Ultimate Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

The ultimate. For something as essential as chocolate chip cookies, this is a bold claim. But really, what more could you ask for in a cookie? This one starts with a fist-sized ball of chocolate and walnut packed dough. After a few minutes in the oven, it comes out as the mother of all cookies — huge, with crispy edges and a gooey middle. I use two kinds of chocolate and toasted walnuts for an amazing mix of flavors and textures.

This is not on the wedding diet.

{Ultimate Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies}

Yield: 15 cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1/2 cup sugar

1-1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons corn starch

1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2-3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1 cup extra dark chocolate chips, finely chopped or grated

1-1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 385 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the cubed butter and sugar until well blended.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. Add in vanilla extract.

4. Add salt, corn starch, baking powder and baking soda to sugar mixture. Stir in flour until just combined.

5. Add in chocolate chips and walnuts. The dough will be very thick.

6. Using your hands, divide into large balls. This recipe makes 12-18 cookies, depending upon how big you want them. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet, leaving plenty of space for the cookies to spread out.

7. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies turn golden brown. Now, try to wait long enough to let them cool and eat!

Here in Utah it's a chilly, rainy gray winter day and there is no reason to go outside … or leave my couch, or stop re-reading The Dog Stars by Peter Heller for that matter. My advice is to break them apart and enjoy while still warm — as always, with a large mug of my coffee and a book in hand.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Guess what. I made ice cream again.

Now that we live in Utah, I've come to rationalize spending well over $10 for a pint of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams once or twice a week… call it Ohio homesickness. Those pints don't last long in this house. While I can't stop (won't stop) picking up a pint or two every time I go to Whole Foods — have you seen the new winter woods collection? — I figure it's time to supplement my ice cream habit with my own creations.

This one has it all — knock-out peanut butter ice cream, huge dark chocolate chunks and a hint of honey. It looks like cookie dough and tastes like peanut-buttery heaven.

{Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream}

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

5 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon tapioca or corn starch

1/2 cup peanut butter

4 oz. melted dark chocolate

Directions:
1. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway full with water and ice. In a small bowl, place 1/2 cup peanut butter. Fit a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl with the peanut butter.
2. Combine heavy cream, whole milk, salt, 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons brown sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring often.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks to break and whisk in the remaining sugars.
4. Once milk mixture reaches 170 degrees, slowly pour about half of the milk mixture into the egg mixture — one cup at a time, whisking constantly — to temper the eggs. Then, pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture.
5. Heat over medium heat until mixture again reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat and pour through the strainer into the small bowl containing the peanut butter. Whisk to combine (Pouring in and whisking a little bit at a time makes this go easier).
6. Immediately place small bowl in ice bath, being careful not to get water in the bowl. Stir occasionally until cool, then store in a covered dish in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Make ice cream according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Meanwhile, melt chocolate. When the ice cream is nearly finished (and is pulling away from the sides of the ice cream maker) slowly pour the chocolate into the ice cream to form chunks.
8. Store in an airtight container in the freezer. Eat up!

This ice cream is somewhat similar to Jeni's Buckeye State Ice Cream, which I made here. However, through trial and error, I've changed the ingredients, the method of making the ice cream and the size of the chocolate chunks. Try them both and take your pick!

Caramel Pie

This pie has everything: Sugary, butterscotchy caramel tucked between a flaky crust and a fluffy, slightly toasted meringue. It's like heaven in a slice. And I made it for you.

Finding the wrinkled, water-spotted old index card that held my grandma's caramel pie recipe was the easy part. More difficult was reading her spidery cursive writing, deciphering the many abbreviations and making up the directions (as the recipe completely lacked these). It took some eye-straining and a few calls to my aunt, but with patience and lots of taste testing, I give you ... 

