Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!

I have made at least 50 chocolate chip cookie recipes and these are simply the best! It is supposedly a knock off version of the famous Levain Bakery in NYC. http://www.levainbakery.com/ 

They sell 4 of these suckers for $27! 

The key to this recipe is to use the finest organic ingredients. The butter is actually a European cultured style that you can find at Whole Foods, but if you want a higher quality cultured butter you will need to go to a specialty food store. The specialty store quality really does produce a better tasting cookie. The other key is to shread the very cold butter like cheese!

~Recipe~

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted European butter, (cold & shredded like cheese)

3/4 cup organic granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed organic light brown sugar
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2 large organic eggs
1 ts vanilla extract
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3 cups organic all purpose flour (13 ½ oz)
3/4 ts sea salt
1 and ¼ ts aluminum free baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda
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12 ounces (2 cups) Dark 60% Ghirardelli Chips
1 cup walnuts (optional)

If using dough right away, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. (It’s best to chill, though; I chilled overnight)
(note: keep in mind this is a very dry dough, and will be hard to mix once you put the chips and nuts in; I used my hands)
Take the butter and using a cheese grater, shred the butter into a bowl, put it back in the freezer until ready to use.
In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars just until just combined. Don’t overbeat. Add the egg and vanilla and beat just until incorporated.
Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. When thoroughly mixed, add to batter and stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Divide dough into 12 big 4 oz lumps. Mold into giant golfballs; do not press flat! Keep them as balls on the cookie sheets. Chill 1 hour or overnight. Just before baking, sprinkle(with your finger) a tiny bit of sea salt on tops of the cookie balls. Bake 4-6 balls on a cookie sheet.

Put the cookies in a 375 degree oven and set timer for 8 minutes. When timer rings, without opening oven or removing cookies, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until cookies appear set.
OR I did mine at 365 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until done. (Mine were done in 18 minutes)
Makes 12 

I recommend using a scale to divide the dough. I bought this one on Amazon by Escali. I use my scale all the time. They come in really handy when baking because you can get precise measurements.

Here is what they should look like out of the oven! 

I packaged mine up with Brown parchment from Whole Foods & candy stripe bakers twine. They sell the twine at Sur Le Table, but you can find it for way cheaper online if you want a spool. The stickers were easy to create using Avery brand stickers from Office Depot. You just design them online & print. I brought my cookies to a local food swap, but I often make them for birthdays and Christmas gifts.

  

DIY coffee table ottoman

I decided to make a couple mini ottomans to pull up to the coffee table when guests come over for game night. I keep them in my bedroom at the foot of the bed and pull 'em out as needed. I found this lovely vintage chevron canvas on etsy. 

You can also find cute fabrics for kids, or find a simple pattern  & use fabric paint to stencil their names on. 

~ottoman~

*rectangle plywood

  You will need at least 1" thick plywood cut to the dimensions you desire.  They will cut it for you at Home Depot. When you have it cut, make sure the grain of the wood or lines are going horizontal. Mine were  12" x 17.5"

*furniture legs

  They sell them on HomeDepot.com and they have a smaller selection in the store. I used 6" legs. They have a built in screw.

*wood glue

 I used a wood glue to seal the legs

*Spray paint for the legs

  Mat or glossy will do.

*fabric

  should be a heavy weight upholstery fabric, but I used a canvas.

*foam

  I used a 4" thick piece of foam. I had a huge piece a friend gave me, so I used a sharpie & serrated      bread knife to cut the dimensions.

*foam batting to wrap around the the ottoman 

*foam spray adhesive

*Staple gun

  I just borrowed one from a friend

*Drill

Ok, so you have your cut rectangle plywood. Line up the legs where you want them and mark a dot with a sharpie. Leave enough room from the edge for the staple gun. At least a half inch. Now drill your holes. If you go all the way through it's okay. Just make sure you do it outside or on concrete- not your kitchen floor. Put the wood glue in the hole and around where the leg meets the wood. screw 'em in and wipe away excess glue. Set aside to dry.

