My favorite cookies

A few years ago I had the best chocolate chip cookies from a friend but the recipe was a secret so I had to go on a search for my own awesome chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I finally found it.  Thank you Jenny!!!  
It is the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.
The secret is the sea salt sprinkled on top.  So yummy.
I have a thing for sweet and salty...

I make them huge.  I like the affect of "oh my goodness those are HUGE cookies!!"  Plus, one is good enough for a Christmas present.  LOL.  Here's the recipe.  

(I have to admit the first time I made them I followed the recipe exactly.  Waited the whole day for them to stay in the fridge. 
Ugh...yeah...didn't do that the next time.  Couldn't wait.
They were FINE!)

 

new york times chocolate chip cookies

Yield: 18 very large cookies or 31 smaller cookies

Prep Time: 15 min + chill time

Cook Time: 18 min

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 (I used sea salt)
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks)
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
20 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
extra chocolate chips, optional
sea salt (optional)

directions:

1. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour through salt). I just scraped mine through a fine strainer/sieve since my sifter isn't all that great. Set aside.

2. Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars- mixing until the mixture is very light, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and, mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place the dough in an airtight container and refrigerate a minimum of 24 to 36 hours before baking (and up to 72 hours).

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.

4. For 5-inch cookies, scoop six 3.25 ounce mounds of dough- giant golf ball-sized (I rolled mine into balls) onto a baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Don't try to fit more on the sheet or you'll end up with cookies baking into each other. Dot some extra chocolate chips on top, if desired. Sprinkle each ball of dough with a small pinch of sea salt, if desired.

5. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the center is lighter and soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack and let them cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.

tips:

*If you'd prefer to make smaller cookies, shape your cookie dough into small golf ball-size instead (2 ounces), and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

Totino's Pizzeria

Hi blog friends,

Recently, I was able to try Totino's new Pizzeria Rolls from General Mills.  They provided me with a gift pack, info, and three coupons to try the rolls free. Our favorite?  The Meatball Marinara Rolls.

Please visit Totino's Website or check out their Facebook page.

You can find a coupon on their Facebook page while supplies last!
On their website they also have 8 new dip recipes that would be fun to make.  Perfect for dipping!

 

Here's your chance to win a Totino's Pizzeria Rolls gift pack!  Comment below which one YOU think you'd like to try and I'll draw a winner to receive 3 coupons for FREE bags  of rolls plus the Bistro tray and salt and pepper shakers courtesy of General Mills.

 

Random drawing from comments below will be held on Saturday, April 20th.  Please include your email address in the comment so I can get your address.

Thanks! 

Two Candy Buffets

Don't you just love Candy Buffets?  So fun.  So happy.  Recently, I've had the privilege of doing two.  The first one was for my brother and SIL at their wedding.  Peacock feathers, purples, blues, and greens were their theme.  Beautiful.  Elegant.
The candy for this was SO FUN to buy for!  There are tons of different candies in these colors and everything was so vibrant.  Green gummy limes, blue raspberry gummy bears, licorice, M&Ms, kisses, turquoise chocolate covered sunflower seeds and Ashley's favorite, Sour Punch Straws, just to name a few.

 

 

I also have to brag on my SIL Ashley a little.  She did an amazing job picking out the decor for her wedding.  I know Pinterest was her best friend for many months.  Love the centerpieces.  Probably the biggest thing I was surprised about at the reception was the lighting.  They had a guy come in and set up LED lights with a purple hue and boy, did it make a difference in the feel of the party!  Great idea!

Katie's Sprinkle

 

 What a fun baby shower!  We wanted to do a small sprinkle for Katie for her second baby girl, Cora.
Of course we had to use pinks, reds, and hearts for such a name.
My sisters are the bakers in the family.  I did not inherit such greatness.  Take a look at the cupcakes and sugar cookies.  Amazing.  Katherine melted pink chocolate in the form of tiny hearts on wax paper to make toppers for her cupcakes.
Kelly makes REALLY good sugar cookies and made small pink hearts.  
  

