Pillow Cookies

As if yesterday's slutty brownies weren't enough, today brings more sweet treats. I feel like at this point I should have a go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Well I don't. So for your benefit and mine, I'm going to be testing out different recipes. First recipe test resulted in these little pillow puff chocolate cookies.

First recipe test went pretty good. The flavor was great, they looked great, had great color and were perfectly soft and fluffy inside. Definitely a recipe to keep in my repertoire, but I'm still working on it. I'm looking for something a little flatter and denser with that perfect chewy inside and barely crisp edge. 

The trick to getting these so soft is the melted butter. I honestly thought this would weigh them down and flatten them out more, but they kept their little puff shape all through the baking and cooling.

Chocolate Chip Pillow Cookies adapted from Pinch of Yum
yields 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (more as needed)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips 

Directions:
Preheat your oven 350 degrees. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn't be hot - but it should be almost entirely in liquid form.

Using a mixer, beat the butter with the sugars until combined. Add the extracts and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated - 10-15 seconds or so.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle. This is the stage where you may want to add more flour. Add a little at a time, mixing with your hands or spatula. I ended up adding another 1/2 cup to get the right consistency. You want it right at the stage between "wet" dough and "dry" dough). Add the chocolate chips and incorporate with your hands.

Roll the dough into 12 large balls and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE.  Take them out even if they look like they're not done yet. They should be pale and puffy.

Let them cool on the pan for about 30 minutes. Enjoy these heavenly pillows will a tall glass of milk!

Annie

These Brownies Are Sluts

No these brownies aren't wearing inappropriate clothing and no they didn't "get around," but they are a little slutty. 

My current food blogger girl crush is Gaby Dalkin (pronounced Goby) from What's Gaby Cooking. If you don't already follow her on Snapchat, stop what you are doing and give her a follow @whatsgabycookin. This SoCal based, avocado obsessed, slutty brownie extraordinaire has it going on. She is constantly posting new recipes of all the amazing food she is eating or making. Not to mention she is hilarious and seriously brightens my day every time she puts a new snap up. 

The recipe of Gaby's that has been at the top of my list are these slutty brownies. I mentioned how they don't "get around," but I guess they kind of do. They flirt with chocolate chip cookie dough, oreos and brownie batter, making them the ultimate slut. All for our enjoyment though. 

I love when my kitchen looks like this. Only good things come from copious amounts of measuring cups and spatulas covered in batter and dough. Props to mom for setting the backdrop with her killer marble countertops. 

Slutty Brownies adapted from What's Gaby Cooking
yields 16 brownies

Ingredients:

For the brownie layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour

For the Oreo layer:
1 package of regular or double stuff Oreos (you wont use them all)

For the cookie dough layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan with foil. Use two sheets for extra sturdiness. Then spray the foil covered pan with cooking spray. 

For the brownie layer, in a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder once the butter is melted. Whisk to combine and remove from heat. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and continuously whisk until the eggs are combined. Add the flour and continue to mix. Set batter aside.

For the cookie dough layer, cream together the butter and sugars in a mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix on low until everything is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with your spatula. Set dough aside.

To assemble, layer the cookie dough on the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, pressing down to form the bottom of the slutty brownies. Layer as many Oreos that will fit on top of the cookie dough. No need to overlap. One single layer will do. Pour the brownie batter on top of the Oreo layer and make sure it's evenly layerd on top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Test with a knife to see if the center is done. If the knife comes out clean, let the brownies rest before serving. If the knife comes out with batter still on it, allow the brownies to bake about 5 minutes more. Once they are done, you have to let them rest. It's the hardest part, but it's crucial otherwise they will fall apart on you. 

Serve with a tall glass of milk, you'll need it!

Now get a little slutty and make some brownies. They went over far too well with all of my taste testers. 

Annie

Bites of My Life

Friends with babies and friends getting married, this weekend had me feeling way to young for all of that. It also made me realize I am totally fine with feeling young. I'm at that perfect middle ground stage where I have just enough responsibility to feel mature, but not enough where I can still lay in bed till noon and not feel bad about it. After catching up with sweet friends this weekend, and getting to gush about life after graduating, I was repeatedly reminded how much I love it.

