chocolate chip maple walnut cookies

I think I have discovered my most favorite chocolate chip cookie ever. This one has it all: chocolate, nuts and that beloved chew and crisp that any true chocolate chip cookie worth its salt must have. It's perfect. Plus, it's got a nice chug of maple in there, so take that you old regular cookie! This one trumps all.

Okay, okay, I haven't made that most famous 36 hour cookie recipe yet from the New York Times, but I did try that exact cookie at a certain Seattle pizza restaurant (yup, that's the one) and still I liked this one more. Yes, really. Want to sprinkle some flaky Maldon salt over top before you bake it? Sure, go ahead because I'm going to do just that next time.

My husband claims that I am prone to exaggeration. Don't believe him. But if you doubt any of my claims, hear me out. A friend who tried these cookies on the weekend declared they were the best chocolate chip cookie she had ever had. And she said it out loud in a room full of people. So take that! If you need more convincing, they're also super easy to make. There's no fussing with sifting dry ingredients or adding in the flour at different times. Nope! No rubbish like that. If you can mix, you can have cookies in no time flat. I think I've set some weekend cookie baking in motion, haven't I? Make the people in your house happy, make yourself happy. Make a double batch.

chocolate chip maple walnut cookies
(adapted from Dinner with Julie)
1/4 c butter, softened
1 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c pure maple syrup (the good stuff!!)
1 large egg
1 t maple extract
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 c dark chocolate chips
3/4 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, extract and maple syrup together. Add in the egg and combine until fluffy. Dump in the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until just blended before adding the chocolate chips and walnuts and stirring again. Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart onto a parchment or silpat covered cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 24 cookies.

chocolate chip oatmeal kumquat cookies

I'm a fan of kumquats. They're tiny little bursts of concentrated orange tartness that pops in your mouth like candy. And I love that you don't need to peel 'em...just pop 'em and go. However, I 've never really looked inside of one before, never having a need to before. But then a bought a large bag of kumquats in Chinatown and wondered what else I could do with these tiny citrus fruits. I found a recipe for kumquat cookies and the deal was sealed.

When I started chopping the kumquats I was surprised to find out that there's not much fruit or juice to these little orange balls....just pith, rind and seeds. Who knew? I guess it's what makes these cookies so great. The flavour of the kumquats provide a concentrated burst of orange flavour that goes so well with the chocolate. These cookies aren't overly sweet but they pack a wallop of deliciousness...and this coming from someone who claims that she's not even a fan of the orange/chocolate combo! Pass on the Terry's chocolate orange and snack on these instead. Oh, and that sweet pink knife up above? I bought it locally at a kitchen shop in Chinatown, but it's available on Amazon: Kuhn Rikon Pink Nonstick Paring Knife with Sheath 4-in.



chocolate chip oatmeal kumquat cookies
(based on this recipe)
1 c kumquat, diced small
2/3 c softened butter
2/3 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c oatmeal
2/3 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and pale. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour little by little to the butter mixture and beat slowly together. Stir in the oatmeal and kumquats and finally the chocolate chips, stirring until everything is evenly mixed.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Cool on rack.

vegan girl's night

On Saturday night, my friend Kristen's apartment was being invaded by a whole wack of Monopoly playing, beer drinking boys (Cornelius included), so she came by for a bit of a respite. Our plan: chill out with some relaxing girl movie dvds and partake in some serious vegan snacking. I had made some chocolate chip gingersnaps just before Kristen rang the bell, but wasn't sure how much I liked them at first. They weren't as gingery or molassey or as dark as I usually like my gingersnaps...plus, they were a lot softer than the traditional 'snap. After indulging in more than a few bites, both Kristen and I declared these vegan beauties a winner. And like all good things, they sure didn't last long.

vegan chocolate chip gingerbread softies
3/4 c vegan margarine, softened
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c molasses
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c cold coffee or water
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 t ground ginger
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
1 T fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/4 t salt
1 c chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the molasses and combine. Add the water or coffee and the baking soda. It will start to look kind of funny at this point, but continue on!

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and spices. Gradually add into the wet mixture and gently combine. Add the chocolate chips and the fresh ginger and stir.

3. At this point, the dough will be very soft. You can either use it right away or put it in the fridge for half an hour. Drop by tablespoon onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes at 350°F.

can't stop, won't stop

I can't stop snacking on these cookies! Usually, I'm not much into double chocolate cookies, but these are just too good and I should have doubled the recipe. They are easy to make and twelve cookies the recipe makes just isn't enough. Make them now and send me your gifts of thanks after you've licked off all the crumbs.

double chocolate oatmeal cookies
3/4 c flour
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c butter, softened (or use a vegan margerine to make these cookies fully vegan)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 T oats (I used quick oats, but slow oats would work just as well)
1/4 c semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, sift together the first 4 ingredients. In a seperate bowl (or use your mixer), beat butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy and well blended. Slowly add flour mixture until combined. Mix in oats and chocolate chips.

2. On a prepared cookie sheet (I covered mine with silpat), use a tablespoon to drop balls of dough onto the sheet, about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten tops with fingers.

