Check out my progress on Lessons in Baking
This morning, I woke with the urge to bake. Given my distaste for precise recipes, this sudden craving to fire up the oven is rare, to say the least. Once my last exam was complete, I decided that the perfect way to relax would be to crank out some cookies.
First, I opted to make an old favorite from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan: “You Got Peanut Butter in My Chocolate” Cookies.
Lesson #1: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cookie dough tastes like peanut-butter spiked Oreos. Tasty.
For my second recipe, I chose to go a more traditional route, Chocolate Chip Cookies—yes, eggs, butter, sugar, and all. Halfway into the recipe, I realized that I had no means of creaming the butter and sugar. Although I have a rather extensive collection of kitchen gadgets, a hand mixer is perhaps the sole item missing from said collection. However, I found that another beloved kitchen gadget managed to do the trick.
Lesson #2: Immersion blenders work wonders when it comes to creaming and beating.
I put my own twist on these chocolate chip cookies by using Hershey’s Special Dark chips rather than semi-sweet. I’d say about half the bag ended up in the dough…the other half now sits happily in my stomach.
Lesson #3: Dark chocolate chips are seriously addicting.
I have just one cookie sheet in my kitchen, so I attempted to squeeze the entire batch onto a single sheet. Bad idea. No worries—I’ll just call them chocolate chip cookie bars.
Lesson #4: There’s a reason the recipe tells you to space cookies “at least one inch apart.”
Do you like to bake? What are some memorable lessons you’ve learned while baking?
In other news, Seth and I are headed to a show tonight, so I’m posting a bit earlier tonight. Here’s the grub re-cap thus far:
My exam today was at 12, so I knew breakfast had to be filling in order to get me through the exam without tummy grumbles. Pumpkin-protein oat bran sounded ideal…and it was.
Once home, I made a big salad featuring a B-Hut favorite combo: hummus-stuffed hardboiled eggs.
Alright, I am off to get dressed and figure out something quick for dinner. G’night!
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
You can cream butter and sugar with a simple fork, too! Or at least that’s what I usually use. Who knows if it actually works the same.
A good way to stop cookie spreading is cold batter and hot tray.
Do I like to bake?? Um… come on now
I am NOT a baker. Too many measurements for me!
I don’t have a mixer either–I always use a whisk. Its an arm workout for sure, but it gets the job done!
Baking addict over here! The cookies look fab. I actually love that the chocolate chippers mushed together. And hummus in your hard boiled eggs- what a great idea! Protein +more protein! Have fun tonight
The biggest lesson I’ve learned baking is my creativity does NOT come in that area. Guess I’ll be sticking to others recipes in the baking area
You are cute!! And might I add, I love all of your Seth time! So cute.
Reading this title- I thought you would have more LESSONS of uh-oh’s and OOPSIES, than just spacing out cookies………those look delicious!!
However, I can’t get myself to like dark chocolate!!! :/
HAPPY WEDNESDAY GORGEOUS CAROLINE!
i’m no vegan but i seriously want that cookbook! everytime you post about one of the recipes from there i cry with overjoyness at the idea of whipping up one of the recipes haha
haha when I was little I learned that Olive Oil is NOT a substitute for Canola Oil!! Terrible Terrible pancakes…
Ha! I love it. I mess up baking all the time. Truly. It’s something I’ve only just learned to do, so I’m still a novice.
loveee to bake! i should try the chocolate chip cookie recipe, i just bought the same flour yesterday
Baking is always the first thing I want to do after finishing exams, too! I should look up those pb&chocolate cookies in ED&BV..they sound awesome.
Those cookies look AMAZING. I love dipping my oreos in PB
and that salad looks so colorful and pretty! I love how you make healthy food look so yummy.
They’re actually kind of better as bars. It’s so hard to make a round just right. The bars are more substantial also. I don’t know, when I’m at a coffee counter, I would always gravitate to the bar instead of the cookie. These look great.