Chocolate Chip Cookies

My youngest sister loves chocolate. When I was a child, we would receive chocolate for the holidays. My sister would eat all of her chocolate and then wait. Why was she waiting? She knew I would eat a few pieces of my chocolate and hide the rest for later. After a couple of weeks, my sister would always find my hidden stash. I would normally catch her in my closet with the evidence. I never got mad at her. She was just to cute.

Today, I decided to bake up some cookies. Within the hour, my youngest sister happen to visit me. She didn't know I was making cookies and I wasn't expecting her. I wasn't surprised since my family would joke and say if there was chocolate around, my sister would find it.

My sister and I agree these cookies are good. Aren't all chocolate chip cookies good? I have previously told you how my youngest sister will eat dessert instead of her meals. These cookies were my sister's breakfast. These cookies do have my sisters stamp of approval.These cookies are a nice start to kick off the holiday season.

Warning: These cookies need to be chilled for at least 24 hours.

Chocolate Chip Cookies from Jacques Torres
2 cups cake flour, measure and take out 2 Tbsp of the cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) butter, unsalted
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup and 2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 lbs. bittersweet chocolate disks or chips
sea salt for the top of the cookies

Directions:
Whisk the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter and the sugars in another bowl.
Add the eggs, one at a time and mix.
Stir in the vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour mixture and mix well.
Fold in the chocolate pieces and mix until the chocolate is incorporated.
Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
Next day, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet about the size of a golf ball.
Sprinkle the top of the dough with sea salt.
Bake between 16 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and still soft.
Wait about a minute and then transfer the cookies onto a wire rack to cool.

Recipe adapted from New York Times website.

Did you already know....................
-Jacques Torres was raised in France but now makes his home in New York City.
-In 2000, Jacques Torres opened his first chocolate factory in Brooklyn, New York.
-Mr. Torres makes his own chocolate by starting from the cocoa bean.
-Mr. Torres is referred as Mr. Chocolate. He is married to a fellow chocolatier.

Poultry Seasoning

 Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so many seasonings in my cabinet. I know I have to use them so when I ran out of poultry seasoning last year. I read the container and did some research online. The recipes online didn't look like the ingredients listed on the container. I guessed the measurements and did the sniff test. I sure wasn't going to taste it. I even recruited my children to smell. They thought this was a lot of fun. I had everyone compare my concoction to the poultry seasoning bottle. Finally, I had something that appear to smell very similar. I use poultry seasoning in my meatloaf so I go through it often. Everyone told me the meatloaf tasted like before. 

Since it is Thanksgiving, no stores are open in my area. I wanted to post my poultry seasoning concoction just in case you need it.

Poultry Seasoning
1 1/2 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp sage
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
small, tiny pinch nutmeg

Directions:

1. Mix all the seasonings and grind if desired for a more ground texture.

Recipe from Jen of Sweet Morris

Love the snow!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I love hot and spicy foods. My two youngest children have no problem eating spicy foods. I call my youngest daughter spicy girl. Our two older children would rather I hold off on the hotness. It is funny to watch them try to eat a spicy dish and appear to be cool especially when their younger siblings have no problem. 

My husband loves spicy foods and request any type of dish with Buffalo chicken. My husband doesn't cook much but he will make this recipe. When I make this dish, I add a little more heat but you can always adjust the Buffalo sauce depending on how spicy you are feeling.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

8 oz. package of reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup reduced fat ranch salad dressing

3/4 cup Frank's Redhot Buffalo Wing Sauce

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add the chicken, cream cheese, ranch, and Buffalo sauce to a deep baking dish. Mix well. 
3. Add half the cheeses and combine. 
4. Spread mixture evenly on the dish.
5. Top the dish with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake between 20 or until mixture is heated through.
7. If the cheese is not golden, place under broiler for a few minutes.
8. Serve with chips, crackers, or vegetables.

Recipe adapted from Frank's Redhot.

For work, I have been to Buffalo, NY several times. The last time my friends talking me into going to the Anchor Bar. The wings were good and I would go back!

