Sugar Cookies

 2 1/4 Cup sugar

1 Cup butter

3 eggs beaten

3 TBS milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

5 Cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

 

Cream sugar and butter.  Add eggs, milk, and vanilla, sift dry ingredients together and beat into creamed mixture, combining thoroughly.  With hands, shape dough in a ball; wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight until easy to handle.  On lightly floured board, roll one-half or one third of the dough at one time, keeping the rest refrigerated.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes or until light brown.

 

Deb Perelman's Chocolate Chip & Walnut Brittle Cookies

 

 

 

 

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. flaky salt, divided, plus more for garnish

½ cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into ½-in. cubes, cold but slightly softened

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

1⅔ cups (about 7⅛ oz.) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, cold but slightly softened.

8 oz. semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1⅓ cups)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour ⅔ cup granulated sugar into a 10-inch skillet; cook, undisturbed, over medium-high heat until sugar is partially liquefied, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk until sugar is completely melted; cook, whisking constantly, until sugar is copper-colored and slightly smoking, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat; quickly stir in walnuts.

2. Scrape brittle onto 1 baking sheet; quickly spread as thin as possible using a spatula. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon flaky salt. Chill in freezer until solid, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Beat together butter, brown sugar, ⅓ cup granulated sugar and ¾ teaspoon flaky salt with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed just until combined, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium; beat until butter is softened and somewhat fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Add baking soda and baking powder; beat until combined, about 10 seconds. Add flour; beat on low speed just until a few floury patches remain, about 30 seconds.

5. Smash chilled brittle into bite-size chunks. Add brittle and chocolate to dough; beat on low speed just until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Scoop dough into 3-tablespoon-size balls, spaced 2 inches apart on the 2 baking sheets.

6. Bake in oven, one pan at a time, until edges are golden brown and set but centers are soft, 10 to 14 minutes. Cool on pan on a wire rack, 5 minutes; garnish with flaky salt. Serve warm.

Serves: 15
Active time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Quick tip! "While you can bake it right away, the dough will keep for several days in the fridge," says Perelman. The brittle can be frozen for up to three months.

Best Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

Rich fudgy cake with a chocolate ganache glaze. An amazing gluten free cake!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (or half of each)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Glaze

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup high quality semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Line a round 8" cake pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Melt butter in a large glass mixing bowl in the microwave. Add the chocolate chips and let sit for 3-4 minutes. Stir together till chips melt, adding additional cooking time if needed. Let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk the sugar, salt, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Add the three eggs and whisk till well blended. Stir in the cocoa powder.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Immediately flip right side up onto another cooling rack. Cool completely.

Glaze:

1. Combine butter and chocolate chips in a glass bowl. Microwave for 1-3 minutes or till melted, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Spread glaze over cake. Let sit for several hours till chocolate sets.
3. Serve cake as is, or with fresh berries, whipped cream, or ice cream.

Picture and recipe courtesy of Creations By Kara

Compost Cookies

 

16 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp light corn syrup

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups potato chips (I recommend Cape Cod potato chips!)

1 cup mini pretzels

Step 1:  Combine the butter, sugars, and corn syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 2: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.

Step 3: Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk over mixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Step 4: Still on low speed, add the chocolate chips, oats, and  mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the potato chips and pretzels and paddle, still on low speed, until just incorporated. Be careful not to over mix or break too many of the pretzels or potato chips.

Step 5: Using a 2 ¾ ounce ice cream scoop (or a ⅓ cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not bake properly.

Step 6: Heat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment-lined sheet pans (no more than 6 large cookies per half sheet pan). Bake for 15 to 16 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. They should be very faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center.

Step 7: Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Barely Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

4 sticks butter

2 tablespoons vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 1⁄2 cups brown sugar

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda

5 cups flour

1 bag of good chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)

Step 1: Soften the butter until partially melted. Stir in brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.

Step 2: Combine salt, baking soda, and flour in a bowl.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix by hand. Do not over mix! Stir in chocolate chips.

Step 4: Using an ice cream scoop, spoon generous balls of cookie dough onto a greased and lined baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or overnight).

Step 5: When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F on the convection setting.

Step 6: Put the cold cookie dough tray into the oven and bake until the edges are brown but centers are still gooey (about 10 minutes). They will look “barely-baked.” 

RUTH’S PRO-TIP:

I often double or triple this recipe and freeze the raw dough in pre-scooped balls so we can have warm cookies whenever the mood strikes.

4 sticks butter

2 tablespoons vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 1⁄2 cups brown sugar

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda

5 cups flour

1 bag of good chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)

Step 1: Soften the butter until partially melted. Stir in brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.

Step 2: Combine salt, baking soda, and flour in a bowl.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix by hand. Do not over mix! Stir in chocolate chips.

Step 4: Using an ice cream scoop, spoon generous balls of cookie dough onto a greased and lined baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or overnight).

Step 5: When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F on the convection setting.

Step 6: Put the cold cookie dough tray into the oven and bake until the edges are brown but centers are still gooey (about 10 minutes). They will look “barely-baked.” 

RUTH’S PRO-TIP:

I often double or triple this recipe and freeze the raw dough in pre-scooped balls so we can have warm cookies whenever the mood strikes.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe (Easy Meal Prep Bowl)

Ingredients

Chicken

•  1/3 cup cornstarch
•  1 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 teaspoon pepper
•  2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (about 3 cups or 1 1/2 lbs)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  

Sauce

•  1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce/coconut aminos)
•  1 teaspoon sesame oil
•  1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Rice

•  1 cup jasmine rice
•  1 teaspoon lime juice

Veggies

•  2 Tablespoons olive oil
•  1 cup snow peas
•  2 cups halved Brussels sprouts (used broccoli)
  
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
•  1 green onion stalk, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

• In a medium bowl combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Add in the cubed chicken and toss until well coated.
• In a large non-stick skillet, add the avocado oil, heat over medium-high heat, and add in your chicken.
• Let pan fry for 5-8 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 5-8 minutes until the outsides are golden brown and the chicken is fully cooked. Once cooked stir a bit to break up the pieces.
• Transfer to a paper towel to allow any excess oil to drip off.
• While the chicken cooks – In a large bowl mix your sauce ingredients. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the sauce.
• Once the oil has dripped off the chicken add to the large sauce bowl and toss/mix until fully coated.
• Add more avocado oil to the pan and bring up to medium-high heat.
• Add in the snow peas and Brussels sprouts, cooking for about 15 minutes.
• Add the shredded carrots and seasonings, then cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies start to soften.
• While the veggies cook, cook rice according to instructions, add lime juice, and fluff before adding to prep bowls.
• Assemble the bowls – evenly divide the cooked rice, veggies, chicken, and top with chopped green onions. Drizzle each bowl with the extra sauce and enjoy!

Recipe and image courtesy of Jar Of Lemons

Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
  
  
  
• 1/2 medium chopped onion
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lb broccoli, (about 3 cups), chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 cup carrot, julienned (can buy matchstick carrots in produce section)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, (optional but brings out the flavor)
• 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
• salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Melt the 1/4 cup butter and sautee the onions in the butter until soft. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Whisk in the half & half and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium.
• Add the broccoli and carrots. Cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
• Add salt and pepper. You can leave the soup chunky or blend about 1 cup of the soup and stir it in for a smoother soup (that's what I do). Return to low heat and add the cheese. If your heat is too high your soup can get grainy. Stir in the nutmeg if desired.