Better Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Everyone says that their chocolate chip recipe is the best. I'm not saying this, because this recipe isn't mine. Still, I think it is the best. If you like crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside chocolate chip cookies, then this one is for you.

I love bing able to make up a batch of this dough, bake a few cookies and freeze the rest. Company coming over? Bake them some fresh cookies. You're home will smell delicious, your neighbors will be jealous, and you will be toted as the hostess of the century.

*A note about the recipe: it calls for dissoliving the baking soda in hot water. I'm not really sure what this does to the cookies. Next time I might just skip this step and see how they turn out. Still, with the batch I made, I did do this quirky step and they turned out great. Maybe that's the trick?

**For freezing: wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge for 3-5 hours before baking. Interestingly enough, chilled dough produces chewier cookies because the fats are not melted.

As always, nuts are optional. I left them out (mainly because I wanted to add in extra chocolate chips heheh!)

Knock-off Razzleberry Pie

When I was in middle school, it seemed that every girl and her mother owned a Louis Vuitton purse.  Ah, well, that's what it seemed.  Upon closer inspection, one would realize that those little LV's and fancy symbols were actually, LU's paired with smiley faces or some other ridiculous circular motif. 

Well, I'm not going to try and dupe you with this recipe.  It kind of looks like Marie Callendar's flaky double-crust pie with dark berry filling.  Yet, with scrutiny the filling is a little too red, a little too Razzly.  But it tastes darn good, just like how those knock-off Louis, in the end, were purses too.

So don't judge, and try it.  Preferably warm with vanilla ice cream.

Knock-off Razzleberry Pie adapted from Better Homes & Garden's New Cookbook 15th Edition

Double-Crust Pie Pastry

3 cups AP flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup to 2/3 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt.  Cut in shortening until mixture looks like peas.  Sprinkle ice water 1 TB at a time, and toss flour mixture with a fork, working in sections until the entire mixture is moist but not sticky.  Divide mixture in half.

Take one half and on a lightly floured surface, roll until about 12 inches in diameter.  Fit into bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.  Trim edges.

Roll out other ball and leave aside.

Berry Mixture

3 cups of frozen mixed berries

2 cups of frozen raspberries

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup AP flour

Berries should be icy, but not frozen solid.  Let fruit stand for 45 minutes if solidly frozen.  Mix everything together, until berries are well coated, and mixture is thickened.  Spoon mixture into crust-lined 9-inch pie plate.  Cover with second pie crust.  Fold top crust beneath the edges of the bottom crust.  Cut several slits in the top crust to allow for air to escape. Decorate edge.

Brush milk or egg wash onto top of pie and sprinkle with sugar (sanding sugar is very pretty) for a fancy schmancy look (it goes with the knock-off theme).  Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent it from browning too much. 

Place a cookie sheet below pie in oven to catch any fruit juices that escape.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (40 to 50 if fruit was frozen).  Remove foil.  Bake for another 35 to 40 minutes until filling is bubbling, or fruit is softened.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.  Top with ice cream or whipped cream.  Take that Marie Callendar.

First Meals

June 17th I moved into my own very first place (financed by parents and student loans, of course).  It is an exciting and scary time.  I have had to learn to feed myself, and not rely on the glorious salad bar from the dormitory dining hall: O how I miss thee, fair selection of organic and local produce, and the occasional oddity like miniature corn. 
It has been pretty warm here, so I haven't wanted to turn on the oven too much.  I have, however, made copious amounts of granola...

Tried my hand at mashed potatoes...

Made Trader Joe's Multi-grain Pancakes from a wholesome and tasty box mix (farewell Bisquick)...

And Made Mom's Pasta Salad, all on my own...

When I'm not eating leftovers, it's mostly salads, quesadillas, and sandwiches.  Easy, but satisfying.

Which reminds me, I recently saw an interview with Anderson Cooper where he said that he goes through phases where he "rediscovers" food.  Three of his favorites are protein shakes, egg whites, and PB&J sandwiches.  I think Anderson and I would get along pretty well.

Spinach and Feta Quiche

J'adore la quiche.  Hey, I took 6 years of French, and I can at least say that (and enough to muddle through a French Club pique-nique for Bastille Day).  I made this quiche for the get-together, and I think it was well-enjoyed, as I was only left with 2 slices.  Delicieuse.

I had made the same recipe sans tomates a week before for my Mom's first visit to my nouvelle apartement.  The first one was good, but the second one was definitely a charm.

Faux pas: do NOT buy any other spinach than frozen, CHOPPED spinach.  I made the mistake on the first quiche of not buying chopped, and it was very stringy, and grass clod unappetizing looking.  Green is good, but not this much green.

Case in point: Green onions=good green, especially with nice white cheeses

Also, I am becoming a bit pie obsessed.  I could literally eat pie crust with every meal of the day.  More pie crusts to come.  Decorating is fun!

If you are a lazy  busy college student like me, then I have a tip for you: after you've eaten as much quiche as you can handle the first day of making this, freeze individual slices.  Pop a slice in the microwave for a minute in and a half in the microwave, and voila!  Dinner!  Sure the crust will not be quite as crumbly, but good eggy, cheesy, oniony, spinachy deliciousness will still be there. 

Spinach and Feta Quiche from Sunset: Vegetarian Cooking

Pastry for 9 inch pie from Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook 15th Edition

Chocolate Revel Bars

Although I've made both chocolate chip banana bread, and granola since making this indulgently tasty, yet ridiculously easy cookie, I won't bore you with my old favorites.  While I love banana bread, I seem to have fallen into a banana rut.  I blame my Grandmother, who purposefully leaves out bananas to become overripe so that when I come home I will bake with them: banana bread, banana muffins, banana...  The granola I own up to though.  There is nothing like crunchy, sweetly spiced oats.  

I love oats.  Wholesome alone.  Hearty for breakfast.  Comforting as a cookie.  Plus, it's a whole grain, so let's just forget the sugar bomb of sweetened condensed milk that goes into this recipe for now. 

From Better Homes and Gardens' New Cook Book 15th Edition (another old favorite).

Banana Nut Muffins

I am going to be completely honest here, because I think the truth is a good thing, and I don't want to be called a liar.  These muffins are healthy.  On their own they aren't very tasty.  BUT, (and isn't there always a but?) they are a perfect vessel for streusel topping.

Streusel.  I would eat it on pretty much anything.

Brown sugar, melted butter, chopped pecans.  Is there really anything better?  I think there was a bit of flour in the mix too, but I left that out of the list of deliciousness because nobody thinks flour is good on its own.

BUT, (there it is again!) flour mixed with mashed bananas, nuts, sugar, an egg or twothat is baked in the oven for less than a half hour produces a nice, sweet package that can pass for either breakfast or dessert.

In the world of baked goods, versatility is a virtue. 

Sweet Petite Cherry Pie

Cherry pie is one of my favorite pies.  Buttery pie crust and tart yet sweet, juicy fruit filling.  I was lucky enough to have just enough pie crust left over in the freezer from the butter tarts of January, that the laborious process of pulsing shortening into flour until the size of peas was not even an issue.  Much to my pleasant surprise, the flavor of the crust was not sacrificed with this short-cut, and to me seemed even flakier!

Using a greased cookie sheet I was able to make three individual cherry pies for each of the lovely ladies in my home.  I was able to practice lattice-crust making, which is actually a lot easier than it appears, but also a bit more messy.

As a sparkling finishing touch I added egg wash and some coarse granulated sugar.

These were perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Baked at 425 F for about 22-23 minutes.