Whisked Away

Hello Everyone!

2009-03-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow bakers and foodie pals! After what has seemed like a million years I am finally back! And I'm more than ready to start cookin' and postin' all the yummy stuff I want to make. All I can say is "WooHoo!" I hope you'll all come and take a looksy when you can :) I missed you all so much!

MIA

2008-11-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in awhile but another move has made my life incredibly busy and quite hectic. I promise to start with OBG, Barefoot Bloggers and my pie gals over at You Want Pies With That? real soon! Thanks for checking on me!!!

BB Bonus Recipe: Easy Cheese Danish

2008-10-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

This month's bonus recipe, Easy Cheese Danish, was selected by Val at More Than Burnt Toast. I made just a few changes based on using what I had on hand rather than making a special trip to the store. I used part-skim ricotta instead of cream cheese and orange zest instead of lemon. I cut the recipe in half and made four danish ( just the right number for two us...) and left two plain and placed some fig jam in the other two. They tasted pretty good. The plain ones had a definite orange flavor that kind of reminded me of...don't laugh...but they tasted like Trix cereal to me :) And that's a good thing! The ones with fig were quite figgy and yummy too.

There were just a couple of issues I had. By using the ricotta, the filling was pretty runny. I think had I used a little flour in the filling it would have stabilized the ricotta a bit more. Also, because of the filling being runny, I hesitated in using a lot of it in the danish and this was a mistake! I would have rather have dealt with overflowing danish and all that yummy filling rather than playing it safe and having more pastry than yummy goodness! Other than that, they were simple and easy and quite tasty. Oh, and I think in the future I will not glaze the entire danish with the egg wash because they always come out looking slightly burned on the edges even though they're not.

I can't wait to make these in different variations and see some of the delicious ones my fellow Barefoot Bloggers have created! If you'd like to try them too, here's the recipe:

Barefoot Contessa's Easy Cheese Danish

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 extra large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 T ricotta cheese
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 - 1 T grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place the cream cheese & sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment and cream together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don’t whip!
Unfold one sheet of pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it’s a 10×10 inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold two opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.
Bake the puff pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

Makes 8 Danish

You Want Pies With That? Theme One: "I Love That Movie" Pie Challenge

2008-10-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

“You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life…

oooooh…
See that girl, watch that scene, diggin’ the dancing queen!”

I love ABBA and that means that my Fav Movie Pick is…

yep, you guessed it –

This funkadelic "Dancing Queen Pie" is dedicated to Donna and the Dynamos! I wanted to honor the Greek isles, where the movie takes place, so I went with a traditional custard pie that my Mom has made for years. I liked the idea of using coconut because, well, I like it and it made me think of these Greek Honey Coconut Turnovers a friend of mine makes called Skaltsounes me Karytha.

So I tried to make something similar in flavor just in a pie form. I wanted to add a layer of Swedish lingonberry jam as a nod to ABBA, but IKEA was completely out and I could not find the stuff anywhere else so I opted for marionberry instead. In retrospect I should have just left it out but was trying to be creative. I then topped the pie with sweetened whipped cream, a dusting of sprinkles and some dancing queen crowns. Finally, I added a sparkly green "M" for Mama Mia on the very top. So, how did it turn out? Pretty over the top I would say!

Please go to the You Want Pies With That? blog to check out all of the fabulous pies these creative bakers have made! And be sure to rent this movie (once it comes out on Cable/DVD)...you wont regret it!

Banana Cream Custard Pie

(w/Coconut Changes in Pink)

Source: My Mom

1 baked pie crust

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/3 cups water

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 medium bananas (I used 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut here instead)

lemon juice (omit if using the coconut)

whipping cream, whipped

In heavy saucepan, dissolve cornstarch in water; stir in milk and egg yolks.

Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla.

Cool slightly.

(Fold in coconut, if using, and skip next step.)

Slice bananas; dip in lemon juice & pat dry.Place on bottom of pie crust.

Pour filling into crust; chill 4 hours or until set.

Top with whipped cream.

