Chocolate Chip Cookies

 The past two months, I have tried hard to find a recipe to make chewy chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes they just got burned, some others they were very stretched, there were also times that they tasted badly or like air....;-(((( finally I found the perfect recipe. 

It is a recipe adapted by Martha Stewart's collection of chocolate chip cookies which she believes has a big "secret". Well in my opinion it does!!! Every time I try to do this recipe and believe me , every time, these cookies end up always better than the previous time I made them. It's not only that they maintain the flavor and the taste of a perfect chocolate chip cookie, but it is also that they are chewy and ease to eat. You can have them for breakfast, after lunch, snack or even before going to bed, along with a glass of cold milk.

The recipe is as follows:

• 1 pound (450 gr) unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour-I used all-purpose flour because I didn't have pastry flour
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 pounds (900 gr) chocolate or other best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
3. Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

The recipe can be also found at: Jacques Torre's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

This recipe is adapted by Martha Stewart's Christmas recipes. I chose to make this delicious cookie recipe because I love the flavor and the smell of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves all combined in a batter. I have copied below the recipe for you to see all the ingredients and directions needed to complete these cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 large egg

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses and egg. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients; mix just until a dough forms. Place dough on floured plastic wrap; pat into an 8-inch square. Wrap well; chill until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half. Working with one half at a time (rewrap and refrigerate other half), place dough on floured parchment or waxed paper; roll out 1/8 inch thick, turning, lifting, and flouring dough (and rolling pin) as needed. Freeze dough (on paper) until firm, about 20 minutes.
3. Loosen dough from paper. Cut out shapes, and transfer to baking sheets. Decorate with sugar or sprinkles, as desired.
4. Bake until firm and edges just begin to darken, 10 to 18 minutes, depending on size. Cool completely on baking sheets.

I have used sprinkles and decorating sugar to give a more festive picture. I also used lemon icing (1 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar mixed with 3-4 tablespoons of lemon). Try this wonderful recipe and the whole house will be "gingering".....

Recipe adapted by: Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas Cookies

Today, I chose to make Christmas cut-out cookies with vanilla dough, adapted from Martha Stewart's Christmas recipes.

 

It took me a while to complete the recipe but I think the result will please the whole family. Not only did I manage to color my cookies with a very easy colored glaze but the taste of them is stunning.I believe this yield will end pretty soon!!!!

The recipe for the Vanilla Dough is as follows:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 
• pinch of salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla powder

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined. 

Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured piece of parchment to a 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut out desired shapes.

You place the cookies in a preheated oven, at 170C or 325F and you bake them until the edges become golden brown. Depending on the shapes of the cookies the baking process lasts from 10-18 minutes.

For the Glaze:

Mix in a bowl 1 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar along with 3-4 tablespoons of either water, milk or lemon juice. If the glaze is thick you might want to add more liquid, if the glaze is thin you might want to add more sugar. You will understand that you have the perfect glaze when this is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Enjoy!!!!!

 

Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

This recipe i found at www.marthastewart.com. I have tried it like a thousand times and i can't get bored of it. Every time i decide to start making this fancy cake i always end up being as enthusiastic as i was the first time i tried it. This cake aims to chocoholic persons with no fear for gaining weight....;-))))(who doesn't????)
Nonetheless, whenever i have one of this cakes on my table, i am very happy!!!!

The recipe is very simple. What you need to have are regular things everyone has in the house. More specifically you need:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa (spooned and leveled)-i used Cocoa i had in my house for making chocolate drink
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk

You preheat oven at 175C. You start mixing in the bowl of an electric mixer butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. You start incorporating the eggs, one at a time.

In another bowl you put flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and cocoa and whisk them to get a nice brown color.. This is the time when you start adding the floured mixture in your batter, pouring 1/4 of the mixture and with the other hand pouring 1/4 of buttermilk. You do this the whole time, until both mixture and buttermilk are over. Then you put the vanilla and the melted chocolate in your batter,mix them all together and split them into two even pans.
(you might wanna put some parchment paper in both pans-to help you afterward)

You place the pans in the oven, for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and it comes out dry. Then you let your batter cool for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime you need to have prepared your Ganache-frosting, which is nothing more than:

• 2 cups of heavy milk
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• about 500 gr (1 pound) bittersweet chocolate

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a boil. Remove from heat; add 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, and let stand, without stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk just until combined. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until spreadable, about 1 hour.

Set a rimmed baking sheet upside down on a work surface. Place one cake on sheet, and spread top with 1/3 of Ganache. Place second cake on top, and spread remaining Ganache over top and sides of cake. Using two wide metal spatulas, carefully transfer frosted cake to a serving platter.

(recipe taken by:Martha Stewart-Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting)

Cookie Cutters

Surprise your friends and your little fellows by making several types of cookies using the right cookie-cutters. There are plenty online cookware shops that provide cookie cutter packs and suggest brilliant and colorful ideas to serve even the most weird tastes. I found in the net some proposals for cookies that triggered me and i demonstrate them to you to get you motivated and inspire you to use your imagination.....Hope i succeeded.....

Carrot cake home-made!!!

 

John Barricceli's recipe as seen in Martha Stewart's site.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted plus more for pans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 cup (3 ounces) pecan halves
• 1 pound large carrots, peeled
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients for the orange cream cheese frosting:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• Pinch of salt

take the full recipe with video

Carrot-Walnut Cupcakes....Homemade

Just arrived....!!!!

Wannabe Cupcakes...

At least it worth the effort...next time these will be much better....

Just Arrived...at Serraikon in Chalandri-Homemade!!!!!

"Serraikon": Irakleitou 67, Patima Chalandriou, phone:2106085554
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