Parmesan and Lemon Artichoke Spread

Almost everyone has a favorite artichoke dip or spread recipe. For years my go to artichoke dip has been one made with parmesan cheese, goat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It is one of those delicious, rich and a little on the 'heavy' side hot spreads. But not everyone likes goat cheese. As an alternative I sometimes make the Roasted Artichoke Dip with Feta and Oregano, a spread that is much 'lighter', however, not everyone is a fan of Feta cheese. Then a few weeks back I was at a gathering and tasted an artichoke spread I was immediately addicted to. If it was socially appropriate, I would have just hovered over the dish and discouraged everyone else from trying it.

One bite and I immediately knew this was a recipe I had to have, keeping my fingers crossed the woman who brought the appetizer would be willing to share it. Upon learning who made this dish I went over and introduced myself. Once I stopped gushing over the artichoke dip, I learned she graduated from the same high school I did (she graduated four years before I did so our paths had not crossed way back when). I went to a medium sized high school (maybe there were 3,000 students at the height of its' enrollment), however, I rarely, if ever, meet anyone from the town I grew up in or the high school I attended. Unlike a friend of mine who meets someone from her high school everywhere and I mean everywhere she goes (when it happened in San Diego we were speechless).

But I need to get back to this Parmesan and Lemon Artichoke Spread. The layers of flavor from the artichokes, lemon juice, shallots, and parmesan cheese make it one of the most refreshing (and addictive) artichoke dips/spreads I have ever tasted. And almost everyone likes parmesan cheese. Right?

You absolutely have to make this for your next gathering, even if that gathering includes only you and your significant other or you and a friend or you and a neighbor. Even on the hottest day or in the hottest climates, you will be glad you turned on the oven for twenty minutes. And so will everyone else, even if they are sweating for a little while until your house cools down.

This spread is a reason to stock up on canned artichokes. One fourteen ounce can of artichokes (not packed on oil) are drained, chopped and set aside while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

I made two changes to the recipe (yes, to the recipe I was immediately addicted to, the recipe I would have been slightly beside myself if I wasn't able to get). The first was using finely chopped shallots instead of a finely chopped yellow onion. And the mild onion/garlic flavor of the shallots definitely increased this spread's addictiveness level.

Instead of freshly grating Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, I grated a parmesan cheese I had picked up at the farmer's market, one that was aged but on the milder side. This is not a spread that needs the more intensely flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but it is a spread that needs freshly grated parmesan cheese.

This spread could not be easier to assemble. Literally you can put it all together in less than 15 minutes (if you make it early in the day, just cover and refrigerate until ready to bake). In a medium sized bowl, the mayonnaise, shallots and cheese are mixed together. Once blended the chopped artichokes, freshly squeezed lemon juice and black pepper are mixed in. The entire mixture is than transferred to a shallow baking dish.

The second change I made was two-fold: Increasing the amount of topping and changing out the bread crumbs for Panko crumbs. Unless you are making your own bread crumbs, the texture you get from a topping made with  Panko crumbs always seems to work, always seems to taste better, and always has just the right amount of a crunch factor. I increased the amount of Panko crumbs because I wanted each bite of the spread to have both the creaminess of the spread and the crunch of the topping.

Six tablespoons of Panko crumbs are mixed with one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Once mixed they are spread evenly over the top of the artichoke mixture. The remaining one tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan cheese is then sprinkled over the top before the dish goes into the oven to bake.

The Parmesan and Lemon Artichoke Spread is baked in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the mixture is heated all the way through. Serve hot/warm with crackers or crostini. 

And hey, if you bring this spread to a gathering you might end up meeting someone new, maybe even someone whose life path had crossed earlier with yours. But no matter who is at this gathering I am pretty certain at least one person will seek you out to ask you for the recipe.

Recipe

Parmesan and Lemon Artichoke Spread (inspired by a recipe given to me by Pat Polselli)

Ingredients
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 cup and 1 Tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese (divided)
1 cup mayonnaise
14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 Tablespoons Panko crumbs
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix together the chopped shallots, grated parmesan cheese and mayonnaise until blended.
3. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts, lemon juice and black pepper.
4. Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish.
5. Mix together the Panko crumbs and extra-virgin olive oil until all crumbs are coated.
6. Spread crumbs and one Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese evenly over top of artichoke mixture.
7. Bake for 20 minutes (crumbs will be golden brown).
8. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with crackers and/or crostini.

