Posts

Chonky Boys: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that Scream Summer!

Image
Featuring my thick and nuggy Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookies, these ice cream sandwiches are the stuff that summer dreams are made of.  If you've ever had the Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich at Disneyland , you are going to LOVE these!  These big and bold chocolate chip cookies are based on a recipe from my culinary school studies at Auguste Escoffier, but with a few modifications to give them that Jennuine touch.  They make the perfectas book for a fat slice of real vanilla bean ice cream.  And those mini chips?  You just gotta have that extra cronch! Thank goodness this recipe only makes 8 sandwiches, otherwise I would be eating them for breakfast lunch and dinner.  This way, my big family can help save me from my inner child diet-saboteur.   Print With Image Without Image Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Yield: 8 Author: Jenn Erickson Loaded with chocolate chips and buttery, brown-sugary vanilla flavor, these mall-sized cookies form a perfect partnership with a

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Image
There are about as many different chocolate chip cookie recipes out there as there are definitions for what makes a chocolate chip cookie perfect.  It all comes down to personal taste.  As a person who isn't wildly into sweets, I'm very particular about my chocolate chip cookies.  To me, the perfect chocolate chip cookie is loaded, but not-overloaded with chocolate.  The sweet and salty balance is in perfect harmony.  The edges are brown and crispy, but the middle is soft and chewy.  If the cookies manage to last more than a few days, they retain their perfection chew and textures. After decades of trying every recipe we could find, in pursuit of "perfection", my husband and I feel that we've finally come up with a formula that is everything we've been looking for.  Actually, he gets all the credit.  I was just the taste tester. Our recipe is a riff on the recipe found on the back of Guittard chocolate chips.  Of course, quality choc

What To Do With Left Over Easter Eggs: Make Spring Garden Deviled Eggs {RECIPE}

Image
Do you love Deviled Eggs?  Whether you're looking for a way to use up hard-boiled eggs after Easter, or want a simple, natural way to add color, flavor and beauty to this classic appetizer, this is a recipe you should try or pin for later. Inspired by a project done by one of my advanced culinary students ( Sofia Moore, class of 2020 ) for an art gallery show last year, these hard-boiled eggs get their color from beets.  The eggs are not pickled, but rather bathed in the beet water to take on the color without affecting the flavor balance. I love decorating with edible flowers.  On the central California coast, where I live, there are an abundance of local blossoms that grow wild in yards and green areas at this time of year.  Pictured below are some of my favorites that can be foraged in April. The large flowers, Nasturtium, have a peppery flavor and are delicious, but I'm saving them for a different recipe. Pictured below from left to

Dalgona Coffee, Worth the Hype? Oh Honey, Yes {Recipe & Video}

Image
Coffee lovers, by now you've probably seen the latest and greatest trend in coffee splashed all over social media -- It's called Dalgona Coffee, Whipped Coffee and 400 Coffee because of the hundreds of times the cloud of coffee froth is whipped when whisked by hand.   The country of Macau is credited with this miracle of food science-magic, but fortunately for everyone currently sheltering-in-place, it's incredibly easy to make at home.  It takes less than 5 minutes, costs little, and is definitely worth the hype. I'm a lover of honey lattes, so I made a minor tweak to the original Dalgona formula.  The original formula is 1/1/1 ratio of hot water to instant coffee to granulated sugar. Print With Image Without Image Heavenly Honey Whipped Coffee Yield: 1 Author: Jenn Erickson A honey twist on the viral sensation of "Dalgona Coffee" -- easy and delicious. Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons hot water 2 Tablespoons instan

The Cutest Easter Cookies: Coconut Cream Cheese Cookie Nests

Image
This delicious little recipe combines a classic Easter candy ~ Cadbury Mini Eggs ~ with my all-time most popular recipe --  The Macaroon Kiss .   The buttery, cream cheese dough is rolled in coconut, then baked.  While still warm, simply nestle three little chocolate eggs inside.   Print With Image Without Image Coconut Cream Cheese Cookie Nests Yield: 48 cookies Author: Jenn Erickson This is a rich, tender and buttery little cookie with toasted coconut and the best Easter candy EVER! Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups All purpose flour 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon table salt 2/3 cups butter, softened 6 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 large egg yolks 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon juice from a fresh orange 10 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided in to 6 cup and 4 cup portions Cadbury Mini Eggs (2 10oz. bags) Instructions: In a medium b

For Hummus Lovers: Wasabi Edamame Hummus {RECIPE}

Image
Some of the best and most enduring recipes for entertaining have come from moments where a host or hostess is forced to improvise with whatever is on hand.  Such is the case with this super easy, quick and delicious Asian twist on classic Hummus.   Edamame (fresh soybeans) are high in protein and have a bright green color that really pops on a festive holiday spread.  I used them in place of the traditional garbanzo beans.  To play the role of the tahini (sesame paste), I went with wasabi mayonnaise.  I used the premade stuff from Trader Joes, but you can use regular mayo and simply add wasabi (found in the ethnic section of most grocery stores) to taste. What makes this delicious dip extra fun and will amuse and entertain partygoers is if you can track down some shrimp chips (a.k.a.) prawn crackers to serve with it.  They are colorful delicious, and are just about as close as you can get to performing a magic trick in the kitchen.  My kids love to watch these little