Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have never had a chocolate chip cookie recipe turn out.  I have been totally cursed as far as that goes, which is weird, because it seems like it would be the simplest thing in the world.  I can't decide if it was because I was at high altitude for the last 5 years, but if it was, that has been remedied since I live 5 minutes from the beach now.  But that's beside the point.  The point is, that even though I still plan on making some other recipes (like the NY Times one and Alton Brown's "The Chewy"), these cookies actually turned out and were really delicious!  Of course, the vanilla ice cream in the middle didn't hurt.  PS - Have you seen the new feature on the sidebar?  Now you can see what I'm making every week for dinner!  Feel free to request pictures, recipes, or whatever in the comments!

Audrey's Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Everyday Home Cook

2/3 cup shortening (I used butter flavored)

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Beat together shortening, butter and sugars.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Mix together flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix into butter/sugar mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.  Make 4 1/2 dozen.

Guacamole, My Way

I didn't always love avocados.  It was one of those foods that I had to "grow into".  Thanks first to my college roommate Rachel, and then to my husband, I have grown to love avocados over the last 5 years.  And in that time, I have learned that not all guacamoles are created equal.  It seems like thousands of recipes for guacamole exist.  Every time I taste some, it is completely different than the last one.  Some are smooth, others chunky.  Some are pretty much only avocado, while others are salty or spicy.  Therefore, I think all people need to experiment and find what works for them.  This one is perfectly seasoned without overpowering the delicious taste of the avocado itself.  Try it - it might become your guacamole!

Guacamole

3 large, ripe avocados

1 large garlic clove, smashed and minced

Juice of 1 lime

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 Roma tomato, chopped

Put the flesh of the avocados into a large bowl.  Put next 5 ingredients (through cumin) into bowl; mash with a potato masher until it reaches desired consistency.  Put chopped tomatoes in the bowl and stir in with a spoon.  Enjoy!

Croque Madame

Allow me to reminisce.  I love Paris.  It is by far one of my favorite cities that I have visited.  My first trip there was in 8th grade, and we saw it all.  I was thrilled with the sheer beauty of the place, and I loved seeing all of the art and architecture that I had been learning about in my classes.  We ate at the top of the Eiffel tower and rode the metro.  It was magical.  Since then I have never been able to get enough.  Every time I go to the Louvre, I discover things that I never knew were there.  I love seeing the windows of Sainte Chapelle lit up in the sunlight.  And of course, the food is to die for.  I've eaten crepes with Nutella from street vendors, Chicken Cordon Bleu outside of Moët et Chandon, and of course, onion soup.  One of my favorite memories of Paris includes food.  It was a beautiful day and I had just left Sainte Chapelle.  I walked across the street and bought a beautiful sandwich with brie on a baguette, sat down on a bench, and watched people walk by and light come through the trees on the street with Notre Dame in the distance.  Truly la vie en rose.

Unfortunately, in my times in Paris, I never managed to try a croque madame sandwich.  Of course, it went onto my list of 100 things to make, and it was so worth the wait.  It is fantastically creamy, savory and just wonderful.  It really makes me think of Paris, and now I am wishing that I could go back there soon.  I only wish that the picture did justice to the beauty of French food and the aura of Paris.

Croque Madame

adapted from La Petite Vancouver

1/2 - 3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Gruyère or Swiss cheese (or more to taste)

8 slices of ham

4 slices sturdy white bread

2 large eggs

Olive oil

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes.  Whisking constantly, pour in milk, beginning with 1/2 cup and adding more if needed to make a thick, but spreadable sauce.  Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, reduce heat and simmer.  Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat.

Make sandwiches by placing 4 ham slices between 2 of the bread slices.  Spread the sauce evenly over each of the sandwiches, then sprinkle cheese evenly over the sauce.

Heat oven to 250 (yes, that's 250).  Bake sandwiches for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a little bit of olive oil to your preference of doneness. (I prefer medium, but sunny side up, easy or hard would work as well.)  When sandwiches are finished baking, top each sandwich with one egg.  Serve with french fries and salad.  Makes 2 sandwiches.

Whoopie Pies

Please excuse me, but the only thing I can say about these whoopie pies is omnomnomnomnom!  Oh my gosh, they are soft, cakey and utterly delicious.  They are soooo worth making and the recipe makes plenty, so share some and make some friends!  They are easy and wonderful.  Very satisfying.  Make them.  Now.

