Wicked Good

It was a baking week.  "Wicked Blueberry Coffee Cake" and "Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies" or as I now call 4C's.  The Tea Party was canceled, so I nixed the miniature tea party food idea.  But it was ok, as I must say, I was super impressed with both things.  I had never in my life made coffee cake, and I've eaten these specific cookies tons of times, but never made them myself.  I promise if you make either of these things, you will NOT be disappointed.  I made the coffee cake for my staff team for our Tuesday morning prayer, and we scraped that pan clean.  They loved it!  The cookies as my favorite chocolate chip cookies as they are chewy and just wonderful.  Really, the recipe is a little more intensive for cookies, but it is worth it!

Besides cooking for TNR, my roommate and I started up the "Couch to 5K" running program.  It's a 9 week program that takes you from being a nonrunner (me) to one who can run a 5K without stopping (hopefully me.)  I've tried it before, but never had a partner, so I'm excited.  I know I've said on here over and over again that I hate running and I'm ok with it, but with a partner I decided I'd give it yet another chance.  Plus, as sad as I am about it, I think (not 100% yet) I'm going to forgo the gym membership for the semester, so I needed to find an alternative exercise to do.  So pray for us!  Unlike swimming, I don't get super excited to do this, but I have hope the Lord can help us both and make us love it.  Thankfully it forces me to pray a lot when I'm grumbling in my head and trying to replace it with worship songs to pass the time.

Anywho, enjoy the recipes and I hope to share more of what I've been learning from the Lord soon.  My weeks are starting to get a little more normal now that the first couple of weeks of school are over.  With that, I have a little more time, and I am a little tired of baking, as I really like making meals more, so if you have good meal ideas, please, please, please send them my way.  But for this week, enjoy these bakery treats!

The Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.  Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Wicked Blueberry Coffee Cake

Austin American Statesman

1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 c. flour

l c. sour cream or vanilla yogurt

2 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

Cream 1/2 c. butter and sugar.  Add next 5 ingredients.  Add 2 c. flour and sour cream alternately to egg mixture, mixing with a spoon.  Fold in blueberries.  Pour mixture into a greased 9x13" pan.  In a separate bowl, cream brown sugar and remaining 1/4 c. butter.  Add flour to get a semi-dry mixture.  Sprinkle evenly on top of batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy!