The Absolute Best Chocolate Chip Cookies!

SONY DSC

I have been in the mood for home-baked chocolate chip cookies for some time now. I think it might be ever since I read the book The Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Book: Scrumptious Recipes & Fabled History From Toll House to Cookie Cake Pie by Carolyn Wyman. It’s a really interesting read which contains not only the history of the chocolate chip cookie but, in her opinion, where to get the best ones around the country. Carolyn listed state by state the best places she found. There are a lot of fun facts and stories, she really did her homework – I highly recommend reading it. One thing I may not have mentioned about me, I inherited the love of reading cookbooks from my mother. She would read them as if they were novels and I totally get that.

As far as I’m concerned, chocolate chip cookies have to be the most absolute perfect cookie. They can be a lot of things all at one time: chewy, crispy, cakey, ooey-gooey, sweet, salty, yummy and comforting! With or without nuts, crispy or chewy, dark chocolate chips or chunks, they are so versatile and my all time favorite cookie.

So today I celebrate you. I celebrate you big and small, hot out of the oven, with a tall ice cold glass of milk!

SONY DSC

With one recipe I made them all different sizes yielding different textures and ultimately taste. I made miniature ones that are a one bite cookie and crunchy, then the next size which I baked for less time to yield a chewy cookie and finally larger ones which were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A cookie for everyone in my house!

SONY DSC

Now for my favorites… of course everyone has their personal favorite. I’ve always been a fan of the original Nestle Toll House. In fact, when my family goes on vacation to Disney World, they know we’re not leaving without having a Toll House cookie ice cream sandwich at The Main Street Bakery. When I lived in NYC and had a tiny kitchen, there was always a bag of Tate’s Cookies (formerly known as Kathleen’s Cookies) in our apartment. They are simply the crispest, lightest and most delectable cookie, you won’t believe they come from a package. I have tried to make them from her recipe, but they don’t come out the same and I’m kind of glad about that. Now when I do have one of her cookies it takes me back to a great time and memory when my girlfriends and I would meet in the park with our babies! Now for my current favorite… drum roll please… my version of Jacques Torre’s Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie. Not such a secret if he let Martha Stewart publish it on her website, or the New York Times! However, I’m betting you didn’t know about it! So let’s keep this just between us! Below is his recipe adapted with a few adjustments. For starters, I cut the recipe in half as the original recipe makes 8 1/2 dozen cookies! I also cut down on the sugar, added a little more salt and vanilla.

SONY DSC

2 sticks unsalted butter softened at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs*
1 – 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon pastry flour
1 – 1/2 cups bread flour
1 – 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 pound best quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (or combination)
(for mini cookies, use only miniature chocolate chips)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer. Add eggs and and vanilla, mixing well. In a separate bowl add all the dry ingredients. Reduce speed on the mixer and add the dry ingredients a little at a time. Add the chips or chopped chocolate and mix until combined.

For the mini cookies, I used a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon yielding a 1″ cookie. For the next size I used a 1 – 1/2″ teaspoon cookie scoop yielding a 2″ cookie. Place on prepared cookie sheet about 1″ apart for the smaller cookies and 2″ apart for the larger ones. Make sure to keep the same size cookies together on the baking sheet as they will bake at different speeds.

Bake the mini cookies for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. The larger cookies will take about 8 to 10 minutes. If you make what I call jumbo sized cookies using a 1/4 cup (4oz.) scoop for a 5″ cookie, bake for closer to 18 to 20 minutes. Keep in mind, cookies will continue to cook a little more on the baking sheet when you take them out of the oven. And you can adjust the baking time according to the type of cookie you like, more time for crispy, less time for chewy. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

SONY DSC

This recipe will makes thirteen  5″ cookies or 4 1/2 dozen 2″ cookies or if you want the cuties like I made, you’ll get somewhere around 300 mini’s! That’s why I did a combination. If I only wanted minis, I would have cut the recipe in half.  Enjoy!

*eggs should always be room temperature when baking. You can put them in warm water for about 5 minutes if you forget to take them out ahead of time. Doing this will help the eggs blend well with the room temperature butter.

SONY DSC

 

 

 

 

How to Caramelize Onions

Caramelized onions (also called smothered or fried onions) are a favorite in our family. My nephew loves them on a turkey burger (as do I) and my son Ethan loves them on anything – even pizza! They are great to top a burger or fish, the base for so many recipes, and the type of onions you need for a LEO (lox, eggs, and onions) or my mothers famous potatoes, eggs and onions! If you have never tried them, you must. When the onions cook down they release all of their natural sugars and become soft, silky and sweet.

