Thought You Could Use Some Sunshine June Love Notes

I know I usually post the monthly Love Notes at the start of the month, I usually try to post them the first DAY of the month.  But this last month has been packed with lots of things, so it's coming to you at the END of the month! ha Better late than never right?

I think the everyone in the world could use some sunshine lately so these Love Notes are the perfect tag to pair with a small gift or treat for those you're thinking of!  

Anything yellow works so well with these tags!  Attach the tag to just one treat or bundle them up in a clear bag, or wrap a couple up in a cute yellow ribbon.  My favorite little bundle was the bag above, I love Milk Duds, Lindt Lindor chocolate and lemon candies!  

Butterscotch candies are so yummy and a small little bag is so easy to give and fun to receive!

You can't go wrong with Peanut M&M's and a Butterfinger Bar.

And if you're a sour lover Sour Patch Kids are also a great option.  I love that these $1 boxes are the perfect size and price!

We could all use a little bit more SONshine in our lives, when we focus on Christ our problems are easier to bear and we get a glimpse of the bigger picture.  Attach this tag to a picture of Christ for your ministering sisters or people in your ward or church that you've been thinking of.  

I even love the idea of a real or fake plant!  They need some sunshine too!

Or a little combo is so fun!  I printed this picture off on churchofjesuschrist.org then placed in a little standing Ikea Frame and wrapped some ribbons around the base.  I have been hooked on these frames for years!!

Find the 'Thought you could use some Sunshine!' tag HERE!  I suggest to download the file so you get accurate sizing and fonts.

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

Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-Cake By Courtney

Cake by Courtney's Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are a classic.  Like I think what Nestle was wanting me to get, but when I make Nestle's recipe exactly my dough is still amazing but my cookies are insanely flat and just ok?  

But these are soft, delicious, and perfectly baked.  I actually really recommend using semi sweet chips in these.  I know, I know I'm usually a chip mixer but these are just so classic and need semi sweet for the first go around.

The dough is good!  I'd probably give it a 7/10 with of course Nestle's recipe being a 10.

The cool thing about this recipe is that they seriously work!  Like no fail!  Courtney mentions it in her post but obviously you have to try them for yourself to see if it's true.  

I love that the cookies are fluffy, soft, and just so yummy.  I wish I had a cookie right now!

Check out that cookie/dough to chocolate ratio!

That's what I like to see, stacks and stacks of COOKIES!

I also love that these cookies look pretty with no extra work.  I'm all for jazzing up my cookies but sometimes its nice to just have them come out of the oven looking great!  No extra steps needed.

Seriously try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Next weeks recipe is going to be Paula Deen's 

Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

We're going to experiment and try a different take on CCC.  This recipe calls for white chocolate chips and pecans so make sure you have them ready!  

Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-Two Peas & Their Pod

Two Peas & Their Pod Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Chip Cookies are seriously amazing.  Packed with several kinds of different chocolate, soft and a little crunchy, and a little sprinkle of salt on top for an extra little pop of flavor.  These cookies are really a hit.  I think a chocolate chip cookie should have probably as much chocolate as it has cookie dough haha, so if you're like me this is the cookie for you!

When making the dough you incorporate grated chocolate, chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.  Use whatever combo you prefer and different kinds of chocolate based on your preference.  Maria suggest semi sweet chocolate but I know I prefer a mix of milk and semi-sweet so I did that combo.I used finely chopped Peter's milk chocolate, chopped Guittard semi-sweet baking chips and Guittard milk chocolate chips.

Maria also suggest rolling each dough ball by hand.  I think it helped keep them more round while baking but I did have a few crazy looking ones.  I think that's inevitable.

Maria also shares a lot of cookie tips on her Instagram, check her CC cookie Highlight specifically for her chocolate chip cookie tips!

For this recipe you'll also need sea salt.  I used my Sea Salt from Costco in the dough and my finishing salt on the top after I added extra chocolate.  The chocolate melts and becomes the perfect base for the salt.

The dough is amazing, the cookies are amazing and for me this is a front runner cookie on this hunt!

With a cookie with that much chocolate it has to be good!

I couldn't stop taking pictures of these because they were just so pretty!  

I also couldn't stop eating them! haha

Here's a middle shot.  I love that the chopped pieces of chocolate become a ribbon of chocolate all throughout the cookie.  Especially at the bottom.  It's so delicious!!

Maria shares a few of her tips on how to make your cookies look perfect every time.  I think this batch could use a touch more flour but they were still delicious and great!  

Once your cookies become slightly golden on the edges and lose that dough shine on the top, it's time to pull them out of the oven.  Now you have to work quickly.  Seriously, cookies set so fast.  Right out of the oven bang or drop your cookie sheet a few times on the counter.  This will form those cracks that all the pretty cookies have!

I first added extra chocolate.  I love to add whatever is in the cookie so you know exactly what you're getting on the inside.  So for this cookie I added the same chocolate chunks, grated chocolate and chocolate chips.  Lightly press them into the cookie!

Sprinkle with salt!  Don't overdo it!

