Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been searching for the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe until now.  I've found it.  I am so satisfied and pleased that I had to share it with you all!  This recipe is courtesy of The New York Times.

Dry Ingredients
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1-2/3 cups bread flour
1-1/4 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp coarse salt

Wet Ingredients
2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 lbs at least 60% cacao chocolate chips
Sea salt for sprinkling

- Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside. Tip:  You may add in a teaspoon of cinnamon to give it some extra flavor.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until very light making sure there is no sugar stuck to the bottom or sides of bowl
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each is added
- Add in the vanilla
- Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and then add chocolate chips
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease a cookie sheet.  Tip:  Using a lighter colored metal cookie sheet will yield better results.
- Use your hands to form balls of dough about the size of golf balls. Bake off cookies with ample room for them to spread for about 15 minutes or until edges are set and golden brown.  The middle of the cookies may seem slightly underdone but they will set up as they cool.
- Cool on sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Keep stored in a cool dry place in an air tight container.  You may freeze excess for up to one month wrapped in a freezer bag.

Southern Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
2 lemons

Preheat Conventional Oven to 350 degrees, Convection Oven 325 degrees

Mix butter, flour, and powdered sugar well. Press evenly in bottom of 9" by 9"square pan and bake for 20 minutes.



Beat four eggs and 2 cups of sugar well or until light yellow in color. Then add juice of 2 lemons through a strainer and mix well.

Pour over baked crust and bake for another 20 minutes or until set.

Banana Muffins w/ Crumb Topping



Marika's Banana Muffins w/ Crumb Topping

Ingredients


Wet
7 ripe bananas (very yellow with lots of dark speckles)
2 sticks melted butter
2 cups of granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla






Dry
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Getting started...Preheat oven to 350 degrees for a convection oven or 375 for a conventional oven.   Prepare a 12 cup jumbo muffin tin by lining with paper baking cups or by greasing them very well with vegetable spray.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together and set aside. 

In another large bowl, using a mixer with a paddle attachment, a hand mixer, or a very strong hand, mash bananas until they are a creamy consistency.  Then add sugar and blend well.  Slowly pour melted butter into banana/sugar mix while mixer is running on slow or while stirring.  Add vanilla and eggs one at a time blending well after each addition.

Add flour mix to wet mix in two parts, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula in between.  Mix until blended completely, but be careful to not over mix!  Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top leaving just a 1/2 inch of space.  Sprinkle crumb topping on each, lightly pressing the crumb topping into the batter with your hands.

Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until muffins look set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Crumb Topping (Optional)
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 stick melted butter

Mix flour and light brown sugar with a fork until blended thoroughly and no large chunks of sugar remain.  Add melted butter and form crumbs with a spoon or your hands.

Baking Tip:  Allowing eggs to sit out until room temperature allows them to blend better with the other ingredients making for a better product!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp white vinegar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 oz red food dye
1 tsp vanilla






Preheat oven to 375 degrees for a conventional oven at high altitude. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for a convection oven or if you are at sea level. Beat eggs in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or regular bowl. Slowly add oil and then sugar. Once blended, add vinegar, buttermilk, and red food coloring. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and coca powder.

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in three parts, beating just until blended and scraping sides of bowl with a spatula in between. Once batter is ready, let it rest for 15-20 minutes before baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into cake comes out clean.

While cupcakes are baking, you can make the icing.....

Frosting Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar

1lb cream cheese, room temp

1lb butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla

Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing
In a mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Then add vanilla and one cup of powdered sugar, beat until blended. Then add 1/3 cup of milk and another cup of powdered sugar. Keep adding 1 cup of sugar at a time, blending in well after each addition until desired consistency is reached. Up to 6 cups of powdered sugar may be used. Consistency is best when icing does not drop from the paddle attachment when lifted from the bowl or the beaters of the handheld mixer.

Strawberry Shortbread Bars - A One Bowl Wonder!

This recipe was created after working in NYC.  Frequenting a cafe that served a similar type of dessert, I always thought to myself, "I need to figure out how to make this".  After testing various amounts of flour, butter & sugar...voila!  Our #1 selling treat is created!  Enjoy! - Christine

Strawberry Preserves (or your favorite preserve)

Preheat oven to Cooking Temperature: 350° Conventional Oven 325° Convection Oven

Crust:
2 sticks butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of cinnamon

Blend dry ingredients, then add melted butter.  Spread evenly on bottom of ungreased 9" x 13" pan.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown at 325° degrees.

Using the Original bowl:

Crumb:
1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, melted



Blend flour & sugar together, then add melted butter.  Mix with a fork to make crumbs.

Spread baked crust with an even layer of strawberry preserves (Kirkland Organic).  Sprinkle crumbs along top evenly.  Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until crumbs are just slightly golden.

White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh or frozen (do not thaw) raspberries
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups of flour
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick of butter (cut into smaller 1/4 cubes)
3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 eggs, (1 divided with egg whites reserved for glaze)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to Cooking Temperature: 375° Conventional Oven 350° Convection Oven



Blend dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or fork) until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  In a separate bowl, whisk heavy whipping cream with one egg, one egg yolk, and vanilla extract until blended and then pour into dry mixture.

Stir with fork until just combined, then add raspberries and white chocolate chips.  Kneed lightly on a floured surface to bring everything together (don't over handle the dough).  Form into a 10" round and cut into six wedges.  Place scones on greased baking sheet with approx. 2" of space in between.

Whisk reserved egg white until frothy (bubbly).  With pastry brush spread thin layer of egg white over scones.  Sprinkle coarse sugar on top.

Bake for 15-19 minutes or until golden brown in color, rotating pans half way through cooking.

Store in air tight container without scones touching.  Or eat immediately, but slowly so you don't choke.

Enjoy!

- Christine