Blondies via the New York Times Cooking

Blondies

I can't believe it's already November! What what!? Here are some yummy blondies I made recently...to celebrate a fixed oven!

My oven died for a few weeks. The repair person cancelled an appointment, then that got rescheduled, only to find out that the problem was electrical. Then we had to ask around for an electrician and that person finally came out to fix the issue. But...YES! The oven is back! Sweet.

I just got the digital subscription to the New York Times. I already get the digital edition of the Los Angeles Times so more often than not, you'll find me reading the news my phone! I'm exploring more of the Food Section in the New York Times and this recipe looked great!

P.S. I've missed blogging. Things got busy in my life and motivation waned. I also post a lot to social media and don't want to write up a post. But as I type this and as I browse older posts, I love the diary format of the blog. It doesn't matter if one person to 100 people read it, it matters to me when I look back through the years. Trips taken, Meals consumed, Bundt cakes made. So, I hope to post more... they'll probably be quicker posts. My blog was never about capturing the best photo (man, there are tons of other blogs out there that are so much prettier) but it's about capturing me trying to bake from scratch and keep some memories. I hope I can write up some posts during my lunch hour or at least be a little more efficient. We'll see! Take care and see you soon! - mary the food librarian



I really like Blondies because they are easy to cut and go. Sometimes scooping dough can take time so spreading it out in a pan makes life easy.

You need to bring this to a meeting a work. I guarantee your co-workers will love you.

Blondies
adapted from the New York Times

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 ⅓ cups flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (recipes called for white chocolate chips but I don't really care for white chocolate, I used Nestle chocolate chips)
¼ cup Heath Bar Toffee Bits (recipe called for coarsely chopped Heath Bar)
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (recipe called for pecans but I didn't have any so I used walnuts)

Instructions
1. Prepare a 8-inch square pan. I make a parchment sling, sprayed with baking spray, for easy removal.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3. Melt the butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick) in a saucepan. Remove from head and stir in the sugar and molasses, and transfer the mix to a large bowl to cool.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. When butter mixture is cool, whisk in the egg until slightly fluffy.
6. Fold the flour mixture, then the chocolate chips, Heath bar and nuts.
7. Spread the batter into the pan with an offset spatula.
8. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 27 to 30 minutes.
9. Cool then cut into squares.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt - Get ready for National Bundt Day!

Hello!

Just a quick post to tell you to grab your favorite Bundt pan! It's National Bundt Day on November 15th. You know me, I Like Big Bundts and I Cannot Lie!

Here's the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake that I adapted from Love & Olive Oil's blog. If you want more ideas of what to bake, check out my I Like Big Bundts page for inspiration.





I was out of milk so I used evaporated milk. Also, I used Pumpkin Pie Spice rather than cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves spices.
 

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Adapted from Love and Olive Oil (Original Recipe)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (Trader Joe's)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup evaporated milk (original recipe called for 1/2 cup whole milk but I didn't have any in the house at the time)
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Ganache Topping:
6 ounces (3/4 cup) heavy cream
6 ounces chocolate chips

Directions for Bundt Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray or butter and flour.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
3. In a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-4 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well.
5. Add pumpkin and vanilla. Beat well. It may look curdled, don't worry.
6. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of milk.
7. Fold in chocolate chips.
8. Spoon batter into Bundt pan and smooth out. Baked 45-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes and then invert to cool completely.
10. When completely cooled, glaze with ganache.

Directions for Ganache:
1. Heat heavy cream until it barely simmers.
2. Pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for 1-2 minutes.
3. With a whisk, slowly mix together until everything is melted and smooth.
4. Let sit until pourable or spreadable consistency (depending on how you like your glaze) and spread on the cooled Bundt.


Some of my favorite Bundt pans:

Chocolate Chip Cookies from WD-50

Chocolate Chip Cookies from WD-50

I usually make the Jacque Torres New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies but they take 2 days to prep (gotta let the batter rest in the refrig). I didn't have that time so I went looking for an alternate. These Chocolate Chip Cookies were on the New York Times Cooking website and are from WD-50 restaurant in NY.

