Crack Cookies

Cookies are pretty big in my house. And by big, I mean a good choice for every meal of the day. Especially breakfast. I'm lucky enough to live with a fellow lover of cookies so it's a judgment free zone! Also ice cream... but that's a different day.

One day when I was wanting some super delicious cookies, not just your typical chocolate chip or oatmeal or sugar, I wanted something different.

LIGHTBULB.

Some time ago while watching the Cooking Channel with my mother and drooling over everything, we were watching a show putting a spotlight on Momofuku Milk Bar. What caught our attention was the crack pie. Now being the impulsive hungry people we were, we ordered one. One very expensive shipment from New York to Maine later we had it. What do we do with it? Will we like it? How do we hide this from dad? Let me tell you... this was, without a doubt, the best pie I had ever had. Very sweet, but amazing. I'll let you order it for yourself or hop on over to New York and try this for yourself. **Also you can Google the recipe and make it yourself! I suggest having the real thing first though. You know, for reference.**

Anywayyyyy...

Momofuku also sells these cookies called Compost Cookies. In my house they are called crack because you literally cannot just eat one. You have to eat until you're sick. No one knows why. Just kidding, because they are SO DARN GOOD. The name compost comes from the ingredients I'm quite sure, as they have everything but the kitchen sink in them. And I can see why because they are just bomb.com. The sweet and salty presence is big and so is the waistline after eating these babies.

-2 sticks butter                                -2 cups plain potato chips
-1 cup sugar                                     -1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
-2/3 cup brown sugar                    -3/4 cup old fashioned oats
-2 tbs glucose                                  -1 tbs instant espresso powder
-1 egg                                                 -1 1/2 cup pretzels 
-1 tsp vanilla extract                       -1 cup milk chocolate chips
-1 1/3 cup flour                                -1 cup butterscotch chips
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp baking soda 
-1 tsp salt

1. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and glucose for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides.
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract. You're going to mix this on medium speed for 7-8 minutes until very pale in color and pretty fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl every now and then.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry mixture until just combined.
5. Now time to add the fun stuff! Add the graham cracker crumbs, oats, espresso powder, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. Mix to combine.
6. Add the chips and pretzels. Careful with this step, the mixer is probably very full at this point. You're only going to give this a second or two on low speed. You want to incorporate the ingredients, but still keep the chips and pretzels in bigger pieces. 
7. You have successfully mixed yourself some of the best cookies ever. You can now do one of two things. If you're going to bake the whole batch now, leave the mixture in the bowl, cover with some cling wrap and stick it in the fridge for a 30 minutes. If you're going to just bake off a few at a time, roll the mixture into a log in some cling wrap and stick that in the fridge for the same 30 minutes. *This is my personal favorite, this way you can slice off a cookie whenever you're feeling the need. 
8. When the cookies are done firming up take them out and let come to room temperature for about five minutes. 
9. At this time, preheat your oven to 350F. 
10. When the oven comes to temperature, scoop 1-2 tablespoon sized balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. 
11. Bake for 10-12 minutes. When they come out they might be a bit puffy. Let them cool for five  minutes or so and they will sink down and become heaven. 

I promise you'll love these as well as anyone you share them with! Be careful though, you may experience a sudden surge of popularity. Don't spoil too many people though, don't give away that cow just yet! Any way you look at it, these will make some heads turn. And next time you're in New York, head to Momofuku and get yourself some eats!

Enjoy!

-Meaghan

Chicken? Waffles? A Sandwich? OH MY.

Something inside of two other somthings can never be bad. Especially when it has all kinds of other somethings all up in it! What am I talking about?! I have made my first chicken and waffles sandwich. And it was heavenly. So. Heavenly. 

I never understood the chicken and waffles obsession, maybe because I hadn't heard of the combination until a couple years ago? Is it because I'm from the north? Who knows. But the point is, I know about it now and I'm forever a changed woman. To my understanding it's pretty much a waffle with some fried chicken and maple syrup, but I guess things have gotten quite fancy with the dish. Taking my love of sandwiches into consideration, this was a no brainer. I had to first get over my extreme fear of deep frying chicken... ok so I didn't get over it, I pan fried the suckers. Still, it was just as great I'm sure. Then I had to think about toppings! So I went pretty basic with Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, and pickles. Have to have the pickles in there duh. 

Since I'm pretty sure we all know how to fry up a piece of chicken, or bake some? Or grill some? The world is your pickle, do what you want. I won't go through the steps of that. And I'm quite sure we all can cook some bacon. I'll get to the waffles. Ohhhh the waffles. I'm a lover of waffles. 

