Good Food Mood

Tag: Brownsugar

  • Best Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

    That perfect first bite that gets your mouth watering.

    It all started with a cookie.

    Welcome to my Good Food Mood blog! My name is Anna and I’m so excited to share with you the BEST EVER chunky chocolate chip cookies recipe of all time – the very thing that launched my love for baking, experimenting in the kitchen with different recipes, and hooked my boyfriend before we got together!

    The gooeyness inside and crunchinessoutside is hard to resist. Just look at that picture! I find myself craving these every. single. week. After being asked countless times for this recipe by the happy bellies of friends and family, here I am sharing it with you.

    In just 30 minutes, you can have 18 hot, chocolatey cookies that everyone will be dying to try.

    Recipe

    Let’s cut to the chase and dive in. Shall we?

    Ingredients:

    1 1/4 c flour

    3 tbs cornstarch

    1/2 tsp salt

    1/2 tsp baking soda

    1/2 c softened butter (1 stick)

    6 tbs granulated sugar

    6 tbs brown sugar

    1 egg

    1/2 tsp vanilla extract

    1 10 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1/2 a bag if you want less chocolate)

    (Optional) 1/4 c roughly chopped walnuts

    Note: The specific brands of your ingredients do not matter, but always keep in mind that higher quality ingredients make for higher-quality-tasting cookies 🙂

    Instructions:

    Do not use a stand mixer for this recipe. Believe me. Your cookies will come out flat and boring from the over-mixing! We’re looking for a chunky-looking structure on the outside with a not-so-structured, gooey center. A good old-fashioned whisk will be your best friend here. They’re a labor of love. Now, let’s get to mixing!

    1. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
      • The key to the soft center despite the crunchier exterior is the high heat.
    2. Prepare your baking sheet pans with parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking.
      • I usually need two sheet pans and two pieces of parchment paper to pair with them to go through all of the cookie dough.
    3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, salt, and baking soda.
    4. Cut the stick of butter into smaller pieces.
      • This helps with mixing the butter a little bit more evenly!
    5. In a larger mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
    6. Gently stir the dry ingredients (flour, corn starch, salt, etc.) from the smaller bowl into the larger bowl with the wet ingredients (butter, egg, sugar, etc.) mixture.
      • The whisk will get congested. I like to take a fork and run it through the whisk to get out all of the dough and then continue mixing until all of the ingredients have gotten to know each other. You may have to use the fork trick a couple of times but trust that it’s worth it!
      • Don’t be afraid to use your hands to knead your creation a little bit. It helps improve the texture of the dough if it’s more on the crumbly side.
    7. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts (if desired). Mix gently with a rubber spatula or your hand until fully combined.
    8. Using a full-sized table spoon, measure the desired size cookie dough balls and roll each of them in the palm of your hands to round them, placing each of them on the baking sheets about two inches apart.
      • (Optional for gooey tops of cookies and presentation) Once the dough balls are on the sheet, place three chocolate chips in a triangle formation on the tops. Game changer.
    9. Bake the cookies in the oven for 6-7 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are golden. Keep your eye on them! They bake fast.
    10. Remove from the oven and let them cool. They’ll continue to cook on the inside while they cool down.
      • For the softest cookies, eat them when they are warm, not totally cooled.

    And that’s it! It is actually very easy and delicious. In very little time, you’ll have the best chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever tasted.

    • For reheating, as if you’d have ANY cookies left over, simply put your cookie on a paper towel and warm it up in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to restore the melted chocolate center.

    Closing Thoughts

    Chocolate chip cookies are those basic, yummy treats that inspire warmth and nostalgia to everyone who partakes in a delicious bite. Although basic, this recipe hits the nail on the head with elevationand good ole labor of love. Enjoy!

    Anna

  • The Best Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Recipe Ever!!

    The Secret

    Ever heard of a pasta that has sweetness and spiciness in the same flavor profile?? I hadn’t either. That was until I discovered this absolutely DELICIOUS recipe that’s been passed down my partner’s family for generations.

    The secret? Brown sugar and spicy Italian sausage. Seems so simple but oh SO amazing.

    You have not HAD spaghetti until you’ve tried Grandma Janet’s Spicy + Sweet Spaghetti. But no fear, because I will give you all of the details and tips you need to achieve your very own *should-be* awarding-winning pasta.

    Thank you, Janet, for gracing us with your mama’s recipe!! You truly put the sweet in that spicy-sweet spaghetti combo. 

    In just 25-30 min, you yourself can be indulging in your own tasty pasta. This recipe yields 6+ servings.

    Recipe

    Let’s dive in!

    Ingredients:

    1 Italian sausage

    Jar of Ragu Traditional sauce (preferred brand but not necessary)

    Can of tomato soup

    Can of tomato sauce

    2 handfuls of brown sugar

    2 tbs Italian seasoning

    2 tsp chili powder

    1 tbs oregano

    Salt/pepper to taste

    Water for boiling

    1 package of spaghetti noodles

    Instructions:

    1. Chop the Italian sausage into small pieces. Now, brown the sausage in a pan on medium-high heat on the stovetop.
    2. Add all of the other ingredients and mix evenly. 
    3. Bring the sauce to a simmer. 
      • You can start on the noodles as the sauce sits.
    4. In a separate pot, bring some water to a boil and then add in your pasta noodles. Let that cook according to the pasta package’s instructions.
      • Pro tip: Sprinkle some salt into the water before boiling and cover the pot. It will help the water boil faster.
    5. Serve the noodles with a scoop of sauce on the top!

    Tidbits

    We love to enjoy this spaghetti recipe with a side of Caesar salad and garlic bread! And for my wine-drinkers out there, this recipe pairs well with a good Cabernet Sauvignon. We like Austin Hope or Eberle, both located in Paso Robles, California.

    That’s the beauty of wine-tasting, folks. You discover wines you never knew you needed to pair with meals and make them that much better. Cheers!

    Anna