The smell of freshly-baked cookies that just came out of the oven is one of the most intoxicating aromas for foodies. Warm to the touch, there is nothing better then pulling a cookie in half to have its chocolate chips oozing out as you dunk it into a glass of cold milk.
Not like we need a real reason to indulge in a chocolate chip cookie (or few), but May 15 is National Chocolate Chip Day, so that's a good enough excuse to bake some delicious treats tonight.
Chocolate chips are on the staples of baking. Foodies can add this topping to breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert in various dishes from chocolate chip pancakes and muffins to chili (yes, even chili!), and of course the classic brownies, cakes and cookies.
While it seems like there is a food "holiday" for just about everything, National Chocolate Chip Day can be tied back to the first time it was ever used to bake cookies. At her Toll House Inn back in 1930, Ruth Graves added in the chopped up, semi-sweet morsels into her cookie dough after running out of baker's chocolate. She hoped this substitution would still give her desired end result of chocolate cookies, but she was pleasantly surprised that the chips did not melt.
She served the cookies anyway, and they instantly became a hit. Can you imagine a world without them?
We applaud Graves for her creativity, and in her spirit, here are the best chocolate chip recipes you should bake (or make) now in celebration of National Chocolate Chip Day.
The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
How could we not start off a chocolate chip recipe guide without first telling you how to make the BEST chocolate chip cookies? According to Savory Sweet Life, to make the best chocolate chip cookies you need to make sure you beat the butter and sugar with a mixture for three minutes until fluffy, make sure you use new baking powder, and also make sure to weigh your flour.
Preheat the oven to 360 degrees and mix and beat 1 cup of softened, salted butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Add in 2 eggs, and 2 tsp. of vanilla extract, beating it together for another 2 minutes. Add in 1 tsp. of baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder, 3/4 tsp. of salt and 2 3/4 cups of flour into the batter, and when its mixed, add the chips. Bake for 12-14 minutes, and let them sit for 2 minutes while you grab some milk, and enjoy!
Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Breakfast food can be served and enjoyed at just about any time of the day. Whether you are in the mood for pancakes tomorrow morning or tonight, this Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pancakes from two peas & their pod is probably the most inventive pancake flavor combination we could think of.
To make this recipe, whisk together 1 1/4 cups of flour, 2 tsp. of baking powder, 1/2 tsp. of baking soda and 1/2 tsp. of salt. In a small, separate bowl, combine 3 tbsp. of sugar and 1 orange zest, rubbing them together. Add in the flour mixture, and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, 2 large egg whites, 1/2 cups of orange juice, 1 tbsp. canola oil and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract. Fold in the mixture and add in chocolate chips, but don't over mix. Heat your skillet and cook 1/3 cup of batter at a time. Serve with butter and maple syrup.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Pretzels
Sometimes all you need is a sweet and savory treat to make it through that time in between lunch and dinner. This cookie-stuffed pretzel by Half Baked Harvest is simply the best thing that has ever come to the world of baking.
You will need to prepare both the cookie and pretzel mixtures. To make the pretzel dough, combine 1 1/2 cups of warm water, 2 tbsp. of brown sugar, 1 package of dry yeast, and 1/2 cup of softened, unsalted butter in a mixer until combined. Add salt and flour to the mix and knead until smooth. Coat a bowl with canola oil, and add the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and wait 1 hour until it expands in size. When you are just about ready to continue, make the cookie mixture and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Roll out the pretzel dough into a rectangle and spread cookie dough along its length. Overlap your pretzel dough formation, and dunk in water before placing onto a baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sea salt, baking for about 15 minutes. Serve this treat with a glass of milk.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread
Make the most creative sandwich you could think of by making this chocolate chip cookie dough bread. The best part of this recipe from Rasa Malaysia is that it is only two ingredients!
Preheat your own the 350 degree and butter a 8 x 4 pan. Mix 2 cups of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with 1 1/2 cups of flour until thoroughly combined. Scoop the mix into the pan, and bake for 45 minutes, making sure a toothpick comes out clean. Let your bread cool, slice, and serve. Make a Nuetlla, peanut butter, and banana sandwich with this bread or create a masterpiece with your favorite foods.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Where do we begin with this dessert? It has an Oreo cookie crust with homemade salted caramel sauce, creamy cheesecake—and they are bite-sized! To make this Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cheesecake from Sally's Baking Addiction, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans with liners. This recipe calls for a three-step process, since you will have to make the crust, filing and sauce.
Blend 18 Oreos into crumbs and mix with 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in a medium bowl. Press the mixture at the bottom of the liner, and bake for 5 minutes.
To make the filing, beat 16 oz. of cream cheese until smooth, adding in 3/4 cups of sugar, 1/4 cups of yogurt and 2 large eggs. Beat in 1 tsp. of vanilla extract and chocolate chips, and bake for 20 minutes.
Let it cool for one hour, adding the salted caramel sauce onto the top and more chocolate chips because YOLO.
Happy eats!
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Photo: Stars Apart | Flickr
