Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-Wendy Paul's Pudding Cookies

This is a CCC recipe that has been a favorite of my family for years.  My brother in law, Aaron has become the master at making them and even puts fun twists on them and has perfected his recipe for perfect CCC based off of this recipe.  He has used different pudding mixes, adds more of specific ingredients, switches up flours and adds secret ingredients all the time.  He is a great example of experimenting until you find what you like.  Don't just settle for recipes that you don't love, tweak them and make them just right for you!  

With that being said this is a great, soft chocolate chip cookie recipe that is so great to have in your recipe box.  Wendy Paul is not only the sweetest lady herself, but she makes the sweetest desserts!  I've been a long time follower of her since she was first on Studio 5 years ago.  I love her books 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone and 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes!  I also love following her on IG, she not only posts sweet treats but amazing dinner and meal prep ideas.  She's definitely one to follow!

I love that this recipe calls for a pudding mix.  It makes the cookies so soft and gives it a slight flavor of whatever pudding mix you use.  I tried French Vanilla and it was delicious but I think I prefer the vanilla Pudding Mix a little more.  I also used Mini Chocolate Chips and they were so great!  Wendy was right, chocolate in every bite, that's my kind of CCC!  

Find Wendy's recipe HERE!  

Just a note on this Hunt!  I'm trying to follow the recipe exactly as the recipe author instructs.  I only add more flour if needed due to my altitude in Utah.  My brother in law rarely has refrigerated the dough when he makes it for our family at my parent's house.  I wanted to see if there was a big difference.  Turns out there really was a difference!! I refrigerated mine overnight while still baking just a few then because I feel like you can't make cookie dough without having at least 1 cookie! haha But I definitely would recommend to chill the dough.  It makes the cookies fluffier, larger and softer.

I used Wendy's tip and refrigerated the dough balls before baking them, the picture above was taken right before baking the cold dough balls.  Here's a side by side of what it looked like baking right after making the dough and refrigerating the dough overnight.

The one on the left was baked right after making the dough the one on the right was baked after having the dough refrigerated overnight.  We definitely preferred the one on the right.  Fluffier, better taste, softer and fuller cookie!

This is the one baked right after making the dough.  It was still delicious but much flatter and chewier than the other cookie.

Next week I'll try Lauren's Latest Actually Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!  Find it HERE!  The only specialty ingredient might be milk chocolate chips if you don't already have those on hand.  Guittard chocolate chips are my absolute favorite and I plan on using those for my recipe!  

This post may contain affiliate links but all opinions are my own.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-A Bountiful Kitchen Tried & True CCC

This recipe is very similar to Nestle's Original recipe (last weeks cookie) with a few minor adjustments like more vanilla and flour.  Si also gives lots of great cookie tips and techniques to make your cookies really come together perfectly.  I still use lots of her tips no matter what recipe I'm making.  This is a great time to realize the importance of ingredients and technique!  Throughout this adventure we can learn what ingredients make a big impact and what tips and techniques help make your cookies really stand out.

My tips for A Bountiful Kitchen's Tried and True Chocolate Chip Cookies-Don't add too much flour!, I was cautious and added too much flour just in case.  Test your dough and see if it really needs it!  Follow her tips and tricks, I really do think most of them make a difference.  I honestly liked these cookies best the day after making them! They were SO delicious!  This recipe really makes the chocolate shine.  The soft cookie base is not really in your face and can let the chocolate have all the attention.  I did my favorite mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips (trust me you'll want 4 packs!)!

I loved that you can add all the flour and chocolate chips in at the same time.

Si recommends to flatten the dough balls like this!

I tested one pan this way and the other pans I left just the cookie scoop.  I didn't notice any difference.

Tips of Si's that I use all the time:  don't overmix the dough-pulse dough, never turn the mixer on high with cookie dough-only until just incorporated!, and never let your butter sit at room temperature for more than 30 minutes.  If you make these "mistakes" or your cookies don't turn out like you'd like don't be discouraged I tried too-many-to-count chocolate chip cookie recipes while trying to perfect them years ago.  I almost swore them off because I just didn't think I was a cookie making lady.  Fast forward to almost a decade + of experimenting and trying recipe after recipe I've learned that it has a lot to do with technique!  Sometimes it just takes time to figure out what works for you!

A perfect cookie to me could also be a not so perfect cookie to you!  Some like them crunchy, soft, gooey, different chocolate(s), no salt, add in a special ingredient, etc.  Find what YOU like!  That's why we're on this hunt!  We're trying to figure out what works for us and what we like!

Next week we're baking the lovely Wendy Paul's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!  Specialty or specific ingredients you'll need for this recipe:  regular chocolate chip cookie ingredients as well as 1 4 oz. package of Vanilla instant pudding mix or French Vanilla pudding mix, and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips if you want a change from regular chocolate chips.  Follow the link to the exact recipe for all ingredients needed and specific measurements!

This post may contain affiliate links but all opinions are my own.

