Tag: chocolate chip cookies

A Summer in San Francisco

CarmenLeave a comment

     To continue my end-of-blogging tendencies, I have run out of time to share all my gastronomic adventures with y’all in a chronologically appropriate time. So it is now the time to conglomerate the  highlights of the rest of my endeavors in San Francisco, the night before my flight back to the East Coast, when I should instead be making lunch/dinner/meal for the stingy domestic flight that won’t provide me with one for free. Featured here is the best chocolate chip cookie I purchased in the city, the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, Tartine Bakery (big deal), and Chile Pies and Ice Cream, north of the Panhandle.

     So another As Seen on “Unique Sweets” player here is Goody Goodie Cream and Sugar. This place is tucked away very nicely in what I guess is technically Mission. Nothing much is in the area, except some excellent chocolate chip cookies. I met the woman behind the baked goodness, Remi Hayashi. She was very kind and filled me in on her secret when I asked her what was crunching in the goody goodie cookie, with four different kinds of chocolate: cocoa nibs. Nuts, right? No, not nuts at all. This is all chocolate and almost no batter (once you bite into it). I would say a definite 2:1 chocolate to dough ratio here, no lie. And what’s better than a free milk shot to go with your cookie? Not much.

     They’re also just very attractive cookies. Perfectly round and colored on top. Also nice and thick.

 There she is, doing her cookie thing.

     This farmer’s market though…the biggest in the city, is up and running Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Saturday is from 8-2pm, and as you can imagine, the chef/restaurant owners don’t fancy wading through the crowd for the leftovers at noon, so the die hards get there right at 8 am for the best pickings and fewest people. One Saturday morning I got up at 7 just to get to the farmer’s market when it wasn’t crowded. I don’t do too well with crowds and grocery shopping: ask my classmates and they’ll tell you I wait until 10 pm to go to Wegmans. Well I got to the farmer’s market and while it was foggy, it was just so pleasant. Also beautiful (note tomato arrangement above). So many stone fruit samples. How else do you pick where to get your $3.50/lb nectarines?

Come hungry and get ready for a sugar crash later.

     Pluot: yes, plum-apricot.
Big bowl of greens.
Big popular bakery and a guy with cool glasses.
 So, animal fur. I guess it counts as being sustainable if you’re killing the
animals for their meat anyway, right?

It’s not just in the South of France (though it’s probably best there tbh).
     Oh, we can’t forget Umami Burger. Also known as $12 for a lot of truffle oil and “flavor”. There was nothing wrong with the burger per se, but I didn’t feel like the price was worth it. I have since tried a $3 In ‘N Out Burger, though, and was a good old fast food fix.
 Trying to go all Japanese. Not a bad looking place.
 
Community tabling it.

Check it: the original Umami Burger, with Parmesan crisp (baked Parmesan
chip), tiny shiitake mushroom, roasted tomato, caramelized onions and
house-made ketchup.

Megan got the Truffle Especiale with Parmesan frico, truffled arugula,
truffle butter, and a fried egg. #mushrooms #trendy

With a side of truffle cheese fondue fries. Topped with “truffle salt”. Sometimes
you just gotta lol. The fries were for sure tasty though I’ll give Umami that.

     I don’t know how to describe the importance of Tartine Bakery to San Francisco, except to say that it’s very important. Everyone knows it, everyone has been there, and everyone probably has their preferred menu item. I have never passed the corner café without seeing a line of this length out the door. I do know that no-lines happen on occasion, though. One Saturday morning I found myself in the Mission and thought it only appropriate to try something.

     It’s a very small place, so don’t expect to get a table without waiting. But you go in – or rather line up, get in, order, and find somewhere to stay if you want. I think there may be some wait staff thing going on if you order lunch. Here are some literal sneak peek photos I took in stealth mode/from the hip (I’m getting better maybe?).

 They do all sorts of things here. I think that’s the lemon meringue cake
getting worked on back there.

Here is the finished product.

They’re famous for their bread pudding.

