Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

So my boyfriend, one of his friends, and I have officially started our dieting/exercising routine as of yesterday. It's been one day without carbs and I'm already having withdrawals. Whoever thought that a day without carbs is a good thing?! We're basically doing a low carb, high protein diet with at least 3 days of cardio a week. We also get one cheat day a week (which is like a cheat hour each day for me. Shhhh don't tell my bf!). We went on a hike right by my house yesterday and it was so beautiful! 86 degree weather? Hellooooo spring! Too bad it's supposed to rain tonight, though.

Mocha chocolate chip cookies. Coffee in cookies? Why not? It works so well in brownies. This recipe intrigued me because it didn't dissolve the coffee before putting it into the batter like most recipes. I made these a while ago and took them into work. My coworkers loved them, but I thought they were just okay. Perhaps there was too much coffee in them? I would definitely tone down the instant coffee powder by a tablespoon next time. But hey, if you're a huge coffee fan, then by all means go for it. I, on the other hand, can't drink black coffee unless it has tons of condensed milk/sugar/milk/cream. That kinda defeats the whole purpose of coffee, eh? The texture was nice and chewy, so I would imagine they'd make a great chocolate chip recipe alone by omitting the coffee. These are just slightly adapted from the cookbook Baking With Julia.

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound chocolate chips or chunks
  

1. Whisk the flour, coffee, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.

2. Beat the butter in a mixer until lightened. Add granulated sugar and beat for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until blended.

3. Turn mixer speed down and add flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add chocolate and mix until evenly blended in.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for several hours to overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 350. Drop a heaping tablespoon full of dough onto sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

6. Cool on racks. They're best when warm!

Big Bear Foodie Post

I'm back from Big Bear! It was a great week of relaxing, eating, and playing. The weather was perfect and I even had time to update my fashion blog. That's a rare occurrence in itself! Anyways, since this is a food blog, let's move on to the food. We got to Big Bear a little earlier than our check in time, so we yelped for a good place to grab lunch. We ended up at the Grizzly Manor Cafe, which didn't disappoint. The cook and waiters were pleasant and even joked around with our huge group of 11. Getting out of a three hour car ride, I blanked and totally forgot to take any pictures of the place OR food! I know, I'm a terrible food blogger and I apologize. Just trust me when I say that the portions were HUGE and the food was delish.

The second day we were there, we headed into "The Village," which is apparently the only place to go in Big Bear. All of their shops, food, and entertainment is located on this block. I particularly wanted to go here for the North Pole Candy & Fudge Company, but more on that later. First, we saw this and the boys went running for the door:

Ostrich, really?! The boys wanted to try the ostrich jerky, but they were out since it was their most popular one (or so we were told)

Jerky galore!

The jerky was delicious! Very moist, which is usually the number one problem is beef jerky.

Then I found a store which I absolutely fell in love with.. the Copper Q! It was a store that sold baking/cooking supplies, a cafe and bakery, AND a place where you can sit in on a cooking demonstration! Can I move in, please?

Just one look inside the store and I was in heaven.

I mean, seriously... how cute is the stuff they sell?

I got a coffee frappe there and almost walked out until I saw the bakery window. I didn't even know they had baked goods! So of course, I had to pick up something:

This white chocolate macadamia nut cookie was quite possibly the best one I've ever had. The edges were crispy and the inside was chewy. It wasn't overly sweet and there weren't too many nuts... just pure bliss.

Now THIS is what I came here for... fudge and candy!

My boyfriend picked out a peanut butter cup that they made there.

Just look at that beautiful mess!

One of his friends got an orange cream truffle. He loved it too.

Andddd.. these are my goods. S'mores fudge and chocolate walnut fudge. The s'mores one was just mehhh, but the chocolate was so soft and melt-in-your-mouth kinda deal.

I also got a mini caramel apple. What the heck, how is this thing even mini?

I have to eat at least one caramel apple a week. They're just SO good. I mean, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? I usually get them from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory since it's so close and available. Compared to Rocky Mountain, this caramel apple had a TON more caramel. The caramel was chewier, more decadent, and probably tripled the amount of caramel from Rocky Mountain's. Win! Can the North Pole Fudge & Ice Cream Co. move to my hometown already? Kthx.

I think these are my favorite posts--- foodie posts. Hopefully I'll be able to do more in the future despite everyone on the trip thinking I'm a crazy person for wanting to take pictures of everything. All the rest of the food that we ate on the trip was cooked/bbq'ed at the house we stayed in, so that's why there's not that much food porn to share. Maybe next time!

