Melted Butter Cookies hmmm

So, there is this debate about using melted butter vs. creaming butter for your cookies. I'm not going to lie, i have always used the cream butter method - so much so, that i was really quite prejudice against the melted butter method. But, alas, i finally gave in and gave it a shot. What did i find out? WELL! Holy Moley! I LOOOVE chewy cookies. Love them. And lemme tell you, if you want a chewy cookie - melted butter is the way to go. Hands down. No competition. In fact, this is going to be my go to chewy choc chip cookie recipe from now on. I mean? i cannot believe i haven't tried this before! The secret though, is chilling the batter for at least 30 minutes before baking - otherwise you are going to have a mess on your hands.
I used butterscotch chips - which i HATE but, my very  handsome cookie eater loves them, so...needless to say, i was happy to use them. Also, i've seen this recipe a million places but  i've adapted this one from allrecipes.com. Here ya go!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cups butterscotch chips

Directions


1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.


2.Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.


3. Melt the butter in a heavy stainless steel saucepan.


4. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.


5. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.


6. Drop heaping soup spoons of cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. ( I fit about 6 cookies per sheet) Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
7 .Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Now! If you have too much batter for one baking (which i did), simply arrange dollops onto a cookie sheet, like you would to bake them, stick the cookie sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes. Take them out of the freezer and pack them into a container, separating the layers with parchment paper, and stick them in the freezer. This way, you can have fresh cookies anytime you want! Impressive or what!!!!!!! Ha!
Smooches
gigi

Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip & Chunk Awesomeness. Hell yeah.

I have a favorite blog, besides this one. It is run by a lady named Joy, and she bakes. And her blog brings me great great joy.  Her recipe for Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip cookies brought me joy and a whole Lotta my friends Joy.   In fact, i am fairly certain, these morsels of goodness just wooed me into the heart of a very  very good looking cookie eater. SCORE!!!!!!!!!!! Eat them warm because when you bite into them, chocolate just starts oozing out. OMG. They are insane good. Meet Joy and fall in love with her here: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/  Then bake these. OMG. Do it.

I even gave some to Cybelle so she could take pictures for you because they were so good, i didn't trust anyone but a pro to take the pics so you could see the deliciousness that happened in my kitchen today. Thanks Belles (http://www.cybellecodish.blogspot.com/).

 Here is her recipe which i tweaked a bit, and my changes are in the parenthesis.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (i used butter flavored crisco so my cookies would be chewier)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups uncooked oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (i totally forgot to add this :-/ )
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (i used 1 cup chocolate chunks, and 1 cup chips)
1 cup chopped pecans

Beat the sugar and butter in the bowl. Beat until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until blended.

(I added a handful of currants to 1/2 of the batch of these cookies. Why? because i had a bunch left from the soda bread i made earlier. And, because I'm a dare devil.)

Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Add to the butter and egg mixture slowly beating on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans last in 3 separate batches. Go ahead and turn off your mixer and do the last mixing with a wooden spoon.

Dollop by heaping soup spoons onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 13 minutes or until they’ve reached your desired doneness. I like mine a little underdone and cook them for 10 minutes.
Wrap them up, give them to your friends, neighbors, family and watch their faces fill with smiles :) And! If you have a hunky cookie eater hanging out with you, go ahead and feed him a few of these bad boys. This was a good day :) Thanks Joy!!!
smooches
gigi

Chocolate Chip Crater Cake

My mom rules. RULES. Every time she sees a really neat baking book, new or used, she buys it for me. I have to tell you, i have got one of the coolest collection of baking books on the planet. No joke. This recipe comes from just one of those books. The book is "Hershey's Fabulous Desserts." The book is so old that it even has a telephone number for you to call or an address for you to write to, in case of questions. Brilliant.
Anyway, this cake is awesome for breakfast. So awesome in fact, that you appear to be the awesome-est person in the world when in less than 35 minutes, you go from nothing to this warm delicious chocolaty cake to serve for breakfast. Try, trust me,  you will rule.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose baking mix
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
and topping mix

Topping Mix Ingredients
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup baking mix
1/4 cup butte or margarine softened (i TOTALLY forgot this. :-/ but it still ruled)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
combine all in a small bowl


Directions:
Heat oven to 350degrees.
Grease an 8 inch square baking pan
In large mixer bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and mix until moistened.

Pour 1/2 of the batter into your baking pan and cover with the chocolate chips. Top with the remaining batter making sure your chocolate chips are covered.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve warm or completely cooled.
Sit back and enjoy!
Smooches!
gigi

Suzi's herb garlic bread!

