Family Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who isn't a fan of Toll House cookies fresh baked, just out of the oven?  I've tried lots of chocolate chip cookie recipes and have claimed one as my favorite.  But when I had these, first baked for my by one of my daughters, I knew I wouldn't not need to test another chocolate chip cookie recipe again.

Though I have did not strive to find a copycat recipe for Toll House cookies, this is the closest I've come, even closer than the recipe on the back of Toll House chocolate chips to achieving the taste and texture of the cookies from the big yellow tub.

I am certain the key is the browned butter. It gives the dough an extra bit of flavor and lots of moistness.   Another bonus is a slight crispy outer texture akin to the glossy topping of a chewy chocolate brownie.

I'm all about chewy cookies.  I like cookie dough, I like cookies hot out of the oven gooey, I like them to stay chewy.  My husband, and I am certain he's not the only one, is a fan of crunchy cookies.  The beauty of this recipe is you can get both from the same batch of cookies.  If you bake these for 8 minutes, you'll get a chewier cookies.  If you bake them for 10 {or as my husband prefers, 12} you get a crunchy cookie once they have cooled some.

To keep that chewy cookie texture, store any leftover {and you may not have any} in a cookie jar or other container with a lid.  There are a few other tips you may find helpful below.

Tips~

*The original recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of flour.  I cut out some of the flour and I don't mix all of the dry ingredients into the batter.  Add a bit less than 2 cups of flour mix and see what the dough is like.  To keep cookies chewy, you want a batter that spreads just a bit but still keeps a good shape when balled.
*Use a tablespoon that is heaping with dough to measure out cookie dough.  This gives you a good size, not too big but not bite size, cookie.
*Line cookie sheets with foil and do not use any spray or grease.   Cookies will slide off easy when done.
*Let cookies cool on cookies sheets for 1~2 minutes before removing from pan.  If you forget, they still come off easily but don't remove before as they may get smooshed.
*Warm cookies in the microwave for 30 seconds to get that fresh out of the oven taste!  If you don't like to use the microwave or don't have one, steam them.  Place a layer of foil in steamer basket and add cookies; steam for 30 seconds.

Family Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

original recipe from babble.com
1 c unsalted butter {2 sticks}
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 lg eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c semi~sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line cookie sheets with foil.

In small saucepan over medium~low heat, melt butter.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently until butter bubbles and foams.  Stir constantly, continuing to cook until foam dissipates and butter begins to turn golden.  Turn off heat and let butter sit and cool to lukewarm.  Butter solids will brown and settle in pan.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside.  In large bowl combine brown and white sugars with whisk, breaking up any lumps.  Add lukewarm butter and vanilla; whisk to combine.  Add eggs and whisk to combine.  Add about 2/3 of flour mixture to the sugar/butter combination.  Stir til smooth.  If dough is thick enough, do not add any more flour.  If it spreads out a bit and doesn't hold its shape, add a bit more flour mixture to moist but firm consistency.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough onto foil lined cookie sheets by rounded tablespoonfuls, leaving a few inches in between cookies.  Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.  Eight minutes yields a chewier cookie.

Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Years ago I planned a birthday party for my big brother.  I was afraid my party plans were ruined when the DC area {where I live} was hit with a huge snow storm.   January 6, 1996 was the first day of record breaking snows and another snowstorm hit a week later.  My big brother's birthday was sandwiched between the two storms.  I prepared to postpone the party, but everyone seemed inclined to dig themselves out of their homes.  My small apartment was filled from corner to corner with people.

Planning the menu, I decided to make a hot fudge ice cream cake.  Ice cream, in the middle of a blizzard?  Well, when we were younger, my sisters and brother and I would frequent our local Bob's Big Boy, sometimes just for dessert.  And our dessert of choice at Bob's was the Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake ~ real vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two layers of rich chocolate cake and topped with hot fudge.  There was probably whipped cream and a cherry, but I just remember the fudge.  Thinking about some silly conversations and memories we had, it seemed the perfect birthday cake for the day.

The only regret was not making two ice cream cakes.  It was devoured.  This is now a go to recipe for birthdays and special celebrations, even in the winter months.  The highlight of the cake is the homemade hot fudge sauce.  I will often use the fudge recipe when making chocolate fondue.  It is so delicious.

