Chockablock Cookies Food

THE BEST CRISPY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl until completely combined. Beat the butter, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) on medium-high speed until creamy, about 5 minutes. The mixture will look broken but that's ok. Beat in 1 teaspoon water and the vanilla until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Reserve the rest.
• Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Lightly press about 3 of the remaining chocolate chips into each cookie.
• Bake the cookies until they are a deep golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining dough.

THE BEST CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Use the paddle attachment for a stand mixer.) Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop to scoop half the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Chill the remaining dough while you bake the first batch.
• Bake at 375 degrees until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the middle, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheets completely, then line with parchment paper and repeat the scooping and baking process with the remaining dough.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks.
• Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Evenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (on convection setting if you have it.) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)
• Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. (Alternatively melt in a small saucepan.) Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
• Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.
• For a Rocky Road Bar:
• Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Make the batter as per cookie recipe and fold in 1 cup chopped walnuts along with the chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until the edges are light brown and the batter sets, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly and cover surface with 4 cups marshmallows and 1 cup chocolate chips. Broil at least 8 inches from the heat until marshmallows turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Keep an eye on the marshmallows, and turn the pan frequently--they go from golden to char in a wink.) Cool, cut and serve.

CHOCKABLOCK CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH WARM MACADAMIA NUT GOO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment or waxed paper.
• Sift together the 3 cups sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and blend briefly.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add the hot water, mixing at low speed just until combined. The batter will be quite thin.
• Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay) and the center feels firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Chill, covered, until ready to cut the cake.
• Meanwhile, make the caramel: Pour the 1 1/4 cups sugar into the center of a deep saucepan. Carefully pour the water around the walls of the pan, trying not to splash any sugar onto the walls. Do not stir; gently draw your finger twice through the center of the sugar, making a cross, to moisten it. Over high heat, bring to a full boil and cook without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally to even out the color, until medium caramel in color, 5 to 10 minutes. Immediately turn off the heat and use a wooden spoon to slowly and carefully stir in the cream (it will bubble up and may splatter). Stir in the macadamia and coconut. Set aside.
• When ready to serve, cut rounds of the chilled cake with a biscuit or cookie cutter, 2 to 3 inches in diameter. If the cake seems to be sticking, dip your cutter in cocoa powder between cuts.
• If the sauce has cooled, rewarm it over low heat (or in a microwave) until softened. Place a cake on each plate, and drizzle with caramel sauce. Place another round of cake on top and drizzle lightly with more caramel sauce.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk or hand whisk until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Fold in the flour, baking powder, chocolate and ¼ tsp salt as quickly as you can. Don't overwork the dough as this will toughen the cookies.
• For the best flavour, leave the mixture overnight: either cover the bowl and chill, or roll the mixture into balls and chill.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the mixture into balls, the craggier the balls, the rougher the cookies will look. If you want to give the dough more texture, tear the balls in half and squidge them lightly back together. Space out evenly on the baking sheets, leaving enough space between each to allow for spreading.
• Bake the fresh cookies for 8-10 mins and the chilled ones for 10-12 mins, or until browned and a little crisp at the edges but still very soft in the middle - they will harden a little as they cool. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes before eating warm, or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep for three days in an airtight container.