chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

Here's an all-time favorite of one of Gary's to-be groomsmen, Chris. I've made many many batches of oatmeal cookies and chocolate chip cookies, but never a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. Thanks Chris for suggestion, these turned out crispy and crunchy.  

ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place rolled oats in a food processor and pulse several times. Mix together with flour and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and mix well. Add the oats and flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Mix in the milk chocolate chips.
4. Chill the mixture for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator before proceeding.
5. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
7. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool.

tuiles

This is the first Daring Bakers Challenge of 2009. This recipe was a very lovely, there is not other way to put it. I didn't use a stencil, rather I opted to pipe different patterns and shape them after baking. At the end, I had a variety of interesting shaped cookies.  

tuiles  

from The Chocolate Book by Angelique Schmeink

ingredients

• 65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft) 
• 60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar 
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract) 
• 2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork) 
• 65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice 
• Butter/spray to grease baking sheet  

directions

1. Preheat Oven: 180C / 350F 
2. Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. 
3. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix. 
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.  
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. 
6. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.
7. Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. 
8. Immediately release from baking sheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable. If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. 

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

chocolate chip banana bread

Making this banana bread was almost a weekly ritual during my last two years of college. Once you have a piece, you will know why. I usually make a banana nut bread with some cinnamon and spices but this time I had a lot of semi sweet chocolate chips at hand, so I opted for a little twist.

chocolate chip banana bread  
ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder, and soda. Stir in chocolate chips if desired. Pour batter into two greased 9x5 inch pans.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.