After the legs are in and dry, spray paint them. Place some tape over the bottom of the legs if you are nervous about it rubbing off on carpet. I found it easier to paint them after you screw them in because they can dry easily. But it doesn't really matter.

Spray the surface of the rectangle with the foam glue and place your cut foam on top. This is just to keep the foam from sliding. 

Then place your batting over the top of the foam and staple gun it down underneath. Place 2 staples in the middle of each side to start, and work your way out keeping the batting taut and ending on the corners. You will cut away excess batting later. for excess on the corner sides, I just cut some off, but make sure it goes over the wood to keep your fabric from directly touching the wood. It is a buffer to keep the fabric from ripping. Don't worry about the bottom looking sloppy. Who's going to turn it over? lol Cut away excess foam. This is my first one and it's pretty sloppy. 

If you really want the bottom to look nice you can always hem the edges of fabric or use 2 pieces of wood and drill the fabric covered foam/wood to another sanded & painted piece of wood and drill the legs into that. That's if you are trying to sell them or something.

Make sure you have enough fabric to drape over on all sides plus a few extra inches. Better to have too much than not enough. Measure the 2 sides all around, then add 2 or 3 inches. Then drape it over inside out. Pin the corners of the fabric so it is a snug fit. Slip it off and sew the seam. Make sure it fits right side out before you cut away excess fabric.

When you think you have achieved a tight fit start stapling. Starting with a couple staples in the middle of the horizontal sides, then the middle of the vertical and so on...working your way out to the corners. The corners should be the last thing you staple. Fold excess and staple it down. Practice makes perfect. You can always use a butter knife to pull staples out if you make a mistake.

Variations

Make a bench with longer legs for the foot of bed, hallway, or kitchen table.

Find an old coffee table and use that as your base.

Have fun & Good Luck!

sunflower sprouts & almond milk creamer

How do these two go together? Well, for today's purposes they don't, but since they are both in the photo, I thought why not? However, I bet the sprouts would be a delicious addition to the almond milk! Hmmm...

Anyway, almond milk creamer is so dang easy to make and a great alternative to the store bought coffee creamer minus all the additives. You will see that I add some coconut oil to emulsify it so it doesn't separate in hot coffee, but you can omit the oil if you just want regular almond milk. I decided to go with almond creamer when I learned that soy is amongst the most genetically modified crops competing with corn & cooking oils used in packaged foods. Even the 'organic' soy has been getting a bad rap lately due to the way it mimics estrogen in women. Supposedly, natural plant-based estrogens in soy may be a risk factor for breast cancer in high doses. No thanks.

The other thing about soy that I am not particularly fond of is that it is a "mucus forming food". Google that and you'll get half a million reasons to shy away from these foods...at least on a regular basis. In a nutshell, they induce the body to form excess mucus which lines the intestines and eventually turns into a thick, dehydrated, lining. This can clog the intestines, lead to diverticulitis, and inhibit the body from absorbing the much needed nutrients as the body digests. Excess mucus also traps toxins in the body. The worst offenders are dairy products, breads, meats cooked in oil, and soy 

being the most mucus-forming of the plant kingdom. Don't get your head in a tizzy..you know, the moderation thing. 

Alright, how's that for a tangent? Let's talk about how fantastic sunflower sprouts are! I love them on a salad, or as a garnish on my roasted, berbere-spiced haricot vert. The seeds take a few days to sprout and a few more days to grow up into beautiful, deliciously nutty morsels. Enjoy! 

~almond milk creamer~

1/2 c raw almonds (soaked in a bowl of purified water overnight, then rinse & strain)

1 c water

1 & 1/2  to 2 tsp. coconut oil

Variations: for a little sweet- add a soaked date or two, a tsp. of vanilla, or your favorite sweetener, like my lavender infused honey from Sonoma! 

