Pineapple Cream Pie

Once upon a time, long long ago, my mother used to bake. My sisters and I would go off to school and, upon returning home, we would find a delicious homemade treat for our afternoon snack. We never knew what she would make next. It could be cookies, brownies, a cake covered with frosting and sprinkles, or even a pie. One particular pie she made was a Pineapple Cream Pie and it was my dad's favorite.


Over the years, she stopped making it. Still, my dad continued to dream about the day when that pie would once again grace our table with its presence. Lucky for him, I inherited the baking gene and decided that I would try my hand at it.

The pie is fairly simple to make. It starts with a thick vanilla pastry cream to which you add crushed pineapple. Then, you pour it into a baked pie shell and chill it before covering it with a mound of whipped cream (or meringue if you choose).


When my dad got home from work, his eyes lit up to see such a rare treat. He promptly cut himself a big piece, ate it, then proceeded to cut himself a second piece. That's definitely a compliment to how good it tasted. I sneaked a couple bites too and it was just as I remembered it. Unfortunately, since I don't get to come home too often, it'll be a while before my dad gets to enjoy his favorite pie again. But, at least for now, he can savor this one.

Pineapple Cream Pie

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 c. milk (I used skim milk)
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. crushed pineapple, well drained
9-in. baked pie shell

Whisk together the milk, sugar, salt, and egg yolks in a large saucepan. Whisk in the cornstarch and flour until no lumps remain. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken. Once it begins to boil, keep it on the heat for 1 min. more, stirring all the while. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Stir in the crushed pineapple and pour into the baked pie shell.

Put in the fridge to chill for several hours. Once it's chilled, top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

This recipe is linked to:
Sweet Tooth Friday
Fat Camp Fridays
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Meatless Monday

Bill's Big Carrot Cake

My mom loves red velvet cake, but my dad's favorite is carrot cake. He's loved it ever since he ate it at a wedding nearly 20 years ago and still raves to this day about how moist and flavorful it was. So, when his birthday came around, I knew that only a carrot cake would do. It wasn't possible to replicate that exact carrot cake since I don't have a recipe for it and I never tasted it myself. Still, I trusted that the highly praised Bill's Big Carrot Cake would at least be to his satisfaction.


It was with great excitement that I began making this cake as a surprise for him. It was also the very first cake that I had ever made from scratch, so I hoped that all would go well. The only changes I made was to leave out the coconut and raisins (we like our carrot cake simple) and the nuts (due to allergies). I also used my own cream cheese frosting recipe. The cake baked up beautifully in the oven and its yummy scent permeated my kitchen.

I eagerly took the cakes out, let them cool a little, and prepared to flip them neatly out of their pans. And, that's when trouble struck. Those cakes did not want to come out. I shook them, my sister shook them, we ran knives around the edges over and over again. Finally, with a ker-plop, out they came. But, to my absolute horror, the bottom of each layer was missing, still glued to the pans, even though I had meticulously greased and floured each one prior to pouring in the batter. I was upset, who wouldn't be? But, as my sister reminded me, it's the taste that matters most. A little frosting could easily glue those pieces back on and no one would be the wiser.

She was right. Once those layers were frosted with some cream cheese frosting, the cake looked perfect.












My dad was definitely surprised and ate a big piece of it with gusto, enjoying every bite. I'm not sure how it stacks up to that carrot cake from the wedding, but it certainly meets my expectations - super moist without being oily, not the least bit heavy, and wonderfully flavorful. You can bet that this cake will make its appearance at many more birthdays in the future.


Bill's Big Carrot Cake (adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

3 c. grated carrots

2 c. sugar
1 c. canola oil
4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter three 9x2 inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Beat the sugar and oil together with a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix in the grated carrots. Divide the batter among the baking pans.

Bake for 40-50 min. until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 min., then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting (Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

2 (8 oz. pkgs.) cream cheese (it's okay if one is low-fat cream cheese)
10 Tbsp. salted butter
2 c. powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese with the butter until well blended. Beat in the powdered sugar until creamy.

Notes:

1. I baked my cake in two round cake pans instead of three. It did rise up high above the pan's edges, but didn't spill over. Still, for your peace of mind, if at all possible, use three pans as the recipe states.
   
2. I'd recommend using parchment paper in the cake pans instead of only greasing and flouring them. Half of my cake bottoms stuck to the pans despite the fact that I greased and floured them well.

This recipe is linked to:
Hearth n' Soul Hop
Cast Party Wednesday
These Chicks Cooked
Made it on Monday
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Sweet Tooth Friday
Fresh Food Friday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Winner

Whew! This Chocolate Chip Cookie Quest has definitely been a journey. I was basically baking two different recipes a day for an entire week. Needless to say, I am CCC'ed out (well, almost). Still, it was an eye opening experience and I've learned a lot about what makes a good chocolate chip cookie.