Operation Baking GALS - Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies, Choco Chip with Pecans and Choco Chip with Toffee Bits

2008-10-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

A GREAT BIG *HUG* and "THANK YOU!!!"

to all of our service men and women and to their families who sacrifice so much for our freedom.

I love you all!

And a special thank you to Lauren who headed up team "We'll Eat Everything!" for doing such a fantastic job! Please check out her blog at I'll Eat You and see all of the delicious cookies that were made for this round by our team. Also, please check out the other teams and their delicious cookies at Operation Baking GALS. You can also find out how to join OBG if you want to be a part of the next round!

Here are the recipes I used this time:

Joy of Baking Oatmeal Cookies (with Butterscotch Chips)

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (215 grams) light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (105 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups (260 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins or 1 cup white or dark chocolate chips, optional

(or butterscotch chips)

To toast nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and toast nuts for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop into pieces. Set aside.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the nuts, oats, and dried cranberries or chocolate chips (or butterscotch chips.)

*For large cookies, use 1/4 cup of batter (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and space the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the baking sheet. Then wet your hand and flatten the cookies slightly with your fingers so they are about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Bake the cookies for about 12 - 15 minutes at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C), or until light golden brown around the edges but still soft and a little wet in the centers. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

*Makes about 20 large cookies. (I made mine much smaller and was able to get 3 dozen 2" cookies.)

Joy of Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

3/4 cup (160 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (270 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup (100 grams) walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

(or with 1 cup Heath toffee pieces)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) with rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add the white and brown sugars and beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated, adding the chocolate chips about half way through mixing. If you find the dough very soft, cover and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

For large cookies, use about a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop or with two spoons, drop about 2 tablespoons of dough (35 grams) onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake about 12 - 14 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes about 4 dozen - 3 inch round cookies

An Addicition...or a Passion?

2008-10-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have something to admit...I have an addiction...to cookbooks. Yes, it's true. I love them! I must have hundreds, plus more stashed away in boxes in the basement, and then there's the ones hanging out in my parents garage still...sorry Ma and Pa :P Whenever there is a yard sale, I zone in on the cookbooks, delighting over my finds like treasure: new hip favorites as well as the classics. While people are bartering over furniture, TV's and used skis, I'm drooling over the cookbook selections! They are all so cool to me!

I have such a eclectic assortment of titles sitting next to each other on the bookshelf - and that's not even including all of the magazine and little cookbooks like the ones you find by the checkout. And then there's the recipes I've started to transfer to the computer or have downloaded. And last but certainly not least are all of the recipes that I have written down in little journals (at last count I had 20 of these precious books filled with handwritten recipes from all different sources but most are ones that were given to me by friends or family.)

See...it's an addiction! But I call it love :) It's my passion...it's an all consuming kind of love, the kind that is a part of making up who I am. I'm happiest when I am thinking about food, looking at pictures of it (or even better, the real thing!), making/baking it, reading about it, discussing it...it's the switch for my soul, what put's that sparkle in my eye and spring in my step!

So, I ask you, is it an addiction or a passion, or can it be both? Not sure but I do know that it makes me happy :)

Barefoot Bloggers: Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

2008-09-30T23:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone! I am a few days behind in posting about this yummy soup. I am in the process of moving and underestimated how long it would actually be before being connected to the internet once again (LOL!) Better late than never anyway, right? :-)

I must say that this soup was quite delish - very rich and creamy and the mushroom flavor really came through. I thought it a little bland at first taste so I added a bit of curry powder and it made all the difference in the world! I know, I know...kinda weird spice to add but it my secret weapon - in my opinion it can make pretty much anything taste better! I also chose thyme to top the soup instead of parsley (what's with all the parsley Ina???) - much better!

Thanks go to Chelle of Brown Eyed Baker for selecting this Ina Garten recipe. Be sure to check out her blog as well as all of the other Barefoot Bloggers versions of Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup - I'm sure they are fabulous!

Here's the recipe:

Barefoot Contessa's Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
Copyright Ina Garten and Food Network

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

*Note: This recipe makes A LOT of soup so be prepared to freeze some, or share it with friends and family. We ate it two nights in a row plus had two large containers leftover. It's a good soup, but I really didn't feel like eating it for a week ;-)

Chocolate Cake...need I say more?

