JenOni

Foodie

Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies for Holiday Baking

Cookies Chewy Chocolate Chip

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found the best chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe.  What is the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie?  I love a homemade chewy cookie that remains chewy days after baking.    On Pinterest, there are hundreds of recipes for a “chewy” chocolate chip cookie and it varies depending on the combination of ingredients.  I found the perfect recipe that incorporates cornstarch(this was a first for me) and this was from GrandBabyCakes.   This year I added my sea salt in place of  regular salt.

This was my first time using any of these recipes and this was clearly a great recipe and  KID APPROVED!  My kids could not stop eating.

The recipe begins below,  PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt(I used sea salt)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda and put aside.
  2. In the bowl of your mixer, add butter and both granulated and brown sugars and cream together for 3-4 minutes on high until light and fluffy…………

There are some really great tips on how to get a perfectly chewy cookie.  One tip includes under baking the cookie for a chewy cookie.  I wanted to stick as close as possible to the recipe, however, on my next batch I am definitely going to remove from the oven a few minutes before the full baking time.

Tips*:  Refrigerate for 2 hours instead of 1 hour.  Watch the time closely!

We are now adding this cookie to our recipe box under COOKIES.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Batter….

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Before Baking

HolidayBakingCookiesBatter

PERFECT……..

 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I hope you enjoy with a cold glass of milk….

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting for Holiday Dessert

Carrot Cake – Thanksgiving Dessert

Carrot Cake

For this carrot cake recipe, it was a real winner for Thanksgiving.  I found this recipe at AllRecipes.com.   This is one of my go-to sites for recipes.   A few tweaks to the recipes I omitted the coconut.  I love carrot cake however I am not a fan of extra ingredients like coconut and raisins.    The finale  of  the cream cheese frosting  which is absolutely delicious.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
  • 1 (15 ounces) can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Click the link above for the rest of the recipe.   As you can see  I covered the remainder of my walnuts around the cake.   A baking confession:  After I poured the cake batter in my three cake pans I forgot to shake the pans to evenly spread the cake batter.  Once the baking time was over I realized that two of my three cake pans were uneven.   Frosting hides blunders and the walnuts was a nice added touch.     I hope you enjoy as much my family!!! This is now my go-to recipe for CARROT CAKE!

 

Carrot Cake

 

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Baking with Quaker Oats

OatmealRaisinCookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is my favorite time of the year and I love to bake these Oatmeal Raisin cookies. One of my traditions is to ask the kids their favorite cookie for me to bake. This year my daughter has asked for sugar cookies (in various shapes of choice) and my son wants the peanut butter blossoms. My favorite is the oatmeal raisin cookies that I have baked for at least the last 6+ years.

You can find the recipe on the lid of the oatmeal container, Enjoy!!!! I bake these every Christmas!

 

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup(s) (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 Cup(s) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup(s) granulated sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon(s) vanilla
1-1/2 Cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon(s) Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon(s) salt (optional)
3 Cup(s) Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 Cup(s) raisins(SunMaid Baking Raisins, if available)

PREPARATION:
Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

 

Before Oats and Raisins

Serving Tips: Bar Cookies: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered. 24 BARS. VARIATIONS: Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts. Substitute 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or candy-coated chocolate pieces for raisins; omit the cinnamon. Substitute 1 cup diced dried mixed fruit. HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Increase flour to 1-3/4 cups and bake as directed.

 

 

Snickerdoodles – Holiday Baking with Butter and Cinnamon Sugar

Snickerdoodles


 SnickerdoodlesHolidayBaking

This was my first time baking Snickerdoodles.  My 10yo had them at a school event so she insisted I bake for our Christmas cookie list.   I never tried a Snickerdoodle so this new for me.   I scoured Pinterest for a recipe and found multiple recipes most required cream of tarter.   Finally, I found a recipe that did not have cream of tartar as an ingredient.   This led to me researching the need for cream of tartar and found it is leavening agent when combined with baking powder.   I would say a snickerdoodle is a butter cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar.  My 10 yo gave these two thumbs up!

Thanks to WannaComeWith for this simple recipe:

Ingredients:

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

FOR COATING

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Here is the link for the rest of the http://wannacomewith.com/2013/03/snickerdoodles/recipe, Happy Baking!

snickerdoodlesholidaybaking

Cinnamon Sugar

snickerdoodlesholidaybaking

snickerdoodlesholidaybaking

 

SnickerdoodlesHolidayBaking

Thanksgiving Holiday – Meal Preparation

The Thanksgiving countdown is on.   I have put together my checklist for preparing my dinner for Thursday’s dinner.   Some of my dishes and desserts from last year’s meal.

Happy Thanksgiving!

