Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! 

I have to admit, I hate Halloween. It's my least favorite holiday, the only redeeming quality about this day is all the candy I have an excuse to eat. Seeing people in ridiculous costumes is entertaining too I guess. But ever since I was a little kid, I've never liked it. HOWEVER. This doesn't mean I didn't take this opportunity to bake some pumpkin treats for work tomorrow.

I searched all over for the best looking pumpkin cookie recipe and this one from Joy the Baker seemed to be the best bet. I tweaked it a bit, because I wanted the pumpkin spice taste to be stronger, I added some ground ginger and nutmeg. Whenever I try out new recipes, I like to follow the directions step by step, because I'm so afraid of messing up. But for this one, I kind of just added whatever I wanted. These cookies are very cakelike and pillowy soft, especially right out of the oven. I wish the pumpkin taste was stronger, but I think you can just add more pumpkin puree. Next time! Because I will definitely be using this recipe again!

Recipe makes approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (I used Trader Joe's)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can add any kind you want to this recipe)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or foil, which is what I had at home.

Stir all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt).

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until the consistency is smooth and a light yellow color. Use those arm muscles! Or you can use a handmixer too I guess. Mix in oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until well blended.

Add pumpkin mixture to your dry ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips.

Scoop dough onto baking sheet set about 2 inches apart. These cookies will spread. Bake the cookies for 16 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool them on the baking rack and use a wide spatula to transfer the cookies.

Store the cookies in a tightly covered container after they're cool. They should last for a few days, but why wait that long when you can eat them right away?

Check out Joy the Baker's blog! I love her recipes and her posts are so personal, like you're in the kitchen with her.

I hope you guys try out this recipe and tell me how it goes! Have a safe Halloween! :)

Individual Cheesecakes

So, if you didn't know, National Cheesecake Day was this Wednesday and to celebrate, I baked these small, individual sized cheesecakes and brought them to work. I've never made these before, but they turned out okay! Cheesecake is one my favorite desserts, but whenever I make it myself, I don't eat it. I hope the people at work liked these, they were all gone at the end of the day, so that means they did right? 

These cheesecakes are not as rich as the ones that I normally bake in a springform pan, but still creamy and cheesy. They're easier to share too.

Makes about 18 cupcake sized cheesecakes

Crust

1 package (10 pieces) of graham crackers

1 stick of melted butter

1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional, but I think the cinnamon gives it a kick)

Filling

2 (8oz) packs of cream cheese (room temperature)
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I just squeezed half a lemon)
3/4 cup of granulated sugar

Directions

Put pack of graham crackers in ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin, or you can put them through a food processor, but I'd rather not wash it (lazy person right here). Add the cinnamon before butter.
Melt butter and mix with crushed crackers.
Afterwards, place in refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes.
Now you can take it out and press the batter into the individual cupcake holders (I used the foil cups here).

Before you make the cheesecake filling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. And here's another lazy person's tip, I poured everything into a blender. After eggs and sugar are mixed, put in cream cheese and mix again. Make sure there are no clumps. You'll have to scrape the sides to make sure all the cream cheese is getting mixed.  Add vanilla extract and lemon juice one at a time. Keep mixing until the filling is smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Fill the cups about 3/4 way full. Bake for 20 minutes. 
It poofs up when its baking, but once you take it out the oven, it deflates. Once the cheesecakes are completely cool, you can add some fruit toppings or anything you want, I just left it simple here.
Once that's all done, leave in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. And voila, your cheesecakes are done!

This recipe is super simple and it wasn't too sweet, but still very creamy and yummy. Now go make some cheesecake!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

HAPPY FATHERS DAY EVERYONE! I never really get to celebrate these days, since my parents are always working, but you can do little things to make them happy today. My dad loves these cookies and always asks me to bake them for him. This recipe is super easy and so yummy! Not too sweet and smells wonderful.

The batter will look something like this once you mix it all together.

Here I am with my messy hair, spooning the batter. haha

This recipe makes lots of cookies, but you can make the cookies any size you want, this was just how big I made them.

They look a bit puffy once they're done, but once they cool, they settle down.

Final product!

Ingredients

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of brown sugar (packed)

3 cups of all purpose flour

2 sticks  or 1 cup of butter (softened)

2 large eggs (room temperature)

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 cup of macadamia nuts

11-12 ounces of white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line parchment paper on baking sheet.

Mix sugar and butter until creamy with electric beater in big bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat again, about 2 minutes.

Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda.

Add chocolate chips and macadamia nuts until well combined.

Roll batter into tablespoon size balls (or bigger if you want) and place on parchment paper about 1 inch apart.

Bake 9-10 minutes.

Enjoy! I hope you guys like this recipe! Let me know if you try it and have a wonderful day! :)

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Joy the Baker!

Decided to bake some cookies for work tomorrow, since it's Good Friday and yea, it's Friday. I haven't baked in such a long time, I forget how much I love it sometimes. Measuring out the ingredients is really fun to me, is that weird? o.O

Anyways, I tweaked the recipe a little bit, I didn't have enough dark chocolate, so I only used 3/4 cup of sugar and used a mixture of dark and milk chocolate chips, so it wouldn't be too sweet.

I think I'm going to use more cocoa powder next time, so it'll be even more chocolatey.

I like having everything all spread out. Always remember to take out the butter and eggs first, so that the butter can get soft. And never bake with cold eggs.

It looked like chocolate mousse after I mixed everything together. I want to eat it already.

Little dollops of poo.

Baked poo.

The final product. It looks disgusting, but I swear it tastes delicious.

Check out Joy the Baker! Her recipes always look so yummy and she's so funny.

Makes 24 cookies

1 stick of butter

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups of flour

1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

3/4 cup of milk chocolate chips ( I used Ghiradelli)

3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips

"Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract.  Beat for 1 minute more.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients all at once to the butter and egg mixture.  Beat on low speed until just combined.

Stop the mixer and stir in the chocolate chunks.

Scoop dough using a small cookie scoop, or by rolling dough by the heaping tablespoonful.  Place on cookie sheet, leaving about 2-inches between each dough ball.

Bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until cookies are just done.  It’s even ok if these cookies are slightly under baked.  Try your darndest not to over bake them.  Allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool before storing.  Cookies are best within 3 days of baking." Joy's Double Chocolate Chip Cookies