Trixies Tips and Tips for...

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

You can keep your madelines, lemon pistachio tuilles, and mocha dusted macarons - for me there is no more sublime a cookie than a perfectly baked chocolate chip.

From Toll House to the $250 Nieman Marcus recipe (a myth, by the way) there are seemingly endless varieties and ways of tarting up the classic. Mr. Goodbits swears by his Texan grandmother's recipe that involves, amongst other things, pecans and corn flakes. An old neighbor of mine used a secret ratio of bread, cake, and AP flours in hers.

I on the other hand follow a few simple rules, time tested, to achieve my perfect milk companion.

Tip #1 - Butter and Shortening make a great team!
All butter cookie recipes tend to yield a rich, but very crisp cookie. All shortening recipes lack the buttery flavor and are too soft and cake-like. A half butter, half shortening blend provides the richness of flavor with the soft chewiness I prefer.

Tip #2 - If one bag is great, 2 bags are better-er!
I use 2, yes 2! bags of semi-sweet chips in my recipe. This provides my ideal ratio of chocolate to dough. I also keep my chips frozen prior to mixing, and keep the batter frozen until it's time to pop in the over (more on that later). This way, the chips retain as much of their shape as possible rather than oozing into a gooey mess.

Tip # 3 - Just a nip will do!
When it comes to mixing in the chocolate chips, I find that this batter needs an extra bit of - lubrication - in order to accommodate the extra density of the chips. After adding the chips to the batter, I add just a tablespoon of alcohol, brandy or whatever you have on hand. Why alcohol rather than water or milk? Alcohol will evaporate more quickly during the cooking process, so as not to effect the consistency of the batter making it runny. You'll be using such a small amount, and it will be evaporating, so there will really be no taste of alcohol in the final product. You can of course leave this out, but it might mean taking a little extra muscle and a wooden spoon to coax all the chips into place.

Tip #4 - Where sugar is sweet, brown sugar is deep!
I never use granulated white sugar in my chocolate chip cookies. Dark brown sugar, when combined with just a bit of raw granulated sugar gives a depth of flavor that isn't too overly sweet.

Tip # 5 - Mix. Chill. Shape. Freeze.
After mixing up the batter, chill it for around 10 minutes. This will allow the dough to rest and will make it easier to shape into logs to be frozen. The benefits of freezing the dough, even if you are planning to use it right away, are many. For one, it makes it very easy to slice-and bake, ensuring consistency in size which translates to even baking. Not to mention my aforementioned chocolate chip gooiness control measure.

Tip #6 - Sweet likes salt
The flour-power neighbor mentioned earlier also had another trick up her sleeve. Right before popping her cookies in the oven she would dust them with coarse sea salt. The result was a salty counterpoint to the sweet dark chocolate and it makes your tastebuds sing. This is my one and only embellishment, but instead of using coarse sea salt, which tends to have difficulty sticking and gives you large pops of salt, rather than uniformity - I use a very light pinch of fine sea salt which blends right in and gives a gentle blanket of salty/sweet throughout.

There you have it! I don't claim this as "the ultimate, all time best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!" but I wouldn't sneeze at a $250 donation for it either!

Goodbits' Chocolate Chips
10 minutes prep time. 2 hrs to overnight freezing time. 8 minutes per batch baking time. Yields 30-40 cookies. 375 degree oven.

Ingredients
1/2 cup (approx 8 TBsp) butter
1/2 cup (8 TBsp) shortening
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup raw sugar (or granulated, if you must)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg + 1 egg yolk (creates better texture than 2 whole eggs)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour - OR - 2 2/3 cups cake flour
(2) 12oz bags semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 6 cups)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brandy or other alcohol (optional)
Fine sea salt for dusting cookies, a pinch for each.
wax paper and/or plastic wrap

Method
NOTE: I recommend letting the butter and eggs stand at room temp 20 minutes before starting, it will allow them to blend more easily. Also, if using a stand mixer, start with the paddle attachment, then switch to the dough hook when it becomes time to add the chocolate chips.

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening until combined, about 1 min.

