Big Bon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dear Children,

These are dad's favorite chocolate chip cookies.  After 24 years of marriage, he still argues with me that milk chocolate chips are better than semi-sweet.  And walnuts, he loves walnuts!  No other nuts will do!

Hope you can share this with your children's children someday.  

Love, 

Mom 

ps- always use a digital scale to measure out baking ingredients.  It's better than measuring by volume and your baked goods will always be consistent.  Purchase scales that can measure both in grams and ounces.  

This recipe will make about 4 dozens cookies

Big Bon Chocolate Chip Cookies 

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150 grams) packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 package (12 ounces) milk chocolate or semi sweet chips (2 cups)

Heat oven to 375ºF.
With a hand mixer, lightly beat sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl.
Fold in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff).
Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft).
Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Communion Dinner 2012-Sunday Dinner and German Chocolate Cake Recipe

 A week ago Sunday was our last Communion Season dinner and we wanted to finish strong after four-dinner-marathon.  And if my church family couldn't remember what they had for four dinners in a row, they will certainly remember this German Chocolate Cake!  !  The cake was so moist and the frosting made with pecans and coconut was outstanding.  Here is what the rest of the menu looked like:

 Communion/Sunday Dinner Menu for 280

(Click hyperlink for recipes)

Pork Tenderloin with Coffee Rub (60 lbs of pork tenderloin)

Pineapple-Papaya Salsa (10 pineapples, 8 papayas, 16 bell peppers, variety colors)

Garden Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (36 small heads of Romaine, 2 1/2 lbs. tomatoes, 3 large cucumbers, 7 cups of dressing)

French Bread with Cheese Spread (280 pieces, 6 cups of cheese spread)

Watermelon Slices (4 large seedless melons)

German Chocolate Cake (225 pieces)

 The key to making the cake moist and fluffy is not over beating the batter, especially in large volume baking.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together first.  Then we use a hand-held mixer and a large mixing bowl rather than a large commercial mixer.   This gives us much better control and avoid over mixing.

The frosting will take much longer when cooking recipe x10.  Use the heaviest gauge aluminum stock pot you can find in your kitchen.   Cook the ingredients in low-medium heat until frosting turns light golden color and thickens, it takes good bit of patience but so worth it!  Are you measuring baking ingredients by weight yet?  Oh, this is a must if baking in large volume!  Here is the conversion chart you can use.  

German Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Allrecipe

• 1/2 cup water
• 4 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites
•  
• Filling:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  With vegetable oil spray, spray 9x13 pan ( or three 9 inch round pans).  Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together and set it aside.  

In a small sauce pan, heat water until steaming.  Add chocolate and stir to melt.  Off the heat, cool and add vanilla extract.   

Using a hand held mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.  

Cream butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy in a large bowl. Add egg yolks, one at a time.  Stir in melted chocolate mixture.  Alternate flour mixture and buttermilk, being careful not to over mix.  Using a rubber spatula, quickly fold in beaten egg whites until white streaks disappear.  

Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Cool for about 10 minutes and turn out onto wire rack. Cool while making the frosting. 

For Filling:  In a large sauce pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, egg yolks, and cook over low/medium heat, stirring until thickened.  12-15 minutes.  Off the heat, add vanilla extract, coconut and pecans.  Cool before icing the cake. 

For large volume baking tips:

• 5-12x24x2 steam pans used
• Above recipe x2 makes 1 steam pan, which yields about 45 pieces per pan.  
• Cakes can be baked ahead and frozen up to 2 weeks
• Dry ingredients for the frosting can be measured days ahead and frosting made on the day of serving.
• Frosting recipe x10 took about 45 minutes to thicken 

Simple Chocolate Bread Pudding & Independence Day

Did you all have a wonderful Independence Day?  My day was filled with family, friends, awesome food, and music.  The entire Heritage Clan was invited to celebrate the Independence Day with Chef Nick Mueller and his beautiful wife, Tracy, at their ranch home/restaurant in Guyton.

The guests were asked to bring a covered dish to add to his famous Pork BBQ, shrimp, and Gator Gumbo. I repeat, Gator Gumbo.  Taking food to the finest chef/caterer in town can be a bit nerving, even to this seasoned cook.  So I took this simple Chocolate Pudding.  I figured you can't go wrong with chocolate.

Chef Nick and Tracy's ranch is filled with beautiful nostalgic surprises at every corner of their yard and home. 

My youngest can peel shrimp like a pro; a typical southern boy. 

Wonderful to meet up with Jules and her cool, saxophone playing husband Josh.  Jules is Savannah's renowned make up artist. Check out her site, it will blow you away. 

As the cool fans blowing the heat away, beautiful impromptu folk music break out session began, thanks to Chris Desa, the President of Savannah Folk Music Society and his friends.  

Thanks for such an amazing day, Nick and Tracy!
If you have a special event coming, give these guys a call.  The food will be phenomenal, service above par.    

Print This Recipe!

Simple Chocolate Bread Pudding

Adapted from Bon Appetite

Serves 12

8 cups 1-inch cubes crustless white bread (one 20-oz loaf)
1/4 cup  unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups half and half
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tablespoon Kahlua
1 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
1/3 cup almond slivers

Optional: sweetened whipped cream and caramel sauce


Toss cubed bread and melted butter together in a buttered 9x13 glass baking dish.

In a large heavy saucepan, add half and half, cream and bring it to simmer (do not boil).  Remove from heat and stir in chopped unsweetened chocolate until melted. Add Kahlua.  In a medium bowl, stir together egg yolks and sugar.  Add a few tablespoons of hot chocolate/cream mixture into egg yolk/sugar bowl, whisking to combine.  Repeat until both mixture are well incorporated.  This way the egg mixture won't curdle.

Pour the chocolate custard mixture over bread.  Sprinkle chocolate chips and almond slivers.  Cover the top with plastic food service wrap, and weigh it down with another pan and let stand 1 hour so custard will absorb into bread or refrigerate overnight.  Can be made a day ahead.

Preheat oven 350 degrees F

Bake pudding until center is set for about 40 minutes.  Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.