chocolate chip cookie secrets

Just a few things to try for a chewier, better-looking cookie.

1. Try a dollop of sour cream.
2. Use half butter, half vegetable oil.
3. Melt butter in the microwave on low setting (w/o burning it).
4. Soften brown sugar with butter in microwave.
5. Add a tablespoon of milk.
6. Add a package of instant vanilla pudding mix.
7. Chill dough before baking.
8. Triple the amount of vanilla extract.
9. Don't overbake.
10. Add a 1/4 cup flour (but they may become cakey).

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Originally published in the Got Milk? Cookie Book by Peggy Cullen)
Makes 15 large cookies.
Borrowed from Erin Co.oks.

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons white sugar
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup plus
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup nuts (Note: optional. I never add nuts, but it’s totally personal preference).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula and beat for a few more seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until absorbed. Combine the chocolate chunks and nuts into a small bowl and stir into the dough.

Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and drop them about 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets (Note: I use a silpat. I don’t have a lot of faith in leaving my baked goods ability to be removed from a pan up to chance). For perfectly uniform cookies, scoop the dough using a 1 1/2 inch diameter ice-cream scoop, leveling the dough off across the top before dropping onto the baking sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely (Note: I never bake my batches for more than 12 minutes. If you over bake the cookies they obviously wont be chewy).

Baked Sweet Potato Latkes

Makes 12 Latkes

2 pounds grated sweet potatoes
1 medium onion, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray or use a silpat.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Drop by 1/3-cupfuls onto cookie sheet. Flatten with spatula.

Bake for 25 minutes; flip and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Serve with light sour cream and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Brown Sugar Shortbread

I never knew shortbread was this easy!

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, butter and sugar. Press the dough into a ball and roll out on a lightly floured counter. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies onto a well greased baking sheet or silpat.

Bake until just slightly golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes.

Note: Do not overcook or you’ll have mini shortbread hockey pucks. Let the shortbread cool and decorate as desired with your favorite icing and sugar sprinkles.

Mr. Min's Banana Bread

This is, by far, the best banana bread I've ever had. Thanks to Congress.man McCarthy's Chie.f of Staff for passing it along, after I hounded him for it for weeks.

dry stuff
baking soda - 1 tsp
flour - 2 cups
brown sugar - 1 cup
salt - 1/4 tsp

wet stuff
very ripe bananas - 3
eggs - 2
butter - 1/2 cup

optional
chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. mix all the dry stuff together
3. mix in beaten eggs, butter, and mashed up bananas one by one into the dry mix, probably in that order. i usually mix in 3/4 of the walnuts into the mix.
4. pour mix in greased loaf pan (i usually put remaining 1/4 of the walnuts on top) and then bake for at least 45 minutes... it took me 75 minutes the last time. you know it's done when the toothpick comes out clean

Peanut Butter (Roasted Banana) Ice Cream Sandwiches

adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup chunky-style peanut butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp (for sprinkling) sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.In another large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisscross pattern, but to not overly glatten cookies. Lightly sprinkle cookies with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Allow Roasted Banana ice cream (or other favorite) to soften a bit, spread a generous amount onto the back (flat side) of one cookie. Press the back of another cookie onto the ice cream, so that the two cookies encase the ice cream and the fork-patterned sides face out. Wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to harden. You might want to hide them, otherwise they'll disappear quickly!