As we have birthdays coming up, anniversaries of record breaking snowfall, and some extremely cold temperatures hitting us today, I thought I'd make a Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake.  I think I'll curl up by the fire and enjoy a piece.  Or two.

Following the recipe is a How To Make an Ice Cream Cake, Step by Step.

Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake

1 Boxed Fudge Cake Mix {recommend Duncan Hines Classic Dark Chocolate Fudge}
1/2 gallon Real Vanilla Ice Cream {recommend Kirkland Vanilla Ice Cream~ Costco Brand}
Hot Fudge Sauce {recipe follows}
Whipped Cream
Maraschino Cherries

For Fudge Sauce
1 c semi~sweet chocolate chips3 tbsp butter
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 13"x9" cake pan.
Make cake according to package directions and cool completely.
Slice cake in half horizontally.  Place bottom layer in cake pan.  Slice ice cream into even pieces and place evenly over bottom layer of cake.  Top with second layer of cake.  Cover and freeze until serving, at lease an hour.

To make fudge sauce, place all ingredients in saucepan and heat over medium heat to melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly.  Remove from heat once butter and chips are melted; do not boil.

Cut cake into squares.  Serve with hot fudge sauce spooned over tops to drip down sides.  Add a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry, if desired.

How to Make an Ice Cream Cake, Step by Step

1.  Bake cake and cool completely.  Towards the end of the time the cake is cooling, place ice cream in the refrigerator to let it soften.  Let ice cream soften at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, but could soften a bit longer.

With cake on a cooling rack, slice horizontally.  Using a serrated knife, such as a cake knife or a bread knife, works best.  Having the cake on the elevated surface allows it to be turned while it is being sliced and allows you to see that it is being sliced relatively evenly.

Do not separate layers of cake yet.  Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 10 minutes or longer.  Chilling the cake before moving the layers helps keep the cake from breaking apart.

2.  Place one of the cake layers into the bottom of a cake pan, the same size as it was baked in.  Place the second half of the cake back in the freezer until ready to use.

Remove the ice cream from the refrigerator.  If the ice cream will not easily slide out of the container, use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut down the side and around the bottom.  Peel the container off of the ice cream.

Using a large knife, slice softened ice cream into three equal rectangles. Place two of the rectangles at opposite ends on the bottom layer of the cake which has been placed in the pan.  Use the remaining rectangle of ice cream to fill in the exposed areas of the cake.  Cut it into pieces, filling in as you work.

If the ice cream is soft enough, spread it to even it out.  The back of an ice cream scoop works well for this.  If the ice cream isn't soft enough to spread, cover the dish with the cake and ice cream, and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before spreading the ice cream.

3.  Remove the second layer of cake from the freezer.  Top the ice cream layer with the cake.  Lightly press down.  Cover the cake with plastic wrap.  Freeze for at least one hour before serving.

Almost~Brownie~Batter Dip

I really haven't worked in the kitchen for six months. Honestly, it has been pretty tough to get back into the swing of cooking and cleaning but I think I may be making a comeback. And I'm coming out swinging, with a Nutter Butter in hand. Let's get right to the punch~ Brownie Batter Dip.

The only thing I like better than brownies is brownie batter. I grew up licking the bowl clean and never ended up sick from eating the batter with raw eggs in it. Same thing with cookie dough. But, I'm grown up now. No more licking the bowl or beaters for me. I live in the present. You have to be healthier. So, you have to eat batter without the raw eggs. {What, you think I would give up on the entire idea of eating brownie batter altogether?}

I pinned this recipe about six months ago thinking I would try it soon. I guess I really wasn't in a rush since I've been disappointed with recipes for egg~less cookie dough. Being invited to a gathering where you are expected to bring something and not disappoint, I made brownie batter dip.

Verdict? It does not taste just like brownie batter but it is close. And it tastes really good anyway {I honestly can't say I've been a fan of any of the cookie dough recipes, sorry}. I think having a variety of dippers made it fun and can completely change the taste of the dip. I chose mini graham crackers, vanilla wavers, Nutter Butters and pretzel crackers as dippers. The last two were by far my favorite. Chocolate and peanut butter can NEVER be wrong, and the contrast of sweet chocolate and salty pretzel crackers is a winner.

