Things have been preeeettty hectic around chic chick headquarters.
B&I have vacated our awful, miserable, tiny charming starter apartment
and have moved onto bigger better things- as in a Town house where we can spend time alone and together, and he doesn't have to duck to move around, yay!
Anyway, we are still unpacking, and packing for our little vacay (double yay)
and I am gearing up for recruitment ;]
So until regularly scheduled postings are available, let me melt your heart a little with my handsome sleepy men.
Now, I know a lot of people have a family recipe passed down from years and years ago for the perfect chocolate chip cookies. Mine is not that family.
I did not have that standby.
Until I met this little gem.
I happened upon the recipe for these Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies, which had been posted in The New York Times and decided- forget the diet, where's the kitchenaid, I need these cookies NOW!
Maybe not quite like that, but pretty darn close.
So, what's so different about this recipe you ask?
Well, for starters, you need 2 different types of flour. Cake flour, which is more fine, and helps give a fluffy, airy, moist consistency. You ALSO need Bread flour, which is different in that it has more gluten in it (sorry allergic friends) which, in addition to adding more protein to the dough, is supposed to keep it more elastic.
The only other big difference with this recipe is kind of a bummer- being that it is supposed to be refrigerated for at least 24 hours, and up to 72 (but who can really wait that long?)
Total Prep and Baking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 24 hours to chill the dough
Yield: 18-20 large cookies (I used an ice cream scoop, and got about 45 cookies per batch- yeah, I made a double.)
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content
1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together your butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add in the vanilla and mix. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, until just moistened. Fold in your chocolate until evenly added throughout the dough. Press plastic wrap against the dough, making sure it is completely covered, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or as long as 72 hours (I left mine for 36 hours).
(Please excuse the hot mess that I am in this photo- I try to look super sexy when I am baking)
3. When you are ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature so that you can scoop it out, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line and/or grease your baking sheets. Scoop your dough out onto the sheets. I used a #40 ice cream scoop, which is about the size of 2 tablespoons, but you can make them even larger, if you like. Do not press the dough down – let it stay the way it is. Sprinkle the cookies lightly with a bit of fleur de sel or sea salt. Bake 10-12 minutes for smaller cookies (mine took about 11 minutes), or 18-20 minutes for larger cookies.
4. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on your baking sheet, then move them to another surface to cool completely. You can enjoy these warm, room temperature, or cold. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
I would love for you to see what the finished product looked like, but with cookies as good as these, you don't really think to stop and snap a photo.
Guess you'll have to try em' for yourself!
I'll say it, my last post may have been a little harsh- clearly Zappos and I are gonna have to resolve some ish before we can be friends again. Maybe this will help...
Zappos has a not-so-dirty little secret.
Maybe you've heard of it.
But probably not.
My friends, let me introduce you to a semi life changing web site of awesome.
It is the brother site to Zappos.
6pm.com
This site is basically clearance for nearly any brand you can imagine and already love.
There are clothing items, accessories, and (I saved the best for last) SHOES!
Not only are the savings incredible, but they actually tell you list prices, the percentage you are saving and your cost- wow. BUT- it doesn't stop there my friends: the navigation is a dream. You can narrow your search by price, by brand, by type of item, and even further shoe-flats-sandal (yeah, it's that good), by size, and even by color.
Shipping is a standard 6.95, but if you sign up for sale alerts, they have better shipping deals fairly often I have noticed.
Go ahead friends, give it a whirl.
I dare you not to fall in love.
You have seen their commercials.
You have heard tell of their phenomenal customer service.
& Their shipping is rumored to be dream like, and expedited.
But.
Is Zappos all it is cracked up to be?
Here's the deal, in my own, unsponsored opinion, of course:
If there is something specific you are looking for, Zappos is a great place to check. Maybe they have that new mixer you wanted or that specific pair of running shoes that was sold out at your mall. But, they don't necessarily have it for a steal. Zappos is touted as being a hub of savings, but I think it more just a hub. You may be able to find a great deal here or there, and that's what gets people talking- but doing a comparison between their site and others, the savings just don't add up.& Chances are, when they do have a great sale- what you were looking for is a weird color, or the wrong size.Bummer.
The verdict?
Don't rule it out, but Zappo's is not really the savior of the sale.
If you are like me, or probably the greater percentage of the population in general, you probably don't LOVE paying full price for your purchases all the time. Well, my friend, this week I have some "best of" solutions for you.
HOORAY!
1. The site does does the shopping for you- Shop it to Me
- Signing up for this service is free (score!) and they do the deal searching for you (double score).
The best part? It isn't just a hodge podge of deals strewn together, you choose your sizes for dresses, shirts, pants, and shoes individually. You also choose brands that you love, I picked like 15- variety is the spice of life after all.
Then... if there is something you really have your eye on - mine is a good blazer, you can highlight what specifically you are looking for currently.
-So what does the service actually do?
It scans those brands for the best deals currently and sends you an email (with pictures!) of those deals, and prices. It will also send an alert if there is a massive sale, i.e. when The Loft had a 40% off of everything blowout.
-My evaluation: This is certainly a worthwhile service if you are bargain hunting. There is never an obligation to buy, but it is kind of like having a personal stylist (who knows your budget... and doesn't scoff at said budget). And, unlike those annoying "sale" alerts I get daily from other companies, you can choose how many times you want to be notified weekly-they even suggest the best sale days.
-My recommendation: Give it a shot, I found the blazer of my dreams- for 65% off, and will continue to peruse the sales until I have grown up clothes for CHEAP!
