Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Another cookie post! I'll keep this short because I'm losing steam quickly after waking up at 5am this morning. Don't you hate when you wake up super early and just can't fall back asleep? I wasn't even tired anymore! Anyway, I had to get this post done tonight because these cookies are so darn good. They have slightly crisp edges, with perfectly chewy centers. To me, that is the perfect chocolate chip cookie! The chocolate chunks are great in these. It's like a chocolate chip, but a lot more chocolate, who wouldn't love that?! Make these and enjoy them!

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Ingredients:

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Butter, melted

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks

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Directions:

In a mixer or large bowl, mix both of the sugars with the butter until combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; mix. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture until everything is evenly incorporated. Stir in chocolate chunks. With a cookie scoop, scoop a generous scoop of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 13-15 minutes, or until edges start to turn golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Peanut Butter Criss-Cross Cookies

Good morning! Before I set out to make these cookies I thought to myself that I have never made a true good ole' peanut butter cookie on for my blog. What's up with that? Come to think of it, I don't even think I have made plain ones in forever. I usually only make them around the holidays and make the peanut butter blossoms, which everyone knows are SO good! I've also never made the criss-cross kind, which don't mean anything aside from the fact that you run a fork over the dough to make it look cute, and that's exactly how they look - cute! This is going to sound silly, but a couple of years ago I wanted to make some, and for some crazy reason i thought you were supposed to do the criss-cross AFTER the cookie came out of the oven. Well, I did it, and it looked horrible. The cookie looked all smashed in and after that I gave up and told myself that I guess I just don't know how to do that. Well I would like to consider myself more experienced and knowledgeable now and I've got it down! It's BEFORE you bake it!! Ha! These are really good peanut butter cookies, very chewy!
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Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter

1 Stick Butter

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

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Directions:

In a large bowl, cream peanut butter, butter, vanilla and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add in the flour mixture to the wet mixture until combined. Scoop out a tablespoon size amount of dough and roll into a ball, then flatten slightly. With a fork, make 1 indention length wise, then 1 width wise. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Pasta Carbonara

Hey all! As some of you that have been following my blog from the beginning, I already did carbonara for one of my first posts. Since this is one of my absolute favorite dishes that I make I decided it needed to be re-done on here. So, I deleted my original post..and in a way I felt semi sad, but not too much, because this one will be much better and more deserving of what a great dish this is! I also couldn't stand the fact that I only had one lonely not so good looking picture of it. After making it multiple times now, I've adapted the recipe from the original a bit. Like I said, this is one of my favorite things that I make. It is SO SO good, I urge you to make it! Bonus for me? My hubby isn't crazy about it (he's more into marinara than cream based sauces) so I get lots of leftovers!! This is a heavy dish, so if you want to lighten it up, use turkey bacon, half & half, and reduced fat Parmesan cheese. You can also substitute whole grain spaghetti, but I'am personally not a fan, it has a far too grainy texture for me. PS - Don't you just love my big pasta bowl with the Italian men on it?? My Mom got it for me around Christmas time - thank Mom!!

Ingredients:
12 oz Spaghetti
12 oz Bacon, diced
1 Medium Onion, diced
5 Egg Yolks
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cook the spaghetti al dente (firm but not hard), in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Meanwhile, fry the bacon and onion over medium-low heat in a large, straight sided skillet until the bacon is chewy and the onion has softened. Turn the heat off.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks, cream and grated cheese, and plenty of black pepper. When the spaghetti is ready drain and toss it into the skillet with the bacon and onion. Quickly pour the egg mixture over the spaghetti and toss everything together well to combine. The residual heat from the bacon, onions and spaghetti will be enough to cook the eggs and make a creamy sauce. Direct heat from the stove top will make an overcooked, scrambled egg, lumpy mess.