Isabel's Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• 1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

Cream the butter until very fluffy, then cream it a little more.  Add the sugars and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Beat in the eggs, on e at a time.  Beat in the vanilla.

Whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three installments, beating well each time.  Stir in the chocolate and nuts.  If you are patient and have the time, refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.  Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until the cookies are firm and lightly colored. Coool on a rack and store in a cookie time for up to one week.

Yield: about 3 dozen.

VERDICT:  I really tried to follow the recipe exactly, because I was promised the best chocolate chip cookies ever, but these still came out super flat.  They have good flavor, but are not structurally sound.  I stand by my position that chocolate chip cookies should only be purchased, not made.  Toss.

Maple-Bourbon Sour

• 6 tablespoons bourbon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup ice
• Additional ice (optional)

Combine bourbon, maple syrup, and fresh lemon juice, stirring well. Pour mixture into a cocktail shaker filled with 1/2 cup ice. Cover and shake. Strain mixture; divide evenly between two glasses. Serve over ice, if desired.

Serves 2; 139 calories.

VERDICT:  I did not like bourbon straight up even a little bit, but I loved this drink, and we had all the ingredients on hand.  Keep.

Red Lentil Dal with Carrot Salad and Coriander Flatbreads

Dal:

• 5 cups water, divided
• 3/4 cup dried small red lentils
• 1 tablespoon canola oil 
• 3/4 cup chopped onion 
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 serrano chiles, minced
• 2 ounces spinach (about 4 cups loosely packed)

Salad:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil 
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups shaved carrot (about 2 large)
• 1 cup thinly vertically sliced onion 
• 1 cup cilantro leaves

Flatbreads:

• 4 1-ouncce pieces refrigerated fresh pizza dough
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Remaining ingredient:

• 1 1/3 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice

To prepare dal, combine 3 cups water and lentils in a bowl. Let stand 20 minutes; drain.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add the chopped onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add ginger and next 6 ingredients (through serranos); sauté for 30 seconds. Add lentils and remaining 2 cups water to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 23 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts.

To prepare salad, combine 2 tablespoons oil, rind, juice, and sugar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add carrot, sliced onion, and cilantro; toss to coat.

To prepare flatbreads, shape each dough portion into a 5-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Coat dough with cooking spray. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Add 2 dough portions to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly charred. Repeat the procedure with remaining dough. Combine coriander and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sprinkle over hot flatbreads. Serve with rice, dal, and salad. 

Serves 4 (1/2 c. dal, 1 c. salad, 1 flatbread, 1/3 c. rice); 410 calories.

VERDICT:  I probably shouldn't have tried to make all of these on a Monday night--I didn't really pay attention to how many components there were--but everything turned out pretty well.  The salad, especially, was lovely--bright and refreshing--and the pizza dough flatbreads were a revelation.  So easy, and the coriander salt was a little addictive.  Keep.

Double-Mint Barley Tabbouleh

• 1 cup pearl barley
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spearmint leaves
• 1/3 cup EVOO
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup shelled salted, toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers

In medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water, barley and 1/2 tsp. salt to boil. Cover, lower heat to low and cook until water is absorbed, about 35 minutes. Fluff with fork and spread out on baking sheet to cool. While barley cooks, puree 1/2 cup mint, EVOO, garlic, and lemon juice in blender. Finely chop remaining 1 cup mint and , in large bowl, toss with cooled barley, parsley, scallions, pistachios, roasted peppers and mint dressing; season.

Makes 6 c.

VERDICT:  I stripped my garden bare of mint and only came up with a scant cup of mint, so this may not have turned out as intended.  It seemed like it took a lot of work--I especially resented getting out the blender for the sauce--and that the resulting tabbouleh that was no better or worse than any other I've had.  Toss.

Peanut Butter

• 1 pound unsalted roasted peanuts, shelled and skinned
• 2 T. oil, preferably peanut

Put the peanuts and oil in a food processor or blender and grind until you have a creamy paste.  Add more oil if necessary to thin.  Make this peanut butter a little thinner than you think it should be, as it will firm up a lot in the refrigerator.

Salt to taste.  Store in a jar in the refrigerator for several months.

Makes 2 c.

VERDICT:  I made a half-batch using some leftover lightly salted peanuts from a jar.  Maybe if I'd shelled and skinned my own, it would taste better, but nothing here convinced me I needed to be making my own peanut butter.  A little grainy, and a lot of scraping peanut butter out of the food processor.  Toss.

Butterscotch Pudding

• 2 1/4 c. milk
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 T. unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. Scotch or bourbon

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil.  Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cream, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until well-blended.

Pour a splash of hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in the remainder of the milk.

Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to thicken, 3 or 4 minutes.  Do not let it boil.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and Scotch.

Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into seven 4- to 6-ounce ramekins.  Chill for at least 4 hours until firm and cold.

Makes 3 1/2 c., to serve 7.

VERDICT:  This went swimmingly until it came time to strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into tiny little ramekins, at which point it turned into a disaster of pudding all over said ramekins as well as the countertop.  I will make this dessert-y pudding again, but think I will either strain into one large bowl and then redistribute, or skip straining altogether.  Keep.

Coffee-Marshmallow Crispies with Chocolate, Cherries & Almonds

• 1 stick  (4 oz.) plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 bags  (10.5 oz. each) mini marshmallows (about 12 cups)
• 5 cups crisped rice cereal
• 2 cups salted roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground coffee (not instant)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 6 ounces dark chocolate chips (1 cup)

Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish with foil; grease lightly. In a 10- to 12-qt. pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add 10 cups mini marshmallows and cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes; remove the pot from the heat. Using a wet spoon or spatula, fold in the rice cereal. Sprinkle in the almonds, cherries, ground coffee and salt; fold quickly to distribute. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips and remaining mini marshmallows; fold gently to distribute.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Using slightly damp hands or a wet spatula, press into an even layer. Let cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

Serves 9.

VERDICT:  Too rich for my taste, plus it cost about $25 to buy all the ingredients.  I do think I'll try stirring in unmelted mini marshmallows into the next batch of regular rice krispie bars I make, though.  Toss.