2. Add brown sugar, a teaspoon at a time, beating until well combined.

3. Add salt and baking soda, beat until combined.

4. Add egg + egg yolk and vanilla. Beat until combined. Your batter should be a rich, silky consistency at this point.

5. Add flour, a little at a time, until well mixed. If using a stand mixer, you may wish to switch to the dough hook at this point. Add raw sugar and chocolate chips, blend until combined. You may add up to 1 tablespoon alcohol at this step to get all ingredients to come together.

6. Chill for 10 minutes.

7. Spoon dough into the center (horizontally) of 2 sheets of approx 14" of wax paper. Knead the dough loosely into a log, roughly 12" long and 4" in diameter on each sheet of wax paper. Be careful not to overwork the dough at this point as the heat from your hands will make the dough sticky and difficult to work with.

8. Roll the dough up and twist ends to secure. If storing for an extended period of time, cover the logs in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil to prevent freezerburn. Dough will keep for 4-6 weeks in the freezer if properly wrapped. NOTE: The logs, once wrapped will be a bit unwieldy, I always transfer the rolls to my cookie sheet before popping them in the freezer to keep them level and shapely.

9. When ready to bake, remove from freezer and slice log into pieces approx 3/4" to 1" thick. Lightly dust each cookie with a pinch of sea salt.

10. Bake a dozen at a time on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Check cookies at 8 minutes, edges should be well browned but cookies should still flex when lifted with a spatula.

Cool and enjoy with a tall glass of milk!

(P.S. above illustration by Jess Fink)

How To Clean: A Humifidier

Even though I live on the east coast where, during the summer months at least, the humidity is enough to curl your hair - I still use my humidifier nearly all year round. In the winter months it provides a welcome reprieve from the dry frosty air outside and the even drier heat coming through our air ducts inside. In the summer months, our A/C is both a blessing and a curse, wringing every last drop of moisture out of the air while making our home frigid as an igloo. As such I have taken the habit of sleeping with a humidifier on nearly every night of the year. It does wonders for my health and skin, plus the wonderful white noise it produces helps me sleep. That is until it starts wheezing like an old man going uphill - at which point I know it's time to give it a bath.

Unless you are an heir to the Vanderbilt fortune, and can afford to have your butler Rutherford keep gallons of distilled water on hand for the sole purpose of filling up your humidifier - you will likely be refilling your humidifier from the kitchen sink. No matter how purified your tap water is there are still bound to be trace minerals in it, which over time will coalesce onto every surface of the inner working of your device. When this happens, the heating element that causes the water to evaporate will not work as well, and the chamber that passes water around the heating element will become clogged which means less humidity. Plus, your humidifier will begin to sound like a pensioner chasing after the jell-o cart in their nursing home.

The simple solution to dissolve and break apart all of this mineral buildup is to disassemble the unit, and soak all the parts that are scaled with mineral deposits in a mixture of 1 part warm water, to 2 parts vinegar.If you have it on hand, you can also add 2 tablespoons of oxy cleaner or borax to this solution (it will cause the solution to effervesce and loosen up the mineral deposits more quickly.) Let it soak for 1 to 2 hours, then clean away as much of the deposits as you can by hand (it should flake off easily at this point). For the rest, you can use a scouring sponge, but should be careful not to use anything more abrasive like steel wool or you may scratch or damage the heating element. Don't fret if you cannot loosen every last bit, just get off as much as you can and your machine will be good as new!

Just a note: Never use harsh chemicals when cleaning your humidifier, don't forget the principle of a humidifier is that it vaporizes whatever comes into contact with the heating element! Always consult your users manual to determine the correct way to disassemble and clean the unit.

Your (Great?) Grandmother's Laundry Secrets

Tricky Tip #1

Have you ever noticed that dusty, sad looking box on the detergent aisle that appears as if it's from a bygone era? Well that sad lonely box should be coming home with you on a regular basis. Borax is a completely natural product and kissing cousin of baking soda. I'll spare you the history (involving mules and dry lake beds) as well as the chemical analysis, and suffice it to say it's a gem of a product that changes the alkalinity of your wash water making it softer so your detergent can work better. This means you can wash at cold temperatures (good for your clothes, as well as using less energy) and still produce nice sudsy soapy water to get your clothes their cleanest! Additionally, it is also a color safe bleach alternative! Just pop half a cup in with your regular detergent. If you're using one of those whizz-bang front loading models, you can still toss in a 1/2 cup with the clothes before starting the wash - it will work just as well.

Tricky Tip #2

The snap crackle and pop coming from your laundry room is most likely NOT being caused by America's favorite breakfast cereal. In actuality, I am referring to the heartbreak of static cling. Most of us tend to use dryer sheets that smell like a summer breeze flowing through a daisy laden field of dancing unicorns that magically repel built up static. The result however is that the chemicals used can actually break down and wear out the fabric of your clothing over time (as well as potentially causing cancer or something awful like that). An alternative however is as near as your kitchen drawer. Regardless of whether you pronounce it aluminum, like an American, or aluminium, like a communist, the same product that keeps your pies from browning too quickly can also repel static cling in your dryer! Just wad up 2 balls about the size of golf balls and toss them in with your clothes. They will undoubtedly last for weeks on end, unlike those sheets I find clinging to my unmentionables. I'm not sure how or why it works, but after a month of laundry those two little balls in my dryer are still doing the trick! Now if only I could find a summer breeze to dance through with the laundry basket...

Time to Roll Up Those Sleeves!!

Mr. Goodbits and I are taking on quite a renovation project at Mr. Goodbits' fathers home. The main living areas have seen better days, and as his father is a soon-to-be 86 year old bachelor, his home is in need of some intervention. Over the next several days there will be "demo", resurfacing of walls and floors, and lots and lots of patching and painting. I'm in need of a good long soak just thinking about it!

Thank goodness I have my trusty copy of the Better Homes and Gardens Handyman's Book. Well worn and loved throughout the years, this little guide has convinced me I am capable of fixing everything from leaky plumbing to faulty wiring with little more than a miter box, T-square, pliers, and gumption.

As an added bonus, I just love the cover art. I'm not sure why the man on the cover is using a blood pressure monitor on a plank of wood, but between his rippling muscle, smug air of self satisfaction, and ability to smoke a pipe while woodworking, I am ready to get in line to start some serious swooning.

Object of my Affection: Turquoise Crackle Urn @ Anthropologie

As it was such a beautiful spring day this past Saturday, Mr. Goodbits and I decided to take full advantage of the lovely weather and take a jaunt into town. We sampled some gourmet teas, and drooled over the aisles of goodies at Di Bruno Bros. Before returning home we visited the flagship store of Anthropologie down by the park, where Mr. Goodbits found these enchanting planters. I was taken with their beauty, as was Mr. Goodbits, and was shocked by the price - in a good way! I fell in love with the rustic finish and beautiful hue, and at only eight dollars we bought two of them. I didn't know Anthropologie sold so much as a bar of soap for eight dollars, but there you have it!

We will likely plant some trailing succulent of some sort in them, but for now they are flanking either side of our hearth with pinecones perched atop them. Curiously, I didn't find them on the Anthropologie web site, nor at their sister gardening site Terrain. If you're fortunate enough to have an Anthropologie store near you, their worth a look.

A Quiet Sunday at Home

Just a typical Sunday here. Started with a hearty breakfast of waffles this morning (blueberry for me, pecan for Mr. Goodbits), ran the vacuum, stripped the bed, did 5 loads of laundry, started this blog. A cold north wind has blown in, making for a nice chilly afternoon to get cozy indoors. I look forward to a little craft project this afternoon and listening to light jazz. I think I'll settle in with my bourbon a little later while I fold the clothes and watch my programs. Not sure yet what I'll prepare for dinner - we have some artichokes in the frigidaire that need to be eaten before they spoil, but the cold weather has me craving casserole, hmmmm...

Hello Out There

Welcome guys and gals to a madcap romp through domestic bliss. Helpful hints and tidbits of tidiness abound in what will surely be your source for some friendly household hints and humor for the busy modern gal. So, saddle up with a sidecar, put on some Perry Como, and let your hair down - you must be exhausted.