I adore my cousin suzi. She's the best. When we were growing up, i used to think we looked like the band Heart because she was blonde and i was a brunette. Well, that and the fact that we were super ultra cool 10 year olds. (She was 10, so i was 8 - you get my drift). And, she makes the BEST bread. She was nice enough to share her delish garlic herb bread with me, and now, i am sharing it with you. It's sooo good. Bake it. Now! :)

Recipe:

Big Big Bread

8 cups (APF) All purpose Flour
2 pkg Rapid Rise Yeast
4 teaspoons salt
4 cups water (110-115 degrees)

Method:
Mix flour, yeast, salt together in a bowl. (use your hands or a whisk)

Pour in almost all the water. (about 3 cups)

Knead the mixture for about 15 minutes adding the rest of the water as needed. When your 15 minutes has elapsed, cover with a dry cloth and put it in the back of your dark closet for 1 hour.

After the hour has elapsed, punch dough down and knead it again for just a couple of minutes.

Shape it into 1 Big big bread or 3 loaves.

Put into desired baking dish and cover it again and allow it to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour again, in your closet. When it is time to bake, gently tuck in the sides. Oil the top with safflower oil or olive oil and sprinkle with garlic and herbs (dried).

Preheat oven to 500.

Gently place the bread in the oven and immediatley turn down the heat to 425 degrees. Do NOT slam the door. (Be loving to your bread, and it will love you right back :)

Bake for 25-25min until it is golden brown.

Invite your neighbors or friends over just as you are taking it out of the oven, and they will think that you are the most amazing person on the planet, like i think Suzi is!
enjoy!
smooches, gigi!

Barbie's Made Up Milanos!

This great recipe and the pictures are courtesy of one of my bestest friends Barbie!!!  She did such an awsome job! I cannot wait to try and make these too!!

I love Pepperidge Farm Milanos, I just hate paying all that money for such a simple cookie.

So in my quest to simplify life and save some pennies I put this simple recipe together.


The best part is that there are only 5 ingredients!!

YOU WILL NEED:
1 cup flour

¼ cup butter (melted) unsalted

1 egg

¼ sugar

Nutella

Combine the above ingrediants and mix till forms a somewhat crumbly dough.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Take a small bit of the mix and roll the dough in your hands until a small ball is formed

Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough balls on your baking sheet

Place in oven

Bake at 350 F for 6 minuets

After 6 minuets flip the cookies over, and bake for another 6 minuets

The cookies wil be slightly golden.

Let cool completely. Once the cookies are room temp, the fun begins!
Use a table spoon to dollop some of the nutella on half the cookies. Now take the ones that do not have nutella on them and sandwich them together. Let the nutella set and VOILA yummy Milanos!!

Irish Soda Bread.

Mmmm,

This post is dedicated to my Irish friend Colleen who requested an Irish recipe for St. Patty's day :) I volunteer at a legal aid clinic about once or twice per month. The clinic is located in the rectory of an Irish Catholic Church. Every year around St. Patricks day they have Soda Bread from an Irish Bakery that is located in a suburb of Detroit. I tasted it for the first time about 3 years ago and fell in LOVE. It's dense and chewy and crumbly and sweet but salty at the same time. It is heaven. HEAVEN. I finally decided to make some from myself and found an awsome recipe here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marilyn-oreillys-irish-soda-bread-recipe/index.html

Special thanks to my friend Cybelle for the amazing photos!!! You can see all her amazing photography at http://www.cybellecodish.blogspot.com/

Wow it is so good. And! SOOO easy. Make this. Immediately!! YUMMMMM!!!
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, optional (i didn't use these)
1 cup currants (the recipe called for raisins but, i dont like them so i used currants and a bit of dried cranberries)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Directions

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt and stir well to mix.
Add the butter and rub in until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients.
Stir in the currants and cranberries.
In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together and mix into the dough mixture with a rubber spatula.

Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf. Transfer the loaf to one cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment or foil and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes more, until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean.

Cool the soda bread on a rack. Serve this slathered in TONS of butter to your lovely friends. It is sooo good.

smooches!
gigi

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

So, i get TONS of requests for these cookies. However, the problem is that i HATE white chocolate. I cannot stand the stuff. It never did anything to me, but, its just not my thing. I'm a milk chocolate kinda girl.

However! These cookies are PHENOM! They are so pretty, sooo moist and bursting with nuts and chocolate. This is by FAR the best white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe that exists. Trust me on this one. You must try these. I still hate white chocolate, but it certainly didn't keep me from sneaking a few of these to put under my pillow ;)


Ingrediants:
1 cup of butter (softened)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar (feel free to use less, these cookies are uber sweet)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2.5 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until smooth.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
4. Combine flour, baking soda and salt and gradually stir into the mixture *DO NOT OVERMIX!
6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookies sheets
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Wrap them up in pretty packages and pass them out to all of your fabulous friends!
Smooches!
gigi

Pumpkin Bread

Two of my very best friends had babies in the last couple of months, and one of them even had twins! I love to visit them and the new additions - Sasha, Rocco and Marianna. And, because they are new moms (cindy and kelly), i like to bring them baskets filled with goodies and love. I came across this awesome recipe as i was browsing around some blogs one freezing cold Michigan evening. I love this recipe, first because i LOVE pumpkin and second because it makes 2 loaves with virtually no effort. The best part though, i guarantee you will have these ingredients at home already! Now, i did make some changes, and you will see them in parenthesis next to the ingredient. I hope you love this recipe. Make a loaf for someone you love! It is sooo good!