Copycat Momofuku Cornflake Marshmallow Cookies

I just arrived today in Big Bear and the weather is beautiful! I love being away from the LA smog and out in this fresh outdoor scenery. It's quite refreshing, really. Unfortunately, I had a terrible headache the entire evening and was stuck in bed dealing with it (good thing I had formspring questions to keep me entertained!). Perhaps it's because I didn't drink enough water. I really suck at doing that. I somehow always forget to drink water or when I do, it takes me hours to finish a glass. I'll work on it.

Ever since my use of cereal in everything cookies, I've always been very open to the idea of using cornflakes in cookies. Lucky for me, I stumbled across this recipe on tastespotting or foodgawker and just had to give it a go. My second cereal cookie. Was it as good as the first? They're good, but not as good as my first. Maybe I'm biased, but that's just my opinion. I do admit I really like the idea of using marshmallows in cookies, though. Then again, these marshmallow cookies totally blew these out of the water. Hmmm... so much competition!

I SLIGHTLY adapted the recipe.. testing with the marshmallow method. For my first batch, I baked the cookies for a little bit before putting on the marshmallows (as listed in my slightly adapted recipe). For the second batch, I followed the original directions exactly and placed the marshmallows onto my cookie dough balls before baking them. What happened with the second batch was that the marshmallows all got pushed to the edges when baking and were practically falling off the cookie. I liked the first method much better, which resulted in the cookies pictured. I adapted the recipe from The Cookbook Chronicles, even though my cookies don't look like hers.

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  
• 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 1/4 cup lightly crushed cornflakes
• 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• about 3/4 cup mini marshmallows

1. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
2. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low speed, just so the dry ingredients become incorporated. With a wooden spoon, mix in the oatmeal, crushed cornflakes, and chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
   
4. On a baking sheet, scoop up and roll the dough into golf ball-sized spheres. Give them room to spread!
5. Bake for 4 minutes. Pull them out and quickly press 4 mini marshmallows into each cookie. Bake for an additional 6 minutes**. The cookies will still look soft in the middle when you take them out of the oven. Allow them to cool directly on the tray for a few minutes before moving them onto a platter.

**If the marshmallows aren't the color you want them to be, you can always put them under the broiler for a couple of seconds to get that nice glow. Make sure to keep an eye on them!

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

I have a confession to make. I, Kim, am a TravelZoo addict. I don't know if you've heard of this website before, but it's basically deals on airfare & hotels.. kind of like expedia or travelocity. I spend hours browsing through the website imagining what my next destination will be. I'm currently eyeing a 3 night vacation to Hawaii in May and am SO tempted to book it. It's such a steal! I've been there twice before, but my boyfriend has never been. I would book the vacation in a heartbeat-- it's just a matter of convincing the boy to go with me (he currently just got re-hired at Apple so asking for so much vacation already is kind of nonsensical). Well, I also don't have all the money in the world and really should save it, so we'll see.

In other news, my parents graciously gave me a two year membership to 24 Hour Fitness! Thank you Costco for having that package for $299. It comes out to $12.50 a month for a gym membership. Yeah, believe it!! I've never really worked out before, except for last summer when I became a gym rat (well, I really only went to swim laps), so having a gym membership is big news to me. My goals are to get toned. I know what you're thinking.. how am I gonna fit that into my already busy schedule? I'm hoping to get up at 5:30 AM or so and be able to go to the gym before work. I'm really determined right now since it's all brand new. Hopefully it stays that way!

This... is the most amazing banana bread. No nuts required! Although, you can add them if you prefer. You can even add chocolate chips! It's very flavorful and moist with a bit of a slight crunch from the topping. If you're a fan of cinnamon sugar, I'd highly recommend it! I already made it twice in a week. My dad just had oral surgery, which means he can't really eat much. I made this for him to keep him from being bored to death eating solely mashed potatoes and soup. Make sure to use overly ripe bananas-- it makes a difference! Recipe is adapted from Sandwich Hoss.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

For the bread:

• 3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up
  
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour

For the swirl:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and four a loaf pan. Mine was 9 x 5, but you could use any sort, I suppose. Just keep a close eye on it in the oven, and adjust the time as needed
2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture. Then gently stir in flour. Be careful not to over-mix!
3. In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon.
4. Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, but remember, if you’re using a different-sized loaf pan, be careful and keep a close eyeball on it!