Did you already know............
-The owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY is credited for creating the Buffalo wings.
-On Oct. 30th, 1964, owner Teressa Bellissimo fried up some chicken wings and dipped them in a buttery, spicy hot chile sauce for her son and his college friends for a late snack.(There are several other versions on how Teressa Bellissimo created the dish but this version is from the Anchor Br website.)
-When in Buffalo, Buffalo chicken wings are called chicken wings.

Pancakes

When I was a teenager, I would occasionally have to watch my baby sisters. My mom would tell me that I would have to cook them supper. I knew how to cook but I didn't. I have three younger sisters. (I still tell my Mom that I am an only child.) My sister who is over a year younger than me would cook all the time. So, I didn't. When I would ask my baby sisters what they wanted for supper, they would tell me cereal. Why argue with them? Cereal is great! My kitchen always has a minimum of five different boxes of cereal at a time. 

Growing up, there was one food I really liked to cook and it was pancakes. My youngest daughter has inherited my love for pancakes. I normally do not order pancakes for breakfast if we eat out. I like my pancakes better. 

Silver Dollar Pancakes

 Pancakes

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
2 Tbsp butter, melted
vegetable oil or butter to coat the skillet

Directions:

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients.
3. Add the buttermilk and mix just to combine.
4. Add the egg and still a few times just to combine.
5. Add the melted butter and mix just to combine. Don't over mix.
6. Set the batter aside.
7. Heat a skillet on medium to medium low heat.
8. Add oil or butter to the skillet.
9. Scope about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan for regular size pancakes. Scope about 1/8 cup of batter into the pan to make silver dollar pancakes.
10. Once the batter starts to form bubbles, flip the pancake. Cook about one minute and serve.

Recipe adapted from Katy's Kitchen originally from Pastry Queen.

 Did you already know............................
-In the past, buttermilk was the liquid left over after milk was made into butter.
-Today, dairies usually adds lactic acid to low fat milk to produce buttermilk.
-Buttermilk is low in fat and calories.
-To help with digestive problems, buttermilk is said to be a better choice than milk because of the lactic acid and it is quicker to digest.

Cranberry Scones

What is your favorite juice? Is it the popular orange juice? My son will pick cranberry juice over orange juice. To tell the truth I would too. Since it is so close to Thanksgiving, it is so easy to find fresh cranberries.

Tea anyone?

Talking about Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my family. After I had my oldest daughter, it was almost ten years before my youngest daughter arrived. I recently asked her why she made me wait ten years before entering my life. She looked at me and smiled. She told me that she was up there (as she glanced upwards) and she was really busy helping people out (in heaven) but once she was done she rushed right to me. Is that not the cutest answer? I can see her helping people out since she is very thoughtful.

If you are having guest arrive for the holidays, this is a great recipe to prepare for breakfast one cold morning. They can be made prior to your guest arriving and be frozen until needed. 

Cranberry Scones 2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp sugar for the cranberries and additional for the top
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1¼ cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, toss the chopped cranberries and the 3 Tbsp of sugar.
4. In a food processor, combine lemon zest, flour, ½ cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse about 5 times.
5. Add the butter and pulse about 8-10 times until it looks like course crumbs. 
6. Add the egg, egg yolk, and heavy cream to the flour mixture.
7. Pulse about 10 times.
8. Generously flour working surface.
9. Add the dough to the flour working surface and form a ball.
10. Using a 2½ inch round biscuit cutter, scoop some dough into the cutter to form a 1 inch scone.
11. Repeat with the remaining dough about 3 inches apart. ***
12. Sprinkle the top of the scones with sugar.
13. Bake the scones for about 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

***Place the baking sheet in freezer about 30 minutes or until frozen. Transfer the frozen scones to a freezer storage bag until ready to use. When ready to use, continue with direction 12 but bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats and originally from Gourmet.

Did you already know.............
-Scones can be found in the 1513 Oxford English Dictionary.
-Scones are usually associated with Scotland, Ireland and England.
-English plain scones are often eaten with jam, preserves, lemon curd or honey, or clotted cream.
-Dried fruit scones and other flavored scones are usually enjoyed without butter or jam.

I enjoy my scones plain or with a little butter and of course tea!