These cookies have an interesting prep. It starts melted butter whipped together with sugars for 3 minutes (top two photos). It's pretty unusual to use the whisk attachment for cookies! Then you whip in eggs and let that go for 6 minutes (bottom two photos).

After adding the flour mixture (using bread and AP flour) and chocolate chips with a paddle attachment, the dough is very soft and wet. You need to refrigerate it until scoopable (I let mine rest overnight).

According to the recipe, the yield was supposed to be three dozen but I was three short of that.

These cookies are thin & flat with slightly crispy edges, but retain a soft middle. I would add more chocolate chips than the recipe to give it more chocolate flavor. I really enjoyed the taste of the "non-chocolate" cookie part - very nice!

Chocolate Chip Cookies from WD-50

Adapted from Malcolm Livingston II, WD-50, New York Times Cooking website

11 tablespoons/150 grams unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup/100 grams packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup/88 grams granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 yolk
1 cup/150 grams bread flour
1/3 cup/50 grams all­-purpose flour
1 teaspoon/4 grams salt (I used kosher salt)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup/125 grams chocolate chips (I used Nestle semi-sweet. Next time, I would use a full cup of chips)
(Note: There is no vanilla in this recipe)

1. In a standing mixer with the WHISK attachment, whip the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for 3 minutes.

2. Add the whole egg and one yolk to the mixture, and whip it for another 6 minutes. The batter will be light in color.

3. Sift together the flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

4. Using a PADDLE attachment, slowly add the dry ingredients until almost fulling incorporated. Then add the chocolate chips and mix until the batter is completely mixed together. The dough will be soft. 

5. Chill dough until you can scoop it. (I rested mine overnight). The original recipe says you can also put the dough on parchment paper, roll up, twist ends and chill for 1 hour and then slice the cookie pieces. 

6. After dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

7. Scoop (or cut if you did the log method) a dozen cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. You should get close to 3 dozen cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the center is still soft. 

8. After baking, let sit on baking sheet for a couple minutes and then remove with a spatula to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Brownie Batter Cookies - Trisha Yearwood recipe

Brownie Batter Cookies

Every Sunday, I go to my parent's house so I can hang out with my dad while my mom goes to church. I make Dad breakfast, push him in his wheelchair around the block with Cidney the Girl Dog and currently, watch some football or baseball.

Since the games don't begin til 10 am, we watch the Food Network in the morning. 9 am is The Pioneer Woman and 9:30 am is Trisha Yearwood. On a recent show, she made these Brownie Batter Cookies along with her college girlfriends. It was a sweet show and reminds me of my longtime college friends. Note to self: Need to get together with them and make them cookies!

Whether you are getting together with college friends or hanging out with the family, you can make these brownie cookies! They bake faster than brownies and everyone can have a few.

I made half the recipe and scooped smaller cookies (because I got 2 dozen cookies when it should have only made 1 dozen). Here are my measurements and instructions; you can find the original recipe from The Food Network here.

Brownie Batter Cookies
Adapted from Trisha Yearwood's recipe

Makes 24 small cookies (I mostly halved Trisha Yearwood's recipe)

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (125 grams) granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (75 grams) dark brown sugar
1/2 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
1 egg, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2  teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Nestle)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
2. Melt the unsweetened baking chocolate bar in the microwave and let cool slightly. Or melt over a double boiler (it isn't much so the microwave is easier).
3. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl or piece of parchment and set aside.
4. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and melted chocolate until smooth.
5. Add egg and mix until fully combined.
6. Add the flour mixture slowly until just mixed. Then add the vanilla extract.
7. Use a spatula and fold in the chocolate chips to the batter. Batter will be thick.
8. Drop cookies onto sheet and bake for 13-16 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of your cookies.
See the original recipe on the Food Network's website here.

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you looked at a calendar lately? Can you believe it is almost October? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

Luckily for me, my work has a calendar that extends September. "What?" you ask? Look for yourselves below...

You had one job. How many days in September?

The making of the cookies. These are not very sweet, but nicely spiced and pumpkin-y.

