Cantaloupe Cayenne Sorbet – Hot and Cold

I think this is the first video in the history of Food Wishes to contain the word “Cayenne” in the title, and we have Humphry Slocombeto thank for that.

Humphry Slocombe is one of San Francisco’s top ice cream makers, and certainly its most creative; so when I saw something called, “Cantaloupe Cayenne Sorbet,” on their menu board, I knew I had to get the recipe.

My plan was to find out where their employees drink after work, buy a few rounds of shots (Jagermeister, of course), and somehow get it out of one of them. Unfortunately, I discovered the recipe had been published all over the Internet, so I never did get to do the shots thing, but the point is I found the recipe.

The vodka in this is optional, but I think it makes for a better sorbet. As anyone who has a bottle in the freezer can tell you, vodka doesn’t freeze like water does, so it helps create a smoother texture, or so they say. And by “they,” I mean Alton Brown, who was first person I saw do this. Whether you use the booze or not, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes just over a quart of Cantaloupe Cayenne Sorbet:
*Recipe slightly adapted from one found in Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book 

1 1/2 pounds peeled, seeded cantaloupe or any sweet, ripe melon (about 4 1/2 cups packed)

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons vodka

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (this was pretty spicy, so add less if you’re scared)

Chocolate Energy Bars – Looking Good…Maybe Too Good

If you compare these chocolate energy bars to similar fruit/nut bars sold at the store, I think they taste better, are nutritionally superior, and probably cheaper to make at home. The only problem is they look so good.

These look like fudge brownies, and so it does take a millisecond for the brain to process that they’re not going to taste like fudge brownies. Having said that, they really are delicious, and satisfying in a non-decadent, but still chocolaty way.

Try your hardest to find Medjool dates, but if you can’t, any dried date should work, as long as it’s soft and sticky enough. If the ones you’re using seem too hard and dry, simply soak them in water until they soften up a bit.

Beyond the advantages I’ve described already, you also have the freedom to use any combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you’d like. There’s about a million ways you can go, and I expect to hear about any particularly brilliant combinations. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 12 Chocolate Energy Bars:

2 cups chopped, pitted Medjool dates

2 cups raw cashews

1 cup raw or roasted unsalted almonds

3/4 cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Guittard Cocoa Rouge)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoon cold espresso coffee or water,

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)

very small pinch cayenne

Buttermilk Panna Cotta – The Magic of Barely Cooked Cream

For something called “cooked cream,” there’s very little cooking involved here. Actually, there is very little anything involved here. If you can somehow manage to start your panna cotta the day before you want to eat it, this classic Italian recipe is about as simple as it gets.

As long as you keep the same basic gelatin to creamy liquid ratio, you can flavor this any way you want. I’ve had them scented with everything from Earl Grey tea to cardamom, so feel free to play around. Same goes for the proportion of buttermilk, which can be increased for a tangier version.

One thing I should have mentioned is not to put the plastic wrap on while they’re still warm. It looked like I wrapped mine immediately, but I actually let them cool before putting them in the fridge. It’s not a huge deal, but if you put the plastic on warm, you’ll get condensation, which will then drip, and wreck that perfectly pristine surface.

This is so perfect in the summer, and not just because it’s easy and refreshing. All that amazing seasonal fruit gives you the perfect reason…excuse…to make these easy treats. I hope you give this panna cotta recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 8 servings:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (just shy of 1 tablespoon) sprinkled over 3 tablespoons cold water

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

3 strips lemon peel

extremely tiny pinch salt

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (Corn-free)

I've been wanting to come up with a creamy frosting for my Yellow Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe,  to use instead of the sugar glaze.  With the help of my husband and daughter, the three of us came up with a perfectly creamy, delicious cream cheese frosting that uses Caster sugar (super fine cane sugar) instead of powdered sugar (I found the Caster sugar at my local PCC Market).  I also use Singing Dog Organic Pure Vanilla Extract in this recipe (found at my local Metropolitan Market), which is corn-free.  So now we're good to go!

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1 cup whipped cream cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup Caster sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all ingredients using an electric mixer and beat until smooth.  Add about 20 drops of food color to get a nice light color shade to the frosting.  This recipe will frost a 9x12 cake.  Refrigerate cake after frosting it.

Kumquat Marmalade – Beautiful, Delicious, and Almost Easy to Make

If you’re like me, and marmalade is not your favorite type of fruit preserve, it’s most likely because of those bitter flavors from the white parts of whatever type of citrus was used. That is not an issue with this gorgeous kumquat marmalade.