First a disclaimer. I am not a mystic, a spiritualist, or a parapsychology practitioner although I wish I was at least two of them. In spite of this, I have been known to sense a distinguishable aura to some of the places I have been. The kind of aura you feel immediately, one having a kind of 'take your breath away' feeling. For some unknown reason I can't always find the right words to describe the aura or adequately capture the qualities contributing to making these places uniquely distinctive (as hard as it is to believe there are actually moments when I find myself at a loss for words). Two of the places where I have felt significantly strong auras have been Nantucket and the Cotswolds. And last week I felt it in Missoula, Montana.

And like the other two places, I still haven't been able to find the right words to describe everything I felt the moment I set foot in Missoula. To say that it was beautiful, compelling, alive, or feeling as if it retained its' century's old energies might be a good place to start. But even those descriptions fall short. Between the river, mountains, lakes and the forests, Missoula draws you in. And already it is calling me back. 

Driving through (western) Montana you understand why it is called Big Sky country. The hues of blues in the sky are breathtaking, different than Colorado blues, Nantucket blues, and the midwestern blues I see every day. And as odd as it seems, the sky really does seem bigger in Montana. At one point on this trip I had stopped taking photos because I just wanted to take it all in (or maybe I was just giving myself an excuse, a reason to return). However, the one time I absolutely wished I had my camera with me was on the Clark Fork River at Alberton Gorge river raft trip. As anxious as I was to go on my first river raft trip (although the twenty minute safety talk had me rethinking it), I was never really afraid once we got onto the river. Maybe it was the aura, the one I can't seem to describe, that had me feeling a sense of calm (even when going through the rapids). Because nothing else can explain how my anxiousness could so magically disappear.

Blueberry Pie

At one of the Farmer's Markets I went to this past weekend there was a table filled with pints of freshly picked sour cherries. Immediately I thought 'wasn't there a cherry pie recipe using sour cherries I wanted to make?' Not having the recipe with me as well as momentarily even forgetting where I saw it (Bon Appetit), I passed on the sour cherries after being reassured of their availability for the next couple of weeks. While a cherry pie might be considered by some as the slightly more patriotic Fourth of July pie (thanks in part to mythical story of George Washington and the cherry tree), what is not to love about a blueberry pie, served with or without vanilla ice cream on the side?

The making of pies has always been little intimidating to me. My limited repertoire of pies, more specifically pies with a crust, includes only pumpkin and sweet potato. I have managed to sidestep making a homemade dough crust by convincing myself a pre-made refrigerator pie crust was just as good as one homemade. Rather than delve into the 'scary making a pie crust from scratch territory' my avoidance strategy was settling for the familiarity of the good, but not so great pre-made version. Needless to say I have expended a great deal of energy rationalizing and speculating about my ability (or rather inability) to make a great pie crust. My time was about to be put to better use. It was time to overcome my pie crust making fears of not making a crust 'good enough'.

In the process of making this blueberry pie I learned how to make a really, really great pie crust (and wicked blueberry pie). An equally important outcome was the reminder that once you let go of a fear you are capable of doing pretty much anything you set your heart on. 'What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is a more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are.' No more settling for a refrigerated pie crust for my pies. The new mantra is now 'every pie deserves a homemade crust'.

The more common choices for the top crust of a pie are lattice, solid, honey-comb, and cut out designs. In the July/August issue of Martha Stewart's Living magazine, I discovered the less common 'pinwheel' pie crust. Made of twisted dough and somewhat reminiscent of fireworks (i.e., the spinner effect) it seemed like the perfect choice for this blueberry pie. Since I was already pushing myself to make a homemade pie crust, why choose a common pie crust top, why not make it just a little harder on myself? 

