In Jennie's Kitchen

my best chocolate chip cookies

The perfect chocolate chip cookie. Is there anything left that hasn't been said about it? Whether it's your grandmother's or David Leite's, every day someone claims to have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe you'll ever need. I've literally worked on this one for years.

I kid you, not.

I'd been making chocolate chip cookie dough and storing it in the freezer for over a decade and always wondered why it tasted so much better when I baked it after the fact, instead of when the dough was fresh made. Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know why having read David's article. And if you just came to from an extended sleep, the reason makes absolute sense. Spoiler alert: A chill time in the fridge allows the flour time to absorb all the flavors and moisture.

I like to call it marinating time, which always illicits a chuckle or two. Gail prefers "dry aging", and that's why I adore her.

 

I swear this was not a posed picture. It's the hazard of juggling a cookie shoot and watching a 22-month old at the same time.

So back to this best of the best cookie slug out. It's like the wild west in food blogging. What makes my recipe so different, you ask? Well, I don't claim it to be the best and only recipe you'll ever want or need. Life is too short for definitives, don't you think?

After years of making variations of this recipe, it is my best chocolate chip cookie. An original recipe that has been in the works for years. And while I'm happy to share some credit with Mr. Leite, whom I immensely respect, I'd been doing that marinating thing for over a decade. He just helped understand why it made such a difference.

Oh, and he also won me over with the chocolate discs. They lovingly spread as they melt, leaving you with a bit of chocolate in each bite. I'm not going to tell you these are the only type of chocolate you can use, though. That's too fussy for a cookie of this simple nature. I'm lucky enough to live near a store that sells Guittard 55% chocolate discs for only $4.20 a pound. Take that Fresh Direct and Whole Foods with your hoity toity prices.

No, rather than dictate what type of cookie you should eat, I want to help you find the right cookie for you. So, if you like regular chips, don't worry about the cookie police. I'll throw them off your scent. Frankly, Ghiradelli and Scharffen Berger make great quality chips that I've happily enjoyed in past incarnations of these cookies.

One thing I will urge, though, is to stick to the baking time as noted. The'll look undercooked when you first take them from the oven. You'll be tempted to put them back in for another minute, or even two. I've been guilty of said "crime" and my punishment was a too crisp cookie with nary a chewy center. The reward is in the inner-chewiness of the cookie, so trust me. The two minute cooling period on a rack will finish the "cooking process".

Most recipes I create are inspired for or by someone else. I was a bit selfish in this one. These are my cookies. I created the taste and texture just for moi. But I'm not too selfish to share the recipe with you. In fact, I'm going to be quite generous and share lots of these cookies at Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store on Saturday, March 27th for my friend Alison's book party. Come join us from 3:00 to 5:00pm for some of these cookies and a sneak preview of my deep chocolate cherry cashew ones. And, yes, there'll be plenty of cold milk for dunking.

homemade hazelnut chocolate spread

When I first mentioned last week that I was attempting a homemade version of Nutella, a twitter friend said I was going too far. Oh, how does his lovely wife Michele live his incessant teasing? They are a very cute couple, by the way, and I'm so glad to have met them in person last year.

Ah, but I've gotten off track, and so soon into this post. That may be a record for me. Alas, my goal in making my own nutella wasn't to improve upon the original recipe. And when I say original, I mean the one in the glass jars that are imported from Italy, not the plastic containers made domestically in the U.S.—they used to contain HFCS, and while that ingredient has been removed it still is made with palm oil. My goal was to simply recreate the recipe as stated on the label of those glass jars I'd been paying $5.79 for to support Isabella's habit.

Well, at least that was my original intent. Of course, I decided to push the envelope, and we'll see what Chef John has to say about it. The ingredient list is short, and um...sweet: zucchero (sugar), olio vegetale (vegetable oil), nocciole (hazelnuts), cocoa magro (which translates to thin cocoa, which I interpreted to mean cocoa powder) and from here there are three more ingredients with very funny literal translations, but they're basically powdered whole milk, powdered skim milk, emulsifiers and flavoring.

