Better Than a Monster Cookie?!?

By far my favorite cookie recipe has been Monster Cookies by Paula Deen. These cookies have everything good in them--chocolate, M&Ms and peanut butter. On top of that, they are chewy and the chewiness last for longer than the 1 hour after you bake them. It actually will last for days!

You can imagine my curiosity when a co-worker raised the possibility that a cookie exists that is better than a Monster Cookie.

THE CHALLENGER: Cowboy Cookies

Since I have never heard of Cowboy Cookies, once I got home I googled away and found Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies. This cookie has chocolate, coconut, pecans, and lots of sugar. The ingredients had me game for the challenge.

I broke out my Kitchen Aid mixer and all the ingredients. Reading the recipe, I saw "In an 8-quart bowl". *gulp* What normal person has an 8-quart mixing bowl? My first thought was to half the recipe, but how do you measure 1 1/2 eggs? With a shrug, I figured my trusty Kitchen Aid would get me through the recipe.

It was a struggle, but it survived!

Here is the final product:

The cookies turned out beautiful. They are tasty and crunchy with a nice blend of flavors.

Honestly, I am not sure they out class the Monster Cookie, but we'll see what the peanut gallery says. Stay tuned for the results...

Asian Cuisine in the Rogue Valley

Before we delve into the world of Asian food, I have a disclaimer. I am an Asian food snob. Having grown up with home cooked Chinese food my whole life (my mom's cooking is still the best!), I am spoiled about what I believe good Asian food is. This makes finding a good Chinese restaurant in the Rogue Valley a challenge.

Here are a few facts to put things in perspective.

Fact #1: Most Chinese restaurants here have a sign that says Chinese & American food

Fact #2: Most Chinese restaurants here have hamburgers or steaks on the menu

Fact #3: Pink sauce is a Rogue Valley phenomenon. Don't ask for it in the Bay Area. The Asian waiter will look at you oddly.

I am happy to say, in my four years here, I have found a few gems regarding Chinese food in the Rogue Valley.

Gem #1: Pink sauce (as referenced in Fact #3) actually taste good. Take it for what it is, a good dipping sauce with Mar Far chicken.

Gem #2: The seafood stew at Silver Dragon in Medford, Oregon. I don't think the dish is on the menu any more, but if you ask your waitress it usually can still be ordered. It is a hot, thick stew which includes shrimp, scallops, fish, chicken and vegetables. Served with white rice, it is large enough to easily feed two with some to bring home.

For those of you who would rather cook Chinese food at home. I am passing along the first Chinese recipe I ever learned to cook. Simple,fast and good... it is a winner on any weeknight.

Stir-fried Shredded Chicken

1/2 lbs. chicken breast, cut in to thin strips

2 stalks of green onion, cut into 1/2 inch sections

1 1/2 cups diced vegetables (mushrooms, asparagus and carrots are good)

Marinade:

1/2 tbsp white wine

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp salt

dash of pepper

3/4 tbsp corn starch

Sauce:

1/2 tbsp white wine

1/3 tsp salt

1/3 tsp sugar

dash of pepper

sesame oil, as desired

1 tsp cornstarch

4 tbsp water

Mix the chicken with the marinade and add one 1 tbsp of oil to the mixture. This will make sure the chicken shreds separate during cooking.

Heat 1 1/2 tbsp of oil. Add the marinated chicken to the hot pan and cook until medium well. Remove from pan.

Add green onion and vegetables to hot pan and stir briefly. Add sauce mixture to pan and cook briefly till sauce thickens (should only take a minute or two). Return chicken to the pan and stir to coat. Cover and cook until done, approximately 2-4 minutes.

Inspired by Cupcakes

A few months back on a trip to Napa, California, I randomly found a cupcakery called Sift downtown. This cute, little cupcake stand shares space with a clothing boutique and one visit had me hooked on the concept of good, simple, beautiful cupcakes.

Since then, I have been on the hunt for the perfect cupcake. The Rogue Valley doesn't boast a cupcake boutique, so the next best solution has been to make the perfect cupcakes at home.

Here is one of my favorites to date:

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

For the cupcake:
(from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

For the Frosting:
(from iheartcuppycakes ~ one of my all time favorite cupcake blogs!)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
~2-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup butter, softened (not margarine)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat together cream cheese, butter, cinnamon and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until mixed well. Then gradually add the remaining powdered sugar until you reach a spreading consistency.

I am lazy and use store bought cookies to decorate.

Hope you like them as much as I do. Enjoy!