What makes this even better is how quickly it whips up. I used the microwave {Gasp! Bad word in my kitchen} to soften the cream cheese and butter. Then my handy Kitchen Aid mixer quickly blended all the ingredients. Once the dip is blended, it's ready to go. Some dips need to be refrigerated before they can be enjoyed. This one does not. Whip up a batch for a last minute get together.

Almost~Brownie~Batter Dip
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c butter, softened
2 c powdered sugar
2+ tbsp milk
5 tbsp flour
5 tbsp cocoa powder {not ground chocolate}
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
mini chocolate chips for garnish
a variety of dippers {pretzel crackers and Nutter Butters recommended}

Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and two tablespoons of milk. Blend well. If mixture is still lumpy or too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. Add flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and vanilla. Blend til smooth. If a thinner consistency is desired, add a bit more milk.  Garnish with mini chocolate chips and serve.

Oh, this is what I've been so busy with. Little Dianna is 6 months old now! She's doing great. She's successfully made it through heart surgery and is on the move, well roll and working on sitting up all by herself.

Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

With only a couple of weeks left before the children head back to school, I begin to get my thoughts about meals and snacks a bit more organized. I try to have some grab and go things on hand for those days I am just not as prepared as I thought I was or would like to be.

One of my go to recipes last school year was for bakery style chocolate chip muffins. This turned out to be a tried and true recipe after an small adjustment to baking time for my finicky oven. Today my five year old not only inspired another change, he also helped me make these~ Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins.

Taste testing~ "Does it taste good yet?  Yes, it does!"

He kept me entertained the entire time we were making these. He started by telling me we needed to "beat up the eggs". As we were mixing the ingredients, he would continually ask if the mix tasted good yet. "Oh, I can't wait till it tastes good and I can take a lick!" When they were all done, he told me to wait until they were cooled off before I took the little guys out.

When little helpers top off the muffins with mini chocolate chips, proportionality doesn't count.

You'll notice that some of our muffins are disproportional; some have more chocolate chips than others. My son said we messed up and had to start over. I think he just wanted an excuse to eat the whole batch.

These will probably be a weekly item in our house now, terrific for breakfasts with a boiled egg or yogurt and excellent as a snack with a piece of cheese {probably Baby Belle for my little munchers}. And they make a great first day of school treat for a new teacher!

Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
original recipe from The Purple Spoon
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c sour cream
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c chocolate chips
2 tbsp raw sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners.

Combine flour, white sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk and set aside. Combine sour cream, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla extract. Blend til smooth. Fold sour cream mixture into flour mixture, just to combine. Place a half spoonful of batter into each paper liner. Top with a few mini chocolate chips. Add another half spoonful of batter over the mini chocolate chips. Top off with another round of mini chocolate chips and a sprinkle of raw sugar {for a sweet crunch}.

Bake for 10-13 minutes, until golden on top. Cool before removing from pan. Makes 24 mini muffins.

Notes about recipe~
*I tend to overfill my muffin liners a bit so they are nice and rounded on top. This recipe may actually make closer to 28-30 mini cupcakes if you don't fill yours as full.
*You could mix the mini chocolate chips into the batter. Just toss the chips with a bit of flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom. I like the layered technique though.
*The original recipe calls for cinnamon and sugar on top. I think the sugar in the raw adds a nice crunch {I do this with many of my muffins}. Sugar in the raw could be replaced with sugar crystals if needed.
*If you don't have sour cream, use buttermilk or soured milk {milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice added}.

Here's my littlest helper, Dianna.  She's almost five months old now and doing well.  As you can see, she's a happy little helper.

Cup of S'mores

One of my fondest memories is driving out to the middle of the country with my dad to enjoy a drive~in movie.  It was so much better than watching a movie at the theater, though I have yet to understand why.  Perhaps it was the fresh night air with the sounds of the outdoors in the middle of a quiet scene.  Or maybe the hike to the snack stand and numerous bathroom trips made the evening more of an adventure than just pure entertainment.

