Sweet, Sweet Sunday: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know its cruel to post a cookie recipe in early January but I did my best and waited until the beginning of the second week of the year to share. I considered sitting on this recipe for longer but Jamie loved them, and he's quite the dessert critic, so I knew it was too good not to share.  If you resolved to avoid such treats, file this recipe away until you have a cookieful occasion.  If not, make these immediately, they are AWESOME!  Quick, easy, chewy and not overly sweet.  I followed this recipe with a few minor adjustments based on some of the reviews of it.

Cast of Characters
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt*
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I opted out)

*The original recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of flour but I found the dough very sticky, so I added a 1/4 cup more.  The original recipe calls for 1 tsp of salt, but apparently that created salty results for some.  One-fourth of a teaspoon worked well for both mine and Jamie's tastes, subtly salty but not overly so. If you generally cook with salted butter, you may want to omit the additionally salt entirely.

1) Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Combine softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar in a stand mixer and mix until smooth.

3) Add eggs one at a time, and then add vanilla extract to the butter/sugar mixture.

4) Sift together flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.  Slowly add these ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and stir until combined.

FYI - I love this Pampered Chef Dry/Liquid Measuring Cup

5) Add the oats and chocolate chips and mix slowly to the batter, mix until just combined.  Be careful not to over mix these cookies, apparently over mixing causes them to flatten out during baking.

6) Using a cookie scoop or large tablespoons, drop large(r) mounds of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.  With a cookie scoop I yielded 36 large cookies.

7) Bake at 325 degrees for 12-13 minutes or until barely brown on the sides.  Cool 1-2 minutes on the sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool, enjoy with a glass of cold milk.  I dare you to eat just one.  Both Jamie and I were supposed to take some to work since the recipe made so many, but in the end we couldn't part with them; they were too good to share (sorry Corey, you'll get some next weekend!)

Have you indulged in a sweet treat this year, or are you holding strong?  Obviously we've been eating cookies, but the 25 miles last week make it OK, right?  :)

Tollhouse Cookie Pie: A quick holiday treat

While this recipe is not terribly unique,  it is on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip package, it is terribly delicious.  This pie is the best of both worlds, gooey like a chocolate chip cookie and buttery crusted like a pie.  It also is the ultimate I-need-a-quick-dessert recipe.  In truth, the bake time is not quick but it goes together super fast and the ingredients are those you have on hand if you bake often.  Cookie pie has long been a longtime favorite in my family and my book club just inhaled it so I wanted to share it with you as well.

Cast of Characters:

1 frozen 9-inch deep dish pie crust, thawed
2 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup of flour
3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup of chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli, ssssh don't tell Nestle!)
1 cup of nuts (optional)

1) Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Whip the two eggs on high until foamy.  In a stand mixer this will take 2-3 minutes.

2) Add in the sugar, brown sugar and flour.

3) Beat in the softened butter until all the ingredients are well combined.

4) Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts if you use them on low until gently combined.  Walnuts are wonderful in this pie, but I omitted them because I didn't know my book club's nut preferences.

5) Pour mixture into your pie crust and bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Note: After 60 minutes my knife did not come clean but my pie crust and top were sufficiently brown...and cracked after being stuck twice...so I decided it was done.

This pie is great on its own, or with a little scoop of ice cream or homemade whipped cream.  If you do not eat it immediately, warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds before indulging.  Its pretty rich, so a sliver will do you well!  Do you have an easy, go-to holiday recipe for desserts on the fly?

Caramelized Onion Cauliflower Tart: My favorite side

I don't know about you but side dishes are my favorite part of Thanksgiving. My plate generally is separated into piles of green bean casserole, stuffing, sweet potatoes and above all else my mom's mashed potatoes (although my MIL makes a mean one too) and two measly pieces of turkey.  Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite fall recipes that would make a fantastic, unique side dish for your Thanksgiving meal. I offered to bring this tart to my in-laws last year but got lazy and didn't make it...I am one amazing daughter-in-law/house guest aren't I?  Anyway, here is the original recipe, with my lazier adaptation below.  You won't be disappointed, the smell alone is worth it!

Cast of Characters:
- 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 3 and 1/2 tbsp of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Truffle oil or truffle salt*
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream**
- 1 8oz container of mascarpone cheese***
- 1 cup of grated Gruyere cheese (Swiss is a good substitute, I used cheddar as I had it on hand but a milder cheese is your best option)
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- A sprinkle of nutmeg
- 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
- 1 frozen deep dish pie crust
- Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

1) Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Chop your cauliflower and add to a bowl containing 2.5 tbsp of olive oil. Coat cauliflower with oil, add salt and pepper and pour onto a baking sheet.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes, stir and roast for an additional 15 minutes (10 in my oven) until brown and tender. *Drizzle with truffle oil or truffle salt and let cool. You can absolutely skip this step; I have every time until this one because truffle anything is PRICEY but my co-worker Ro gifted me some truffle oil a few weeks ago. Thanks Ro!

2) Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Add remaining 1.5 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet, add sliced onion, salt and pepper. Cook onions down over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and soft.

3) Meanwhile spread 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard across the bottom and along the sides of the pie shell. I needed just over 1 tbsp to accomplish this.

4) In a bowl whisk together eggs, mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, 1/4 tsp of black pepper and grated nutmeg in a bowl.  Stir in grated Gruyere/Swiss/whatever cheese you use.

