Chewy Chcolate Chip Cookies

Here's a chewy chocolate chip recipe that Trang gave me: http://www.freestylefarm.ca/2011/04/03/the-best-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

A perfect balance of crispy & chewy cookies, yields 3-4 dozen depending on how big you make them.

Wet Ingredients:

• ½ cup (or one stick) Melted Unsalted Butter
• ¼ cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Salt
  
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips (semi-sweet)
• 1½ cup Oatmeal

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combined melted butter, oil and sugar in a medium size bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth and glossy.
2. Add whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon (sprinkle and distribute evenly) into wet mixture, and mix well. You should probably combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl first before adding, but this works too.
3. Add oatmeal and chocolate chips, and cut into the dough mixture.
4. Use two teaspoons to make ping-pong size balls, and drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Leave room in between for cookies to spread.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, ovens vary, so keep an eye and look for browning around the outside edge. A lighter brown cookie (slighter under done) for a chewier cookie, an darker brown for a crispier cookie. They will be very soft straightout of the oven, let them cool a bit to crisp up before handling or they will break.

December 23, 2012 update: I finally had time to bake these. Not bad... but not the best ever. I took them out early so they'd be chewy. Husband said they were fine but something was missing or... just not quite right. The search for the perfect cookie will continue.

Asian Coleslaw Recipe

It's always nice when you work with colleagues who have healthy habits and good recipes. Trang has given me two more to try. The first is an Asian coleslaw and the other is a chewy chocolate chip cookie.

Here's the slaw recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/asian-coleslaw/detail.aspx?scale=5&ismetric=0

I'm always on the hunt for a good dressing that integrates peanut butter. She substitutes the three tablespoons of vegetable oil with one vegetable oil and two tablespoons of water to cut down on the fat. She says it's makes it a little runnier, but still tasty.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons and 1-1/2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

2-1/4 teaspoons minced garlic 2-1/2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage 1 cup shredded napa cabbage 1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced 1 carrots, julienned 3 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (5). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (10).

1.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.

2.

In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, napa cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving. Update December 23, 2012: I meant to write my review of this when I made it a few weeks ago. OHMIGOD it's delicious! I am a stickler for keeping to an original recipe so it took me a couple days to collect all the ingredients, but the dressing was ridiculously good. I always find myself in stores looking for a good peanut butter satay sauce and nothing ever lives up. But this? Totally hits the spot for the sweet and salty combination. It would be great with satays and salads.

Trang's Brownie Recipe

It's funny how some things come full circle. Years ago I worked on an IT project with some folks who went their separate ways as the project wound down. The IT world is small though and somehow some of us all came together again, this time in operational positions.

Two of the girls I worked with, Trang and Victoria, now work with me and Victoria is home of many of the recent recipes I've posted. When I gushed about a brownie recipe, she reminded me that Trang had one of the best. I scratched my head. I couldn't remember this. She said Trang had brought it in once and our PM, who usually never eats sweets, couldn't stop. So I asked Trang for the recipe and here it is! I can't wait to try it out. She says it's a "Best of Bridge" recipe.

Fantastic Fudge Brownies
Brownies:
1 cup butter (=250 ml)
2 cups sugar ( = 500 ml)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (= 60ml)
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp, vanilla (= 5 ml)
1 cup flour (250 ml)
1 cup chopped walnuts of pecans (250 ml)

Icing
2 cups icing sugar (500 ml)
2 tbsp butter (30 ml)
2 tbsp cocoa powder (30ml)
2 tbsp boiling water (30ml)
2 tsp vanilla (10 ml)

To make brownies: cream together butter, sugar and cocoa powder. Mix in beaten eggs and vanilla. Add flour and stir. Fold in nuts. Bake in a greased 9x13" pan at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Top will appear to be underdone (falls in middle) but don't overcook. Should be moist and chewy.

To make icing: beat all ingredients together while brownies are baking. Pour on top as soon as brownies come out of oven. it will melt into a shiny glaze.