Throw in a cup of almonds to any chocolate chip cookie recipe (or whatever nuts you prefer) and it's instantly heaven in your mouth. I've had two so far and I can tell you this is not going to be one of my normal days where I can have one cookie after dinner and be satisfied. I'll be surprised to see any less than 5 cookies enter this mouth of mine before the nights over! I guess tomorrow morning will consist of kicking my own butt with a workout it looks like because I cant stay away from these... ;)
Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies:
-2 sticks butter; room temp
-3/4 c. white sugar
-3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
-2 large eggs
-1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-2-1/4 c. flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1-1/2 c. chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
-1 c. chopped nuts of your choice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil.
- Cream the butter in a bowl.
- Add white sugar and brown sugar and mix until fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time mixing well in between each addition.
- Add vanilla to the mixture.
- In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, & salt
- Add the dry ingredients gradually to the wet ingredients, mixing well in between each addition.
- Add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
- Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lined baking sheets and bake 12-14 mins. (mine came out perfectly soft with a little crunch around the edges at 12 mins total)
I mixed semi-sweet chocolate chips with about a cup of chopped almonds... didn't chop the nuts too finely because I love big crispy bites to still remain in the cookies..
Delicious, thick batter! Why even put them in the oven, I could eat it with a spoon out of the bowl...
Perfection *sigh* just the right antidote for what ails ya :)
The "Crab" Cakes luckily came first before my meal of cookies... I've been craving crab cakes for some time ever since I had the most delicious appetizer portion of these at Time Out Taverne in Madison. They were deep fried, however, which I'm not a huge fan of therefore I only sampled about 3/4 of one small cake but with ME holding the spatula and controlling the fat going into the cakes, I was able to create a fantastic last minute dinner for myself.
I can't call these crab cakes because they're definitely faux crab... I used imitation crabmeat (I know, I know) but it's what I had in the freezer and our kitchen is stuffed to the brim in every cabinet, drawer, etc. and it was time to clear it out. I also had alot of shrimp on hand so I made a mixture of the two for the "meat" portion of the crab cake. Making a few minor alterations (and failing completely at my first attempt to cook up these babies) resulted in some overall crispy on the outside, moist on the inside "crab" cakes... perfect with just a bit of fresh lemon juice squeezed on top and a side salad!
"Crab" Cakes:
-12 oz. crabmeat (I used 8 oz. imitation, 4 oz. chopped shrimp)
-1 cup breadcrumbs
-1 egg, slightly beaten
-1/4 c. green onions (I added a few tablespoons of chopped white onion also)
-1/4 c. chopped Red pepper
-1/4 c. reduced-fat mayo
-1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
-1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
-1 tbsp. butter
Directions:
- Combine crab/shrimp, 1/3 c. of breadcrumbs, the egg, onions, red pepper, mayo, garlic powder, lemon juice,, & cayenne pepper in a bowl.
- Divide into 8 even balls.
- Roll in the remaining 2/3 c. of breadcrumbs.
- Flatten to 1/2" thickness.
- Cook in the butter, 3-4 minutes per side; drain on paper towel and serve with fresh squeezed lemon juice over the top; serve hot.
Ugh I know how you feel. Those cookies look great! :D :D
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