Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

After tackling croissants with our last TWD recipe, this seemed too simple.  A basic cookie dough recipe: whisk together dry ingredients, including the essential instant coffee powder, cream the butter, sugar and eggs;  mix them together; add chocolate and the optional apricot pieces.   The few tricks or extras needed for this recipe were to let the dough chill in the fridge before baking and to double up the baking pans to prevent burning on the bottoms.  Easy.

They turned out just fine.  They were a bit thinner than my perfect cookie but they had the right ratio of chewiness to crunchiness.  And the chocolate chunks were heavenly when just warm out of the oven.  As for the apricots, I could take them or leave them.  If I use them next time, I would add a touch more salt to balance out their sweetness.

On a total side note.  This may be my last recipe using my grandma's mixer.  I just got a new, heavier- duty Kitchen Aid mixer (Thanks, Sorrel!).  I absolutely love using my grandma's mixer because I know it's history, and it provides some connection to her for me.  But the fact is, the motor smells and burns if I use it anywhere above medium speed...  maybe I will just use it until it completely dies, knowing that I have a replacement in the ready.  We'll see.  I still have her rolling pin and that is not going anywhere...

For this recipe, see our host's site here:  http://galettista.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/mocha-chocolate-chips/

Rhiannon and Quinn

Best-Ever Brownies

Best-ever is a bold statement, especially when it comes to brownies.  

A few years ago, my husband and I lived in Telluride, Colorado, located at nearly 10,000 feet of elevation.  Due to this elevation, I figured I burned a few more calories everyday and therefore could justify eating brownies nearly everyday.  I went on a hunt for the perfect brownie recipe and made batch after batch.  Some years later I finally come upon a close-to- perfect recipe, but I still struggled with the chocolate to butter ratio.  

I have not made brownies recently, maybe because I know my recipe is flawed.   (Maybe because I now live at sea level.)  Why bother with imperfect brownies when I can make perfect cookies?  

So, when our baking group picked this as our next recipe I was certainly curious if they really were the "Best-Ever Brownies".  Luckily for me I am of the fudgey, chewy brownie camp for which this recipe was designed.  (Can't stand cake brownies.)  

The recipe is easy.  Not as easy as most brownie recipes, but then again, these are "Best-Ever" so some work is warranted.   Actually, the biggest challenge with this recipe is the bake time.   The recipe states 25-28 minutes but I swear mine took a good 15-20 minutes longer than that.  They did come out perfectly- not fully set, fudgey with a slightly crunchy top for contrast.  

"Best-ever"?  They were my best-ever. 

Best-ever recipe?  No.  The baking time needs to be more accurate (at least for my oven).  It may take a few more batches to get this recipe to be the best-ever.  Maybe I should move back to Telluride...

Rhiannon- 13 months.