Sunday, May 30, 2010

{A Quick Update}

Hi everyone!

I have been baking
a lot these past days, and I have been uploading a lot of my pictures into my laptop. Here's a list of some of the treats I have baked recently: Lemon Bars, Cheesecake, and, yes, more cookies! Actually, I used a basic cookie batter, and one batch has chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. The other batch has chocolate chips and walnuts.




I am going to upload more posts soon!


Wednesday, May 26, 2010

(Chocolate Chip) Cookie Monster


From cinnamon coated snicker doodles to exotic - tasting coconut macaroons, there is at least one cookie which compels one's eyes to go wide in exhilaration at the thought of biting into it. On dull, dreary days, nothing cheers me up as much as a cookie. What kind of cookie makes my heart pump a mile a minute, and makes my adrenaline race? Is it a dainty thumbprint cookie, with a an exquisite jam topping? How about a light and fluffy meringue, that would melt in your mouth at the first bite? If I could eat just one type of cookie for the rest of my life, it would have to be chocolate chip cookies. They are not as elaborate as an adorned sugar cookie, but when it comes to cookies, I gravitate towards the simpler ones. Once you bite into one, your head will spin with all the flavors. Sweet and buttery, with a slight hint of vanilla. Chewy, with gooey chocolate at every bite.

Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter* room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs

The cookies that I made became really ginormous, and we only had about 18. I am sure that you will have even more cookies if you make them smaller (I am going to try to make smaller cookies next time).


1. Set oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius).
2. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Set this mixture aside.
3. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until they are combined thoroughly.


4. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract, and beat them until they are fully mixed.

5. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt mixture.
6. Add 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.


Note: I used an ice cream scoop to put the cookie dough on a cookie sheet. You can also just use a normal spoon to drop the cookies. You can choose what size you want the cookies to be, and it is best to make them 2 or more inches away from each other.



My sister, caught in the act! You can see her hand trying to take some of the chocolate chips. She has a really big sweet tooth!


Some of the cookies were too big, so they stuck to each other a bit. Next time, I am going to put fewer cookies on the tray, and add more space in between them. I might have gotten a bit carried away with the size of the cookies…
If this happens to you, don’t worry! I have a simple little solution – use cookie cutters! Your cookies will end up looking cute, and everyone will want to sneak in one…or two… alright, I admit that I usually take more than three!



These cookies are really easy to make, and my sister wanted to use the heart-shaped cookie cutters.


I learned one more thing – your butter should be room temperature. I forgot to take the butter out of the fridge, and I ended up having to put it in the microwave! I do not recommend doing this, because some of the cookies had little butter bits in them! I love butter (who doesn’t?), but sometimes it is better to eat something without really tasting the butter in them. Before you start baking, make sure the butter is at room temperature! I don’t think I will forget that anytime soon…

A zoom in on my first cookie attempt!
Thirsty? A cold glass of milk has your name on it!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

My First Post as a Blogger!


Hi, and welcome to my blog!

This blog is called Sticky Sweet Messy Treats because my posts will be an account of all the delectable desserts that I plan on making this summer. In fact, the first treat that I made many years ago included plenty of sugar and a very tremendous, very sticky mess! I hope that I will be able to add posts during the upcoming school year, even though this blog is intended to be used only during this summertime (although I am also going to do other things this summer, such as helping my parents with their businesses, and, of course, reading!).

I first wanted to create this blog for personal use, so that I could be able to document all of the things that I baked. As a child, I was not very interested in baking, but as I grew up, I was introduced to a variety of desserts. I realized how much I became fascinated whenever my family members cooked scrumptious meals. I loved noting how a few different items could come together to make something unexpectedly delicious, and I also looked forward to the mouthwatering scents that wafted through our home. I was looking around the house for something new to read, and discovered my mother's cookbooks. I enjoyed gazing at their pictures and reading the different recipes. I told myself that I should try it - what I assembled might even turn out tasting good!

Two years ago, I decided to go ahead and try it. I am glad I took this chance, because I have realized that baking and cooking are things that I really enjoy! I was taught recipes and tricks by my loved ones. After a bit of contemplating, I have decided to let anyone whom I have invited to read my blog. I hope that you pick up a few tips and tricks here and there, and that you might decide to try to whip up some yummy treats one day!

I will include the recipes for all of the desserts that I have made so that you will all be able to make them too. Please feel free to view this blog whenever you feel like it. I hope you can also learn from my mistakes, so whenever you try to bake, your results will be great! Thanks for looking at my blog! Have fun!