Double Trouble Chocolate Chip Cookies

The trouble part comes from the fact, they can be slightly addictive.

I know its getting too hot here to be baking cookies, but sometimes a girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do.  I was having a massive chocolate craving, and I was feeling that pang of guilt having not blogged anytime recently

This recipe is an extra chocolatey modification of a family recipe for chocolate chip cookies that my Grandma W. has been making as far back as I can remember.  At every family gathering, there would be the big plastic rectangle container filled to the very top with these cookies.  I perched on the edge of a kitchen chair helping Grandma make them more than a few times(she always set aside a bit of chocolate chips for me to munch on, it was my favourite part!). 

The original recipe is from a yellowed old paper clipping, Grandma can’t recall exactly where it was taken from(as she has a huge stash of recipes clipped just like it).  When I married and moved in with my husband (4 years ago Thursday!)  I asked for the recipe and she simply jotted it down from memory.  I love when I make them, as it brings me back to being perched on that chair sneaking chocolate chips while Grandma showed me how to measure ingredients.

My husband actually had a hand in this adaptation, adjusting some of the amounts of sugar to his liking, as this was the first thing I taught him to bake (sometimes I think he even makes them better than me, but shhh, don’t tell).  There is just nothing sexier than a man who bakes (okay so that might just be my opinion) but I’m so glad that he quickly learned that recipes are fun to play around with.

This variation is thick, dangerously chocolately and nice and soft on the inside without falling apart in your hands.

Double Trouble Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes approx 3 dozen or so cookies

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Butter
• ¾ Cup White Sugar
• ¾ Cup Brown sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tsp Vanilla
• 2 Cup Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking soda
• ½ Tsp Salt
• 2/3 Cup Cocoa
• 2 Cup Chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, set aside.
2. Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well again, scraping bowl occasionally.
3. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in bowl. Sift in cocoa powder. Gradually add dry ingredients to sugar mixture, mix just until combined. Mix in chocolate chips.
4. Place by tablespoonfuls couple inches apart onto lined baking sheets. I like to leave mine heaped or rolled into a ball for a nice thick cookie.
5. Bake in oven for approximately 8 minutes or until edges and some of the middle is set…cookies will continue to bake as you take them out of the oven.  Wait a couple of minutes before transferring to racks to cool.
6. Once cool store in an airtight container.

The dough freezes well, as do the cookies themselves. If it’s very warm in your kitchen or you find the dough very soft, you can also chill the dough before baking.

You can add ½ cup chopped nuts when adding the chocolate chips. Feel free to change the flavour of chocolate chips, white or peanut butter would taste fantastic!

Started a New Blog!

 

I have just started a new blog Here or Somewhere Like it that will be home to all non foodie type posts, including my The Next Chapter book blogging group content.  I have moved some posts over already, and unfortunately have lost any comments that may have been attached.  I apologize if one of your comments got lost in the transfer!

The Most Delicious Orange Cake

When I was gearing up for the baking competition this past weekend, I came across a recipe for orange cake on one of my favourite blogs, Eating Out Loud.  I had the oranges all ready to make it, but just completely ran out of time.  So the oranges sat, kind of forgotten about and sad for the rest of the weekend while I took a much needed break from the kitchen.  Yesterday I was craving dessert, and seeing how I hate wasting food and the recipe looked simple, I decided to give it a go.  My expectations couldn’t have prepared me for how absolutely DELICIOUS this cake was going to be.  Its light and airy while still being so incredibly moist and flavourful.  The glaze has just the right amount of citrusy sweetness.

You can find the recipe here on Allen’s website Eating Out Loud.  I baked my cake in a 10 inch tube pan for approximately 50 minutes and it came out perfect.  You will notice a lack of zest in my cake compared to Allen’s, this is because Mr. BotC isn’t a fan of citrus zest so I omitted it from the frosting and only put about a tsp in the cake.  I would recommend using the full amount to get an extra punch of orange flavour, but its still fantastic cut back if you too have something not fond of zest.

Thank you Allen so much for this recipe, I will be making this again for sure!

(Second) Best Whole Wheat Bread

Today’s weather was just gorgeous for a parade and a big festival!  I’m back from the Bread and Honey Festival baking competition, and I didn’t do too shabby!  I wrangled three 2nd place spots, winning with my pumpkin bread, butter tarts and whole wheat bread.

Unfortunately, I was so busy that I didn’t get pictures of a lot of the things I baked.  My kitchen table is still caked with flour and covered with various Tupperware pieces.  I did have an extra loaf of the whole wheat bread thankfully that I can actually show you (and extra shortbread cookies, the post will be coming soon!).

This bread has won me second place at the festival twice now.  Its simple and straight forward to make, is hearty without being overly dense and has a lovely flavour.  It is also 100% whole wheat, so on top of tasting great its healthy for you too!  This tastes great with a big bowl of homemade soup (or hey, canned - I won’t tell!).  If you don’t have a loaf pan, you can shape as if you are baking in a loaf pan and let rise and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet, as I have done on the loaf below.  If you use shortening instead of butter, this bread is completely dairy-free.

