I’m baaaaaack!

In fact, I’m back in more ways than one.  Back to blogging, back to school, and back in the swing of things.  It’s good to be back.

But let me tell you, being back isn’t all fun and games, rainbows and unicorns, flowers and fairy dust.  In some ways it’s difficult to be back because, by being back, one tends to leave behind aspects of being away.

Back and away are metaphors of our divided lives.  Everyone’s life is a proverbial give-and-take between back and away; as back emerges from the recesses of time, away recedes into the background, as does it’s memory.  Baking and blogging are things I do while away from work and school, so being back makes it more difficult to cling to these pursuits I so love.

However, I’ve decided to resist this typical transition from away to back, and back to away.  Because things get lost in this transition.  Important counterbalances - guilty pleasures versus textbooks, relaxation versus work, long-distance relationships versus cohabitation - compete for attention and our lives become unbalanced.

But isn’t moderation and balance what we all seek?  Can I have my cake and eat it too?  I really hope so.  But in this case, I’ll have my muffins instead.  Chocolate peanut butter muffins with big, cracked muffin tops.

The batter is also utterly fantastic…or so I hear. *ahem*  Yeah, I’ve never, ever eaten batter by the spoonful.  I swear.  That would be so…unsanitary.  You believe me, right?

I want to be back and away.  I want academic success and chocolate peanut butter muffins.  I want to be back at school, back at work, back to the grind, and all the while be away in the kitchen, away blogging, away having fun.  Impossible?  Perhaps.  But I’ll never know unless I try.  In the meantime: stay tuned, because I’m not giving up this blog without a fight.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

Yield: Approximately 9 regular muffins (with huge muffin tops!)

• 1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Splenda (or other sugar substitute, or sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup (100 g) dark chocolate peanut butter (recommended: PB&Co brand)
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup light chocolate soymilk
• 3 Tablespoons (46 g) egg white
• 1 Tablespoon (14 g) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease or line 9 molds in muffin tin.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, sugar substitute, and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together peanut butter, milks, egg white, oil, and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
4. Divide batter amongst 9 prepared muffin molds (which should be nearly full).  Bake for about 18 minutes, or until done.

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I’m alive!

You haven’t heard from me for a long time while so I owe you all an explanation.

It was the computer’s fault, I swear.  You believe me, right?

Now is the moment when you nod your heads in understanding because…well, there’s food ahead.  And you missed visiting my little nook in cyberspace.  At least, that’s what I tell myself.

The computer went caputs, the repair guy (or saint?) came to fix it, and everything is back to normal.  I was baking all along in spite of the technical issue, which means I have some lovely baked goods to share!  If only they could literally be shared; some days, it’s like invasion of the muffins up in my kitchen.

Or like today, invasion of the vanilla cornmeal blondies.

The blondie has long played second fiddle to the rich, gooey, chocolate-y brownie.  But no more.  To make it a fair fight, I had to whip out the vanilla.  Vanilla versus chocolate?  At this point it became an all-out ingredient cagematch.

Do you even need to ask who won?  Take one look at the crispy top, the gooey underlying layer.  Imagine the chewy texture of caramelized brown sugar, the sweet scent and full-bodied flavor of vanilla.   There’s your answer.

Vanilla Cornmeal Blondies

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (144 g)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (120 g)
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed (138 g)
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (125 g)
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted  
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons liquid non-dairy vanilla coffee creamer
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract  

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease an 8″ x 8″ square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal and flour.  Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugars, melted butter, vanilla coffee creamer, egg, and vanilla extract.
4. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.  Evenly smooth batter (it will be thick) into prepared baking pan.
5. Bake 32-35 minutes, or to desired doneness.  Let cool completely before cutting into 9 – 16 bars. 

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I’ve been so caught up in life.

Surely we all get that way sometimes, focused solely on the hectic stimulation that is our personal reality.

We can recite our own day’s events, the price of gas at a local station (depressing, no?), the cause of our dog’s barking at 2 PM, and what’s for dinner.  But sometimes we fail to notice the larger scale goings-on in the world.  As a shameless visitor of CNN.com, I try to stay as semi-updated as possible.  Which is another way of saying I’m out-of-the-loop.  But aren’t we all, to some extent?

This morning I came up for air, so to speak, and oriented myself.  What’s the date?  July 1st.  That was news to me.  2011?  Good, that’s what I thought.

I crawled the web for additional news, conducting a proverbial pulling-your-head-out-of-your-arse.  The date popped back into my head.  July 1…July…July…what’s July?    