Pecan Toffee Cookies

So I just got mail from UCLA saying that they're going to delete my ucla email account at the end of this month since I'm no longer a student, staff, or faculty. What the heck? I am 99% sure that they told us we had our email for life. ::tear:: Has it really been that long already since I've graduated? I feel so old! Time's truly flying and there's just not enough hours in a day. Especially with this daylight savings coming up-- we're losing an hour! :( That means it's technically 2:45 AM as I write this blog post right now. No bueno since I have work at 9 tomorrow. Ugh. I'm scheduled to work 65 hours this week on top of my homework. I'm not quite sure how that'll go by, but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Right?

These cookies were de-lish. I've had good luck with the recent recipes that I've been trying because they all seem to hit the spot. No bad recipes, yet! ::knocks on wood:: I adapted this recipe from Rock Recipes. When I made the original recipe, the cookie dough just seemed really crumbly and off, so I added another egg yolk to the batter which solved the problem perfectly. I also refrigerated my dough just to make sure there was no spreading and subbed the majority of the white sugar for brown sugar. The result? A sweet and salty, soft and chewy, delight.

Any questions about well, anything? Ask me on formspring! And become a fan of my blog on facebook, if you'd like to and haven't already. Gracias!

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
  
• 1 full egg & 1 egg yolk
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped roasted pecans
• ½ cup toffee chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy.

4. Beat in egg & vanilla extract

5. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.

7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.

8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Mini Chocolate Chip Turtle Cookies

I think I'm finally starting to run out of fuel. Working 7 days a week + school + hanging out with friends + boyfriend + keeping up with my baking blogs = not exactly the most ideal schedule to have. As much as I love keeping busy, a girl has gotta rest every now and then! Luckily, I have an ENTIRE week off and will be heading to Big Bear in two weeks... a MUCH needed vacation, if you will. I'm excited to just sit there and do nothing. That's what keeps me sane-- little trips to far away (or not so far away) places. A day trip to San Diego? Yes, please. As long as I'm with the boy, it's a good trip.

I saw these on Visions of Sugar Plum (by the way, how cute is she?!) and just HAD to have them. I recently had a turtle chocolate thing from Disneyland and have been craving it ever since. I knew I should have bought the bigger one! Oh, poop. Until I get the chance to go back to Disneyland to get another chocolate turtle, these cookies will have to suffice. I adapted the recipe just a smudge but they turned out perfectly. Let's add another cookie to my all time favorite list, shall we? These definitely made the cut. Pecans, chocolate, AND caramel?! What more could a girl ask for? I used mini choco chips and made my cookies bite-sized. The cookies were amazingly chewy-- kinda like the cookies that I bought from the cart in high school/middle school way back in the day(best cookies EVER!). They also resembled the mini cookies at Mrs. Field's. yum!

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
• Melted caramel, for drizzling

1. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy - about 1-2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour until just combined; stir in chocolate chips and pecans until combined. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.
3. Roll dough into balls (about 2 teaspoons per ball), place on cookie sheets, and flatten using the palms of your hands. Bake 8 minutes or until set and light golden. Cool on wire racks. Drizzle with melted caramel.

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Oh, I've also started updating my style blog once again after a year of deadness. haha, I know.. I suck.. but check it out if you'd like!

SISTERLY STYLE

An even better snickerdoodle!

Even though I may have a legitimate recipe for something, I never stop trying out new ones just in case I discover something better. This is probably why I bake so ridiculously much; I need to test out every single recipe just so I know which one is superior compared to the rest. It may sound nuts, but it seems somewhat tangible in my head. Does that make me crazy? Maybe.

This recipe beats my previous favorite snickerdoodle recipe, which I used for a solid year. Will there be one out there that tops this one? Doubtful.. but possible. It's apparently known as Mrs. Field's snickerdoodle recipe, but who knows how much truth stands behind that? All I know is that it's good enough to hold that title, if it really is Mrs. Field's recipe. This cookie is moister than my previous recipe and just a tad bit sweeter (which I prefer). They're also chewier and less cake-like. I officially dub these the best snickerdoodle recipe.. until proven otherwise.

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For rolling:

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with
an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and
beat until smooth.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and
cream of tartar.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for
30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the
topping.

6. Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a
ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it
onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more. The cookies
may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are
removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be
soft and chewy in the middle.

Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

p.s. i'm loving all your baking questions on formspring, shoot some more! or questions about anything, really.