5) Place pie pan on a baking sheet to prevent spill over, and then layer onions on the bottom, cauliflower in the middle and thecheese/egg/cream mixture on top.  Sprinkle grated Parmesan on the top.  Bake for 40 minutes at 325, until firm and golden brown.

This tart is creamy and tangy. The combination of Dijon mustard, onions and roasted cauliflower is delicious.  It's great hot or cold, and also makes for a delicious brunch option with a side salad.  **You can use light cream or even milk if you are trying to be calorie conscious, but the tart is best with heavy cream.  *** Sour cream can be substituted for marscapone cheese in a pinch if you can't find it.  Also, if you are an overachiever, you can make your own dough, but in my humble opinion pre-made pie crust has come a long way and works just fine for this tart.  If you do make your own, make sure to make it big enough for a deep tart pan as the filling needs a lot of space.
 
What are some of your Thanksgiving favorites?  Sides, turkey and gravy, pumpkin pie?  Do you stick with tried and true family recipes, or try something new for an audience?

Dog Days of Summer Salad, and a Frittata

Tomorrow marks the official start of fall and I for one am thrilled for cool nights, sweaters, foliage and butternut squash season.  While I'm 99% ready for fall, I could stand a few more weeks of endless produce that make summer meal planning a cinch.   Last weekend we scored some of the last zucchini, corn, basil and heirloom tomatoes we could find and tossed them together with some orzo for an easy weekday side dish, and then an amazing frittata. I followed this recipe rather very loosely.

Cast of Characters: (sorry, I forgot a picture) 

1/2 lb of orzo, cooked and drained.

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 ears of corn, cut off the cob

1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

3 scallions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 green tomato, chopped

5-6 leaves of basil, chopped finely

Zest and juice from one lemon

4 tbsp of olive oil (I did 3 tbsp of regular extra virgin and 1 tbsp of lemon infused)

Coarse Salt and Pepper

Hot Sauce (I used Cochon's sweet potato habanero sauce) 

1.  Boil water, add salt and cook orzo for 8-10 minutes, drain.  Run the colander under cold water to cool orzo and set aside. 

2.  Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, add corn, red pepper and garlic to the skillet.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. 

3. Combine zucchini, green tomato and scallions, corn mixture and orzo in a bowl.  Mix in lemon zest and juice, remaining olive oil, hot sauce and basil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Put in the fridge to chill and let the flavors get friendly for a few hours.  Enjoy on its own, with a piece of chicken or fish, on top of some romaine, as a side to a burger, or my personal favorite, in a frittata.  

To make a 4 serving frittata: whisk together 4 eggs, chopped basil, salt and pepper.   Add 1 1/2 cup of the orzo mixture. Pour egg/orzo mixture into an oiled oven proof skillet over medium heat on top of the stove.  Allow to set up on the stove for 6-8 minutes (you want the sides to be sticking.)  Put the skillet in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until firm in the middle.  Cool on stove top for 2-5 minutes, flip the frittata out onto a plate or cooling rack and enjoy.  This was really delicious, like quiche but more moist.  The frittata serves as a perfect breakfast with fruit, or lunch with side salad.  I would make the orzo again just to make the frittata! 

Have a great weekend sweet readers!  It's been a stressful work week and I think I'm on the brink of a cold/flu so I plan on laying low and finishing a phenomenal book.

Dis and Dat

I'm back from vacation, did you miss me? I had a wonderfully fun week filled with lots of sunshine cruising the Caribbean with friends and family, and I'm missing the warm weather so very much. Fortunately, there a number of things making this first week back to the grind just a smidge better.

I love reading, so I'm constantly on the prowl for a good book. I read two on vacation that I'd recommend if you are in the market for one. These books are as far apart on the spectrum from one another as possible.

First up, "Schooled" by Anisha Lakhani. This is a total beach read; light, easy, fun and frivolous. The story follows a first year teacher in a private school in Manhattan's Upper East Side. It reads a bit like The Nanny Diaries and Gossip Girl had a love child and then went to middle school in Juicy sweats. If even a smidge of the plot is truthful, it was pretty surprising. I will admit that I found the ending to be a bit of a let down as it just ends abruptly.

My second cruise book was "A Reliable Wife" by Robert Goolrick. This story is set in the early 20th century in Wisconsin during a cold, harsh winter. The main male character, Ralph Truitt puts an advertisement in the newspaper for a reliable wife and receives an enticing response from Ms. Catherine Land. The story follows their initial meeting, and the beginning of their lives together. Both Ralph and Catherine's back stories are interesting and present some unexpected twists to keep the plot moving along. If you are feeling the winter blues, you may want to shelve this one till warmer, brighter days are here to stay.

Image courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Have you tried these chocolate bits from Sweet Riot? They are tiny chunks of cacao dipped in varying levels of dark chocolate and run 1-2 calories a piece (no that's not a typo). If you are as afflicted with the 2pm chocolate craving as I am, a few Sweet Riot nibbles will fulfill the need without the guilt of a full size candy bar. I'm also a sucker for the tall, thin, pop top tins they come in too...I'm such a sucker for packaging and apparently new products in the check out aisle. Note to self, go down the candy free aisle next time.

Finally, I had planned to do a recap of NYC Fashion Week two weeks ago and didn't get my post done before I left on vacation and wasn't sure it was relevant now however, Fall 2011 is bringing color back! Hooray! I love me some bright colors, so come September deep greens, bright reds, cobalt blues in pretty, feminine shapes will rule the streets. Check out the sequin stunners at the end of the DVF show on the New York Times website for some serious eye candy.

Image courtesy of CoolSpotters