I found this recipe in the Arthur Schwartz cookbook Jewish Home Cooking a few years ago and have been using it ever since. It makes it very simple and works well every time. I modified it a little as per how I make them according to his recipe. Caramelized onions are a part of so many of my recipes that it’s a must to include in my blog. This is a guide on how to make them so adjust the amounts according to each individual recipe. Enjoy!

SONY DSC
This is what they look like when they get into their olive oil bath getting ready for a shvitz*!

First either chop or slice the onions according to the recipe instructions that call for caramelized onions. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a covered skillet or sauté pan. You can use any oil you like, just make sure it has a high smoke point such as: olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, grape-seed, or vegetable. There is a new oil out on the market I’m in love with… avocado oil, but it’s too expensive to fry onions in! I always use olive oil, choosing it for heart health and the taste.

Use a pan large enough to comfortably hold the onions. A 10-inch pan will hold up to 2 pounds of onions or 6 cups (that’s about 3 to 4 really large onions) and will require about 3 tablespoons of oil. Heat the oil over medium high heat.

Add the onions and toss in the hot oil; cover the pan, decrease the heat to medium and let the onions sweat for 10 minutes, tossing them every 5 minutes. After about 10 to 15 minutes, you can add in 3 cloves of minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Original smothered onions do not have garlic added, I just like the taste but you can omit if you’d prefer. Stir and cover for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan and stir the onions, they will have begun to brown.

SONY DSC
Here they are right before I add in the minced garlic. The onions have decreased in volume by half.

Increase the heat to medium-high and continue to fry the onions uncovered for at least 20 minutes more for browned onions. Continue to stir the onions every 5 minutes as they cook, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan. (It’s good to use a straight-edged wooden spoon or spatula for this.) The onions may need more frequent stirring as they brown. If you like them darker cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. At this point you can add a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of salt. They can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered for a couple of weeks.

It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s not really. Like with anything you’re cooking on the stove top, you have to keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. Total cooking time is about 35 – 40 minutes but they can be cooking while you are doing other things, or made ahead.

Here they are getting all sweet and golden brown. They are great now but can brown a little longer.
Now they are about 1/4 of the volume you started with. They are sweet and golden brown. Depending on the recipe, you can stop here or cook them a little longer if you want them to brown more.

*What is a shvitz you ask? It is the Yiddish word meaning to sweat. It is used interchangeably with how you feel when you’re hot, or if you want to take a steam bath! Right now it’s so hot in my house I’m going to turn the thermostat down before I shvitz to death!

Brownie Biscotti

SONY DSC

My oldest son came home from college on Friday and I had anticipated baking for his arrival. I like everything to be fresh baked; I’m not a bake and freeze it kind of girl. Sometimes that doesn’t always work out in my favor. With baseball season still going on, I was very limited in time for baking so I ended up picking up some of his favorite ice cream to say welcome home! He didn’t mind and we planned to bake together over the weekend.

Last night I made a plan before I went to sleep so that this morning I could bake early and so that I would have time to exercise and then get on with the day. I woke up and baked 2 banana breads (check out that recipe on my site) which came out delicious, but then felt like I needed something chocolate. Originally I was going to make my mother’s mandel brodt (Jewish biscotti) recipe which he loves but I wanted to try something new. I came across this recipe a couple of weeks ago in Susie Fishbein’s cookbook Kosher by Design Teens and 20-Somethings. If you haven’t read any of her cookbooks, you must. Whether you keep kosher or not, they are absolutely beautiful and her recipes are easy, and always a crowd pleaser. I just ordered her book entitled Cooking Coach and can’t wait till it arrives! I have a girlfriend that cooks a lot of her recipes and I’m lucky enough to enjoy them when she does! Anyway, her title was chocolate chocolate chip sticks. She said they are a cross between a brownie and biscotti. My son described it by saying the outside was like a biscotti and the inside like a brownie, pretty much a win-win!. Since I changed some ingredients, I also changed the name.

SONY DSC

I renamed it (of course!) with what it tasted like to us and added my own splash to it with vanilla extract, espresso powder and by sprinkling it with coarse sanding sugar to give it a sparkle and crunch! I have to tell you, they are amazing. However, I wish I had used white chips and added walnuts or even almonds to it, I think they would have enhanced the cookie (if that’s even possible!). I needed two hands for this dough and couldn’t photograph the process. However, I will definitely make them again so will plan ahead for that and since my son is home recruit him as photographer.

I will say that shaping the logs was a little difficult but I came up with a good way to do it. In the book it says to use parchment paper but I found that didn’t work for me. When I make my mother’s mandel bread, I use plastic wrap to mold the dough into logs. That worked very well here too. It’s very crumbly, so heads up on that. But very much worth the effort so don’t let that stop you. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

1  1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (I used pink Himalayan sea salt)
3/4 cup canola oil (I used light olive oil)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (I used dark brown)
1 extra large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, or semi-sweet (or combination)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In a medium bowl, mix the first four ingredients with a whisk.

In a larger mixing bowl, mix the oil, sugars, instant coffee and egg very well. Add the vanilla extract and incorporate.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet 1/2 at a time. Add the chocolate chips and or nuts. The dough was very crumbly. Susie Fishbein says to knead the dough at this point but I found it difficult to do. At this point I put on rubber gloves and started mixing it by hand. When I was able to get it to hold somewhat of a shape, I split it into two.

I put out plastic wrap on the counter and transferred half the dough on top. I formed a log about 2 to 3 inches wide by about 8 inches in length. I then transferred it to the cookie sheet by sliding it off the plastic wrap. Some of the pieces crumbled off so I pushed them back together. Leave at least 2 to 3 inches between the loaves as they spread.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut into 3/4″ slices.

Yield about 24 cookies

*What’s the difference between Dutch processed cocoa and regular cocoa powder? I believe David Lebovitz explains it best. Check out his blog:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/02/cocoa-powder-faq-dutch-process-v/

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

 

 

 

 

Popovers with Strawberry Butter

SONY DSC

How lucky can a girl get when her husband and son wake up early on Mother’s day to make delicious popovers? Pretty lucky, especially since I love popovers. I wouldn’t say they are my favorite breakfast, but they’re right up there with the best of them. Growing up, my mother would take my sister and I to Neiman Marcus department store for lunch. That’s where I ate my first popover. They were served with softened butter and warm jam, it was such a treat to go there for a ladies lunch and have them. When my sister Rochelle came to visit us in Florida we always went there for lunch, she loved it. For days after my mother would talk about their delicious popovers; they’re so crusty yet soft inside, how do they get that way, they must be difficult to make. Then one day we decided to make them. I was taking home economics in high school and there was a recipe for popovers in the cookbook I had. Imagine, a plain old Betty Crocker cookbook could have such a fantastic recipe. It was only 5 ingredients and we thought how easy is that, let’s try it? Turns out, they were easy and so delicious. They became our special occasion breakfast. For my birthday this past summer, my son’s Jarred and Ethan made them for me on my birthday for breakfast. I’m glad they remembered to make them for me today as well. As my mother always said, everyday is mother’s day so enjoy yours with this special treat!

2 large or extra-large eggs*
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk at room temperature 
1 tablespoon butter melted (plus extra to grease the muffin tins)
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Generously butter 6 muffin tins or six 5 ounce custard cups and set aside on a cookie sheet.

In a blender or with a mixer blend the eggs, milk, butter and salt. Blend just until mixed. Add the flour and blend on low just until smooth. Do not over beat.

Fill muffin tins ¾ full or if using custard cups about ½ full and bake for 20  minutes then lower the temperature to 400 degrees and bake about 10 to 15 minutes longer or until a deep golden brown. Keep an eye on them. If they get too brown on top, cover lightly with foil. Immediately remove from cups and serve.

You can serve them with butter or your favorite jam. Another delicious way to enjoy them is by making your own strawberry butter. There are a few recipes out there that add confectioner sugar to the butter and jam mixture. I find that too sweet and make it the way a restaurant in NYC taught me (coincidentally it was my first mother’s day). We went to a restaurant called Coconut Grill on the upper east side of Manhattan. Jarred was only about one month old and we were so tired we couldn’t even remember when we ate last. They put a basket of Irish soda bread on the table with a little cup of strawberry butter. It was the most delicious thing I ever tasted. The waiter was so nice he gave us the recipe.

1/2 pound (1 stick) of unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup strawberry jam (or your favorite jam, berry jams work the best)

With a hand mixer whip the butter until smooth. Add the jam and incorporate just till mixed lightly. It’s okay if the butter has streaks of jam. It couldn’t be any easier then that!

