Written By Esthermay Bentley-Goossen on 10 November 2008
Do you want to know the secret of the *Perfect* Chocolate Chip Cookie? (There is one, you know.)
Answer: You never-ever (ever!) bake them as long as the recipe instructs. Yep. That's it. That's the secret. You try it and let me know.
. . . For those of you who follow the blog and are well aware that this is my first post since the Election, will now be asking, "What!? Nothing on the Election? No spiritual application to the Nation of Israel and the 'We-Want-King-Obamaman-not-the-LORD-GOD-to-lead-us?'" Answer: NOPE! It 's Fall Into Flavor Day and I'm stickin' with the agenda.
Now this underbake-the-cookies theory is not really that incredible of a revelation to me since I've never really followed recipes to the letter anyway. And to obstinately go against the sacred baking time of a recipe is everyday amusement in our kitchen since our "temperate" oven is just as wacked as I am. (See poll results HERE.)
"Ephraim mixes with other nations. Ephraim, you are like a half-baked loaf of bread.
~Hosea 7:8 (God's Word® Translation)
Oh My!
. . . But, it was my personal adversity with a less than accurate oven that taught me the secret of underbaking cookies. So, in the spirit of REAL Butter, here is the recipe for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie:
Ingredients:
2 Sticks REAL Butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 - 14 oz. bag of chocolate chunks or chips OR M&M's
1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla and blend well. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in separate bowl; then add gradually to other mixture and blend well. Add chunks (chips or M&M's) and chopped walnuts. Shape about 2 Tbsp of dough into a ball and place on ungreased cookie sheet. (x12 -- or x8 -- or however many fit on your cookie sheet.)Flatten each ball slightly with fingers to about 1/2" thickness. Reshape dough into circle if needed (sometimes with the chips/chunks/nuts, the cookies tend to loose the circle shape. Bake for 6-7 minutes.
Now. . . check the cookies - if they still have the appearance of gooey'ness or liquid centers, bake them for another 60 seconds and check again. You do not want to take them out while they are still gooey, but you do want to remover them from the oven while they look "underbaked." Allow the cookies to continue "baking" on top of the warm oven on the cookie sheet for several minutes. These cookies stay chewy for many days in an airtight container.
Oh, yea. . . As for those post-election musings. Here's one to think on:
President Bush -- who openly shared that his favorite philosopher was JESUS CHRIST -- was a "Divider."
Yet the man who openly defies the American Flag and believes that the CROSS of CHRIST is only one of many ways to God is considered a "Uniter."
Written By Esthermay Bentley-Goossen on 03 November 2008
In the spirit of bi-partisanship and extending the Christian hand of fellowship to both Barak Obama enthusiasts and McCain/Palin supporters this day before the 2008 Election, my submission for Fall into Flavor(over at 2nd Cup of Coffee) has two very unique, yet perfectly delectable versions: One for economically confused concerned Democrats and one for the rest of us hard-working, selfish Republican capitalists.
So... here we go. Lets all join in a moment of unity, shall we.
That's nice.
Fudge Tunnel Pumpkin Cake for Liberals
Ingredients
● 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour ● 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder ● 2 teaspoons Baking powder ● 1 teaspoon Baking Soda ● 1 teaspoon Salt ● 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon ● 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger ● 2 sticks (1/2 pound) softened Unsalted REAL Butter ● 1 1/2 cups White Sugar ● 1/2 cup firmly packed Light Brown Sugar ● 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract ● 4 Large eggs, at room temperature ● 1 can (15 ounces) Solid-Pack Pumpkin ● 2 ounces Semisweet Chocolate, melted.
Chocolate Glaze: ● 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream ● 6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate, chopped ● 1 tablespoon REAL Butter
Directions
● Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan; dust with flour or cocoa.
● In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.
● In a large bowl, cream the butter, both sugars and the vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each.
● At low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the pumpkin.
● Transfer 1 cup of batter to a small bowl; stir in the chocolate.
● Spoon 3 cups of the pumpkin batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top. Using a small spoon, make a shallow ditch in the center of the batter, forming a ring.
● Drop the chocolate batter into the ditch. Cover with the remaining pumpkin batter, smoothing the top.
● Bake for 45–50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
● Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.
● Prepare Chocolate Glaze and drizzle over the cooled cake.
● Let stand until set.
Chocolate Glaze ● In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Let cool for 1 hour, until thickened but pourable.
Fudge Tunnel Pumpkin Cake for Hard-Working Republicans
Ingredients ● 2 3/4 cups local store-brand all-purpose flour
If redistribution of resources has affected your flour supply, sawdust works well.
● 1 tablespoon generic unsweetened cocoa powder
Again, if the new redistribution policies have your cocoa supply limited, dehydrated Halloween candy works well as a substitute.
● 2 teaspoons generic baking powder
Skip this if you have to. . .
● 1 teaspoon baking soda
Not necessary.
● 1 teaspoon salt
Look in your glove box. McDonald's sometimes throws 'em in with French fries. Check neighbor's car too.
● 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Kind of important. Borrow from neighbor if redistribution has left you wanting.
● 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Skip it.
