow down we must. It is through rest that we heal and strengthen, just like our muscles. God allows us to both work and rest. Both are blessings worthy of praise. But to ignore our need for rest is to reject His work in our lives. (What?!?!)
No...it's true!!! Rest is biblical, after all, God rested on the 7th day, right? But it is more than just that. As I strive toward living fully with a biblical perspective, I was reminded of this fact. I am learning in my older age to tell myself that I will NOT get it all done and accept that IMPERFECTION is OK. And God says that it is OK because perfection belongs to Him and Him alone. That is one soothing fact that makes me trust Him more and decrease reliance on my own strength. (Phew!!!)
Rest is good when we minus work for a period of time. But, rest is godly and purposeful when we minus work and add God.
I know by His Word that God has begun a work in me, but He can't fulfil His perfect blessing-filled work in me if my schedule is full to capacity. I must rest, in Him, for much needed physical and spiritual healing.
Have you ever worked out and the next morning, when you crawled out of bed, your muscles were sore? They were healing. You see, muscles don't hurt when they are working, they hurt when they rest and are healing. It is in the healing that they grow and become stronger.
 |
| Yep, this is how I feel most mornings. |
No...it's true!!! Rest is biblical, after all, God rested on the 7th day, right? But it is more than just that. As I strive toward living fully with a biblical perspective, I was reminded of this fact. I am learning in my older age to tell myself that I will NOT get it all done and accept that IMPERFECTION is OK. And God says that it is OK because perfection belongs to Him and Him alone. That is one soothing fact that makes me trust Him more and decrease reliance on my own strength. (Phew!!!)
Rest is good when we minus work for a period of time. But, rest is godly and purposeful when we minus work and add God.
I know by His Word that God has begun a work in me, but He can't fulfil His perfect blessing-filled work in me if my schedule is full to capacity. I must rest, in Him, for much needed physical and spiritual healing.
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