2008-09-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

“There’s something satisfying about scooping flours into a measuring cup, cutting butter into small squares, inhaling a whiff of vanilla flavoring before adding it to dough. When I am anxious or wandering, all I need to do is bake, and I am home.”

I borrowed the excerpt above from Shauna James Ahern over at Gluten Free Girl. She has the gift of being able to put into words exactly how I am feeling and happens to be one of those special people that even though I’ve never actually met her, I feel as if she is a long time friend. And that is why I borrowed her thoughts about baking…they describe just how I feel when I get into the kitchen...I, too, feel like I am home. I just adore her and her blog…please check it out…you don’t need to have a gluten allergy to adore her recipes and her blog!

So My Sweets had a birthday last week - Yea!!! And all he wanted was chocolate cake (see a couple of posts ago…) So having put out a call to all of you for a yummy chocolate cake recipe, Anna of Maybe Just a Little Bite... shared her favorite recipe with me and it was a HUGE hit! Thank you, thank you , thank you dear Anna for sharing your foolproof recipe with me! My Sweets said it was the best he’s ever tasted! I have already added it to my recipe box and will be making it a lot in the future…and I definitely want to try it with peanut butter frosting as you had mentioned…YUM!!!! Here’s the recipe:

Hershey's Chocolate Cake

(via Anna at Maybe Just a Little Bite...)

2 cups sugar

1 ¾ cups flour

¾ cup cocoa

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Mix all ingredients, with the exception of boiling water. Then add water and pour batter into pans, (2 nine inch pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes.

*I also made cupcakes and baked them at 350 degrees for 17 minutes (it made 24 by the way…) I topped them with the chocolate buttercream recipe below:

Hershey’s One Bowl Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla.

We celebrated My Sweets birthday at work - he works as an engineer for one of the local television stations here in town and has the night shift (ugh!) - so I brought cake and cupcakes. By the time I remembered to take pictures the cake was already gobbled up :( So I was able to get pictures of only the cupcakes. I made two varieties: Chocolate with Chocolate Buttercream with little Chocolate Covered Cherries on top (same as cake, just picture the cherries placed on the outside edge of cake) and the second was my version of an Almond Joy cupcake with Vanilla-Almond Buttercream, Coconut and a Chocolate Dipped Almond on top. They were really fun and easy to make and everyone seemed to enjoy them - these were the only two left to photograph at the time and were quickly snatched up! LOL :)

Barefoot Bloggers Bonus Recipe: Apple Turnovers

2008-09-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

Apple Turnover with Caramel Sauce

YUM! These are simply delicious and a snap to make. As my family would say, "This one's a keeper!" This being only my second Barefoot Blogger recipe, I'm feeling pretty confident! And Ina's recipes (so far any way...) are pretty straight forward and come together well. I made only one small substitution by omitting the cherries and using dried apricots and raisins. I knew that I would be sharing these with my parents tonight and know they LOVE apricots and raisins...so there you go! Oh, and I soaked them in a bit of brandy for about 20 minutes before draining and popping in with the apples. Mmm...heavenly! Simply wonderful!

Apple Turnovers Dusted with Icing Sugar and Cinnamon

Thanks go to Anne Strawberry for choosing this awesome recipe for this month's BB Bonus Recipe - excellent selection! Please go check out all of the wonderful Barefoot Bloggers Apple Turnovers today!

Barefoot Contessa's Apple Turnovers
Copyright Ina Garten and Food Network, All Rights Reserved

1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
3 tablespoons dried cherries
3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch kosher salt
1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

P.S. I had some extra ingredients so I decided to make a small strudel with the same filling and I think it turned out pretty well :) What do you think?

My Sweets enjoying my sweets!

A Favor to Ask for the Birthday Boy (or Guy!)

