Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn’t like a good chewy chocolate chip cookie right?…I mean I am always down to try a new take on the tried and true. I was curious how these would measure up against my go to.

Dorie tells us this version is chewy, a bit crunchy on the edges and packs a surprise with oatmeal in the dough. It does not have a lot of sugar but does have a LOT of chopped up chocolate…3/4 of a pound. I was surprised how much chocolate that looked like once I got it chopped.

These were good!…got great reviews…(my son and his girlfriend loved them)…and were fun to try but for me, I am not sure they can take the place of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. 😍

Caramel-Topped Rice Pudding Cake

I learned something new today…rice pudding is hugely popular in France and this cake so much so, that you can buy do-it-yourself box mixes in every French supermarket.

I also have a confession…I have never had rice pudding or rice pudding cake haha, so I am obviously not French either 😂

We are told there is nothing difficult with this recipe but that there are a few important moments to pay attention to or else we will end up with a mess…the dreaded boil over.

I found this interesting to make…for such a humble cake it actually took about 2 hours to make between the boiling and baking. Not hard, but you do have to be attentive. I love how Dorie tells us not to step away from the milk as you are bringing it to a boil because that is the exact moment it will boil over…gosh how many times has that happened to me with various boiling liquids…it just made me laugh.

Once all baked, it was quite the reveal as you turn over the pan and watch the molten caramel ooze out over the top. I was just thankful it stayed contained on my cake platter and no one was burned!

The tasting had mixed reviews on this one…we were 3/6 of people liking it. I think it is just you either like it or you don’t. The 3 who liked it, loved it and the 3 that didn’t, had one bite and that was it. I am glad I had the opportunity to try it but I am not thinking this will be a repeat dessert for our family.

Tomato and Peach Panzanella

This recipe is exactly why I love being a part of this group!

At first glance, I was like hmmm.  Not to sure about this one…but of course we will try it because that is just what we do in this group, right?  Super easy to put together.  I think one of the things that could make or break this, would be what bread you use.  I used your typical long, thin baguette and it was perfect.  I toasted it to make sure it was “stale” enough and wouldn’t soak up too much of the oil, vinegar, and lemon.

I used Dorie’s advice and kind of eye-balled the ingredients.  I used equal piles of the onion, tomato, and peach.  I also chopped my pieces a little smaller than her picture and we really liked it that way.  None of the flavors were over powering…and what a nice kick that pepper added.

My son and his girlfriend were joining my husband and I for dinner .  None of us had ever had Panzanella and we were all willing, which I so appreciate, but a bit skeptical…I mean tomato, bread, peaches, and onion…not your typical side.  We all tentatively tried a bite, and all had the same reaction…WOW.  I do not know what I was expecting, but this was absolutely delicious and I am not really a peach or tomato fan.  We all had seconds and said this was a delight for our taste buds…just so many flavors going on but they all went so well together.

Seriously, this cookbook has had recipes that have been one winner after another for our family.  I will be making this one again for sure.

Can’t wait for the next one!

Fall Market Galette

I was loving the “slightly” cooler weather today to bake this rustic tart…barely got it done in time! We have been having some really warm and humid weather and it is just hard to get in the mood for much baking.

We have made variations of this Galette in the past…this one with fall fruit. Dorie used figs, grapes, and plums but told us any fall fruit is acceptable. After reading that, I went the Apple route! 😃. I love this Galette dough…really easy to make and use and I especially like the rustic folding. You just can’t go wrong.

Looks great and tastes great….this one is a winner and loved by all.