nyt chocolate chip cookies

photo by 'to paris and back'

this is by far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe i have ever tried. the key is using the best chocolate. no not nestle tollhouse, i'm saying like 75% bittersweet chocolate. the real bitter stuff that i love. i used to be a fan of milk chocolate, but due to certain circumstances i can't eat it anymore and i actually don't mind because i think dark chocolate is way better. plus it's even better for you.

this is now the only recipe i will use. it requires the use of cake flour and bread flour which makes for a crunchier outer crust, yet a chewier inside. so you basically get the best of both worlds. the other thing that i love about this recipe? the salt content is more than normal. i was a little hesitant about adding more salt than normal, but the salt brings out the stronger almost berry-like flavor of the dark chocolate. i'm craving a batch right now!

you want to know a funny/weird thing i love to do when i make cookies? i love making a huge batch yet only cooking 6 at a time. i can't stand dry, old cookies. they are only good warm. so i will only make them if i am going to eat them immediately! my family can't stand it. i love it.

i really want to buy the bittersweet disks that you can find at whole foods, but i haven't made it over there yet. i think the disks would be much better than chips because you have more chocolate surface area. plus, chocolate chips have a stabilizer in them which gives them their shape even after baking.

NEW YORK TIMES

July 9, 2008

RECIPE

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Jacques Torres

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

brain cupcakes

aren't these martha brain cupcakes for halloween to die for? i don't think i could be that creative and think of all those brain names. the only name i could think of to add the mix is....Abby Normal.

ad-hoc pineapple upside down cake

umm....this recipe for the all-american favorite from ad-hoc looks delicious.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

( serves 8 )

Thomas Keller writes: Here is another slightly zany entry from the American tradition, pineapple upside-down cake. I have some affection for canned pineapple for nostalgic reasons, but we use fresh pineapple here for a more elegant dessert. Again, think of this as a general template that you can use for different fruit — apple, blueberries, and the like all work wonderfully. We make what we call a “pan schmear” of butter and brown sugar, top it with the fruit, and pour the cake batter over the top. The recipe makes more schmear than you need, but it is difficult to make less. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, ready when you want to make another cake, or it can be frozen.

For pan schmear:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon dark rum

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract

Kosher salt

1 Gold (extra -sweet) pineapple

For cake:

1 1/3 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle, combine the butter, honey, rum, sugar, and vanilla, and beat until smooth and well blended. Spread 1/3 cup of the schmear over the bottom of a 9-inch silicone cake pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt. (The remaining schmear can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using.)

Cut top and bottom from pineapple, and cut away peel. Cut pineapple lengthwise into quarters, and cut off core from each section. Cut each piece crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Beginning at the perimeter of the pan, make an overlapping ring of pineapple slices with the curved side facing out. Make a second ring inside the first one, overlapping the slices in the opposite direction, working toward the center of the pan. Reserve any pineapple for another use.

Sift flour and baking powder together; set aside.

Put butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding second and scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in milk. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating just until combined.

Pour batter into pan and spread over pineapple. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan for even browning and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the cake, invert onto a serving platter, and serve warm. (Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

sour cherry strudels

gourmet mag. featured a recipe for sour cherry strudels that looked amazing! now that summer is here, you can find sweet bing cherries at almost every store. i love this recipe because the phyllo dough makes the pastry light and flaky. if you're in a pinch and can't pit all the cherries, williams-sonoma makes an amazing all natural cherry compote.

the pineapple room

bon appetit magazine featured a popular recipe for wok-fried edamame from the pineapple room in honolulu . i love edamame so i wasn't hesitant to try this recipe out. they were un.be.lie.vable and slightly messy, but so delicious. the peanut oil in the recipe is mainly for its ability to sustain high temperatures without smoking in the wok and the slight peanut taste, but since I didn't have any peanut oil i just used regular vegetable oil. 

Wok-Fried Edamame with Garlic

(6-8 appetizer servings)

1 lb. unshelled fresh or frozen edamame

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Teaspoons oyster sauce

1 Teaspoon hot sesame oil

2 Teaspoons peanut oil

2 Garlic cloves minced

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add edamame. Once the water is boiling again, cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and transfer edamame to a bowl of ice water to cool.

Mix together soy sauce, oyster sauce, and hot sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat peanut oil in a heavy large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add edamame and stir to heat through, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture; stir 1 minute to coat evenly and heat through. Transfer to platter and serve. 

yukon gold fever

the march issue of Bon Appétit Magazine featured a recipe for cinnamon rolls using yukon gold potatoes. the picture looked mouthwatering so i decided to try them out.

overall verdict....definitely worth the time and preparation. the recipe says it makes 12 cinnamon rolls, but i ended up getting around 3-4 dozen and they were very thick. the potatoes make the dough moist and tender. you can't even tell that half the dough is potatoes. once they came out of the oven, they had disappeared that quick. i will definitely make those again!

for the recipe, visit here.

kneader's carmel syrup

1 c. Brown sugar
1 c. Cream
1 c. Light Karo Syrup

Blend together and heat on stovetop until sugar is smooth. Serve warm.

paradise cafe

lately i have been wanting to have a chocolate chip cookie from paradise cafe, but because of the sparse locations of this cafe, it's difficult to make that happen. i just recently ate a mrs. fields cookie and i just about died because it was so good. the highlight of my trips to this bakery and cafe are the cookies. the many different types of cookies. from oatmeal to chocolate chip, you name it...they are the best cookies i have ever eaten. i have been wanting to find the recipe to their chocolate chip cookie, but usually never could find it. then one day, i found it. i don't know how, but i did. i haven't tried out the recipe to see if it works or is anything like the cookie yet.

Paradise Bakery and Cafe Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 375* . cream together butter and sugar. beat in eggs and vanilla. in a seperate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. gradually beat into butter/sugar mixture. add chocolate chips and stir in. spoon and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. bake 9 minutes.

cioccolato italiano

1/4 cup of good quality unsweetened cacao powder (such as Pernigotti)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Potato starch (corn starch in the US)
3 1/2 cups of milk

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Whisk over medium heat until smooth. Continue whisking until the mixture is warm and has thickened (about 5 minutes). Serve with a dollop of whip cream if desired.