It’s National Ice Cream Month, that’s what!  Ice cream is a treat for which few people need an excuse to eat.  But if you’re an ice cream abstainer, you’ve been granted complete permission by whatever credible, epicurean entity arbitrarily selects American food holidays.  Surely they know what they’re talking about.

I’m also sure that ice cream topping is inherent in National Ice Cream Month.  Conveniently I have some that is so easy to make, a monkey could do it. 

(Not that I’m comparing you all to monkeys - an ice-cream-nourished mind can be nothing but brilliant.)

Does anyone remember Magic Shell ice cream topping?  I once was enamored with Magic Shell and the rapidity with which a chocolate syrup could turn into a crunchy, delectable ice cream shell.  It truly was magic…or so I thought.

The ”magic” is merely a display of coconut oil’s physical properties: it hardens at temperatures below 76 degrees Fahrenheit and softens above that.  I had been duped!

Deliciously duped.

Funfetti Cake Magic Shell         

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 3 Tablespoons Funfetti cake mix (23 g)
• Additional sprinkles, as desired

1. Whisk together melted coconut oil, cake mix, and additional sprinkles in a small bowl.  Serve over ice cream.

*Note: The sprinkles will sink to the bottom of the magic shell, so scoop them up as you garnish ice cream.

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Chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo!

Neeeeeeeeeeeeerooo!

What the…?

Let me explain.

During my infancy, meal times were littered with sounds of transportation mechanisms (The former was a train, and the latter, a plane.  My onomatopoeia for a plane is admittedly a tad sketchy.).  Imagine a spoonful of baby food coming straight towards your face, the spoon veering toward you like a vehicle, and an adult imitating mechanical noises as they encouragingly maneuver the spoon into your mouth.  It’s understandable; what baby wouldn’t need encouragement to eat puréed food? 

When I recently came across Martha Stewart’s spoon-shaped cookies, I immediately thought of my parents playing this game with me.

All along, I’d mistakenly thought my days of consuming mush had come to an end.  Many of us adults have unknowingly retained a vestige of childhood within our diets; just look around!  Applesauce, smoothies, nut butters, mashed potatoes, canned pumpkin, soft-serve ice cream, pudding, tomato sauce, yogurt - it’s all mush.  This strawberry soup, aside from the cookie spoons, is no exception.      

Keep up the mush-eating.  After all, there’s a child inside all of us.  Whip out your sparklers and have a great Fourth of July!

Strawberry Soup with Cinnamon Cookie Spoons

Inspired by Martha Stewart

Cinnamon Cookie Spoons:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (120 g)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (120 g)
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for rolling* (90 g)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar* (96 g)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (56 g)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (56 g)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Strawberry Soup:

• 1 bag (16 ounces) unsweetened strawberries, frozen
• 1 cup fat-free frozen whipped topping, plus extra for topping* (56 g)
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar* (60 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum** (optional)
• Blueberries, for topping

1. To prepare the cookie spoons, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 - 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk together flours, sugars, and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Set aside.
2. In a small separate bowl, combine oil, butter (or margarine), and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and stir.  Add water until dough comes together.
3. Place dough on a surface dusted well with confectioners’ sugar.  With your hand, press dough into a circle roughly 3/8-inch thick.  Cut spoon shapes out of dough using Martha’s cookie spoon template.  Place on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet.
4. To prepare the strawberry soup, empty frozen strawberries into a large microwavable bowl.  Defrost in microwave 3.5 – 4.5 minutes, or until slightly soft but still coated with some frost.
5. Place strawberries in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Add whipped topping,confectioners’ sugar, and xanthan gum (if using).  Blend until completely incorporated.  Divide into cups or bowls and top with blueberries and additional whipped topping.  Serve alongside cinnamon cookie spoons.   

*Variation: Veganize the recipe by using either a homemade or store-bought vegan whipped topping in the soup, as well as vegan margarine in the cookies.  Also feel free to replace both the powdered and regular sugar with vegan alternatives. 

**Note: Xanthan gum is a thickening agent.  Adjust consistency as desired.

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Father’s Day is fast approaching and it’s got me thinking.  My dad does a lot, including but not limited to lawn mowing, grocery shopping, meat grilling, hard working, and general handyman-ing.  In a more sentimental mood, he’ll even dabble in advice giving.  

Sure, his jokes are eye-rollers.  Some dads come home from work smelling neutral.  Mine comes home smelling like artificial watermelon gum.  Some dads can cook.  Mine re-heats.  Needless to say, he has quirks. 

But you know what?  I still love him so much.  I’ve developed a gag reflex for artificial fruity smells, but that doesn’t stop me from hugging him.  And if I’m lucky he’ll spit out the gum.  

