New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

This has been on my to-do list for a while now. Guess the reason it took me a while to get moving is because it uses two types of flour (cake & bread flour) and also need to wait at least 24 hours for best tasting results before baking. There is a nice crunchy texture and didn't need to bake it twice unlike my normal chocolate chip cookie.

Only thing I didn't get right was the look , which means I need to try this recipe again. Wondering whether it has anything to do with shapping into golf size balls as I opted for a more dainty disk?? Still a mystery to me.

Ingredients
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content
*Sea salt

Method:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

5. Unbaked cookie dough freezes well, perfect to satisfy the next chocolate chip cookie craving.

The ULTIMATE Ina Garten's Brownie

The outcome of the combined combo of Ina's Outrageous Brownies and her peanut butter brownies. If you compare both recipes, it is actually the same except one uses walnuts and the other substitutes it with peanut butter.

Me thinks I've been consuming one too may 3-in-1 instant coffees, haha!

Was all set to try out another recipe when her's rolled up. And since I'm a big fan of hers, the decision was set.

If you are allergic to nuts, just omit the nuts as it is still a good recipe or perhaps substitute it with cream cheese, yum that would be a great combo too!! ;)

Brownies may seem easy to bake but actually it is the more challenging one compared to a chocolate cake. A properly baked brownie is done when it is slightly crisp on the outside but soft, damp and squidgy within. If you have been baking cakes, your automatic logic would usually insist that you bake until the skewer comes out clean instead, if you do, tendency is that you would have over-baked it. So turn off your auto mode when baking brownies. :)

Needless to say, it was gorgeous. But if I had to do this again, maybe I might split the pan to 50:50 - walnuts:peanut butter, just for the yin-yang contrast and let guests decide whether they want theirs with walnut or peanut butter. In my crowd, they'll probably just insist on the combo!!

Ingredients
453g unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170C degrees.

2. Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.