-1 cup flour

-2 tbs sugar

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/4 tsp salt

-1 cup milk

-2 eggs

-1/2 stick (4 tbs) melted butter

1. Get a bowl and dump it all in!

2. Whisk it up! Careful not to overmix, just get it so that the lumps are gone. Lumps are... whisky business, after all.

3. This is the time where you get our waffle iron out. The temperature and cook time of the waffles isn't up to me, it's up to your waffle iron's manufacturer's instructions. So read up!

4. Once you've got the basics down, preheat your waffle iron.

5. Once that comes to temperature, brush some butter on the top and bottom plates. Good luck trying not to make a mess. It will happen.

6. Once the time is up, mine only took a few minutes, carefully take the waffle out and rebutter so that the next waffle can cook. Repeat until your batter is gone. Yum.

Now is your time to dress it up and send it to prom! As I stated earlier, my choice of toppings were some cheese, bacon, and pickles. You can make this into an open faced sandwich or and actual sandwich... or a waffle taco!*Warning... when making this into an actual sandwich... get napkins. Lots of napkins. Then plan on taking a shower, because gosh darn this is a messy, but DELICIOUS dish.**

You're done! Another word to the wise, my kitchen was a complete disaster after this so that wasn't fun, but I'm pretty sure the taste is worth it. The sweetness of the waffles and syrup is quite the complement to the saltiness of the chicken and my other toppings. Have I mentioned that salty and sweet is my favorite? 

Anyway, this will be a sure way to impress guests or the tastiest snack after a long night of... being out, you'll ever have. Now that I think about it though, I don't suggest operating a stove or a waffle iron after a night of... being out on the town... so just make this to impress your friends, your special someone, or just yourself : )

#ThatDripTho

Enjoy!

-Meaghan

Baked Doughnuts? Yay or Nay?

I admit, doughnuts may be some of the most delicious things ever. So when I saw that people baked them, I always had this preconceived notion that they were heavy, dense, and cake-like. I have a mini doughnut pan that I haven't used yet for these exact reasons.

One of my nieces had asked me to do some baking so she could document it in her scrapbook. I then thought, oh maybe this is the perfect time to break out my tin!

I searched high and low for a good recipe and I found a simple enough one and it seemed legit, so we took a chance and used it! And I have to tell you... my mind was blown. These were the softest, lightest, and maybe the yummiest doughnuts I've had. Nothing can beat a good old glazed doughnut, fried in the fattiest of all oils, but these were seriously tasty!

-1/2 cup flour                             -1/2 tsp white vinegar
-6 tbs sugar                                 -1 egg
-1/4 tsp salt                                 -1/4 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/3 cup vegetable oil
-1/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, preferably one with a spout, combine the oil, milk, vinegar, egg, and vanilla. *This may look completely wrong because the milk and vinegar don't exactly mesh well, but it's fine, I promise.*
4. Mix the dry into the wet! Don't stir too much, but incorporate it enough to get lumps out.
5. Take your doughnut tin and grease it well with butter. *Even if it's a non stick pan, I suggest breaking out your inner Paula Deen and slather that butter on. If anything, you'll get some good flavor out of it!
6. Pour the mixture into the tins, filling the molds to just under the rim.
7. Once the oven has come to temperature, bake for 12-13 minutes for normal sized doughnuts or 10-11 minutes for mini doughnuts.
8. Once They are a light yellow/golden color take the tins out and test the doughnut with a skewer just to be sure it comes out clean. When you're satisfied with the doneness, you're all set!
9. Let these cool for a few minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Now you're done! Have some fun with them. What's your favorite doughnut? Well, now you don't have to travel to get one, you can make it yourself : ) We went for a few different options- Nutella, because what basic girl doesn't love a little Nutella in their lives? Glazed, obviously. Cinnamon sugar- quick tip, because these are baked and not fried, the cinnamon sugar mixture may not stick as well. Solution? Let Paula Deen come out and play again and melt some butter. Dip the doughnuts in and then have them roll around in the cinnamon sugar! Lastly, a salted caramel clustery one. Can't go wrong.

These little delights are a really fun thing to be adventurous with. Also a good thing to get your kids in the kitchen with you because they are fun and what kid doesn't want doughnuts?! Make these for a party of many or a party of one... like me... on my couch... late at night. Go on and have fun with it!

 

 

 

-Meaghan