The secret here is using a type of citrus that doesn’t really have any of those pithy parts, which is why kumquats are the only citrus I know of that you eat whole, skin and all. If you are going to enjoy au naturel, make sure you roll them first, to release all that sweet, fragrant oil.

However, if you’re going to cut them up as seem herein, then rolling each one is not necessary, as the oils will be release as we quarter, seed, and slice. This is a good thing, as we need all the time-savings we can get, since what we are going to do, is painstakingly remove the center white membrane.

I believe this will make your marmalade even less bitter, but mostly it’s for appearance. For me, those little white bits spoil the perfect, clear-orange jelly that’s produced. But if you think I’m crazy, and you want to save a half-hour, you can probably skip that step, as long as you get all the seeds. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 cups:

2 generous cups sliced kumquats (measure after they have been quartered, seeded, and sliced into small pieces)

zest and juice of 1 lemon

small pinch cayenne

1 cup white sugar

1 cup cold water

1 star anise (I remove after 10 minutes of simmering)

- Note: You can just go by appearance, but I took the temperature right before it was done, and it was bout 215 F., so I imagine when I was finished it was around 220 F. You can also put a spoonful on a plate in the fridge, and test that way.

Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake – Now with More Crumbs

I’m sure I’ve said it here before, but I’m not a big cake guy. I’ll take a few bites at a wedding for appearances, and of course on a birthday, since that’s what you do, but besides that, cake is none of my business. However, one big exception would be the crumby goodness that is pecan sour cream coffee cake. 

As I mention in the video, the best part of a coffee cake is the crispy, crunchy, buttery crumbs; so we significantly upped the amounts used. I’m not sure why everyone doesn’t do this…maybe their health? Regardless, it creates what I think is the “ultimate” coffee cake experience.

One tip for placing on the second layer of batter: You can use a piping bag to squeeze an even layer, and then touch it up with a spatula. Having said that, as you saw in the clip, even if you spread by hand, and mix in a few nuts, it still comes out beautifully.

This recipe is really foolproof, but mind your baking time. I used an 8” x 12” cast iron casserole dish, and it took about 35 minutes, but times will vary for glass dishes, as well as for slightly larger dishes, like the classic 9” x 13.” I’d start checking around 30 minutes, and go from there. I really hope you give this extra crumby coffee cake a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 to 12 portions:

For the crumb:

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the cake:

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sour cream or crème fraiche

1 7/8 cups all-purpose flour (Almost 2 cups. Do not pack cups. Spoon in gently.)

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

- Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Torrone (Italian Nut & Nougat Confection) – A Stirring Valentine’s Day Treat

The theme of this torrone post was originally about making this gorgeous candy for your Valentine, but then I realized what would be even better than making this for your sweetheart, would be making with your sweetheart.

While very easy, this procedure does take about one and a half hours to complete, and most of that time is spent standing at the stove, stirring, which is why tag-teaming this Italian confection makes the job much easier, and I’ll assume a lot more fun.

By the way, this is the real way to make torrone, and by “real,” I mean the really old way. Today, most candy makers use a much faster method, where a caramelized sugar syrup is simply added to the whipped egg whites. I’ve tried this both ways, and while the modern technique is way faster, I much prefer this method. It seems to have more soul, whatever that means.

Using this ancient technique, you don’t need to worry about precise timing, specific temperatures, or potentially painful burns. Besides, standing and stirring something on the stove for that long is surprisingly therapeutic. Watching the ingredients slowly, and magically change, as your home fills with the sweet aroma of warm honey, is almost as enjoyable as the amazing candy you end up with. Almost.

The visual clues, and times I give in the video should be enough, but don’t forget the cold water trick I showed you. That’s a great way to check you work, and sneak a taste. I hope you give this a try very soon. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from this one by, Enzo Maragucci. 
Makes about 80 (1-inch) square pieces:

400 g honey (about 1 1/3 cups)

250 g white sugar (about 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons)

2 large egg whites

pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 rounded tablespoon lemon zest

3 cups roasted almonds (I used Marcona almonds)

1 cup roasted pistachio

2 sheets “wafer” paper (*edible rice paper)

*Follow this link for info on the one I ordered. 
If you don't use the wafer paper, you can just spray plastic wrap with oil, and that also works. Some people use cornstarch, but I'm not a fan. Google for many other tricks.  

- I used an 8 x 11 baking dish to mold mine in.

Zabaglione – Tastes Like Romance

When you go over the things you really want in a Valentine’s dessert, this ultra-simple zabaglione checks all the boxes. Assuming that your sweetheart enjoys things like sweet, juicy fruit enveloped in a rich, but impossibly light custard, this should work out nicely.

