Perfect Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Flavoured Cookies!

 BEST COOKIES I HAVE EVER TASTED.




Vouched for by my younger siblings. I really couldn't have imagined such a perfect cookie and the best part is that I got it perfect the first time. I just followed the recipe exactly as written and they came out absolutely perfect!!
Secret Ingredient: Vanilla Pudding Mix!

Before you read the recipe, please NOTE: I had made mine into perfect balls on the pan and they were baking a lot on the bottom but unbaked on top...so I reduced the heat to 320 and let them bake some more before taking them out. They looked like they werent finished but after letting them cool they were perfect. You can try flattening them a little bit or reducing the heat like I had. 
Be sure to watch them every minute! 

The recipe is thanks to this site: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/vanilla-pudding-chocolate-chip-cookies/ 
 

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar                                
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3.4 oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips      

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden and set.

Chocolate Cookie with White Chocolate Chips. YUM

What I love more than chocolate chip cookies are chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips...white chocolate chips make the world go round.

These Cookies tasted just like store bought ones (not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing). BUT my whole family said they were delicious.

I had to make adjustments to the recipe I used as it was way too sugary and my dough was crumbly. I'll explain why in a bit.
For now Here is the Recipe I used:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In large bowl, cream together 1 cup softened butter and 2 cups white sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 tbs vanilla. Combine 2 cups all prupose flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and half tsp salt. Stir these into the cream mixture. Add white chocolate chips and mix it together using hands. Make rounded tsps of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

So a lot of reviews from the website complained the cookies were too sugary (and I dont mean sweet). I also agree with them and will use less sugar next time and more cocoa powder. The cookie dough was crumbly but when you mushed it together with your hands to mold them into circles it stuck fine. Since these are chocolate cookies, make sure you dont over bake them!
Here are some of my photos:

Quest for the PERFECT chocolate chip cookies

So I made my FIRST attempt at baking soft chewy chocolate chip cookies (I was going for a pilsburry taste). 
                                                        They were a Disaster!

 So here is the Recipe I am working off of: http://edaleendairy.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-cookies1
 and I will explain my mistakes as well as the right method!

ORIGINAL RECIPE:
1. PREHEAT oven to 375° F
2. COMBINE 1 1/8th cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt in small bowl.
3. BEAT 1 stick butter, 3/8 cup granulated sugar,  3/8 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.
4. ADD 1 eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
5. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
 
WHAT I DID WRONG:
1. I definitely put way too much butter and what happens with that is that the cookies spread out
2. I made the cookies into way huge round balls. They should be relatively small!
3. I will definitely DECREASE the sugar! It was wayyyy too sweet and I have a huge sweet tooth. 

UPDATE: TRYING COOKIES AGAIN WITH FIXED METHOD

The BEST Chocolate cups

I don't think I have ever tasted such a delicious explosion in my mouth

You will need:
Cadburry milk chocolate or Purdys milk chocolate (both are amazing)
Lindt white chocolate
A paint brush
Cupcake paper cups
Cupcake/Muffin Pan
Any Flavoured Ice Cream

Directions:
1. You will need to gradually melt the milk chocolate in the stove or in a bowl in the microwave. Dip your brush in the chocolate and start painting inside of the cupcake paper cups. Make sure you cover every space or the chocolate cup will end up breaking. The first round doesn't have to be thick.
2. Leave the cups in the freezer to harden and then take them out in around 20 minutes. By this time you have re-heated the milk chocolate as you will do around 2-3 rounds of this. Note that the melted chocolate you are painting on top of the frozen chocolate is going to melt the frozen chocolate- so do the cup fast and stick it in the freezer right away!
3. Take frozen cups out again and this time start painting on melted white chocolate. Do this process twice.
4. Take out the official hardened chocolate cups and start CAREFULLY pealing off the cupcake paper. Only take out one cup at a time since they do melt. Add a scoop of any flavoured ice cream and enjoy the party in your mouth. 

Easy Peasy!

Cupcake Designs

Taking the cupcake recipe I have included prior- here are some of the cupcake decors I've done. Unfortunately, these were done with already made icing...I'll be posting an awesome homemade icing recipe soon!

The pink icing was really just vanilla with a few drops of red food colouring

 These were topped with strawberries dipped in melted cadburry chocolate, and of course tons of sprinkles and smarties

Jello Fruit Cups and Banana Snowmen

Given my inadequacy in perfecting baked goods, my first "projects" were more focused on the look of things rather than their complexity. Here are some of those "projects":

Jello Cups

Okay, first off I recommend sticking with an orange rather than a lime because you're left with a bitter lime taste....
Simple Directions: Cut an orange in half and empty out its content with a spoon (and scissors if needed to cut some peelings). These are now your cups! Make jello mix and pour into the empty orange halves. Add orange pieces or any other ingredients. Refrigerate then serve. Easy Peasy.

 

Banana Snowmen

You will need sticks from the grocery store, bananas, chocolate chips, chocolate pocky or pretzels, and mini carrots.

All I did here was cut banana slices, put three on a stick, add chocolate chips for the eyes and buttons, cut off a small piece of carrot, and stick in some chocolate pocky sticks for arms. Easy Peasy!

The rest of the banana's I dipped in melted Cadburry chocolate and covered with sprinkles. 

The Perfect Cupcake Recipe: CHOCOLATE CHIP COCOA

Alright so I am a sugar-HOLIC and I'm not really bake saavy- as a result I've thrown out mountains of cupcake mixes, deflated cupcakes, deformed cupcakes, and every other form of cupcake UNTIL....I finally perfected a cupcake recipe that is fool proof (and I would know). You really can't go wrong with these and they are SO delicious, I have gotten compliments from everyone- they are now my specialty!




Chocolate Chip Cocoa Cupcakes!

Ingredients (24 mini cupcakes)

• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup and 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not just hot chocolate powder!)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup and 3 full tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 full teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons milk 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.  and let butter hit room temperature (meaning very easy to stir)
1- Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt
2- Beat butter in a separate bowl for 30 seconds then add eggs, sugar and continue beating till smooth
3- To the butter mix, Add vanilla, milk, and then the rest of the dry ingredients on low speed. Beat on higher speed after until smooth
4- Fill the cups around half way and then add around 3 chocolate chips to each 
5- Lick the bowl
6- These taste so delicious on their own i don't use frosting :)

Each oven is different so watch your cupcakes! also note that they will keep baking after you take them out so don't wait until the toothpick is fully dry to take them out. This way they will stay moist. I would say to wait around 12-15 minutes and then poke a toothpick in to see if it comes out dry.