 

 

 I concentrated on the decor.  I made paper hearts out of scrapbook paper and got the idea and know-how from this website.

We hung them on the windows and on the light fixture above the table.  For the party favors I melted white chocolate (almond bark) and sprinkled toffee pieces insilicon heart molds.  Wrapped them in bags and that's it!  Simple.

Butterflake Rolls - SRC

Butterflake Rolls - SRC

 

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Meghan's blog,Cupcakes with Sprinkles.  I just love her blog.   It looks so cheerful and her food looks amazingly good.  I thought about making one of her sweets (you know me), but apparently I love bread as much as I love sweets and I couldn't get my mind off her Butterflake Rolls.  Plus, I had just made some peach jam and I needed something to eat it with.

 

What I learned as I made them is that I need to pay attention more to directions.  When I first set out to make the rolls, I just copied down the ingredients, thinking that it was just like all the other bread recipes I had made.  So, as a result, after making the dough, I let it rise for an hour.  That's when I found out I was totally wrong.  When I looked at the recipe again, including the directions, I realized that you're supposed to start rolling and buttering the dough right after you make it.  In fact, the only rise you're supposed to do is after the dough has been cut and formed into the rolls.  Still, I figured, I could make this work.  I took my risen dough, rolled it out, buttered it, folded it, buttered it, folded and buttered again.  The dough began breaking off in layers and was a complete mess and totally unsalvageable.  I would have to start again.  Lesson learned - follow the instructions.

The second time around, I followed everything to the letter.  This time, everything came together beautifully and the dough made it into the muffin tins intact.  I was kind of skeptical about only letting them rise once before baking, but if they worked for Meghan, then I trusted that they could work for me too.  Sure enough, once they baked, they were a thing of beauty.  It was like magic.  Instead of the four pieces of dough I put into each muffin cup, the intricate layers of buttered dough had unfolded, giving me even more layers to pull apart and enjoy (kind of like the layers in a croissant).  The bread itself was pillowy soft, buttery in every bite, and paired really well with my homemade peach jam.  Not to mention, since they only need to rise once, they're so much quicker to make!  I'm thinking that these rolls are going to make many more appearances in my house, you know, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and basically any time in between.  Thanks Meghan! 

Butterflake Rolls (adapted from Cupcakes with Sprinkles)

1 Tbsp. yeast
3/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar (I increased this to 6 Tbsp.)
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk (I used 1/4 c. nonfat plain yogurt + 1/4 c. water)
3 1/2 - 4 c. flour
1/4 c. butter, softened

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix yeast in 1/4 c. warm water with a pinch of sugar.  Let sit till foamy, about 5 min.  Whisk in the sugar, salt, and eggs.  Add in the yogurt and remaining water until combined. 

Use a wooden spoon to stir in about 3 cups of flour, adding more up to 4 cups, to make a soft dough.  You want to be able to knead the dough and not have it stick to your fingers.

Knead dough a few times.  Roll it out so that it's a 1/2" thick and spread with a thin layer of butter.  Fold dough in half, then spread with butter, Repeat three more times.

After the final butter and fold, roll the dough out again to 1/2" thick and cut it into 1x2 inch squares.  Place 4 squares upright in each sprayed muffin cup.  Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 min., or until doubled.

Preheat oven to 400F and bake rolls for 10-15 min. until golden brown. 

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

Tailgating Fun

This year for homecoming, my friend and I wanted to do something special for our kids in 6th grade.  The Friday of the homecoming game, we had a tailgate lunch for them. 
It was so much fun!  
Yes, I know, it screams Pinterest.  What else can a girl do these days?  We even talk about things being "Pinteresty."
I think it's the details that make even simple things special.


For example, these

The Dunn Clock

Recently, upon meeting a new friend, she asked me if I had ever heard of this "chalk paint."  Well, you know that was just music to my ears.  "Annie Sloan chalk paint?  Ummmmm....YES!"  :)



The next thing you know I have her 6 foot tall grandfather clock in my house.  This is just a regular, decorative piece she found at a home store.  She never quite fell in love with it, always dreaming of