Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies

Oh...where to begin?  Well first, I'd like to share that I really cannot stop using the pink sugar I made last week.  I know it might not be the most appropriate ingredient for chocolate chip cookies...but who's to argue with a little pink loving, especially with Valentine's Day tomorrow? 

Second, I would like to share that this recipe makes the most perfect hybrid of crisp and flat cookies.  The thin edges on these cookies are crispy and crunchy.  This occurs for many reasons, and I will not bore you with the science of why -- but in short, it has to do with the type of fat used (butter), the type of sugar used (granulated and brown) and the presence and ratio of chemical leaveners (baking soda and baking powder).  Now, back to the good stuff...

This cookie dough makes a shocking amount of cookies.  And please note: the cookies will spread.  So, do not crowd...under any circumstances.  Or else you'll be serving one very large cookie.  Just trust me on that.  

Ingredients for two dozen cookies inspired by Food52:

1 1/2C whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt 

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2C brown sugar, packed

1/2C granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4C espresso (or strongly brewed coffee)

1/2C semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp pink sugar (optional) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Sift all dry ingredients except the kosher salt

3. Cream butter and sugar together with a stand mixer or hand mixer

4. Add egg, vanilla, salt, espresso and beat to combine

5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, combine

6. With a spatula mix chocolate chips into batter 

7. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper 

8. Using a cookie scoop, place 9 cookies on baking sheet (3 rows of 3 cookies) being sure to leave enough room between each cookie

9. Cook for 8 minutes, remove from oven, sprinkle with pink sugar, rotate baking sheet and cook another 8 minutes

10. Repeat with remaining dough

sweets

scooped dough

pink sugar cookies

sugared and plain cookies

milk and cookies

a solo cookie

a mix of cookies

a plate of sweet 

If you do a lot (or any) baking, I'd suggest you invest in a silicone baking mat.  They make baking about a million times easier because there is virtually no cleanup, and no need to grease a cookie sheet. Win win!  

I'd love to hear what you think of these cookies.  Will you dust yours with pink sugar? Hope you enjoy...

xx,

Mrs. Wolf

Pink Sugar

To call this a recipe would be hyperbole.  But if you're anything like me, you'd rather make something yourself than buy it at a store.  I was in need of pink sugar for a recipe I'm making for a certain someone for Valentine's Day.

Remember these red velvet cupcakes from The Domesticated Wolf's first birthday? 

Well...we have lots of red food coloring on hand.  So, I put my thinking cap on and made pink sugar.  Easy as that.  Honestly. 

Ingredients for bright pink sugar:

2 tbsp granulated sugar (or more if you are baking in bulk...you lucky devil!)

1 drop red food coloring

Obviously the more food coloring you add, the brighter and darker your sugar will become.  I opted for a rich magenta, so I doubled the recipe and used a few hefty drops -- probably closer to two.  And I was off! I used this sugar for another recipe I made the same day.  But it will stay fresh if you need to make it ahead of time. 

That, my people, is how to make pink sugar.  This technique will work for any color, which makes this "recipe" completely amazing. Blue sugar! Purple sugar! Green sugar! Which you will obviously need with St. Patrick's Day is coming up...

xx,

Mrs. Wolf

Party Food

Did you host a Super Bowl party on Sunday? Boo and I had some friends and family over...and what a feast we had!

Guacamole:

Remember when I shared my guacamole recipe?  Well, if my avocado pitting instructions were not clear, and you feared you might lose a finger...here is a visual:

Close up knife action:

Clean avocado without his pit:

A scored avocado:

Homemade hummus thanks to the Vitamix:

Roasted garlic, caramelized onion and mushroom pizza:

 White pizza (my fav!):

Classic margarita:

And...last but not least -- brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (AKA edible crack).  These cookies are a hit every time I make them...so if you are looking for an easy cookie recipe, this is a good one to try!  Hope you enjoy...

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is, her recipe can be found here 

Ingredients for 24 cookies: 

1/2C butter, unsalted

1/2C granulated sugar

1/2C brown sugar, packed

1 egg, large

2tsp vanilla extract

1C whole wheat flour

1C rolled oats (not instant)

1/4tsp salt

1/2tsp baking powder

2tsp cinnamon

1C semi sweet chocolate chips

1tbsp milk, cold

Directions:

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat butter over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the butter beings to foam and brown bits are visible,  remove from heat once the butter is browned,  about 10 minutes

2.  In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, oats, salt, baking powder and cinnamon

3. In a large bowl, mix sugars with the warm (not hot) butter, stir well until the sugars are smooth and not lumpy, add vanilla then an egg (be sure you add the egg last once the sugar mixture has cooled slightly - we are baking, not making scrambled eggs)

4. Slowly add flour and oat mixture to the sugar mixture and combine (do not dump the entire flour and oat mixture into the sugar, it will be harder to mix) then add chocolate chips

5.  Add 1tbsp cold milk to the batter and refrigerate covered for 30 minutes

6.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

7. Once the oven comes to temperature and the cookies have rested and cooled for 30 minutes, scoop 1 inch balls onto a greased baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart (you can do this with your (clean) hands)

8. Bake for 11 minutes (they will appear raw, but this is good) then let cool slightly so that the chocolate chips don't scald your mouth (ouch!)

Nutrition information for one cookie:

150 calories, 21g carbohydrates, 7g fat, 2g protein, 1g fiber

Melting butter:

Butter starting to foam:

Action shot of the browning action - you will definitely think you are a professional chef at this moment, because your kitchen will smell really good:

Sugar, butter and egg mixture:

Slowly adding in the flour and oat mixture:

Adding chocolate chips:

On the baking sheet:

 Our finished product:

We didn't go hungry last night...

What did you make for or enjoy during the Super Bowl?   

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf