BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Growing up I was never really into chocolate chip cookies, even though for most American kids it's an essential food group. Perhaps it was Chips Ahoy, or the lack of consistency in texture from different recipes (Soft! Crunchy! Chewy! Doughy! Cakey!) or just that I loved the cookie itself WITHOUT the chocolate chips (Sin!). I just didn't see it. 

The trend I am noticing is that once people have a recipe they like, they guard it with their lives as the ONE AND ONLY RECIPE THEY WILL EVER USE. Which is fine, I guess, but I am always up for experimenting. 

Which brings us to these. Do chocolate chip cookies always use browned butter? Because if they don't, THEY SHOULD. Oh whoops, I just joined the herd. I guess this is the ONE recipe for me. Well I guess that makes life easier. Good job people! Way to streamline your life!

These cookies made me understand the hype. 

Source: Cook's Illustrated (Of course.)

MAKES 16 COOKIES

Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (we used regular)

1 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (we used Guittard)

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Khao Soi 1.0

Khao Soi (ข้าวซอย) is a delicious Northern Thai Noodle dish. It was actually difficult to find in Thailand when I was there, except for in the Northern Provinces. I have found a few Thai places that offer the dish, and fewer that make it well (My favorite Thai Restaruant, Pok Pok in Portland is one of them!) I have made a few attempts at making Khao Soi, hopefully getting closer to the real thing every time.

In honor of my good friend Daniel’s birthday, I am sharing my current recipe. Happy Birthday, Dan!

Kao Soi 1.0

1 knob of ginger, chopped

2-3 shallots, coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp of vegetable oil

1 Tbsp Yellow curry Paste

1 Tbsp Red curry paste

1 can of coconut milk

1 cup of chicken broth

1 lb. of chicken (traditionally uses thigh quarters), sliced

1 Tbsp of sugar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Noodles

2 1/4 cup flour

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1-2 Tbsp Water

Oil for Frying

I have a pasta maker, but if you would like, you certainly can buy Asian egg noodles and use those instead. I have not tried frying those to make the crispy noodles, but it might work!

Garnish

Pickled Mustard Greens

Shallots

Lime

1. Place chopped ginger and shallots in blender (or food processor) with ~2 Tbsp of water. Blend to make a paste

2. Heat 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in large sauce pan
3. Add ginger/shallot paste and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant

4. Add the yellow and red curry pastes (1 Tbsp of each) and cook for 1-2 miinutes

5. Add 1/2 can of coconut milk (~6-7 oz)

6. Add chicken and cook until cooked through
7. Add 1 cup of chicken broth (can add more if desire thinner soup)
8. Add 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 Tbsp soy sauce

9. Before serving, add the remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk

For the noodles:
1. Mix the flour, eggs, salt and baking soda. 

2. Add water, 1/2 Tbsp at a time until dough comes together.
3. Knead dough for ~30 seconds

4. Cover and let sit for ~30 mintues

5. Make noodles

6. Boil for around 3 minutes

For crispy noodles, I take around 1/6 of the dough, make spaghetti noodles and deep fry them in about 4-5 batches.

Putting it all together:
1. Place noodles in a bowl
2. Cover with soup
3. Add chopped pickled mustard greens, shallots, and lime

4. Top with crispy noodles

5. Enjoy! 

 

A Summer Project

I don't post about every art project that I work on, but this one was significant enough that I thought I should document it here.

On May 27th of 2014 my sister gave birth to her son Henry Steven at 34 weeks. He passed away on that same day. In memory of this beautiful child I decided to paint a familiar mountain scene that would act as a reminder of how the scenery looked in my sister's city of Provo. I chose to depict Squaw Peak due to it's proximity to the Provo Temple and it's familiarity. I asked several friends and family living in Provo at the time of Henry's birth to photograph the mountains, sky and clouds to help me capture the conditions of Provo in springtime. The frame is oriented vertically so as to draw the eye heavenward.

