Oh, DANG! Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This is not the 'real' name of the cookies, in case you couldn't tell, but they should be called that. Here's what my copy of the recipe looks like-I think if a printed recipe has stains like this, it's obviously a favorite!

 I found this recipe years ago when we were living in Las Vegas, and they embody all that I want in a chocolate chip cookie-I love when they are chewy!  I have a friend that asked me to make them every time we had a social function (I'm looking at you, Jeni💜).  I will be honest, though, with the chilling time required to make them the chewy deliciousness they are, that could have also been a deal-breaker for me. 

On this particularly nasty, icy day, I thought it would be a good idea to do a cooking project with the kids.

Now, I am going to be honest folks: I don't have a lot of pictures of this particular recipe in-action, as I lost my temper at Sir.  I'm not proud of it, but it is real life.  With the time that we (everyone) has spent at home this past year, Sir has done some reverting back to "toddler-dom": he calls for me incessantly, especially when I am out of his sight.  I am his main playmate when he has breaks during school time.  I am his constant.  It's great and grating at the same time-isn't that motherhood?!  Anyway, he has taken to asking questions constantly, and peppers me and his dad with questions ALL. DAY. LONG.  This afternoon I was not nice, and when I burned my hand on the melted butter while making the cookies, I didn't want to answer HOW I could have burned myself; I just wanted someone to ask me if I was okay.  Blah.  I was a jerk, and I apologized.  And, reminded people that I am human, too, and not always on my best behavior.

On to the recipe!  

Here is the link to the recipe I pinned on Pinterest a million years ago from 

Sally's Baking Addiction :https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/#tasty-recipes-70437

Thank you for such an amazing recipe, Sally's Baking Addiction-I didn't copy the recipe word-for-word

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Yields 16 cookies

Ingredients:

-2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1 1/2 tsp. corn starch

-1/2 tsp. salt

- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter (I used salted butter, and adjusted the salt measurement accordingly), melted

-3/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed

-1/2 cup granulated sugar

-1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 cup chocolate chips -or- chocolate chunks

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt, and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until there are no brown sugar lumps.  Whisk in the egg, then egg yolk.  Finally, whisk in the vanilla.  

Lala needed to poke the egg for whatever reason

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix together with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula.  The dough will be very soft, yet thick.  Fold in the chocolate chips/chocolate chunks-they may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to get them evenly distributed throughout the dough.  

Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days.  Chilling is a mandatory step so the cookies turn out chewy!

Take the dough out of the fridge, and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.

Roll the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons each.  The dough will be crumbly, but the heat of your hands will help the dough come together.  Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick.

Lala was annoyed that I asked her not to eat the 
raw dough, so she licked her fingers instead (when we were done, of course)

 Place balls of dough on each cookie sheet with 1-2 inches between each ball.  The original recipe calls for 8 balls of dough per pan, but with smaller people helping out, we did 9 balls.

Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes.  The cookies will loo very soft and under-baked, but will continue to bake on the cookies sheet while cooling.  Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  

The cookies stay soft and fresh for 7 whole days at room temperature.  Cookies may be frozen up to 3 months.  Rolled cookie dough may be frozen for up to three months and baked in their frozen state for 12 minutes.  

 

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

 This is a recipe from Lala's cookbook that she had to do for her FACs class, which was similar to Home Economics.  We had a good time creating recipes, and testing the recipes her teacher had given them to make and include in their books.  Most of the recipes that she was to make were pretty basic, which were great for the "budding chef", and this one is easy, too, but La had to write the recipe down as I had never used a recipe for it.  I can almost guarantee she is the only student that made Brussels sprouts!

**I highly recommend writing down those "family" recipes, or recipes that you make from memory-you never know if you (or a loved-one) will need it!**

I don't have a problem eating Brussels sprouts, but can understand why a lot of people do not prefer them-they can be...sulfuric if not prepared properly.  I think that may be the reason why a lot of adults don't care for vegetables, which blows my mind!  I love almost every vegetable-it makes such a difference when they are prepared properly!

So, I implore you: if you have traditionally not liked Brussels sprouts, give them another try using this recipe!  I think I might just change your mind :). 

These are a delicious accompaniment to chicken, beef, fish, and pretty much everything else you'd want to serve.

The pictures I took of this recipe were ones that were taken for the assignment-you get a glimpse of my favorite girl, and budding chef, Lala!

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

This picture was taken before the fried onions were added

Ingredients:

16 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts, quartered

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp Kosher salt

3/4 tsp coarse-ground black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp balsamic glaze

1/2 cup fried onions (we used French's Crispy Fried Onions)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in medium sauté pan over medium heat.  

2. Add minced garlic to hot oil and cook until fragrant, approximately 1-2 minutes.

3. Add Brussels sprouts to pan, and stir to coat.

4. Sauté sprouts over medium-medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until evenly browned.

5.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and stir.

6. Add balsamic glaze, stir to coat, and remove from heat.

7. Add fried onions to top, and serve!  

Note:  My budding chef decided to stir the fried onions in the pan, where in the directions it says to top the sprouts-it won't taste any different, but stirring the fried onions in will make them lose some of their crispiness 😉

I can't tell you how much fun it was to cook with Lala-she has a genuine interest in all things culinary, and is usually the one that is in the kitchen, asking to help with dinner these days!  While I don't always let her help, she watches too, and retained enough of what I have told her about kitchen safety and cleanliness that she has gotten As on those assignments in her FACs class!  Woo-hoo!  

Lala and her brother Sir are so interested in learning how to cook that I enrolled them in a 4-week "Junior Chef" class at a local center for the arts-it will be a very small class (only 4 students), but they will be learning basic cooking skills and recipes, and will be able to be around kids their own ages for 2 hours a week!  I'm excited for them, and will let you know how it goes.

Happy Eating, Everyone!