No wonder.
But they’re also famous for their morning buns. Remember C&W’s morning bun? The prices of the two differ by 20 cents, but the experience is galaxies apart. What came to mind when I was thinking of how to describe C&W’s bun was too harsh to post. But you must understand: I almost cried eating this morning bun. I almost bought another. Warm, citrusy, gooey, sugary meltedness on the top, barely done in the middle, incredible. Like no cinnamon roll I will ever have. If you go to San Francisco for one thing, make it this morning bun. I was so extremely content when I left. Thank you, Tartine Bakery.

     Chile Pies and Ice Cream are known for putting chiles in their apple pie with a cheddar crust or some such combo. I say why ruin a perfectly good pie, as does my intern buddy Erin, but I guess I can’t knock it yet since I went with the seasonal white nectarine with raspberries, paired with lemon cookie ice cream from SF’s Three Twins Ice Cream. I think one of those twins went to Cornell! This place is part of Green Chile Kitchen, a fun looking restaurant right next door to their NoPa location (north of Panhandle…does anyone really use NoPa as a neighborhood name?). It has some sort of old-fashioned, maybe rustic vibe to it. Check out that table top.

With a menu that changes daily, they have this cool roll of paper pinned to the wall.

Fun lights, except I couldn’t see all that well.

If you’re staying to eat, they’ll heat up your pie nice and gud. They also make
pie shakes. They will take your pie slice of choice and make it into a shake.
I’m not sure, either. Next time.

Fun lights like I mentioned.

       I’m leaving this city with more questions than answers, but at this point, with one semester to go and future choices to be considering, it’s not a bad thing. This time tomorrow I will be on the hustle side of things for one more round. Stay tuned for ridiculous senior(itis) endeavors, and thanks for reading this far! Keep your rubber scrapers handy for a fun cupcake recipe from weeks ago too…

PSA

CarmenLeave a comment

     This is a public service announcement. For all you innovative thinkers and die-hard believers, go do you. Don’t be afraid of what The Man has to say about your ridiculous ideas and true efforts to create. For all you naysayers and Debbie Downers, eat some cake. Give love a chance. Hug a dog. Don’t take life so seriously. Be happy. But most importantly relevantly, don’t knock it till you try it.

     Sometimes you want chocolate chip cookies and you have no brown sugar. But you do have a large tub of molasses. Wam bam shazam half a cup of normal people sugar and a teaspoon of molasses later, crisis averted.

     I have nothing more to say for myself. Except for I’m not the first to think of this, so…don’t blame me. And to go do something crazy and ridiculous and love it. Yeah. That’s about it.

Let’s take a closer look at that. In case you missed it. That’s popcorn in a batter of chocolate chip cookies.
Have a great, productive day. And Eid Mubarak!

Popcorned Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 15 cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
As much popcorn as you like
-These would also benefit from some coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Combine butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add vanilla and egg. Combine dry ingredients and add to butter etc. Stir in chocolate chips. Carefully fold in popped popcorn kernels. Cook in oven at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Let cool before eating.
Recipe note: these are one of maybe no other cookies that I have discovered to be better a day old, so try and save some for tomorrow. I’m not entirely sure why, but I’ll bet it helps that everything is cooled cool enough to experience all tehe flavors and texture together. Yum.

Cookie Graveyard

CarmenLeave a comment

     I must get back into the blogroove while I can on break. To attempt to make up for three months of inactivity, I shall share some cookie etc recipe gems for your entertainment during the dreary month of January.
     In October, I had a free Friday to myself, and of course I opted to spend it in the empty kitchen. Three hours of oven time resulted in brown butter cookies, apple spice cookies and pumpkin muffins! Wooo!
     Why get back into the groove, you ask? Oh, you didn’t…one would assume it to be so I can more successfully keep writing during school for the coming semester. But what you didn’t assume was that I’ll be spending the next semester in the south of France (insert positive exclamation of choice here). So that’s cool. Be on the lookout for the latest url before I leave in two weeks. In the meantime, bake some out of season nummies.

Cinnamon Apple Cookies
Makes around 30 small cookies
From bakeperfectcookies.com

 
Ingredients
¾ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts

2 Tbs. sugar


2 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl cream the sugar and butter.  Once creamed, add the egg followed by the shredded apple.  Stir in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix the baking powder, flour, cinnamon and salt.  Add to the wet batter, one half at a time.  Finally, fold in the nuts.

