Modified Nestle Toll House Cookie

Decided to make modified version because we lacked some of the ingredients and I don't like really sweet cookies. Plus, we just bought the chocolate chips at the local grocery store.

The original cookie recipe also calls for mixing in a specific way which I was too lazy to do.

Ingredients
* 2 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) organic butter, softened
* 1 cup turbinado sugar or cane sugar
* 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
* 2 large organic eggs
* 1-2 cups chocolate chips
* 1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

Dump all dry ingredients except nuts and chips together in mixer. Add wet ingredients, eggs last, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix at low speed till creamy. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes.

Things I learned
The butter is what makes the cookie expands from a ball. That's why the Tassajara cookie didn't expand much.

The brown sugar in original recipe is what gives the cookie the golden color. Ours did not look brown at all with cane sugar. Will try turbinado sugar next time.

Cranberry Walnut Bread with Stand Mixer based on Tassajara Recipe

Google The Tassajara Bread Book for detailed instructions.

Ingredients
I.
2.75 room temperature water + 0.25 hotpot water
1.5 Tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup cane sugar (OR honey, molaases, brown sugar), 1/2 - 1 cup for sweet version
1 cup buttermilk powder (optional)
4 cups whole wheat flour

II.
1 Tbsp cinnamon
4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
3 cups white flour
1/2 cup chopped cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Instructions
See the Raisin Walnut Cinnamon Bread Recipe for instructions.

Modified Tassajara Chocolate-Chocholate Chip-Walnut Cookie

I don't like really sweet things, I didn't want to buy chocolate, but I wanted chocolate chips, so here's a modified Chocolate Walnut Recipe from The Tassajara Bread Book. The Tassajara cookie doesn't expand like Tollhouse Cookies so make them as big as you like.

Makes about 3 dozen or more cookie

Ingredients
12 Tbsp (3/4 cup) sweet butter, softened
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
1/2 cup tiny chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 cups unbleached white flour

Instructions
1. Dump everything into a stand mixer and mix. Add the egg in without beating it. The dough should be dry enough to shape into balls with your hands without too much sticking to your fingers, and wet enough that it does not crumble apart. If necessary, add more flour to make it drier. Add a spot of water or a bit more butter to moisten.

2. Roll dough into ball size of 1 tablespoon and place on aluminum sheets (ungreased cookie sheet), leaving 2 inches in between. Press them flat with a cookie stamp, a glass, or a teacup. Flour the bottom of the pressing implement if it stick to the cookies.

3. Bake at 375F for 8 minutes. They're done when the tops of the cookies are cracked, and the bottom slightly browned.

Tips
Dough will not form using the stand mixer. Just mush the thoroughly mixed ingredients together and they will mush together if you added enough butter.

Modified Tassajara Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread with Stand Mixer

Google The Tassajara Bread Book for detailed instructions.

Ingredients
I.
2.75 room temperature water + 0.25 hotpot water
1.5 Tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup cane sugar (OR honey, molaases, brown sugar), 1/2 - 1 cup for sweet version
1 cup buttermilk powder (optional)
4 cups whole wheat flour

II.
1 Tbsp cinnamon
4 tsp salt
5 Tbsp butter
3 cups white flour
1 cup raisin
1 cup walnut

III.
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar (1/2 for sweeter version)


Instructions
Put all dry ingredients in mixing bowl (buttermilk & flour)

Dissolve yeast & sugar in water

Start mixing (setting of 2) and add water bit by bit until it forms a thick smooth batter. You know you're done when the hook is starting to form a dough shape. About 5-10 minutes.

Cover with damp towel. Run oven for a few minutes and then turn off. Let out hot air for two minutes and put bowl in oven (less than 100F or else yeast dies)

Let rise 45 minutes

Soak raisin warm water till it puffs up a bit.

Add salt, butter, and cinnamon.

Start mixer and add 3 more cups, 1/2 at a time for 5-6 minutes

Add in raisin and walnuts bit by bit till thorough mixed, 2-3 minutes. Dough should be tacky but not sticking to sides of mixing bowl.

If not mixed thorough, knead on floured board.

Oil bowl. Put down in and then flip over to get oil on all sides.

