Lure of the Chocolate Chip

I’m proud to be a chocoholic.  I’ve tried weaning myself off this addiction.  Once I managed to avoid chocolate for two weeks, but that was a long time ago.  Without the invention of chocolate chips, I might have succeeded. 

A New Twist on an Old Favorite: Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I make very few desserts that are better than Chocolate Chip Cookies.  This latest version was perfected by my sister-in-law, an excellent cook who enjoys experimenting with both classic and untried recipes.  In this recipe she doubles the baking soda and leaves out the traditional baking powder.  She also undercooks the cookies slightly so they will be soft and chewy.

Mom Cooking Tip 177

If you’re making a graham cracker crust, it’s useful to know that 15 graham crackers equal 1 cup crumbs.  If you don’t have any graham crackers, substitute 16 (half a package) Oreos, Hydrox or store brand sandwich cookies, including the filling.

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Cheer Yourself Up in This Stressful Time: Make Cookies!

Walking around the house with nothing to do but worry, I contemplated what would take my mind off everything.  Making cookies popped into my head.  I associate cookies with happy times, especially cookies with chocolate in them.

Here is a recipe for my absolute favorite of moment: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies: https://momscookinghelp.blogspot.com/2020/01/one-cup-ofchocolate-chips.html

If you have a peanut allergy, try this traditional Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe instead: https://momscookinghelp.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-ever-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

One Cup of...Chocolate Chips

Normally when I read a recipe, I take a quick look to see if I have the ingredients.  If I do, I may start preparing it right away.  If I don’t, I either add what’s missing to my shopping list or decide not to make that dish after all.

But what if I start with an ingredient I have and then search for a recipe that calls for it?  One of my favorite ingredients when I’m baking is chocolate chips.  What could I make with one cup of them?  Here’s what I found:

When Making Cookies...

Making cookies seem so simple, but if you're not paying attention, things can go wrong.  So here is a cheat sheet to help keep your mind in the game.

Question for Mom

Where does powdered sugar come from?—Eli B.

Powdered sugar (also called confectioners sugar) is crushed white sugar with some cornstarch added to keep it from clumping..  It is often used to make icings or is sprinkled onto cakes, cookies and other pastries as decoration.  In England it’s called icing sugar.  Substituting regular white sugar is not recommended as the taste and texture of what you’re making may be affected. 

                   For more recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"

Mom Cooking Tip 167

If you are just learning to bake or are trying a new baking recipe, it’s a good idea to check whatever you are baking 5 minutes before it’s supposed to be done.  Your oven may be hotter than it should be…or the recipe writer could have made an error.  If you over-bake bread, cakes or cookies, there’s nothing you can do.  By checking 5 minutes early you may discover your dish is done and you can remove it from the oven.  If it’s not done, you have not harmed it by opening the door.  Just let it bake for the additional 5 minutes.  However, don’t open the oven door every 5 minutes during baking.  That will change the temperature of the oven and will impact the end result.

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Lure of the Chocolate Chip

Mom's Jaffa Cakes

I’m proud to be a chocoholic.  I’ve tried weaning myself off this addiction.  Once I managed to avoid chocolate for two weeks, but that was a long time ago.  Without the invention of chocolate chips, I might have succeeded. 

A 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips is incredibly versatile.  Eating a handful now and then is one way to empty the bag.  Making Chocolate Chip Cookies is another way. 

Tired of Chocolate Chip Cookies? Try Chocolate Biscotti!

A huge box of biscotti somehow found its way into my shopping cart at Costco, and soon after I got home every adult in the house was standing next to it.  Maybe the see-through packaging was too inviting to ignore.  Within a few days the box of 20 individually wrapped 8-inch-long biscotti was empty.

Why Are They Called Lava Cookies?

How do certain foods get their names?  Consider Toad in the Hole, a British concoction featuring sausages baked in a flour-egg batter that puffs up in the oven.  Could it be named after the character Toad in “Toad of Toad Hall,” a play written by A.A. Milne of “Winnie the Pooh” fame?

