The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies...ever!

These are my go to cookies. Last night I was feeling antsy and needed to do something. So I went for the perfect cookies. I really enjoy making them using the biggest scoop I own so they're as big as my face but thats just me!

These always turn out so soft and chewy. Perfect cookies indeed!

I found the recipe in my Colossal Cookie book. I found this perfect book at the giant bookstore in Lincoln City, OR this summer. Might be the best used book purchase ever.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2/3 C. light brown sugar

Cream together.

Add 1 egg, mix well.

In a separate bowl combine,

1 C. flour

1/2 t baking soda.

Add to mixture. Mix well.

Add 2 t. vanilla.

Stir in 1 C. chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes. Just until edges begin to brown. Let cool and enjoy the best chocolate chip cookie you've ever made!

Biscoff Cookies

Once again I am failing at updating this frequently! With my work schedule I feel like I'm either working, sleeping or catching up on the things I need to do when I'm not doing the first 2! Anyways since its getting closer to the holidays I'm trying to bake more!

I found this recipe on Bake at 350. These make the little delicious cookies that you get on planes. The sweet, somewhat spicy, amazing little cookies! I hadn't had them in forever but last time I went home they were serving them again! My local grocery store (Haggen-my favorite store!) carries the Biscoff spread and it tastes just like the cookies! So I decided to get some and try out this recipe.

Biscoff Cookies

In mixing bowl combine,

1 stick butter
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. biscoff spread

Mix until fluffy. Then add

1 egg, Mix and add

1/2 C. heavy cream (I used 1/2 cream 1/2 skim milk).

In a separate bowl combine

3 C. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda

Mix well and scoop onto cookie sheets. I used my smallest scoop and flattened them a little once they were on the sheet. You can also split the dough and refrigerate it, then roll it out and cut it, but I went the easy way!

Line the sheets with parchment paper at bake at 350 for 9-14 minutes.

Then close your eyes and enjoy without the turbulence!

Ham and White Bean Soup

Sorry its taken me so long to post something new! Night shifts are an interesting shift to get used to!

This is a perfect fall recipe. There have been more rainy days up here and on those days nothing sounds better to me than a big pot of soup simmering on the stove. This is a great recipe too because it makes plenty to freeze for later or for great leftovers the next day. I actually think its better the 2nd and 3rd day! For the Love of Cooking has great soup recipes. I'll be posting more soon!!

1-2 onions
1-2 T olive oil

Saute onions in olive oil.

Chopped carrots (However much you think)
Chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add carrots into onions and cook down. Add in celery and garlic and cook until tender.

1 1/2-2 C cooked diced ham

Add in ham and cook for a few minutes.

Add 4 14 oz cans of white beans (I used rinsed cannellini beans).

Add 3 cups stock. You can use chicken stock but I found ham bouillon at the store and that gave it GREAT flavor!

Season with 1 bay leaf and salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for at least 1-2 hours. You can puree it down with a blender if you like your soup thicker but I like mine a little bit more chunky.

Serve with bread of your choice.

Perfect Pumpkin Bread

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately! I have been cooking and baking AND taking pictures I just haven't been uploading them! This recipe doesn't have pictures (SORRY!!) but take my word for it...it is AMAZING! I am using this recipe from My Baking Addition. I think this might be my new fall favorite!

Perfect Pumpkin Bread

2 C. pumpkin puree
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
1/2 c. applesauce (if you don't have applesauce the original recipe calls for 1 c. oil)
1/2 c. oil
1 T. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. sugar

Mix above ingredients well.

In a separate bowl whisk together,

3 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. nutmeg
1 t. cloves
1 t. ground ginger
(You can also use pumpkin pie spice but I didn't have any so I made my own.)

Add dry ingredients to wet mixture.

Grease and flour your pans. You can use 2 large loaf pans, or mini loaf pans. I used mini pans and got 6 mini loaves out of it.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes for large loaf or 25-40 minutes for mini loaf pans.

I also topped my bread with 1 T. of sugar in the raw. It gives the top a perfect crunch and the sugar gives a fantastic extra touch. I also added raisins to my last 2 pans and they are amazing in it! You could also add chocolate chips, craisins, or dried cherries to it and I'm sure it would be amazing!

Homemade Mushroom Soup

Today definitely felt like fall. It was kind of nice for a change. Cool, rainy and a perfect day to make soup. Brian bought some mushrooms at the Bellingham Farmer's Market this weekend and so mushroom soup was on the list. I found a fantastically easy recipe that I will be making A LOT this winter!! I forgot to take pictures (SORRY!) but I'll post other recipes with pictures later this week!!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 lb. regular white mushrooms
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 t. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
Chicken Stock-I think I used between 4 and 6 cups (I wasn't measuring!)
1 cup cream (the original recipe called for 2 but a little less than one was plenty!)
1 t cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water

Coarsely chop mushrooms in food processor. Melt butter in soup pot, add onions and saute. Add mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf and saute for another 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, cream and stock. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water, and add to soup. Keep stirring and serve.

Let me know what you think! It was so good!!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Berry Muffins aka Breakfast Muffins

Oh man...These muffins are amazing. I could probably eat the entire pan of them for breakfast. But I limited myself to two. It was hard. I found the recipe at Two Peas in the Pod and I will definitely be making them again. They would be great for anyone who seems to need a healthy breakfast on the go. The whole wheat flour, oatmeal, applesauce, and berries are the perfect breakfast combination!!

Breakfast Muffins

1 1/4 C whole wheat flour
1 1/4 C oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 C unsweetened applesauce
1/2 C low-fat buttermilk
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 large egg,
1 tsp. vanilla- I think I used closer to 2!
1 C of your choice of berries- I used blueberries and raspberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and prepare muffin tin.

Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix together applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil, egg, and extracts. Slowly add in dry ingredients. Stir until just moist. Fold in berries.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Original recipe can be found at http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/recipe-for-oatmeal-berry-muffins/ . My links aren't working today!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

At the latte stand I used to work at we had a delicious Mayan Mocha. It was a mocha with honey and a blend of cinnamon, ancho chili, cocoa powder and nutmeg. They were SO good. A little extra spice to warm you up. I of course made mine pretty mild but oh they smelled delicious! So before I finished working there I brought home a cup of the mix so I could make them when I was all the way across the state! I made myself a few mochas and then decided that a cookie with that flavor would be delicious. So I searched and this is what I found. I just used the mix I had, but I think next time I'll add a little more chili powder for a little bit bigger kick. The crunch of the cookie is amazing and I rolled mine in a mixture of cinnamon, sugar and mayan mix. Enjoy!

2 1/4 C. flour
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 C. unsalted butter
1 3/4 C. sugar
2 large eggs
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. chile powder (I used mayan mix here, but I think the chile powder would give a bigger kick)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat butter, 1 1/2 C. sugar until fluffy. Add eggs. (I also added a little vanilla). Slowly add in flour mixture.

In a separate bowl combine 1/4 C. sugar, cinnamon and chile powder.


Form cookies into a ball and roll in mixture. Bake for 10 minutes on a parchment lined sheet. Enjoy!