Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Welcome to Vanessa Sidwell's blog

Welcome to my blog! Thanks for checking it out.

In this blog, I plan to share recipes, lessons learned, favorite things and other random stuff. I have a second blog that focuses on my jewelry - Togglewire. I sell my jewelry through Etsy at http://www.togglewire.etsy.com/.

One of my favorite things is chocolate chip cookies, so on this first entry, I'm sharing my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Try it and let me know what you think.

Chocolate Chip and Heath Cookies
This recipe, for the most part, is my old roommate's (Richalle Allen) mom's recipe. A lot of people think these are the best cookies. 

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter soft (not melted)
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 pkg. french vanilla pudding (roughly 3.4 oz)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chunks (Nestle) or chips
1/2 back Heath Toffee chips

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and pudding (dry) set aside.

I use the "base" of this recipe to make white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies in addition to other combinations. The secret ingredient seems to be the pudding. It makes them stay moist. BTW the cookies are flat not fluffy.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet while second sheet of cookies bake ... cool cookies for 8 to 10 minutes before removing from cookie sheet. Yes, I only bake one sheet at a time. I use three Pampered Chef stone sheets.

Mix butter with mixer for about a minute. Then mix in sugars. After sugars and butter are mixed, add vanilla and eggs. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Add chips. Spoon/drop cookie dough on cookie sheet. Yes, I use a mixer - Kitchen Aid stand mixer.