Zebra Cookie

It is a rare event around here when everyone all cheers for the same cookie that is being made.  Some like oatmeal, some do not.  Only 1 likes raisins.  There are strong opinions on the usage of  milk, semi sweet, or jumbo dark chocolate chips.  1 is Gluten free.  2 do not like peanut butter.  some like gooey, some think crispy is better.  I say be glad I made you a cookie for pete's sake!?!   Recently my friend Emily gave us this recipe and it is a winner with all the Folks here at 3  Blanchard Road - IMPRESSIVE right?   We call them zebra cookies because I throw in milk, semi and white chocolate chips.   Also because there is oatmeal in there but it just blends in and you probably couldn't even guess (except I just told you).  Also because Chef Paul at the school makes these "zebra muffins" at school with the 3 kinds of chocolate chips . . .  there are so many reasons why we do things, i'm not sure why I am even trying to list them.

MASSACHUSETTS ZEBRA COOKIES - always double

1 5/8 sticks butter
1 Cup Sugar
1. Cup Brown Sugar
2 eggs

2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Oats
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla
Chocolate chips ( semi, milk and white)

350 for about 11 mins

The New Word At Our House Is SOOFFLE

So When my girls were little my mom would come out from Canada for about 10 days at a time and we would LOVE it.  When she came she was all ours, all focused on being this great and amazing grandma and we didn't have to share her with anyone.   She would turn cooking into fun activities with my girls . . . sure one could buy peanut butter cups, but why when you can make them on your own?  She would let the girls paint chocolate into these little cups, let it harden, work with them to make the peanut butter mixture, and then top with a layer of chocolate.  Those peanut butter cups were filled with laughs, stories, and love, and they were delicious.  To this day Ashtyn talks of this one dessert that Nanna would make and it was a chocolate cake but it was gooey inside and warm.  I have tried many different desserts from our repertoire, but each one was not the one that she was talking about.   Enter the Molten Lava cakes/soufflés.  We made them not long ago  and after the first bite, Ash declared that this was it!   These were similar to the ones Nana would make when she was little



Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, I have also used 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips with success
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 Tablespoons flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Spray 4 small (6-8 oz) ramekin dishes with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.
3. In a small microwave safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate and melt in 30 second increments, string between each increment until chocolate and butter are combined and smooth.
4. Add powdered sugar and stir in evenly.
5. Add eggs and egg yolks and beat in until well combined.
6. Stir in flour until well combined.
7. Pour and distribute batter evenly in the 4 prepared ramekin dishes.
8. Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-13 minutes until edges are firm and center is soft, but not super jiggly.
9. Let cool for 2 minutes. Using a knife, gently pull cake away from the edges then invert onto plate or serving dish.
10. Serve with dusted powdered sugar, ice cream, magic shell or however desired. No matter how you want to eat it, serve immediately.

What is funny about this recipe is that the recipe I gave her was from a group of recipes in the "Soufflé" section - sounds so fancy of us right?   That we would have an entire section of recipes that were soufflés?   Funny.   Ash pronounced the word wrong when she first baked theses and began her nonstop talk of them.  Soofle.   Since then these babies will forever be called Soofffles.   She bakes up a batch each week, puts them in little prepared ramekins and put them in the freezer to have anytime you are in the mood - which seems to be everyday she walks in the door from school.   When  look back on this girls high school love stories, her love for this little treat daily will be HIGH on the list.