Chocolate Chip Cookies

What are the best chocolate chip cookies? For me, the dependable recipe is the Toll House bag chocolate chip recipe! It's been reliable and delicious, making delicious and soft chocolate chip cookies. Buy the Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips and cut the recipe out of the back of the bag. If you take them out right when they are golden on the edges and let the cookies sit on the sheet for another minute, then they come out soft and chewy in the center.

Recipe: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/Original-NESTL%C3%89-TOLL-HOUSE-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/detail.aspx

Tips:

*Use the light colored cookie sheets. The dark ones tend to over-brown the edges. (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=16794139&RN=870&)

*Use unsalted butter. The recipe doesn't mention this, but you are adding salt per the recipe so you should bake with unsalted butter.

Has anyone made the Nordstrom chocolate chip cookie recipe?! I might check it out next year!

Easy Bruschetta Recipe

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 7 med-large vine tomatoes Diced (OR use 4 vine and 4 roma tomatoes)

Garlic – 1 medium clove (crushed)

Onion – ½ large purple onion diced

Olive Oil – extra virgin olive oil – 3 tablespoons

White Wine Balsamic Vinegar – 2 tablespoons (add additional to taste)

Regular Balsamic Vinegar – ½ -1 tablespoon

Fresh Basil chopped – 1 – 1.5 tablespoons chopped (I prefer this chopped in the food processor. Using fresh basil is essential)

Salt (to taste – probably at least ¼ tsp)

Pepper (just a little for taste)

How To:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, let sit for an hour and serve!

I like to make the bruschetta at least an hour before serving and then leave it out so it’s room temperature. Serve w/ toasted sliced baguette. If you add too much salt, just add an additional diced tomato. Roma tomatoes produce less juice, so if you would like less liquid, then use 1/2 roma and 1/2 vine tomatoes in the mixture.

Homemade Hummus

I was gifted an immersion blender for xmas from my big sister. I've started to venture into dip making and hope to get more into shakes in the near future. This my latest favorite hummus dip!

Plain White Bean Hummus

1 can cannellini beans (drained & rinsed)

1 clove fresh garlic

1-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lemon

salt to taste

dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

dash of rosemary (optional)

Using an immersion blender or a food processor, add the beans and garlic to be mixed. Then add 1/2 of the olive oil and the lemon. Add the salt and continue to add olive oil as you mix. You may need to stop and make sure the garlic has not gotten stuck to the blade.

Flavor up the hummus and add the following:

(You will not want rosemary or red pepper flakes with this add in)

1 teaspoon tahini (optional)

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives (taste your recipe & increase as needed)

Try roasted red pepper hummus by adding the roasted red pepper puree to your hummus.

Tips:

* We are using cannellini beans because they create a creamier dip. Garbanzo beans are delicious, but create a grainy hummus.

* Add any flavors you like best to spice up the plain hummus.

* Spread this hummus on crostinis & sprinkle with kalamata olives & goat cheese for an appetizer.

Random Recipe: Pear Stuffed w/ Gorgonzola

I had some family over the other night and decided to try out a little experimental appetizer with them. It's quick and easy and involves cheese. I made a pear stuffed with gorgonzola. I found that I need a higher ratio of gorgonzola to pear - tasters agreed.

Ingredients: 1 pear & gorgonzola cheese (yummy)

Simple How To: Cut the top and bottom off the pear. Core the pear (minimum quarter size diameter if you can). Squeeze lemon juice in the cored area and cut edges to prevent the pear from browning. Stuff w/ gorgonzola to the brim & wrap in serran wrap. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to slice into rounds.