Baking Tips: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Always add the chocolate morsels last to the mix. It's best when they are very cold. Just barely stir the morsels in - don't over mix.

Cream the shortening and sugar well. All the rest of the ingredients can be just mixed in, but proper creaming of the shortening and sugar is important.

Make sure that your baking pans are cool between cookie batches.

Substitute cherry flavored morsels for 1/2 of the chocolate morsels for a new taste treat.

Drop your cookies extra thick (use an ice cream scoop), flatten the top a little, then place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for twenty minutes. Take the sheet from the refrigerator and bake at 375 degrees until the cookie's edges are slightly brown and you will have a soft centered delight.

Warm cookies always taste better than cold ones. Heat releases the flavor of chocolate and nuts. Try warming cookies in your microwave oven for a few seconds or in a 300 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Walnut Strudel

A dense chocolate and walnut filling rolled up with Puff Pastry - so simple, yet sure to satisfy any chocoholic. Serve with a puff of whipped cream.

Prep Time: 55 Min
Cook Time: 35 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 30 Min

Yields 8 servings


Ingredients:

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
4 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Confectioners' sugar


Directions:

1. Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix egg and water.

2. Place chocolate, milk and butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through heating. Stir until smooth.

3. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 16x12-inch rectangle. Spread chocolate mixture on pastry to within 1 1/2 inches of edges. Sprinkle walnuts over chocolate. Starting at short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Tuck ends under to seal. Brush with egg mixture.

4. Bake 35 minutes or until golden. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Slice and serve warm.


Tip: To decorate strudel, thaw and roll out remaining pastry sheet to 12-inch square. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutter. Press shapes onto top of strudel and brush with egg mixture. Bake as directed.

Apple Squares

Apples, nuts, and cinnamon make these bars a delicious dessert or treat.


Ingredients:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the apples and walnuts. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over the top of the bars.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven; finished bars should spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan, and cut into squares.

Homemade Cranberry Spice Granola Bars

These keep in the fridge for a week or two. You can also keep them out on the counter since it’s not too warm out.


Ingredients:

1 tsp. butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups brown rice crisp cereal (sold at Whole Foods and other “natural” stores, or substitute Rice Krispy cereal)
3/4 cup brown rice syrup (sold at Whole Foods and other “natural” stores)
1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
pinch ginger


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Spread the almonds and pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven for 6 – 8 minutes, or until they start to brown a bit.

2. In the meantime, grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with the butter and set aside. Now, mix the oats, rice cereal, cranberries and toasted almonds and pecans in a big bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the syrups, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger and vanilla extract over medium-high heat, stirring to avoid burning. Once the syrups come to a light boil, continue to cook for an additional 3 – 5 minutes until the syrup begins to thicken, then pour it over the oats and nuts. Mix everything together so that the syrup evenly coats everything in the bowl.

4. While it’s still warm, pour the contents of the bowl into your prepared baking dish. Using a rubber spatula, pat everything down so it’s nice and compacted. I like to place some parchment or aluminum paper over the top and really press down so that the bars don’t break apart when you eat them.

5. Let cool to room temperature. You can also put them in the fridge for a bit since this’ll make cutting easier. Cut them into square or rectangles as you please.

Makes about 18 granola bar-sized bars.