The Secret's Out; My Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Is Not So Secret

Everyone LOVES my chocolate chip cookies and believe you me it has taken me a long long time to find the "perfect" recipe.  The cookies are light and soft without being undercooked...I really dislike when cookies are undercooked to make you think they are moist...yuck.

The recipe isn't a secret in fact when people ask me for it and I send them to the Chipits Bag they laugh.  Yes, the best chocolate chip cookie recipe out there is on the back of the Chipits Bag.

There is one little secret that makes my cookies turn out spectacularly and personally I think they should add some Coles Notes on the bottom of the recipe to help people out.  Bakers know this little tip but I would bet that the average home baker does not.

"Creaming" together the butter and sugar in my opinion makes or breaks this recipe.  Creaming incorporates air bubbles and traps them in the fat (butter) to help the mixture rise in the oven.  Short long...throw this thing on high until the volume increases and "looks" lighter.  Now it is possible to over cream so don't go wild.

Once baked keep the cookies in an airtight container which will keep them moist and soft longer.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.

Mmmmm, enjoy.

xox
Dish

Valentine Cranberry & Lemon Scones

I love baking and there is nothing more perfect than waking the family to the smell of freshly baked goodies.  This recipe I got from Martha Stewart but as usual I made changes based on what flavours we preferred over the original. 

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup flour                                                         
1/4 cup granulated sugar             
1 tbsp baking powder                                            
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy milk (I used homo milk)                      
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons)                          
1 lg egg yolk                            
3/4 cup dried cranberries                                        
Coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and move the racks so they are as far as possible away from the bottom element.  Mix dry ingredients together then cut in butter with a knife and fork stopping when there are a few pea sized pieces of butter.  Photo 1. Add milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, yolk and stir until just combined (photo 2).  Photo 3. Put dough onto parchment paper and flatten with your hands until it is ~1 inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter to shape the scones but don't cut through the cranberries, simple remove or push them farther into the scone.  4.  Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake for 13-15 minutes  Rotate pans half-way. 

Valentine gift idea....wrap these up (above box from Creative Bag) with a tea bag and give to those you care about. 

Hope you enjoy,
Dish

Save you the trouble...no smarties when baking.

Valentine craft disaster today.  If you have any wild ideas of trying to make chocolate chip cookies with pink and red smarties please think again!  Unfortunately I didn't listen to my inner voice when it nagged me at the bulk barn today suggesting this was a bad idea and yet I couldn't remember WHY it was a bad idea.  I had my rose coloured glasses on as I pictured cute little Valentines' cookies beautifully packaged and ready for distribution.  No sir, instead they looked like medical misfits; albino smarties surrounded by either a pink or red halo.  Hubby thought they were "fine" (don't you love that word when it comes to your cooking?!) and still edible....sorry bud, garbage they went as resolution number four was slapping me in the forehead.  Ugh....no energy to make another batch of old faithfuls.  1 Valentine Cookies : 0  Dish