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holidays

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

December 8, 2020 by Amy 2 Comments

I’m not sure how this happened, but it’s time to get started with holiday baking again. Now – I will say, things are a LOT different this year.

For one, the giant annual bake-palooza that I’ve traditionally done is definitely NOT happening this year. With the pandemic, my husband and I are working from home – our jobs are mainly behind a computer, so while I miss the water cooler environment of the office, my day-to-day job tasks really weren’t that impacted. HOWEVER, I have gotten a few hints and nudges to still bake – some coworkers even want to do a curbside pick-up thing. (Huge compliment, for sure!)

The only baking that is FOR SURE happening is for family and neighbors (which I plan on doing via door drops). We have personally kept our safe COVID bubble to just my husband and I since March, and we do not have any plans to change that. Does it still feel like Christmas? Of course not – but we will do what we can to make things as festive as we possibly can.

Baking is one of them – and these chocolate chip cookies? While they aren’t festive, they are 100% perfection. I’ve tested multiple chocolate chip cookies, and no other recipe holds a candle to this recipe. It’s perfectly chewy with a butterscotch-y flavor from the brown sugar, and the mix of different chocolate chunks make this cookie an absolute dream. Just promise me you won’t skimp on the dough chill time, ok?

Also, check out the wonderful recipes that other bloggers are sharing for #ChristmasSweetsWeek (below the chocolate chip cookie recipe).

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: slightly adapted from For Me, For You

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups minus 2 tbsp. cake flour (8 1/2 oz)
  • 1 2/3 cups bread flour (8 1/2 oz)
  • 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 sticks (10 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) light brown sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. (8 oz.) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3/4 lb. bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks (about 60% cacao content)
  • 1/2 lb. milk chocolate chips or chunks
  • Sea salt or kosher salt for garnishing (I use Maldon salt)

Directions:

  1. Combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until well-blended and set aside.
  2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light and fluffy – about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, and add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing the dough well after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. Turn the mixer on low speed, and add in the dry ingredients. Mix the dough together, until JUST combined. Using a spatula or spoon, mix in the chocolate chips, until they are incorporated into the dough.
  4. Press plastic wrap on top of the dough, and refrigerate the dough for 24-36 hours (no more than 72 hours).
  5. When it’s time to bake, remove the bowl of dough from the fridge, and allow the dough to soften slightly. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  6. Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 oz in size), scoop 6 dough balls onto the baking sheet, making sure to space them out evenly. Sprinkle the tops of the dough with sea salt, and bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes, until the cookies are just turning golden brown. To cool the cookies, place the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes, and then transfer the cookies to the wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2020! Co-hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and fun? 21 bloggers from around the country have come together to share some of their favorite sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, cocoa, and more! Follow along on social media with our #ChristmasSweetsWeek hashtag. Happy Holidays!

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Breakfast and Baked Goods Recipes
Easy Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread by Love & Confections
Eggnog French Toast by Sweet Beginnings

Candy and Fudge Recipes
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge by House of Nash Eats
Popcorn Three Ways by Christmas Tree Lane

Pastry and Dessert Recipes
Dark Chocolate Graham Crackers by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies by The Nifty Foodie
Toffee Chip Cookies by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
Gingerbread Cupcakes by Magical Ingredients
Instant Pot Gingerbread Cheesecake by Kate’s Recipe Box

Filed Under: Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts Tagged With: chocolate, cookies, holidays

Classic Cinnamon Rolls

December 7, 2020 by Amy 6 Comments

Happy Holidays, y’all! ‘Tis the season for the holiday shopping bustle, office parties, holiday bake-palooza….wait…

I’ll be honest – without the normal traditions, I’m struggling with feeling the holiday spirit. We put up the tree – heck, we even splurged on a new 9 ft. tree – but with the way things are currently, it’s so different. SO much is different.

I haven’t felt the holiday funk since the year our sweet dog, Millie, passed away from cancer. I couldn’t face the doggie decor – I knew her ornaments and stocking would be there. This year, I’m sitting in our house and kind of mourning the loss of what I have ever known the holidays to be (as most of us are).

I know what you are about to say – count your blessings, Amy. Oh trust me – I absolutely am. I’m lucky to have a job that puts safety at the forefront – I’ve been working from home since March. I’m lucky to even have a job at all. I know so many people are suffering this year, and for that reason alone – I shouldn’t be in a funk. I’m lucky that no one in our families have gotten sick this year. There’s a lot to be thankful for – yet here I am.

So, I’m trying to force some holiday happy into my life by doing what I do best around the holiday season – bake. This week, I’m sharing 3 classic baking recipes with y’all by participating in #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2020 – these classic cinnamon rolls are one of the recipes. Check out what other bloggers are sharing this week as well – I have the links below this recipe!

