Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza

I saw this idea on TV the other night, and just couldn't resist experimenting a little bit.  As amazing as I am in the kitchen, I didn't really think that it would turn out perfectly the first time, but it did.  I served this at my oldest hungry puppy's mid winter bash today, and her friends absolutely couldn't get enough.


This "pizza" consists of a chocolate chip cookie base, where I used Guittard milk chocolate chips.  I don't think that I will ever use any other brand of chocolate chip again.  I am in love.  In fact, I have been picking the milk chocolate chips out of the bottom of the "pizza".  The "toppings" consist of a peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and a dark chocolate cookie.  Besides making the cookie dough, this recipe is not time intensive at all.  An easy way to spread out some of the work is to make the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it.  I routinely freeze my cookie dough.  Just let it thaw before making the "pizza", or you won't be able to spread it.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza


One Recipe Chocolate Chip Jumbos (or your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe)
One Recipe  Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe to follow)
One Recipe Dark Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies (substitute white chips for mint chips)


Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a 12-inch pizza pan with tin foil.  Place 16 golf ball sized balls of cookie dough on the prepared pan, and spread evenly with your fingers.  Scoop the peanut butter-oatmeal chocolate chip dough into the same size balls as the chocolate chip, then cut them in half.  Flatten them slightly, then place them on top of the chocolate chip cookie base and press slightly into the dough.  For the chocolate cookie dough, scoop the dough into small balls (about 1-2 teaspoons), and drop onto the chocolate chip cookie base, pressing into the dough slightly.  


Place the "pizza" in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned and just set in the center.  Do not overbake, as you want the "pizza" to remain soft and chewy.  Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.  Cut with a pizza cutter and serve!  Makes 8 to 16 servings.


Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.  In a bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and beat together for about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and beat well.  Add the flour and beat on low speed until combined.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.


Using a large cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 minutes apart.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, then remove from oven and cool completely on the baking sheet.  Makes about 16 cookies.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Tunnel of Apple Spice Cake

I don't make very many bundt cakes.  I'm not sure why, they just don't seem to make the top of very many of my lists.  Except this one.  I love this cake, and everyone who has had it has loved it as well.  It is really amazing.  The cake is dense and moist and has a wonderful nuttiness from the graham flour.  The apple filling is soft and cinnamony and slightly tart, which offsets the sweetness of the brown sugar cream cheese icing nicely.

Tunnel of Apple Spice Cake

Apple Filling:

6 cups diced baking apples (I love Granny Smith and Braeburn)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup apple cider

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash of salt

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons cold water

Cake:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat graham flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt, or sour cream

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup apple cider

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 large eggs

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tablespoon apple cider, plus extra if needed

1 to 2 cups powdered sugar

In a large skillet, combine all of the apple filling ingredients except cornstarch and water.  Cook apple filling over medium-low heat until apples just become tender.  Combine the cornstarch and water, and stir until smooth.  Stir cornstarch mixture into the apples and simmer until the mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease and flour a bundt pan.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the cake ingredients and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for about a minute, then increase the speed to high and continue to beat for three more minutes.  Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth it out.  Carefully mound all of the apple mixture in an even layer on top of the batter, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the inner and outer edges of the pan.  Top with the rest of the batter, smoothing it out evenly, being sure to cover all of the apples.

Bake For 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  While the cake is cooling, make the icing.

In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese, cinnamon, and brown sugar until fluffy.  Beat in the apple cider.  Add the powdered sugar, starting with one cup and adding more as needed to get the desired consistency.  The icing should slowly drizzle off the end of a spoon.  When the cake is completely cool, drop spoonfuls of icing along the very top of the cake, spreading it slightly with the back of a spoon to help it slowly flow down the sides of the cake.  Let set, then serve.  

