Jacques Torres' Winning Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. minus 2 T. cake flour (8 1/2 ounces)
1 2/3 c. bread flour (8 1/2 ounces)
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 c.) unsalted butter
1 1/4 c. brown sugar (10 ounces)
1 c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar (8 ounces)
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
sea salt, for sprinkling

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and coarse salt into bowl. Set aside. Cream butter and sugars together until very light. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in chocolate chips. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24-35 hours (I skipped this step).
Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet, sprinkle sea salt over top. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes. Let cool.

One major NOTE: Eggs and butter need to be at room temperature!!

Thanks to Jessica Lewis for passing this on to me.

Peppermint Bark

Alright, I know I'm a little late with this one, but these tasty little things are good any time of the year-- but especially Christmas. I absolutely live for Guittard, but they don't carry that regularly here in Texas. My next option is the blessedly delicious Ghiradelli.

1 Bag of Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Bag of Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Reserve 1/8 c.)
2 Bags of Ghiradelli White Chocolate Chips
1-2 tsp Peppermint Extract
1- 1 1/2 cup Chopped/Crushed Peppermint Candy Canes
Crisco as needed

Spread parchment paper over a large cookie sheet and set aside. Melt milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave. After melted, spread evenly over parchment paper and let cool in fridge for 5-10 minutes, but pull back out before white chocolate is done melting.

Meanwhile, melt white chocolate with a small spoonful of crisco (or as needed to keep consistency with the white chocolate). After melted, pour in desired amount of peppermint extract and candy canes. Mix thoroughly.

Pour over milk/semi-sweet chocolate to spread out evenly and make sure both layers are binding together (this is why you do not want your darker chocolate to be too cool). Melt remaining chocolate chips and drizzle over layers. Allow bark to cool completely in refrigerator. After hardened, break apart in whatever size you desire.

Notes: The 60% cocoa is absolutely wonderful with this. Mix up your variations of the darker chocolate. I'm just a milk chocolate fan, but the semi-sweet seems to set up after being cooled.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Triple Berry-Granola Crisp

Makes 9 servings

1 bag (10 oz.) Frozen blueberries
1 bag (10 oz.) frozen strawberries
1 bag (10 oz.) frozen raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups oats & honey granola
Vanilla reduced-fat ice cream or vanilla yogurt, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish, stir together frozen berries, sugar and flour until fruit is coated.
2. Bake 20 minutes. Stir; sprinkle with granola.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until light golden brown and bubbly. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with ice cream.

Triple Berry Crisp

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, gently toss together blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and white sugar; set aside.
3.In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries.
4.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Berries in a nest

•4 cups halved fresh strawberries
•1 cup fresh blackberries
•1 cup fresh raspberries
•1/3 cup sugar
•3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
•1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

PHYLLO NESTS:
8 sheets phyllo dough
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon



In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Sprinkle with sugar; gently toss to coat. Let stand for 20 minutes. Pour vinegar over berries; sprinkle with pepper. Gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
For phyllo nests, coat giant nonstick muffin cups with a nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Unroll phyllo dough sheets; remove one sheet. (White assembling, keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and a damp cloth.) For each nest, cut one sheet in half lengthwise and cut in thirds widthwise. Stack three sections and place in a prepared cup; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Stack remaining three sections and place in cup, alternating points. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar over dough. Repeat with remaining sheets of dough. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a slotted spoon, fill each nest with about 3/4 cup berry mixture. Drizzle with a small amount of juice. Serve immediately

Orange Brownies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 C granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 C (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp pure orange extract
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 recipe Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2 inch pan.

Stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven, allow to cool and pierce entire cake with a fork. Spread the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting over completely cooled brownies. Cut into squares.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
4 Tbl softened butter
1 (1 lb) box confectioners' sugar
2 Tbl orange zest
2 Tbl orange juice

In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together with a hand-held electric mixer. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until it is all combined and smooth. Beat in the orange zest and juice. Spread over brownies.

Courtesy Paula Dean 2007

Notes: If the brownies seem to be browning too quickly before setting, place aluminum foil over it the last 10 minutes of baking. I used confectioners' sugar to taste because I didn't have the tools to measure out a lb of sugar. They are extremely rich and delicious! Hope you enjoy it!

Chocolate Haupia (Coconut Milk) Pie

1 prepared 9 inch pie shell

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

1 cup sugar

1 cup whole milk (but you can us skim or low fat)

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 cup water

7 ounces semisweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

chocolate shavings, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Bake crust for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

3. Set aside to cool.

4. In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, coconut milk and 1 cup sugar.

5. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water.

6. Bring coconut mixture to a boil.

7. Reduce to simmer and slowly whisk in the cornstarch.

8. Continue stirring mixture over low heat until thickened.

9. In a small sauce pan, melt chocolate chips for 1 minute or until melted.

10. Reserve 1/2 of the coconut mixture.

11. Mix remaining half with the melted chocolate and pour in bottom of pie crust;

pour reserved half on top of chocolate layer.

12. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

13. Whip cream with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.

14. Layer the cream on pie; if desired garnish with chocolate shavings.

15. *Best if it refrigerates over night to completely firm.

Banana Berry Brownie Pizza

• 1 (19.8 ounce) package fudge brownie mix
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg

Topping

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 medium firm banana, sliced
• 1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate, melted

1. In a bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, oil and egg until well blended. Spread into a greased and floured 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until combined. Spread over brownie crust. Bake 15 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool on a wire rack.
3. Just before serving, arrange strawberries and bananas over topping; drizzle with chocolate. Refrigerate leftovers

The BEST Carmel Corn

3-4 bags of microwave popcorn
1 cup light Karo Syrup
2 cups Brown Sugar
1 stick butter
1 can Eagle brand sweet condensed milk

In a medium pan, melt syrup, sugar and butter. Pour in milk. Stirring
constantly on medium heat, cook until temperature reaches 110۫ or to softball stage. At least 10-15 minutes. Pour over popped popcorn and mix with your hands. YUMMY!