When I heard Starbucks brought back the Pumpkin Spice Latte a little early this year, Los Angeles was in a heat wave...we ended up with the hottest summer EVER. Like...we were inches from the sun hot. But I turned to my co-workers and said, "You guys okay with me starting the pumpkin stuff now?" They said yes (big shock there ;). But then I even couldn't bake with pumpkin because it was too hot in the kitchen. So finally, I baked these at 4 am with the fan going so I didn't melt along with the butter.

Recipe: Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150 grams) light or dark brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) - I used Libby's Pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line trays with parchment paper or Silpat.
1. Combine flour, baking soda & powder, spice, and salt in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix until well blended. If it looks a bit curdled, that's fine.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just about all blended.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Drop cookies onto baking trays and bake for 15-18 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies and your oven) until the edges are firm and bottom is golden. I scooped 12 cookies onto a half-sheet tray.
7. Let sit on tray for a couple minutes and then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy these soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins

You know those bananas in the back of the refrig? The ones you brought home perfectly yellow, but then you forgot to eat them, and then it's so hot in the house that they ripen in a flash, so you put them in the refrig, and they turn brown, and they sit and sit?

Those bananas - get them and make these muffins!

On Monday, I woke up, remembered we had a meeting at work, threw these together, popped 'em in the oven while listening to NPR, jumped in the shower, dressed, took them out of the oven and threw them in the car for my commute. Whew! It's was a busy Monday.

Hope you are enjoying your summer! Are you participating in your library's Summer Reading Program (some have adult programs!)? I hope you are...it's a good way to stay motivated to read and relax a bit this summer. Read anything good lately? The last book I really enjoyed was The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.

Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Adapted from Food & Wine (The original recipe is for 24 muffins. I cut the recipe in half except for the chocolate - the original uses mini chocolate chips)

3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
3/4 stick butter, melted
1 cup mashed overripe bananas (2-3 bananas)
1 1/2 eggs (To get 1/2 an egg, break one, lightly beat and use half)
1 1/4 cups plus 2 (192 grams) Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks (I used Trader Joe's chocolate chunks)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prep 12 muffin tins.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, bananas and eggs.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together just until the batter is moistened - don't overmix. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
5. Scoop batter into muffin tin. Bake for 24-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing to cool.

Nigella's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

I can't find my digital scale. Eeck.

Due to some home improvements, things were moved around and crammed in other areas of the house and the garage. And I don't know where the digital scale went! Eeck. I use it all the time and feel like my arm is cut off when baking without it. Oh, and I can't find my camera too. It's kinda a disaster in the making. I'm lucky to have gotten these muffins out the door. I'll keep you posted on the lost and found that is the house.

These are Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins. They have some cocoa powder and chocolate chips. I switched regular chocolate chips for mini chips because mini chips are cuter.

I really liked this recipe. Super easy to make and the texture was very good. I made them two days in a row and will definitely make them again in the future!

Let's hope my scale and camera show up soon!
(These photos were taken on my Samsung 4S phone with the VSCOcam app)

I slightly adapted Nigella's recipe from the Food Network

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder (I used Callebaut dutch chocolate)
3/4 cup superfine sugar (one time, I used granulated sugar and it turned out fine)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top (1 cup total chips - I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup milk (I used whole milk)
1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line a muffin tin with liners.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
4. In a measuring cup, mix together the oil, milk, egg and vanilla together.
5. Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients and mix together. Don't overmix - it's fine if it's lumpy.
6. Scoop into muffin tin.
7. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top.
8. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 12 muffins.

Maple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Maple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did I tell you about my friend Helen and her three awesome daughters Alison, Emily and Rosie? They are, without exaggeration, totally cool and rad. I've known them since the Northridge earthquake when Helen and I started working together. Yes, I date things by natural disasters. Rosie and I are in a cake decorating class right now. I've been posting photos to my instagram account (@foodlibrarian) and will post about it after the class ends.

Alison's friend Erika gave the family this recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies...with the secret ingredient of maple syrup!

Although maple syrup is an all-year yummy ingredient, I think of it as a "fall" food. Thus, welcome fall.

The recipe is delicious, but if you want to cut the brown sugar a bit, go for it. They are plenty sweet.