On a large baking sheet drop a tablespoon size of batter, no more than 12 cookies to a sheet.

Sometimes it is easier to stick the batter in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  This allows for less sticky measuring and scooping of the dough.

It is essential to bake these cookies for a full 14 minutes.  The tops will be golden.  Mushy-in-the-middle apple cookies are no good!  As long as the tops are a light gold, the cookies are fully done.

While the first batch of cookies are baking, combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. When the first cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle the tops with the sugar-cinnamon mix.  The warmth of the freshly basked cookies allows the sugar-cinnamon mix to stick. Let the cookies sit for a minute then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 24 cookies
Inspired by Joy the Baker

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.
Start by browning the butter.  In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Once the butter has melted completely, it will begin to foam and froth as it cooks.  The butter will also crackle and pop.  That’s the water cooking out of the butter.  Swirl the pan occasionally, and keep an eye on the melted butter.  The butter will become very fragrant and brown bits will begin to form at the bottom of the pan.  Once the bits are an amber brown, immediately remove pan from the heat and pour browned butter (bits and all) into a small bowl.  Leaving the butter in the pan will burn it.  Allow butter to cool for 20 minutes.
Wooo photo skills
In a large bowl, add the browned butter to the brown sugar.  Cream until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
Add the granulated sugar and cream for 2 minutes, until well incorporated.  Add the egg and egg yolk and beat for 1 minute more.

 Add the flour mixture, a third at a time. Use a spatula to fold in chocolate chips.

Chill dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Scoop dough by the two tablespoonful onto prepared sheets.  Be sure to leave about 2-inches of space between each cookie.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Serve warm or allow to cool completely.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Makes 12 large muffins
From The Pioneer Woman

1 cup All-purpose Flour

1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (or other milk)
1 whole Egg
1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease a muffin tin.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined

Chocolate always helps

Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.
Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl cream the sugar and butter.  Once creamed, add the egg followed by the shredded apple.  Stir in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix the baking powder, flour, cinnamon and salt.  Add to the wet batter, one half at a time.  Finally, fold in the nuts.
On a large baking sheet drop a tablespoon size of batter, no more than 12 cookies to a sheet.  Sometimes it is easier to stick the batter in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  This allows for less sticky measuring and scooping of the dough.
It is essential to bake these cookies for a full 14 minutes.  The tops will be golden.  Mushy-in-the-middle apple cookies are no good!  As long as the tops are a light gold, the cookies are fully done.
While the first batch of cookies are baking, combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  When the first cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle the tops with the sugar-cinnamon mix.  The warmth of the freshly basked cookies allows the sugar-cinnamon mix to stick! (yum!)
Let the cookies sit for a minute then transfer them to a cooling rack.
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpufdfdfd
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cup shredded apples (one very large apple or 2 smallish apples)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups flour, white unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (note: I measure the nuts after I chop them)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
– See more at: http://bakeperfectcookies.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-apple-cookies/#sthash.YP2H6xlR.dpuf

A Chocolate Chip Cookie

CarmenLeave a comment

     There’s a perfect recipe out there, somewhere, and one day I will find it. I thought I was going to when I finally had the bread flour to get at Alton Brown’s recipe, but once this batch’s honeymoon phase of gooey warmth was over, I didn’t see much difference between this recipe and the recipe we used in my middle school Life Skills class. I’ve produced cookie upon cookie with that recipe, and almost each time they come out differently. These cookies were flat (though this could have had to do with the deceptive oven temp), and not sufficiently chocolate-chip-cookie chewy. And though it instructed me to put six cookies on each sheet, I didn’t listen, because 1. Why should the cookies be coming out that big? and 2. Who has real estate like that? Or time for multiple batches? So the majority of them came out squished against each other, and it took some luck to find two suitable for blog photos….sigh. In conclusion, I’m still on the search for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. Until then, this one from Joy the Baker from Alton Brown will suffice.

Ingredients
8 ounces unsalted butter
12 ounces bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces granulated sugar
8 ounces light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 ounce whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda onto a paper plate. Pour the butter into your stand mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the whole egg, the egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the egg mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.
This recipe’s “different” because it has you melting the butter.
Much to Joy the Baker’s intrigue.

