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Monday, September 4, 2017

Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today is National Macadamia Nut Day! Since I like nuts in my chocolate chip cookies, I decided to repost this excellent recipe! There's always room for one more chocolate chip cookie!

Since it's Macadamia Nut Day, just a few words about these unique nuts. They're quite healthy -- high in antioxidants, monusaturated fat, and minerals. O.K., one caveat. Don't eat too many of them, because they are also high in calories.

Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1-1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (you can always mix 1/2 white and 1/2 dark)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets.
Cream butter and sugars together in large bowl.
Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually blend into batter.
Stir in chopped macadamia nuts and chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown.
Remove from oven, and transfer to cooling rack.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Cartoon of the Day: Chocolate Chip Cookies


Labor Day Triple Fudge Cake: Retro Holiday Recipe

Happy Labor Day! Instead of posting chocolate barbecue rub recipes today, I thought I'd post this Retro Recipe for Labor Day Triple Fudge Cake from Betty Crocker's Party Book, copyright 1960. The Party Book is all about being a good 'hostess' with fun, if somewhat dated, recipes for most holidays: "More than 500 recipes, menus and how-to-do-it tips for festive occasions the year 'round."

So to celebrate Labor Day, make this simple Labor Day Triple Fudge Cake, virtually labor-free.



Saturday, September 2, 2017

Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes: International Bacon Day

Today is International Bacon Day! And, since it's a holiday weekend, what could be more fun to make than Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes.

Vosges
has a great pancake batter mix that's simple to use and that I think is really delicious. It's a riff on their Mo Bacon Bar that I really like. There are several ways you can make Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes. You can buy Vosges’s Bacon Chocolate Chip buttermilk pancake mix that is dotted with chunks of Mo’s Bacon Bar. Or, you buy the candy bar directly and chop it up and put it into your own pancake recipe.

Mo's Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix combines the Mo's Bacon Bar with fluffy flapjacks. The buttermilk pancakes are spotted with chunks of their Mo's Bacon Bar Candy Bar, that combines applewood smoked bacon and Alder sea salt with deep milk chocolate. The instructions give two methods for incorporating the bacon chocolate chunks: you can either sprinkle them on top of each pancake before flipping them in the pan, or layer them between the finished pancakes before serving. Layering the chunks between the pancakes worked best for me. And, here's a heads-up. The batter itself is excellent.

Want to make your own Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes on your own? First make some chocolate covered bacon and consider that your chocolate chips. Cook and cool your bacon, then crumble it. Use a good smoked bacon, not bacon from a package. Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler and mix the bacon in, spread it on a cookie sheet to cool, then use it. Then use your favorite pancake recipe.

Or, you can use both chopped bacon and chocolate chips. The main difference between these two types is the mixing. The bacon should be mixed into the buttermilk batter and the chocolate chips should be dropped on top of the pancake while it is cooking on one side. Otherwise the chocolate might leak onto the grill. Very messy. Also the chocolate might burn if it is left on the heat. The worst that can happen to the bacon is that it will become more crisp, and that's great! Following the Mo's Bacon Pancake advise, you can always add the chocolate chips when you stack, but for this recipe, you can always include them right after you flip.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon and Chocolate Chips

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
about 1/2 cup smoked good quality bacon, cooked until crisp, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like dark Ghirardelli or Guittard)

Directions
Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In separate bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture along with the bacon and stir until combined but a bit lumpy to avoid over mixing.
Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles on the surface, drop heaping spoonfuls of batter onto the skillet, making 3-inch pancakes. Cook until golden brown on each side, add chocolate chips after flipping the first and only time --or when stacking.

So you have lots of options:

1) Buy the delicious Mo's Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix
2) Make your own Pancakes and chop up a Mo's Bacon Bar and add it to the batter or the 1/2 cooked pancakes or when you stack.
3) Make your own chocolate covered bacon and add to batter or stacked pancakes
4) Make your own pancakes with cooked chopped bacon and add chocolate chips

Whatever you choose, you're going to have some great pancakes to celebrate National Bacon Day.