Secret Weapon Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't admit to being a snob about most things, but chocolate chip cookies is one of them.  I like them soft and chewy, maybe even slightly undercooked.  Don't give me those crispy cookies!  I've always used the Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe (which is really great and has garnered me many compliments/marriage proposals), but sometimes ended up with crispy/flat/weird-textured cookies.  I know, I know, the butter was too soft, or I didn't measure the flour precisely enough, but come on!  Where was my fool-proof recipe for MY ideal cookie?!

Well.  Here it is.  It's Anna Olson's secret ingredient that did the trick.  She subsitutes a portion of the baking soda with corn starch, and oh. my. goodness. Soft, chewy, perfect every time.  You'll want to double this recipe, because it only yields 24 cookies, and I promise that will not last you long enough.  I made 62 of these babies last night, and 12 of them had mysteriously disappeared by the time I got home from work today.  Apparently, we have cookie gremlins...

Secret Weapon Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I always double the amount of vanilla, but that's up to you)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks

1. Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
3. Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.  Add chocolate chips.
4. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown around the edges.
5. Set up a gremlin detection system to protect your new treasure.

Roasted Pear and Chocolate Chip Scones

Happy holiday season, y'all!  You're probably planning on bringing treats to your office, or will attend some sort of potluck event during the coming weeks.  Rather than bringing some Christmas-themed sugar cookies, why don't you try something new?  How about some sophisticated pastries with roasted pears and dark chocolate?

Try Smitten Kitchen's Roasted Pear and Chocolate Chunk Scones!  They're wonderfully flaky and just barely sweet.  The pears add some moisture, while the chocolate chips get all melty and gooey.  I made a few changes; mostly added more flour, and used half-and-half instead of heavy cream.  Cut the dough into 8 triangles, and you can freeze any unused dough overnight and throw it in a bag until you're ready to bake them up.  Just do the egg glaze before baking, and add a few more minutes to the cooking time.

Roasted Pear and Chocolate Chunk Scones by Smitten Kitchen

3 firmish pears
3 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1/4 c. granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. granulated or coarse for sprinkling
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 c. half-and-half
1/2 c. chocolate chips
2 large eggs, 1 for dough, 1 for glaze

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Peel and core pears. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange pear chunks on parchment and roast until they feel dry to the touch and look a little browned underneath, about 30 minutes. Slide parchment paper with pear chunks onto a cooling rack (or onto a plate in the fridge or freezer to speed this up) and cool to lukewarm. Leave oven on. Line baking sheet with another piece of parchment.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup sugar and salt together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Toss in cooled pear chunks, bits of butter, half-and-half and 1 egg. With the paddle attachment, mix the dough on low speed until it just comes together. Don’t overmix. Add the chocolate chips and mix for 5 seconds more.

3. On a very well floured counter, pat out dough into an 8-inch round. Cut into 8 generous wedges and transfer to baking sheet at least two inches apart. Whisk remaining egg in a small dish with 1 teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt. Brush each scone with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar.

4. Bake scones until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. 

Brown-Butter Toffee Blondies

These past few days have involved a fair bit of cabin fever, rain, and just enough butter to keep us in hibernation mode.  We've come through the storm no worse for the wear, though our home has sustained a few leaks and we could literally see our windows bending from 70 mph winds.  Tuesday morning, however, has ushered in decidedly fall weather, and I couldn't be happier to break out my peacoat for the cooler temperatures.  And, of course, it's time to start on the fall baking.
There is something very autumnal about toffee.  The burnt, nutty, sugariness (surely that's a word) just screams, "Enjoy me by the fireplace!"

It didn't get cold enough during Hurricane Sandy to justify a fire, but it didn't stop me from baking a tray of Martha Stewart's Brown-Butter Toffee Blondies to keep my hands busy.  And mouth.  Man, these bars are superb!  Between the two of us, JP and I have polished off 1/3 of the pan in just two days.

Definitely keep a close eye on the butter while it's browning, as it's a fine line between 'golden brown' and 'burnt black.'  I also added chocolate chips instead of walnuts because, well, I like chocolate better than nuts.
Not sure if these count as a halloween dish, but, if so, they would count as a 'treat.'  Yum!

Peanut butter cup-chocolate chip-pretzel cookies

We should really call this recipe "The only thing that can pull JP away from Top Gear."  I pinned these cookies a month ago on Pinterest (is there anyone out there who isn't completely sucked into that site?), and finally had some time to bake them yesterday.

HOLY BANANAS.  You have to make these cookies.  Make them for someone you love who loves you back and will appreciate how wonderful they are.  I used mini chocolate peanut butter cups, as I couldn't find peanut butter chips at either of my grocery stores within walking distance; I highly suggest you do the same, even if you can find pb chips!

I also crushed up pretzel sticks with my hands; in hindsight, I would just crush them in a bag with a rolling pin or something so they were a bit smaller.  They didn't stay as crunchy as I would have liked; if you use the same recipe with different results, let me know your secret.
The rest of the cookie is soft and chewy, with the distinctive sweet tastes of both milk and dark chocolates.  Peanut butter adds a nice slightly savory contrast.  Trust me, just whip up a quick batch.

We enjoyed these on the couch on a day filled with rain in DC, along with some puppy cuddling, followed quickly with a nap.  Few things are better than falling sleep on the couch with your family on a belly full of cookies.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Bars

Oh, goodness.  Making these bars was a huge mistake.  I baked them Monday night and somehow, half the pan is already gone.  Could it be a cookie monster?  Did Mia jump up onto the counter and finish some off while we toiled away at work?  Is John Paul sleep eating?

Okay, well, to be fair, I brought in some to the office for my co-workers.  They were snatched up like...well, like delicious blondies.  But they're so good, I can't keep my hands off of them, either!  My version is extra thick, as I don't have the 10x10 inch pan the recipe calls for and instead used an 8x8 inch.  If that's your problem, too, add about 5-10 minutes on to the cooking time, and tent with aluminum about halfway through (it'll cook in the middle without burning).

As long as you don't have a diet to stick to, definitely try these fall treats.  Your co-workers and fiancee will love you more.