Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our Best Bites
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/03/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Difficulty Level: Easy
Rating: 4 stars

I am not a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies. In fact, the only way I like chocolate is if it's covered with peanut butter! But, I really like these cookies. They are soft and gooey and delicious! Made some last night. Hope you enjoy:

2 C plus 2 T flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
12 T butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients;mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

*If for some reason your dough is too soft to form balls at this point, don’t add more flour. Just cover and place bowl in the fridge until dough firms.

Take about 1/4 C dough and form into a ball. Break ball in half and place dough on cookie sheet with broken edge facing up. (Or just use a standard sized cookie scoop). Bake until cookies are set around outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 10-13 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our Best Bites
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/03/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Difficulty Level: Easy
Rating: 4 stars

I am not a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies. In fact, the only way I like chocolate is if it's covered with peanut butter! But, I really like these cookies. They are soft and gooey and delicious! Made some last night. Hope you enjoy:

2 C plus 2 T flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
12 T butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients;mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

*If for some reason your dough is too soft to form balls at this point, don’t add more flour. Just cover and place bowl in the fridge until dough firms.

Take about 1/4 C dough and form into a ball. Break ball in half and place dough on cookie sheet with broken edge facing up. (Or just use a standard sized cookie scoop). Bake until cookies are set around outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 10-13 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

Recipe of the Day - Brownie Pops

Courtesy of Me

Difficulty Level: Easy
Rating: 4 stars

So, I found this idea on Living Locurto - but I am adding my recipes for frosting and melted chocolate. Super easy, fun and delicious. Hope you enjoy:

1 box brownie mix
chocolate icing (recipe below)
melted chocolate (directions below)

Cook brownies to directions on box. Let cool completely. While cooling, make frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 stick butter, softened
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift sugar and cocoa together into a large bowl. In another bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar mixture with butter and 1 tablespoon cream, beating until smooth. Add another cup of sugar and another tablespoon of cream, beating well. Continue until all ingredients are combined and frosting is fluffy. Beat in vanilla.

Take completely cooled brownies and break them apart (I just used my hands and went to town). Roll them into balls with the frosting (1/2 frosting, 1/2 brownie). But into the freezer for about 30 minutes. While in freezer, make melted chocolate:

1 small can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips

Pour sweetened condensed milk into a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, pour in chocolate chips and stir until smooth.

Put brownie balls onto sticks (toothpicks work) and dip into melted chocolate.

Recipe of the Day - Pizza Factory Bread Twists

Courtesy of Life as a Lofthouse
(http://life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com/2011/02/bread-twists.html)

Difficulty Level: medium
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

So, if you have ever eaten at the Pizza Factory, you know how delicious the bread twists are. They are my favorite thing about the restaurant! I love them. I have tried a few different recipes, and this is the one I like the best. Here you go:

1 1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
8 wet skewers

Glaze:

3 Tbs butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Combine water and yeast in a large bowl. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes or until yeast has dissolved. Then mix in sugar, salt and oil. Gradually stir in 3 cups of flour. Mix until all combined and dough is formed. Cover bowl and let dough rise until doubled in size. (30-60 minutes)
Take dough out of bowl and place onto a lightly floured, clean surface. Knead in 1/2 cup of flour. Knead for 5 minutes. Cut dough into quarters, then cut quarters in half to make 8 pieces of dough. Stretch dough and twist around a wet skewer to form a bread twist from top to bottom. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Once twists are all formed and on cookie sheet, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again until doubled in size. (30 min. or so )
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake bread twists for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. While bread twists are baking, get your glaze ready. In a small bowl mix together melted butter and all seasonings. Once twists are done, remove from oven and immediately brush with all of the glaze. After all the glaze is brushed on, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over bread twist and serve immediately.