While my dad is…uh, different, most dads are alike in one respect: they like food.  So why not pay them hommage with a stellar sandwich this Father’s Day?  Or, in my father’s case, sandwiches.

The sandwich features barbecue pulled chicken and cheese in a maple hamburger bun.  Though maple may seem like an odd flavoring choice, it pairs wonderfully with the sweetness of barbecue and tang of cheese.  The maple hamburger buns are but easels, and you, their artist.

They would so take Wendy’s Baconator to a whole ‘nother level.

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches on Maple Hamburger Buns

Maple Hamburger Buns:

• 2 to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (240 – 360 g)
• 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (180 g)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (144 g)
• 2 packages (0.25 ounces each) instant yeast
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 Tablespoons salted butter
• 4 teaspoons maple extract

Maple Butter Glaze:

• 2 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons sugar-free/regular pancake syrup or pure maple syrup

Sandwiches:

• 8 maple hamburger buns
• 8 slices American or other preferred cheese (optional)
• 8 servings barbecued pulled chicken (such as this, or this, or this)

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, and yeast.  Set aside.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg and maple extract.  Set aside.
2. Scald milk over medium stovetop heat.  Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until completely melted.  Let mixture cool until it reaches 105 – 110 degrees F.
3. Using an electric mixer with dough hooks, add egg mixture and milk mixture to dry ingredients.  Add additional flour as necessary until a soft, moist dough forms.  Transfer dough to a lightly-floured countertop and knead several times.  Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and let rise, covered, for an hour or until doubled in size.
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Divide and shape dough into 8 balls.  Place 4 dough pieces on each baking sheet and cover with damp towels or plastic wrap.  Let rise an additional 30 to 60 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare maple butter glaze by stirring together melted butter and pancake/maple syrup.  Bake each batch for about 13 minutes.  With about 3 – 5 minutes of bake time remaining, brush buns with maple butter glaze.
6. Cut buns in half and fill with prepared barbecue pulled chicken.  Top chicken with a slice of cheese (if desired).   

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Buttah.

It’s name evokes imagery of smooth richness. 

Buttah (AKA butter) is awesome.  It’s fantastic.  It’s a stick of lipid gold. 

Put a peanut in front of it, and you get one of the best darn things on this planet.  Peanut buttah.

Ah, yes.  Spreadable, slatherable, dippable, and lickable, peanut butter is an extremely versatile ingredient.  It also has many means of transporation: the knife, the Oreo, the bread, the apple, and, most unhygienic yet delicious, the finger.  Alas, this time I settled for the knife.

Because I was makin’ peanut butter brownies.  Vegan peanut butter brownies.

Often when I tell people something is vegan, one of two things happens.  A, they break free from the proverbial food restraint chains because vegan is commonly (and sometimes erroneously) associated with ”healthy.”  Or B, I might as well have announced I was serving them cardboard.

But these peanut butter brownies neither epitomize health food nor taste like the large cardboard boxes I played in as a child.  Rather, they’re reminiscent of a melty Reese’s peanut butter cup with interlacing tones of peanut butter and chocolate.  You would never know they have Heineken beer in them…shhhh.  

It’s peanut butter brownie time.

Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies

• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (90 g)
• 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (90 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed (275 g)
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons dark chocolate peanut butter (144 g)
• 1/4 cup + 3 Tablespoons natural smooth peanut butter (112 g)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (112 g)
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Heineken or other vegan beer
• 1 ounce (about 2 Tablespoons or 28 g) vegan semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8″ x 8″ pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together brown sugar, peanut butters, oil, beer, melted chocolate chips, and vanilla.  Add mixture to dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
4. Spread and press mixture (which will be thick) evenly into prepared pan.  Smooth top with a spatula.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until edges are golden and the center’s surface appears done.  Bottom layers of brownie should be underdone.  Let cool completely before cutting. 

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The manual method of bread-making is unparalleled by any Bread Machine. 

Bread-making is a captivating experience: the texture of a pliable dough, the yeasty smell of rising bread, the beautiful aesthetics of a golden crust. 

You know what’s not so captivating?  Baking up a big, fragrant loaf of bread, only to cut into it and find a massive doughy spot running through the middle.  It’s physically painful.

Just look at the golden, honey buttered crust of this lemon bread.  Alas, the seemingly perfect loaf has but one flaw: a dough spot.  See it?  Yeah.  Boo, hiss.  Be aware that, although I’m writing 10 extra minutes into the recipe’s baking time, more time may be necessary to completely bake it through.  And trust me, you want this baby baked through because it is beyond delectable.  Even if you’re not a lemon fan.