3. Bake cookies until center is slightly firm , about 14 minutes. Cool on sheet.

* It really is best to let these cookies cool on the sheet because when they are warm they are very crumbly and prone to break in half.

minty goodness

I've always been a huge fan of chocolate and mint. When I was little, I would only eat green mint chocolate chip ice cream and After Eight mints were always a holiday staple in our house and I'd always manage to find my dad's secret hiding spot for them.

When I saw the mint chocolate chip cookie recipe on Crystal's blog (she makes them at the Austin Folk House) I kept them in mind for future holiday baking. This afternoon when I headed out to refill my coffee supply from the local Italian market, I noticed a lonely bag of mint chocolate chips for only a dollar. I immediately popped them into my basket. It was destiny! I practically ran home to whip up a batch. These cookies were beyond fantastic and I'll definitely be making them again during the holidays.

Crystal notes that the cookie dough is a bit stiff. Luckily, I've got my hearty Kitchen Aid mixer working for me...but if you don't, be prepared for a bit of a workout.

Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies (I didn't use name brand chocolate chips!)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 bag (12 ounces) Andes mint chips (my bag was only 10.5 oz but the resulting cookies were still minty good!)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips. Drop by well-rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

c is for cookie

After a week of eating lots of salads, I decided it was time for a treat. I made the "killer chocolate chip cookie" recipe from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet by Didi Emmons. Not only is this a great cookbook but these cookies were delicious. They're definitely the more traditional kind of cookie that I remember eating as a kid (no sunflower seeds, no oats, etc.) and the cookie batter was so delicious that I had to apply serious restraint to keep digging in with a spoon. Toasting the nuts gave the cookies a great flavour and I think I'll try to do that with other desserts I bake. Yum! As for the picture, that is Cornelius' hand just waiting to bite in!

killer chocolate chip cookies
Recipe from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet

1 c walnuts of pecans, chopped
9 T butter, softened
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t salt
1 large egg
1 c plus 2 T flour
1/2 t baking soda
8 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on a single layer baking sheet for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the brown sugar and sugar, beating well until mixture is very light in texture. Add the vanilla and salt, and then the egg, beating just to incorporate. With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, baking soda, chocolate chips and nuts.

3. Spoon rounded tablespoons of dough 2 1/2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the cookies are just a tiny bit golden around the edges but are still white in the centres. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before serving.

short and sweet

Tonight's dinner was left over bbq pork/vegetable stirfry that I made last night to rave reviews from Cornelius. Dessert? Gingerbread chocolate chip cookies from a Martha Stewart recipe. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, as I didn't flatten the dough, nor did I wait 2 hours for the cookie dough to chill. I let it chill exactly 15 minutes and just scooped the batter out with a spoon and skipped the added sugar bit too. It made 30 yummy cookies that are crispy out the outside and chewy good on the inside. So good.

Chocolate Chip & Ginger Cookies

7 oz chocolate chips
1 1/2 c plus 1 T flour
1 1/4 t ground ginger
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 T cocoa powder
8 T softened butter
1 T ginger
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c molasses
1 t baking soda

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

2. In another bowl, beat butter and ginger until fluffy. Add brown sugar and molasses and mix until combined.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Mix half of flour mixture into the butter mixture, then add the baking-soda mixture and the rest of the flour mixture. Mix in chocolate chips.

4. Heat oven to 325°. Roll dough into balls and chill for 15 minutes. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

NOTE: The next day, these cookies were hard as delicious little stones. Still tasty, but they lost that soft/crisp edge.

c is for cookie.

I love this recipe! It was originally printed years ago in the Georgia Straight, our local free weekly and I've made some additions and I think it's a near-perfect cookie recipe. I like to keep the cookies in tins to keep them soft. I made them last night in a fit of procrastination. It was much easier making these cookies than gathering work for my portfolio!

These can also be easily made into vegan cookies since there are no eggs in this recipe. Just replace the butter for vegan margerine or Natural Balance. Yum!

chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
1 c butter
1 c brown sugar, lightly packed
1 t baking soda
1/4 c boiling water
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
2 c oats
1/2 c dried coconut
2 c semi sweet chocolate chips (this is where I play: I mix walnuts, raisins and chocolate chips to equal to 2 cups)

Cream the butter with the sugar until well mixed. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and add it to the butter/sugar mix, followed by vanilla. Stir together the dry ingredients and add it slowly to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate chip (or mixture) and combine. Form small balls, flatten a little, and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

vegan cookies. no really.

Kristen gave me this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe over the phone a couple of years ago. I haven't transcribed it and I've always kept it in a safe place but when I pulled out the recipe today I realized that it's a pretty easy and tasty recipe and I better keep it somewhere safe.

This is the easiest cookie recipe ever and it tastes great too.

Kristen's vegan chocolate chip cookies
¾ c sugar
½ c oil
½ c margerine
3 t water
2 t vanilla
Mix together.

2¼ c flour
1 t soda
½ t salt
Mix together.

Add 1½ c chocolate chips.

Mix it all together, roll into balls, plop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.

Kristen always uses white sugar and all vegan ingredients. Me, I'm not vegan so I'm not so strict and will sometimes use butter instead of margerine. I also like brown sugar over brown. Instead of all chocolate chips, I'll add a handfull of sunflower seeds (really, seeds taste great in cookies!), a handfull of raisins, a handfull of walnuts and a handful of chocolate chips. Today I misread the 3 t of water as 3 tablespoons and they still turned out great.