Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cookies

It was kinda of a lazy weekend. I had a hankering for a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich. When I get that feeling.....I need se.....oh...sorry....got caught up in a moment. Anyhoo, I decided to make my own. I do not own a ice cream maker.....yet....so I went to supermarket and picked up some good ole

HAAGAN DAZ!!


Vanilla Chocolate Chip to be exact.

I used a different chocolate cookie recipe then usual. I got this recipe from BlogChef.net

Chocolate Chip Cookies
from BlogChef
makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups of all purpose flour

¾ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter (softened)

¼ cup of sugar

1 package instant vanilla pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs (beaten)

2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl sift flour and baking soda together.

3. In mixer bowl beat sugar, brown sugar, butter, pudding mix, vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

4. Add in the eggs and mix well.

5. Beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture and stir in chocolate chips.

6. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. I use a small ice cream scooper.
7. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Ready to be baked

Baked cookies. Let cool to room temperture and place cookies in the freezer.

Take a small scoop of slightly defrosted ice cream and place in the center of your cookie.

Enjoy! Also enjoy my nail color of the week.

Butterscotch Crumpcakes

Over the holiday weekend I went on a baking frenzy! I made a sweet potato danish braid, chocolate cookies, lemon curd and cupcakes! The cupcakes were a special request from my brother as a belated birthday present. Since I didn't give him anything but a hug and a "Happy Birthday" I obliged. He is not a fan of icing of any kind so he asked for plain vanilla cupcakes. I have made Chockylit's recipe and while I liked them, my taste tester found them extremely sweet. My go to vanilla cupcake recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma Cakes book.

While getting the ingredient together to make the cupcakes I just couldn't help thinking about what could go on top of them. I know my brother loves Tastykake Krumpets so I decided to translate them into a cupcake.

Vanilla Cupcakes
Adapted from Butter Cake recipe in Williams Sonoma Cakes book
makes 12 - 14 cupcakes

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
seeds from 1/2 of vanilla pod
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place cupcake papers into pans.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. Place the butter and sugar in your bowl and cream ingredients until light and airy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly before adding the next. Stop the mixer and scrap down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.
5. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Next add one-half of the milk and mix until incorporated. Continue adding the ingredients in the same order, ending with the last third of the dry ingredients
4. Scoop batter 2/3 full into cupcake cups and bake for 15-20 minutes or until tester comes out clean and the cupcakes are golden brown.

Butterscotch Icing
from CDKitchen
makes 3 cups

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Melt butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar; bring to a boil over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Stir in milk; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Pour mixture into standing mixer bowl and cool to lukewarm.
3. Gradually add powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency. Beat until thick enough to spread.

I dipped the tops of the cupcakes into the butterscotch icing and let them set for 15 minutes. Make sure the cupcakes are room temperature when you dip them or the icing will melt.

END VERDICT - 4 1/2 Stars

These cupcakes are FREAKING awesome. I think they taste as close to a Krumpet as possible. This is how good they are: My brother picked up his gift (8 cupcakes...My Stinkie and I had a couple and he ate a couple before leaving the house) Sunday night 9:00. By Monday noon I received a phone call from my mother telling me how greedy my brother is BECAUSE THEY WERE GONE. Tell you alot huh?

Until next time,

Happy Smacking!

Daring Baker Challenge - Danish Braid

This month's challenge was making a danish braid. I was very excited to make it because I have never worked with yeast before. I'm sorry for the short post put I was up until 2am proofing the dough because I waited until the last minute to make the danish braid. Now for the recipe and pictures.

Danish Braid
Makes 2/12 pounds of dough

For the dough (Detrempe)

1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated (I omitted)
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (I omitted)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Dough Directions

1. Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed.
2. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well.
3. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated.
4. Place dough on floured surface and knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky.
5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

For the butter block (Beurrage)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Butter Block Directions

1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.

1. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
2. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough.
3. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter.
4. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third.
5. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle.
7. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
8. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. 9. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight.

