Chocolate Chip Skillet Cake

I've said this so many times before, but it bears repeating now: one should never underestimate the power of a chocolate chip cookie. There's a reason why it's such a classic, go-to dessert. It's soft in the middle, ooey gooey, and oh-so-cholatey. In times of stress, I find myself going back to my favorite chocolate chip recipes, seeking out that comfort that only a good cookie can bring. And when that cookie happens to be 9-inches, baked in a skillet, and slightly under-baked in the center, it's even better. Let's call it an easy reward for surviving Monday, shall we?

Never have the words "You deserve a cookie," been more applicable.

What You'll Need:

2 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour well one 9-inch ovenproof skillet.

-In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt.

-In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a wooden spoon, or with a hand mixer) beat the butter and sugars (granulated and light brown) on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg. Add the egg yolk, then the vanilla, and mix well.

-Carefully add the flour mixture a little bit at a time while the mixer is on low speed,  and beat until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared skillet, making sure that it is smooth and evenly distributed.

-Bake until the edges are baked and golden, but the center is still slightly under-baked, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before serving.

(This cookie can last for up to three days tightly wrapped, and at room temperature.)

SOURCE: Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence: Irresistibly Sweet, Salty, Gooey, Stick, Fluffy, Creamy, Crunchy Treats by Joy Wilson

P.S. Check out my review of this excellent cookbook here!

Mini Soft Pretzels

Can we talk about how good soft pretzels are for everyday life? They're salty, they're bready, they're full of empty calories, and they're always perfectly delicious. Also, soft pretzels are pretty much essential for a proper sporting event experience am I right? Nothing says "Go, team!" like a warm soft pretzel dipped in creamy cheese sauce. Add a little beer to that cheese sauce and now you're speakin' the Midwesterner's Language.

So of course, for Superbowl Sunday I knew that our somewhat bountiful spread just wouldn't be complete without a plate of fresh soft pretzels, and I was determined to make them myself. But I wasn't just making them for the game. Oh no. Sure, the game was an important factor, but it was much more than that. The truth of the matter is, that pretzel stand around the corner won't always be open when the craving arises. And it arises more often than you think. Therefore, it behooved me to learn the craft, hone my pretzel skills, and eat lots of the final product for, you know, research purposes before kickoff...

And while I'm officially on the road to becoming a master pretzel princess, it wasn't without a few (read: many) challenges. First of all, it is not at all easy to twist dough. It's bouncy when you don't want it to be, it springs back, and it most definitely won't go out without a fight. But eventually, it stops fighting you, and you wind up with pretty pretzel butterflies waiting for a quick poaching, followed by a little toasting in the oven until it's perfectly golden brown. When it's all over you'll be exhausted, starving, and completely proud of what you've done. YOU JUST LEARNED HOW TO MAKE SOFT PRETZELS AT HOME.

Let this be your weekend project.

Mini Soft Pretzels

What You'll Need:

2 cups warm water (between 105-110 degrees F) 1 tablespoon plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 packet active dry yeast 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil (I used vegetable oil) 1/4 cup baking soda 1 large egg Coarse sea salt

Find the recipe for these soft pretzels on Smitten Kitchen!

And here's a fun little video from Joy the Baker in case you want to see the pretzel making magic in action.

Currently Reading: Homemade Decadence

Homemade Decadence, written by Joy Wilson of "Joy the Baker" fame, is a book that I've been waiting for with bated breath since the release of her first book, The Joy the Baker Cookbook, all the way back in 2012. And the wait, by all accounts, was totally and completely worth it!

Initial Thoughts: 

The cover design is beautiful and inviting. Also, the idea of a pretzel crust is inspired and will definitely indulge anyone with salty-sweet cravings. And the pictures inside are just as beautiful with easy-to-follow recipes and funny stories to go along with each one.

REVIEW: 

Joy Wilson is fun. And this cookbook, just like its predecessor, feels like a true extension of the food blogger we've all grown to love. It's colorful, it's vibrant, and it's entirely unpretentious in the most sophisticated of ways. Homemade Decadence encourages you to get creative in your kitchen, and really connect with the world around you. It shows you that fear of failure has no place in the kitchen, so embrace the weird combinations that come to mind. You never know when one day you'll meet a concoction that changes your life. You deserve fancy, out-of-the-box desserts every single day (without necessarily needing a special occasion), and the written words of JTB are there to help guide you. There's everything in this book from cocktails, to doughnuts, to uniquely flavored ice creams, and tons of treats in between. And if you're looking for new ways to re-invent your toast, never fear, because Joy's got a whole page dedicated to it. Breakfast is a serious business after all.

If you're a fan of JoytheBaker.com, you'll be happy to see some true classics (Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes are now a go-to at my house) as well as loads of new recipes to go along with them (Hello, "Ultimate Pancake Syrup!"), and the exact same amusing conversational tone that makes Joy one of the best bloggers and authors out there. Homemade Decadence is a total win in my book.

Recipes on My "To Try" List: 

Blueberry Pancake Muffins w/ Maple Glaze, Blackberry Pie Cookies, Church Party Peach Cobbler, Brown Sugar-Raspberry Cheesecake, and Lavender-Lime Cucumber Spritzers.

