Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have to start out by saying Oh. My. Gosh. I was not a chocolate chip cookie fan. And then I discovered this cookie, and I have to admit that I am SO glad I did. It combines the perfect amount of crunchiness edge of cookie along with staying incredibly chewy in the middle (although it is cooked completely.) I even forgot and left them out overnight once... and they were still as if I'd made them 10 minutes before. No change in texture or chewiness.(They havent been tried at lower altitudes)

(adapted from Cooks Illustrated) 

2 C plus 2 T flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
12 T. butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled until warm
1 C. brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients;mix until just combined. Stir in chips.
*If for some reason your dough is too soft to form balls at this point, DON'T add more flour.  Just cover and place bowl in the fridge until dough firms. I promise. The less flour keeps the cookies light and moist, adding more flour... you will regret. Possibly for the rest of your life.
Take about 1/4 C dough and form into a ball.  Break ball in half and place dough on cookie sheet with broken edge facing up (tearing the cookies like this gives the top that store bough "textured" look. Or just use a standard sized cookie scoop if you don't care or don't have the time.) Bake until cookies are set around outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 10-13 minutes.  I cook them JUST until I barely see any golden brown start to form around the edges. These cookies finish cooking as they cool on the pan. And they are also incredibly forgiving, so if they aren't to your desired "doneness" after they cool you can pop them back in the warm oven for another minute or two. Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store inairtight container.

Italian Bread Bowls

 I have to say I absolutely love these. I use them for everything. They're great to put soup in... or dip in soup... or just throw out there with a marinara pasta, they go with everything!

Makes 6-8 bread bowls
1 1/2 T active dry yeast
2 1/2 c.warm water
2 t. salt
2 T. vegetable oil
7 c. flour (due to altitude and humidity differences this amt may fluctuate slightly, in Idaho altitude I only use about 6 c. of flour, so just judge accordingly. With bread bowls you WANT the dough to be soft, but not sticky)
1 T. cornmeal

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups). This bread bowl needs to be a bit firmer than a roll/bread dough.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball/cylinder (you want the dough to rise more up than out). Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). If desired, slash the top surface of the bread bowl several times with a sharp knife or razor. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and baked through.

Baked Potato Soup

Courtesy of Our Best Bites

2 T butter
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
4 1/2 c. milk
1 (14oz) chicken broth
4 med baking potatoes (baked----375* for 60 minutes)
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. light sour cream
1/2 c. chopped green onions

Melt butter in stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 30-60 seconds. Add flour. Slowly add in milk while whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth. Add chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and heat until thick--about 5 minutes. Once the soup is thickened turn heat to med-low. Cut potatoes in half and use spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up the large clumps. Add 1 1/2 c. cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. green onions and 4 pieces of crumbled bacon. Add additional S & P to taste. Top with remaining onion, cheese, bacon and sour cream.

Ginger Crinkles

2 1/4 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. salt
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 egg

Mix together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In a separate bowl cream the brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Roll the dough into 1" (or slightly bigger) balls. Roll the balls in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Quick and easy! 20 minute recipe start to finish
5 c. water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 stalk celery diced
1 large carrot
1 can chicken
1/2 bag egg noodles (wheat)
rosemary
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Dissolve bouillon in water (boiling.) When dissolved add in carrots (sliced thin); diced celery, and noodles. Cook on medium high heat and boil until veggies and noodles are soft. Mix in the canned chicken (drained.) Mix in a few dashes of rosemary, 2 dashes of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

Rosemary Focaccia loaves

Adapted from Our Best Bites.

1 c. warm water
1 T yeast
1 T sugar
1/4 t. dried oregano
1 t. kosher salt
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T rosemary
1/4 t. garlic powder
2 1/4- 2 1/2 c. flour

In a large mixing bowl combine water, yeast, and sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl combine 2 c. flour, salt, 1 T rosemary, oregano and garlic powder. Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 T olive oil. Mix well. Slowly add remaining flour to make a soft dough (DONT ADD TOO MUCH HERE!) You want a soft and wet dough. Cover and rise 1 hour or until doubled. Lightly flour your surgace. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a round and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and rise 45 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use remaining olive oil to brush tops of loaves. Bake 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately. Really good dipped in balsamic vinegar and oil. 

Crock Pot Italian Beef for Sandwiches

1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 c. water
1 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. basil
1 t. onion salt
1 t. parsley
1 t. garlic powder
1 (5 lb) chuck roast
1 (.7 oz) pkg dry Italian style dressing mix (Good Seasons)

Mix all ingredients with a whisk. Place the roast in the crock pot and pour mixture on top. Low 10-12 hours; High 4-5 hours. When meat is done remove the bay leaf and shred the meat with a fork. (I do it about 45 minutes before serving so that the meat can soak up the extra juice. Serve on crusty hard rolls with mozzarella cheese.

Chili Enchiladas

1 c. cooked rice
3 cans hormel chili
10 tortilla shells
cheese

Mix the rice, chili, and some cheddar cheese together and roll out into the tortilla shells. Spray a 13 x 9 pan and place tortillas side by side in pan. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.