Award-Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Christmas is officially over, and we had a very merry Christmas, indeed. I thought I would share Jonathan's favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have another chocolate chip cookie recipe on the blog (found here), which may be my favorite, but this is Jonathan's fav hands-down. This is a recipe I modified from allrecipes.com.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 (3.4 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (use good quality!)
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional--I don't use them, but it sounds good)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding powder until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture gradually. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips (and nuts, if desired).

Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets (I like to line mine with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, but this is purely preference). Bake for 10-11 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Soft and chewy :)

Nashville Trip

Christmas is just 3 days away, and all my holiday baking is officially done. I just wish the weather would cool down a little bit. I mean, it doesn't feel like Christmas when it's 70 degrees outside. I wore a sweater yesterday just for spite, and I was sweating all day long :(

Jonathan and I took a trip to Nashville this past weekend, and we had a blast. We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, and wow, was that hotel massive! I've never seen anything like it. It is composed of multiple atriums (atria?) with glass ceilings so that all sorts of floral life and plants can grow in the hotel. Jonathan had stayed there a few years back with his family, and he knew I would love it, so he insisted on taking me this year. The hotel was decorated for Christmas, and the place was like a winter wonderland! Here's a few photos:

A Christmas tree made out of poinsettias

A beautifully decorated real Christmas tree

We got to see some of my Auburn friends, and it was so wonderful being able to catch up. And, of course, it's Nashville, so what's a trip without a picture with Elvis?

Jonathan and I also went to an amazing Ice Exhibit that featured giant ice sculptures based on the theme, "Merry Madagascar," the animated movie. It was truly a sight to see. They have to keep the temperature at 6 degrees Fahrenheit, so they give you giant parkas to wear. Jonathan and I kept joking that we were just practicing for winters in Iowa :) How do you like our new look?

It was COLD, but we survived! I think we can handle Iowa, lol :)

Jonathan riding down the ice slide

Everything you see in those pictures is carved by Chinese artists out of giant blocks of ice. It was spectacular. All in all, we had an amazing trip and made lots of fun memories.

Y'all have a Merry Christmas now, ya hear? :)

More Christmas Fun

It's been a really fun week. This is our last week of school before Christmas break, so we've pretty much had a class party every night. Here's a photo from our Tacky Christmas Sweater party:

Me and my lovely friends Maggie, Ashley, Kallie

I've been baking all sorts of Christmas goodies for my friends lately. This coming weekend, Jonathan and I are taking a weekend trip to Nashville. I'll post pictures from that trip soon :)

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Baby Potatoes

This is another recipe from the cookbook Jonathan got me for my birthday. These potatoes are oh-so-delicious and super easy! When they're roasting in the oven, the smell of garlic and rosemary fills the whole house, and it makes you so ready for them to come out of the oven.

1 1/2 lb. fingerling or baby potatoes
2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. coarse-grain or Dijon mustard
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper and salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Rinse potatoes, and once the water is boiling, add them to the water and boil approximately 10 minutes. While potatoes are boiling, combine olive oil, mustard, rosemary, garlic, and some black pepper. Set aside.

Drain potatoes and return to pot. Stir in mustard mixture, and toss to coat. Spread on baking sheet lined with foil, sprinkle with salt, and bake for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Source: Our Best Bites Cookbook

A close-up of the deliciousness

Oreo Cheesecake Bars

It's getting near Christmas time, and that means I've caught the "baking bug." I plan on making all sorts of delicious treats for my classmates, friends, and family. Jonathan is super excited...he has quite the sweet tooth. Here are some amazing oreo cheesecake bars that I plan on making again soon:

For the crust:
23 Oreo cookies
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. sour cream, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
12 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x9 square pan with foil. Crush oreos for crust in a bag or food processor until fine. Add in melted butter and mix until crumbs are moistened. Press crumbs into bottom of baking pan in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven, and set aside.

To prepare filling, beat cream cheese on medium-high in an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until smooth. Mix in sugar until well combined. Blend in sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat in egg and egg yolk until incorporated. Stir in chopped oreos with a rubber spatula. Pour batter over crust and bake 40 minutes (or until edges are set but center is slightly wobbly). Let cool one hour on wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

To serve, lift foil out of pan, peel away from cheesecake, and slice into bars.

Recipe Source: Annie's Eats