Chocolate Chip Cookies (!!!)

I think this is perhaps the most classic recipe in my family's cookbook, although I think we could easily have a good long debate over it at dinner some day - that is, if we ever all managed to be in the same place for dinner.

My mom was a nurturer. It was just built into her nature. And one of the ways she showed love and care to people was through baking. when we were growing up, and friends came over, my mom would chat with them for a little while, learn about the things going on in their lives, and then she would disappear off into the kitchen for twenty minutes, then come back out as if nothing had happened.

And then 10-20 minutes later, a magical scent would come wafting out of the kitchen, usually brownies or these chocoloate chip cookies.

I probably had this recipe memorized not long after I had grade school, I spent so many afternoons cooking them with my mom. When I feel the need to feel a little closer to my family, this is the recipe I pull out. I have my own technique, and I'm sure each of my sisters does as well. I am not jeopardizing future bake-off winnings by sharing my secrets, so instead I will just post it the way our mom made it.

(OK, I will share one tip - I mix everything by hand, I never use a blender. I find this turns out soft, dense cookies, rather than cake-like ones.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips



Preheat oven to 375F. In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt, and baking soda. In a blender, mix shortening, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in flour mixture on low speed until just combined.

Remove bowl from blender and stir to make sure there are no pockets of flour. If dough seems too sticky, add a little extra flour. Stir in chocolate chips. (Here's my mom's secret - use a butter knive so that the it doesn't get too stuck in the dough). Drop 1½ - inch balls of dough onto nonstick cookie sheets, at least 2” apart.



Bake cookies. For soft cookies, bake for about 9 minutes and remove cookies from the oven when there are just barely beginning to turn golden. For crunchy cookies, bake for about 12 minutes and remove cookies from the oven when they have turned golden. If you remember, switch the cookie sheets halfway through baking and they will cook better.



Makes about 45 cookies.

We're big fans of breakfast in this house. Every weekend morning you'll find us tucking into pancakes, waffles, or biscuits, or maybe bacon and omelets, and of course big pots of tea and coffee to wash it down. A few years ago I finally learned to make my mom's biscuit recipe, and now I make these almost every week. My mom, on the other hand, really only pulled out the biscuits on special occasions, so I never realized just how easy they are. The part of this recipe that takes the longest is waiting for the oven to get hot enough!

It's also a great use of all the buttermilk we always have lying around. My mom's original recipe called for Crisco and milk, but I have updated it with fresh butter and buttermilk, which makes a rich but fluffy biscuit perfect for slathering with butter or jam (or topping with gravy, as I am inclined to do on occasion.)



This recipe makes about 16 biscuits, so I usually do a half recipe. I have tried freezing the biscuit dough after it's been cut into rounds, but this seems to result in flat, dense biscuits, so I don't recommend it.

Buttermilk Biscuits

1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 to 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 475ºF. Mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. With a fork or pastry blender (or your fingers) cut the butter into the flour. Work until you obtain pea-size bits. Stir in the buttermilk by degrees. Stop adding when dough just comes together.

Combine with your fingers just until the dry bits are incorporated, then press the dough into a 1/2 inch thick sheet. Cut into circles with a cookie cutter or small glass. Arrange side by side on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes at 475ºF, then lower the heat and bake another 7-8 minutes at 450ºF. Serve hot with lots of butter and jam.

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata is a simple, quick meal, great for busy weeknights. When I was growing up, my dad's go-to dish when he had very little time to prepare dinner was usually something along these lines - he sauteed chicken breast in a skillet, deglazed the pan with wine or chicken broth, then added seasonings and sometimes cream to vary the flavor. I often follow the same plan, adding and subtracting ingredients based on what's in the fridge. For example, this time I sauteed a bit of onions before deglaxing the pan, for a chunkier sauce.

I also find it works well as a potluck dish for a luncheon - I just make sure there is plenty of sauce, and then serve on top of some pasta with butter and fresh herbs.

½ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to ¼ inch thickness
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white wine (can substitute chicken broth)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons capers (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Combine four, salt and pepper and use to coat the chicken breasts.

Melt butter and oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken breasts over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove and keep warm.

Stir wine into pan juices. Add lemon juice and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan and cook for about 3 minutes, until sauce thickens slightly. Garnish with capers and parsley.

Bruschetta

Most of the recipes I plan to share here come from one cookbook - my family's cookbook, which was compiled years ago by my very organized sister Joy. The last version was from 2003, and contained most of the recipes we had come to be known for, the ones we got the most requests for, as well as a few recipes that our close friends - extended family, really - also brought over frequently.

My sisters and I have all fielded many requests for a copy of this cookbook. It contains only about 150 recipes, but they are almost universally delicious, and usually easy to make as well. One of the reasons I decided to start this blog was so that I could have a place I could send people who are looking for our famous family recipes, since it seems it could be a long time before we get more precious copies printed.

I will photograph and share recipes as I make them, which may be sporadic at times, but I will try to keep it up. One of the first recipes I thought I would share is one of my party go-to recipes - bruschetta.

Bruschetta sounds easy, but there's a technique to making it really good. I think the secret lies in nicely crisp rounds of French bread, and gently rubbing the toasted bread with the cut half of a clove of garlic.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

One loaf of soft French bread (baguette)

3-4 good quality tomatoes (2 cups) - Roma will work if that's all you can get

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar

2 large garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise

extra virgin olive oil

Combine the chopped tomatoes and basil in a bowl, then sprinkle with salt to taste - you'll need a good bit of salt to bring out the flavor of the tomatoes, but don't over-do it. Stir in the lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, whichever you prefer, and let sit to combine while you toast the bread.

Slice the bread on the diagonal into 3/4 - inch thick rounds. Toast in the oven on both sides, flipping halfway through, until the bread is crisp and lightly golden.

While still warm, rub one side of the toasted bread with the cut side of a garlic clove. Brush each toast with a bit of olive oil. Arrange on a plate, then spoon a bit of the tomato mixture over each toast. Serve right away so the bread doesn't get soggy.

Chocolate Crinkles

The last couple of days have been pretty stressful around here. What were meant to be peaceful demonstrations around the country erupted into angry riots, after courts took away the protesters' right to march.The high court eventually over-turned that order, but by then, the damage had been done.

What this meant for us is that for the last two days we have effectively been locked down in our home, discouraged from venturing out into the city for fear of getting caught up in the mayhem.

I don't really like being cooped up. It makes me anxious. And then, add to that worries over a situation that in my childless days I would have probably laughed off, but now, with two vulnerable little ones to look after, I couldn't stop obsessing about....well, let's just say I was a wee bit stressed.

So, true to my genetics, I did what my mother did too, when she had something heavy on her mind...I baked.

And I didn't bake just anything - I baked Chocolate Crinkles, a delicious brownie in a cookie, which I have been making since about the time I was first able to crack open an egg. My sister and I were known, as children, to make these cookies just to eat the raw batter (there was no fear of salmonella in my house, I guess). The cookie dough is even better after it has been rolled in powdered sugar:

After baking, the powdered sugar forms a lovely, cracked coating on top, hence the name.

Chocolate Crinkles

4 sq. unsweetened chocolate (4 oz)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon Salt
about 1 cup of powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a microwave or double boiler.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the sugar and the melted chocolate and butter. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to the chocolate mixture. Chill several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 F. Sift some of the powdered sugar onto a plate. Using 2 spoons, drop teaspoonfuls of dough into the powdered sugar. Roll the dough in the sugar, shape into balls, and shake off the excess sugar.

Place about 2” apart on greased baking sheet. Be careful not to over-bake!

Makes about 50 cookies.

Scones, two ways

I have been obsessed with making scones lately, ever since trying out the recipe for Dreamy Cream Scones I found on the Smitten Kitchen website.

You see, I needed another way to use up buttermilk, and saw this recipe and suddenly developed a hankering for scones. Although the recipe calls for cream, I always have a lot of buttermilk on hand. In fact, I think my husband and I are singlehandedly keeping the industry alive in Malawi. Every weekend it gets mixed into biscuits or pancakes. The leftovers marinate chicken, or add lightness and tang to cakes. Buttermilk seemed a natural substitution in this recipe, and allowed me to save my small stash of cream for whipping and serving on top.

These are so fast and easy to cook, that I make them every weekend. So now, every Sunday afternoon at our house, there are hot baked scones, served with butter and jam, and accompanied by a hot glass of tea. A week ago I was invited for cocktails at a friend's house. she had recently mentioned that she was more of a fan of savory snacks as opposed to sweet, so it occurred to me to bring along a savory scone. I eliminated the sugar, and added minced, cooked bacon, chives, and grated cheese. Heaven.

Here is the recipe for my original version, and the savory variation. I usually just make a half-recipe.

Scones

makes 16 scones

2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons chilled butter

1/2 cups raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

1 cup buttermilk

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F, and butter two 8-inch round cake pans.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. With a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers (my method), cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Add the raisins to the bowl, if using, then stir in the buttermilk. Turn out the sticky dough and dry bits on to a floured surface, and knead together until just combined. It will be a lumpy, slightly sticky dough.

Cut the dough in half, and then press each half into a cake pan. Using a knife, carefully cut the dough into 8 segments.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. The scones will still be fairly light in color when finished. Serve with butter, jam, and fresh whipped cream.

For the Bacon Cheddar Scones:

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, but omit the sugar. Mix in the butter, then stir in 1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh chives; 4 strips of cooked, minced bacon, and 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese. Mix in the buttermilk and prepare as in the sweet scone recipe.

Welcome!

I got a foolish idea into my head over this last weekend. A terrible, dangerous, silly idea. "Why not create a food blog?", I thought.

After all, it's not as if I struggle already to find enough time to keep up my long-running blog, Taking the Long Way. Why no, I'm sure I can manage to neglect two blogs at once.

But here I was, thinking how I love to cook. And how I enjoy writing also. So a cooking blog would be a natural extension, right? And of course there's more, the main thing, really - I like to show off. And what says overachiever more than baked-from-scratch scones, covered with home-made gooseberry jam, and topped with silky whipped cream, laboriously whipped by hand? Someone hand me a James Beard Award, right this minute!

And to be honest, there is a practical motivation at work, too. As often as I get asked for my recipes, it seems easier to pass along a URL than to write them out over and again. So here you are my friends, my coveted recipes. You asked for them, and here they are.

Many of these are family recipes that were discovered by my parents, and made by my sisters and me for years. Others are new classics in our home. But they are all tested, and tasted, and proven delicious. So enjoy, and let me know if you have any special requests!

-Gwyneth