Pumpkin Bread Recipe (from: zuccherodolce.blogspot.com)


1 can (about 2 cups) canned pumpkin (or homemade pumpkin puree)
3 cups sugar (i only used 2 cups)
1 cup water
1 cup Canola oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground cloves (i didn't have any, so i didn't use them)


Preheat the oven to 350 F.


Spray two 9" x 5" loaf pans with baking spray.

Combine pumpkin, sugar, water, oil, and eggs in the bowl of a standmixer (or in a large bowl if you'll be using a hand mixer).


Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder,cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then cool on rack.

Wrap up with a pretty ribbon and deliver with love to make someones day :)

smooches, gigi

Love in a potato.

One of my bff's growing up, Yvonne used to make this for me alllll the time. Its so so delish. And more that that, its pretty much the easiest thing on the planet. So much so that my other bff, Cybelle made it and took these photos of her result :) (check out her blog, its FAB! www.cybellecodish.blogspot.com)

MMMMM, now how can you not make it for your bffs?

Recipe:

1 package of frozen potatoes (not hash browns but like the square ones)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 stick butter melted

1 big sour cream

1 onion finely chopped.

2 cups Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients except for the cheese. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees covered with foil in a 9x13 baking dish. After 1 hour remove the foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes or until it looks like the pictures above. (this recipe also doubles very well)

Enjoy :) and nice job bella!

love, gigi

For the Love of Lobsters

so, anyone who knows me knows how much i LOVE my doggie. aka Lola the Lobster :) . Above is a picture of her baking with me.

In fact i love all doggies and there have been many who have played a huge part in my life. I'm going to give shout outs later. So, seeing as these adorable puppies bring us so much love and happiness, why not do something wonderful for them? I came across this recipe for healthy doggie treats, and decided to whip up a batch for lola and the other pooches in my life. If you love the doggies (aka lobsters) as much as i do, i recommend you whip up a batch for your loves too!

Ingrediants:

1 - 16 oz jar of turkey, rice and garden vegetables Gerber baby food

1/4 cup savory beef gravy (just the jar kind is fine)

1/4 cup water

1 large egg - seperated

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon milk

1.Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. In a large bowl, combine baby food, water, gravy and egg white.

3. Gradually add flour, stirring to combine.

4. In a small bowl, combine egg yolk and milk - set aside

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness.

Using a bone shaped cutter (i used hearts too :) cut out cookies and transfer to baking sheet. Brush cookies with egg wash. Bake for 35 minutes or so, until golden brown. Cool completely before storing or they will get soggy.

Then give them to the lovliest lobster in your life and tell them how much you love them :) and accept all the great wet kisses you can stand!

My doggie shout outs to the dogs who have brought me so much love and joy:

Lola!!!, Nika, Tank, Lucy, Charlie, Babu, Cashie, Angel, Mandy, Scuba!!!

Smooches! gigi

Goop Apple Cake

I go this recipe from the GOOP newsletter. I dont care what people say about Gwenyth Paltrow, her recipes are AWSOME. and so was this cake. Make it!

TIME: 1 hour approx. including baking time
1 cup sugar
½ stick or 2 ounces butter, melted
½ cup applesauce
1 egg
1¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2½ cups chopped apples (i used macintosh)
¾ to 1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your baking dish. Mix the sugar, butter, applesauce and egg together with a hand mixer. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Blend the wet and dry ingredients and then add the apples and walnuts. Pour into baking dish and bake for 30 to 50 minutes (depending on your pan and oven temp) or until knife or toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Pecan Tartlets

I updated this recipe, because my friend Cybelle - the best photog EVER - took photos of these tartlets! Check out her blog at www.cybellecodish.blogspot.com. Thanks Bella!

These Pecan Tarlets are so great. They are delish and sooo super cute too! Perfect to take along to a party!

These were so super fun and SOOO super easy. Go make them now. im positive you have all the ingrediants in your fridge!

Recipe:

Tartlet shell:

1 stick of butter, softened

4 oz of cream cheese, softened.

1 cup of flour.

Cream the butter and cream cheese together then add flour. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for 1 hour.

Filling:

1 egg

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1 tbs vanilla

3/4 cup of finely chopped pecans.

beat the egg with a whisk and add the sugar and vanilla. Then add the chopped pecans.

This recipe will yield 24 tartlets. Divide the dough equally into your little tartlet pan - rolling the dough into little balls.

When you have filled the pan - take a spoon (i used the tbs measuring spoon - worked like a charm) and smoosh the dough into the tartlet pan and use your fingers to make sure the dough rises to the edges. Then fill with the filling.

Bake at 375 for aobut 20 minutes - or until they are lightely brown.

Perfection!!!

Have fun :) smooches, gigi.