Easy No Fail Creme Brûlée Recipe

I remember going to this cute little cafe with my Mom when I was around 10 years old.  That was the first time I ever had creme brûlée and I felt like the fanciest kid in town knowing what that dessert was.  Fast forward almost 2 decades later and I've made this dessert at home probably as many times as that little cafe!  It's one of my all time favorite desserts.  

If you've never had it you are seriously missing out.  Get yourself a little creme brûlée kit (this is the exact one I have!) like my mom got me and try this recipe.  I can honestly say this is the recipe I've used ever since my mom bought me a little ramekin and torch kit (cheaper option) shortly after having creme brûlée for the first time so many years ago.  It's a no fail, fancy, yet simple recipe!  

In case you've never had this dessert let me break it down for you.  The ramekin is filled with the most amazing custard that is creamy and light and just so dreamy, the top is caramelized sugar that creates a little crunch and added sweetness that is just too delicious!  I love to pair it with fresh whipped cream and strawberries to get the full fabulous and fancy experience.

The cool thing about this dessert is that you only need the yolk of the eggs so it's a great way to balance out recipes with lots of egg whites!  We've been known to make pavlova one night and a few days later have creme brûlée, those weeks are what dreams are made of! haha

We recently introduced little  Liv to creme brûlée and she will only takes a few tiny bites, but Dallin and I are more than happy to finish hers off! haha

I did do a little experiment with my last batch and tried to see if 

I could caramelize the sugar without a torch.  

This is what the custard looks like after sitting in the fridge overnight.

You want to put a thin layer of sugar, I'm talking THIN!  

Don't be like me and think more sugar will add more greatness haha it won't! 

You'll burn your sugary top and Dallin will tell you he told you so! haha 

I had Dallin torch one while one was broiling in the oven.

In case you can't tell by the picture I HIGHLY recommend a little kitchen torch.  It's doable in the oven but while you are buying ramekins just by the torch too.  When you try to caramelize it in the oven you end up cooking your whole custard, it becomes runny and doesn't hold it's shape.  It doesn't look as nice and doesn't caramelize the whole top of your ramekin.  it's still edible and taste pretty good but it does take longer than caramelize it with a torch and the custard is noticeably different.

Just take my word for it, buy the torch!

You can of course eat it once you caramelize it or you can add some other fancy things:  like sliced strawberries, 

fresh whipped cream, and even a dusting of powdered sugar!  I ended up finishing off the test oven broiled one with the torch just a little bit to ensure that crunch!

Everyones favorite part is the first initial crack of the sugar!

It's seriously so satisfying!

The mix of the crunch from the caramelized sugar and creamy custard is truly perfection.

Soon  you'll be almost at the end of your ramekin and you'll already want more. ;)  Recipe is below!

Easy, No Fail Creme Brûlée 

1 C. heavy cream

2 T. sugar + more for top of ramekins right before caramelizing 

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and 2 T. sugar.  Cook, stirring occasionally until small bubbles appear around edges of pan, 5-6 minutes.  Set aside.

In a bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth and light.  Pour hot cream mixture into egg yolks, a little at a time, beating continuously until well blended.  Strain mixture though a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.  Divide mixture among ramekins, I usually use 4-4 oz. ramekins.  

Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and place on middle shelf of preheated oven.  Fill pan with hot water to halfway up sides of ramekins.  Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake until custard is just set, about 25 minutes.  It almost always takes me longer, especially when I fill my round ramekins with more custard so keep that in mind, almost double the amount of time but check every 10 minutes after first 25 minutes.  Be very careful while removing the pan from the oven.  Chill ramekins for 2-3 hours.

Sprinkle a small amount of sugar evenly over top of cooled custards.  With a kitchen torch, move the flame continuously over the surface of the ramekins, in a circular motion until sugar melts and becomes golden brown and bubbly.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.

This post may contain affiliate links but all opinions are my own.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I've had this idea for months!  I thought it was time to finally just do it!  Let's go on a Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt together!  Maybe I've sang Bear Hunt too many times. haha or maybe I just really love cookies but on my quest to find the best CCC I've tried lots of recipes.  I thought it would be fun to do it with everyone!  If you're a cookie lover you've probably been on your own hunt to find the very best.  

Each Sunday I will announce the new recipe we'll focus on that week, and I'm hoping to make them that day too, but feel free to make them anytime you can/want throughout the week.  We'll share our thoughts and feedback of the recipe.  As the weeks go on you can freeze a couple dough balls each week and then we can bake them all up and compare them every so often.  Then we'll decide which cookie is the best of them all!  As time passes we'll have lots of cookies, gained cookie baking experience, and have tried lots of new cookie recipes (with I'm guessing lots of success!).

I'll be sharing some of my favorite recipes, tips, and tricks I've learned!  We'll be making some of my favorite recipes as well as some I've always wanted to try!  Cookies are fast, easy and comforting, making them is a specialty and trade we'll need for the rest of our lives! :)Think of it as a virtual Bake-A-Long with RuthAnne, Chocolate Chip Cookie edition!  Hope you Bake-A-Long with me!