(Second) Best Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe makes 2 loaves. For 4 loaves, simply double all of your ingredients.

• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup water, warm
• 1 envelope (8 g) active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp/11 mL)
• 1 1/2 cups water, warm (110F)
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter or shortening
• 5 3/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour

Ingredients

1. DISSOLVE 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar in 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Let stand 5 minutes or  until puffy, then stir well.
2. ADD 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) warm water, molasses, salt, shortening and 2 cups (500 mL)  Wheat Flour to dissolved yeast mixture. Beat with wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. STIR IN 3 3/4 cups (675 mL) of remaining flour gradually. If necessary, add more flour to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl. Turn out on floured board. Round up into ball.
4. KNEAD dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
5. PLACE in lightly greased bowl. Turn dough to grease top. Cover with damp tea towel.
6. LET RISE in warm place (75°-85°F/24°-29°C) until doubled (45-60 minutes).  Putting the dough in a cold oven (don’t turn the oven on!), with a pan of boiling water on the other side of the rack helps creates a lovely rise.
7. PUNCH DOWN. Turn out onto lightly floured board and divide into 2 equal portions. Round up each portion. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
8. SHAPE each portion into a loaf. Place seam side down in 2 greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (1.5 L) loaf pans. Cover with a tea towel.
9. LET RISE in warm place until dough rises 1 1/2" (3 cm) above top of pan in centre, and corners are filled (45-60 minutes).
10. BAKE at 400°F (200°C) on lower oven rack for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove from pans immediately. Brush top crust with butter if a soft crust is desired. Cool on wire racks.

* For a lighter flavour omit molasses; add 2 tablespoons (30 mL) sugar and use 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups (1125-1375 mL) flour.

Adapted from Robin Hood Bread (www.robinhood.ca)

Iron Cupcake: Savoury- Voting Now Open!

You can now head over to No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner to vote for your favourite Iron Cupcake: Savoury Cupcake!  Just browse the entries and then look to the right sidebar, pick up to 3 favourites, and then hit the vote button at the bottom!  Every vote counts as a ballot which a winner will be randomly drawn. Voting is open through Friday, June 5 at 12 noon central.  The winner will be posted the night of June 6, before 11:59 p.m.

   My entry is the Nacho Sabroso Cupcake,  just in case of course you would like to vote for me!

Sorry for the Absence

I apologize if I do not post this week, or if they are on the short side.  There has been a death in the family, and we have been attending the viewing and funeral.  I then spent Tuesday heavily sedated to fix broken dental work.  Sunday night I discovered my beloved cat may be experiencing a return of her cancer, that was treated aggressively with major surgery late January.  We are seeing her vet Saturday for confirmation that this is what is happening and to see where we will go from here.  Not surprisingly I have not had the energy to do any baking or much cooking. 

I have a baking competition whose entry date is June 5th, so I am hoping I will have things to post closer to this date, if not before.  We are just taking a much needed break from everything right now.

Thank you so much for your understanding, and I hope to be back soon.

Sugar High Fridays – Sweet without the Wheat

When I read that this month’s Sugar High Friday was to be desserts without any wheat, I knew I would be making something frozen using my much loved ice cream maker(I think I’ve become a little obsessed).   I came to love tea with honey and lemon as a child when my Czech next-door neighbour, who I visited often, would freshly brew it using a coffee maker.  I was curious how it would translate into a sorbet, and have been experimenting in balancing the sourness and tang of the lemon with just enough sweetness.

Sorbets have the added benefit for those with food allergies and sensitivities that not only are they gluten-free, they are also egg and dairy-free.  It came at a good time too, as I came down with a nasty bout of laryngitis right at the beginning of the Canadian Victoria day weekend (of course!).  Honey-lemon tea is known to soothe a raw and sore throat, and I discovered it works even better when frozen! 

Honey-Lemon Tea Sorbet

A true “iced” tea

Ingredients

• 4                            Tea bags (I used Orange Pekoe)
• 1/2 Cup               Sugar
• 3 Tbsp                  Honey
• 2 Cups                  Water
• 2  1/2 Cups         Cold water
• Juice from one lemon (approx. 1/4 cup)

Directions

1. Boil 2 cups of the water and sugar together until sugar dissolves.  Take off heat.
2. Add tea bags.  Steep for 5 minutes.
3. Remove tea bags and add honey, stirring to dissolve.
4. Mix in 2 cups cold water and lemon juice.
5. Put in fridge to chill until thoroughly cold, at least 2 hours.
6. Freeze in ice cream machine according to manufacture’s instructions.
7. Keep in airtight container in freezer.  Will tend to freeze rock hard after a few hours, let thaw in fridge at least 10-15 minutes until softened. (If frozen in a microwaveable container, I have found putting it on 30 second bursts and checking works too, works well especially for the impatient like me).