Some Things Are Better Left Unchanged

I made my brownies using Dutch Processed Cocoa.  They are good, and very moist, but lack the chocolate punch of my regular brownies.    They look like they would be super chocolatey, but it is more subtle - that's not my kind of brownie!  If I made them this way again, I would add some chocolate bits to the batter, or something to give it a little more of kick.  I love how moist they are and the rich color, but that is about it!  My taste testers all liked them and I am not completely giving up on this version, but it needs some more Test Kitchen experimenting to wow me! 

Brownie with Dutch Processed Cocoa

CCC Update

I saved half of the batch to bake the next day.  They were just as good, with a slightly different texture.  Day two they were just as chewy and delicious.  They did not dry out like a lot of cookies tend to do the day after they are baked.   Another positive for recipe number 2!

They are everything I want in a Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Close-up

A Quest For The Best........Chocolate Chip Cookies...Round 2

This is only the second recipe, but I think we may have a winner!

I am so excited about these cookies!

The first CCC's that I made were good, but these are amazing and a beautiful specimen of a cookie!
They looked wonderful coming out of the oven, had great texture, and are the best tasting CCC's I have ever had!

I put the plate out for small group and the CCC's got rave reviews.  There wasn't a cookie left!

I had 12 taste testers on this one and everyone loved them!

Of the original contenders, I have one recipe left.  It sounds incredible too, so I can't wait to compare!
I don't really think I will look much further than that because I LOVE THESE COOKIES!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Close-up of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

A Cookie, A Brownie & Another Cookie

While it rained all afternoon, I was in the kitchen baking up a storm!

I made Butterscotch Chip Spice Cookies, Sea Salt Brownies, and Sugar Cookies for a client's gathering tonight.   We covered the super sweet, chocolate and plain tastes.

After hours of baking for someone else, I needed to make something for my own household's dessert and company.  I decided it was time to test recipe #2 of the chocolate chip cookie trials..............

To be continued in the next post :)

Butterscotch Chip Spice Cookies

Sea Salt Brownies

Sugar Cookies 

Boxed and ready to go!

Coffee Break

Banana Bread and Coffee.........yum!

I had not made a banana bread lately, so I changed that and I made a rather delicious one yesterday.

I have added a milk frother to my kitchen appliance family, so I can make pretty coffee every day now!
Of course I had to use this as part of my banana bread picture!

After spending about two weeks working on an album for a new client, I was ready to do some baking.
A post about the album will follow soon.

I also have been making a bunch of cards, but they are ones I have sent out, so I need to wait a few days before posting.  :)

I am about to go start on a dessert order.  Brownies, Butterscotch Chip Spice Cookies, and Sugar Cookies.

I want to try making my regular brownie recipe with a different kind or cocoa, and it is about time to try out recipe number 2 for the quest for the best chocolate chip cookies.   I haven't decided which will come first, but both will be soon.  

Off to the kitchen!

Little Boy Blue and Pinkie Too

Yesterday I made the whoopie pies.  Growing up in Central Pennsylvania, I have always known what whoopie pies are.  They have become quite popular the last few years, but many people are not familiar with tasty creations.

I had never made them before and decided to try a recipe out for my book club.  As we were also celebrating the upcoming births of a boy and a girl, half were filled with blue and half with pink.

Next time I will thin the batter a little, so they aren't quite so puffy.  The filling is the same that I had used for the peppermint filled Christmas cake, only this was vanilla.  My mother used to always make green mint filling.  I think you will be seeing that in March for St. Patrick's Day, plus the chocolate and green look really good together.

I also made baby cards for the expectant mothers (see below).

Chocolate Chip Cookie update - batch one received good reviews.

Not sure what is next in the Test Kitchen.  I am working on several scrapbook projects on the Creative Design side, so that will be taking most of my time over the next week.  However, one cannot go without dessert for very long, so I will come up with something!  I am thinking Valentine cookies and cards in the near future.

A Quest For The Best........Chocolate Chip Cookies

Birthdays, as well as a New Year, cause people to reflect on things.
On this, my 40th birthday, I am reflecting on how much I love birthday cake!
As my mother has stated about me - anyone who knows me well, knows how important cake is to me.
Since we had our family celebration on Saturday, I have been able to enjoy my birthday cake for several days already.  Yum!

Being that I am an early January Birthday, my year seems to start on the 9th, not the first.
I am super excited about what is going to happen with my business this year, and all the upcoming projects.

I decided that I wanted to work on the best chocolate chip cookie (CCC) recipe.  Well, of course, everyone and their dog claims to have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe!  I did a search for the best CCC and found that this is quite a popular topic.  There are so many variations to this classic cookie, and several people have set out to test for the best.  So, I will conduct my own testing using two of the "winners" from others' testing and a few of my own.

I was going to start this on Friday, but discovered that I had zero chocolate chips in the house.  How that happened, I'll never know.  So, I organized part of the pantry instead, bought chocolate chips over the weekend, and started the testing today.

The first, which I am baking right now, are the CCC's from my Junior Chef Cookbook that I received for my 9th birthday.  They are an easy, yummy cookie that has been my favorite for years (many).   I asked Little C if she wanted me to make CCC's and she asked if I could also put white chips in them.  Could I say no to that....NO!  So, part of the batch is Chocolate and White Chip Cookies.

Batch one has been baked.  I haven't tried them yet - birthday cake earlier and I don't want to be in a sugar coma for my birthday dinner.  I will taste them later, and get the reviews from my taste testers.

Tomorrow in the test kitchen - whoopie pies!
Test batch two of the CCC's will be in the near future.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Quest for the Best, Recipe 1

Fun on the last day of Christmas break

Today Little C and I broke out the Easy-Bake Oven that Santa brought!
We made both the red velvet cupcakes and the chocolate chip cookies that it came with.
Both were made double-deckers, iced, and sprinkled (heavily).

All I remember from the Easy-Bake Oven that I had, was making a marble cake.
I guess you don't make cakes with the new ultimate version.

I am off to make real food for dinner.
At least dessert is taken care of! ;)

I Resolve To Bake More Brownies

Happy New Year!

After all the Christmas baking, I realized yesterday that we didn't have anything for dessert. (Tragedy!)

Brownies to the rescue!

May your New Year be full of sweetness!

Sea Salt Brownie Stack