THE BACKSTORY
During the first few weeks of each academic semester I distribute a midterm feedback survey to my students to solicit their comments on how they think the course / my teaching is going.  One of the most typical responses I usually get on these surveys goes something like this "Mike when are you going to bake for us!?!" 

In my ENES 102 course during the fall 2019 semester, I came across a similar comment:  "Please bake white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies on 11/13".  At first I got a good chuckle from this comment,  but then I came to the conclusion that because the request was so uniquely polite and specific, I just had to honor it!

It turns out that the request was made by a student who's birthday was on 11/13.  I hope that they enjoyed their special treat as much as I enjoyed trying out this delicious recipe!

SOURCES
I used a recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction as inspiration for this endeavor.  You can find the original recipe here:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/super-chunk-white-chocolate-macadamia-nut-cookies/

YIELD
I found that the recipe makes about 30 or more cookies.  

COOKIE DOUGH INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour* 
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted + slightly cooled
• 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla flavor
• 1.25 cups of white chocolate chips
• 1 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts*
• Parchment Paper*

*It might be useful to invest in a small kitchen scale to help with measuring things like flour, just to make sure you get the perfect amount.  
*Parchment Paper:  I use parchment paper every time I bake to assist with cleanup and to make the whole baking process easier.  I'd definitely recommend it here as well. 

*WHAT KIND OF MACADAMIA NUTS DID I USE?
I purchased a 10 oz package of roasted and salted macadamia nuts from Target for this recipe.  The recipe had originally called for 1/2 teaspoon of salt, but I feel that this could be considered optional because the nuts themselves are roasted with salt already.  

WHY MELTED BUTTER?  
Using melted butter in cookies produces an extra buttery flavor as well as a chewier texture.  That being said, you've got to be careful using melted butter because it can create runny / melted cookies.  That is why chilling the cookie dough will be paramount.  

I used butter straight from the refrigerator, and melted it in a standard bowl by microwaving it for 1 minute on medium heat.  At the end of the 1 minute, I removed the bowl from the microwave, used a whisk to stir the butter, and microwaved it for another minute on medium power.  Be careful not too "boil" the butter or melt it too much, slow and steady wins the race.  Let the butter cool for a while before adding it to the other ingredients, because if it is too hot it can cook your eggs, which would probably make the cookies turn out pretty terrible!

CHILLING THE DOUGH FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS IS IMPORTANT
I definitely messed this part up when I first made the cookies.  if you do not chill the dough enough, you'll end up with puddles rather than cookies.  Be patient and plan to chill the dough for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.  Remember, good things come to those who wait!  Also, while the cookies bake, you should transfer any unused dough back into the refrigerator to ensure that the dough stays chilled!

DIRECTIONS 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour into dry ingredients and mix everything together with a rubber spatula until completely combined.
5. Fold in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. (You can use a mixer for this step if needed.)
6. Cover and chill the dough (or transfer to a plastic / ziploc bag) and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 4 days.  When I first made this recipe I put the dough in the refrigerator for only 2 hours, and found that the cookies tended to melt and spread out easily in the oven.  Personally, I'd recommend refrigerating the dough overnight, or for as long as you can so that you achieve the best results.  
7. Use a cookie dough scooper to form the cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and arrange the dough about 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
8. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes or until they are lightly browned on the sides.  *While the cookies bake, you should transfer any unused dough back into the refrigerator to ensure that the dough stays chilled!
9. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 3 to 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.  To enhance the look of the cookies, feel free to press some white chocolate chips into the dough as they come out.  
10. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

ENJOY!

INTRODUCTION
While cookies are definitely my favorite sweet treat, I also am a big fan of brownies, especially they fudgy kind.  The fudgier the better!
I scoured the internet looking for the best "fudgy" brownie recipe, and I eventually came across one that had the following description:

"These chocolaty brownies have dense, fudgy middles and crinkly tops. They aren’t overly sweet. If you are like us and find yourself reaching for darker chocolate over milk chocolate, these are most certainly for you. They are one-bowl and come together in minutes. There’s also a good chance you already have all the ingredients on hand."

While there are a lot of good things in that description, they honestly hooked me at "dense, fudgy middles"...

SOURCE
The recipe I used was adopted from one used by Adam and Joanne Gallagher
https://www.inspiredtaste.net/24412/cocoa-brownies-recipe/​

YIELD
I found that the recipe makes about 12 or so brownies.  

