Essential Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fresh from the oven cookies that are buttery, chewy, thick and packed with gooey chocolate chips. 

Essential Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone needs a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe.  With the holidays approaching this is a great cookie to make.   

This recipe is one of my favorites made with good semi-sweet chocolate chips.  They are chewy and thick and heavenly to bite in to!  Try them soon, you won't believe how easy these are to make and how satisfying they taste.

What can I use chocolate chip cookies for?

• Dessert
• Crumbled on top of ice cream or frozen yogurt
• As the base for an ice cream sandwich
• Snacks
• To go munchies
• Perfect for a picnic or hike
• Holiday Cookie Exchange!
• Crumble on top of a yogurt parfait
• Leave them out for Santa

What ingredients do I need?

• good semi-sweet chocolate chips
• flour
• unsalted butter
• brown sugar
• granualted sugar
• baking soda
• salt
• egg
• good vanilla extract

Substitutions and Variations

• use dark chocolate chips
• use milk chocolate chips
• add in dried cranberries
• add in walnuts or pecans
• use M&Ms instead of chocolate chips

Kitchen Notes and Tips

• Make sure your butter is a room temperature for cakey cookies
• Refrigerate your dough before cooking to avoid spreading
• Watch them when baking, they brown quickly
• Bake them until they are set and golden on the edges

Enjoy!!!

Essential Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes: 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 dozen cookies depending upon the size

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line two 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until well mixed.   Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.  Gradually add the flour mixture and blend until just incorporated.  Do not overmix.

Add chocolate chips and stir by hand with until incorporated throughout.  Again don't overmix.  Chill dough for 30 minutes.  

Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, place the dough onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops are set.  Small cookies will cook in 8-10 minutes and large ones may take 10-14 minutes.  Continue until all cookies are baked.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit on the tray 5 minutes.  Remove them from the tray to a wired cooling rack to cool.  

Honey Almond Apricot Granola

The ultimate healthy granola recipe flavored with honey, almonds, apricots, and coconut which is baked until golden brown and delightfully scrumptious! 

It's the holiday season and I have a lot of new recipes to share with you.  To get them all out to you I will be changing my post format slightly.  I'll be streamlining it to get the most recipes out to you.  The new format will include:

• Description of the recipe
• Primary and alternative uses for the dish
• Key items to make the recipe
• Substitutions and variations
• Kitchen Notes and tips
• Most importantly "THE RECIPE"

I hope you enjoy the this format.  Please leave me feedback on what you think and if you feel anything is missing.  Happy Holidays! 

Honey Almond Apricot Granola

Granola has become a staple in many houses.  It's a trend that you see in a lot of restaurants and can be made so many different ways.  Making it at home allows you to have control over the ingredients, cutting back on salt and sugar that frequent the store bought variety.  Plus another great reason to make your own is that it is so cheap to make, and it is EASY.....so so so easy to make at home.  

This recipe is one of my favorites made with good local honey for sweetness, some chopped apricots for tang, nuts for crunch, and a little sweetened coconut for flavor.  Try it soon, you won't believe how easy this is to make and it will last for a few weeks stored in containers.

What do I use granola on?

• Sprinkle on top of yogurt
• Sprinkle on apples and bake them
• On top of ice cream or frozen yogurt
• Roll bananas in them and freeze them
• Sprinkle on salads
• Top off you oatmeal with it
• Eat is with milk like cereal
• Make a yogurt parfait
• Add it on top of chocolate bark
• Add it on top of brownies

What ingredients do I need?

• good honey (I try to buy a local honey)
• old fashioned oats
• sweetened shredded coconut
• sliced almonds
• canola or grapeseed oil (flavorless oil)
• dried apricots
• golden raisins

Substitutions and Variations

• use unsweetened shredded coconut
• use coconut shavings
• leave out the coconut
• use chopped cashews, sunflower seeds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts
• use dried figs, dates, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, or cherries
• leave out the raisins or use currants or black raisins 

Kitchen Notes and Tips

• Make sure to watch the granola closely as it cooks.  It browns easily.
• Make sure to stir occasionally during the baking cycle.
• All the mixture to cool on the sheet pan before adding in the dried fruits.
• Use a large sheet pan so you have a lot of surface area
• Use parchment paper on the pan if you would like
• Store in an air tight container for a few weeks

Enjoy!!!

Honey Almond Apricot  Granola

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut 

1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of canola oil
1/4 quarter cup honey
3/4 cup small diced dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 350ﾟ. 

Toss the oats coconut and almonds together in a large bowl.  Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl.  Pour the liquids over the oat mixture and stir until all the nuts and oats are coated.  

Pour on to a large baking sheet pan. Bake stirring occasionally with a spatula until the mixture turns golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally.  Add apricots and raisins. Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin and Caramel Layered Panna Cotta

Sweetened cream with a mousse-like texture, flavored with pumpkin and spices sits on top of a layer of luscious caramel.  One bite and it transports you to a brisk fall day on a country lane.  

 

Hoping this post finds everyone healthy and happy.

How was your Thanksgiving?  Did you stuff yourself or did you have a low key dinner this year?  We had a small intimate version of our traditional Thanksgiving Dinner and it turned out very nice.  

One thing I did differently this year was to skip the traditional pumpkin pie for dessert.  I have to say that it was HARD not to make a pie.  We only have it once a year and as the day got closer I was feeling a little sad that I wasn't making one.  It's just such a tradition.   However, I was determined not to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen and decided on a substitute dessert that was still pumpkin flavored.

Pumpkin and Caramel Layered Panna Cotta

I got this fabulous recipe from a chef that I know.  She's wonderful and suggested this Pumpkin and Caramel Layered Panna Cotta.  When I first heard this I was thinking, "yikes...I want something easy!"  Well don't be fooled by the fancy name.  This Italian dessert is made of sweetened cream and set up with gelatin.  It really is easier and quicker than pie by far!  

I made this the day before our big dinner and it done in 30 minutes.  Far easier that messing with pie dough, filling, and baking.  And what a hit!  A sweetened cream with a mousse-like texture flavored with pumpkin and spices sit on top of a layer for luscious caramel.  

Tips for Making the Panna Cotta

• Use a small clear drinking glass, glass ramekins, or even small mason jars for your vessel.   
• Make sure to get a good quality caramel sauce.  
• Use unflavored gelatin
• Set out all your ingredients beforehand as this moves quickly
• Make sure to get pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling

Toppings

• whipped cream
• plain
• toffee bits
• grated fresh nutmeg
• dust with cinnamon
• chocolate chips
• drizzle with caramel  

So if you have extra cans of pumpkin please dare to make this dish.  It's so easy to make and the taste will blow you away!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Caramel Layered Panna Cotta

serves 6

1 jar good quality caramel sauce
2 tsp gelatin (unflavored)
3 Tablespoon cold water
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped cream for garnish
grated fresh nutmeg for garnish

Spoon caramel into the bottom of 6 glass ramekins or small drinking glasses.  There should be about a 1 inch layer of caramel on the bottom.  Refrigerate caramel in glasses while making the panna cotta.

Sprinkle gelatin over the water in a measuring cup.  Set aside for 5 minutes to soften.  Heat in the microwave on high for 20 seconds to dissolve.

Please the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Tiny bubbles should just appear around the perimeter of the pan.  Remove pan from heat and whisk in the gelatin.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Whisk in the pumpkin, spice, and vanilla until well combined.

Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a 4 cup measuring cup for easy pouring.  Pour over the cold caramel.  Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of nutmeg.

source:  Phillis Carey the Casual Gourmet