March 26, 2009

Thick and Chewy Double-Chocolate Cookies


These are the most amazing cookies. I love chocolate and these have plenty of it. They are chewy and the chocolate chips melt in your mouth. You can also freeze them (which I had to do so I didn't eat them all in one night!) If you are not a dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate fan you could use milk chocolate instead and I am sure they would be just as good. These cookies are now my favorite and I know I will be making them over and over again. I found them on www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Thick and Chewy Double-Chocolate Cookies
Adapted slightly from The New Best Recipe

**Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.**

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 ½ ounces) baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (or melt the equivalent of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 ½ cups (10 ½ ounces) packed light brown sugar
½ cup (3 ½ ounces) granulated sugar
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave (50% power for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave in 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted - be careful not to overheat or chocolate will sieze). In a small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla lightly with a fork; set aside.

Beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in the sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; the mixture will look granular. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add the chocolate in a steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Finally add the chocolate chips. Do not overbeat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the consistency is fudge-like, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners (this is pretty important - if the cookies are baked on a greased baking sheet only, they will probably stick). Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and place them on the cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart.

Bake until the edges of the cookies have just begun to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10-11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets about 5 minutes or until set and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

March 23, 2009

Green Enchiladas

Sorry there is no picture!  But these are really good anyway.  We made these for St. Patricks Day and they were yummy!  I got the recipe from recipezaar.com.   I baked my chicken in a 325 degree oven with a rub consisting of cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic salt and a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes.  I added a bouillon cube and a little water and covered the chicken tightly and baked until tender.  I then cut the chicken into bite size pieces.  This was one of the suggestions in the recipe or you could just boil the chicken and shred it.  The recipe also calls for an 8 oz cream cheese, I only used half that amount, and I used light.  I also used about 1/4 C salsa verde in place of the green chilies as we are not fond of diced green chilies.  The consistency is more like a casserole since the corn tortillas disintegrate a little when baked.  The next time I would like to try flour tortillas and see what they are like.  Anyway, Enjoy!!

1 lb. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz. diced green chilies
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C onion, diced and sauted until tender
3 C green enchilada sauce (I used a lg can of old el paso)
12-14 white corn tortillas (small size)
1-2 C shredded cheese (I used mexican blend)

Put about 1/4 C enchilada sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan.  In lg bowl mix chicken, chilies, cream cheese, onions, 1/2 C cheese and 1/4 C enchilada sauce.  Spoon mixture evenly on tortillas and roll up.  Place rolled  tortillas in pan and cover with remaining enchilada sauce.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  (I also topped mine with sliced black olives).  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 min. before serving.