INGREDIENTS

• 10 tablespoons (145 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch-process
• 1/4 rounded teaspoon kosher salt, use slightly less if using fine sea or table salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large cold eggs
• 1 tablespoon of Nutella
• 1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour​
• 1 cup of mini-marshmallows, optional
• Aluminum Foil and Parchment Paper*

*Parchment Paper:  I use parchment paper every time I bake to assist with cleanup and to make the whole baking process easier.  I'd definitely recommend it here as well.  Lining the pan with aluminum foil and parchment paper makes cleaning up a breeze for this recipe!  

DIRECTIONS 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F
2. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Leave a bit of an overhang on two opposite sides. (This will help you remove the baked brownies when done.)
3. Add water to a medium saucepan so that it is a few inches inches deep. Heat the water until it just starts simmering.
4. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and the salt in a medium heat-safe bowl.  (I used my big metal mixing bowl)
5. Rest the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water.  Make sure the bowl is not touching any water, if so just pour some water out.  
6. Stir the mixture occasionally until the butter has melted and the mixture is quite warm.  *The mixture will look quite grainy to start, but don;t worry, it'll look much smoother when you add the other ingredients! 
7. Remove the bowl from heat and set aside for 3 to 5 minutes until it is only warm, not hot.
8. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon or spatula. 
9. Then, add the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.
10. Here is where I added the Nutella to try and sweeten the mixture a bit and add some extra flavor.  
11. When the batter looks thick, shiny and well blended, add the flour and stir until the mixture is fully incorporated.
12. The recipe then says to beat this mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula for 40 to 50 strokes to thicken the batter.  *Beat vigorously so that you begin to see the brownie batter pulling away from the sides of the bowl (if you do not have the strength to do this by hand, use an electric mixer).
13. Stir in the white chocolate chips, nuts or any other ingredients you think might be nice.
14. Pour and spread the mixture evenly in lined pan.
    
15. Bake the brownies for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out almost clean (you want it to be a little moist with batter).  According to my source recipe, they said it might be necessary to bake the brownies a bit longer, possibly 10 minutes.  Just keep an eye on the "doneness" of the brownies and use the toothpick test as your guide.
16. After I deemed the brownies to be mostly done, I covered the top of the brownies with miniature marshmallows.  Place the mixture back into the oven and set to broil, watch the marshmallows and remove the mixture once the marshmallows have become nice and toasted on the top.  
    
17. After the marshmallows have been browned, remove the brownies from the oven and then cool them completely. 
    
18. For the cleanest lines when cutting, place the brownies into the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up. Cut into squares.

Here is a pointer from the creators of this recipe that seems pretty important to mention:

• "Some readers have had problems with the fat separating during baking. Since the recipe calls for so much butter and so little flour, it is vital that the batter is beaten vigorously enough so that it emulsifies. Otherwise, you risk the fat seeping out when baking in the oven. Just after adding the flour, you should be beating for about 40 strokes until the batter becomes very thick and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl."  

ENJOY!

Snickerdoodles are one of my all time favorite cookies.  This recipe was originally given to me by my Mom, so thanks Mom!


YIELD
I find that the recipe makes about 36 cookies.  

COOKIE DOUGH INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine sticks
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar ( found with spices)

WHAT IS CREAM OF TARTAR?
You might be asking yourself what in the world is "cream of tartar"?  It almost sounds like tartar sauce.... but don't worry!
Cream of Tartar is actually a pretty common spice that you can find in almost every grocery store spice isle.  It is usually included in baking recipes to help activate the baking soda.  In fact, "baking powder" is actually a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar in a 1:2 ratio.  

CINNAMON SUGAR INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*Parchment Paper:  I use parchment paper every time I bake to assist with cleanup and to make the whole baking process easier.  I'd definitely recommend it here as well.  

DIRECTIONS FOR COOKIE DOUGH

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat the margarine or butter with an electric mixer on medium / high speed for about 30 sec or until softened. 
3. Add about half of the flour to the softened butter and mix together slowly.    
4. Add the sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and cream of tartar to the mixer and mix together.  
5. Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated.    
6. Add in the remaining flour and mix together the ingredients.  
7. After everything is well mixed together, chill the dough in a covered bowl for about 1 hour.

COAT THE COOKIES IN CINNAMON SUGAR AND BAKE

1. In a shallow dish combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon.   Mix together with a fork to form the cinnamon sugar.  
2. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and shape the dough into 1-inch balls
3. gently the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture enough to coat the outside evenly
4. Place the balls of cookie dough about 2 inches apart onto an un-greased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
5. Bake the cookies in a 375 degree oven for 10-11 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. 
6. Let the cookies rest on the pan for a few minutes and then transfer them to cool on wire racks.

ENJOY!
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