I've even made a table so you can see how each recipe compared to the others in terms of ingredients and the amounts used. It's included at the bottom of this post.

Okay, so this is what I learned. First of all, it's not necessary to go out and buy a high quality chocolate bar. I've made nearly all of these with my regular store-brand semisweet chocolate chips and I can tell you right now that the cookies tasted perfectly fine with them. Secondly, chilling the cookie dough is probably the very best thing you can do. It gives the brown sugar a chance to really meld with the dough and the flavors will deepen exponentially. Third, become friends with browned butter because it is awesome!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for (drumroll please . . . ). The winner of the Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Quest of 2011 is . . .

1. Joanne Chang's Chocolate Chip Cookies

AND

King Arthur Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

What can I say? I just couldn't decide between the two and neither could my family. Both of them were thick and chewy with crispy edges and chock full of rich butterscotchy flavor. Just one bite and you're in absolute chocolate chip cookie bliss.

2. America's Test Kitchen Chocolate Chip Cookies



With the depth from the browned butter, these cookies were a close second. Plus, they didn't require any chilling time, which means instant eating gratification.

3. Ultimate Stand Mixer Chocolate Chip Cookies


While these cookies didn't have the powerful caramel punch of the winners, they were still everything that a chocolate chip cookie should be in my book. They were thick, chewy, and tasted as though they came from a bakery. Just one isn't enough. Trust me, you'll be reaching for another, or a third.

I can't believe it. I started a quest to find ONE best chocolate chip cookie recipe and I ended up with FOUR excellent keepers. They are all winners in my book. Basically, it all comes down to one thing - how long are you willing to wait for your cookies?

If you can wait 48 hours, then by all means go for the King Arthur Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies.

If two days sounds like too long, then hopefully you can hold out for one day and make Joanne Chang's Chocolate Chip Cookies.

If you're the type that will literally have cookies on your mind until you eat them, then try the Ultimate Stand Mixer Chocolate Chip Cookies. They'll work their magic while you sleep.

Finally, if you're the type that finds it hard to even resist the cookie dough while it's still in the bowl, then America's Test Kitchen Chocolate Chip Cookies are for you. Just mix 'em up and bake 'em up and you'll have a delicious cookie in your mouth before you know it.

I just want to say a BIG thank you to all of you for following me on my CCC journey. I've enjoyed reading all of your comments and hearing your recommendations for other CCC recipes. You're all just the sweetest.

I'm definitely considering doing another quest in the future. I've thought about going for the best brownie but I'm open to other ideas.

So, what type of quest would YOU be interested in?

Baked CCCs	Ultimate Chewy	Auntie Pearl’s	“Best” CCC	Thick Chewy CCC	King Arthur Flour
2 ¼ c. flour	3 c. + 2 Tbsp. flour	2 c. flour	3 c. flour	2 ½ c. flour	2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt	½ tsp. salt	½ tsp. salt	½ tsp. salt	1 tsp. salt	½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda	1 tsp. baking soda	½ tsp. baking soda	1 tsp. baking soda	1 tsp. baking soda	1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. unsalted butter	1 c. unsalted butter	10 ½ Tbsp. butter	1 c. unsalted butter	1 c. unsalted butter	1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. brown sugar	1 c. brown sugar	2/3 c. brown sugar	1 c. brown sugar	1 ½ c. brown sugar	2/3 c. brown sugar
½ c. white sugar	½ c. white sugar	½ c. white sugar	1 c. white sugar	NO white sugar	2/3 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla	1 ½ tsp. vanilla	2 tsp. vanilla	2 tsp. vanilla	1 tsp. vanilla	2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs	2 eggs	1 egg	2 eggs	2 eggs	1 egg
2 c. choc. chips	2 c. choc. chips	1 ½ c. choc. chips	2 c. choc. chips	2 c. chocolate chips	2 c. choc. chips
			2 tsp. hot water		1 tsp. vinegar
					48 hour chill time

