Infamous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

These cookies are based on my mother (Sande)'s recipe, though with a bit of mattification thrown in over the years. Outside of my salsa and cinnamon rolls, these are probably one of the more infamous of my creations. I'll admit... these are absolutely my one weakness of all my baked goods.

A couple of notes before I get into the how-tos and why-fors and such. 

• This recipe generally makes around 90 cookies. Yes, you can half the recipe... but for the volume, ingredients, and time it takes to make... it's just as easy to make a full batch. 
• I use a super secret (which I will share) technique to get the cookies to their "trademark" texture of crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. This is not included in the recipe above, so you actually have to read. *gasp
• You can use any variety of chocolate chips you prefer... anything from white chocolate chips to mint/chocolate chip mix, Andes' mint chips, or a variety of other things. I've even experimented with things like Salted Carmel chips and Butterfinger bar crumbles. The base dough is perfect, so you can add in whatever you like. 
• Some people like to add nuts. I don't know why you would want to ruin perfectly good cookies with nuts. That will not happen in my home. The whole concept is just nuts to me. 
• I started using pure sea salt (fine ground) in all of my baking/cooking because the normal table salt has iodine in it which can alter the taste. The Sea Salt is all natural, Kosher, and absorbs/integrates better into the bake. Here is the link on Amazon* for what I have on hand - Kirkland Signature Pure Sea Salt

I do use some specific "equipment" in this recipe (and in most of my cookie recipes). I'm including the Amazon* link below.

• Pre-cut parchment sheets (these are all I use anymore!)Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets Non-Stick Parchment

• Cookie Scoop (I LOVE this!) -- Kitchen Aid Cookie Scoop

Ingredients:

2 cups Crisco shortening (you can get them in 1 cup bars)             

2 cups dark brown sugar   

1 cup regular sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (homemade or McCormick's)
4 eggs           

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda                     

4 cups & 8 tablespoons regular flour

   

Chocolate Chips/Mini M&Ms   

Suggested Tools

• Stand Mixer / hand mixer with BIG bowl. 
• two standard sized cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (see above)
• two cooling racks lined with parchment paper
• Cookie scoop (see above)

Directions

• In your mixer/bowl, add in Crisco, brown sugar, regular sugar, vanilla extract, and then mix/cream well. 

• Once mixed, add in the four eggs and cream well. It should be fairly liquidy now. 

• Add in the baking soda, salt, and 8 tablespoons of flour. When you start the mixer, start it on low so you don't get the flour "poofs". Mix well until creamy. 
• One trick I use is to start at the lowest speed until things get somewhat mixed, then I bump up the speed two or three times to get a really good mix/cream. It is also a good idea to use a spatula to scrape down the sides at this point, so there aren't any freeloader globs hanging around. 

• Once everything is mixed well, the final stage begins -- adding the flour. I highly suggest adding ONE cup at a time and using the technique above for doing a good mix. If you aren't paying attention, you will end up wearing a lot of the flour. 
• Side note... if I screw anything up, this is the stage. I'll get distracted and I can't remember what number of flour i'm on. This may seem stupid... but I normally add the flour, start the mixer, then start prepping the cookie sheets/parchment paper and such. 
• 
  As you keep adding the flour, it will definitely bulk up. I normally scrape down the sides/bottom between cups 2-3 and after 4. 
• Once all four cups are in, the dough takes on the unique smell/texture/taste. At this point, it is complete and can then be tweaked based on your personal tastes. 
• One trick is if you want a bit of variety, divide out the dough into half or thirds and set aside. Then you can add whatever to each portion.
• Personal bit of history... my mother/grandmother would add walnuts to the dough, but they would leave a portion without them for my Uncle Steve and I. My mother started calling them boy and girl cookies... you know... cause of the nuts. 

• So assuming you are following my recipe, this is where I add in the entire share size bag of mini M&Ms. I dump them in and then let the mixer go for about a minute to make sure everything is in well... then i'll scrape down the sides and mix again for half a minute. I prefer good distribution of M&M awesomeness. 

• Once the goodies are well mixed, remove from the mixer. 
• This is the danger stage... be warned...
• I normally will provide a good quality assurance taste test of the dough to ensure it has the right taste/texture. And then i'll do it two or three more times to make sure there aren't any false positives. #dedication
• Removing all of the dough from the beaters/paddles is an excellent group activity. I have found memories of convincing my 8-10 year old sister to sneak outside and ring the doorbell so Mom would go check it... and i'd grab dough and haul ass. 
• Once you reach this point, it's all over except for the baking. I use the cookie scoop (see above) and deposit the dough balls in three rows of five (15 per cookie sheet, evenly spaced) on two sheets. 
• I prefer the texture of the dough that the cookie scoop gives. Tear off any excess and toss back into the bowl. 