What that translated to in my Italian-American kitchen was confectioners' sugar, hazelnuts, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla bean seeds, and a few drops, I really mean just a scant amount, of vegetable oil—for an ultra smooth spreading consistency.

Here's where I may have gone too far. I was going to use Scharffen Berger cocoa powder. But right next to it on my pantry shelf was that alluring dark box of Valrhona cocoa. It's as if it was batting its eyelashes, saying "you know you want me".

I caved.

Then there's the matter of the chocolate. I could've used milk chocolate, which would've better recreated the exact flavor.

I could've. But I didn't. 

I used some Guittard 55% chocolate wafers. The resulting flavor is a quite decadent treat, as if Nutella in itself doesn't scream decadence spread on toast...for breakfast. Back when I was in middle school—I believe my daughter thinks that's when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we used to rent an apartment from an Italian family. I was always jealous of their morning Nutella ritual but my mother said chocolate wasn't for breakfast.

Now that I'm a grown up, I can have it whenever I want. I also get to be a pretty cool mom when I let the kid have a tiny smear on toast before she goes off to school—hey, it's whole wheat bread and it gets her to eat something in the morning, as well as drink a big glass of milk. 

So, while this recipe is richer and has a deeper chocolate flavor, it's pretty darn good and kid approved. If you really want to be a purist and crave more of that creamy, milk chocolate undertone, by all means swap in milk chocolate discs and regular cocoa. Trust me you won't be disappointed by either version. 

devil's food cupcakes + rich chocolate frosting

Since I consider honesty one of my strong suits, I must confess I'm eating one of these cupcakes while I write this post. I needed sustenance to get through a late night of playing catch up after the school chancellor declared a snow day. I love my girls, and while I more often than not try to stop and smell the roses, next week is winter break. Needless to say I'm starting the month on a deficit when it comes to available work time.

These cupcakes have super powers. I'm convinced of that, so please don't burst my bubble. I can't help but smile while licking the rich, creamy frosting from my teeth after taking a bite. Yes, I like to lick the smudge of frosting off my fingers too. Oh dear, I can only imagine the spam that last sentence will illicit.

But, back to the cupcakes. I didn't research the origins of naming a cake devil's food, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the irresistible taste. I know a thing or two about both baking and eating this type of cake. In fact, I'm an expert on finding the best in New York City—outside of my own kitchen now that is. I remember telling my girlfriend my weight gain was the equivalent to eating our then four-year old daughters back when I was pregnant with IRP eight years ago, with a raging chocolate cake craving.

These cupcakes are also very accommodating, and stay fresh stored on a cake stand loosely covered with plastic wrap. I happen to be sitting right next to said cake stand, and since will power doesn't rank up there with honesty in strong suits, I'm eating ate one. I keep adding extra push ups and crunches to my workout routine...once I get started again. The current count must be four-digits by now.

Oh, yes the cupcakes. Well, I'm sure you heard about them if you follow me on twitter or are a fan on Facebook. My mission began two weeks ago when the Mr. told me he wanted a ring ding inspired cake for his recent birthday celebration. I made three cakes in four days. Then decided to make another one and these cupcakes a few days ago, after his birthday. Call it good measure. Or maybe it was a premonition of the impending snow day. They made the girls very happy, especially the ones with sprinkles. This glaze topping reminds of the same cupcake they used to make at my favorite neighborhood bakery that closed six years ago *sniff*. They used to sell them for only 30 cents—35 if you wanted them with a creamy center.

walnut fudge brownies

There's nothing like a nut-studded, fudgy brownie to cure a chocolate hankering. Problem is many recipes lure me in with promises of chewy, chocolate squares of goodness only to leave me crestfallen from the first bite. Thankfully, I've created the perfect brownie recipe to satisfy my craving whenever the mood strikes.