ThankssgivingTurkey2015

Weekend Before Thanksgiving

  1. Determine which side dishes, additional meat and desserts.
  2. Make a shopping list (include all food and baking items).
  3. If you are buying paper products to serve dinner, I found the Chinet brand has a platter size plate for a sturdy paper product.   Definitely, choose a brand that is sturdy, leakproof and large enough to hold a full dinner.
  4. I purchase my dinner rolls and store in freezer (this keeps them fresh until Thursday).
  5. Check shelves for spices, seasonings, extracts (also check the expiration dates and toss out if expired), add to shopping list.
  6. Determine what size turkey based on the  number of guests ( I usually buy a frozen turkey.   Just keep in mind you have to allow enough days for a frozen turkey to thaw in the refrigerator.
  7.  I store my frozen turkey in the coldest section of the refrigerator to thaw.  ThanksgivingCornbreadDressing2015
  8. ThanksgivingSweetPotatoMac&Cheese

2 days before Thanksgiving

  1. Add  any missed items to  shopping list(i.e. butter, more eggs, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, etc).
  2. I purchased my vegetables.

Day before Thanksgiving

  1. Bake my desserts ( sweet potato pie is a MUST, my baking hack is to purchase Marie Callender’s deep dish pie crust)  I have rolled my own crust but to save time a good quality frozen pie crusts works well too.
  2. Bake my cornbread for dressing.  Saute onion, celery and pepper.
  3. Prepare my side dishes (including my dressing), refrigerate and bake on Thanksgiving.
  4. Prepare vegetables, store in containers and refrigerate.
  5. Thoroughly rinse,  discard waste, prep, season and slather turkey with oil.   Roast in the oven for the designated number of hours based on pounds.  I like to insert veggies in the cavity of the turkey. (usually a few stalks of celery and a medium onion).    Baste a few times during cooking time.  I try to keep the door shut for most of the baking time so the oven temperature stays consistent.   *I still keep my turkey in the oven for another 30-45 minutes after the thermometer pops out.   I also turn over my turkey to brown on the bottom.   Store in the refrigerator until next day.
  6. *If making fresh cranberry sauce, I prepare the day before so it can chill and the added citrus flavor blends well in the sauce.    Now if you are using canned, a trick I learned from my mom is to mix a can of whole cranberry sauce and a can of jellied cranberry sauce.   Chill in a container and serve at dinner.

Thanksgiving, 1-2 hours before dinner

  1. Preheat oven at 325-350
  2. Bake side dishes (45mins- 1hr)
  3. Warm vegetables on low.
  4. Heat gravy (low simmer)-another hack purchase my favorite brand.  No fuss with worrying about making perfect gravy.
  5. Thaw dinner rolls and warm in oven for about 5-8 minutes before dinner
  6. Warm the turkey in the oven for about 30 minutes! Baste with the stock.  Slice off legs and wings and assemble on the side of my platter.  Carve the white meat for the center of the platter.   Transfer to a platter and carve and serve on a platter.
  7. Don’t forget the cranberry sauce!
  8. Assembly all the plates, utensils, napkins, side dishes, meats, on a table for buffet style.

ThanksgivingSweetPotato

 

 

Big Chill,   retro and professional kitchen appliance manufacturer  provided a cool infographic for Thanksgiving.   “10 Tips & Tricks for a Harmonious Thanksgiving”  for you to print!

ThanksgivingInfographics

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Holiday Baking


RedVelvetCupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
RedVelvetCupcakesOven
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry
Cook’s Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.

Review: The Local Eateries I Love;Foodie Moment

If you have perused my blog you will see how much I cook and bake, however, the best meals are those prepared by others.   I have two of my favorite eateries featured whose food I absolutely love.  There is nothing like eating yummy food with the freshest ingredients.

MOD PIZZA

A pizza place that has a wonderful variety of pizzas and you can design your own.    The foodie in me is so far removed from choosing something on the menu.   I prefer to design my own pizza which means I get to select every topping.   My fave is going with the red sauce, mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, red onions, roasted red peppers, and spinach.    Once I’m finished adding toppings it goes into the oven, oh my can you taste the goodness from my pictures.  This is hands down my favorite place for

ModPizza

El Tio Mexican Restaurant

Can I tell you I can absolutely eat Mexican food every night of the week?   This is what happens when you scan your local coupons for eateries in your backyard.  How did I miss this place after almost two years in the area?  I am hooked is really an understatement.   My favorite is their shrimp tacos.   The shrimp are grilled to perfection, and then the cabbage, pico de gallo, a spicy dressing with a garnish of cilantro.    I have gone multiple times and each time it’s the same delicious and fresh ingredients.   Oh, did I mention the churros!!!!!

ElTio