Using the paper plate as a slide, gradually integrate the dry ingredients, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once the flour is worked in, drop the speed to “stir” and add the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Unfortunately, the look of your dough will not help you gauge
the quality of your end result…unless you did something very wrong.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven.

Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-ounce portions onto parchment-lined half sheet pans, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake 2 sheets at a time for 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven, slide the parchment with the cookies onto a cooling rack and wait at least 5 minutes before devouring.

If it looks like I forgot to take a picture of my dough balls before
putting them in the oven, it’s because I did.
I insist on the addition of walnuts…that is all.

Chocolate Chip. Cookie Dough. CUPCAKES.

Carmen3 Comments

     What happens when you bring a cookie chef and a cupcake pro together? Something like this. Two months in the planning, Jake and I finally made our chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes yesterday. Far from healthy, the combination of cookie dough balls (egg-less, y’all), chocolate cake batter and cookie dough frosting (ohh yeah) is something I wish we’d thought up first. But apparently this already existed, with different versions and varying degrees of doughy-ness and cupcake presence. Clearly, the correct combination includes cookie dough, in the center of a chocolate cupcake, topped with cookie dough frosting. Take it from the real pros, and the may-as-well-be-pros when we say you must experience this.

If you want the dough to stay dough in the cupcake,
leave them in the freezer while you run to the store to get
baking soda…and make the cupcake batter.
If you think they might be too big when you round them, they are.

    So first you make the cookie dough, which is egg free, so fret not about your salmonella poisoning odds. Though you probably weren’t…sigh. Then you stick the bowl in the fridge, take it out after 15 minutes and roll the dough into little balls. While you’re waiting you can make the cupcake batter. The whole half cup (or 1 if you’re doubling) is not necessary, as we discovered.

We do not condone eating this raw, as it does have egg in it.

But sometimes you just have to test it, right?

     The best part was probably dropping the cookie dough into the batter-filled cupcake liners. If you’re only skimming the recipe you may not notice what Jake saw about keeping the dough afloat – if the dough sticks out of the batter and it’s touching the bottom of the liner, cover the dough anyway, even if it sticks out a bit. We tried rolling/turning/flipping the dough balls with toothpicks. This way, they won’t cook as much.

Leave some space for the dough balls when you’re filling the liners;
a full 1/4 cup worked well.
Like so, previous to awkward rolling

      While these are baking, you can make the frosting – don’t skip it if you want the full experience! Use of an electric mixer/stand mixer is necessary so you can whip the butter properly for a true frosting texture.

We don’t exactly not condone eating this one out of the bowl…
SO GOOD P:

     The hardest part of it all may be waiting for the cupcakes to cool before you put the frosting on. But you know what happens if you don’t – melted mess everywhere.

Technically they’re fine without the frosting…

     And you’re done! Depending on what you were expecting, you may be surprised once one hits your mouth. I think it takes some practice/diligence to perceive the distinct flavor of each part, but maybe that’s not the point.

     I’m glad we stuck to the raw dough, and that it mostly worked, apart from the occasional cooked crust at the bottom. Play around with different versions and recipes; they’re definitely out there for consumption. Happy baking!

You should probably hire us for your next party.
Quick note: we doubled the filling & cupcake recipe, and not the frosting: ended up with three or four cupcakes that weren’t frosted. Also, we added the chocolate chips into the frosting as you can see…thought it looked more like cookie dough.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Yield: 1 dozen cupcakes
Prep Time: 45 min + freeze time
Cook Time: 25 min

Ingredients:
COOKIE DOUGH FILLING:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda (not necessary, so we found)
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
CUPCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (a little more necessary)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
COOKIE DOUGH FROSTING:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (<–makes all the difference in the cookie taste!)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
GARNISH:
additional mini chocolate chips
12 mini Chips Ahoy cookies (lol nahh)

Directions:

