Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toffee Bits and Coconut

Sometimes you just crave the classics.  I find every few months I just want some homemade chocolate chip cookies.   I always know they won't last long no matter where I bring them.  Chocolate chip cookies are just like a clean house. Cleaning weekends are tiring but I just love when my house is in tip top shape.  Just like chocolate chip cookies it may not always last long but it makes me happy.  The weekend wasn't all cleaning and organizing though, we had two sets of dinner with friends and Saturday I went to see a movie with my sister and her friend.  I also worked on and delivered the picture below on Saturday.   One of my new favorites, ribbon just makes cakes look so simply and elegant.

Is anyone a fan of musicals or plays?  Tonight my sister and I are taking my mom to see "Young Frankenstein".  The funny thing is I have no idea what it is about.   It is a old movie/musical that my mom loves.   I sort of like not knowing though.  I have gone to several plays based on movies and come out disappointed in how they change the story.  The singing and acting may be great but please don't change the story of a classic.   I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toffee Bits and Coconut
(adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 cups all purpose flour 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 6 oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup brown sugar (7 oz)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toffee bits
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1) Heat oven to 325F. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside

2) In a large bowl or your mixer bowl beat together sugars and butter until thoroughly blended.   Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla.

3)  Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Add chips/bits/coconut and blend on low until just combined.  I choose to cover the dough with saran wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

3) If you chill the dough, allow dough to warm up a little so it is somewhat scoopable. I would scoop and then remove excess.  Using a small-medium scoop, place rounds on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  Flatten slightly. Bake the cookies, about 12-15 min or until edges become golden.  Depends on how soft you  like them. Cool cookies on cookie sheet and store in air tight container.

You really can't go wrong with any variation of this recipe I discover.  You can add almost anything you like and it would still taste good.

Check out Kitchen Bootcamp for lots more cookies and bars this month.


MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Just spent a great long weekend in Ottawa visiting some friends.  They have a three year old, so we all went to the fair Sunday morning.   This was her first time at a fair and she had a lot of fun.  She did have the look of terror a few times but she warmed up pretty quickly.  I didn't go on any rides but my hubby and one of your friends managed to get their own session of bumper cars.  Not sure how much fun it is with two people but they managed to get a few good hits in.   I just stood in the shade taking pictures.   After that we hit up a Mexican place on the patio, enjoy the weather and the beautiful scenery.  Ottawa is such a beautiful place if you ever get a chance to visit.  If you live there you are lucky.  I think it might be one of the cleanest cities I have ever been to.  It is a big city with out a big city feel, lots of great neighborhoods.   Once upon a time I tried to convince my hubby to  move there but he wisely talked me out of it to stay close to family and friends.  I sure do like to visit now and then though.

I continue my love for fresh fruit baking, by capitalizing on some rhubarb I got from my good friend Kelly.  She has a nice big bush in her backyard and is always kind enough to give me some stalks each May.   I took half chopped it up and put it in the freezer for a creation that will go to Kelly.   The other half went to this wonderful dessert.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler



INGREDIENTS:

Fruit part

• 1lb strawberries, washed, stemmed and chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh/frozen rhubarb
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp agave

Cobbler topping (adapted from Anna Olson)

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp melted and cooled butter
• 1/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 1 cup all purpose flour or gluten free all purpose
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon sugar for sprinkling.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 375F.
2) Combine the fruit, brown sugar, corn starch, vinegar and agave in a medium bowl.  Toss together and place in a 8 inch square baking dish. 

2) In a large bowl, combine egg, melted butter, sugar and whisk together.  Whisk in milk.  Stir in the flour, salt and baking powder and until combined.  Mixture will be wet.
3) In clumps, allowing for some spreading drop the cobbler topping on to the fruit mixture.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
4) Bake for about 45 minutes.  Until the cobbler top is brown and set. Fruit will be bubbling.

Serve warm with some vanilla ice cream.  Yummy.  I am more a fan of crisps and crumbles than cobblers I have no discovered.  I think I just need more of a crunch than what a cobbler provides.  I did really enjoy the filling, a great combination of sweet and tart. 