{Caramel Pie} 

Ingredients:

1 pie crust, baked

1-1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 eggs, separated 

6 Tablespoons corn starch

1-1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

For meringue:

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions: Bake pie crust. Beat egg yolks; add milk. Mix corn startch with brown sugar. Add butter. Combine all and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5-8 minutes. This is key — Don't let the mixture come to a boil. As soon as the first bubble breaks, remove from heat. Add vanilla and stir. Pour filling into baked pie crust. Top with meringue.

Meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Slowly add 1/3 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over filling and brown under broiler. Enjoy!

The Coffee Lover's Gift Guide

{The Coffee Lover's Gift Guide} by Pink Elephant Coffee Roasters

In the age where everyone seems to have everything they need, gift giving can get tricky. For the coffee lover in your life, we've got you covered!

1. Pink Elephant Coffee — Let's start with the basics: The coffee lover needs her coffee. Locally roasted whole bean coffee in Tanzania Peaberry, Guatemala La Libertad and Organic Mexican Decaf pinkelephantcoffee.com $12 for 16 oz.
2. Coffee Lover's Tee — Let the world know how you feel. These unisex v-neck tees are fitted, comfy and cool. Order at skreened.com $29
3. Chemex Coffee Brewer — Hip and oh so stylish, the elegant all-glass chemex gives you total control over the coffee brewing process, plus it looks sharp on your counter top. Find at Williams-sonoma.com $36.95 for 6-cup Chemex.
4. The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee — For a down-to-earth and slightly nerdy intro to everything your coffee lover needs to know about the coffee world, from growing to roasting. Plus, lots of delicious pastry recipes to go along with that cup of joe. Find it at your local bookstore, or at bluebottlecoffee.com, $25 
5. The Best Coffee Ice Cream —  Columbus-based Jeni's Ice Cream knows that the only thing better than coffee is coffee ice cream. The intense coffee flavor in this ice cream is thanks to freshly roasted beans ground and steeped in grass-grazed cream. $12 per pint at jenis.com or get it locally at Spoon Market & Deli in Wooster
6. No-fail Travel Mug — This tried and true 24 oz. stainless steel vacuum bottle from L.L. Bean keeps coffee steaming hot for hours. It also does double duty to keep cold drinks well, cold, for the same amount of time and it can be engraved for a more personal feel. Order at llbean.com, $29.95 
7. Travel Coffee Grinder — For the die-hard coffee fanatic, who even while hiking a mountain or flying in an airplane prefers freshly ground coffee. With a ceramic burr and an easy grip, this one is perfect for brewing small amounts of coffee out on the road. Hario Slim Mill at sweetmarias.com, $35
8. Coffee Tote — Local seller Salt Creek Times creates everything from totes to stockings using recycled coffee jute sack material. Visit her Etsy shop, or find items for sale at Mama Birds, Local Roots and Fredericksburg Market. SaltCreekTimes at etsy.com, $15.95-$44.95
9. Coffee Wall Art — The Compendious Coffee Chart print is a comprehensive compendium of the varied ways to produce wondrous, life-giving coffee, as well as the drinks one can concoct by combining coffee with mixers like steamed milk and chocolate. Educational, useful and looks darn good on any wall. By Popchartlab on etsy.com, $28

Chocolate Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Is there anything better than a warm and gooey cinnamon roll to go with a cup of coffee? If there is, I haven't found it yet.

Thanks to Liz at Oak Grove Coffee Co. for the cinnamon rolls recipe! Of course, I had to go and put chocolate in them.

{Chocolate Pecan Cinnamon Rolls}

Dough: 

1/4 ounce package yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup scalded milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

1/2 cup softened butter, plus more for pan

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cup pecans and walnuts, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped (optional)

Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

1 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons hot water

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl, mix milk, sugar, softened butter, salt and egg. Mix in 2 cups of flour. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes, then place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour or more.

When doubled, punch down dough. Roll it out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9 inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough (generously), then mix cinnamon sugar mixture over the buttered dough. Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate. Beginning at the 15-inch side, roll up dough, then cut into 12 to 25 slices.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

While the rolls bake, mix butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches the desired consistency. Spread over cooled rolls.