The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Cream Cheese Filling

3 8oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

1. Place the cream cheese and sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla, egg and vanilla bean seeds and blend until completely incorporated.

Sweet Potato Filling

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
4 1/4 tbsp sugar

1. Individually wrap the sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes.
2. Remove potatoes from oven and let cool for 15 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle.
3. Remove the pulp from the potatoes and smash slightly.
4. Add the cinnamon, milk and sugar.
5. Blend until smooth.

Dough kneaded and ready to go into the refrigerator

Butter Block Process

Filled with cream cheese filling

Ready for last proof

Cooked and ready to be devoured.

Sorry for the sucky pics. Here are the sweet potato filled danishes

Topped with a simple cinnamon glaze and chopped walnuts. Freaky Yum!!!

END VERDICT - 4 1/2 stars

The danish dough is soooooo yummy. The cream cheese filling was little more runny than I wanted but it was still extremely delicious. I haven't tried the danishes with the sweet potato filling yet. I will post a pic and tell you how it tastes later tonight.

Update:

The sweet potato filled ones are off the chains!!! Do people still say that?

Until next time,

Happy Smacking

Happy Father's Day

My father requested a cake for father's day. A chocolate cake with white (that's what he said) icing. The chocolate cupcake recipe I use is from Chockylit. I have tried to make it into a cake and it didn't turn out that well so I had to find another recipe. I took to my fellow daring bakers and Amn8rchick suggested this recipe. I used it with some changes and it turned out yummy.

Chocolate Cake
makes two 9 inch cake and 12 cupcakes

2 cups hot water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee granules
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Pour 2 cup of milk in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Do not bring to a boil, just bring it until you see small bubbles around the outside of the pan.
3. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans.
4. In medium bowl, pour hot milk over cocoa and coffee granules, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool.
5. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
6. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
7. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla.
8. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture.
9. Spread batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.


I know my lettering can be better but I'm working on it! The dots are made out of candy melt.

Vanilla Buttercream

6 large egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperture
1 tbsp vanilla extract
seeds from 1 vanilla bean

1. In the heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 2 to 4 minutes more.)
4. Beat in vanilla and vanilla seeds. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes.

END VERDICT - 4 and 1/2 stars

While I didn't have any of the cake, I did have....um....several cupcakes. The cupcakes are yummy and have a good chocolate flavor. I just wish they were a little sweeter. The next time I make these I will probably add an extra 1/4 cup of sugar.


Until next time,

Happy Smacking!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every time my friend Katrina comes over I end up making chocolate chip cookies. Why? Because that greedy heffa asks for them EVERY TIME.

JaySpice: Hey girl. How you doing.
Katrina: I'm good....would be better if I had some chocolate chip cookies to eat....
Jayspice: ........greedy heffa.......

You guessed it. She came over today. We were supposed to have the kiddies make Easter baskets today but plans changed because her daughter's grandmother wanted to see her. So we got the stuff to go in the baskets, came back to my place and split it. Cookies were mentioned and cookies were made.

I always make the Nestle Toll House Cookie recipe.

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen (60) cookies (I got around 50)

.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

2. COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Dough all ready for scooping

A small ice cream scoop make the cookies uniform in size which makes for even baking

All ready for the oven!

My little timer is a cookie saver! I have burnt many a cookie before he came into my life.

Cookies cooling...two missing...greedy heffa got to them....

END VERDICT - 4 1/2 stars

I rarely fug up these cookies. The key to making these cookies is making sure your flour is sifted and your baking ingredients are at room temperature.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you don't want to use all the cookie dough, you can freeze what is leftover. You can place the leftover cookie dough in some parchment or wax paper and roll it into a log and place it into the freezer. When you are ready for some fresh baked cookies you can pull the log out and slice off however many you want.

You can also do what I did. I scooped out the cookie dough on a baking sheet and placed it the freezer for 30 minutes or until they are firm.

Then you just put them in a Ziploc bag. You may have to wait a minute before taking them off the cookie sheet. They tend to stick a little bit.

Now you just take them out the bag and bake! Until next time.....

Happy Smacking!