Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Wednesday peeps! The week is more than half over - you can do it!! These cookies got me revved up about baking again - they're delicious and totally different than any chocolate chip cookie I've ever had. They have a secret ingredient - coconut oil!

 If you're worried about how expensive coconut oil is, let me tell you a little secret! You don't have to pay loads of money for good quality cold pressed coconut oil!! Go down to your local Costco and load up- they had huge jars of really good quality stuff on for around $20! Stop paying the ridiculous prices at grocery stores and health food stores! You absolutely don't need to.

 I found this recipe on the Well Traveled Wife. Head on over there and check out her site - it seems like a good one with lots of yummy recipes. And if this recipe is any testament to the quality of her recipes, her blog is fantastic!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from The Well Traveled Wife

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 - 1 cup shredded coconut

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, cream the coconut oil and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time beating until incorporated after each addition. Add vanilla and beat til fluffy.
3. In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, powder and soda. Gradually add to the coconut mixture until just about incorporated (mixing on a very low speed). Add in chocolate chips and coconut and mix til just combined.
4. Drop by spoonful's onto prepared baking sheets. Bake in pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes until just lightly browned around the edges and still soft in the middle. Let set on tray for 2-4 minutes after removing from oven, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

The coconut oil adds such an amazing flavour to these cookies! You really need to try them. The beauty of these cookies is how quick and easy they come together - none of this finicky cookie stuff! Simple and delicious is all you'll find here!

Happy Baking my Friends!

 

Soft, Chewy Black & White Chip Cookies

Howdy peeps! Hows your weekend going so far? I worked this morning then ran around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get everything done before my two week trip for work... I leave tomorrow. Right now I've got the hockey game on in the background, watching my Canucks get their butts kicked (common theme this year I know) and on one of the commercial breaks, I watched a beer commercial that said "There's an art to everything..." and thats so true isn't it? As with other things, making perfect chocolate chip cookies is also an art. Its hard to find that "perfect" recipe and works out every time, but I think this recipe is one of the best I've ever tried. They've got a secret ingredient - cornstarch!! The cornstarch keeps them soft and fluffy and gives them a really silky texture in your mouth. Give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

Soft, Chewy Black & White Chip Cookies
Recipe minimally adapted from Anna Olson's Back to Baking

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter with the sugars together until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together with a whisk until evenly blended.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until evenly blended. Stir in white and dark chocolate chips.
5. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop scoops of cookie dough onto the prepared trays, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between the cookies.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, until the cookies are just golden around the edges and don't look quite done in the middle. Let cookies cool on tray for 5 minutes then remove to a rack to transfer completely.

So easy and delicious! Hope you enjoy these.

Note that I won't be around much the next couple of weeks, but I will try to get a couple posts up while I'm gone... maybe a couple restaurant reviews?!

Happy Baking my Friends!

GO CANUCKS GO!! Final Round Baked Goodies!

Well folks, its the final rounds of the Stanley Cup Finals and our beloved Canucks are struggling ... they started out strong the first two games, but they've lost a bit of steam. D had a bright idea that when we baked the Canucks cupcakes at the start of the 3rd round, they came through and won it... So we are really hoping that the baked goodies trick will win us the Cup too!! D did all the work! I mostly kept her company, made a batch of icing and piped some icing between the cookies. She did the hard part of coming up with the design, baking the cookies and piping the little letters painstakingly onto each sandwich cookie!! Of course she was kind enough to bring them in to work to share with our treat-loving office!

So lets hear a cheer for D and her mad skills!

Cookies are: Blondie (chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips) cookies, filled with vanilla buttercream and decorated with royal icing. Yummers!!

And three cheers for our beloved Canucks!!! You can do it boys!!

GO CANUCKS GO!!!

Neiman Marcus Cookies

I received an email a while ago (probably a couple of years ago) that had this recipe in it and said to pass along to all the people I possibly could. I didn't think much of it until I came across the recipe again in one of my cookbooks. According to the cookbook note, "the rumor that gave this cookie its rise to fame tells of a customer who inadvertently paid $250 US for this cookie recipe, thinking she was being charged $2.50 US." In spite of the ridiculously high price, she shared the recipe with everyone she possibly could. A quick google search put this rumor to rest as the information I read indicated that Neiman Marcus didn't even make chocolate chip cookies when this was said to occur. But its still a funny rumor that makes these cookies interesting to make!

These cookies are really delicious with the addition of some instant coffee powder. It just gives them this unique flavour and makes them really stand out above other chocolate chip cookie recipes. They're super easy to whip up, just be sure you don't over cook them. Cookies are always best when they're still nice and soft in the middle and just cooked through.

Neiman Marcus Cookies
Recipe from 500 Cookies by Philippa Vanstone

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sweet butter (I used salted)


• 1 cup light brown sugar


• 1 egg


• 2 tsp vanilla extract


• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder


• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.


2. Beat the butter and sugar together, and add the egg and vanilla. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients, including the coffee powder. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix in chocolate chips.


3. Roll into balls. Use your finger to flatten onto a non-stick baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool for five minutes.


4. Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and it's wonderful simplicity. It is a wonderful recipe and I guarantee you'll be asked for the recipe many times by any of your friends lucky enough to taste these cookies.

I'm going to head off and try to enjoy some of the sunshine we're finally getting here in Vancouver! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday afternoon.

Happy Baking my Friends!