David Lebovitz	Olive Oil CCCs	ATK CCCs	Sugar Plum	Joanne Chang	New York Times
2 2/3 c. flour	2 ¼ c. flour	1 ¾ c. flour	2 ¼ c. flour	1 ¼ c. flour + 1 c. bread flour	1 ¾ c. + 2 Tbsp. cake flour + 1 2/3 c. bread flour
1 tsp. flaky sea salt	1 ½ tsp. salt	1 tsp. salt	¾ tsp. flaky sea salt	½ tsp. salt	1 ½ tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. baking soda	1 tsp. baking soda	½ tsp. baking soda	¾ tsp. baking soda	1 tsp. baking soda	1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 c. salted butter	¼ c. EVOO*	4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted + 10 Tbsp. browned butter	4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled + 8 Tbsp. browned butter	1 c. unsalted butter	1 ¼ c. unsalted butter
1 1/3 c. brown sugar	¾ c. brown sugar	¾ c. brown sugar	1 c. brown sugar	¾ c. brown sugar	1 ¼ c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar	¾ c. sugar	½ c. sugar	½ c. sugar	¾ c. sugar	1 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla	1 tsp. vanilla	2 tsp. vanilla	2 tsp. vanilla	1 ½ tsp. vanilla	2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs	2 eggs	1 egg + 1 egg yolk	1 egg	2 eggs	2 eggs
2 2/3 c. choc. chips	1 c. choc. chips	1 ¼ c. choc. chips	1 ½ c. choc. chips	1 ½ c. semisweet choc.	1 ¼ lb. chocolate discs
	1-2 Tbsp. milk		1 tsp. active dry yeast	½ c. milk chocolate, finely chopped	1 ½ tsp. baking powder
				24 hour chill time	24-48 hour chill

Ultimate Stand Mixer CCC
2 ½ c. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 c. unsalted butter, cold
1 c. brown sugar
¾ c. white sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 c. chocolate chips
6 hour chill time

NOTES:

1) The first table contains variations of the basic chocolate chip cookie recipe. The second table contains recipes that use a lot of ingredients and methods that you don’t normally see every day.

2) EVOO = extra virgin olive oil

3) “Flour” always means all-purpose flour unless otherwise specified. “Butter” is always room-temperature/softened butter unless otherwise specified.

4) Any ingredients that would be considered “out of the ordinary,” or vastly different from those used in other recipes, are written in RED.

5) These charts are purely for comparison purposes so you can see how each recipe differed from the other. The complete recipes can be found in my blog posts for each one.

This is linked to:
A Little Birdie Told Me
These Chicks Cooked
Made it on Monday
Sweet Tooth Friday

Sweets for a Saturday #23

I can't believe that my chocolate chip cookie quest is finally coming to an end. For those of you who don't know, I baked, tested, and posted 13 different recipes for this treat. Who knew one little treat could be so versatile? As for the winner, however, you're going to have to wait until next Monday. The quest was so much fun (and so yummy) that I'm almost tempted to go on a quest to find the best brownie recipe. But, I think I'll shelve that idea for some day in the very distant future (although I admit that I already decided which recipes I would try when I do attempt that quest). Besides, don't brownies usually all come out great anyway, no matter the recipe?

Speaking of recipes and treats, here are your Top 5 from last week's Sweets for a Saturday:

1. No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars - Nancy Creative



2. Glazed Donut Muffins - Brandy's Baking



3. Cinnamon Cream Cheese Squares - Let's Get Cookin'



4. Orange Jul-ish - The Alchemist



5. Rabanadas - Awaken Your Senses



The Rules:

1. Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your treat.
   
2. Please leave a link back to this post in your post or Grab My Button.
   
3. Share your delicious sweets from this week. If you've made more than one during the week, feel free to link them all up.
   
4. Leave me a comment telling me that you've linked up.
   
5. Please visit at least two others and comment on their wonderful additions to this party.

<center><a href="http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8s1iBIPyjRCu16ifFno6WFUkuhjUbgdTM35QWUi9P1Mxvt-v02Rt9MiOjnqP13K1dPvY99i4vB4ocS1763DUJKQiOUuGulW0IVv4_qV3r-HT0RHb7pGNKnWSsk3-2A2B_RRXuUWfc30/s1600/Plumpy+%25282%2529+button.jpg" /></a></center>

Ultimate Stand Mixer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, I know I said before that I was only going to do 12 different CCC recipes. But, I saw this recipe on Anna's blog, Cookie Madness, and was intrigued by the fact that it specifically calls for the use of a stand mixer. And, wouldn't you know, I just happened to be at my parents' house and my mom has a stand mixer. The opportunity was just too good to pass up, especially since Anna raved about how good they were (I promise that these are the LAST ones).


So, there I was mixing up one more batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. There are many things that set this recipe apart from all others. One is that it calls for cold butter straight from the fridge. In addition, the butter is creamed first and then it's whipped with the sugars for several minutes, reaching a buttercream-like consistency. Finally, the egg and vanilla are mixed together and added in small spoonfuls to the batter over a 4-5 minute spread. This results in a very fluffy cookie dough unlike any other I've ever seen. You then chill the dough for at least 6 hours or overnight.

