One of my weaknesses is a good, chewy chocolate chip cookie. It’s like my kryptonite. I’m not proud of it, but I’m pretty much defenseless around them, which is why I don’t make chocolate chip cookies very often. Recently, though, I was thumbing through the Grand Central Baking Book (from the popular Grand Central Bakery located in Portland and Seattle ) and saw the recipe for their delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. “Oh yeah,” I thought, “I’m totally making these!” And, boy, do these chewy, chocolate-studded treats rock!

I’ve used a combo of semisweet and milk chocolate chips or all semi-sweet chocolate chips. Use what you have and/or like. My personal favorite is Guittard brand chocolate chips (creamy, smooth and absolutely delicious!).

My oven is goofy so I always have to play with the baking time a bit. Just watch for the cookies to have golden edges…the inside will still look a bit underdone. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes then pour a cold glass of milk and devour!

What’s your food kryptonite?

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
-recipe from The Grand Central Baking Book by Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces, or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 cup (7 ounces) packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups (9 ounces) rolled oats (old-fashioned oats)
1 cup (6 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 cup (6 ounces) milk chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. (Put the dry ingredients through a fine-mesh sieve if the flour or baking soda is clumpy.)

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until lighter in color and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl several times during the process.

While the mixer is running, crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup and add the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, then slowly pour in the eggs, letting them fall in one at a time incorporating the first egg completely before adding the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once during the process.

Gradually add the dry ingredients (in 2 to 3 additions) with the mixer on low speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once, to fully incorporate the butter and sugar. Combine the oats and chocolate in the same bowl used for the dry ingredients, then add them to the dough with the mixer on low speed, mixing just until everything is well distributed. Often it’s easier to finish mixing by hand using a stiff rubber spatula.

Scoop the dough into balls the size of ping-pong balls (about 1.5 ounces). Arrange the dough balls on the prepared pans, 6 per pan, then press into 1/2-inch-thick disks.

Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. The edges of the cookies should be golden brown, while the centers will appear blond and slightly underdone. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets.

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Tags: Baking, chocolate chips, cookies, desserts, Grand Central Bakery, Grand Central Baking Book, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, rolled oats

Most people have some tradition that marks the holiday season for them. Mine is Pecan Tassies, a bite-sized version of pecan pie that is made with an easy cream cheese pastry crust and a not-too-sweet brown sugar-pecan filling. I grew up with these cookies. My mom was given the recipe almost 40 years ago and has been making these delicious treats for all our family gatherings from Thanksgiving throughout the Christmas season. And now that I’ve got my own family, I’m continuing the tradition.

One of the reasons I love Pecan Tassies is because they’re small (made in a mini muffin tin) — a single tassie can be eaten in a bite or two. Molding the dough into the muffin tins is easy but definitely the most time-consuming part of the whole recipe. To make up for it, I use a nut chopperto simplify the process of chopping the pecans. Make a few batches and give them as gifts or add them to your holiday treat platter. Pecan lovers will thank you!

Pecan Tassies
Make these delicious, bite-sized cookies a part of your holiday tradition.

Pastry:
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened
1 cup flour

Filling:
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

For pastry: Blend cream cheese and butter, add flour. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Divide dough into 24 balls and press in mini muffin pans. Sprinkle chopped pecans in each pastry shell (about 1 teaspoon of nuts per shell).

For filling: Combine melted butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add egg, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Fill pastry shells 2/3 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes and remove from pans. Makes about 24 tassies.

Note: Store tassies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, at room temperature for 1 week.

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Tags: bit-sized, brown sugar, Christmas, Christmas cookies, cookies, cream cheese pastry crust, holiday cookies, holidays, pecan tassies, Thanksgiving

I like to call these cookies “Little Bites of Chocolatey Heaven”. They’re moist, delicious and loaded with chocolate. Need I say more?

Instead of using both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks,  I used 1 bag of Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (my favorite brand). I also used 1/2 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Coffee Extract instead of the espresso powder because that’s what I had on hand. I made three different versions from the same cookie dough: Some plain, some rolled in powdered sugar and some rolled in Wilton Sparkling Sugar (as seen in the photo). Although the sparkling sugar is pretty and adds a slight crunch to the moist cookie, my favorite was the plain version (pure unadulterated chocolate). The cookies are best after they’ve cooled. Mmmmm, chocolate!

Double Chocolate Chunks
-recipe from kingarthurflour.com
 
Break open these dense, brownie-like drop cookies hot from the oven to find pools of melting chocolate inside. Once they’re completely cooled, the chocolate pools solidify into nuggets; either way, they’re oh-so-chocolatey-good!

1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cups (7 1/2 ounces) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup (2 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa
1 3/4 cups (7 1/4 ounces) King Arthur 100% Organic White Whole Wheat Flour or King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or line with parchment two cookie sheets.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. Stir in the cocoa powder, then the flour; the dough will be stiff. Mix in the chocolate chips and chunks.

Drop the cookies by tablespoonfuls (about 1 1/2″ balls) onto the prepared baking sheets*, leaving about 1 1/2″ between them. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan. Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

*Variation: Drop the dough balls into confectioners’ sugar or coarse sugar, rolling to coat, before baking. Or sift confectioners’ sugar over the cookies before baking, or drizzle with melted chocolate afterwards—or go wild, and do it all!

*Reader Mrs. M. says she makes a “Chunky bar” variation of these with 4 ounces (2/3 cup) chocolate chips, 4 ounces (3/4 cup) raisins, and 4 ounces (3/4 cup) peanuts, instead of all chocolate chips and chunks. We found that these cookies will be VERY soft coming out of the oven, but don’t panic; they’ll firm up nicely as they cool. Thanks, Mrs. M!

Tags: chocolate, cookies