2008-09-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

picture by mamac2008

Hello to all of you marvelous bakers out there! I need to ask a favor of you...would you please share your favorite Chocolate Cake recipe with me? Here's why...my boyfriend is having a birthday this week and when I asked him what he would like, his reply was, "Please bake me something." Something? To a baker that is the most open-ended invitation out there! I had to push for more... "Come on, there has to be something you're really craving...? Cheesecake? Key Lime Pie? Creme Brulee???" And his response... "Anything you make is special and I'd love it...but I really like chocolate cake."

Chocolate cake? Well, okay. I mean I love chocolate and would never turn down the chance to work with (or eat) the stuff but it just seemed kind of plain. Of all the things I could try to bake him that probably wouldn't have been it. Glad I asked! But then the more I thought about it I saw just how beautiful his decision to have chocolate cake was. Simple, uncomplicated and truly a classic - what a fabulous choice!

Here's my dilemma - I've only made a simple chocolate cake a handful of times in my life and in my younger years it was always from a box. The only recipe-type has been the Martha Stewart version, which I remember as being good but not quite chocolaty enough for me and the frosting took forever to make and was still grainy at the end (which I believe was totally my fault and not hers.) And when I tried Googling "chocolate cake" I came back with so many recipes that I began to feel quite overwhelmed! And I really don't know if they are any good or not either...

Sooo that is where all of you come in. I am asking for your help in sending me or directing me to the best chocolate cake recipe you have ever tasted! I want to really knock my boyfriend's socks off since this is what he would really like and I'd love to have a really good chocolate cake and frosting recipe to keep in my recipe box. I know that I can rely on all of you wonderful bakers out there to help me :) Thank you!!!I know he's going to love it :)

{ Sostane } : Sisters of Sustainability : Remarkable Women Redefining Sustainability

2008-09-11T15:42:00.001-07:00

{ Sostane } : Sisters of Sustainability : Remarkable Women Redefining Sustainability

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Barefoot Bloggers: Grown Up Mac and Cheese

2008-09-11T12:29:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I was going to try this recipe "AS IS" and not substitute anything but...I just couldn't bring myself to include the blue cheese and Gruyere. Growing up in a German-Swiss home I have had my fill of stinky cheeses and really don't care for them or how they make me feel after having eaten them (i.e. bloated and tired!) Blah! So, I substituted smoked mozzarella for the Gruyere, kept the sharp cheddar and just added a bit more of each to make up for the loss of the blue cheese. I added just a pinch of salt with the nutmeg and pepper, and also added some peas because that's the way my Mom used to make it :)

And the results? YUMMY! It truly made my heart sing...a beautiful, light crunchy crust of cheese and breadcrumbs (oh, by the way, I used a stale bagel...it's all I had) and underneath the gooey loveliness of the mac (or in this case gemelli) and velvety cheese sauce. And interspersed are little yummy surprises of bacon and peas. And that little burst of freshness from the basil...Delicious! I will be saving this one for my recipe box...Thank You Ina!

Barefoot Contessa's Grown Up Mac and Cheese
Copyright Ina Garten and Food Network, All Rights Reserved

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Operation Baking GALS

2008-09-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Life has been so hectic with school starting and the holiday weekend that I found myself baking these delicious chocolate chip cookies for Operation Baking GALS at 9:00pm last night! They are fantastic too! I've always been one to use the standard Tollhouse cookie recipe on the back of the morsels package and they've always been a terrific and reliable cookie - basically indestructible and a favorite. But last week I found the "Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe" by Donna Diegel. I wanted to try it and I'm so glad that I did! The cookies are thinner and more delicate then the dense Tollhouse variety and to me that is what makes them sooo very amazing! They just melt in your mouth and have such a light delicateness...mmm, so very good! I highly recommend you give them a try. They are a new favorite of mine and I hope they become one of your new favorites too! Please go check out Donna Diegel's blog Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases and go to Suite101 to try the recipe today! You'll be really glad that you did! :)

This is an original recipe from Donna Diegel of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases and Suite101.com.

"The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies"

2 cups + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
8 ounces (1 cup = 2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounce bag (2 cups) gourmet semi-sweet chocolate chips

Donna's recipe can be found in its entirety on Suite101.