Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies do not meet any of the specifications of this blog, but they are amazing. I have lifted the recipe straight from pages 776-777 of The New Best Recipe by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated (2003, America's Test Kitchens), with the addition of sea salt.

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yoke
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 semisweet chocolate chips (or m&ms)
sprinkle of sea salt, for tops (optional)

Instructions
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Following the illustrations on page 776, hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at the base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spaying them 2 1/2 inches apart (note: this spacing is important!)

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, the outer edges start to harden, and the centers are still soft and puffy, 13 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. If desired, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on each cookie. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from baking sheets with a wide metal spatula.

Fudgy brownies

Fudgy brownies
This adult brownie does not appeal to Maudemarie, but Matt and I adore it slathered with maple-syrup sweetened whipped cream and berries. An inspiration from Leslie Cerier's hazelnut brownies.

2 eggs
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate bar (optional - I use a food processor to chop)*

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch round pan with coconut oil.

Whisk the eggs for 2 minutes or so. Mix in apple juice.

Melt the coconut oil and baking chocolate together on low heat in a small skillet. Add maple syrup to the coconut chocolate mixture, then add to the eggs and juice. Stir in remaining ingredients, save for 1/4 cup of the chocolate (if you are using) - do not worry about over mixing. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and eating.

*Unless you can find a chocolate bar without sugar, adding the dark chocolate introduces cane sugar.