Whoopie Pies

by Ruth Ann Stelfox from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2009

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1 cup buttermilk

Filling:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups marshmallow creme

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with water and buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.  Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes or until set.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small bowl, beat filling ingredients until fluffy.  Spread on the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Grapefruit Granita

I have never been a snow cone person.  The flavors are nasty and the syrup just runs into the bottom of the cone so you end up eating flavorless ice and then drinking the way-too-sweet syrup.  Yuck.  This is my solution.  The texture of a granita is the same as a snow cone, but it's not ice with flavoring.  The flavor is what you actually freeze to create this dessert.  I've seen flavors of granita that range from cucumber to peach to espresso.  But the one that caught my eye was the grapefruit.  It's pretty and pink, and a definite refresher for the summer months.  Scratch another of my 100 things off the list.  If you like snow cones, believe me, you will love granitas.  The recipe I used can be found at A Little Yumminess.

Lemon Drop Cookies

These cookies are beautiful.  I was so excited that the pictures turned out so well, because they were gorgeous.  They would be so pretty for tea or a girly shower.  They are tender, lemony, and so easy to whip up.  They literally took about 10 minutes to get done.  The batch makes about 18 cookies, so it's good for when you don't want to be tempted to eat way too many cookies.  You can find the recipe at What Megan's Making.  If you have leftover lemons, I'm sure you have everything else you need to whip these up really fast.

Just because I say they would be good for a girly party doesn't mean that the guys won't like them either.  My husband has been eating his fair share, and as I type this my daughter is asking for another "lemonade".

They really are beautiful, aren't they?

It's All Greek to Me

This was our table spread for the fantastic Mediterranean meal I made.  A plate of thick cut tomatoes, olives, and feta, homemade falafel, homemade tzatziki, and homemade pitas.  That's right, I did it.  It took time, but really, only the pitas took much labor.  The rest was easy as pie (as such, I've never understood that expression, since pie, especially the crust, is notoriously difficult to make).  First up, Grilled Chipotle Falafel.

So easy.  So delicious.  The smell is intoxicating.  You can find the recipe at Panini Happy.  Now, one note.  The recipe does call for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  Personally, I enjoyed the kick, but if you don't, you can always leave it out.  Also, if you have small children, I would recommend leaving it out.  I forgot how spicy the peppers are and was punished by having my 2-year-old daughter throw up falafel all over me.  Lovely.  And on that note, on to the tzatziki!

If you have never tried tzatziki, you are truly missing out.  It is one of the easiest and most delicious sauces you can find.  And please don't try storebought - it really doesn't compare.  It's light and healthy too!  Great for snacks.  The recipe can be found at Kalyn's Kitchen.  And now, for the pitas.

Oh how I love pitas.  Once again, fresh pitas are a million times better than the stuff you get at the store.  They are fluffy and chewy and awesome.  My husband kept sneaking pitas as they came out of the oven.  I had to chase him away to make sure we had enough for dinner.  So there it is.  I made 3 of my 100 things in one go, and it was fabulous.

Pita Pockets

from Family Meals by Maria Helm Sinskey

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (105 degrees)

1 teaspoon sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

olive oil

In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup of the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the sugar, then whisk in 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour to form a paste.  Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until bubbly, about 15 minutes.  Add the remaining water, the remaining all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and the salt to the yeast mixture.  Using the dough hook, knead on medium speed until smooth, about 10 minutes.  Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn the ball to coat with the oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 2 hours.

Lightly flour a baking sheet.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll into a thick log.  Cut the log into 12 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a ball.  Place on the prepared pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest 10-15 minutes.  Position a rack at the lowest point in the oven, place a large baking sheet on it, remove the other racks, and preheat the oven to 500.  For each pita, on a lightly floured surface, roll out a dough ball into a round about 1/4 inch thick.  Lay the round on your palm, open the oven door, flip your hand over, dropping the round onto the hot sheet pan, and quickly close the door. (Ashley's note: I wouldn't suggest trying to bake more than one pita at a time.)  Bake until the round has puffed, 3-4 minutes.  Flip the puffed round with tongs and bake until browned, 2-3 minutes more.  Using the tongs, transfer the pita to a dish towel, fold the towel over to cover, and press gently with the tongs to deflate.  Work carefully, as the released steam is very hot.  Serve the pitas warm.