BUY Homemade Decadence HERE

Weekly Links I Love (Feb. 1)

I come across a LOT of articles and recipes throughout the week that I inevitably end up posting on Facebook, and clogging up everyone's news feeds. And while one posting of delicious food is appreciated by the masses, twelve by the end of the day doesn't always go over so well.

I believe that in order to be a good blogger and build a community, you have to share the love. There are so many people and things that inspire me, just as I hope to inspire at least one other person.

So here we go, the links I loved this week:

1. Potter Frances Palmer's 5 Kitchen Essentials from the Hand and Heart

I love everything on The Kitchn, but this particular article spoke to me this week. Frances Palmer is a really well known ceramist (her pieces are unbelievably gorgeous, and I want them all) who truly believes in the beauty of handmade products. In this article, she talks about the importance of finding good kitchen/studio tools, and sticking with them. You don't always need the latest and the greatest when you have tools that you cherish and keep coming back to.

2. Tuesday was National Pancake Day, so in honor of NPD (The nickname will catch on, just wait.) here's a recipe for Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes. They're healthy, so you can use as much maple syrup as you want. (Right? That's how that works, right?)

3. Joy the Baker (aka Joy Wilson) is one of my favorite bloggers of all time. This week she took a trip to Uganda, and wrote a series of posts about her work there. This particular one, What it Means to Boil Water, really stuck out. It's a must-read for sure.

4. While I could lie and say that I spend my days reading really complex pieces in the Economist, the truth is, I spend an unhealthy amount of my day on Buzzfeed. What can I say? Most articles are short and sweet, and a daily dose of "Laugh out Loud" laughter is good for the soul. I'm really missing my best friend Emily, and Ways Long Distance Bffs Survive is perfect.

5. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is an online series hosted by Jerry Seinfeld. It is clever, funny, and SO entertaining. Plus, he's introduced me to some really great places to both get a cup of coffee, and delicious pastries. I can't believe I hadn't started watching this sooner. This week Jerry met up with Tina Fey, a personal funny lady hero of mine. This show makes you feel like you're there with them, and I just can't say enough good things about it. Here's a great article to go along with it from  Gothamist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHiCOIjpp-4

What're you up to this weekend?

Baking 101: Secrets of a Home Baker (Joy the Baker)

Joy the Baker has done a series of baking posts, and this is by far the best, so I just had to share! If you're like me, you started baking sort of blindly. I didn't know the secrets, I didn't have nearly enough mixing bowls, and I thought I was the only baker in the world with the most inadequate kitchen. But every kitchen has its limitations, unless you're a professional bakery (but sometimes limitations apply there as well!). What makes a good baker is recognizing those limitations, and working around them to succeed.

Check out the full post here.

Happy baking!

Adventures in Cakeworld

First Stop: Pound. If there is only one thing about me that you ever need to know, it is that when I set my mind on something, it has to happen. The problem with this is: sometimes what I want to do is a little bit more complicated than what I'm ready for. However readers, I'm proud to say that this was really not one of those times.

But the one thing that you really, super, absolutely need to know about me is that I am never satisfied with just plain-jane dishes and desserts. What I make must have the "wow factor," something I, if the roles were reversed and it was someone making something for me, would be impressed with. If the recipe sounds fun and a little uncommon, sign me up.

That is why Joy Wilson, a.k.a. Joy the Baker, is my kitchen spirit animal.  I just bought her new cookbook (I found out that it was an autographed copy and screamed), and I'm already bookmarking pages with recipes i'm just dying to try ASAP.

One recipe I can cross off the list?  Zucchini Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

My night:

Sifting the flour, baking powder, baking soda. So far, so good.

Everything mixed, zucchini shredded and incorporated, batter so thick that it couldn't be poured. All into the (what I thought was a) well-buttered and floured bundt pan!

45 minutes at 350, plus 10 more minutes at the adjusted temperature of 375 and...

Right, so here's where it got a bit tricky. After giving it close to 30 minutes to cool, I tried to get baby bundt cake out of its mold. But this baby would not budge! I panicked, but my mother suggested just going around the edges with a spoon. Et voila, bundt!

Sadly, we lost two pieces to the pan, but that's nothing a little pretending and a huge tub of frosting can't fix!

Ah, the frosting process. It is long, and it is tedious when you have a warm cake calling your name.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased! Of course, I'll have to have my taste-testers give me the final verdict tomorrow.

Here's what I learned:

1. A well-greased bundt pan is a golden bundt pan. Take it from me: if there is anywhere that the cake can stick, it will.

2. Spraying Pam, then throwing some flour into the pan and moving it around will not be enough. Either go old-fashioned and use butter,  a twice-folded paper towel, and flour, or use the Pam spray already infused with flour. Do not grease half-heartedly.

3. Though the recipe calls for 2 cups of zucchini, I found that I was perfectly fine with one-and-a-half. Honestly, do whatever you want. The zucchini you cannot taste, but it will help keep the cake moist. Who wants a dry cake?

4. If you've got a rubber spatula for frosting cakes, use it. My house only has knives, and it make the process a little bit more difficult.

5. I could use a little (or a lot of) practice frosting.

6. If you're like me, this is a dessert best served slightly warm, with a glass of milk. Try it. You won't regret it.

You should definitely buy this book!

Happy baking!