But before getting to 'the crust', let me tell you about this six cups of fresh blueberries filling. With hints of cinnamon and lemon, this fruit filling is one that doesn't run all over the place when the pie is sliced. Nothing against runny fillings mind you, but there comes a point in ones' life when licking the plate in the presence of others is no longer socially acceptable.

There is just enough flour (1/3 cup) in the filling to help thicken it. One cup of the blueberries, the flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, cinnamon, and lemon juice are mashed together with a potato masher or fork until thoroughly combined to form the paste that works as a binder. When mixed together with the remaining five cups of fresh blueberries, it creates an almost perfect non-runny, absolutely delicious pie filling.

Now back to the crust. This pie dough is made with both cold unsalted butter and frozen vegetable shortening. I know there are butter only dough making purists out there, but vegetable shortening really does help to create a flaky pie crust (and flaky it was). In addition to butter, vegetable shortening, flour, sugar, salt, and cold water, the crust ingredients also includes freshly squeezed lemon juice. Water added to flour causes the gluten in the flour to start forming (great for bread, not so great for flakey pie crusts) so the acid from the lemon juice helps to relax the dough, slowing down the formation of gluten. The acidity of the lemon juice further contributes to the flakiness of the crust without causing the crust to taste 'lemony'. Some pie makers use vinegar, some use lemon juice when making pie dough. As a 'novice' pie dough maker I am not yet able to weigh in on the merits of one over the other, I can only attest to the fact that the lemon juice worked!

This is a dough made in a food processor (no kneading necessary), shaped and wrapped into two disks, and chilled for at least two hours before it can be rolled out. I was first amazed by this dough's great texture for rolling (in my world this means the dough was smooth and didn't crack). Even more amazing was its' flavor both in raw and baked forms.

Half of the dough is used for the pie shell ,the other half for the pinwheel crust. To make the pinwheel strips, the dough is rolled out into a rectangular form and then cut in half inch strips using a pastry cutter or knife. The strips are then formed into spirals.

If there was at least one thing I would do differently the next time I make a pinwheel crust it would be to chill the cut strips in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before creating and placing the spirals on top of the pie. This very slight chilling might make it a bit easier to make the spirals. I was still pretty happy with the 'rustic' look to the finished pie (as compared to the 'perfect' look of Martha's inspiration pie). My pie 'forming' abilities are a work in progress.

Before placing the pie in a preheated oven (more on that to follow), the dough is brushed with an egg wash and then sprinkled with coarse sugar (either turbinado or white sanding sugar). I choose to make an egg wash made with one egg and one tablespoon of heavy cream (it could also be made with one egg and one tablespoon of water).

The oven is preheated to 425 degrees and reduced to 375 degrees when the pie is placed in the oven. After the pie bakes for 30 minutes (the edges of the pie should be pale golden), the edges of the pie are covered with foil to prevent burning. The pie then continues to bake for another 50 to 60 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the top crust is golden-brown. The total baking time for this blueberry pie is 80 to 90 minutes.  My baking time was 85 minutes.

The smell of the pie baking in the oven is intoxicating. Having to wait for the baked pie needs to cool to room temperature before serving (about three hours) is a definitely a lesson in patience. While best on the day it is made, the pie can be made up to one day ahead and kept covered at room temperature. Leftovers, if you have them, can be kept in the refrigerator for several days.

If you too have suffered from a bit of pie making paralysis like I did, this blueberry pie might be what helps you work through it. Pies with a homemade crust really do taste better. Don't let anyone (or yourself) convince you otherwise. 

Forgive me for all of the photos of the pie. Believe it or not I showed actually picture posting restraint. And oh, the backdrop for these photos was a vintage linen 48 star flag. 

Recipe 
Blueberry Pie (adapted from Fine Cooking) 

Ingredients
Pie Dough
12 ounces (2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour)
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
6 ounces (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 ounces (4 Tablespoons) frozen vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
5-6 Tablespoons ice cold water
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Filling
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Zest from one lemon
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
6 cups fresh (not frozen) blueberries

Egg wash: 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream (or 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon water)
2 Tablespoons coarse sugar (turbinado or white sanding sugar) for sprinkling on top of pie

Directions
Dough
1. Place sugar, flour and salt in food processor. Pulse briefly to combine.
2. Add butter and shortening, pulse until pieces are slightly larger than pea size (10-12 pulses).
3. Drizzle water and lemon juice evenly over flour mixture. Pulse until dough just comes together (10-14 pulses). Note: If dough isn't coming together, add more ice cold water, a scant tablespoon at a time).
4. Divide dough in half, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. 

