I’m on a mission to perfect the chocolate chip cookie. It needs to be chocolate filled, chewy but not undercooked in the centre, browned on the edges and not too salty. These cookies are good, very good even, but not great. Yet.

I made one batch of dough then divided it into three parts. One part I baked immediately. The second I refrigerated for about 8-10 hours. The third I froze overnight then baked straight from the freezer. The batch I baked straight from the mixing bowl were the least chewy of the three. The cookies baked with frozen dough were thicker and more dense than the other two batches, but were still chewy in the centre and crisp on the edges. I think I’d choose the frozen dough cookies as my favourite this time.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
Makes 24 cookies (I used a 2-tablespoon scoop and got closer to 30 cookies)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (this was too much for me, next time I’ll halve it)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 packets Cadbury Milk Chocolate Chips

Directions

 In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Don’t over beat. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg, then the egg yolk, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat until just combined.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.

Option 1- Bake now as below, shipping the chilling stage.
Option 2 – Cover the bowl tightly and put in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Option 3 – Scoop 2-tablespoon-size balls of mixture and place on a baking tray lined with baking/parchment paper, cover tightly with cling wrap then freeze for at least 4 hours. Bake as below straight from the freezer. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop out dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls. Use your hands to shape the dough into perfect balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. They will spread considerably. 

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans once during the cooking time, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops just start to darken.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 – 10 minutes, transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

The most common question I’m asked about this blog is Do you take the photos yourself? The answer is yes, I bake or make and then photograph. This time, however, I didn’t do the making. This was hubby’s project from start to finish. He makes ice cream a couple of times a year. I’m still wanting some more of the chocolate ice cream he made last Easter. The first batch for 2012 is cinnamon, a flavour I know he has been wanting to make for a while. If you like snickerdoodles and ice cream, you’ll love this recipe. It’s creamy, with all the flavour of a snickerdoodle. The original calls for just white sugar; this batch substitutes brown sugar and Equal for 1/2 of the white sugar.

Hubby recommends letting the ice cream freeze for at least a night, but says the texture will be best after two days. If you add anything to the recipe, like walnuts or pecans, be sure to chill them first and add them to the ice cream machine late in the freezing process. That goes for any goodies you add to homemade ice cream, says hubby.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
Adapted from recipe from All Recipes

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat (make sure it’s not too hot) stir together the sugar and half-and-half. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble.
   
2. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in the heavy cream. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 10-15 minutes.
   
3. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Cover and set aside to cool for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.
   
4. Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
   
5. Pour ice cream into freezer-safe container with lid, cover surface of ice cream with plastic wrap under lid, and let harden in freezer overnight. Scoop and serve. 

It’s an easy recipe to modify to make it gluten-free friendly, I’ve included the modification below.

Topping
1 block dark cooking chocolate
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Filling: Place the golden syrup, butter and condensed milk in a saucepan over low heat and stir until thickened. Pour over the base and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Refrigerate until cooled completely.

Topping: Place the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted.Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

To serve slice with a warm knife. (Leave the slice out of the fridge a few minutes if it’s too difficult to cut.)

Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies

Homemade Oreos (without filling)

Snickerdoodles

Reindeer tages by Eat Drink Chic

Knit tags also by Eat Drink Chic

Wood type tags by Ellinee

Kitchen Sink Cookies
Adapted from recipe by Martha Stewart
Makes about 40

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped milk chocolate
2 cups Christmas M&Ms

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line baking sheets with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl with a wooden spoon or hand mixer, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into butter mixture until well blended. Stir in oats, M&M’s, butterscotch chips and chocolate.
4. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto trays, about 2 inches apart. Press tops down with the bottom of a glass to flatten cookies evenly. Bake until golden, about 16 to 18 minutes (10 minutes in my oven). Cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and finish cooling completely on wire rack.

Pattern by Lucy of Attic 24

Yarn by Stylecraft

How can it be that 21 years have passed since I was eagerly awaiting news of my baby cousin’s arrival? She’s still my baby cousin, even though she’s about to turn 21, is taller than me and has moved out of home. She’s funny, kind-hearted, curious and clever. She’s a redhead like me even though she has often tried to hide it. She’s gorgeous, especially when she laughs. She’s loved by many. She’s destined for big things. I’m excited to see what her twenties bring. Happy 21st birthday Lulu.

This year I’m asking Santa for a subscription to Donna Hay Magazine. The photography is always amazing, I’ve always found it inspiring. Take a sneak peak here. Imagine receiving a homemade selection of cookies like on the cover of the current issue!

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
from Modern Classics Book 2 by Donna Hay

2 cups flour
3 tbs caster sugar
150 g (5 oz) cold butter, diced
2-3 tbs ice water

Process the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running add enough water for the dough to cling together.
Knead lightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 2-3 mm (⅛ in) thick. Line the greased tart tin. Blind bake for 10 minutes. (I don’t do this next step unless it’s a big pie with thicker pastry – Remove the baking weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is golden.)

Sweet Potato Pie
Adapted from: Allrecipes.com View recipe and reviews here.

1 (1 pound/454 g) sweet potato
1/2 (115 g) cup butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 g) white sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
1/2 (120 ml) cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel sweet potato and boil until soft.
Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into pie crust (see recipe above).
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.