Mom Cooking Tip 159

I was well into making Chocolate Chip Cookies when I suddenly realized I was out of eggs.  Should I drop everything and rush to the store?  Kevin, my cookbook co-author,said, "No.  When that happens to me, I substitute 1/4 cup sour cream, and the cookies taste just as good."  So I did, and they did.

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Question for Mom

Onion Quiche

A lot of recipes say to preheat the oven before putting food in to cook.  Are there any dishes you can bake without preheating?  --Amy V.

When you’re baking cakes, pies, cookies, quiches, bagels or anything made with yeast, pre-heating the oven is very important.  Just a few days ago I put my pizza stone in the oven but forgot to turn on the heat.  When I was about to slide my homemade pizza onto the stone, I suddenly realized my mistake. 

So the uncooked pizza sat on the counter on the pizza paddle until

Nostalgia When the School Bell Rings

One of the greatest joys of my childhood occurred when I got home from school and smelled homemade chocolate chip cookies in the oven.  My mother was not a great cook, but she knew the ins and outs of making chocolate chip cookies.

Now that school is back in session, I am reminded of those homework-filled afternoons sustained by seeing how many chocolate chip cookies I could get into my mouth at one sitting.  For some reason my mother liked making small cookies.  Seldom were they more than 2 inches across, and often they were smaller.

Mom Cooking Tip 148

Want your cookies to come out of the oven perfectly round?  Here’s a tip from my 17-year-old friend Ava.  Roll a portion of cookie dough into a 1-inch ball and place it on a greased cookie sheet.  Grease the bottom of a drinking glass with butter and then dip the bottom of the glass in granulated sugar.  Press the bottom of the glass down gently but firmly on the dough ball so the dough spreads out into a circle.  Repeat the process until all the dough is used up.  Bake according to the recipe’s directions. 

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Too Much Peanut Butter

Some years ago, spoonfuls of peanut butter served on top of banana slices was one of the most popular dishes in my house.  Pre-teens loved it, and I got into the habit of buying large quantities of peanut butter.

Now those pre-teens are teenagers, and they wouldn’t be caught dead eating such a juvenile snack.  I guess I wasn’t paying attention to their change in eating habits when I stocked up on two 48-ounce jars of peanut butter.

Shortcuts in the Kitchen

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

 I love shortcuts when they work.  And you never know if they will work until you test them.  I tried what I thought might be a shortcut yesterday and was mightily disappointed.  I’ll say this much – it involved using packaged frozen chocolate chip cookie dough as a crust

I’d read about this in a magazine recently, and it sounded clever and quick.  It was clever and quick.  And the end result looked quite presentable.  It just didn’t taste very good.   I should have made my own chocolate chip cookie dough - but then it wouldn't have been a shortcut.

Why Reinvent the Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie?

Chocolate Chip Cookies Using Only Brown Sugar

I have often wondered why there are so many different variations of chocolate chip cookies.  After some considerable thought, I have come up with a simple answer.  Bakers don’t like to leave well enough alone. 

I grew up on chocolate chip cookies.  It was the one dessert my mother prepared flawlessly.  She never told me where she got the recipe, but I imagine it came from the back of a package of chocolate chips.  

The ingredients are simple: butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.

Mom Cooking Tip 136

When baking, you don’t need to soften butter if you’re using a food processor.  Just cut it into a few pieces to help processing.

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Chocolate on My Mind

I’m proud to be a chocoholic. I’ve tried weaning myself off this addiction. Once I managed to avoid chocolate for two weeks, but that was a long time ago. Without the invention of chocolate chips, I might have succeeded. 

A 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips is incredibly versatile. Eating a handful now and then is one way to empty the bag. Making Chocolate Chip Cookies is another way. 

Now I’ve come up with a third way: a Triple-Layer Chocolate Cookie.