Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love those dark chocolate cookies at Panera, called Duet...so I was on a quest to find a good recipe. I settled with this one here. I adjusted the recipe a bit because I didn't have any chocolate chips in my house (i know, for shame)! So I substituted milk and dark chocolate bars...I just cut them into big chunks.


Double Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Next time I make these, I will add white chocolate chips like the Panera version. I have them in the new cake stand my husband got me for Christmas.


It is just like a diner. We went to a restaurant supply store, and a few months agoI was admiring this stand...(I have a cake plate fetish!) He is so sweet, cause he went back and got it for me. I keep it on my counter with whatever fresh baked goods I have made. I just LOVE it! Thanks Honey!

New Toys!

So...for working really hard on the Decades parties I told you about a few weeks ago...I got a very generous gift from my company. It was actually a gift card to our mall...and I was so exicted, because I could shop to my hearts content at the Crate and Barrel and Williams Sonoma...does anyone else feel like I do? :)

So, WS had a sale, 20% off of EVERYTHING in the store. They don't normally discount their wares like that, so I felt it was the right opportunity to use some of my card cash...

I picked up this beautiful All-Clad stainless steel 14" fry pan. It is so lovely! I feel like such a serious cook now! :)



Look at my pathetic old pan...SO SMALL! And it had the seperate bottom, that has been warped forever...my all clad is all one piece and I never have to worry about it seperating. It is a major investment, but it has a LIFETIME warranty...so it is well worth it! And it was a gift,so my husband won't have a fit when I tell him I spent almost $200 on a fry pan! haha. After the sale, the pan was only $132...a GREAT deal!


I also picked up this pretty little tart pan...looking for a good fruit tart recipe now to make for tomorrow, and a new microplane.