MEG's RATING: D-EEEE-LICIOUS!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

May has turned out to be a very busy month, on top of crazy new work computers systems and training, I have Mother's day and two big Birthdays, My hubby's Mom and Brother.  The tricky thing is they happen to be a week apart so we tend to just do one gathering.   I, of course make sure I do two desserts.   One for the brother and one the Mom, since they have different favorites.   His brothers dessert has to be something peanut butter and chocolate.   When I did the cake for his surprise party last week,  I didn't make it chocolate peanut butter and I got a sad face.   We decided to play it safe that weekend in case of any allergies so he got vanilla chocolate. I made up for it with a cool design.  He is a web designer.  For this dessert I tried to make it completely over the top chocolate peanut butter.   I think I did a pretty good job.   It was a chocolate peanut butter lovers dream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

INGREDIENTS:

• About 2 - 8 inch chocolate cakes - depending in the size of your trifle bowl
• 3 cups peanut butter chocolate buttercream - recipe I use
• 3 cups chopped peanut butter cups
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted with 1/4 cup peanut butter

INSTRUCTIONS:


1) Cut up the cake into cubes.  Set aside.
2) Cover the bottom of the bowl with a thin layer of the melted chocolate/peanut butter.
3) Place some cake cubes on top covering the full dish.

4) Place your buttercream in a piping bag and cover the cake with a swirled layer of icing.
5) Top the icing with crushed peanut butter cups.

6) Top the peanut butter cups with some melted chocolate/peanut butter
7) Repeat from step 3 as much as you can, ending with peanut butter cups and a drizzle the chocolate/peanut butter.

I love trifles, they can be any combination you like cake, icing, pudding, fruit, chocolate.  So many possibilities. You would think it would be complete sweet overload but it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.  Now don't get me wrong you couldn't eat a huge portion of this but you could eat a normal size.   :-)  

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS

Lemon Blueberry Scones with Lemon Chips

Did everyone have a great weekend?  I sure did. The weather was beautiful and it was Mother's day.   I got in all my quality time with friends and family.   Sadly none of us won any money at bingo on Sunday.  It is quite frustrating being only one number off from almost winning but it was still good fun.  The productivity scale this weekend was quite low though as I spent no time in the gardens or grocery shopping and only put in some minor cleaning time.   Ah well , I will catch up on some of those this week.   Did you do anything special with your families?

I am definitely getting the urge to bake with more fruit now that the weather is changing.   I was at the bulk barn the other day and saw lemon chips.  I immediately bought these,  how fun would they be this summer?

Lemon Blueberry Scones with Lemon Chips
(Adapted from Anna Olson - Back to Baking)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 2/3 unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 oz cubed unsalted butter, cold
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp milk, cold  plus additional for brushing
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup lemon chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 400F. Combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a medium bowl.   Add in cubed butter and cut in with pastry cutter or hands. 

2) Add in blueberries, lemon zest and lemon chips and coat in the flour mixture. 

3)  Combine egg, milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.  Add this mixture to the flour and stir until dough just comes to together.    

4) Bring the dough on to a lightly floured work surface, just bring together while flattening and folding until the dough remains together.   Roll out to a circle about 1 inch thick and cut into triangles.  Place the scones on stonewear or a baking sheet lines with silpat/parchment.   Brush the top with milk.

5) Bake the scones for about 15-20 minutes until they have browned evenly on top.

These are best served warm and can be lightly re-heated if you like.   I don't bake a lot of breakfast items often but they sure are yummy.   Lemon Blueberry is such a fresh combination and I just love the bursting blueberries.  More lemon chip recipes to come....

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!

Five Friday Pin Up - May 12

Well since I couldn't seem to get my unorganized butt together to get my latest post out, I needed to end the week with some pinning.  With the hopes I can get three posts out next week, thanks to some serious mothers day baking I will be doing in the next two days.

I am really looking forward to this weekend,  it is a jammed packed weekend of family and friends gatherings and somewhere in between - baking.   Tonight I have a  gathering with some girl friends, tomorrow lunch with another, then a family dinner with the in-laws and Sunday is breakfast and bingo with my mom, sister, aunt and cousin. We won last Mother's day so I am crossing my fingers for this year.  It does sound super busy but there are a lot of people to see and a lot of wonderful mothers in my family to celebrate.  The mothers, sisters, aunts etc in my families are amazing and all teach me different things that help shape me into who I am.   I love them all.   Although I will feel go go go,   I really do love weekends like this.   Life can get so busy and people can't always get together so easily, when you can -  soak it up.   I will find time to rest on Sunday night and by rest I mean catch up on the blog.

Here are some wonderful recipes I pinned in the last two weeks.   Make any of these and you will have a good weekend.

1) Chocolate Chip Cherry Cheesecake by Raspberri Cupcakes :     http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330421237/

2) Nutella Smores Pullapart Bread by Plain Chicken : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330486820/

3) Mini pretzel bites by Get off your butt and bake : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330486927/

4) Lightened-Up Sundried Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta by Oh She Glows : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330498212/

5) Strawberry Rhubarb French Toast by Two Peas and their Pod : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330499801/

I hope you have a great weekend with your mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, cousins and friends and don't forget to remember the ones you have lost.

