Friday, March 07, 2008

Free stuff- it's better than food!

I might have told a few of you that I would be doing some give-aways. So, without further ado, here is how you can win a $25 gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma (where you can finally get the set of 3 fuzzy chicks you've been dying for!).

It's a showdown.

Pick one of the recipes that I have posted (it doesn't have to be one you have made). In the comments section for that recipe, tell me about a recipe that is similar in some way, but superior to the one I blogged about. And don't forget to post your actual defending recipe.


For example, you could oppose my favorite brownie recipe with your favorite brownie recipe. OR maybe the similarities between my recipe and yours would be less obvious- just explain what they have in common and why you think your recipe is better. Then prepare for my brownie to beat your brownie up, because it will.


The winner will be chosen randomly from all the contest entries. But, since I am making up the rules as I go, if your entry is especially entertaining or convincing then maybe you will be entered twice. The deadline for entries is in one week- March 15th at 11:59 pm.

9 comments:

Sara said...

Count me in. I just need some time to peruse the site and come up with my own outstanding recipe that will clobber yours (even though that may prove impossible?!?!) :)

Deborah said...

You have a couple of sugar cookie recipes listed, but I still think mine is best! Actually, it's my mom's recipe, so I can't take the credit, but no matter how many other recipes I try, this one always wins out for me!! You can find it here. I hope that link worked!

Sara said...

Well, after much perusing, I have decided that most of the recipes I make come from you. (which makes posting any of them totally pointless). However, I did find one recipe that I think might do the trick--although I may have already given this one to you.

Chocolate Chip Cookies:

I tried making your chocolate chip cookies yesterday, and they were ok, but, personal bias aside, I have to say that I like mine better. I like a bit more substance to my cookies. Nothing is better than a big, soft cookie with a tall glass of milk (especially if it's your toddler's whole milk...yum)

2 sticks butter
1 egg
1 Tbsp molasses

Cream together then add

2 1/2 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Cream together

1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Mix until just combined then add your chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Caucasian Kimmy said...

holly-do we do our opposing here on this comments page? if so here is mine.

I'm pretty sure my chocolate chip cookies are part of their own food group. the food group of awesome. the biggest difference between yours and mine is that mine are extremely gooey, melty, and they bite back (if you know what I mean).

Ok so here's my recipe for chocolate chip cookies. To be fair and honest it's just a variation of the tollhouse recipe, but the variations are good. here goes:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter flavored crisco

3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar

3/4 cup packed DARK brown sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla extract (it calls for one but double the vanilla and you're in a heavenly hash of cookies)

2 eggs

half a can of sweetened condensed milk

2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE milk Chocolate Morsels

1 cup toffee chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat crisco, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add in the half a can of sweetened condensed milk. gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels, toffe chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes (they finish cooking sitting on the hot pan and in ten minute are easier to move to a plate); remove to wire racks to cool completely.

so my variations are in the crisco (the original calls for butter), the vanilla, the chips, and I add sweetened condense milk. These cookies are very very sweet and I like them best frozen because they come out of the freezer nice and chewy.

I dare everyone to make them-with discretion.

Holly Dart said...

Yay! more chocolate chip cookie recipes! I can't wait to try them.

Sara- I thought maybe yours was a secret, because after much appeal for it, you never gave it up before.That's when I knew I had to forage the internet on my own to find my favorite CCC recipe. And I did. But I can vouch that yours is very, very good!

Kimmy- why have i not tasted these before? yum.

Sara said...

Holly...you and I both know that the only ladies who horde secret family recipes that they would rather die than give out to others live in PA! :)

nikcreate said...

Hi! I love making truffles and have the best truffles that I have ever tasted! It's made of chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, I got the recipe from Gale Gand and tweak it a little bit. When I saw your almond Joy truffles, I can't wait to try it since most of those kind of recipes that I see usually calls for almond paste, which is not readily available here. Thanks for the awesome recipe can't wait to try it!
Please come and visit my blog http://sweetendingz.blogspot.com/2006/05/chocolate-truffles.html

Lynne Daley said...

My favorite is here. It's a great salad for anytime of the year. It's not a dessert, so you can eat the whole thing and not feel a twinge of guilt.

Jenn Absher said...

Ok, Holly! I went to bookclub with Toni and she said she wished I brought this one with me and I mentioned that I was going to email it to you and she said I should (or at least mail it to her because she loved it). It's for a fabulous chocolate cake that is decadent. It is beautiful and delicious. You gotta try it! I think it works best with Lindt 85% or higher dark chocolate bars...
So, to compare it with one of your recipes, I think this cake is better than all the deserts out there! It's easy to make but looks so fancy. Everyone will ooh and aah - promise.

THE RECIPE:

7 ounces (200 grams) best-quality dark chocolate

7 ounces (200 grams) unsalted European-style butter (the high-butterfat kind, such as Lurpak or Beurre d’Isigny), cut into ½-inch cubes

1 1/3 cup (250 grams) granulated sugar

5 large eggs

1 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the base of the pan with parchment, and butter the parchment too.


Finely chop the chocolate (a serrated bread knife does an outstanding job of this) and melt it gently with the butter in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring regularly to combine. Add the sugar to the chocolate-butter mixture, stirring well, and set aside to cool for a few moments. Then add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition, and then add the flour. The batter should be smooth, dark, and utterly gorgeous.


Pour batter into the buttered cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the center of the cake looks set and the top is shiny and a bit crackly-looking. (I usually set the timer for 20 minutes initially, and then I check the cake every two minutes thereafter until it’s done. At 20 minutes, it’s usually quite jiggly in the center. You’ll know it’s done when it jiggles only slightly, if at all.) Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes; then carefully turn the cake out of the pan and revert it, so that the crackly side is facing upward. Allow to cool completely. The cake will deflate slightly as it cools.


Serve in wedges at room temperature with a loose dollop of ever-so-slightly sweetened whipped cream.
(I like it with fresh strawberries too)

Note: This cake is even better on the second day, so consider making it the day before serving.