RECIPE: Doubletree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookies

About a year ago I enjoyed a cookie that changed the way I thought about chocolate chip cookies. And it's all the fault of Doubletree Hotel!

There's a Doubletree Hotel across the street from our office ... and they were attempting to swoon us into doing more business with them. And if it were up to me... I'd say "DEAL!" Those cookies were awesome!

Someone handed me the recipe about 6 months later... and then another 6 months went by before I finally got around to baking them... but this seems different. But, here goes nothing... let's start with our "mise en place".

And then we'll start with the butter... creaming it into submission.



And then we'll add our sugars...





And we'll just keep creaming it...



Then we'll stop for a scraping of the sides of the bowl...



Drop in one of the eggs and more creaming...





And then the other egg... and more creaming...



And here's a twist (literally)... this recipe calls for lemon juice. I've never made chocolate chip cookies with lemon juice in them. Maybe this is what made them taste so different.. hmm...



Next step: mix together the rolled oats, salt, baking soda, etc...

Add the dry mixture to the creamed sugar mixture. To avoid large puffs of flour on my kitchen walls, I usually add the flour mixture in two or three small doses and start out on low speed with the mixer. And then keep adding more flour until it's all mixed in.



Then comes the chocolate and a large wooden spoon...



And now I need my ice cream scoop - it apparently makes perfectly sized cookies.





Now - aren't those gorgeous?!



I sent home a batch of these with our new gardener who stopped in today... he was working between rain spurts and could smell the cookies from the backyard. So, I HAD to send some home with him! Right?!



Now, is smell-a-vision working yet?!



Are you drooling yet?!






So, after I did my baking I found a different recipe online. And this makes more sense. Because when I tasted the cookie (about a year ago, still hot from baking, from the DoubleTree around the corner) I thought I remembered there had been a hint of cinnamon in there. And the recipe I used today didn't call for any cinnamon... and now I'm disappointed that I ran out of vanilla extract.

Hmph... looks like I'll be going to the store tomorrow and baking another batch of cookies... but these are still good.


My hero-of-a-hubby opted against dinner tonight... he simply wanted more cookies.



Doubletree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked (not quick oats)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, Ghirardelli
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional, in my opinion)


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the butter in a large bowl and cream lightly with an electric mixer. Add the sugars and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to the creamed butter mixture and stir well to blend. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and stir to combine. Using a 1/4 cup measure or a 2-oz ice cream scoop, drop the batter on the parchment-lined pans, leaving 2 -3 inches between each cookie. Bake for 13 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from parchment and cool on wire racks.



enjoy your time in the kitchen...

the way to my man's heart...

I learned many years ago that the way to my man's heart was through his stomach... and it's still the case today. For Valentine's Day 2010 I served up his new fav dinner (spicy beef enchiladas) and his forever favorite dessert (brownies).

This is where I started...

For the recipe on the meat, see my earlier blog: Spicy Shredded Beef

Then I take the BEST EVER enchilada sauce (from Trader Joe's) and warm it up in a large sauce pan. (But reserve some of the sauce ... you'll see ... )



This is where you want a few large spoonfuls of enchilada sauce. Thinly coat the bottom of a casserole pan. You don't need much...

Once the sauce is warmed, reduce heat and coat each tortilla (both sides) with enchilada sauce.



Like I said, both sides...



Now transfer your tortilla to the casserole pan and place some cheese down the middle of it...



And then place the shredded beef down the middle as well... try not to eat any of the beef while you're stuffing the enchiladas.



Flip one edge of the tortilla over the meat and then roll it towards the end of the pan...



Try to have the seam side down in the casserole pan...



Then you're on to your next enchilada...



Repeat and roll, repeat and roll...



Then rescue every last drop of this enchilada sauce by transferring it to the top of the rolled enchiladas ... every last drop...



Top with cheese... and transfer to hot oven.



Approximately 30 minutes later...



... you have this!




And tonight I surprised hubby with some brownies (thank you, Girardelli, for making me look good!) Well, if I had only been patient they wouldn't have fallen apart when I dished them onto the plate.



But I'll tell ya, they still tasted the same... and they were darn yummy!






enjoy your time in the kitchen...

how we do our ribeyes...

When we celebrate a special occasion (at home), or splurge for a date night (at home), or find a great deal on good-lookin' ribeyes... this is how we do it...

What we look for: good "marbling" in the meat, a thick steak, and fresh looking meat.

How I prepare them: generously salt/pepper the steaks on both sides, allow them to come to room temperature for at least an hour before grilling them, and talk to them nicely... they like to be talked to.




Then I pre-heat the stove top grill... it's a griddle pan that stretches out over 2 burners. And I set the burners to just over "medium" heat. I allow the griddle pan to warm up for about 5 minutes until it just starts to smoke. The steaks get transferred to the griddle... and grilled to our desired done-ness (in our opinion, this should only ever be "medium-rare"). (As you can tell, I didn't include pics of the grilling steaks - I'm sure you know what that looks like...)


Tonight we were celebrating a week into a new job for my hero-of-a-hubby. So, we threw in the scallops too...

How we do scallops: tonight I cooked bacon to go with the baked potatoes, so I left about a tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan. Then I added two pats of butter and heated the griddle until nice and hot, but before the butter started to brown.

(Oh wait - it's important to pat the scallops dry on both sides with a paper towel - this helps with the browning.)

Just slightly salt one side of the scallops and gently place into the hot saute pan (salt side down - you can salt/pepper the other side while they are cooking). And then don't touch the scallops for at least 2 minutes... you might want to, but don't do it. While they are cooking, but don't touch those scallops... you'll want to do something... so now you can slightly salt/pepper this side of the scallops. OK, ready?!

After 2 minutes, gently nudge the scallops off the bottom of the skillet with a pair of tongs - and flip over in the saute pan. (They might stick slightly - so move slow and gentle.) Since scallops cook rather quickly they don't need much more time. After flipping them over, they only need about 1 1/2 minutes.

Oh, and for the potatoes... a couple years ago I found Alton Brown's take on the perfect baked potato. I've been making them this way ever since.


Now, pardon me... we're off to celebrate and "do our thing"... I love my life! (and I love my husband! And I'm so proud of him... )



enjoy your time in the kitchen...

Ode to summer... my version of bruschetta...

This is a picture of beauty... just a couple ingredients, usually a glass of wine, and memories of good times...

So, I believe that it was Debbie who came up with this idea... and it stuck. This is our version of bruschetta... it's not fancy, but it's perfect for us.

Slice up the bread... and I highly recommend fresh sourdough...

Turn on the broiler... and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt/black pepper over your bread...

While it's heating up and while your bread is toasting, dice up the mozzarella cheese and roma tomates...

Find a nice little bowl, stir it all together and make your mix... there's no right or wrong answer to the proper amount of tomatoes vs. cheese. Just make it yours...

And once your bread is nice and toasted... we're ready to start assembling our bruschetta...



First, take a spoon full of this wonderful basil pesto (from Trader Joe's)...

... and plop it onto a half-slice of toasted bread...

... and spread it around to cover your toast...

... and top it with your tomato and cheese mix...

... doesn't that look pretty?!

oh, yeah... and it tastes good too! now kick back and enjoy... it maybe February, but summer's a-comin'!!! And in the summer, it's tradition, we eat bruschetta...

And, for a quick close-up of the star of the show...

Debbie - if we had a $1 for every time we've enjoyed bruschetta together, laughed together and cried together... well ... all I know is, I so appreciate your friendship! I cannot imagine what life would be like without you in it...

enjoy your time in the kitchen...