Every so often I will pick a random winner to win some of my favorite cookie baking supplies, special ingredients for the next upcoming Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes, or cookie must haves!  In order to be entered to win these giveaways you have to post to your stories or IG feed the cookies you made and tag me on Instagram @ruthanne.strong and use the hashtag #chocolatechipcookiehuntwithRuthAnne so that means the more cookies you make, and share on social media the more chances you have of winning!  Honestly it's a win-win situation!

So let's get started!  Grab your mixing bowl and preheat your oven let's get baking!

For the week of May 17 (THIS week!) we will use the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!

Find the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe HERE!  It's also right on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag.  I love to get the big bag from Costco so it lasts a lot longer but the small, regular bags at the grocery store are perfect as well!

We have to start with the recipe that started it all!!  This recipe seriously is a classic and is used by so many.  My grandma, my mom, Dallin's mom, my great aunt, the list goes on and on!  

Some tips for this recipe to keep in mind-  I have heard many people use more flour (especially at higher altitude as noted in the recipe) and it works really well!  Some people love to use half butter and half shortening!  Some like it just the way it is.  

For the batch I made I added about 1/4 C. +1 1/2 T. extra flour just like Grandma would make!

The dough of this recipe is unreal!  When Dallin and I first tasted it we both felt like we were transported right back to our moms kitchens when we were little kids.  So many memories of sneaking dough, licking the batter and enjoying cookies with family!  You might just want to make this recipe for the dough alone. haha 

We love that these cookies are a family favorite and they have a lot of memories and feelings connected to them.  The crunchier base and all semi sweet chocolate make them so delicious!  Having that much butter in the recipe is really a wonderful thing, there's this buttery note at the end of your bite that just makes you want another one. I hope that you make them!

Next week we will be doing the Tried and True Chocolate Chip Cookies from A Bountiful Kitchen so take a look at that recipe and make sure you have all the ingredients!  You may want to make sure you have the regular cookie making ingredients in your storage at all times, just saying! ;)

This post may contain affiliate links but all opinions are my own. 

Moms Deserve Chocolate Love Note

Anyone else scrambling for a cute, useful, fun, Mother's Day gift for their Mom or mothering figures in their lives?  I think this year may have caught me most off guard.  I have been dropping hints to my husband of what I want for Mother's Day but just realized this week that we have Moms too and needed to get something for them!! Luckily there is one thing that is ALWAYS the answer-CHOCOLATE!

A trip to Trader Joe's left us with a lot of fun new chocolate that we can give to our sisters, aunts, grandmas, friends and of course Moms!

I wish I could taste test all of these chocolates but I guess all of the people I am giving them too will just have to report back!  Luckily you can find lots of chocolate items at your local grocery store with pick up and delivery options at this time.  Also Target Pick Up is a dreamy thing!  Use it!

You could always pair this tag with a box of chocolates from a specialty chocolate place.  I miss you Rebecca's chocolates and See's!!  I hear See's is taking pick up orders though and just in time for Mother's Day!! I might want to send this post to Dallin ;)

Side note have you ever had these Toffee Chips from Trader Joe's?  They are incredible.  I had planned to give them to my sister and ate the whole box almost completely by myself!!  

Love these mini milk chocolate bars, perfect for giving to friends and sisters!

These Mini Chocolate Mousse Flowers are so delicious and the perfect chocolatey/not chocolate thing for people that don't prefer chocolates.  I don't know many of those people. haha

You can never go wrong with Dove Chocolates or their favorite chocolate candy bar!

I know, I know these aren't chocolates but they make a perfect filler for gifts!  Use a few of these Pink and White cookies to fill a cute little container or box and then use just a few chocolates.  This is a great way to stay on budget and make your supplies stretch!

Mother's Day can be a hard day for many.  It's even a bitter sweet day for me.  You never know what someone is going through or what has happened in their lives.  I'm lucky to have an incredible Mom, but I know not everyone does.  I celebrate my cute Mom on Mother's Day and that I get to be Olivia's Mommy.  I also celebrate the many other motherly figures in mine and Olivia's lives.  Women are so loving, kind, sweet and caring.  I like to acknowledge that!  If you have a sweet lady on your mind this weekend.  Maybe give her some chocolate too-no matter if she has kids or not! :)  That's why I have so many different tag options I have Mom of course but also sister, aunt, grandma and friend!  So it works for all of them.

I found these adorable ramekins at Smith's in their 5 and under bin.  I think it's new!  It was love at first sight!  It was 2 ramekins for $3.

I have a few other Mother's Day ideas here on the blog.  Find them all HERE!  I looked through my archives and am going to do a very special gift with one of them this year.  Can you guess it? 

I've learned to not stress holidays.  Even though I want to make them fun and I'd love to be better about planning ahead.  Holidays are just a time to recognize and acknowledge the people you love and admire.  It isn't something that is supposed to be stressful.  So give them some chocolate, put a cute tag on it and call it good!

I always suggest to download the file so you get the exact layout as seen above.

Find the free printable tags HERE!

This post may contain affiliate links but all opinions are my own.