I like to use a dry Marsala wine, but sweet Marsala is also a popular choice. If you use the sweet variety you’ll need to cut down or eliminate the sugar.  If you’re not into warm wine foams, you can literally use any other flavorful liquid, and the technique will work the same.

You may need to change the garnish, but things like coffee, fruit juices, and pretty much any other liquor, or liqueur, will work with this technique. Experiment, and see what happens. So, whether you make this for that certain someone this Valentine’s Day, or just for a random weeknight treat, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 2 or 3 servings:

3 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup diced strawberries tossed with a spoon of sugar

Christmas Eggnog – Maybe I Do Like It

I’ve never been a big eggnog person, and that’s putting it kindly. It’s too thick, too sweet, and way too artificially nutmegy. I even did an anti-nog tweet recently, just for a few cheap, seasonal laughs, but then I realized I was being unfair to this iconic Christmas drink.

I was basing most of my hating on the stuff in the carton from the supermarket, which features no booze, and a nutrition label you seriously don’t want to read. The homemade stuff I’ve had was significantly better, and so I decided to film this rather easy process, since I get so many requests this time of year.

This recipe does feature raw egg whites, so there’s a very, very tiny chance of a foodborne illness. If you’re concerned, please feel free to use pasteurized eggs, or Google, “how to safely use raw eggs,” or just make something else.

Freshness is the key here. The freshest eggs, milk, and cream you can get, and don’t even think about using pre-ground nutmeg. Maybe this recipe will be the one that finally has you going out to buy that jar of whole nutmeg and grater, but it really is the key. I hope you give this luscious liquid custard a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 servings:

(recipe based on Alton Brown’s famous version)

For the custard base:

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup white sugar

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

cook to 170-180 F. , then add;

2 to 3 ounces bourbon whiskey

3/4 teaspoon freshly and very finely grated nutmeg

For the meringue:

4 egg whites

1 tablespoon white sugar

- Add meringue to cold custard base, mix, and chill until very cold. Whisk thoroughly before pouring.

Salted Caramel Custard – My Newest Favorite Dessert Ever

Yes, if you asked me right now, this salted caramel custard would be my favorite dessert. These easy “pots de crèmes” are just sweet enough, just salty enough, and just drop-dead gorgeous enough.

I used Maldon sea salt to garnish, which has quite large, but very light crystals, so we’re not adding as much salt as it may appear. Think of a big, fluffy snowflake, floating down onto your warm palm. Stay with me here. As soon as that huge flake lands, it melts into a tiny drop of water. It’s sort of the same thing here.

This recipe will make exactly six (6.5 ounce) ramekins, but you can use any size you want, as long as you monitor the cooking time. Speaking of which, there are many variables effecting how long yours will take, such as ramekin size/shape, and how close they’re packed together, so the times given here are just a guideline.

Simply bake until the custard is just set, and you get that signature “jiggle” when you wiggle. By the way, I wasn’t kidding about eating these cold. I know it’s very hard not to eat a little bit before they’re chilled, but these are so vastly superior in taste and texture when cold, we’re going to need you to be strong. I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for six (6.5 ounce) ramekins:

9 large egg yolks

2/3 cup white sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

flaky sea salt to garnish

- Bake at 300 F. about 45 min to an hour, or until set.

Sweet Potato Muffins – The Sweet Potato Pie of Muffins

Sometimes you don’t have a good reason for not loving a certain recipe, and that’s how it is for me with sweet potato pie. It just does not do it for me, and I don’t even know what “it” is. However, I thought the same flavors could work for a holiday-inspired sweet potato muffin, and I was thrilled with the results.

These are perfect if you have leftover sweet potatoes during the holidays, but if not, totally worth cooking a few just for this easy recipe. I microwaved mine for about 6 or 7 minutes, until they were very soft, but roasting, or boiling will also work.

By the way, we’re not using sweet potatoes for our sweet potato muffin; we’re using yams, which are actually just incorrectly named orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.  So, I guess never mind.

As I mention in the video, these muffins are just a little bit of frosting away from being cupcakes. I’ve never understood the allure of mini marshmallows on a sweet potato casserole, but something tells me some “fluff” would work well on these, as well. I really hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 24 Sweet Potato Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups mashed sweet potato or “yams”
1 cup chopped pecans, plus more for the top
demerara sugar for the tops

- Bake for 25 minutes at 350 F. or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Gingersnap Cookies – Hot, Hot, Sweet

I always tell people I’m not a cookie eater, but I guess that depends on the cookie, since when it comes to these gingersnaps, I can’t get enough. As soon as these cool, I chain-eat them until they’re gone; but that’s not my fault. I blame the amazing spicy-sweet flavor, and irresistible texture.