Have a SWEET weekend !!

Toronto Street Food Block Party

I mentioned a few weeks ago I got tickets to the Toronto Street Food Party. Well it was this past Saturday and it was awesome!    There were over 30 food vendors and trucks,  there was a limited number of tickets and they sold out with in minutes.   Even up until the night of the event there were people on the facebook site asking for tickets.  The theme was Cinco de Mayo given the event was on May 5th and for the most part most vendors had one or two things around the theme.    I wanted to get their right at 5 if not before since we had limited time since we had to be back in the suburbs for a birthday party.  Unfortunately I wasn't the only one with getting there right at 5 on the mind.   There was a serious line to get in and we luckily just got parking.   The photo below was after we had already moved up considerably.

So obviously I was a bit stressed I would run out of time and get stuck spending most of my time in lines.   We were strategic though,  when we got it we went straight to the back to the food trucks.   My first choice was wood fire grilled pizza. It was vegetarian with white sauce,  caramelized onions, feta and kalamata olives.   It was very very tasty.  I love thin crust pizza, crispy on the edge and soft in the center.

The others decided to get grilled cheese from Gorilla Cheese and some taco variations from the Caplansky Deli Truck.  That's my friend Steve having his first Gorilla Cheese.   

It was an also a requirement to get some fries and beer.   There was just no easy way to eat the fries for Steve. 

After some serious eats we couldn't end the night with out some much needed desserts.    I decided to get an Oreo cupcake in a jar from the Sullivan & Bleeker Baking Co.   Very cool idea and I will definitely replicate this idea in the future. 

Brad decided to get a whole bunch of mini cupcakes from the same place.  This was a cookie dough and red velvet that I stole from him.  :-)

It was a pretty cool event.   Some lines unfortunately were quite long but pretty hard to avoid with the amount of people,  you just need to get their early.  I think it was even busier when we left then when we got there.  So much choice and variety and a lot of very unique dishes, there is something to find for everyone with and without a line.  Prices for dishes and drinks were both very reasonable and portions were just enough to allow you to sample a few vendors.  I am crossing my fingers they repeat this event in the summer as I will anxiously be waiting to get my tickets.    Great job to all the organizers, volunteers,  vendors and food trucks.  Keep 'em coming! 

Soft Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

I mentioned the other day Christina Marguiles was at my work library speaking about her new cookbook.  She was very informative, just like the book.  Since her background is as a food scientist she is able to tell you why things happen or need to happen in order for your baking to turn out correctly.   She talked  about some of her key tips in the book about how to avoid cookies from over spreading and how to get the perfect shiny crackly top on your brownies.

What is the best way to measure flour, aside from weighing it?   You are probably well aware of the one scoop and scrape method, where you use the back of a knife or flat edge to scrap off the excess. This actually isn't the best method.   She says you should spoon into your cup using a small spoon due to potential compression or lack of when scooping from a container or bag.    Depending on the amounts of cups you need in a recipe you could be adding up to another half cup, affecting texture, weight and dryness.  She also talks about the importance of weighing ingredients and how 1 cup is not always 8 oz, a common mistake some can make.

Her book is in-depth but concise and full of awesome recipes, tips and advice.  She even discuss key ingredients and what is better than the other butter vs. lard, brown sugar vs. white,  even hand mixer vs  stand mixer.  There is just a lot of great information.  I can't wait to bake everything in this book. 

I decided to start with a cookie, as this is the first chapter in the book.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

(Adapted from Scientifically Sweet)

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted room temp butter
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp molasses. 
• 1 large egg
• 5 oz dark chocolate chips.
• Granulated sugar for sprinkling.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.

2) In a large bowl or mixer bowl cream butter.   Add brown sugar and spices and beat together until well combined.  

3) Add molasses and combine.  Add egg and combine.

4) Fold the flour mixture into wet mixture until almost combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Do not over mix.
5) Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment/silpat.
6) Using a mini scoop place rounds on the prepared sheets. . Flatten slightly with hands, sprinkle lightly with some granulated sugar.   Bake for about 10 minutes, surface is slightly cracked and still soft.   Let cool for 1 minute on baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

These cookies were wonderful.   Neither the gingerbread or the chocolate over powers the cookie and they just blend together nicely.  So far I am very pleased with this cookbook.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!