This project was an important challenge for me since I am not a landscape artist and am not well practiced in acrylic painting, but was a necessary expression of sympathy for a loss that touched many people close to me. I was happy to give this as a gift to my sister and hope it will be a gateway toward healing for those who view it.

Homemade Nutella!

Today I felt compelled to post about one of our favorite new recipes, homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread. The recipe we use is actually stolen (you shouldn't be surprised by the source by now) from America's Test kitchen. We have been cooking our way through their "D.I.Y Cookbook" and have been thrilled with how much better some kitchen staples (like cheese, sauces and jams) taste when cooked at home! This Nutella not only tastes better than the original but it's probably healthier because it uses a lot less oil and more nuts.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SPREAD

makes 1 1/2 cups

Make today, enjoy immediately

from The America's Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook

• 2 cups (8 ounces) hazelnuts

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons hazelnut, walnut, or vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• teaspoon salt

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place hazelnuts in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and roast until fragrant and dark brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through roasting. Transfer hazelnuts to medium bowl. When hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, place second medium bowl on top shake vigorously to remove skins.

Process peeled hazelnuts in food processor until their oil is released and they form a smooth, loose paste, about 5 minutes, scraping down bowl often.

Add sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla, and salt and process until fully incorporated and mixture begins to lossen slightly and becomes glossy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Transfer spread to jar with tight-fitting lid. Chocolate-hazelnut spread can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 1 month.

GREETINGS

So, we’ve had a busy summer.

 But I do not intend to glorify the state of being “busy” – I find people tend to congratulate that lifestyle a bit too readily. Since when is constantly being stressed and tired a cool thing?

And we have not been THAT busy, I just have been super lazy about blogging. I am deliberately lazy in lots of things. Because I am allergic to stress.

Anyways, to sum up our summer, (SUM UP THE SUM) I offer a list of completely truthful bullet points:

- Pippa turned 3. Congratulations to her for…aging.

- I TOTALLY HAD PURPLE HAIR and if you didn't see it in person then I pity you.

- We watched every available season of “Parks and Recreation” and absolutely loved it

-We saw Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost" at the park! It was jolly fun.

- I started “Running” around Greenlake on an occasional basis. It is always rewarding, but only after the fact

- My doctor prescribed Flonase (a nasal spray) for my allergies and it has been AMAZING

- I went camping a total of THREE TIMES. Once at the base of Mt. Rainier, then at Ensign Ranch (Girls camp), and then at Cascade Park in Granite Falls, WA. Both Ensign Ranch and Cascade Park are church-owned properties. This is the most times I have ever gone camping, all in one year no less. Bully for me.

- I participated in a “polar bear plunge” at Girls Camp. It was cold.

- We bought an inflatable KAYAK and paddled around several of many bodies of water

- Pippa played with her cousins Caleb and Hyrum, who visited us, and Jane and Abby and Beatrice, who we visited in Utah

- Micah applied for a job at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo for an inpatient Psychiatrist position

- Utah was extremely dry

- UVRMC offered Micah a job

- Micah accepted the job at UVRMC. However, we will not be moving there until next summer, when Micah finishes his residency.

- I only have 18 credits left to finish my BA in Visual Arts at BYU. The plan is to NOT take my remaining 2 Art History classes online.

- I went to the top of the Space Needle. It is very tall.

- Pippa calls it the “Space noodle”

- We made french macarons, homemade nutella, cream cheese, farmers cheese, yogurt, horchata, ginger beer…and need to post some of the recipes because they were all delicious

- We bought many bouquets of fresh flowers from Pike Place Market

- Pippa hated “Frozen” and absolutely adores “The Lego Movie”

- We saw “X-men Days of Future Past” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” – both excellent movies



Things we will be doing this Fall:

- Cooking lots of things

- Pippa will start her Ballet class

- I will be re-applying to BYU and possibly taking an online Psychology class

- Micah will continue his Chief Resident duties (which is basically sending a million e-mails every day)



Thanks for reading! Hopefully I can post pictures and recipes soon.