Easiest Cookies Ever

I'd like to share two extremely easy and delicious cookie recipes today. Quite frankly, there is no reason why anyone should have to buy stale pre-cooked cookies (ew!), pre-made cookie dough (shame!), or cookie mixes (blasphemy!) when baking cookies is really this easy. In the culinary arts, there seems to be a huge fear of baking in general. Truthfully, it is a lot harder to cover upyour mistakes when you're baking--you're much more likely to have to throw everything out and admit to yourself that you just wasted a whole lot of time and ingredients than you would if you made a cooking goof. But don't let those fears overwhelm you. Start small with cookies and work your way up to more advanced baking recipes!

The first recipe is the extremely traditional Chocolate Chip Cookiesrecipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book: Celebrating the Promise. Look, this cook book has been around since 1930--so this is the same recipe your grandmother used when she would make you chocolate chip cookies from scratch. In fact, it's the exact way my mother taught me to make cookies--only she had this recipe memorized, so I never realized it was duplicated in an actual cookbook until I bought my own copy of the BH&G recipe collection. You know, I ran into a regular customer of mine from The Players Club, where I tend bar, once while I was shopping in thebaking aisle at the grocery store. He looked in my cart and said, "Shortening? Do you actually know what that's for?" He was stunned that a 22-year-old girl baked for herself. But why wouldn't you bake for yourself? Made-from-scratch cookies taste so better than any pre-mixed brands, and there's no sweeter gift to your friends and family members. Make these cookies for a friend who's down in the dumps, your sweetheart, party guests, or just for fun. After, they only take maybe five minutes longer to prepare than a pre-made mix.

The second recipe is just as easy as the first one, and a copy can be found online at AllRecipes. Don't be fooled by how simple the recipe is; these cookies are extremely rich, and so scrumptious. Sometimes when I make these, I substitute the cup of butter with a cup of butter-flavored shortening. It almost seems wrong for something so easy to make to be so delectable.

Three Chocolate-Dipped Musts

I'm a chocoholic. It's undeniable, and everyone who knows me knows about my addiction. I won't apologize for it, and I will advocate that you deserve some delicious chocolate goodies tonight for dessert as well!

Dipping normal foods in chocolate is an awesome bridge for those weird members of society who claim they're "not really into sweets"--like Ty, my boyfriend, who actually has converted to chocoholism after dating me. I believe for dessert-hungry diners, there are three major chocolate-dipped snacks worth trying, and I'm counting them down in this entry!

(3.) Grains: Rice Krispies or Pretzels

The first time we went to The Melting Pot and saw Rice Krispies treats as a dipper for our chocolate fondue, we were surprised; Ty was even a little turned off. But I tried it, and, woo, it was awesome! For a Christmas party a couple of weeks ago, I made chocolate-covered pretzels after seeing them on AllRecipes, and it was a rich after-dinner snack and a welcomed accompaniment to everyone's cocktails. Ty and I finished the leftovers after breakfast on Christmas day.

(2.) Fruits: Strawberries or Bananas

Okay, honestly, chocolate-covered strawberries are my favorite, with bananas dipped in chocolate fondue coming in a close second. But let's face it, chocolate is also good over raspberries, cherries, apples, blueberries, and oranges. Chocolate-dipped fruit is irresistible, and it makes a delicious gift or sweet gesture for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, birthdays, or holiday-themed parties. I took that blurry cell phone pic at the top of this entry after making this snack from AllRecipes.

(1.) Peanut Butter

What did you think was going to be number one...marshmallows? Caramel? Gummy worms? All honorable mentions, but think about it...Reese's will never go out of business because they recognize the priceless combo of peanut butter and chocolate. My favorite recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook: Celebrating the Promise, a limited edition of the famous and beloved collection of recipes in celebration of breast cancer awareness. I made the "Peanut Butter Balls" featured in this book today, and they were excellent. Ty couldn't help but to indulge, and we were both extremely pleased. I didn't have the chocolate-favored candy coating the recipe asked for, so I melted a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in about half a cup of milk on the stove. Probably because of the large amount of milk I used, this chocolate would just not harden, even after I put it in the refrigerator for about ten minutes. But that's okay, because the soft nature of these peanut butter balls is one reason they're so scrumptious! If you want stiffer peanut butter balls, mix in a fourth cup of Rice Krispies to give them some sturdy texture.

Chocolate-dipped goodies are delicious, impossible to turn down, and so easy to make. There's no reason anyone with a stove or fondue pot can't be enjoying savory chocolate dishes at home every night.

Beginners' Fondue

Tonight, Ty and I did something we rarely do: dine out.

Cooking for myself has improved my palette to the point where most restaurant food tastes bland and flavorless, but we wanted to check out a brand-new restaurant in Richmond, Hangers. We'd heard it was upscale and delicious, comparable to one of our favorite spots, Malone's in Lexington. We were definitely not disappointed; I had a savory Mediterranean pasta, which was very well-seasoned and contained a variety of veggies, even artichokes, a personal favorite. And, Richmond-area vegetarians, the tomato bisque is very tasty!

What most excited me about the menu, though, were the fondue options! We love fondue and have an awesome Trudeau fondue set at home, as well as a tiny candle-burning chocolate fondue set for smaller, more casual snacks. Fondue parties are extremely fun and entertaining, and, as far as cooking for a group of guests goes, it's one of the quickest meals to prepare. However, when just two people are dining, fondue cheese can be a little time-consuming to perfect and to upkeep so it doesn't burn. We love The Melting Pot, but the closest one is about a forty-minute drive. So tonight at Hangers, as an appetizer, we were thrilled to have cheese fondue with veggies and bread, and for dessert, an absolutely amazing chocolate fondue with fruits and Rice Krispies slices. So delicious, and we didn't have to put any effort in for just the two of us to enjoy it!

Although we had a romantic, candelit dinner (see top picture) and a very pleasant night out, you don't have to travel to an expensive restaurant to enjoy great fondue--in fact, as we discussed over dinner tonight, we actually like my home-made cheese fondue better than any we've had at a restaurant before. My first cheese fondue was made with this scrumptious plan from Simply Recipes, and it's an excellent starting point. This is definitely an omnivore-friendly dish; I've made it for several meat-eaters and they were all huge fans. This recipe is not as bland as restaurant fondue cheese--it's extremely flavorful. From there you will be able to alter the recipe to your liking; we actually like to add much more than a "pinch" of nutmeg as the recipe calls for. If you're just starting out in the kitchen, making well-seasoned and guest-pleasing fondue cheese is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the spice rack.

At home chocolate fondue is an extremely simple dish to make and such a tasty treat, especially with a good blush wine! Use either a block of baking chocolate or a bag of chocolate chips, and, depending on how you desire it to taste, add a dash of vanilla, a tablespoon of white sugar, and, if you like, amaretto or a fruit-flavored liqueur like Razzmatazz. One night, Ty and I decided to have an "art date" at home in the living room--we each had an easel and worked beside each other with a steaming pot of fondue chocolate in the middle, along with cool banana slices and strawberries. The clash of hot fondue chocolate and chilled fruit makes it taste even better.

Is it the sharing of a dish or the accidental bump of the dipping forks that makes fondue such a romantic course? If ever there was a perfect date food, I guarantee you it was made in a fondue pot!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread & Winter Punch

Tis the season of comfort foods! Fun fact: Did you know that when asked, men typically identify comfort foods as being steak, casseroles, and soup, and females pick chocolate dishes and ice cream? I suppose I see comfort foods as warm, hearty, and filling--broccoli and cheese casserole, potato soup, and, mmmm, fudge brownies.

It's ten degrees outside today, and as delicious as ice cream is, I think my comfort snack needs to be warmer...like a freshly baked chocolate dish! I again went to AllRecipes to find a good winter dessert recipe. Chocolate chip banana bread caught my eye for a few reasons. One, although I'm not a fan of banana bread, my boyfriend tends to avoid the supremely chocolate-heavy dishes I crave. And two, having never made banana bread, I felt it was just something an aspiring chef needed to do! Hey, vegans, this is a recipe that may be a little harder for you to adopt. It's got sour cream, butter, and buttermilk in it--but with all the vegan options out there, you should be able to find some supplements in your produce section.

The banana bread dish was pretty easy to make. Since it's not exactly "bread," and more of a "dessert," I just used my smallest casserole pan to make it in. A warning--make sure your bananas are room temperature. Since bananas spoil so quickly, I made the mistake of storing mine in the refrigerator, and mashing them was pretty much impossible. Fortunately, things still worked out for me. The chocolate chips really make the bread, because, honestly, I'm not bananas about bananas! It is such a warm, comforting dish, though--but incredibly filling. I had to eat it in small proportions.

The other recipe I wanted to share also comes from AllRecipes and complements chocolate chip banana bread deliciously: warm winter punch. This is the quickest and easiest recipe I've ever seen in my life, and it's quite tasty. A forewarning, though--trying to make it extra wintry, I doubled the amount of honey...and nearly dozed off drinking this! On the plus, though, that just made it a relaxing nonalcoholic mixture to have at the end of a stressful day! So don't let the "punch" title fool you--this is not a party drink by any means!

However, I can't think of two more flavorful and delicious recipes if you just want to curl up in your pajamas in front of the fireplace on a cold night. True chefs will appreciate these recipes because there's nothing bland about them--they are so tasty and unique, and will definitely warm you up on these bitter, snowy December nights.

Chocolate Cherry Drops

Beware! This blog is for cherry lovers only. And, yes, I do mean the fruit.

Being a chocaholic and a blossoming cook, I am determined to try as many scrumptious-looking chocolate cookie recipes as I possibly can. After all, once you've begun mastering your own chocolate goodies, those frozen cakes you get at restaurants suddenly just don't taste very good, do they?

I found this recipe on one of my favorite websites, AllRecipes, while browsing holiday desserts. You see, I had offered to bring dessert to a holiday party at work, and I was eager to try out something new. I love chocolate covered cherries and I love cookies, so I thought I'd love "Chocolate Cherry Drops." And after all, cherries are sort of a holiday treat, aren't they?

However, the preparation and baking process for me did not go exactly as the recipe intended, for after already softening the butter in the bowl, I realized I had only a half cup of white sugar left. However, I had an unopened bag of brown sugar, so I substituted the other half a cup needed with brown sugar. A faux pas, I know, but it was two o'clock, and I had to have a dessert in hand for the party by four!

I altered the recipe in one other way. It called for one cup of chopped maraschino cherries. Instead of chopping the cherries, I measured out a cup of whole cherries and dipped a knife into the mixing cup. I slashed back and forth, Freddy Krueger style. I did this because I wanted the fragments of cherries the recipe called for, with whole cherries, because I kept thinking to myself how delicious a chocolate-covered cherry is. Another faux pas. In retrospect, I'm glad I did this, because a whole cup of sliced cherries would have added up to a great number of cherries, and already, these cherries overpowered the cookies. There were too damn many! My recommendation to anyone interested in cooking this is to modify to maybe a third of a cup of chopped or sliced cherries. Also, I could barely taste the walnuts, so I would recommend adding an entire cup of walnuts instead of just the half cup the recipe demands.

Additionally, the recipe was so dry, even before I added the cherries and walnuts, that I also had to crack open another egg to mix it. And when I waited the appropriate eight to ten minutes to retrieve it from the oven, I toothpicked a cookie and found they were not done baking. I turned the oven off and left them in the lowering heat for a few more minutes, and that seemed to do the trick.

I tasted the dough and was shocked at how dry and unsweet it was. After baking, the cookies turned out somewhat sweeter, but only because the cherries take over the entire cookies. This was a very quick and easy dessert recipe, and I could, I suppose, tinker it to how my taste buds would like--more walnuts, less cherries, and, actually, I think white chocolate chips would be divine in this--but unless I had an extreme cherry lover coming over for dinner, I doubt I'll ever make it again. And, be warned: Do not eat chocolate cherry drops without a hefty glass of milk.

Do you know what the kicker was in all of this? I received a text while putting these little cherry monsters in the oven: the party was cancelled due to the ice on the roads. Well, I'll be...