Gale Gands Chocolate Chip Muffins Food

MINI CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line mini muffin tins with paper cups. In a mixer with a whip attachment, mix together the peanut butter, egg, and sugars until smooth. Add milk in 3 additions, mixing well each time. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together and add to the peanut butter mixture. Mix on low just until the flour disappears. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin cups filling 3/4 full (a small ice cream scoop works well for this) and bake until puffed up and firm on top, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan.
• Some people have allergies to peanuts, and if serving to guests, please make them aware of the inclusion of this peanut product.

MALTED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and cream with the butter. The mixture will look a bit grainy. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat together until fluffy. Add the malt powder and mix at low speed just until combined. One-third at a time, add the flour mixture, beating after each addition just until combined. Gently mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons onto the baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your cookies. The cookies will be flat. Let cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.

GALE GAND'S PINWHEEL COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat on low just until combined.
• Divide dough in half. Form 1 half into 4- by 4-inch square, wrap in plastic wrap, and set aside. Return other half to mixer. In metal bowl set over pan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Add melted chocolate to dough in mixer and beat just until combined. Form chocolate dough into 4- by 4-inch square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate both squares of dough 30 minutes.
• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut each dough square into 4 strips. Place 3 strips of chocolate dough and 4 strips of vanilla dough on baking sheet and refrigerate. Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out 4th strip of chocolate dough into 6- by 7-inch rectangle (use ruler to make sure dimensions are exact). Remove 1 strip of vanilla dough from refrigerator and, between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out into 6- by 6-inch square. Peel off top sheet of parchment from each dough and flip vanilla dough over onto chocolate, aligning top and bottom edges and allowing 1/2 inch of chocolate dough to stick out on each side. Run rolling pin lightly over doughs to adhere, then peel off top sheet of parchment. Fold extra 1/2 inch of chocolate dough over vanilla on 1 side. Starting on folded-over side and using parchment as aid, tightly roll up dough into log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Repeat with remaining strips of dough to form 4 logs.
• Refrigerate logs 1 hour, then remove from refrigerator and roll each log on counter several times to prevent bottom from flattening. Refrigerate 3 hours more, then transfer to freezer. When frozen, wrap in parchment paper, twist ends, and tie with decorative ribbon. Attach card with baking instructions for each log:
• Keep dough frozen until ready to slice and bake. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 2 large baking sheets. Using sharp knife, slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until vanilla dough is slightly golden, 9 to 11 minutes. Makes 20 cookies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CRUMB CAKE MUFFINS

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 375. Line regular muffin tins with 24 paper liners or line extra large muffin tins with 12 paper liners. To make topping, in mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, mix the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and mix on low speed. Add butter and mix on low speed til crumbly. Mixture will look sandy at first, and then will bind into crumbs. This may take several minutes, so keep mixing til larger crumbs form. Add the chocolate chips and mix just til they are dispersed. You can make this topping in advance and keep it in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week. To make muffins, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside. In bowl of mixer, (no need to wash the bowl after making the topping) fitted with whip attachment, beat butter on medium speed til it is light and fluffy. Then add sugar and mix well. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla. Add a third of the dry ingredients and mix til barely combined. The mix in a third of the sour cream. Repeat til all dry ingredients and sour cream are added and mixed til just combined. Scoop batter into lined muffin tins, filling them about halfway. Spoon topping onto tops of the muffins. Bake til muffins are cooked through and the topping is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes for regular muffins, 25 to 30 minutes for extra large muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 24 regular or 12 large muffins

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD (MOCK NUTELLA FROM GALE GAND)

Steps:

• In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts into a paste. Add the oil, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and continue processing. Add the melted chocolate and blend well.
• Strain the mixture through a fine strainer to remove any large grains of nuts. The mixture will be thin and a little warm. Pour into a jar to let cool and thicken slightly.
• NOTE: To roast and peel hazelnuts: Preheat oven to 350°F Place nuts in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast until the skins are almost black and the meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking so ensure an even color. Let cool, then place the nuts in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, and rub until most of the skins have come off.

GAND'S STAR ANISE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, put half and half, cream, star anise, ground cinnamon, vanilla and cinnamon stick. Heat, whisking occasionally to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. DO NOT LET BOIL. When the mixture reaches a fast simmer, turn off the heat and let the flavors infuse for 10 minutes.
• Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Still whisking, slowly pour half of the cream mixture in a thin stream to the egg mixture. Then add the egg-cream mixture to the saucepan containing the other half of the cream mixture.
• Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. At 160 degrees, the mixture will give off a puff of steam. When it reaches 180 degrees, it will be thickened and creamy, like eggnog. If you don't have a candy thermometer, test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture. Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the stripe remains clear, the mixture is ready; if the edges blur, the mixture is not quite thick enough yet.
• When the mixture is ready, quickly remove it from the heat.
• Meanwhile, put 2 handfuls of ice cubes in a large bowl, and add enough cold water to cover. Rest a smaller bowl in the ice water. Pour the cream mixture through a fine sieve into the smaller bowl, removing the vanilla bean pieces and cinnamon stick.
• Chill 3 hours. Then freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions. (Don't have an ice cream freezer? After 3 hours, gently stir ice cream and transfer to desired freezer storage containers. Freeze 2-3 hours, or until desired hardness. High fat ice cream will not get rock hard.).