I love you, chocolate chip cookies!!

There are so many baked goods to love; but since childhood, the top of the list has been held by chocolate chip cookies.  They were always made with the Tollhouse recipe found on the back of the yellow bag of chocolate chips.

As a burgeoning gourmet cook I thought there surely had to be a better recipe.  I've tried other recipes in years past and read many more.  I've seen fancy blogs researching and they say they have the world's best chocolate chip cookie.  Perhaps they do have the best, but after my searching I ended up back nearly where I started.

I am a bit of a chocolate snob and no longer use Nestlé's famous chip.  I prefer Ghirardelli Bittersweet chocolate chips.  In the past the recipe had a statement to cream the butter and sugars for several minutes rather than until creamy.  That extra time to properly mix those ingredients really make a difference in my mind.  I've made these cookies for years to many rave reviews. 

My cookies also have Oklahoma grown native pecans.  I found a source for local pecans, a man in a small hamlet that gathers, cracks and picks out pecans.  The pecans this man found are tiny, but so much flavor.  It was a bit of an expedition to meet up with this man.  I drug my sick husband into the car to go with me.  We were to meet up with this man at the "town" post office.  We arrived at the agreed time.  Never have I seen such a busy post office.  I guessed they didn't have local delivery and everyone in the area had to pick up their mail there.  So many people arrived as we sat there, each time we hoped this was the "one".  Finally 30 minutes later a guy comes walking around the corner of the post office with bags in his hands.  This was the guy!  The pecans were beautiful, but so little.  I can't imagine picking them out myself.  I feel lucky to have found these pecans and have many pounds of them in my deep freeze to last out until the next season. 

If you aren't nutty like me, the cookies can easily be made without them.

Is it a sin?? No! No it isn't!!

Who doesn't love a good, simple, gooey cinnamon roll? 

I don't know about your school growing up, but at my school the best thing in the cafeteria were their cinnamon rolls.  They always made them on chili and beef stew days.  Much bargaining went on for exchanges with the few strange kids that didn't like those rolls.  They were so fun to eat, unrolling them, one long curled sweet roll.  And oh, that very center piece, THE BEST!  Happy memories for me for sure.

When I was engaged to be married some, uh hmm, years ago, my sister gave me several handwritten recipe cards of some of her favorite dishes.  One of those cards was for "School Cinnamon Rolls".  It took years of cooking before I ever attempted a recipe calling for yeast.  Can't really recall that first batch, but they must have been OK as I have made them many times since.  Fortunately the instructions were pretty easy for me to understand.

I know some folks like their dough rolled more thick, but I like mine rolled thin, the better to get more soft sweet bites.  The rolls at school had only sugar and cinnamon, never any nuts or, gag, raisins.  Some people like them loaded, but not me, I am a "School Cinnamon Roll" purist.  That yeasty dough needs nothing else to muddy the sensational mouth feel.  So my rolls are filled only with butter, sugar and cinnamon.

My Cinnamon Rolls come with a simple vanilla glaze, drizzled over when they first come out of the oven.  The smell is really divine.  I have made many dozens of these rolls recently and the smell still gets me.  

These rolls are heavenly, not at all a sin!  

Views expressed are solely my own, not from above!

  

My First Menu!

 bbctulsa@gmail.com

Breads

Epi, a baguette, handcut to resemble a wheat shaft, creating more crusty goodness, see the first B in my logo, great in lieu of dinner rolls $6/loaf

Honey Oat Pan de Mie, honey and old fashioned oats in a great sandwich loaf, can be all white or a blend of white and white wheat, a 9 inch loaf $7/loaf

Focaccia, thinner than others you will find in our area, topped with extra virgin olive oil, coarse salt and rosemary.  makes a nice sandwich split and stuffed, perhaps grilled?  or if you fancy a sweet version?  try it with a sugar and cinnamon topping instead $5/quarter sheetpan

Pecan Rye, tons of local pecans kneaded into a hearty dough of white, wheat and rye flours $7/small loaf $10/large loaf

Plain ole white bread, soft simple bread baked in a traditional bread pan $5/loaf

Plain ole wheat bread, same as above but with some whole wheat added $5/loaf

Pretzel buns, great for hamburgers or other hearty sandwiches  $18/dozen

Cinnamon Rolls, very yeasty simple roll, rolled thinly with only butter, sugar and cinnamon, topped with a drizzle of vanilla glaze  $18/dozen

 

Cookies

Chocolate Chip, one big cookie, a classic with Ghirardelli chips and Oklahoma pecans $12/dozen 

Luxurious Peanut Butter, with chopped cashews, another big cookie   $12/dozen

Walnut & Rosemary Shortbread, a smaller cookie, but loaded with rosemary and walnuts  $10/dozen

Chocolate Shortbread with cacao nibs, exotic cookie with housemade cacao nibs $15/dozen

 

 

Cakes and Sweets

Grandma’s Crazy Cake, a recipe from my Grandma, no eggs in this gooey chocolately goodness  8 inch square pan $12

That Chocolate Cake, ridiculously moist and chocolaty  2-9 inch layers but nothing fancy $25

Whole wheat muffins, a simple, slightly sweet muffin.  available in 2 sizes, regular and mini.  the mini muffins make great little appetizers when stuffed with pimiento cheese, or other savory filling.  have the regular sized ones baked with a jam surprise for a little pizzazz   regular size  $15/dozen, mini $10/dozen

Apricot Danish, small simple Danish filled with a dried apricot filling and a drizzle of glaze  $20/dozen

 

Your own project??  Have an idea but I don’t have it listed?  Let me know and I’ll give it a try!

I will be working on perfecting other breads and pastry soon!  In the mix, croissant, and more whole grain breads.