1. Prepare the cookie dough filling (see *Tips below): In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to stir together the butter, sugars, milk and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the cookie dough is firm. Scoop out dough in 2 tablespoon scoops and place it on a cookie sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt in a blender. Blend to combine. Add the water, oil, egg and vanilla. Blend to combine, scraping down the sides as needed a couple of times until all is well mixed. Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners. Drop a ball of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough into the center of each cupcake. If you would like the cookie dough to bake up slightly, keep the top visible as pictured in the post. If you’d like to keep the cookie dough somewhat raw, push it to the bottom of the cupcake wrapper, making sure that the batter comes up and over the dough.
3. Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake portion of the cupcake (not tested through the center where the dough is), comes out fairly clean. Cool the cupcakes completely before adding the frosting.
4. Prepare the frosting: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Mix in the flour, milk and vanilla and continue to mix until all is well combined.
5. Assemble: Frost cupcakes with a knife or scoop the frosting into a piping bag and pipe it on decoratively. Sprinkle mini chips on top and garnish with a small chocolate chip cookie.

TIPS:*You don’t necessarily have to melt the butter and refrigerate the dough before scooping. The melted butter just helps the sugar dissolve a bit more so you don’t have that grainy texture in the cookie dough. It is necessary to freeze it though.
Recipe from Recipe Girl 

Check out a first ever homemade cupcake attempt hither!

#collegeproblemzzz: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Carmen1 Comment
Typical dorm life issue: You want to make cookies (make cookies), so you get out all your non-perishables from the closet, and forget you don’t have any butter or eggs.
Rats! Or, maybe that’s not generally a problem because why would you have flour, sugar and chocolate chips without butter and eggs?  If you’re anything like me, then you enjoy baking from scratch and won’t know when the urge will hit you. In these cases, it would be convenient to use eggs regularly enough that they don’t expire before you finish, and…well I guess you don’t have the same problem with butter. But I had no eggs, I had no butter, and I wasn’t about to drive to Wegmans in order to make cookies.
For whatever reason, however (specifically doughnuts…), I had some vegetable oil hanging around. There was hope yet! After Googling something like “no egg butter chocolate chip cookies” I eventually came across the Post Punk Kitchen, advertising their expertise on vegan cooking. I generally steer clear of vegan and gluten-free things, as a byproduct of their ingredients (or lack of) is more healthy, less dangerous and delectable. But I really didn’t have a choice since nothing I had to work with was/came from something that ever had legs. You know when they say don’t judge a recipe by its picture? That’s right – they don’t, because it’s surefire way to predict your success (totally).
I’ve attacked this recipe twice now, and let’s just say practice makes perfect. If you are missing butter from your fridge If you are a college student living in a dorm, then there’s a fair chance you won’t have tapioca flour hanging around like this recipe requests. If you are thus concerned for your cookies’ integrity, then you can replace the tapioca flour with something sticky like peanut butter or bananas. As long as you follow the instructions, and take care in catalyzing the “chemical reactions”, you should be good to go. Don’t be like me and assume efforts to mix the oil into the sugars are for naught. They’re not. Your cookies will taste better than the tube of dough your neighbors are buying from the campus convenience store.
Disclaimer: This, of course, depends on your substitute for the tapioca flour; not sure you even need one. If you use half a pinkie’s length of banana, you will have banana cookies with some chocolate chips. You’ve been warned.
Pools of oil: BAD
Homogenous velvety smooth “dough”: GOOD
Your cookies should look more like this
Less so like this: they may slip out of your fingers

Chocolate Chip Cookie (no eggs, no butter)

1/2 brown sugar
1/4 white sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
1 tablespoon tapioca flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two large light metal baking sheets.
Mix together sugars, oil, milk and tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Use a strong fork and mix really well, for about 2 minutes, until it resembles smooth caramel. There is a chemical reaction when sugar and oil collide, so it’s important that you don’t get lazy about that step. Mix in the vanilla.
Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda and salt. Mix until well incorporated. Mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be a little stuff so use your hands to really work them in.
For 3 inch cookies, roll the dough into about ping pong ball size balls. Flatten them out in your hands to about 2 1/2 inches. They will spread just a bit. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes – no more than 9 – until they are just a little browned around the edges. I usually get 16 out of these so I do two rounds of eight cookies. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
For 2 dozen two inch cookies roll dough into walnut sized balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches and bake for only six minutes.
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