The only part of these summer and fall evenings I didn't appreciate was the drive home.  It seemed to me to be so much colder and to take eons longer than the trip out to the drive~in.  Though now that is probably the part I like to remember the most.  My dad would always have a blanket or shirt he would give me.  I could curl up next to him on the bench seat of our car.  And often he would have a little snack left over, something like a caramel cream {I still love those today}.

We have a drive~in in our area.  It would be a long drive out to the country like it was in my childhood, and I plan to do this with the family sometime this summer.  Until then, we have decided to turn our backyard into a theater.  My two older boys set up our dvd player system with a projector. We had a small fire in our fire bowl and all worked on roasting marshmallows as we waited until it was dark enough to watch our feature presentation {The Fantastic Mr. Fox, we loved it!}. As we were waiting, some of us noticed how peculiar the clouds looked.  It only took a few raindrops before we were packing up. Thankfully, the boys got all of the equipment inside before the downpour!

I know we'll try to make it out there again soon, and hopefully I'll have picked a better night of weather for our home drive~in show. I already have a snack for the next showing~ Cup of S'mores. I like to make a variety of pudding cups {Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Pots of Gold} and thought I could whip up something like s'mores. Unlike the mousse I make, these pudding cups are a bit sweeter and are inspired by the pudding from my Old Fashioned Banana Pudding {which is out of this world!}.

Cup of S'mores
1 5.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix
2 c cold milk
1 c cold whipping cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 c graham cracker crumbs
3 c mini marshmallows
semi~sweet chocolate chips, for garnish
For Serving~ 12 clear punch cups {9 oz size}

Whip cream on medium~high until stiff. Set in fridge. Blend pudding mix and milk; set in fridge til ready to use. Blend cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Fold pudding into cream cheese blend; fold in whipped cream. Set aside.

To assemble~ In the bottom of each clear punch cup put one tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs. Top with one fourth cup of mini marshmallows. Lastly, divide pudding mixture between the twelve cups of graham cracker crumbs and marshmallows. Refrigerate until serving.

After I made these, I decided the next time to actually toast the mini marshmallows in the oven and let them cool before assembling the cups.  Fun!

Pots of Gold Pudding Cups

Most holidays in our house are purely an occasion for fun.  St. Patrick's Day is certainly one of those occasions.  We are not Irish, we do not celebrate saints' days, but we do have fun.  I was thinking of making cupcakes, but I get lazy and sometimes making frosting and decorating cupcakes is way more effort than I want or am able to put into something.  So I opted for pudding cups.  Pots of Gold to be exact.

Pudding cups seem to always be a hit with my children and their friends.  There is one exception, my four year old son.  He ate all the candy from the top and left his pudding.  His brother, before taking the pudding for himself, asked him why he doesn't like pudding.  The older brother said, "It's just chocolate."  To which the four year old responded, "It's melted chocolate and I don't like melted chocolate."  He's a funny one, but I love him.

These are really simple and rather quick to put together.  Once you have made the pudding mix {I always fold in freshly whipped cream}, spoon it into 9 ounce cups.  I used gold.  You could use black or clear.

If you are making these for later in the day, you'll want to skip the following steps until just before serving {otherwise the crumbs will get soggy and not be so pleasant}.  Top each pudding cup with about 1 tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs.

Take a strip of rainbow candy {I found some sour rainbow candy in the dollar section at Target}, and tuck in each end into the sides of the cup.

Add a couple of gold coins or more.  Then tuck in a spoon.  Instant happiness.

Pots of Gold Pudding Cups
2 {6 serving} boxes of instant chocolate pudding
6 c cold milk
1 c whipping cream
1 c graham cracker crumbs
rainbow candy strips
chocolate coins

Mix pudding mix and milk with wire whisk for two minutes.  Set pudding in refrigerator to completely set.  While pudding is chilling, whip the cream until stiff.  Fold whipped cream into pudding.  Divide chocolate cream pudding between nine cups.  Top with graham cracker crumbs.  Decorate with rainbow candy and chocolate coins.