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

White Chili With Chile Cornbread

When I saw this recipe on the King Arthur Flour website, I knew that I had to try it out at my house for a couple of reasons.  One, King Arthur has almost never steered me wrong.  Two, my hungry puppies love chili, and if you know me, you know that I will do anything for my hungry puppies.  Including sorting through an entire 14 ounce tub of rainbow sprinkles (jimmies) to take out the pink ones.  Sure enough, this recipe was a huge (and I mean huge) success

This recipe consists of an incredible simple white chili placed in a baking dish and topped with green chile cornbread batter.  This is all baked in the oven for about 25 minutes, and you have a wonderful, warm, comforting meal ready to go.  I adapted this recipe from King Arthur Flour.

White Chili with Chile Cornbread

Chili:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 small carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

1 large chicken breast, chopped into small pieces

1 chipotle chile (in adobo sauce), chopped

1 can (14 ounces) whole kernel corn

1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chiles, undrained

1 can (15 ounces) white beans, or canellini beans, undrained

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup grated cheddar or white cheddar cheese, for topping

Cornbread topping:

3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 of a 4 1/2 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

To make the chili, in a large frying pan or small dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots, and chicken, and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender and the chicken is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.  Add the chipotle chili, corn, and green chiles, stirring to combine.  

In a food processor or blender, place the beans with their liquid, and process until smooth. Add to the pan with the chicken and vegetables and stir to combine.  Stir in the cumin and garlic salt.  Simmer the chili for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F, and begin making the cornbread topping.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, or large measuring cup, combine the butter and green chiles, then whisk in the egg and buttermilk.  Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

To finish the chili, stir in the sour cream, then transfer the chili to a greased 9 x 9 square baking dish.  Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top of the chili, then spoon the cornbread batter over the top, spreading it evenly to the edges.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.  Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Chemical Engineer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cardamommy sent this recipe to me a couple of years ago, thinking that it would be right up my chemistry alley. I set it aside for a later time. A couple of days ago she suggested that I guest blog this recipe.

At first glance, this recipe looks extremely complicated. Not to worry--I will provide a chemical translation at the end. The cookies are fantastically delicious and chewy with a subtle buttery flavor. My husband doesn't like nuts in his chocolate chip cookies, so I added extra chocolate (1.5 C chocolate chips and 1.5 C white chocolate chips). Too much chocolate you might say? No such thing. I added an extra quarter cup of flour because the cookies melted into thin puddles with chocolate chip islands when I baked a test batch. The recipe suggests that you cook them at 375 F until they are golden brown. I cooked them at 325 F for 10 minutes and they were perfect.

Chemical Engineer Chocolate Chip Cookies

The following recipe for chocolate chip cookies appeared in Chemical & Engineering News (June 19, 1995). It was attributed to Jeannene Aackerman.

Ingredients:
1.) 532.35 cm3 gluten  (2 1/4 C flour)
2.) 4.9 cm3 NaHCO3  (1 tsp baking soda)
3.) 4.9 cm3 refined halite  (1 tsp salt)
4.) 236.6 cm3 partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride  (2 sticks butter)
5.) 177.45 cm3 crystalline C12H22O11  (3/4 C White Sugar)
6.) 177.45 cm3 unrefined C12H22O11 (3/4 C packed brown sugar)
7.) 4.9 cm3 methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde (1 tsp vanilla extract)
8.) Two calcium carbonate-encapsulated avianalbumen-coated protein  (2 eggs)
9.) 473.2 cm3 theobroma cacao  (2 C chocolate chips)
10.) 236.6 cm3 de-encapsulated legume meats (sieve size #10)  (1/2 C chopped nuts)

Directions:
To a 2-L jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1) with an overall heat transfer coefficient of about 100 Btu/F-ft2-hr, add ingredients one, two and three with constant agitation. In a second 2-L reactor vessel with a radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm, add ingredients four, five, six, and seven until the mixture is homogenous. To reactor #2, add ingredient eight, followed by three equal volumes of the homogenous mixture in reactor #1. Additionally, add ingredient nine and ten slowly, with constant agitation.

Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may be the result of an exothermic reaction. Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piece-meal on a 316SS sheet (300 x 600 mm). heat in a 460K oven for a period of time that is in agreement with Frank Johnston's first order rate expression (see JACOS, 21, 55), or until golden brown. Once the reaction is complete place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table, allowing the product to come to equilibrium.

Directions in Layman's Terms:
Cream the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.

