Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been itching to make chocolate chip cookies for awhile now. Just hearing the word "Chocolate Chip Cookies" bring warm, snuggly, comforting memories. There are a lot of recipes to try out there so a couple of weeks back, I asked you my dear Bake Happy friends for any tips when baking this beloved favorite. Not surprisingly, Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe got a lot of raves.

Hands down, this is the recipe I want to try. Some even call it infamous. Yes, it's that good. Jacques Torres name alone did the convincing. If the recipe came from the real life Willy Wonka himself, then it must be a keeper. 

Believe me it is.

Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from abc.go.com through Bakerella

What we need:

2 cups minus to 2 tablespoons cake flour

1 2/3 cup bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 pounds bittersweet chocolate bars cut into chunks (or you can use good ole chocolate chips) - the original recipe calls for chocolate discs, you can use them too. I just made do with what's available here :)

Sea salt for garnish (I used Fleur de Sel)

What we need:
(1) Sift together all dry ingredients (cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) until well combined. Set aside.
(2) Cream butter and sugar (both white and brown) until light and fluffy.  

 (3) Mix in the eggs one at a time. 

(4) Add the vanilla extract

(5) Mix in the dry ingredients until just combines. 

Be very careful not to over mix. At this point, I just used a whisk to mix in the dry ingredients. 

(6) Fold in the chocolate chunks or chocolate chips.

(7) Cover cookie dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Be very patient. Remember, good things come to those who wait. Or in this case... Gooey (or Chocolatey) things come to those who wait *wink*

(8) Use an ice cream scoop to form evenly sized cookies then sprinkle with sea salt. 

I used a one ounce scooper and baked the cookies for 15 minutes. Don't hesitate to pull them out of the oven after 15 minutes - even if they look undercooked. It'll continue to bake through the heat of the cookie.

Now now now, I am telling you. This next step is of utmost importance - 

• Go get a tall glass of cold milk
• Decide which book you want to read for the afternoon. A Baker's Daughter is on my wishlist
• Settle in your favorite couch
• Dunk your cookie in the milk
• Enjoy

How to Make Baby Whale Cupcakes

Whenever I hear the word "Baby Whale", it's not a whale that I first of. I think of Chico Garcia - 1/3 of the amazing morning radio show trio who host The Morning Rush (TMR). 

My friend Bernie and I even made them cupcakes several months back. Remember the tutorial I made for DJ themed cupcake topper? The cupcakes are actually for Chico, Del and Gino. 

And so for today, I thought of showing you how to make the fondant baby whales because hands down, they're absolutely the cutest! I am sure you totally agree :)

Baby Whale Fondant Tutorial

What we need:

Fondant in blue, while and black

Small round fondant cutter

Small ball tool

Water and brush to paste things together

 Here's How:
(1) Roll blue fondant into a ball 

 (2) Press down one side and shape into a small whale tail

 (3) Press the tail inward  using the small round fondant cutter

 (4) Press the tail flat.

 (5) Get some small white fondant into a long tear shape and roll it inwards and paste into the baby whale's head. Using the fondant cutter, press a smile into the cute one. 

 (6) Add some eye details using the ball tool and the black fondant. 

Adorbs... totally adorbs.

Bake Happy Up & About: Chef Jessie at the Maya Kitchen

In her true, straightforward, no nonsense cooking style, well known chef Jessie Sincioco shared recipes, tips and more at her recent demo at The Maya Kitchen. 

From how to create a salad with any greens to how to mix a perfect soufflé batter, Chef Jessie showed the crowd that cooking and baking great food is possible with the most basic ingredients coupled with ingenuity.  She told the audience not to be limited by a recipe and instead rely on what their instinct tells them will taste good. 

Chef Jessie who got a start in the culinary world by winning the top prize in the Great Maya Cookfest way back in 1983 is now president and CEO of JCS Gastronomie Inc. that operates Chef Jessie Rockwell Club and Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie. 

For more information, log on to www.themayakitchen.com or e-mail contactus@themayakitchen.com.  

Here are some dishes she presented at the kitchen. 