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Two Fondues {A Mild Cheese and A Hot Fudge} ~ Friday Night Dinner

Fondue is wonderful for a romantic dinner~ bite size pieces of breads and fruit for dipping in chocolate or cheese.  It's the perfect dinner to enjoy slowly while talking and sipping wine.  But have you ever thought of fondue for a family dinner?  Our family has enjoyed fondue many times.  But to do it well for the whole family or for many guests, you need to know a few things.

If you are having fondue for more than two, it is better not to cook while sitting down with everyone~ no raw meat or fish.  The pot of oil gets overwhelmed and the small bits of meat take forever to cook.  This doesn't mean you must limit your menu to bread, cheese, fruit and chocolate {thought there's nothing wrong with that}.  Instead, have some meat that is cooked ahead of time and ready to be enjoyed along with the other items or could be dipped in the cheese fondue.

A favorite of ours is crab cakes.  Make them in miniature and have a platter of them ready to enjoy.  Some other favorites for dipping are carrots, but the ones with the stems still intact.  My children think these are the cutest things ever.  One dipper for cheese fondue that I wasn't certain about at first is sweet pickles.  But after the first try, I was hooked {and I don't even like sweet pickles normally}.

As with any other Friday Night Dinner, it has to be easy for me and fun for the family.  Fondue is both of those.  Prepare the tray of assorted dippers, including fun and different items, ahead of time.  Then make the fondue and set it up with the prepared items, sit back and enjoy the food and conversation.  Take time to catch up with your family.  They are important.

Mild Cheese Fondue
12 oz can of beer {for milder taste, use a pale brew such as Blue Moon}
3 c shredded Swiss
1 c shredded mild Cheddar
1 c shredded sharp Cheddar
2 tbsp corn starch

Toss shredded cheeses with corn starch.
In a saucepan over medium~low heat, bring beer to a simmer.  Add cheese, a handful at a time and stir. Don't add another handful until the previous one has melted, otherwise the cheese will not melt properly and will goop up.  Once all the cheese is added, stir and heat til smooth.  Transfer to a warm fondue pot.

Chocolate Fudge Fondue
1 c semi~sweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp butter
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla

Place all ingredients in saucepan and heat over medium heat to melt butter and chocolate chips, stirring constantly.  Transfer to fondue pot to keep warm and melted.

A favorite for the kids~ Nutter Butters dipped in hot fudge fondue.

Tips and Tricks~
*Make fondue ahead of time and reheat over low heat on the stove top, then move to warm fondue pot.  This works for both cheese and chocolate fondues.
*For fresh veggies, lightly steam or parboil.  You can find baby Yukon in the produce section of the store, and they are great parboiled and dipped in cheese fondue.
*Prepare all dippers ahead of time and store in zip bags.  Assemble on a platter shortly before serving.
*If you want to use steak, chicken or pork to serve with the cheese, cut into bite size pieces.  Season and saute shortly before serving.
*Another excellent choice is seafood.  Use cold cocktail shrimp or mini crab cakes.  I make crab cakes and store in the fridge.  About an hour before party time, place on a oven proof serving platter, cover with foil and reheat in the oven set to 300F.  Once heated, lower oven temp to 220F to keep warm.
*For a quick fondue dinner, pick up ready to go dippers at the store~ prepackaged raw veggies, meatballs, chicken nuggets, a variety of breads {try a sweet raisin nut bread} for cheese fondue dipping.  For chocolate, grab some strawberries, packaged cookies {my daughter LOVED Nutter Butters with the chocolate} and a pound loaf.  All that is left to do is heat up the fondue.

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Lucky Purses

As I posted earlier this week, at our house we have started making Chinese food instead of getting take out.  Mostly we do this to avoid headaches and the cost, but the food really isn't difficult to make, and I've learned to make some dishes rather well.

When we did frequent restaurants, we tried P.F. Chang's a few times.  I honestly don't remember what their food was like, it didn't overwhelm me in either way of yum or yuck.  Except for one thing, a dessert called Lucky 8.  I tasted it twice but on one of our last visits, to my disappointment, it was no longer part of the menu.

For a few years I have thought about recreating the Lucky 8.  As I recall they were eight sticks made of thin spring roll dough filled with chocolate and served with a peanut butter caramel sauce and toffee bits.  I thought about how it would be difficult to fill and roll a thin stick of chocolate.  But an idea came to me, mostly inspired by images I've seen floating around the web of Hershey kisses baked inside of wonton wrappers.

