t o m a t o e s & t e q u i l a

I feel that I have not been honest with you. I was looking back through my last couple months of posts and noticed that most of them are very decadent. Lots of cookies, like high altitude chocolate chip cookies; cocktails, like fresh strawberry margaritas; decadent breakfasts, like pineapple upside down pancakes; and just plain bad-for-you things, like pecan sticky buns. You see, I don't really eat like that. My friends and family would tell you that I am normally watching what I eat, I tend to eat light, "California style" foods, and I work out several days a week.

Don't get me wrong, I wish I ate like that - or rather, I wish I could eat like that. But alas, I was not blessed with the metabolism of a super model. Normally when I make these things it is because I want to share something here that is different than my day-to-day meals. I usually eat a small amount of these luscious creations and then send them with the hubby to work for him to share with his coworkers.

I struggle with this. Should my blog be a place to share wonderful, decadent foods that are not typically part of  my "real life?" Or should I share the simple, fresh dishes of my everyday world? I worry that the everyday dishes are too boring. I am constantly focused on so many "dull" things regarding what I eat. Budget, nutritional content, calories, time needed for preparation, and using up food in my kitchen so I waste very little. When I started this blog, I intended to use it as a place to share the dishes of my food fantasy world. I think I have done that. But now that I look back at many of my posts, I am not sure the cumulative effect I have created is representative of "me."

Which brings me to Oatmeal Raisin and Bacon Cookies. Just add these to the list of unnecessary but supremely delicious dishes I have been making lately. The hubby tells me these had mixed reviews at his work. I can see that. Bacon in dessert is not for everyone. But if you want the most perfect combination of savory/sweet, then you have to try these. I have noted the high altitude adjustments below for you fellow mountain-folk. Tell me what ya' think!

OATMEAL RAISIN  AND BACON COOKIES RECIPE
(adapted from bon appetit)

8 slices bacon
1/2  c. (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4  c. firmly packed brown sugar (minus 1 tbl. for high altitude)
1/2  c. granulated sugar (minus 1/2 - 1 tbl. for high altitude)
2  eggs
1  tsp. vanilla
1-1/2  c. all-purpose flour (plus 1/4 c. for high altitude)
1  tsp. baking soda (3/4 tsp. for high altitude)
1  tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2  tsp. salt
3  c. oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1  c. raisins

Heat oven to 350°F.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Chop bacon into a 1/2 inch dice. Add to pan and cook until crispy. When done, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and place onto paper towels to allow the fat to continue to drain off. Set aside. 

While bacon is cooking, in large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins and bacon; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

I have had my ups and downs with high altitude baking since moving to Colorado from California about a year and a half ago. One area, however, that I have continued to struggle with is cookies. Mind you, this is even after reading the cook book Pie in the Sky by Susan G. Purdy from cover to cover (which is considered by many to be the bible of high altitude baking), taking notes on my recipes, adjusting temperatures...anything I could think of. Totally. Did. Not. Work.

There are people here in Colorado who simply say, "Just give up and let it go - you'll never make cookies like you did at sea level here." This makes me really, really sad. I love cookies. I love to bake them, to eat them, to share them. I love to just have them around (though my waist-line does not appreciate this). Cookies are so much a part of me that we baked cookies for our favors at our wedding and passed them out at the end of the night with cold milk.

So, I decided once and for all that I would conquer high altitude cookies. Of course, I naturally decided to make chocolate chip cookies for this endeavor, as I have made them a million times before. And what better place to look for advice on such a topic than the blogo-sphere. I found this great blog post about high altitude cookies. I followed the instructions to a "t", even weighing my ingredients so I could make the most minute changes in the future if needed. One change I made was refrigerating my dough for about a day and a half. I had read in the past that this actually helps with flavor, so I had tried this technique before (at sea level) and found that the dough baked up better. I think it helped with my high altitude-ness as well as flavor.

And (drum roll please....) they were awesome! These cookies had a very delicately crunchy exterior with a super soft inside. I added more chocolate chips than the recipe called for. I love me some chocolate. Obviously, adjust the chocolate to your liking as well. Next time I think I will try upping the temperature from 350 to 375 and see what that does. In the mean time, I have been spontaneously bursting into my "I'm-an-awesome-baker-happy-dance." If you try this recipe (my high altitude brethren), get your happy-dance moves ready cause you're gonna finally have conquered the chocolate chip cookie.