Filling
1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Add 1 cup fresh blueberries. Crush into dry ingredients with a potato masher or fork to make a paste (it will be a loose paste).
2. Add the rest of the blueberries, tossing to completely coat them.

Assembly
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough into a 14 inch circle (about 1/8 inch in thickness).
3. Carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll gently over a 9 inch glass pie plate (the dough should just hang over the edges).
4. Roll the overhand onto the rim of the pie plate, to form a high edge of crust. Using your fingers, crimp dough to a fluted edge. Place in refrigerator while rolling out second disk of dough.
5. Roll second dough disk to an 8 by 12 rectangle on a floured surface.
6. Cut rolled out dough into 1/2 inch wide strips using a pastry cutter or knife. Gently transfer strips to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill for about 10 minutes.
7. Add filling to pie shell.
8. Gently lift one strip for each end, twisting in opposite directions to twirl.
9. Starting at center of pie, place dough over filling in a spiral, connecting new strips as you go (connect by pinching the together).
10. Brush dough with egg wash and then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
11. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and place pie in oven (Suggestion: Place pie on a foil lined baking sheet, just in case you get any spillage.)
12. Bake pie for 30 minutes (edges will be lightly golden). Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil and continue baking for 50-60 minutes (filling will be bubbling and top of crust will be golden brown). Total baking time: 80-90 minutes.
13. Remove baked pie from oven, place on cooling rack. Allow to come to room temperature (about 3 hours) before serving.
14. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to several days.

Wishing you a happy, filled with fireworks and blueberry pie, Fourth of July! Or at least one filled with some blueberries (the Blueberry Crisp is pretty delicious if you are too busy to make a pie).

I will see you all 'virtually' when I return from my trip to Montana. I can hardly wait to celebrate both my nephew's 21st birthday (a little early) and my first western Independence Day!

Stone Fruit and Mascarpone Tart with Triple Ginger Cookie Crust

There seems to be an abundance of fruit at the farmer's markets and grocery stores or maybe it just seems that way. It is summer after all. So the arrival of nectarines and peaches were a welcome sight this week as I have been overdosing on watermelon, blueberries and strawberries (no I am not on one of those fruit/juice 'cleanses', I don't think I have the stamina to survive one). Simultaneous to the arrival of these stone fruits was the (re)discovery of a tart recipe in one of my old Bon Appetit magazines. I took one look at the photo of the tart and said (probably outloud) 'I have to make this'. Less than 48 hours after finding the recipe, I had shopped for all of the ingredients and made the tart. It wasn't as if there was a shortage of 'sweet' things in the house (there were still some Chocolate Chunk (Peanut Butter Cup) Cookies left as well as some edges of brownies I had made), I just felt a sense of tart making urgency.

What if I told you didn't have to choose between making cookies, a rich, creamy (no bake) cheesecake, or fresh fruit for dessert? And without slaving in the kitchen for hours you could serve all of them freeing up more discretionary time for you to do whatever else makes you happy. Well, a Stone Fruit and Mascarpone Tart with Triple Ginger Cookie Crust does all of that and more, so much more. Not only is this tart a feast for the eyes, it is a 'party on your palate'. The tastes and textures of the crunchy ginger crust, the rich, creamy cheesecake filling, and the sweet fruit topping will have your head spinning.

Initially, I was going to make this tart with nectarines only, however, when I came upon the beautiful white peaches at the grocery store my plan changed. The thought of using both the nectarines and white peaches was a rare moment of creative genius. But actually this is a tart having many fruit possibilities. It can be made with all nectarines; all peaches; nectarines and peaches; only blueberries; only blackberries; or blueberries and blackberries; or nectarines and blueberries. And those are just a few of the options! Choose your favorite stone fruits and/or berries. Choose what makes you happy. And if you are looking to make something with a patriotic look for the upcoming 4th of July, this tart topped with raspberries and blueberries would be added cause for celebration.

