Friend Request Accepted...

I always like to ask friends what they would like me to make. Friends, family, coworkers, classmates - I want to know what you want, because, as much as I'd like to, I'm not going to eat everything myself. Just a lot of it.

There are some requests that I know by now - anything with peanut butter for Esti (who will certainly get her wish for her birthday on Friday!), anything without peanut butter for Ariel and Sarah, anything with lemon for Racheli, anything with nuts for my parents, anything without nuts for my brother, anything without nuts, mango and citrus fruits for Naomi, anything with blue sugar for Laura (Yes, blue sugar. More on that another day), just about anything for Miriam... and the list goes on.

There are some requests that are not happening (sorry, I don't have all the ingredients for a trifle, it is 2 a.m.) (no, I'm not making you petit fours, I don't have 8 hours) and some times where I make things just for me (or how they make my apartment smell).

But what is the most requested dessert? Well the conversation goes something like this:

Me: What should I make?
You: Chocolate chip cookies!
Me: Seriously? But that's so boring!
You: Uhhhh, sorry?

Because while we all love a great chocolate chip cookie, I don't love making chocolate chip cookies, because, well, they're a bit boring. I'd rather experiment. Try something new. Make something that may end up in the garbage - heck, I wasted 4 hours, 12 eggs and my sanity, but at least it was exciting!

So when I saw this recipe for browned butter chocolate chip cookies, I got excited. Browned butter refers to cooking - "browning" the butter used in a recipe in a pan or skillet before incorporating it with the other ingredients, giving it a nutty, enhanced flavor.
Sounds great, right? Right. But unfortunately me, in my naivete, used margarine instead of butter, which, is a big no-no. Apparently its something in science with the words protein and clarified and particles and things like that - but it didn't work.
So I bow my head in shame, and I'll just have to try these again soon with real butter. Overall, these were a good cookie - just nothing exceptional. I'll post the recipe below for those of you who want to try, otherwise I can always count on these.

If you have a request of your own for me to make - let me know in the comments (or e-mail) and you might see it here soon!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of friend requests, come check me out over at Twitter! If you follow me, you'll get to hear about my obsession with American Idol, how I love to bake in high heels despite the risk, and what ends up on the wall instead of the oven. I'm @BakingMistaking, come visit!


Tip of the Day: I like to shape my drop cookies in the bowl of a tablespoon measurement - they're all uniform, they have a flat bottom so they don't roll around on the tray, and a tablespoon is a good amount for most - not all - cookies.

Recipe: (from the Baking Bites cookbook)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips

Melt butter in a small pan and cook over low-medium heat until turned an amber color.
Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Whisk together with the sugars, eggs and vanilla.
Add the flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt, mix until combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Bake cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets on 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Cool for five minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.