This is where Maria is much faster than me.  By this time my cookies are mostly set.  But Maria suggests to use your spatula and slightly press the sides of your cookies to form that perfect circle.  Try it out!  These tips really do make for awesome looking cookies!

Another middle shot of a cookie that the dough was refrigerated for a few hours before baking.  

Speaking of refrigerating your dough vs. not refrigerating, I know that some people absolutely love refrigerating their dough.  I just want cookies once I spend the time making the dough. haha  I usually do not refrigerate my dough but I thought I'd do a little experiment with this batch.

This broken cookie is baked right after making the dough surprisingly fluffy!

This cookie came from dough that rested in the fridge for a few hours before baking.  My preferred method for this recipe!

And this cookie came from dough that rested overnight in the fridge.  Honestly I didn't notice much of a difference for the overnight refrigeration.  I would bake them right after or refrigerate for 2-3 hours in dough balls and then bake.  But like always try all the options and see what you prefer!

Next weeks recipe will be Cake by Courtney's 

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Review the recipe and make sure you have all the ingredients on hand.  Nothing too fancy in this recipe unless you want specialty chocolate.

This post contains affiliate links but all opinions are my own.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-Six Sisters'

The Six Sisters' Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies have a super similar recipe to Lauren's Latest Actually Perfect CCC.  I thought this week could be a two-fer because they are so similar and Six Sisters' is the theme for this months Virtual Cooking Club!  

Even though they are very similar recipes, they do have methods and a few slight measurements that are different.  And guess what!  They taste different too!  Another testament to how recipes, measurements, ingredients and technique really do play a part in cookie baking.  I actually think I prefer Lauren's recipe a little bit more.  But try them both and decide for yourself!

The dough was delicious!  Next week I'm hoping to do a rating for dough, how the cookie was the day of, next day and how it held up refrigerating the dough vs. baking right after mixing.  The Six Sisters' recommend to pile your dough high so its more vertical than horizontal on the pans like the picture above.

That method makes them SO fluffy and pretty!

I mean check out that middle shot!  It's so fluffy!

Maybe I don't need more flour in my cookies I just need to form the dough a different way!  These cookies turned out so pretty!

I also used a mix of milk and semi-sweet and probably should've stuck with semi-sweet like they recommended.  It was fun to try these!  Especially after trying Lauren's!

Sunday I'll be posting about Two Peas and Their Pod's Chocolate Lovers Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe the next recipe on our Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt.  I already did a test bake and I used 3 different kinds of chocolate for it.  I used Guittard milk chocolate chips, Guittard semi-sweet baking chips, and grated Peter's Chocolate.  It was SO yummy!  Definitely get three different kinds of chocolate, no matter what kind you decide to use.

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

Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-Lauren's Latest

When I saw Lauren's Latest, Actually Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies I knew I had to try them.  I mean by the name alone you know someone thinks they are actually perfect and worth trying!  I was super curious about them after reading the recipe.  Melted butter and an extra egg yolk??  I've tried lots of CCC recipes but never with those ingredients.  Especially melted butter.  I've been told to always keep it semi cold!  So I was shocked.  I made the cookie dough half expecting it would be a fail but I was SO impressed.  Oh my goodness!

Like impressed enough to think this might be a front runner in this CCC hunt for me!  The cool thing about CCC is that each recipe is so unique just like peoples tastes and preferences.  A "perfect chocolate chip cookie" to me could be just an ok cookie to you!  That's why we're on this hunt together so you find YOUR own best CCC recipe!  

I followed the recipe exactly but the one thing I wish I would have done differently would have been to add more flour.  The cookies were delicious still but I think they could have been a little less flat and more fluffy with the addition of more flour.

Bake 1 test cookie first use your judgment, remember to not use too much at first.  It's always easier to add more then take away!  Another cool thing about this recipe is Lauren suggest to have it sit at room temp for 20 minutes before you bake it.  Another thing I've never heard of.  I tried a super similar recipe that I'll be sharing as a bonus recipe later this week, but it did not call for the dough to sit and a few other minor changes.  I definitely think I prefer this method and recipe more, they were both delicious but even with the small changes you can tell a difference.  So make both once I post the other recipe and decide for yourself.

I also loved the mixed chips!!  That's what I've done since experimenting a few years ago and I really love and prefer the mix of milk and semi sweet chocolate.  The depth of chocolatey flavor is just too good!  My all time favorite milk chocolate chips are the Guittard brand.  Trust me, try them and realize you're going to need them in your life from then on out! haha

These cookies are soft on the inside, yet perfectly crisp and chewy on the edges.  It really is a recipe that can't be overlooked!

I'd love for you to try it and let me know what you think!  Tag me on Instagram at RuthAnne Strong (@ruthanne.strong) and use the #chocolatechipcookiehuntwithruthanne, you might just get some cookie baking supplies coming to your doorstep! 

Whether you post about them or not try these amazing cookies and 

decide for yourself if they're the best!  You can thank me later! ;) haha

Next weeks recipe will be Two Peas and Their Pod-The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.  Lots of chocolate is involved with these cookies and sea salt so make sure to check the recipe and have all the needed ingredients on hand!

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