SONY DSC

I took a bunch of photos of my son while mixing the batter but found out I didn’t have a chip in my camera!  How ridiculous is that? UGH!  So here is the beautiful finished product. Crisp and golden on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. So yummy!

*I always bake with extra-large eggs. Subbing large will work fine too.

Happy Mother’s Day! Cooking with my Mother

SONY DSC
Sherri Lerner Glickstein happily baking in her Ohio kitchen in 2014!
Autosave-File vom d-lab2/3 der AgfaPhoto GmbH
Edith Goodman Lerner happily baking in her Florida kitchen in 1994

Quite a resemblance right? I was told my whole like that I looked just like my mother. Even as I walked down the aisle at my wedding I heard a cousin say “oh my God, she looks just like Edie” and she was right, I did. My mother passed away April 7, 1997. I miss her every single day. She is the woman who gave me my beginning in life. She is the one who slept in my room after watching the scary movie Carrie with Sissy Spacek. She is the one who went out with me on a Saturday night when I didn’t have a date. She is the person I spoke to 10 times a day after I had gave birth. She is the person who sang to my son Jarred on the phone so that I could take a shower! She is the reason I love to bake and cook. That was her passion, her calling. If she couldn’t sleep at night, she would wake up and bake something! Who does that at 3 o’clock in the morning? I am proud to say my mother did, that’s who!

My blog is dedicated to my mother “Edie” and her passion for cooking which I luckily inherited. I recently wrote a cookbook for my niece that included many of her recipes and gave it to her at her bridal shower. When I got married 23 years ago (this coming May 23rd is my anniversary 23/23) she hand wrote me a small cookbook that included about a dozen recipes. Being newly married, I often called her for cooking advice and recipes and as she gave them to me I would type them up and glue them into the back of the book. She didn’t work off a recipe, it was all in her head so I’m glad I took the time to do that. I encourage you to do that as well sooner then later if you haven’t already. Being a graphic designer, I didn’t stop there. I decided to document as many of her recipes as possible and make little cookbooks for her and my sisters. That was 20 years ago so I thought how wonderful to create her recipes, photograph them and write a cookbook.

SCAN0013
My wedding day… May 23, 1991

Fast forward 23 years and what started out as what I thought would be 20 or so recipes ended up including 70 recipes in a 134 page book with more waiting to be included. The odd thing is that there were originally 71 recipes in the book but one of them gave me such a difficult time and kept making all the other pages re-wrap so I omitted the recipe and figured I would add it back when I finish it this summer. It’s odd because my mother passed away at the age of 71 and I didn’t set out to include a particular number of recipes. It just happened organically. I’m sure this was her way of making sure I would have to keep writing.

SONY DSCSONY DSC

First off, how beautiful is my niece? She was so happy that day, as she is everyday. The book I ended up giving her is only a draft as I had so many more things to include and honestly, you can’t write a book in 4 months without having to fix a few things. Plus, there are more stories and recipes waiting to be written. She was expecting a little cookbook that I made 20 years ago. When she opened it, her eyes filled with tears. At the last minute I put my parents wedding photo on the back cover; it was the perfect ending. This is the book that got me started on writing a blog. I enjoyed writing stories about her recipes, our family and her. She was a very funny lady. You never really knew if she realized that or not. She had an enormous database of funny sayings and idioms that when writing the book found that they were unique to her.

Researching where or why she made them opened dialog with my sisters; both excellent cooks by the way! We reminisced about so much. It turns out I’m the keeper of the flame, like my mother, I just love to cook. I cooked each of the recipes and took photos of them. Of course I found out that I should have taken them vertically, but live and learn! I realized that even though she wrote them down, her measurements weren’t always correct so I had to tweak them a little. It was a learning process and spiritually connected to her on a whole different level. A lot of her recipes left me questioning. Why did she rewrite them so many times? Why did she rename the same recipe? Where is her recipe for beef stew? And why after 2 tries already doesn’t her cookie pie crust turn out well? All the questions have me searching for my own cooking voice.

My mother ended every written recipe with the simple word “Enjoy” that’s all she wanted. She wanted you to just enjoy! Enjoy her cooking, Enjoy her baking, Enjoy life! She didn’t believe in what she called Hallmark card holidays. She said everyday is mother’s day and everyday is children’s day; life is too short to celebrate only one day a year. So today on the official Mother’s Day, whether you are a mother, grandmother, or great grandmother, take this day and Enjoy! Thanks mom, I love you.