CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

There are a lot of the chocolate chip cookie recipes, but I think this one is quite interesting. It takes so little time for shaping these cookies, because after mixing the dough all you have to do is put the dough in the pan and bake, no need to use a lot of equipments, no need to shape in to portion. The recipe comes from my own magazine collection so old right? But I believe good recipe never grow out of date. As always I reduce the sugar amount in the recipe but if you use only nut in the recipe you may increase the sugar amount to 100g (or not up to your taste).

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Makes about 14 large pieces or 21 small pieces

170 g	unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking sheet
260 g	all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons	baking soda
½ teaspoon	salt
80 g	granulated sugar
160 g	brown sugar
1	large eggs
2 tsp	pure vanilla extract
180 g	Semi-sweet chocolate chip, Nut or White chocolate chip

1. Preheat oven to 180°C, with rack in center. Place a baking paper in 10 x 10 inches rimmed baking sheet; set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl cream butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture; beat on Low speed until just combined. Beat in the rest of the flour and chocolate chips or nut (if using).

3. Spread dough on prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through. until edges are brown and top is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely on baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to cut into bars.

*If using nut, let cool for 5 minutes and cut into bars before let the cookies cool.

Adaptation From: Martha Stewart Living -Holiday Party Foods (Special Issue December 2003)

CLASSIC PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Peanut butter cookie is always welcome by everyone, included me, I really like peanut butter (without anything else, just give me a jar and I finish it). This cookie taste like peanut butter in a solid form (but if you like chunk peanut butter, you may have to eat directly from a jar, or add some salted roasted peanut into this cookie). Using ice cream scoop make the cookie look uniform and they will all done at the same speed. I don’t think that you should keep it too long, the taste is very good the day it made.

CLASSIC PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN

2½ cups	all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons	baking soda
½ teaspoon	salt (+ ¼ teaspoon if you like a little bit salty like me)
1 cup (2 sticks)	unsalted butter, softened
1 cup	granulated sugar
1 cup	packed light-brown sugar
2	large eggs
1½ cups	smooth peanut butter

* For the best texture, use regular, not natural, peanut butter.

1. Preheat oven to 350 Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, then peanut butter.

3. Reduce speed to low, Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined after each addition. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

4. Using a 1½-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 1½-inch apart. Press cookies with fork tines to flatten and create a cross-hatch pattern. Bake until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Recipe from: Martha Stewart Living magazine

Issue: July 2006

CINNAMON SPRITZ COOKIES

I just got a  ................ then I think that I have to try something up to date this time(as I always make some recipes that I have a chance to read them again when it’s about 2 years past). These cookies seen to be very easy for me, and after my long day of work I really want to bake something that not take so much time (I addicted to bake I must say, it’s relax for me and plus I will have delicious things to eat and to give), with a cookie press, making them take a little time. Because cookies are great for giving, making a lot of them is never be too much (my cookies are gone now, after I taste some buttery and cinnamon little pieces, now only half dozen left).

CINNAMON SPRITZ COOKIES

MAKES ABOUT 5 DOZEN

3½ cups	all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon	salt
1 teaspoon	ground cinnamon
2	vanilla beans, halved lengthwise
1 cup	granulated sugar
3 sticks (12 ounces)	unsalted butter, room temperature
2	large egg yolks
2 teaspoons	ground cinnamon mixed with 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour; salt, and cinnamon.

Scrape vanilla seeds into a large bowl, and discard pods. Add sugar, and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add butter, and beat until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined.

Attach a wreath disk to a cookie press. Divide dough into 3 portions. Fill press with dough.

Press cookies onto baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Bake until barely golden, 9 to 12 minutes. Immediately sprinkle cookies with cinnamon sugar. Let cool slightly, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Cookies can be stored for up to 1 week.

From: Martha Stewart Living magazine

Issue: December 2007

Old Magazines

I have a new habit lately, after I set up my Blog, I always go through my old magazines and wonder why I didn’t try all the recipes ( I found out that I didn’t read some of them too, Oh my.). So, from now on you may find the recipes from the magazine that can date back to 10 years(I collected a lot of the magazine too). Not that I will leave my cookbooks behind but just to tell you not to wonder when you see where are the recipes come from).

Today is not very old (when you get older 2 years is not too long, right?). Buttery crescent rolls is not hard to do, and I include the how to from the magazine too.

BUTTERY CRESCENT ROLLS

MAKES 2 DOZEN

¾ cup (1½ stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for bowl and plastic wrap, plus 2 tablespoons melted

1 ¼ cups whole milk

¼ cup vegetable shortening

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2½ teaspoons salt

1 envelope (¼ ounce) active dry yeast (I use 2tsp instant dry yeast)

¼ cup water (105° to 110°F)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

5½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface (about 390g-410g)

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Butter a large bowl; set aside. Put milk, shortening, sugar, softened butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely.
2. Put yeast and water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes Mix in milk mixture on medium speed until combined; mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour. Raise speed to medium-high; mix until a soft dough forms, about 1-2 minutes. (If using instant yeast mix the yeast into the flour whisk to combine. Mix the water in to the milk mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour. Raise speed to medium-high; mix until a soft dough forms, about 1-2 minutes. )
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes, then transfer to buttered bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel; let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4. Roll dough into a 13-by-2o.inch rectangle. Trim edges to be straight. Cut dough in half lengthwise; cut both strips into 12 triangles (about 3 inches wide at each base). Gently stretch each to 2 to 3 inches long. Starting at widest end, gently roll up. Space 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets, pointed ends down. Cover loosely with buttered plastic wrap; let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush rolls with the melted butter (I use egg wash, it produces more shine, if you want to just mix egg and 1 tbsp of water and brush before baking). Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Serve warm.