I never realized before this that chocolate chip cookie making could be such a science. I continue to be amazed at the fact that you can take the very same ingredients but alter the amounts or the techniques used in combining them and you get completely different results in terms of taste, texture, and color.


These cookies baked up perfectly thick and chewy with nicely crisp edges and a crunchy outer shell. They don't spread a lot in the oven, so you do have to flatten them down a little either before or during the baking time. The resulting cookies are a beautiful dark brown color and were oh so tasty. Since the butterscotch flavor is not overpowering, you can definitely eat several of these cookies at one time (and believe me, you're going to want to). I am so glad that I wasn't too cookie-d out to try one more recipe because this one is most certainly a keeper in my book. My whole family loved them!

I can see that picking a winner is going to be super hard. But, pick a winner I must. Stay tuned because next week Monday all will be revealed.

NYT Cookie Update: Jeanie, from The Tasty Cheapskate, did her own baking research on these cookies (go HERE to see how it turned out) and told me when the NYT cookies are made with all-purpose flour instead of the cake flour, they don't taste anywhere near as good as they should. That's definitely a lesson for me. I guess that I really will have to give these cookies a second chance and, when I do, you can bet that I'm using cake flour as directed.

Ultimate Stand Mixer Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Cookie Madness)

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces (I used salted butter and omitted the salt)
1 c. very firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. chocolate chips (I used 2 cups)

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Beat cold butter until creamy in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add both sugars and continue beating at medium speed for 4-5 min.

Meanwhile, mix the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl and slowly, one tablespoon at a time, add the egg mixture to the cream mixture while the mixer is in motion. This should take another 4-5 min.

With mixer on lowest speed, or by hand, add dry ingredients. When incorporated, add chocolate chips and stir to mix.

Shape dough into golf ball sized balls and arrange on a cookie sheet right next to each other. Cover dough balls and chill overnight or for 6 hours. Remove and let warm to room temperature (30 min.). Arrange cookie balls on ungreased cookie sheets spacing about 3 inches apart. Flatten a little to resemble a hockey puck, about 3/4" high. (I just chilled my cookie dough in a covered container, then formed the balls, flattened them a little, and baked them).

Bake at 400F (I baked mine at 375F), 8-10 min. (mine took 12 min.). Edges should be golden brown. Let sit at room temperature 5 min. before taking off baking pan.

Makes about 32 cookies

Notes:

• I did a half batch of these cookies and so I added a tablespoon of the egg-vanilla mixture at 1-minute intervals. If you make the whole batch, you could probably add a tablespoon of the mixture at 30-second intervals.
• Chilling for 6 hours is all that is necessary. I chilled some of my dough for 24 hours, then baked the cookies and there was no noticeable difference in flavor.

This recipe is linked to:
Cast Party Wednesday
Fat Camp Friday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Bake with Bizzy
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
My Meatless Monday
CCC Round-Up

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie

Next up: New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

It seems that everyone who is anyone has made these cookies and sung their praises so I just knew that my quest would not be complete until I tried them.

The differences between this recipe and others is that it uses a combination of cake flour and bread flour, requires a 24-36 hour chilling time, and uses chocolate disks instead of ordinary chocolate chips. Well, bread flour I had, but cake flour is not something that I usually keep on hand. So, since others said that all-purpose flour worked just as well, I used that instead. For the chocolate disks, I used the Chocolate Callets from Trader Joe's and those worked fine.

The cookies were huge!!! As you can see from the picture, each one was nearly as big as my plate. They did spread out quite a bit in the oven, but I think that was due more to my gas oven than the recipe itself. The resulting cookies were chewy with crisp edges and the chocolate disks melted nicely creating ribbons of chocolate running through the cookies.

I honestly wish I could give these cookies a rave review. They were tasty, but in comparison with some of the others I've tried, they just weren't as good in terms of caramel flavor. I guess when it comes down to it, I want the chocolate to enhance the flavor of each bite of cookie, but I don't want the chocolate to BE the cookie. My family also found the chewiness to be a bit odd - more bendy chewy than soft and chewy. To be fair, if I had used cake flour, they might have been more tender so that is something to consider. One day, I will make these as the recipe directs. But, for now, I will say that I have other frontrunners in mind.

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies (The New York Times)

2 c. minus 2 Tbsp. (8 1/2 oz.) cake flour
1 2/3 c. (8 1/2 oz.) bread flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
1 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
20 oz. bittersweet chocolate disks or feves, at least 60% cacao content
sea salt (for sprinkling)

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Quest of 2011:
Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
BAKED Chocolate Chip Cookies
Allrecipes' Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Joanne Chang's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sugar Plum's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
America's Test Kitchen Chocolate Chip Cookies
King Arthur Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Auntie Pearl's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is linked to:
CCC Round-Up