Speaking of irresistible texture, I’ve got some homework for you. You’re going to have to make batches of these to find out your own optimum baking time. I know, it’s hard work, but you need to somehow find a way. 

Depending on the exact size of your dough balls, and how crispy, or chewy, you want these, the baking times will vary from 10 to 15 minutes. As far as ingredients go, the crystalized ginger is technically optional, but not too hard to find (check the bulk section), and it really gives the cookies that extra kick of ginger flavor and heat. 

Obviously, you can also adjust the spices to suit your tastes, but don’t make these too mild. They’re called “snaps” for reasons other than their texture. I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 50 to 60 cookies (depending on size):

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

12 tablespoons room temp unsalted butter

2/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup finely chopped candied ginger

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, beaten
- Bake at 350 F. for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on desired texture.

A Waldorf Salad by Any Other Name

As I joked about in the video, a fruit salad has to be pretty damn good to actually get a name, and the venerable Waldorf salad is certainly worthy. 

I realize that there are a small group of you who won’t be able to wrap your heads around mayonnaise with fruit, and that’s a shame, since it means you won’t get to enjoy one of the great combinations of all time. By the way, if you are one of the aforementioned people, but like mayo slathered all over your sandwich, containing slices of sweet, ripe tomato, and caramelized onions, then you have some explaining to do. Also, coleslaw. I rest my case.

Embellish this as you see fit, but I really like it best with just the four ingredients seen here. Things like dried cranberries can add a nice seasonal touch, but for me, the chewy fruit gets in the way of that addictive crunchy/crisp texture. I really hope you give this old-school, but timeless Waldorf salad a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 cup dressing (enough for 2 Waldorf salads below):

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup crème fraiche or sour cream (I used CF)

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

pinch cayenne

1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

For 2 large or 4 appetizer sized Waldorf salads:

2 large crisp, sweet apples, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup small cubed celery root

1 cup quartered seedless grapes

1/2 cup toasted walnuts pieces

Pumpkin Zeppole – You “Can” Do It

It may sound strange, but the only way to mess up this pumpkin zeppole, is by using a fresh pumpkin. Like virtually every other pumpkin dessert, I think using pure canned pumpkin will give you the best results. That really is the trick to this Halloween treat.

If you take a pumpkin, roast it, and scoop out the flesh, it may look similar to the canned stuff, but you’ll be surprised at how little sweetness and flavor it actually has. It sounds like a great way to go, but in reality, it is not. And what about “sugar pumpkins;” that smaller variety of pumpkin specially grown for cooking? They are definitely better, but still, it’s been my experience that even those don’t have as concentrated a flavor.

Like all things cooking, people will vehemently disagree with me, and claim they can achieve results that are just as good using fresh, but even so, that’s a lot of work for something that’s basically the same. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide.

By the way, if you can't get canned pumpkin, roasted butternut squash (just like we did for this soup) will work very nicely!

Special thanks to my old friend, Jennifer Perillo, for this recipe was adapted from one of hers. I’m not above stealing a recipe from total stranger, but it’s nice knowing the foundation for a recipe is coming from someone who actually knows what they’re doing. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 24-30 depending on the size:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup (8 ounces) fresh ricotta cheese, well-drained

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (or roasted butternut squash)

1/4 cup white sugars

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Canola oil for frying

Poached Pears “Belle Helene” - Why Escoffier Really Created This Dish

They say Auguste Escoffier created this dish in honor of the opera, La Belle Helen, but we chefs know the real reason. How else are you going to use up bruised pears in such a delicious and beautiful way? Okay, so maybe that wasn’t his motivation, but as you’ll see in the video, it sure does work great.

The recipe is very straightforward, so instead we’ll go into your options for the chocolate sauce, as well as what to do with all that extra simple syrup. We have two chocolate preparations that will work for this (and have been linked). The first would be our easy hot fudge recipe; and the second, and more traditional choice, would be the classic chocolate ganache.

If you follow the link to the later, you’ll be taken to our Boston Cream Pie video, where you’ll see the technique for creating a classic ganache, but you’ll probably need to adjust the ratio of cream to chocolate. Generally it’s equal parts chocolate and cream, but if you want something more pourable, then 2 parts cream to 1 part chocolate (by weight) would work better.