Grilled Ostrich Steak in Bourguinon Sauce

 Local Sea Bass En Papilotte

 Salad from Chef Jessie's Garden

 Vegetable Chips with Tzatziki

Chocolate Souffle

Ingredients:

 ½    liter milk

85   gms. Maya Cake Flour

100  gms. sugar

 1    whole  Egg  

25    gms. butter 

 8     egg yolks 

8     egg whites

10     ounces melted dark chocolate

Procedure:

1. Prepare soufflé moulds by brushing the sides and bottom with softened butter; coat buttered dish with granulated sugar. Chill. 

2. Prepare the soufflé base by first boiling the milk.

3. In a bowl, mix together the cake flour, sugar and egg.

4. Pour boiling milk into the flour mixture and mix until smooth.

5. Cook mixture into a thick paste.

6. Off the heat, fold the egg yolks one by one. Set aside to cool.

7. When cold, fold in the melted chocolate and mix into a smooth paste.

8. With a mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry fold this into the egg yolk mixture.

9. Pour soufflé mixture into prepared dishes.

10. Bake at 200 C for 12-15 minutes.

11. Dust top with powdered sugar and serve at once. 

Yield: 12 Regular Soufflés

Butterscotch Bars Recipe

January, February and March - by default these should be the slowest months of the year. After all, we came from the mad holiday rush, we all deserve a break. And so I believe in the next few months, everyday should be all be Sundays. 

Sundays where everyone should sleep in late (or if you're a morning person - okay to get up early, too) and just rest, read a book or spend a day in the park or the beach. And while we're all at it, make some butterscotch bars to munch on all day. These butterscotch bars are a perfect companion to perfect Sundays. And as a treat, I'm going to show you how. 

Butterscotch Bars Recipe
from Food.com
350F/makes 18 bars

What we need:

1/3 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped cashew nuts

 Here's how:
(1) In a small saucepan, mix together the butter and brown sugar until butter has just melted. Let it cool before proceeding to #2.

 (2) Add the egg to the sugar-butter mixture.

 (3) Mix thoroughly until well combined.

(4) Add in flour, baking powder (make sure to sift them together before adding to the batter at this point) and vanilla.

 (5) Fold in 3/4 cup cashew nuts.

 (6) Pout  batter into a lined 8"x8" pan. Sprinkle remaining cashew nuts.

 (7) Bake for 30 minutes.

(8) Make sure to cool completely before cutting it up into bars.

Perfect with coffee or milk. Your choice :) Have a great week ahead everyone!

How to Make Valentine Love Potion Cupcakes

Funny how inspiration strikes at the strangest circumstances. Like these love potion cupcakes. 

I was busy deleting spam comments from my blog when an interesting phrase caught my attention. If I remember correctly is says "Love potion blah blah blah". I wish I could have saved the whole comment but I can't find it now. All I can remember was the phrase "love potion" and just like in the movies (or TV), bulb dinged on my head and an idea for a Valentine post was born. 

Ahh.. love potion, in Filipino - gayuma, how can I transform it into cupcakes? How do they really look like? Is this something one applies like a perfume or something that can be drunk so one can attract someone? I was thinking mine should be a literal version - a cauldron overfilled with hearts with some hearts literally jumping out of it. 

Want to make some Valentine Love Potion Cupcakes? Here's how!

Love Potion Cupcake Tutorial

What we need
Fondant in brown, red, white
Small heart fondant cutters
Small heart sprinkles
Fondant ball tool
Toothpick
Rolling pin
Water and brush to glue things together

Here's how:
(1) Roll brown fondant into a ball. 

(2) Create a cavity on the top of the brown fondant using the ball tool. 

(3) Roll a piece of fondant into a rope.

(4) Position the rope on the edge of the cavity. Cut the excess. 

(5) Roll red and white fondant thickly. 

(6) Cut out small hearts in different sizes. 

(7) Stick some hearts onto the toothpick

(8) Stick the toothpick onto the "cauldron"

(9) Fill the "cauldron" with heart sprinkles

Have a fun-filled, sweet and oh so romantic Valentines everyone!