The crust. Oh, the crust. If you are a fan of ginger cookies or ginger snaps, you will absolutely love this crust. And if you aren't, this tart might convert you. After one bite it shifted a friend's preconceived notion that a ginger cookie crust was something she wouldn't like.

This is one of those 'how easy is that?' crusts. Store bought ginger (or gingersnap) cookies (the triple ginger cookies from Trader Joe's are my favorites) and melted butter are the only ingredients. Note: Trader Joe's also makes a thin ginger cookie that I think would also make for a great crust. Anna's Swedish ginger thins would be another great option.

Don't even bother taking out the food processor to turn the cookies into fine crumbs. A ziplock baggie and a rolling pin works rather well and has added therapeutic value (smashing the rolling pin on the cookies is a great stress reliever). The 14 ounce container of Triple Ginger Cookies yielded slightly more than the desired 3 generous cups of crumbs needed for making a crust a thickness able to stand up to the rest of the tart. Binding the cookie crumbs together I used 6 Tablespoons of melted butter, however, next time I might consider increasing the amount of butter to 7 Tablespoons. The additional tablespoon of butter should be enough to prevent the crust from any crumbling when it is removed from the tart pan. 

To form the crust, press the cookie/butter mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of a 10 inch tart pan. A 9 inch tart pan (as recommended in the Bon Appetit recipe) would throw off the balance of crust to the filling and fruit. In a preheated 350 degree oven, the crust is baked for 8 minutes, just long enough for the crust to slightly darken and set. Note: Allow the crust to cool completely before spreading on the filling.

This is a no-bake filling. Room temperature mascarpone cheese and cream cheese create a smooth, creamy mixture when beaten with a mixer. Combined with the zest of one lemon, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 Tablespoon minced crystallized ginger and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar create an incredibly delicious filling. Once it is all mixed together, you will find it hard to resist the temptation to eat this filling with a spoon before even spreading on the crust. Note: I added an additional 2 teaspoons of sugar, however, I would recommend you taste it with only 1/4 cup of the sugar and decide whether you too feel it needs just a bit more or not.

The rich creamy cheesecake filling is spread evenly over the cooled crust and then allowed to chill (covered) in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (or up to overnight). 

In the process of cutting the fruit for this tart, I completely destroyed one nectarine and one peach. Casualties happen when you are clueless. Learning how to cut stone fruit (the seam is there for a reason) by watching the Mario Batali video before, and not after I made this tart, would have been wise.  I can still hear Aimee Mann's singing "Wise Up". Only I didn't give up and managed to figure out how to slice the nectarines and peaches in a most unconventional way. 

In addition to making a bit of mess of a couple pieces of fruit, I also didn't pay attention to the steps in the recipe and cut the fruit before the filling set after chilling in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. It all worked out in the end, but going forward I will wait to cut the fruit shortly before serving (the finished tart can be refrigerated up to 6 hours in the refrigerator before serving).

After placing the sliced fruit in overlapping concentric circles, finish the tart by brushing the fruit with a peach jam that has been warmed. Unable to find peach jam, I used peach preserves instead. And there was a silver lining to this relatively minor substitution. The bits of peach in the preserve were an unexpected, nice rustic touch to the finished look of the tart.

Other than being challenged in cutting stone fruit, this is one of the easiest and biggest wow factor tarts you will make all summer. If (or when) you decide to serve this Stone Fruit and Mascarpone Tart with Triple Ginger Cookie Crust you most likely will not any have leftovers as this is what I call one of those 'seconds requested' dessert.