A single bite produces a gentle, tickling note of sweet lemon.  The smooth honey butter with which it is glazed complements the lemon and adds another dimension of flavor.  No, I’m hardly a food critic…but I know good food when I taste it.

Taking a quick look at the ingredient list, one might be surprised at the inclusion of a peach-flavored beer.  Let me explain.  Several days ago my family hosted a large party and, knowing the wide variety of tastebuds that would attend, bought an assortment of beers.  After the party (a mere two beers later), my rarely-spirits-drinking family was left with a fridgeful of cold ones. 

Hence, peach-flavored beer apparently tastes great in lemon yeast bread.  Stay tuned for the upcoming brewski adventures.

Lemon Yeast Bread

Dough:

• 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 package (0.25 ounces) active dry yeast
• 1 package (0.25 ounces) instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Seagram’s Peach Fuzzy Navel flavored beer
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Zest of 3 large lemons

Honey Butter Glaze:

• 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon mild-flavored honey
• lemon zest, cinnamon, or additional flavoring (optional)

1. Zest lemons.  In a small bowl, mix lemon juice and beaten egg and set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.
3. In a small pan over medium heat, cook peach-flavored beer until it bubbles begin to form.  Add butter and stir until completely melted.  Remove mixture from heat and let cool to 105 – 110 degrees F (I put it in the freezer over a bed of ice cubes to speed the cooling process).
4. Whisk both packages of yeast into dry ingredient mixture and quickly add lukewarm butter mixture.  Add egg mixture and lemon zest.  Using an electric mixer with dough hooks, mix until a smooth elastic dough forms.  Add additional water or flour as needed.
5. Let dough rise 1 hour, covered in a lightly-oiled large bowl, in a warm place.  Punch air out of dough and let rise in refrigerator, covered tightly in a non-metal bowl, overnight (8-12 hours).  If a dry crust forms over dough, brush water or oil over it and allow moisture to absorb.
6. Punch air out of dough and form a loaf.  Place loaf in a lightly-oiled bread pan.  Tightly cover bread pan and let sit in a warm place 60-90 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Fashion a large, vaulted tent out of aluminum foil.  Surround loaf with tent (without allowing aluminum and dough to touch) and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove tent and continue baking for an additional 25-35 minutes.  Rotate loaf 180 degrees halfway through baking.
8. Mix together melted butter, honey, and any additional desired flavorings.  Immediately after removing from oven, brush loaf with honey butter.

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I love my Belgian waffle-maker.  For nearly a year, it’s been a trusty appliance that’s yielded many perfect, fluffy waffles.

Unfortunately, what I’m about to share with you is the waffle-maker’s nemesis.

They’ll turn your Belgian wafflemaker into a hot mess, your kitchen countertop a site of a flour-bomb explosion, and your hands a dirty receptacle for cinnamon sugar.  Ooey gooey innards will caramelize into a crisp, sugary layer on the wafflemaker, shortly thereafter requiring a date with soap, water, and a toothbrush.  The countertop will soon become acquainted with Bounty paper towels.  And, short of wearing a pair of gloves, maintaining clean hands is futile. 

But let me tell you, it is so worth it. 

A yeastless sweet dough is brushed with butter, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and toffee bits, rolled up, cut, and squashed mercilessly between hot griddles.  Thus toffee cinnamon roll waffles are born, emerging from the hostile womb of a Belgian waffle-maker. 

Just don’t peek into the waffle iron’s crevices.  Enjoy food now, worry about clean-up later.

Toffee Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Yield: About 11 waffles

Dough:

• 3-1/2 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (420 – 480 g)
• 1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk powder (23 g)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup mild-flavored honey (84 g)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar (36 g)
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed (28 g)

Filling:

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed (56 g)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon toffee bits

Glaze:

• Confectioners’ sugar
• Water
• Pure vanilla extract (optional)

1. Preheat Belgian waffle iron on medium heat setting.
2. To prepare filling, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, buttermilk powder, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, honey, butter, egg, and sugars.  Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir until incorporated.  Add additional flour, if necessary, to create a soft, moist dough.
4. On a floured surface, knead dough a couple times.  Roll dough into a 15″ x 10″ rectangle and brush with melted butter.  Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top, followed by the toffee bits.  Starting at the long side, roll dough into a log.
5. For 1.5″-thick waffle irons, cut rolls into 1.5″ pieces.  For 1″-thick waffle irons, cut into 1″ pieces.  Grease iron well with cooking spray.  Before cooking four at a time, begin with a single test waffle.  I cooked mine for 1.5 – 2 minutes on low medium heat setting, but you may need to adjust time/temperature to suit your wafflemaker.  After cooking test waffle, cut into middle to check doneness.  Adjust time/temperature accordingly so rolls cook through (if golden brown on outside by undercooked inside, reduce temperature setting and increase time, or vice versa).  Repeat with remaining cinnamon rolls.
6. To prepare glaze, stir together confectioners’ sugar and water until desired consistency is reached.  If desired, add vanilla to taste. 