● 1/2 tub (1/2 pound) of the cheapest store-brand margarine you can afford
Essential. Skip the glaze (below) if you must to afford this.
● 1 1/2 cups store-brand granulated sugar
A must-have ingredient. Again -- borrow from a liberal neighbor who probably is now in possession of yours.
● 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Double-up on the white sugar if redistribution has affected this staple.
● 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
See substitution for ginger.
● 4 large eggs, at room temperature
Corn starch will work.
● 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
Or any medium-size decomposing gourd will work. Puree it in a blender and run it through a sieve. The inside is still good.
● 2 ounces store-brand chocolate, melted
Halloween candy works. If redistribution has affected candy supply. Visit your liberal neighbor. In fact -- make friends with him/her. Fast.
Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup heavy cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
Just skip the glaze if you make over $40,000.00/year. You don't deserve it.
Directions ● Preheat the oven to 350F.
Or -- as an alternative if your oven's been given to a homeless guy, put a space heater in your bathtub and pre-heat bathroom.
● Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan; dust with flour or cocoa.
Or -- as an alternative, use your kid's bike helmet.
● In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
Or -- whatever ingredients you do have.
● Set aside.
Or -- at this point just give up and go buy a cake off the day-old bakery rack at WalMart.
● In a large bowl, cream the butter, both sugars and the vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy.
-- Or - if you don't have an electric mixer, children are great at mixing things with their hands. Give 'em a couple of zip-lock bags and let 'em use their feet if you've used their Halloween candy (you know, as payment for the treats).
● Add the eggs (or corn starch) 1 at a time, beating well after each.
Or -- see zip-lock instructions above.
● At low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the pumpkin (or pureed gourd).
● Transfer 1 cup (or whatever you've got) of batter to a small bowl; stir in the chocolate.
● Spoon 3 cups of the pumpkin (or pureed gourd) batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top.
● Using a small plastic spoon, make a shallow ditch in the center of the batter, forming a ring. Drop the chocolate batter into the ditch.
Consider at this point giving your house to charity and living in a ditch.
● Cover with the remaining pumpkin (or pureed gourd) batter, smoothing the top.
● Bake for 14 hours in warm bathtub or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool anywhere in the house (we'll assume you've turned your thermostat down to 58° in order to pay utilities in anticipation of Obama's unbelievable new tax plan). Then turn the cake onto a paper plate or restaurant napkin. Or whatever you've got.
● If desired, prepare Chocolate Glaze and drizzle over the cooled cake. Let stand until set. Chocolate Glaze : In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Let cool for 1 hour, until thickened but pourable
Yeah . . . we skipped the glaze, remember? Good Grief! You can't have your cake and glaze too!
● Calculate the value of the cake. Subtract $3.00 for your labor. (Do not include cost to heat bathtub.)
● Deduct 60% Federal Government Redistribution Contribution.
● If value exceeds $2.50$1.49 .69¢, give entire cake to nearest neighbor with an Obama yard sign.
● If you're lucky they might invite you in to share it while you watch the Election Results together in the SPIRIT OF BI-Partisanship! . . . You -- living in a tunnel of financial despair -- and your liberal neighbor -- living with economic-tunnel vision -- enjoying Fudge Tunnel Cake together. ENJOY!!
Now. . . go visit Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee for more great Fall into Flavor recipes. And remember, "Spread the Wealth Recipes Around!"
Written By Esthermay Bentley-Goossen on 20 October 2008
My husband gently reminded me this morning that -- in its intended context -- yesterday's post should have addressed the "food" issue. And he is correct. I Corinthians 10:23-33 does address the issue of food.
"In eating and drinking, and in all we do, we should aim at the glory of God, at pleasing and honoring Him. This is the great end of all religion, and directs us where express rules are wanting. A holy, peaceable, and benevolent spirit, will disarm the greatest enemies."
That said. . . . what follows is a delicious recipe that begins with a (*gasp --*)boxed cake mix.
Now, if you know me -- you know that boxed/prepared food is as food presented to idols since (*gasp --*) boxed food almost always contains the iniquity of Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil!
So. . . in the spirit of edification of the Church and living peaceably among all men bloggers, here's the one and only recipe in my collection that starts with a prepared cake mix.
Pumpkin/Pecan Bars
Ingredients: 3 Boxes Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix (divided) 12 Tbsp Real Butter (1 1/2 sticks) (divided) 30 oz. can Strained Pumpkin 1 can sweetened condensed milk 4 eggs 2 tsp cinnamon 1 - 2 cups Chopped Pecans
Instructions:
1. Combine 2 boxes of the cake mix with 8 Tbsp (1 stick) melted butter. Press into a 9"x13" greased pan.
2. Combine pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and cinnamon - Blend well with electric mixer.
3. Pour pumpkin mixture over cake layer.
4. Blend 1 box of cake mix with 4 Tbsp CHILLED butter, using a pastry blender. Mix in pecans.
5. Sprinkle pecan mixture on top of pumpkin layer.
6. Bake for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven or until center is set.
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Do you want to know the secret of the *Perfect* Chocolate Chip Cookie? (There is one, you know.)