As far as the extra vanilla poaching liquid goes; you’ll want to strain it, pour it into some cool looking bottles, and give it away as edible gifts. The taste is incredible. Better than the pears, if we’re being honest, and would make a fantastic holiday treat for the wannabe mixologists in your life. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 poached pears:

6 cups water

zest and juice of one lemon

4 bosc pears, cored and peeled (you can also use Anjou or Bartlett)

1 split vanilla bean, or a few teaspoons of vanilla extract

3 cups sugar

Simmer for about 20-25 minutes, depending on size and firmness

Peach Financiers – Because French Bankers Hate Dirty Money

There are many different techniques used for making financiers, but as usual, I’ve chosen the easiest one. I would have been happy to try those other more complicated versions, but fortunately, I enjoyed this one so much, there’s no need.

I mention in the video that these are called “financiers” because they’re rich, and look like gold bars (if you use the traditional rectangular molds). Well, apparently that’s not quite right.

Word on the “rue” is that there was a bakery next to the Paris stock exchange that made these small almond cakes so bankers could enjoy them on the way to work, without getting their fingers dirty. I assume this is accurate, since I read it in the YouTube comments.

Anyway, not only is this an easy recipe, but it works beautifully with pretty much any summer fruit. Berries are popular, as are other stone fruits. Just don’t use too much. It’s merely a garnish, and adding too much could effect the texture and cooking time. I hope you give these delicious peach financiers a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 small cakes:

3 egg whites

1/2 cup white sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup almond meal (or finely ground almonds)

3 tablespoons flour

3 oz unsalted butter (6 tablespoons), toasted to a golden-brown

12 small sliced of peach

- I used mini-muffin pans, so you'll have to adjust your time if you used regular muffin tins, or other molds.

- Bake for 5 minutes at 400 F., then top with fruit, and continue baking until browned, about 10-12 minutes.

Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese…Tart?

There are worse problems in the kitchen than making something that tastes amazing, but is very difficult to name. Like, for example, something that’s easy to name, but tastes terrible. Luckily, this fresh fig and goat cheese “tart” was the former.

I wanted to make some sort of crostata, or galette-type, free-form tart, which I’ve done successfully in the past (and have the video to prove it), but instead of using standard pie crust dough, I decided to try something a little more rustic, and savory, using spelt flour and olive oil.

I knew this would pair beautifully with the sweet fruit, and tangy cheese, but what I didn’t know, was that it would end up being way too crumbly, and pretty much useless as a tart crust. So, I crumbled it into the bottom of a shallow ramekin, and the rest is history.

As predicted, the combination of flavors really worked extraordinarily well, and the somewhat gritty texture of the “crust,” added to the interest. But, what the heck is this? I don’t think it’s a tart. An upside-down crumble? Sandy tart? I give up, but if you have some time to kill, I’d love to know what you would call this delicious accident. Semantics aside, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

For  the crust (makes enough for about 4 small tarts):

1 cup sprouted spelt flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

3 or 4 tbsp water, or enough to form a crumbly dough

For one “tart:”

about 1/3 cup “crust” mixture

2 ounces creamy fresh goat cheese

1 black mission fig, sliced

tiny pinch of salt

very tiny pinch of cayenne

1 tbsp white sugar

spring of fresh lemon thyme

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ever.

I know, everybody says that, but I really mean it. These are, these have to be, the best chocolate chip cookies, ever. Crispy around the edges, chewy and chocolaty in the middle, and thin, oh so thin.

The only way someone doesn’t love these, is if they prefer thick cookies instead, which, in that case, makes their opinion invalid, since they’re obviously crazy. Besides, you know you can just press two thin cookies together to get a thick one. Right?

My “secret” formula has been adapted from Alton Brown’s famous, “The Thin” recipe, and is fairly foolproof. The only real variable is the baking time, since we all scoop slightly different amounts. Mine took about 12 minutes, but if you make yours a little bigger, or smaller, that time will change.

And yes, of course you can add nuts to yours! I’m a walnut guy from way back, but decided to go sans nuts for this video. Speaking of nuts, you’re nuts if you don’t try this very simple, and amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 32 Chocolate Chip Cookies (depending on size):

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (or 3/4 teaspoon of fine table salt)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 sticks (1 cup) very soft unsalted *butter (be sure the butter is room temp, and very, very soft!)
*I used a high-quality European-style butter, and recommend you do the same. Cheaper butters will have more water content, which can affect the fat ratio, and thickness of your cookie.

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

1 large egg

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

- Bake at 375 F. for about 12 minutes