Chocolate Chip Cookies

Egg 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup Butter flavored Crisco
1 1/4 cup Firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbs Milk
1 Tbs Vanilla
1 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Baking soda
1 cup Pecan pieces

Heat oven to 375. Cream brown sugar, milk, butter flavor Crisco, and vanilla in large bowl. Blend until creamy. Blend in egg. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, gradually.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop rounded Tablespoonfuls (about 2 measuring tablespoons) of dough 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies (they will look light and moist) Do not overbake or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies.

Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes. Remove to cool rack.

Coconut Choco Pudding

14-ounce coconut milk (lite is fine), divided
3 tbs sugar
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup arrowroot powder, sifted
1 tsp raz el hanout spice blend
3 tbs alkalized dutch-cocoa powder, sifted 1 3.5-ounce bar semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a dry skillet

Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt to a simmer over low heat.

While that is heating, in a seperate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, arrowroot powder, spice blend, and cocoa powder. It should look like a chocolate frosting.

When the coconut milk and sugar mixture has started simmering take about 1/4 cup of it and whisk it little by little into the arrowroot mixture, creating a slurry. Turn down the heat to the very lowest setting.

Now drizzle the arrowroot slurry mixture into the simmering pan of coconut milk whisking vigorously all the while. Keep whisking until the pudding comes back up barely to a simmer and thickens up a bit, about a minute.

Remove the saucepan from heat, continue whisking while it is cooling for about a minute. Now whisk in the chocolate and vanilla.

Keep stirring until the pudding is smooth. Place in a refrigerator to chill thoroughly. To prevent a skin from forming press plastic up against the surface of the pudding. Serve dusted with the coconut flakes and a tiny pinch of spices.

French Silk Chocolate Pie

1 Pie shell, baked & cooled
1 oz Chocolate square
1/2 cup Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
Whipped cream and walnuts - for topping, optional

Make your favorite single 8 inch pie shell. Cream butter, add sugar slowly, creaming well.

Blend in melted and cooled chocolate and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 5 minutes after each addition.

With electric mixer use medium speed. Turn into cooled, baked pie shell. Chill 1 to 2 hours.

Before serving top with whipped cream and walnuts, if desired.

Whole Wheat and Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

9 oz / 255 rolled oats (not instant)
4.5 oz / 125 g whole wheat flour
1 1/2 oz / 45 g wheat bran (or germ)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

8 oz / 225 g unsalted butter
6.5 oz / 185 g natural cane sugar or light brown sugar
6 oz / 170 g firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
285 g semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped and shaved into chunks and splinters

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180 C, with racks placed in the middle. Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, flour, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Either by hand, or using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar for 3+ minutes, scraping down sides a few times along the way. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla - scraping the sides of the bowl another time or two. Add the dry mixture, and stir until everything barely comes together. Then stir in the chocolate, mixing until it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Use a small ice-cream scoop, spoon, or 1/4 cup measuring cup, to make uniform dough balls. I used a metal 1/4-cup measuring cup, filling it about 3/4 full. Arrange each cookie at least 3-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. They'll flatten out quite a bit. For extra crisp cookies, bake until deeply, deeply golden on the bottom, about 15+ minutes. Rotate the pans once about 2/3 the way through baking - back to front, top to bottom. Like your cookies a little chewier? Bake for less time. Cool on a rack.