The first hurdle to overcome is the notion of a one bowl batter. Like all good things, this one comes at a price—a few extra dishes to wash. One for melting the chocolate and butter, another for combining the dry ingredients, and the last for the most important part—whisking the eggs and sugar. This last bowl is where all the other ingredients will eventually land to create the batter for the best brownies...ever. Yes, I'm that serious about this recipe.

homemade hot cocoa + chocolate ganache recipe

Hello Friday! The weeks following holiday tend to be crazy, playing catch up after a few days off, so I'm especially looking forward to this weekend. Tonight is the Christmas Tree Lighting in our cozy Brooklyn neighborhood too. The girls and I will be going with a good friend and her kiddies, and I'll be packing some of this homemade hot cocoa in a thermos. Before I "take off" for the weekend, a few reminders—next week is going to be a busy one!

• The 12 Days of Sharing fundraiser starts next week. Start sending links to your posts for the virtual cookie jar. All the details on how to participate are here. I can't wait to see what you all bake up to help end childhood hunger (and I'm beyond excited that I'll be featured blogger at Oprah.com).
• Have you visited The Family Table yet? Pull up a chair, and join me for some homemade pancakes and mushroom bolognese.
• Have you voted yet in the Bon Apetit Blog Envy Bake Off? I submitted my apple cranberry crumb cake, so if you like it, your vote would be a nice gift for the holidays.

Blueberry Cookie Crumble

 

Friends always ask how I create my recipes. It’s a combination of good quality ingredients and inspiration. For both, I usually head to the Greenmarket, and there’s lots of inspiration to be found this time of year. Berries are in season and while they’re delicious to eat by the handful, they provide the perfect landscape for quick and easy desserts. This week I got an invitation to a Scharffen Berger event at the French Culinary Institute hosted by none other than renowned chef Jacques Pepin. Pasty over at Family, Friends and Food did a great two-part post about the event and posted some wonderful pics so go check them out. I'm going to focus on what I'm doing with the free chocolate they tucked in our goody bags.

On the menu was more chocolate than you can imagine but there was a particular dessert that caught my attention. It was titled Chocolate Raspberry Gratin. Tiny ceramic ramekins emerged from the oven with a jam-like raspberry filling studded with bits of melted chocolate and crunchy butter cookie crumbs. This was the only recipe not included in the press materials, so it was up to me to recreate it at home. I had tons of blueberries on hand to support my 14-month old’s pint a day addiction, so the star ingredient would have to be recast. At first I thought blueberries and chocolate would be too strong a match for each other. A bit of sugar solved that problem and made them BFFs. There were no butter cookies on hand but I did have some homemade chocolate chip cookie dough in the fridge —enough to make a dozen so we could snack while the real dessert was baking.

I’m tempted to add this to my next dinner party menu as a do-it-yourself dessert. I’d set out an assortment of berries and different cookie crumbles along with the sugar and chocolate and let everyone make their own creations in mini-ramekins. Come to think of it, it’s a great playdate activity too and delicious way to meet the FDA's 5-A-Day suggestion.

 

 

Blueberry Cookie Crumble

Serves 4

Feel free to mix this up with your favorite cookies and whatever berries are in season. Making cookie crumbs is easy—just put whole ones in a plastic zip-top bag and give 'em a few whacks with a rolling pin (also a great stress reliever).

 

1 pint blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ounce chopped chocolate

1/3 cup chocolate chip cookies crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

 

1. Preheat oven to 350Fº. Arrange blueberries in an even layer in one 9-inch by 2-inch or two 5-inch by 2-inch oven-proof oval casserole dish. Sprinkle sugar and chopped chocolate over blueberries. Evenly sprinkle cookie crumbs on top and dot with pieces of butter.

2. Bake for 30 minutes, or until jammy and bubbling. Spoon into deep bowls and serve warm, with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, if desired.