-When your past and present job come together, insert clapping hands emoji.
-Return of one of my favorite breakfasts, savory oatmeal with a poached egg and hot sauce.
-I didn't plan it, but I think Thursday's popcorn and wine filled Shonda Rimes watch party, crosses #5 off the TDL!
-Oh lordy, Kathleen made this cashew cream and it's pretty much the most amazing thing I've had in a while. She made it as a dip for fruit, but saved me a little jar for snacking. The jar was way to small because I finished it off before I even got home from her house, did I mention she lives right around the corner from me? This is your push to make more Kat!
-Friday morning with me, myself and I. My local Whole Foods is offering $0.25 oatmeal through the 27th and you can bet I'm going to take them up on this deal a few too many times. 
-The perks of being obsessed with food results in friends dropping off grocery sized bags of farm grown green tomatoes for you. These are being turned into tonight's dinner!
-White chicken chili packaged up for an easy dinner for my favorite new momma.
-Dropping off dinner meant a chance to finally meet baby Juniper!
-A big bite shoutout to these two!

Annie

Fall TDL

New season, new TDL. I had a more than perfect summer, but I wasn't very accomplishing at checking things off my summer to-do list. Fall is always bit more productive, so I have high hopes of checking everything off this season's TDL. I'm printing it off and putting a copy where I can see it. Everything on the list are things I really want to do. Some I've wanted to do for a while, some that go with the season and some that have carried over from summer. Ready, set, lets do things!

1. Make unconventional pumpkin recipes. Like this, this, this and this.

2. Have a fall themed cookout outside by the chiminea. S'mores and hot chocolate must be included. 

3. Rent bikes and ride around town. We have this little bike rental program in OKC and I have yet to take advantage of it! ( I stole this from my summer TDL because I still haven't made it happen).

4. Make at least three cookbook recipes.

5. Have a full-fledge Thursday night Scandal watch party. Lots of popcorn and lots of red wine. 

6. Finish a book. I've been reading the same book since February...

7. Plan a friendsgiving!

8. Take a day trip to Tulsa. A city just an hour and a half a way with tons of hidden gems.

9. Take a food photography class. 
Brit+Co has one for $20! (I also stole this one from my Summer TDL because it needs to happen).

10. Cozy up in a cabin for a weekend. 

Annie

Bites of My Life

A perfect little short week followed up by a perfect big fun weekend. Just had a few days of work to get through last week before I was Dallas bound for the annual Red River Shootout. A special visit from a friend, a sushi making class and Hello Fresh meals to cook made the week skip along quite quickly. 

Woke up at the crack of dawn to head south Friday morning. Got our shopping out of the way early before it was a full fledge best friend reunion. I was skeptical of how my first post-grad OU/Texas weekend would go, but it was easily one of the best. It's now a built in weekend every year where all of my friends will be in the same place at the same time. It even meant a reunion with my sweet Molly! Her team may have won, but we aren't letting our schools get in the way of things. It was a year too long since our last meet up, and we are not letting that happen again. Molls says she is coming to OKC and I am telling all of you to help hold her accountable. 

My Sooners may have lost, but the weekend was an overall win. Until next time Texas, you always show me a good time.

-A much deserved visit from a best friend called for a delicious new salad recipe. Recipe can be found in my Recipe Dump post.
-Quitting my day job and become a sushi chef. Finally got to mark "learn how to make sushi" off my cooking bucket list.
-Hello Fresh arrived on our doorstep again this week. The cumin spiced chicken with zucchini pearl couscous was my favorite from the box!
-Scurried through the week to speed down to Dallas for OU/Texas weekend. First stop Nordstrom for lunch and new shoes.
-Get us all back together and it's guaranteed good time. 
-Highlight of the weekend. Hi Molls!!! We may be rivals, but blogger besties comes first.
-Fletcher's we meet again. #teammustard
-Recovered from the Sooners loss and a long day at the fair with copious amounts of Torchy's Tacos queso.
-Couldn't make a trip to Texas without a stop to Trader Joe's. Pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds, pumpkin cornbread mix, pumpkin soup and pumpkin body butter filled my basket.
-Last stop before Oklahoma was for an Eatzi's breakfast.
-Another batch of carrot ginger dressing whipped up for a friend who is obsessed as I am. 
-Finished off a great weekend with a Mexican style quinoa homemade from our last Hello Fresh package. 

Annie