• Bake in the oven for 11-13 minutes at 350 degrees. 
• My preference is for 11 minutes, as they are underbaked at this point (providing the soft inside). In fact, if you aren't careful, you can smoosh them with the oven mit (notice bottom left of left tray).

Super Secret Technique -- SHHHHHHH

• So my cookies are known for their crunchy outsides and their soft/gooey insides. I discovered a technique many years ago that works well for pretty much every cookie I bake. 
• The background is that any cooked food right out of the oven (or grill) continues cooking for a bit. This is why if you bake the cookies the full amount, they will get tougher/drier after. The goal is to prevent this.
• Once the cookies are removed from the oven, I immediately put them on parchment lined cooling wraps and put them in the freezer, which stops the baking. (You may need to rearrange things in your freezer to make room.)

• During ths process, I get a cycle going. The first batch of baked cookies goes in the freezer while I scoop and bake the second batch. When the second batch comes out, I let them rest for a minute on the counter and remove the first batch from the freezer. Those then go into a bag/container, the second batch is moved to the racks and put in the freezer, while batch three goes in. Freeze and repeat for the rest. 

Final Thoughts

• I have been very protective of this recipe over the years and seldom shared it. This is probably my first memory of baked goods of either my mother or grandmother. This is also what started me on the baking path. 
• These cookies tend to go fast, which is why I tend to give them away as fast as possible. 
• Oddly enough, I prefer to keep 5-10 cookies (in baggies) in the freezer. The first couple of cookies directly from the freezer have a slightly different texture as they thaw. 
• I personally use these as a catch all gift... I have used them for secret santa gifts, for clients, and as thank you gifts for peers. The nice thing is one batch is enough to distribute to an office... though with my current employer, one batch lasts about an hour and a half. 

*Quick disclaimer -- I have a business account set up with Amazon and do receive a consideration for anyone that purchases through the link above. 

Sickness... Honey & Cinnamon

OK, so I got hit with the flu Friday afternoon (it's Monday night now) and i'm definitely on the mend. I've been using a trick for years now and figured i'd share it in a place that I can send people for reference.

Disclaimers:

• First off, i'm not a medical doctor, have no clue what the hell i'm talking about, so don't frickin sue me or anything. Duh. 
• Second, everything in here is based on PERSONAL experience and is all anecdotical, so do whatever you will. 
• Third, research stuff before you try stuff. Obviously.

Backstory:

So back in Kansas I used to get sinus infections roughly every season change. I had it down to a process... for roughly fifteen years, I would feel my breathing get warm, notice headaches/congestion, and would check the time of year. If it was a season change, I would call my doctors and get an appointment set for roughly three to four days later. I would do the normal Day/Nyquil, Claritin, 12 hr Sudafed, and Aleve as the sickness ramped up. I'd hit the doctors office, confirm the diagnosis, get on antibiotics, and then go from there. 

Roughly five years ago, a former client/friend (who was a Naturalpath) told me about the Cinnamon and Honey trick. I thought it was crap, did some research, and found out it had some scientific backing. Short version... it's been used since ancient times for multiple things, but immunity boosting is one of the biggest. I've tried to find some good (i.e. reputable) articles, and the best I found so far is www.stylecraze.com. I can only speak to #2 (boosts immunity), so judge the article for what you will. 

Based on the advice, I started mixing two(ish) tablespoons of good quality LOCAL honey (it helps with allergies) and one tablespoon of good quality ground cinnamon (from your local market). I made it into a paste and just licked it off a spoon. The trick was that when I started feeling the downward spiral begin, I would start the cinnamon/honey regiment. 

• When I suspect sickness was in the neighborhood, I would start the regiment by doing the paste three times a day for the first three days.
• As the sickness came on, i'd back off to two times a day as I'd normally supplement with vitamin C and other meds. 
• As the sickness faded, i'd be down to just once a day. 

While this regiment never PREVENTED me from getting sick (at least that I can prove), this was basically the only change I made in my life. The last two years in Kansas, I didn't have another sinus infection. After I moved to Washington, I haven't had one sinus infection. Outside of unique situations, I haven't been on antibiotics since I started this. The way I normally describe this is that while I haven't been fully "hit" by the flu/cold/sinus infection, I've only been clipped while skipping down the sidewalk. 