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

 
I must apologize for only a few posts the last two weeks. I've been cooking up a storm and recording recipes but getting them into a post is a whole other story. I'm off to BlogHer '09 today—headed to the airport in 30 minutes actually, but wanted to leave you all with a tempting treat sure to get you into the kitchen no matter how hot or humid it gets this weekend. I tweeted about it a month or so ago and if you've subscribed to my newsletter, then you already have it.

I'll be tweeting from Chicago and back here next week with that recipe for peach pie. Have a great weekend folks.

-Jennifer

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
makes 24

I'm always thinking of ways to combine chocolate and peanut butter. It's one of my husband's favorite flavor combinations, and well you know what they say about the way to a man's heart, right? In fact, this recipe will strike a note with any Reese's lover. Topped with an addictively light and creamy frosting, they're quite irresistible.

FOR CUPCAKES
2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
4 ounces chocolate chips, melted & cooled
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

FOR FROSTING
4 ounce cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins, or line with papers; set aside. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix buttermilk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar in a separate bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour in melted chocolate and beat until mixed well, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle one third of flour mixture over batter and mix until incorporated. Pour in one third of milk mixture and beat to combine. Continue this process, alternating between dry and liquid ingredients until both are mixed into batter.

3. Fill lined or coated muffin tins 2/3 of the way with batter. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter on top of batter. Use tip of a butter knife to push into center or use a spoon to cover peanut butter with the batter. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until tops spring back when touched (note: the normal toothpick test for doneness won't work due to the filling). Remove from oven and let cool completely.

4. Meanwhile prepare the frosting. Beat cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until creamy and well mixed, about 3 minutes. Add confectioner's sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Wait until cupcakes are completely cooled to frost.

Milk Chocolate Brownies

 
If you were on Twitter last night, you likely read my tweets about testing out brownies using whole wheat flour. Well, thankfully the flour was bad. Not as in naughty—I made the cardinal mistake of not storing it in the fridge. Whole grain flours, once opened, go stale easily if not stored in a very cool place. Truth be told, I'm glad it wasn't usable. I just don't see the point of whole wheat flour in brownies. Added fiber? Neglible. Healthier? Sure, but the chocolate and butter negate that right away. So why was I going to even use it in the first place? Baker's confession: I had a mere half cup of all-purpose flour in the pantry! I trekked to Trader Joe's at the beginning of the week only to find they were all out of flour. I've been so busy with writing assignments and other recipe testing that didn't call for flour that I haven't yet re-stocked this most necessary item.

Back to the brownies. Faced with just one half cup of flour, I had one last trick up my sleeve. I used cake flour to make up the difference. I wasn't too worried since it's lighter and would likely just make a more delicate brownie, and I wasn't dissappointed. These brownies are like a young wine. A little "decanting" helps them take on a more developed taste. Warm from the oven they were very light in texture with a subtle milk chocolate flavor. Two hours later (yes, I was really eating brownies that late at night), and they became a bit more dense in both body and taste. I guess you can say they matured a bit. And in the morning when I wake up, I expect they'll taste yet even better. And you all have Erin at Smallbites to thank for these tasty treats. She gave me a huge chunk of Lexington-Blommer chocolate that inspired my brownie state of mind in the first place.

Milk Chocolate Brownies

makes one dozen

8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

8 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease a glass or ceramic 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish; set aside.

2. Add chocolate and butter to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 2 minutes*, or until chocolate and butter are melted. Stir to combine.

3. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; stir until mixed well. Sprinkle flours over chocolate mixture and fold in using spatula. Pour into prepared baking dish and use spatula to spread batter to edges if necessary. Bake for 35 minutes or until center is set. Let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into 12 even squares using a very sharp knife.

*based on a 1000 watt microwave.

 

Related Links

Milky Way Brownies - Recipe Girl

Negative Calorie Chocolate Cake - Steamy Kitchen

Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies