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Cookies for Two

I love cookies.

In fact, that's precisely the problem. I really, really like cookies- and when I bake a batch, I can't stop eating them. "It would be wrong to leave them here to go to waste!" I'll say to myself, justifying my repeated indulgence in that unmistakable crispy crumble and warm gooey center. YUM!

Last night, an overwhelming craving for chocolate chip cookies overcame me. You know the angel and devil scenario,
"Oh, they'll be so delicious...Why don't you just make a batch now!"
"Don't do it, Jennifer! You'll just eat the whole thing and you know it! Self control!"

And then it hit me...Why can't there be a middle ground to settle this moral dilemma? What if I make enough batter for just TWO cookies?! By God, I think I'm on to something!

This recipe is the most amount of perfection. You can make it in a cereal bowl and it's easy as...well...cookies! It makes just two, so you can have one yourself and save the other for that special someone. Or in my case, pack the other in Tupperware for tomorrow's lunch.

In any case, try out this recipe the next time you're feeling the urge for chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven. It's a great recipe to keep on hand if you have an unexpected guest for dinner!

Cookies for Two:

2 tablespoons of butter

2 firmly packed tablespoons of dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1 egg yolk - discard or set aside egg white for a different use

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 cup of all-purpose flour

3 heaping tablespoons of semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat butter just until it starts to melt and is softened. Blend softened butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla together by hand. Add egg yolk and stir again. Add baking soda and flour and stir until combined. Then stir in chocolate chips. 

Form cookie dough into two balls and place on baking sheet. The cookies will spread during baking, so make sure they are several inches apart. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.

Remove baking sheet from oven and give the baking sheet a firm, but careful bang on the counter top. This will deflate the cookie and give it a perfect wrinkly appearance.

(I know what you're thinking... "Jenn, those cookies are bigger than your face! That's like eating four cookies, not one!" ... You know what I say to that? "You're exactly right!...Now shut up and eat!")

The Legendary Sauce

Here it is everyone. You've heard all about it. Finally, the day has come. My personal, homemade, Mrs. Solazzo’s inspired, Marinara Sauce. For years, I have been trying to replicate my mom’s sauce always never coming to par with her taste and quality. BUT the day has finally come… well it’s pretty close but still nothing will ever compare to her sauce. NEVERTHELESS, I think this might be the closest I could get without growing long brown hair, wearing heels, and sounding like I’m straight from Brooklyn.

My mom is the best cook I know. Now that I think about it, there has never been a time when I didn’t enjoy her cooking. Every time I come home, I know I’m gonna get a delicious homemade meal. And I can’t explain it but it always makes me feel 10 times better. It could be that I’m just home with my family, or it could be the drugs she crushes on top of the pasta (just kidding… I hope), either way something reminds me that I’ll be ok. It must be the mama’s touch. The other day, I was walking home with my friends and I heard my friend’s heels clack on the ground and I instantly felt relaxed and settled. I told my friend later that my mom always wears heels and it reminded me of home. Although it was an extremely awkward moment when she thought I considered her motherly, it made me realize how much I miss my family. OK! I’m a momma’s boy. I admit it. Anyway, I knew it was time to make something in her honor. And here it is; my mom’s inspired homemade sauce. I hope you enjoy this sauce and feel the same warmth in your heart as I did.  

The sauce is relatively easy to make. I would like to share some helpful hints before I give you the recipe. Sauce reminds me of wine a bit. The longer it sits (on the stove), the better it gets. The best sauce I ever had was when my mom made sauce when she woke up and let it sit on the stove (on low heat) all day. Even my friend Annie Betz, whom I have been friends with since we met freshman year at orientation, agrees with me when we made it the other day. We were so anxious to taste the sauce that we had a spoonful every 15 minutes. And BY GOLLY, I was right. The sauce got better and better as it sat on the stove. However, if you’re in a rush, sauce can take as little as 20-30 minutes to make. Another helpful hint I would like to add is… when I make sauce I always throw some sort of meat in there, such as sausage or meatballs. The meat adds a lot of flavor to a sauce and gives it a little more body to it. And on the plus side, the sausage or meatballs soaks up all of that sauce and tastes even more delicious.

Thank you all for reading our blog, Shut Up and Eat. We really appreciate all of the comments and likes on facebook. Please feel free to comment below to tell us what you think or follow us on Twitter for updates. You can also submit your e-mail on the side bar to receive e-mails every time we post! Now, Shut Up and Eat.

Bon Appetite,

Dom

The Legendary Sauce:

Click here for the PRINTABLE VERSION!

Ingredients:

2 cans of Crushed Tomatoes

4 sweet (or hot) sausage links

½ medium sized red onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 Tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbls. Fresh (or dried) Basil, chopped

Spices: Garlic powder, Emril’s Original Essence Seasoning, Crushed Red Pepper, Oregano, Italian Herb Seasoning. Add about 2 tsp. of each to sauce, to taste.

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Description:

To start, you have to cook the sausage a little bit so the raw meat doesn’t mix with your sauce. In a medium-large sauce pan, heat up the olive oil on medium heat. Throw the sausage on when the pan starts to get hot and wait for it to brown on all sides, flipping them over occasionally for a couple of minutes.

After that has cooked, throw in the red onion and garlic and let them brown as well (2-3 minutes). Once everything is browned, open the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and pour slowly into the pot… At this point I would put on an apron because sauce is notorious for spilling everywhere.

Stir the crushed tomatoes in with the sausage, onions, and garlic and change to low heat. After that, it’s time to spice it up, Emril Style. BAM! Place all of your spices into the pot including the chopped basil. Remember that not all of these spices are necessary and can be changed with spices that are more desirable to your palate.

Stir in all of your herbs and let the sauce rest on the stove for at least 20 minutes, uncovered. Like I said, you can leave the sauce on the stove all day if you wanted to… checking and stirring it occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom. My mom uses this stove plate that she places under the pot that keeps the sauce from burning… I have to get one of those. 

Anyways, let the sauce cook for as long as you want and place it on every kind of meal you can think of. I use it for pasta (of course), mix in with veggies and rice... (Quinoa and Roasted Veggies Recipe), chicken parm, anything your heart desires. And if you can't think of anything to use it with simply put it in some tupperware and place it in the freezer. It's always good to have some extra sauce ready to eat... except when its jarred and from a store. Then no, it's not good. I hope you all enjoy my legendary sauce! 

Now, Shut Up and Eat.