So, hippie pitch aside, I have discovered a pretty cool alternative that makes this whole process considerably easier. I found a really awesome cinnamon tea that I could add honey too and get the benefits of a hot tea (on a sore throat) and still get the cinnamon/honey. The thing I like most about this particular tea is that they come in "sachets" rather than normal tea bags, so they have a bit more bang for the buck. I've got a mega 20 oz coffee mugs, and I do two sachets plus a tablespoon or two of honey (I like it STRONG).

Assuming I do this right, here is the link to Amazon*.

It's an awesome tea anyway, but it definitely helps. Again, while I can't attest to anything scientific, I will say I have managed to almost recover from a full blown flu in two and a half days. So... check it out if you want!

M

*Quick additional disclaimer. I have a business account set up with Amazon and do receive a consideration for anyone that purchases through the link above. 

Corn Salsa

Corn Salsa

Corn Salsa Recipe PDF

This corn salsa was originally inspired by Chipotle's corn salsa, but this recipe has evolved over the last few years into something that works well on its own. It works well as a stand alone side, a lunch/meal, and a great addition to tacos. Download the recipe above... and view the journey below. 

Important note -- the batch pictured was a QUADRUPLE batch. 

Ingredients:

4 ears (sweet) corn on the cob
2 medium jalapenos 

½ red onion

½ cup cilantro                                    

2 decent sized limes                                                        

½ teaspoon salt                                 

½ teaspoon pepper

• Ingredient amounts above are for one batch. For ease of ingredient shopping, double the batch. It makes life considerably easier.
• Frozen corn cobs can be used, fresh is best. 

Suggested Tools

• Food Processor
• Outdoor Grill
• BIG mixing bowl
• Latex/Plastic Gloves. Use them. 

Prep Work

• Clean/shuck the corn, clean/prep the vegetables. 

Grill Work

• Grill the corn lightly, but enough to establish a good char. Overall, you want about a third of the kernels to be charred. Once grilled, set aside and let it cool. Do NOT wash it with cold water to cool it... just let it sit 5-10 minutes.

 

Prep Elements

• While the corn is cooling, prep the other elements of the salsa. 

• Wash the jalapenos, cut in half (long way), remove stem and seeds. Note -- you can leave the seeds in if you want some heat in the salsa. 

• Once the jalapenos are prepped, check the corn. If it is cooled down, you can start shaving it. The trick I use is to use a corn cob holder in one end (which I hold), but the other end down in the bowl, and use a sharp knife to cut the corn kernels off. Make sure not to cut too deep, as you don't want chunks of the hard cob in your salsa. 

• As you cut the corn off, try to keep all the bits and juice in a/the bowl. In my example, I used a separate bowl (since I had 16 ears of corn to cut) and would dump every 3 or 4 cobs worth into the big bowl. As you finish a cob, set it aside... you will come back to it. 

• Once all the corn cobs are shaved, take each one and plant it in the middle of your corn. Use a fork to rake up and down the cob to release any kernel chunks or any corn juice that is still in the cob. Use decent pressure and normally just one good rake over each side is enough. Once that is done, toss the cob and set the bowl of corn aside. 

• Continue prepping the cilantro and onion for the food processor. On the cilantro, chop off the stems and do a rough chop/dice (but not too big). For the onion, do a rough chop. Note -- chopped onions will draw tears. Use a tea light on the cutting board to help. 

• For the food processing, I tend to layer all three in the food processor in thirds. Do a good pulse/chop to get everything well processed and a good size. I tend to put it on high and then shake the hell out of it to get everything chopped (I'm looking at you onions!). 
•  A word of warning -- food processing onions/jalapenos will bring tears/stinging when you open the lid and/or dump into the mixing bowl. Don't put your face near it... it huuuuuurts!

• Once everything is processed, dump it in to the mixing bowl on top of the corn. See warning above. No face melting!

• Once everything is in the BIG mixing bowl, prep and then juice the limes directly into the bowl. 

• Once all of the limes have been juiced, do a very thorough mix of the salsa. Make sure to scrape and mix of everything, grabbing all the Klingons on the side of the bowl. Once well mixed, it's done!

Final Thoughts

• This salsa is best if you make it ahead of time. Minimum of several hours, best if it is the day before. Store it in an airtight container, refrigerate, and shake the hell out it before opening/serving. 
• Serving Options:
• Add in an avocado or two and mix well. The lime juice will keep the avocado from going brown. This makes a great side for a lunch or eaten with chips (scoops!).
• Add in a grilled meat... I prefer grilled chicken or a grilled sausage/wiener. 
• Add in with tacos or burritos for a nice additional flavor. 
• I normally can these using a water bath. There have been instances of the red onion bleeding a bit, but otherwise it keeps well when sealed/canned properly. 

Important Elements

Ok... there are words. Lots of words. Not really a TL:DR version. Sorry. Bite my soggy bottom. 

Recipes

• For some/most of the posts, I will provide a recipe (I hope). When I write a recipe, I am very methodical and include notes and methods that make it very easy and efficient (at least for me). Hopefully it will make your life easier too. 

Will's Scratch Scale

• On a scale from 0 to 10, the Will's Scratch Scale determines how much of the recipe is "from scratch". When I started playing around in the kitchen, I made a comment that the enchiladas I made were home made. Will commented that I used canned sauce, packaged cheese, and all I did was just put them together... so it while it was made at home, it wasn't from scratch. Later, I commented that I made some cake cookies from scratch, but Will commented that I used a pre-made cake mix as an ingredient... so it wasn't truly from scratch. 
• When I choose a recipe to go in my book (see below), for me it is practically perfect in every way. There are some recipes that are best for quick and easy and a high "cheat" factor (meaning 0-3 / 10 on the Scratch Scale), while others are almost entirely from scratch (8-10 / 10). 
• Please note that while I do this to honor Will, everything on this blog is basically Who's Recipe Is It Anyway... and it is all made up and the points don't matter. 

Cookbook "Grimoire"

• My cookbook is inspired by my dad (Dennis). The short version of the long story is that I realized that while memory, sight, sound, and smell fades when someone is no longer with us, hand writing remains. I cherish the letters and cards and notes from my family members, so I started my cookbook so that I could have a legacy to pass onto my friends/family that could potentially outlast me. Not going to lie... I'm hoping for a jello wrestling contest for it. 
• The book I found was on Etsy and was hand shaped leather with linen paper. All of the recipes are written in the book by me and that is where they stay. I will be typing out recipes for this blog, but this is where the magic happens. 
• Side note -- linen paper absorbs liquid and slashes and pops when cooking. 
•  

Cooking Magic

• As a wise mentor of mine taught me, magic comes from your heart, your will, and your intentions. Making magic in the kitchen is easy... simply believe that you are doing well, and it should turn out well. Intend to make good food for people you know, love, and respect and the magic flows from you. Granted, it's hard to serve horribly overcooked and burned mac and cheese, but if you honestly tried your best, it will be reflected in your cooking. Along those lines... if you aren't feeling it... the cooking reflects that too. 
• At least that is what I tell myself. I can't really believe that my stuff is better than others. I'm just a scrub. I don't know what the hell i'm doing... but yet i can't keep stuff in stock. 

Blog Quality

• I'm just dinking around on here too. Hopefully it's enlightening and entertaining, but i'm still learning. #sorrynotsorry

Lame Introduction

Hi. I'm Matt. And I'm a snark-a-holic. Puns, dad jokes, puns, word play, puns, and other stuff that makes one's head hurt. I'm an uncle, a resident of Seattle, and I dabble in the kitchen. I'm a rank amateur with no professional skills, but I enjoy dinking around the kitchen and sharing what works... and hiding what doesn't. 

The primary point in attempting this half-baked project is to be able to share a bit of the magic that happens in my kitchen. Most recipes I'll share, some I keep close to the chest. Most of the time anything that goes on here will be "perfected", but i'm always open to suggestions on improvements. 

As far as what brought me here... I blame Facebook and a college friend. A gentleman named John used to post pictures of home made salsa on Facebook and every time I saw them I just kept thinking to myself... I could do that. It always came down to the fact that the recipes were intimidating and it would be easier to just spend $4.00 on a bottle of Pace salsa at the store and it would taste just as good... right?

After I moved to Seattle, I lived above a grocery store for several years and got to the point that I had a nice kitchen and a roommate willing to taste test anything I tried cooking. I decided it was time to rise to the occasion and try salsa. I researched fifteen or twenty recipes and took bits and pieces from all of them and decided to give it a try. I decided to invest the dough, buy good quality equipment and materials, and gave it a whirl. Six months later, I have jars of happiness that leads to spontaneous salsa dancing. 

Since then, I see things stuff in the store and I think... I can try that. After all, why would I spend less than $2.00 for a box of pumpkin bread mix when I can spend $10-$15 to make it from scratch? And that is where i'm at now. 

Great British Bake-Off intimidates the hell out of me, but it's awesome to watch. For me, I want simple and easy and amazing cooking. 

Enjoy!

M