Let rise 50-60 minutes in oven til doubled in size

Punch down. Press down with back of hand 10 times

Let rise 40-50 minutes till double in size

Fold dough into ball, cut in half, measure with kitchen weigh. wait 5 minutes

Kneed and fold 10 times

Use rolling pin and roll out dough. Width should be about width of loaf pan

Brush with water and sprinkle cinnamon sugar.

Roll up tight. Tuck and pinch sides in. Pinch seams tight.

Place in oiled pan, push down with back of hands till it conforms to shape of pan. Flip down over and do same. Dough should be 1/2 to 2/3 of pan.

Let rise 20-25 minutes or till dough at about height of pan.

Brush tops with 1 egg + 2 Tbsp water or milk

Bake in 350F oven for 20 minutes, turn around and bake for another 30 minutes, or until golden brown

Remove from pans and let cool 1.5 hours.

Tips
1. You need whole wheat flour in order for it to really rise and have glutton so don't substitute with too much white flour.

2. Having the dough rise twice helps the bread have a springy texture.

3. Depending on how plump the raisin are when you put it in the bowl, you need to adjust wetness. Add whole milk if you need it to be more wet. The raisin will suck water out of the dough.

4. Havn't tried letting this rise overnight. But when you do, you may need to put raisin in later due to tip #3.

Chinese style egg custard (pudding)

Ingredients

• 400 grams whole milk
• 100 grams white sugar
• 2 grams salt
• 3 to 4 eggs (see Notes)

Instructions

• Make burnt sugar and put in bottom of 6 oz cups


• Stir milk, sugar, salt, and eggs together clockwise quickly without lifting the whip.
  
  


• Filter through strainer
  
  
  


• Put the mixture in the 6 oz cups and let sit 30 minutes


• Put pudding cups in a tray with about 1/4 inch water. Add enough water so the cups don't move by themselves and there will be enough left when you're done baking.
  
  
  
• Bake at 305 F for 50 minutes

Notes

• You will know the mix is ready when you can stir the edges of the mixing bowl without the mixture threatening to spill out due to centrifugal force. Also lift the whip and see if there are egg whites remaining.


• It's best if you let the eggs thaw first so it's easier to stir them in.


• You want to avoid adding air to the mixture.


• If you want to eat immediately when it's soft and warm, 4 eggs will make the custard firm enough. If you're planning to serve it cold, then 3 eggs will be enough as the custard will firm up when it gets cold.

Basic lettuce salad

Yes, I need to write a recipe for basic salad as I've never made one before! We got really great salads from Riverdog Farm today so I tried it for the first time and it wasn't too bad.

Ingredients

• Mixed lettuce
• 1 small carrot
• 1 mini red onion
  
• a dallop of honey mustard
• 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

1. Wash your lettuce, try to take as much water out as you can. Shred them by hand into a mixing bowl
   
2. Peel your carrot and grate them using a box grater.
   
3. Cut up onion in thin slices, add to bowl.
   
4. Mix the olive oil, mustard and balsamic vinegar together. Add salt and pepper to taste
5. Mix your lettuce with your salad dressing.
6. Put on plate and add the shredded carrot on top

Notes

1. For onion, cut it in half, then thinly slice either way.
   

Red Bean Soup - Crockpot version

I definitely prefer cooking red bean soup this way than the traditional way, as I can start it the previous night before I go to sleep and have it for breakfast the next morning.

Ingredients

• 1 cup organic red beans
• turbinado sugar or regular sugar
  

Instructions

1. Wash red beans in cold water
2. Put beans in crockpot, cover with water. Water level should be 2-3 times the level of the red beans in the pot
3. Cook in crockpot for 9-12 hours. It's done when the beans have broken apart and start becoming a bit mushy. This part is a preference issue. I personally like it as mushy as possible without becoming a paste.
   
4. Add sugar to taste. Start with 2 tablespoons and go from there.
5. You can add a bit of milk (not into the crockpot!) when you drink the soup.
   

Note

1. The bean soups WILL absorb the water when you leave it overnight. So you may want to slightly undercook it the first time. Leave it in the fridge overnight and it will be the right consistency the next day after you heat it up. By undercook, I mean cook it till it's edible for you, but on the firmer side.