Black & White Chocolate Chip Cookies

For years I've been trying to gather all tips I could find on making the best chocolate chip cookies into my personal take on them... and I think I finally got it. But before I get to that... 

I've also started to learn more about what it takes to become vegan. I would like to become vegan soon, but I'm aware it can't happen overnight. So I'm trying to remove eggs and dairy from my baking as much as possible, while at the same time avoiding soy products. It is tricky!

So the other day I thought, what will I do about chocolate chip cookies if I'm vegan? Well, I haven't quite figured out what I'd do about butter... but I've learned that some chocolate chips are vegan if they are dark chocolate, egg can be replaced with applesauce or bananas, and regular milk can be replaced with coconut milk. 

Okay, okay, now on to the real stuff. 

Here's what you'll need, and please keep in mind that these quantities are my take on the classic recipe:

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda (*you can also double this and omit the next ingredient if you like your cookies to puff)

1 teaspoon baking powder (*this isn't regularly included in the recipe, but I like my cookies extra fluffy)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk (*I used coconut milk and the cookies were super tasty!)
1 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract (*only about 1 1/2 teaspoons are used usually, but trust me, tripling the amount of vanilla can do wonders!)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips + 1 cup white chocolate chip cookies (clearly I'll leave these out when I'm vegan) + 1/2 cup chopped Macadamia nuts (*classic recipe has only the regular chocolate chips in it- 2 cups)

Hardware:
Ice cream scooper / Spoon
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Let the mixture cool almost completely.  Meanwhile, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the white sugar sugar and blend together on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 9-14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Every time you put another batch in the oven, make sure the baking sheet is completely cooled off. When you take the cookies out of the oven, let them sit on the baking sheet for about a minute - they will continue to cook. Then use a spatula to place them on a cooling rack. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

White Bean Soup with Herb Swirl

My favorite thing to eat when it's cold and rainy outside is SOUP. I love homemade soup! If someone cooked me soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I could probably live off of it.




(above photo courtesy of Epicurious.com)

This recipe is amazing not only because of the wonderful flavors that combine to make it (fresh carrots, celery, onion, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and tomato puree) but also because it's high in fiber and full of veggies. I modified it from its original version, which is Chicken and White Bean Soup with Herb Swirl by replacing the chicken with an extra can of beans to make it vegetarian.

Another thing that was innovative to me was the unique blend of fresh herbs that are cooked separately and added to the soup only right before you serve it. You might know already that a natural air freshener for your home is to put a tidbit of water in a pan and boil fresh rosemary leaves in it. Well, imagine roasting rosemary plus sage and thyme in a pan even just for a minute... yeah, my house smelled amazing!

Now, you must know that picking through the herbs and breaking them gets boring really fast when all you want is to eat the soup already. So you might want to bring along a friend for this work :) and for sharing the soup later, too!

Also, make sure you buy a bread you absolutely love to go along with this soup, even if it's expensive. This soup makes you feel so spoiled that you'll want to indulge all the way ;)



You'll Need:
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/2 cup tomato puree
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 bay leaf

Preparation:
(courtesy of Epicurious.com)
Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil and next 4 ingredients in small skillet over medium heat until herbs are aromatic, about 11/2 minutes. Pour herb oil into bowl; cool.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Sauté chicken 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Mix in last 5 ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Gently swirl 1 teaspoon herb oil into center of each.