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They say third time’s a charm, but they’re wrong.  It’s the second.

Ever reread a book?  Or watch a really great movie twice?

Surely you’ve made a great recipe a second time?  Or gone back for seconds at a meal?

Things make more sense, seem more profound, and even taste better.  Second time’s a charm.

Which is why I simply had to post a recipe with Oreos again.

It truly felt strange to have a container of Oreos sitting around, untouched, for several days.  I even constructed a Post-It sign to ward off potential Oreo predators: “NOT FOR CONSUMPTION!”  One of the Oreo predators scratched out the “NOT” in my warning, but despite the passive antagonism, left the chocolate wafer cookies alone.  With all the circling cookie monsters, it’s a wonder I could sleep at night.

But sleep I did.  And in my sleep, I dreamt of Oreos.  They beckoned to me, haunted me like frosting-filled ghosts.

Then one night, it came to me.  Oreo muffins with Oreo streusel!  In all likelihood, I drooled on my pillow because the idea was too delicious not to.

Don’t even tell me you’ve never drooled on your pillow before.

Streusel Oreo Muffins

Yield: About 10-12 muffins 

Muffins:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2-3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 8-12 Oreos, coarsely crushed

Streusel:

• 2 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons butter, diced
• 4 Oreos, finely crushed

1. Preheat oven to 385 degrees F.  Grease or line muffin tin with liners.
2. To prepare streusel, stir together flour, sugar, and finely crushed Oreos in a small bowl.  Cut in butter until consistency becomes like coarse meal.  Refrigerate 10 minutes.
3. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
4. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, stirring between additions.  Add vanilla.
5. Add flour all at once.  Mix on low speed for a few seconds, then add milk and continue mixing just until incorporated.  Fold in crushed oreos. 
6. Divide batter between 10-12 muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full.  Evenly sprinkle Oreo streusel atop batter.
7. Bake 16-18 minutes, or until done.

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Willpower is not merely a word; it is the underlying force that drives human action and reaction.

Willpower is both the power to suppress and the power to incite.

Willpower, or lack thereof, is smothering my ability to review for final exams.  It’s the reason I woke up at 10:30 this fine Saturday morning.  It’s the reason there’s a pile of dishes next to the sink, begging to be cleaned.

Despite the limits of willpower, it’s also why I love to run.  To be able to accomplish so much despite physical discomfort feels empowering.  When you think, How am I going to survive this last 800-meter repeat? and you end up running it faster than all those prior; well, that’s satisfaction in its purest form.

Certainly, willpower has an endless number of applications to everyday life.  The first thing that comes to mind when one says willpower is often dessert.  We’re talking cake, scones, pastries, cinnamon rolls, pie, cookies, the whole shebang.  Due to their easy preparation and relatively high availability, cookies in particular present a test of willpower.

Sure, one cookie is fine.  Assuming they’re moderately-sized, even two or three won’t hurt.

But beyond the threshold of three is a point of no return, my friends.  Many of you have likely been there.  An utterly tantalizing, freshly baked cookie is the “gateway confection” of all desserts.  It’s as slippery a slope as if someone slathered oil on a slip-and-slide.

Or in this case, butter and crushed Oreos. 

But, then again, doesn’t skidding perilously along plastic coated with softened butter, mushed white frosting, and chocolate wafer crumbs sound like fun?  Perhaps this proverbial test of willpower is an opportunity to let loose a little.  Ever feel really tired at the end of the work/school week?  Like you just want to unwind with a cookie?  Or ten?

Then come ride the Oreo cookie slip-and-slide.

Cookies and Cream Cookies

Yield: about 14 medium cookies

• 1-1/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (165 g)
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch (8 g)
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup light butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (144 g)
• 1-3 Tablespoons egg white, or until dough comes together
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract  
• 5-6 Oreo cookies, crushed 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
3. With an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed just until smooth.  Add egg white and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture and stir until combined.  Stir in Oreos.  Refrigerate dough 10 minutes.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, distribute six evenly-spaced dough portions on one baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes (I found 11 minutes to be about perfect, and keep in mind, they should be slightly underbaked).  Let cookies cool on pan until set.
6. Repeat step 5 with remaining dough, refrigerating dough between each batch.

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