Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These AWESOME cookies are made from fresh ground whole wheat flour - so we can consider them healthy right?!?!?!  I haven't told my family they are made from whole wheat flour - no need to get them all suspicious about eating them. I left the "whole wheat" part out of the recipe title too. So here we go -

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (I ground white wheat for this recipe)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (I have cans of this in my food storage too!)
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar (part of my food storage :)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
6 oz white chocolate bar, chopped 1/2 inch pieces (or 1 cup chips)
6 oz dark chocolate bar, chopped 1/2 inch pieces (or 1 cup chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease (spray and wipe off) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

2. In a medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa with a wire whisk. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Stir in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Combine completely. While mixing add flour mixture 1/2 cup or so at a time.

3. Hand stir-in chopped chocolates. Drop by tablespoonsful onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks for cooling completely. I usually like to eat my cookies warm, but I prefer these the next day after they have been stored tightly wrapped or in a ziplock - they get nice and fudgy.

Now I like to bake only a dozen cookies at a time - that way we don't eat too many! So after baking a dozen, I take the remainder of the dough and roll it up in plastic wrap in the shape of a tube (like you would find cookie dough in the grocery store).

If I want to make it pretty, I wrap that in parchment paper. This dough can be refrigerated up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 6 months.

To bake just take it out of the refrigerator (frozen dough should be thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours), cut 1/4 inch slices, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 12 minutes.

And if you want to make bar cookies, lightly grease and spread dough into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Seriously. Good.

Good News Moments!

     Briana Hakes's daughter got a job at Chick-fil-a!  We are so excited for her! 

     Heidi Romney's dog had 2 puppies!  They are Havanese and they are so adorable!  

     Cheri Palsson moved into her new home!  She is very thankful for all the help and meals!  Glad to have you in our ward Cheri!

It's A Boy

Congratulations to the Schaack family who welcomed sweet baby Corbin to their family on June 7! Mom and baby are home and doing well :)

Bread Making Tips & Tricks

We had a fun RS Activity in June where we put together our 72 hour kits and learned about making homemade bread.  We even learned how easy it is to grind your own whole wheat flour if you happen to have some wheat lying around ;)

NutriMill Wheat Grinder

Tah-Dah - whole wheat flour ground in just minutes

Below are some pictures, recipes and links to help you get started.

First are the handouts that Kara was given many years ago on shaping bread loaves.  Just click on the image to enlarge it and save to your computer.

Kara's Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

As Kara mentioned, one of the best kept secrets to making breads with great texture is by using a "Dough Enhancer."  These can be purchased commercially or if you are super ambitious you can make your own.  Dough enhancer is not readily available in the supermarket, so here are some links to purchase it online:

Honeyville Grain Dough Conditioner

Emergency Essentials Dough Enhancer

Augason Farms Dough Enhancer

or if you want to make your own - click here for a link to a recipe.

Another key ingredient for making a great loaf of wheat bread is Vital Wheat Gluten.  Walmart carries this, and it can be found in the flour section.  Or you can order online:

Honeyville Grain Vital Wheat Gluten

Finally, click here for a link to a website with some awesome PDF's you can download with recipes and information about wheat, bread making, powdered milk and more. 

If you didn't make it to the activity and were unable to pick up the recipe book handout that is full of recipes on how to use your foodstorage, you can download the recipe book here:

Basic Food Storage Cookbook Download

Happy bread baking!

June 3 and 10, 2012

     Shahna Argyle is excited for the Palsson family to move into our ward!

    Heidi Romney's son, Ryder's little league baseball team was 3rd place and then won the championship! Yea!!

     Robin Carbajal is so glad summer is here!  Nice to have such a long vacation!

     Jenny Frederic (sp?) moved into our ward into the Willow Ridge neighborhood!  So great!

     Jeanette Rainey had a great vacation!  She saw her grandson in Logan, then her granddaughter in Rexburg, and also got to see the missionary who baptized her!  Sounds awesome!

     Chrystalee Thompson will be going to a family reunion.  It's been a really long time since she's seen this side of her family!  Have a great time!

June 5th Relief Society Activity

When:  Tuesday June 5th at 7:00 pm
Where:  Stake Center - cultural hall

What:  We will be having a wheat grinding demonstration followed by a bread making class.  There will be an excellent handout - a cookbook full of recipes that use the foods we have in our food storage.  Afterwards we will be sampling homemade whole wheat rolls and some cookies made from whole wheat as well.  They are delicious, don't let the whole wheat scare you :)  We will finish up by putting together the 72 hour kits that we ordered and visiting.  If you did not order any kits but would be willing put together the kits for those sisters who are away at Girls Camp, we would really appreciate it!!

If you would like to purchase the food kit(s) for your family they are $6 each.  Please sign up in the Relief Society binder.  This Sunday June 3 is the last day to sign up and all money is due then as well.  Make checks out to Heidi Romney.

Click here to see the list of foods that are going into the 72 hour food kits.  You will need to provide the water.

Can't wait to see you there!