A few tips for high altitude baking:

• Use fresh ingredients
• Little things - like room temp. butter and eggs - are more important for us high altitude folks. We already have the cards stacked against us so take the time to do the little things correctly
• Try refrigerating your dough (for cookies)
• Weigh instead of measure your ingredients - this method is more precise
• Have some milk on hand if you need a splash to loosen dry, tough dough

HIGH ALTITUDE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE
(Gourmet Mom on the Go)

2 sticks butter (at room temp. or slightly softened)
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbl. vanilla
2 eggs (at room temp.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

In a stand mixer, whip butter until creamy, then add both sugars and beat until well blended. Add salt, vanilla & eggs (one at at time, letting each incorporate) with stand mixer on low to medium-low speed. Sift flour and soda (this step is important as it ensures that the flour and soda will be completely incorporated - important for high altitude baking) then add to the butter a little bit at a time, letting the flour incorporate each time before adding more. Add chocolate chips and stir well with a wooden spoon. (This is where I refrigerated for 1 and and half days, just cover with plastic wrap) Bake 8-11 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. (Note: I baked mine for 13 minutes, much longer than the recipe suggested. Just watch the first batch closely and you'll figure out what works for your oven) until edges are barely brown.

Well, the title of this recipe is a mouth full - Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Covered Toffee and Pretzels - but the recipe itself is a synch. Very few ingredients and they all just get tossed in a bowl. No creaming eggs and sugar, slowly adding dry ingredients - nope, this recipe is "everybody in the pool." And, I didn't even have to make adjustments for high altitude. These baked up just fine without any tweaks.

Despite the benefit of how easy these are, what initially attracted me to them was the unique ingredients. Once I thought about it I realized (duh!) that pretzels with their salty bite and chocolate covered toffee with its sweet crunch would go perfectly with peanut butter. Why have I never seen this before in a recipe?! I knew I must make these immediately and it turned out that I had the perfect occasion as a friend was coming over for dinner. They were casual, easy, and super yummy.

FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE COVERED TOFFEE AND PRETZELS RECIPE
(Real Simple Magazine)

2 c.creamy peanut butter
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. each roughly chopped chocolate toffee candy bar and salted pretzels

Heat oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugars, eggs, baking soda, and salt until smooth. Fold in toffee and pretzels.

Shape the dough into balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using the tines of a fork, flatten each ball, creating a crisscross pattern.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until puffed and golden, 10 to 12 minutes (the cookies will deflate as they cool). Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I have officially mastered baking at 7,200 ft. and I'm feelin' pretty good about it. For Christmas I got "Pie in the Sky," by Susan G. Purdy. There is an "adjustment table" in the back of the book that lists adjustments for different altitudes and when followed, yields lovely baked goods void of the frustrating hallmarks of high altitude baking. The funny thing is, when I tried an actual recipe from the book I got the flattest cookies I have ever made - no seriously, flattest EVER. Which resulted in a lot of swearing and stopping around the kitchen.

Anyway - I used to make these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies in California and initially did not have success with them in Colorado. But, I tried again last week and voila - lovely, poofy, moist cookies. I win, high altitude! Take that!

These are seriously awesome too, soft on the inside with a chewy outside. Do try them immediately.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE
(from smittenkitchen, originally adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (+ 8tbl. for high altitude)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda (- 1/4 tsp. for high altitude)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (- 1/8 tsp. for high altitude)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar (- 3 tbl. for high altitude)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk (+ 1 tbl. for high altitude)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I did not have these on hand so I used peanuts and thought the result was wonderful - the peanuts add a nice crunch)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. (I baked for 9 minutes - I like mine cookies slightly undercooked and let them finish on the hot baking tray - this keeps them from drying out or getting hard)

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

 You know when you make something that is totally and completely delicious? And you are enjoying this totally and completely delicious thing when an added layer of perfection hits you? It could come from the texture, or the smell of whatever it is...but there is something that takes it from totally and completely delicious to insanely amazing. That's these cookies.