Nielsen Massey Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DAY!

And, what better way to celebrate than with . . . chocolate chip cookies.  But, these aren't just any chocolate chip cookies, oh no, these are special.  Wanna know why?  Well, about a month ago, Nielsen Massey contacted me to ask if I would like a sample bottle of their pure vanilla extract.  Considering that I've only ever bought cheap generic imitation vanilla, I was thrilled.  In exchange, all they asked was that I use the vanilla to make some of their awesome chocolate chip cookies and post about it today.  Seriously, quality vanilla and a batch of chocolate chip cookies to boot?  How could I say no?

The only changes I made was to use mini chocolate chips (since I didn't have any regular ones), added some grated milk chocolate, and chilled the dough.  Let me tell you, these chocolate chip cookies impressed me from the moment I saw them baking in my oven.  Unlike a lot of other recipes I've tried, these stayed thick and puffy till the very end.  Then, once I took them out, they turned into these crispy shelled, soft gooey middle-y, crinkled topped circles of buttery, vanilla-y perfection.

I took a bite and I was impressed.  What a cookie!  They had the ideal texture and were so full of flavor that I can only attribute to having used real vanilla to make them.  Thank goodness the recipe made three dozen cookies because one will not be enough for me.  Thank you Nielsen Massey for the opportunity to try your vanilla and your yummy cookie recipe!

Nielsen Massey Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 c. butter (I used salted butter)
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 egg
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt  
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. grated milk chocolate 

Cream the butter with the sugars.  Beat in the vanilla and eggs.  Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar.  Stir in the chocolate chips and grated milk chocolate.  Chill the dough for 1 hour in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer.  Roll into small walnut-sized balls and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake 14 minutes.  Let sit a few minutes on baking sheet before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Baked Pears with Feta Cheese

For this month's SRC, I was assigned to Charlotte's blog, Love and Flour.  If you've ever read the intro on herself, you'll find that she's quite a fun person.  Ex:  she used to measure the water to cook the spaghetti.  :)  But, judging from the photos on her blog, you'd think she was a professional.  For instance, she participated in the Willow Bird Baking Challenge, exercised amazing creativity, and came up with mouthwatering delicacies like this Honey Pear & Feta Braid (which I so wanted to make but just didn't have enough time). 

 

Still, that combo of the pears and feta intrigued me.  Other than eating bananas with mozzarella, my experiences in pairing fruit and cheese have been pretty much non-existent (yeah, I don't even do the apple pie with cheddar thing).  Since Charlotte had another recipe on her blog using the same combo, Baked Pears with Feta Cheese and Honey, I decided it was time to expand my palate and go for it.

 

This dish is super elegant and classy and will impress anyone that you make it for.  The secret is that they are also very easy and quick to make.  In fact, the hardest part was when they came out of the oven and I couldn't even dig into them yet because . . . I had to take pictures first.  You have no idea how torturous it is to see these succulent pears, golden and dripping with honey, while you stand and take one shot after another.  All I could think about was,

The recipe says that you're supposed to eat these while they're warm.  
"But I can't right now, I have to get my shots first!"  
They're going to get coooold.   (little taunting voice) 
Okay, okay, I'm done.  Gimme a pear!  Mmf mmmff mfff. 

The feta cheese on these was incredible.  The taste of it had mellowed, become sweeter due to the brown sugar, and was like a dessert in and of itself.  The firmness of it was a nice contrast to the softer, juicy pear underneath and together, it was the perfect pear (ahem, I mean pair).  I can definitely see whipping up a batch of these for a lovely appetizer or a light dessert. 

Thanks Charlotte for your sweet recipe!

Baked Pears with Feta and Honey (slightly adapted from Love & Flour)

2 pears, cored and halved
1 Tbsp. butter, quartered
8 tsp. crumbled feta cheese (I used fat-free)
4 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. honey
cinnamon

Place the pears in a baking dish with the cut side facing up.  Fill each cored out center with a dollop of butter, then sprinkle with the feta cheese and brown sugar.  Bake 35-40 minutes at 350F till tender.  Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

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Caramel Fudge Rounds

I was thrilled to have the opportunity for this month's SRC to do double duty and help out a future orphan.  To my surprise and absolute joy, it turned out to be Katrina from Baking and Boys.  Katrina is as sweet as the treats on her blog, which is really saying something.  And, if you're a chocoholic, you'll find yourself a kindred spirit in her.  She even has her own little army of men to cook/bake for - four sons and a husband.  I can just imagine how wonderful her house must smell.  Not to mention any lucky neighbors who live close enough to be the recipients of those treats (shucks, I'm too far).  

Like I said, Katrina loves chocolate.  Even if a recipe doesn't initially contain chocolate, she'll find a way to add it in some way, shape, or form.  In fact, she has so many chocolatey recipes on her blog that I just couldn't choose one.  So, I did what any sensible person would do.  I made two recipes.  The first, was her Homemade Fudge Rounds.  She said that they're her husband's fave and I can certainly see why.  These chocolatey cookies are nicely crunchy on the outside and soft and cakey within.  This makes them perfect for filling since the harder exterior keeps them from falling apart and the softer part makes them easy to bite into.  

 

Since I had used up my cocoa powder to make these cookies, I opted to fill them instead with a whipped chocolate ganache.  I also had some caramel leftover from the other recipe I made, so I used that as well.  The finished product was oh so good.  Katrina said that these are based off of the Little Debbies, but who needs storebought when you can have these?  

Like I said, I couldn't choose just one recipe.  Especially not when I saw her Caramel Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies.  That's quite a mouthful of a title, and a yummy mouthful at that.  What I loved best about these cookies is that they held their shape in my oven and did not go flat.  If you didn't know, my oven flattens any and all chocolate chip cookies, not any other type of cookies, just the ccc's.  I've tried everything - chilling the dough, mounding it higher, more flour, but nothing seems to work, till now.  

These cookies were everything I'd dreamed of - puffy, thick, chewy.  It was the best combo of textures too - crispy on the outside and chewy throughout.  Also, since they weren't too sweet on their own, they worked really well with the caramel drizzle.  The only change I made was to use my own recipe for the caramel drizzle.  These cookies were awesome!  They get an "A" in my book.   

Thanks Katrina for two yummy recipes!  

Caramel Fudge Rounds (adapted from Baking and Boys)

 

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1  1/4 cups all purpose flour (150 grams)
6 tablespoons cocoa powder (30 grams)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

whipped chocolate ganache (for filling)
caramel (for filling)

Cream the butter and sugar.  Add the cocoa powder and mix well.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Chill the dough for one hour.

Form into small balls and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350F for 10-12 min.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.

When cooled, fill with your choice of filling. 

 Caramel Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted slightly from Baking and Boys)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
12 ounces (2 cups) semi sweet chocolate chips

Caramel Drizzle (Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. salted butter, cubed
1/4 c. heavy cream, at room temperature

Cream the butter and cream cheese till smooth.  Beat in the sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt till well combined.  Add in the chocolate chips.  Chill the dough for one hour.

Form into balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 12-15 min.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.  When cooled, drizzle with caramel.  

For the caramel, cook the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking as it melts.  When it turns a deep amber color, add the butter and stir until it is melted.  Add the heavy cream and whisk until the caramel is smooth.  Remove from heat and let it cool.

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