Combine the two mixtures, add chocolate chips and nuts (if desired).

Drop by the teaspoonful on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 F until they are golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and place on cooling rack.

Bon Appetit!
-Chemist Cuisinier, PhD

Excessive Chocolate Chip Cookies

Excessive chocolate chip cookies are exactly what the name implies.  Excessive.  Just picture (or look at the one above) a chocolate chip cookie with maple syrup, whole wheat flour, graham cracker crumbs, ground oatmeal, chocolate chips, a chocolate bar, and assorted nuts.  These cookies are surprisingly light and crunchy when you bake them, with a slightly chewy center.  Excessive?  You decide.


Excessive Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 whole graham crackers)
1 1/2 cups oatmeal, measured then ground in food processor or blender
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 8 ounce chocolate bar, roughly chopped
1 cup chopped pecans


Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup and beat well.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, wheat flour, graham cracker crumbs, ground oatmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat until incorporated.  Add the chocolate chips, chopped chocolate bar, and pecans, and stir until evenly distributed.


Scoop the dough with a large cookie scoop (about the size of a golf ball) onto the prepared baking sheet.  Put the cookies in the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and set in the center.  Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Sweet Potato Doughnuts

I'm relatively picky with my doughnuts. I mean, let's face it, there are some doughnuts out there that are dry, tough, and tasteless. You would probably be better off eating a rock. That is not the case with these doughnuts, my friends. They are soft, moist, and have a warm and inviting flavor. The sweet potato flavor is a little shy, but can be coaxed to be a bit more bold with the help of some cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top (I actually prefer the cinnamon sugar to the icing, because the icing tends to block out the individual flavors you would otherwise be able to taste). My [other] fabulous sister, Chemist Cuisinier, PhD, said they tasted as though they had come straight from the bakery. You will not regret cooking up a batch of these delectable delights. Just to warn you, though, these doughnuts are feisty; if they're not threatened with tupperware confinement they will relentlessly attempt to break-and-enter your mouth!

3 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour, plus more for rolling out
1 C Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
1 C Sour Cream
1 C Sweet Potato, cooked and mashed (about 1 medium potato)
Vegetable Oil, for frying

Maple Icing
Cinnamon Sugar
1 C Chopped Pecans (optional)

In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, and sweet potato. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring to combine. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Do not skimp on the counter flour! Knead in flour with hands as needed (dough will be very sticky and will take up a good amount of extra flour). Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out dough with a 2 1/4 inch round cutter. Cut out center of doughnuts with a 3/4 inch round cutter. Re-roll dough as needed.

In a dutch oven or pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat to 360 degrees. Cook doughnuts, in batches, in hot oil, 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Ice top of doughnuts with maple icing and sprinkle with chopped pecans, or just sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar.

Maple Icing:
2 2/3 C Confectioners Sugar
3-4 T Milk
1/4 tsp Maple Extract

In a small bowl, combine confectioners sugar and 3 T milk. Stir well. Add additional milk to reach desired consistency. Stir in maple extract.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

*Original recipe found here

Almond Cake with Italian Buttercream

This cake was born out of the need for a vehicle to carry my amazing Italian Buttercream.  The cake is a white almond sour cream (WASC) cake, with a peach filling and Italian buttercream.  The cake is nice and moist, with a light almond flavor that melds well with the peach filling.  The decadent buttercream frosting tops off this balanced  cake.


Almond Cake with Italian Buttercream


1 box white cake mix
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Your favorite peach jam
Italian Buttercream Frosting


Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease 2 9-inch round baking pans, and line about 6 muffin cups with liners.  


In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar and salt.  Add the eggs, water, oil, sour cream, almond and vanilla extracts, and beat with a mixer on low speed for about 2 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the top with the back of a spatula, then spoon any leftover batter into the prepared muffin cups.  Put in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes tests clean.  Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.  Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.


To assemble, level the cakes by slicing of the domed top with a serrated knife.  Place one cake layer upside-down on a serving plate.  Spread with peach jam, then top with the second cake layer.  Spread the Italian buttercream over the tops and sides of the cake.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy