Today, Rita's celebrated the first day of Spring by giving away free Italian ices. Me and my sister-in-law? We celebrated the 2011 vernal equinox with a bake-off.
We both had been eyeballing recipes days before; me on the web, her in this Costco cookbook we found in the garage while doing some spring cleaning, and we figured this would be the perfect occasion to try them out. I guess it comes as no surprise that I would choose a recipe involving chocolate; chocolate cookies studded with white chocolate chips, to be precise. She, on the other hand, chose a lovely looking apple cake recipe that called for a streusel topping AND filling.
We both had been eyeballing recipes days before; me on the web, her in this Costco cookbook we found in the garage while doing some spring cleaning, and we figured this would be the perfect occasion to try them out. I guess it comes as no surprise that I would choose a recipe involving chocolate; chocolate cookies studded with white chocolate chips, to be precise. She, on the other hand, chose a lovely looking apple cake recipe that called for a streusel topping AND filling.
Together, we shuffled around the kitchen, opening and closing cabinet doors, grabbing measuring cups and spoons, until finally, our gastronomical creations were complete.
So, would her good morning apple cake topple over my black and white chippers?
Yes, yes it would.
I thought that the black and white chippers would come out tasting like fudgy brownies in cookie form (like my previous chocolate crinkle cookies), but they didn't. Their flavor just wasn't right for me, it didn't hit the spot at all. Not to mention, the white chocolate chips were kind of overpowering and I'm not the biggest fan of white chocolate, so I didn't find the combination to be that great. However, if white chocolate is your thing, you'd probably enjoy these cookies. Their texture was soft and chewy with a bit of crispness on the outside, usually what many find to be the requisite qualities of a good cookie. But because they were lacking in flavor, they lost to the delightfully delicious apple cake.
Moist and fluffy, it had everyone in my household raving about it...including me. I give credit where credit is due and this cake definitely deserved it. It was flavored with cinnamon, which of course paired perfectly with the apples, and filled our house with an enticing aroma. The apple slices to cake ratio was even, so you weren't biting through chunks of apple with every slice. And the streusel; oh, it was the crowning glory. It had just the right amount of sweetness and complemented the cake beautifully.
As opposed to my brother calling the cookies "too chocolatey", and my 3 year old nephew calling them "bad", not one negative comment was uttered about the apple cake. We had a clear winner.
As opposed to my brother calling the cookies "too chocolatey", and my 3 year old nephew calling them "bad", not one negative comment was uttered about the apple cake. We had a clear winner.
But in the end, I think our tummies were the true winners.
Black and White Chippers
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup white chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand-held electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat to combine.
In a separate bowl, sift the cocoa, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until fully incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips by hand with a spatula.Using a spring-loaded ice cream scoop or a spoon, drop rounds of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, until puffy but still soft, being careful not to over-bake. Allow to cook on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from Handle The Heat
Both recipes sound really good, will have to give them both a go, thanks.
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