Recipe
Stone Fruit and Mascarpone Tart with Triple Ginger Cookie Crust (adapted from Bon Appetit's Nectarine and Mascarpone Tart with Gingersnap Crust)

Ingredients
Crust
14 ounces ginger cookies, crushed (recommend Trader Joe's triple ginger cookies) or a generous 3 cup equivalent of crushed gingersnap cookies
6- 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling and Fruit Topping
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon crystallized ginger, minced
Zest of one lemon (or 1 teaspoon of lemon zest)
3-4 medium sized stone fruits (i.e., white peaches and nectarines), halved, pitted and thinly sliced
1/4 cup peach jam or peach preserves, warmed
Note: Use any combination of stone fruits or berries to top the tart. 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix crushed triple ginger cookies and melted butter in medium sized bowl. Transfer to a 10 inch removable bottom tart pan and press mixture firmly and up sides of pan.
3. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Place mascarpone, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, minced crystallized ginger and lemon zest in medium bowl. Beat until smooth.
5. Spread filling on cooled crust. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
6. Arrange fruit slices on top of filling in overlapping concentric circles (begin on outer edge of tart).
7. Brust with heated jam. Serve immediately.
Note: If not serving immediately, refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 6 hours)

Two weeks ago I made a basket of the Decadent Chocolate Brownies for a friend's 60th birthday. Last week I made another basket of them for the 80th birthday of someone I admired professionally immediately upon meeting them almost 13 years ago. The first basket got rave reviews, the second basket, well, it was not as well received. Not because it wasn't viewed as a thoughtful gesture, but because at least a few were overwhelmed by the brownies intense chocolate flavor (they live up to their decadence and are not for the faint of chocolate heart). As a little disappointed as I was that the second basket of brownies didn't get all of oohs and ahhs I was certain they would (validation is my vice), it was one of those grounding, reality check moments we all benefit from having every now and then. For me this was the reminder to cook, bake, and create for others because you want to, because you love to, because it brings you joy, or because it is how you express to others how much they mean to you. If along the way there are some who really, really, really like what you made for them, let those be moments you savor.

However, if every now and then you find yourself in need of one of those moments, well just cook, bake, and create for those who really, really, really like what you make. There are worse vices than needing a little validation.

Chocolate Chunk (Peanut Butter Cup) Cookies

After seeing the coming of age film 'A River Runs Through It' more than 20 years ago I could not help but be mesmerized by the majestic beauty of the Montana wilderness. Someday, I thought, I would travel to Montana, specifically to Missoula, Montana, to see it first-hand as well as to attempt to photograph some of its' stunning and compelling mountain and river landscapes. That someday is finally here. Next week I head out to Big Sky Country with my nephew. This trip (one I am calling the #21stbirthdayadventure as he turns 21at the end of July) will give the two of us time to explore Montana together as well as celebrate his significant (coming of age) birthday. And oh yes, Missoula is one of our destinations. That is, if I survive the 4th of July 5K race, the excursion to Lone Peak, and the hike in Beehive Basin (have already been warned about bear sightings in Yellowstone) in the 36 hours prior to actually arriving in Missoula.

Of course, I will come bearing gifts. What would a birthday be without them? Amongst the gifts will be a box filled with homemade cookies (me traveling with a cake on a plane is a recipe for disaster). Baking the cookies would be the easy part, deciding which cookies to bake is a little more challenging. My first thought was I maybe I should resurrect the chocolate chip cookie recipe, the one that used to be my all-time favorite, alway got rave reviews go-to cookie. It was also one of those recipes I sought to keep as a closely guarded secret (even from the Chief of Police in the town I worked in, but that's another story). Funny thing is, it wasn't even a recipe I could claim was technically 'mine'. Then one day I decided 'let it go' and submit it as my contribution to a community cookbook project (partly to rid myself of the guilt I was feeling over being so foolishly selfish, partly because not complying with a request from a Police Chief wasn't too wise, and mostly because I didn't want my name attached to a recipe that was God forbid just 'okay', even if it really wasn't mine).

It has been quite awhile since I have made these chocolate chip cookies (the Jacques Torres cookies pre-empted them several years ago). To jog my memory on how they looked and tasted I decided I need to bake a batch of them. This would also give me the opportunity to play with making at least two more changes to the recipe before deciding if they were 'birthday' worthy cookies. Replacing the semi-sweet chocolate chips with a combination of mini-milk chocolate peanut butter cups (Trader Joe's are the best) and chopped semi-sweet chocolate as well as topping them with sea salt were the most significant changes I wanted to make. Not exactly earthshaking changes, just slight variations.

Many years ago, someone by the name of Elizabeth published a recipe she called 'my best, big, fat, chewy chocolate chip cookies'. It was her recipe that I built my 'chocolate chip cookie baking reputation' on. Thank you Elizabeth whoever and wherever you are! If I tinkered a bit more with this recipe I might finally be able to actually claim it as my own. Sort of, maybe, kind of.

The use of the milk chocolate mini peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's are addictive all on their own. I was hoping they would have a similar effect in the cookies (Spoiler Alert: They did!). I used the entire 12 ounce container along with 4 ounces of coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate. The balance of these two chocolates was perfect. However next time I think I will slightly increase the amount of semi-sweet chocolate (maybe up to 6 ounces). Personally I like my chocolate chip cookies to specks or pieces of chocolate throughout them.

This is one of those melted butter (versus room temperature) cookie recipes. There is much debate on whether room temperature or melted butter creates a better cookie crumb and texture. 'Hot' melted butter will melt the granulated and brown sugars and have a significant impact on a cookie. I had learned the hard way (cookies with a not such a great texture) of the importance of allowing the melted butter to cool before mixing with sugar. This made a significant difference. To further ramp up the flavor in these cookies I used the slightly higher in fat content Irish Kerrygold unsalted butter instead of the usual Land O'Lakes (which turned out to be another good change).

In Elizabeth's original recipe she listed 'brown sugar' as one of the ingredients. Ever since first making these cookies I have used a proportional combination of light and dark brown sugars as there the dark brown sugar  created an added depth of flavor to the cookie. I didn't see any reason to change this.

'Go big or go home' was the mantra for these cookies. An ice cream scoop having a two tablespoon capacity helped to achieve a larger, bakery looking cookie. Then borrowing from the Jacques Torres recipe, each cookie was topped with a generous pinch of sea salt.

These cookies spread when baking (suggest placing 7 or 8 dough balls spaced 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet). In spite of their size, these cookies don't take very long to bake in a preheated 350 degree oven (about 12-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to become golden brown). The baked cookies remain on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before being transferred to a cooling rack. The few extra minutes on the hot baking sheet gives the finished cookies a crispier outside finish to contrast with their softer interiors. 

So the final verdict on these Chocolate Chunk (Peanut Butter Cup) Cookies? Amazing, the kind of cookie you don't want to (or really can't) stop eating at just one. The combination of the milk chocolate mini peanut butter cups, semi-sweet chocolate, and sea salt with the dough made for one wicked cookie. The decision as to which cookie to bring out to my nephew was made after I took just one bite. Definitely birthday worthy cookies.This variation of the chocolate chip cookie recipe I had made years ago has now permanently changed. Finally, a cookie recipe I feel is the one I really could put my name next to. 

Recipe
Chocolate Chunk (Peanut Butter Cup) Cookies (inspired by Elizabeth's Best, Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe)
Yield: 26-28 large cookies

Ingredients
2 cups plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda (Update: Baking soda can be increased to 1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (recommend KerryGold butter)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (equal combinations of light and dark brown sugar)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla 
1 large egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk (from large egg), room temperature
12 ounces milk chocolate mini-peanut butter cups (recommend Trader Joe's)
4-6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped
Sea salt for sprinkling on cookies
(Note: Another variation to theses cookies would be using 2 to 2/12 cups of semi-sweet or milk or a mixture of the two chips or coarsely chopped chocolate. If you are a big fan of M&Ms in your cookies, you could use them too!)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda and Kosher salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugars until well blended in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
4. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla until light and creamy.
5. Mix in flour mixture until fully blended.
6. Stir in peanut butter chocolate chips and semi-sweet chopped chocolate with a spatula.
7. Using a larger ice cream scoop (2 tablespoon equivalent), form balls and place on baking sheet. Note: Cookies spread so place only 7 to 8 dough balls per cookie sheet.
8. Sprinkle each cookie with a generous pinch of sea salt (recommend Maldon Sea Salt).
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Serve cookies or store cookies in a covered, air tight container.until ready to serve.