I changed the order of fillings and sauce and decided on using Rolos, caramel filled chocolate candies, inside a dumpling wrapper.  A sauce of melted peanut butter and chocolate would accompany the little purses.  The name comes about from the gifts given to children on Chinese New Year.  Red envelopes are filled with money, an even amount is considered lucky {8 is the most common lucky number}.  Thus, these little tasty bites are named lucky purses.  Make some, perhaps more than eight.  They are easy and come together rather quickly.

Lucky Purses
Rolos candies, unwrapped
dumpling wrappers {recommend Shanghai style for a thinner crust}
small bowl of water {for moistening wrappers}
vegetable oil for frying
1/4c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c semi~sweet chocolate chips
toffee bits


Heat oil in small sauce pan over medium heat to about 325F.  While oil is heating {it will take a 5-10 minutes}, form purses.

Place number of wrappers needed {8-16} on a damp paper towel and fold paper towel over top to keep dough moist.  Place a wrapper on your hand, add a Rolo to the center of the wrapper.  Moisten the edges of the wrapper.  Bring edges together over the Rolo; press in side edges, then squeeze to keep together and form the purse.  Set aside while forming remaining purses.

Fry purses in hot oil for about 1 minute.  You want the dumplings to be golden but not burnt {they will cook quickly}.  Remove to plate lined with paper towels to remove oil.  Make sauce.

Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in a small sauce pan and heat over low heat to melt.  Stir frequently; once chips are melted, remove from heat and stir.  Spoon into serving ramekin.

Place lucky purses on a small serving plate and sprinkle toffee bits around them.  Place ramekin of chocolate peanut butter sauce on same plate.  Dip a lucky purse in the sauce then dab on toffee bits.

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Brownies

I have learned much about making brownies in the past few weeks. I have tried to make brownies from scratch before and found it a waste of time for several reasons. One is the bitter chocolate taste I would get with 'from scratch' brownies. I thought it was because I used too much cocoa, but now I am educated and experienced. It is not the amount of cocoa as much as the type of cocoa. To avoid that bitter or powdery taste, you must use Dutch processed cocoa or cocoa processed with alkalies. The alkalies neutralize the acidity of the cocoa and really change the flavor of whatever is being baked (brownies).

The second thing I learned relates to the texture of brownies. I had thought that there were only two categories of brownies: fudge and cake. I was wrong. There is a third category: chewy. I always thought that the brownie I like and was searching for and only found in a boxed mix was a fudge brownie because it is so moist and dark and sweet. But I tried recipes for fudge brownies and hated them because they tasted and looked like. . . fudge (which I really do not like). After making a few recipes and reading about brownies, I saw a description of a brownie recipe I liked and it was a chewy brownie. You see chewy is soft and fluffy but fudge is dense and sticky.




Chewy Chocolate Chip Brownies
1 c {2 sticks} unsalted butter
2 c granulated white sugar
4 lg eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp vanilla
1 c Dutch cocoa
1 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 c chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil. Grease or spray with nonstick coating.

2. Melt butter over low heat. Add sugar and stir heating till almost bubbling. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until smooth and shiny. Add vanilla.

3. Combine cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Pour butter mixture into dry ingredients and stir. Do not over mix, just stir to combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.


Helpful Notes~
*Use Dutch processed cocoa, not American; or use cocoa that has been processed with alkalies.
*Line baking sheet with foil; when brownies are completely cooled just lift out and cut. THIS MAKES IT SO EASY TO CUT BROWNIES, no sticky gunk on your knife.



*To get a shiny crust on top of your brownies, continue to heat butter while whisking in sugar. Allow to get rather warm but not bubbly. Whisk in room temperature eggs one at a time. This should give you a flaky, shiny crust.



*Add chocolate chips to change the flavor to suit your targeted taste palette, semi-sweet or dark or milk chocolate.
*Mix with a spoon or spatula or fork, not with a mixer. Over mixing kills brownies. I used no more than 50 strokes when stirring the dry ingredients in and then just folded in the chips.
*Use white sugar with this recipe. I love brown sugar when baking but it did not work with this.