Classic cinnamon rolls to me are fluffy, gooey & flavorful – this recipe has a brioche-type of bread dough with a sweet (yet not TOO sweet) cream cheese icing. It’s insanely delicious! These aren’t a quick recipe by any means, but it’s SO worth it!

Classic Cinnamon Rolls
Source: slightly adapted from The Vanilla Bean Blog

Ingredients:

For the dough:

  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup whole milk (warmed to 100-110 degrees F)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 10 tbsp. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

For the filling:

  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the icing:

  • 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar

Directions:

  1. To make the dough, prepare a large bowl by greasing it well. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, warmed milk and honey.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, yeast, and salt together – stir on low until combined. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. With the mixer on low, add the butter in 1 tbsp. at a time. Once the butter has been added, increase the mixer’s speed to medium and beat the butter into the dough, until the butter pieces are mixed into the dough (about 1 minute).
  3. Using a spatula, transfer the dough to the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes. Once the dough has risen, use your fingers or a spatula to reach under the dough and gently pull it up over the rest of the dough. Turn the bowl and repeat the “folding” process until the dough has been pulled up from the bottom of the bowl. Re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for another 30 minutes. Repeat this process three more times. Once the folding process is done, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight (or up to 72 hours).
  4. Once the dough has been refrigerated, flour a work surface and knead the dough 10-12 times. Once the dough has been kneaded, shape the dough into a ball, cover the top of the dough with a light dusting of flour and then cover the dough with a tea towel while the dough comes to room temperature.
  5. Prepare a 9×13 inch baking pan by greasing it well or line it with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the filling ingredients (brown sugar, cinnamon and salt).
  6. Roll the dough into a 16×12 inch rectangle. Then, brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar/salt mixture evenly over the top of the dough. Once that has been sprinkled on, take a little time to lightly press the cinnamon/brown sugar/ salt mixture into the butter to help it stick together. Starting at a longer side of the rectangle, carefully roll the dough into a tight cylinder shape. Pinch the seam of the dough gently to seal it, and then shift the dough to be seam side down.
  7. Use a serrated knife to gently cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Transfer the pieces of dough to the prepared pan, and place the dough pieces cut-side up. Then, cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
  8. Just before the end of this dough rise, move an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the oven has preheated, remove the plastic and bake the cinnamon rolls for 27-32 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. If you find that the rolls are browning too fast, but are not done baking, use oven mitts carefully cover your pan with foil to finish baking.
  9. While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and softened cream cheese on medium speed, until fluffy and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and salt & mix on low to combine. Scrape the bowl of the stand mixer, and mix the confectioners sugar in the icing mixture on low until everything is combined. Scrape the bowl once more, and then mix the icing on medium until the icing is fluffy and creamy (about 3-4 minutes).
  10. When the rolls are done baking, transfer the pan to a wire rack to allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Generously spread the icing over the tops of the rolls, and enjoy!

Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2020! Co-hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and fun? 21 bloggers from around the country have come together to share some of their favorite sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, cocoa, and more! Follow along on social media with our #ChristmasSweetsWeek hashtag. Happy Holidays!

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Beverage Recipes
Homemade Dark Hot Chocolate Mix by Bear & Bug Eats

Breakfast and Baked Goods Recipes
Easy Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread by Love & Confections
Classic Cinnamon Rolls by The Nifty Foodie
Spiced Pear Quick Bread by Simply Inspired Meals
Cherry Croissant Breakfast Bake by Making Miracles
Cranberry Eggnog French Toast Bake by The Redhead Baker

Candy and Fudge Recipes
3 Ingredient Old Fashioned Potato Candy by Blogghetti
Bourbon Caramels with Chocolate and Vanilla by Christmas Tree Lane
Star Bread by House of Nash Eats
Chocolate Peppermint Graham Crackers by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog

Pastry and Dessert Recipes
Peanut Butter Cut Outs by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Banana Cake by Palatable Pastime
Cranberry Orange Sugar Cookie Bars by Sweet Beginnings
Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies by An Affair from the Heart
Hazelnut & Raspberry Balsamic Brownie Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
Lemon Ricotta Cookies by A Little Fish in the Kitchen Lemon
Egg Nog Ice Cream by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Eggless Blue Curaco Velvet Cake by Magical Ingredients
Pecan Crusted Pecan Pie by The Mandatory Mooch
St Louis Gooey Butter Cake by For the Love of Food
Hot Chocolate Sweet Rolls by Kate’s Recipe Box

Filed Under: Breads/Muffins, Breakfast, Desserts, Holiday Tagged With: bread, cinnamon rolls, dessert, holidays, pastry, yeast

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Image Credit: Leslie Pendleton Photography

 

Hey y’all!

Thanks so much for reading! I’m Amy, and I live in south Louisiana with my husband and our rescue dog. I enjoy sharing my love for cooking, baking, crafts & more! Follow my daily adventures on social media!

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