A vitamix blender works best and I highly recommend investing in one. Especially if you are looking for a new love affair. That being said, use whatever blender you have and blend the ingredients a few minutes. Then simply strain using a nut milk bag and discard the almond pulp, or eat it in yogurt! Nut milk bags are usually sold at your local health food store or online, but you can also use several layers of cheesecloth sold at nearly all markets. However, a nut milk bag is so much easier and can be re-used over and over. Wash your hands first, because you will be squeezing every last drop out of that bag. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 4 days. makes enough for about 8 cups of coffee.

~sunflower sprouts~

2-4c raw sunflower seeds

2 plastic trays

soil

I buy my seeds at the health food store in the bulk section. They must be raw. I save my plastic trays from the Trader Joes's cucumber & zucchini's, but if you want to make a lot, go by your garden center and grab 2 big plastic trays. I'm not sure what they are called but they are black, plastic, rectangle garden trays. 

For soil, I use whatever garden soil I have. Sprouts are not that picky, but I would stay away from chemically enhanced soils. Simply soak your seeds for 8-12 hours or overnight. Try your best to keep them under water using a strainer or plate. Rinse and drain.

Lay your soil in the tray. The more soil you use - the more water it can hold = the less you need to water. I do at least an inch of soil. Water your soil, then sprinkle the seeds tightly on top, but not overlapping too much. 

Cover the tray with it's twin tray to keep out the light. Keep the soil moist! I also spray them really well a couple times a day with a spray bottle. After 3-4 days they will have sprouted. 

Now move them to an area with sunlight. I use a sunny window, but you can grow them outside. Continue to keep the soil moist and harvest when they are about 4 inches tall. I just cut them with scissors as needed. 

It's a strawberry shortcake kinda summer.

This fabulous creation was inspired by my local farmers market here in Venice Beach, CA. I couldn't resist the perfection of a box of ripe, organic, mouth watering, seasonal strawberries! Mmmmm....Then there is the equal level of perfection from Aris Natural Foods. They make all of their decadent dairy products out of sheep and goat milk. I decided to marry the sheep's milk greek fig yogurt (yeah you heard me ;) with some good ol' homemade whipped cream and continue on to create a towering, delicious pile of heaven atop some old fashioned homemade shortcake. Hot damn! 

Shortbread recipe

9 oz. or 2c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 c. plus 1Tbs. sugar
2 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 oz. or 1/2 c butter cut into 1/2 in pieces
1 large egg
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c buttermilk

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 cake pans with parchment.

Sift the flour, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the salt. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or kitchen aid mixer with wisk attachment, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  

In a small bowl, beat the egg and heavy cream with a fork. Mix in the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cream mixture. Mix with the fork or paddle attachment until the dough is evenly moistened and just comes together. Mix until JUST combined. Do not over mix. Gather the dough and gently knead it three or four times. If the dough seems dry and doesn’t form a cohesive mass, work in more cream, 1 tsp. at a time.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it 3 or 4 more times. Cut dough in two equal pieces and lightly roll/press into buttered or lined cake pans.

Lightly brush the biscuit tops with cream (about 1 Tbs.) and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar. Bake, rotating once, until the biscuit tops are 'slightly' browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not over bake or it will result in a hard scone. Let the biscuits cool slightly while you whip the cream.

Strawberries

cut up 4c. of ripe strawberries. Put one-third of the berries in a medium bowl and, using a potato masher or blender crush them into a chunky purée. Slice the remaining berries 1/4 inch thick and stir them into the mashed berries along with 2Tbs sugar...more or less. Let the berries sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Whipped cream

1 & 1/2 cups *organic heavy cream 2 Tbs. granulated sugar


In a large, chilled metal bowl, whip the heavy cream and sugar to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Do not over mix or you will end up with butter! (Use immediately or refrigerate, covered until ready to serve).


*I always try to use organic dairy products...They don't have the BGH toxic growth hormone and they simply taste better!


Enjoy

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