Recipe:

Maple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Erika says she adapted it from a Martha Stewart recipe
1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour
1 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, grade A
1 egg, room temp
2 t vanilla
3 cups old fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven in 325 degrees.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy with a paddle attachment in a stand mixer. Scrap down side of bowl.
3. Add the maple sugar and mix until blended.
4. Add egg and vanilla until blended.
5. On slow speed, add flour mixture. Mix until just blended.
6. Add the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix until just blended. Finish with a spatula, but don't overmix.
7. Scoop onto parchment paper covered baking tray. I used a smallish cookie scoop and got 57 cookies.
8. Bake for about 15 minutes (depends on your oven), turning halfway through until edges are golden brown.

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes, I'm a little slow to jump on bandwagon. I was hesitant to get a digital camera (what was I thinking on that one?) and haven't gotten an iPad yet. I remember reading about these cookies in the New York Times back in 2008 but can't believe it has taken me so long to make them!

This cookie recipe uses cake and bread flour, as well as a 24-36 hour waiting period before baking. The waiting period allows the liquid to dry out and makes a happier dough. Toll House's original recipe says to refrigerate overnight. Flour Bakery's cookies rest overnight and I've been trying to do that with all my cookie doughs.

Thank you Lori, Recipe Girl for this hint! After you roll out your ball of cookie dough, put 4-5 chips on top of the ball! Then, when it bakes, a few perfectly placed chips bake on top of the cookie! I can't tell you how many people said, "These cookies look perfect." I told them Lori's trick and now we'll have a bunch of perfect looking chocolate chip cookies in Southern California.

Recipe:
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from the New York Times (from Jacque Torres), July 9, 2008


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, at least 60 percent cacao (I used 16 ounces (1 pound) of chips in the batter: 1/2 bittersweet Ghirardelli chips and 1/2 Nestle Semi-Sweet chips)
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. Mix in chocolate chips.
3. 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.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Scoop balls of dough onto baking sheet. The recipe suggests 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls). I made smaller cookies of 1 1/2 ounce (yes, I used the scale). I only put 6 cookies on a half-sheet pan as they spread. 3 1/2 ounce cookies will be large!
6. Place a few chocolate chips on top of the cookie (thanks Recipe Girl for this tip!) Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack
7. The recipe states to sprinkle sea salt on the cookie before baking...but I totally forgot that step! Next time!
Full instructions from the NY Times here.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt - Day #8 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #8

We all have great intentions. Like exercising everyday. Putting away the dishes as soon as they're dry. Making your bed. And eating all the bananas you bought.

This cake may not help with the exercise bit, but it will take care of those bananas!

Whoo hoo! We are on Day #8 of my marathon bundt making adventure because I Like Big Bundts! November 15th is National Bundt Day and I hope you make a bundt to celebrate!

This bundt is based on Dorie Greenspan's awesome Banana Bundt in her book, Baking: From my Home to Yours. That was my pick for Tuesdays with Dorie and it was well loved by the bakers! I promise you'll love it. I added one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the recipe for an even more delicious treat.

This bundt can be eaten plain or with just a touch of powdered sugar. With bananas, sour cream and butter or yogurt? It is so moist!

Happy Monday! If you have some bananas sitting around, be sure to make this deliciousness.

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours (page 190) (Find it in your library here or on Amazon - really, everyone should have this book and it makes a great holiday gift!)

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Coffee Jello & Coffee-Break Muffins (Wake Up Care Package)

Question: How can you help friends turn from night people into early morning people?
Answer: Caffeine.

I have some friends who switched their work schedule and now start really early in the morning. By the second day of the new schedule, it looked like everyone just got off a transatlantic flight and had some major jetlag.

So, I made a Wake Up Care Package. Everything with sugar. Everything with caffeine. That's how I roll. Well, that's how I gift.

I made Coffee Jello. Since I first created and posted this recipe, it has been much clicked on and made. And I must say, It. Is. Fantastic. If you are a coffee drinker, you'll like it.

I also made Dorie Greenspan's Coffee-Break Muffins.

The only problem with this care package is that as I was preparing it for delivery, I kept eating the end pieces of the Coffee Jello and had to try one of the muffins (quality control people, quality control). But I don't drink caffeine so I got so. freaking. wired. My heart was racing and I was talking a mile a minute. I already talk fast, so I was like that "vintage" FedEx commercial guy.

Then I got a big headache and remembered why I don't have caffeine. Anyway, make these treats for a friend (who is accustomed to caffeine) as an edible wake up call.

P.S. Come back on Saturday as I lurch toward my 40th birthday. I'll be 39 8/12 and I'll be having another giveaway!

Recipes:
Coffee Jello (blog entry and printable recipe)

Coffee-Break Muffins
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (1 stick)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I added)

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Prep 12 muffin cups.
2. In a big bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Stir in the brown sugar, making sure there are no lumps.
4. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk the coffee, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until combined. (I used Starbucks VIA (one packet). Since the coffee needs to be cool, I used about 1/3 cup boiling water, mixed til dissolved, and filled it with 2/3 cup cold water.)
5. Add mini chocolate chips. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and, with a whisk, gently but quickly stir to blend; don't overmix.
6. Scoop into muffins. I use an ice cream scoop.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean. Transfer pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies, or Countdown to 40 Giveaway - I'm 39 7/12 years old!

Happy Pre-Birthday.
To me.
Damnit.

I'm turning 40 in five months. I'll be honest with you and say I'm a little weirded out by this one. I'm THAT person who just loves birthdays. But this one is taking some getting used to...although I just heard 40 is the new 30.

So, to get into the groove, I'm starting the birthday celebration NOW. In my 30's.

I'll be giving something away each month before my December 7, 2010 birthday.

And don't I know how to get this party started? Yes, by buying myself this cool serving tray at Crate & Barrel. Only $9.95! I'm frugal and 39 7/12!

For the "5 month" countdown, I'm giving away a $39 7/12 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner! ($39.58 US Dollar gift certificate to Amazon.com) To enter, just leave a comment (if you aren't connected to a blog, leave your email address). Deadline is Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at midnight PDT. **Updated: Contest is closed. Congrats to Vicki #8 who won!**

Here are 39 7/12 peanut butter chocolate chip cookies!

Recipe:
I've made these Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunk cookies before, but they are a true favorite. This time, I used Cadbury Dark Chocolate Chips that my cousin brought back from a trip to Ireland.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunk cookies (adapted from Everyday Food - Martha Stewart empire)

My printable recipe here

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky) (I used Jif smooth. I really like the smooth PB for this recipe)
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar (I've made it with both light and dark brown sugar)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks (I've used Nestle chips, chunks and Cadbury dark chocolate chips...all with delicious results!!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside. With a Kitchen Aid and paddle, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy...about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
2. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two large baking sheets. I used half-sheet pans and a Silpat or parchment paper. Bake until golden, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

SoNo Bakery Brownies - John Barricelli

SoNo Brownies

The nice guy on Everyday Food and Everyday Baking, John Barricelli has a new cookbook, The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook, named for his South Norwalk, Connecticut bakery.

My friend, Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet has even been to the bakery! Since it is a little far for me to drop in, I made the SoNo Brownies on page 86 of his book.

This is a really easy recipe. Quick and easy. You make it in a pot, not a KitchenAid. I love making stuff on the stove. It makes me feel like I'm actually cooking...since I do very little real cooking. :)

Made with cocoa and chocolate chips, this is a nice and rich brownie.

These were a big hit at work. I really liked them and will make them again for sure.

Recipe:
Click here for printable copy
Adapted from The Sono Baking Company Cookbook: Amazon or WorldCat (see if your library has it)

SoNo Brownies
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Penzy's Dutch cocoa)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
Pinch of baking soda
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 c sugar
1 T light corn syrup
2 large eggs, room temp (To bring them to room temp quickly, place in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes)
1 T vanilla extract
1 C semisweet chocolate chips (I used Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips)

1. Use an 8-inch square baking pan. Butter or spray. I lined mine with parchment paper.
2. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
3. Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and soda.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the sugar and corn syrup, whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in vanilla.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips. Don't overmix.
6. Pour into pan, smooth the top. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
7. Cool in pan and then eat!! Enjoy!