Cookie Showdown

Nestle Toll House Recipe vs Crisco Recipe

This holiday season I pitted America's most popular chocolate chip cookie recipes against one another: the coveted Nestle Toll House and Crisco recipes. I've never met a cookie I didn't like so this was a daunting task... read on to see what I've determined in this sweet showdown. 



Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Recipe:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1 cup chopped nuts

Crisco Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe:

3/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening

1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

The End Result

Is there such a thing as a bad chocolate chip cookie? I think not... But in the context of really looking at which of these classic recipes trumps the other, there are a few things that must be taken into consideration. 

First, the winning recipe is based on personal preference. There are two different types of cookies here; the Nestle recipe produces a cakey, fluffy cookie, where as the Crisco cookie is more dense and crispy. This preference is precisely where a winning recipe is determined.

 For me, I have to say the Crisco recipe is a bit better. Why? Well, I'm big on presentation and the Crisco dough is much firmer, therefore, it warrants a perfectly uniform cookie when using a scoop to arrange the dough on a sheet. 

But more so than the perfect appearance, I find the taste of the Crisco dough to be a bit more buttery than the Nestle recipe. The raw Crisco dough tastes better than the Nestle too... That is important! If you don't eat the dough, you're definitely doing it wrong. 

Where the Nestle almost wins though, is in the category of left overs; this recipe stays super soft and chewy for a few days which is fantastic. The Crisco cookies get crisp upon cooling. Once again, it is all a matter of preference! My Mom and I had a great time whipping these two recipes up back to back and taste testing. In the end, Crisco is a winner in my book.

Who takes the gold in your book?

Better Than Sex Cake

I've been hearing some buzz about this infamous "Better Than Sex" cake on some of my favorite foodie websites and I decided to give it a try for one of my friend's graduation parties. This is the tropical version of this recipe but there is also a chocolate recipe which I plan on trying soon. This is a version of "poke" cake so it comes out so insanely moist and delicious. It was definitely a perfect summer cake! 

Note: the name of this cake makes for some very interesting conversation! 

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (and necessary ingredients)
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 large can of crushed pineapple 
1 tub cool whip
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup of Malibu Coconut Rum
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of cold milk

Directions:

1. Prepare yellow cake mix as directed using a greased 9" round cake pans or one 13 x 9. The cake should take approximately 30 mins to cook at 350. 
2. As the cake bakes, pour the pineapple (with juices), Malibu and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir this mixture constantly because it will stick otherwise. Once the mix is brought to a boil, simmer it for approximately 10 mins. Set it aside to cool slightly. 
3. Remove cake from oven and using a fork, pierce holes into it. Pour pineapple mixture over hot cake and set aside.
4. Prepare pudding according to package directions. Instant pudding works best with whole milk. Spread pudding over cake and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
   
5. While your cake is chilling, take 1 cup of shredded coconut and spread it out evenly on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 5 minutes. Be sure to continuously look at and turn the coconut to prevent burning. 
   
6. When your cake is cool, use Cool Whip to ice the entirety of the cake. Decorate with toasted coconut and pecan pieces. 

Note: I used sugar free pudding and sugar free cool whip. This recipe could be even further lightened up if you use a reduced sugar cake mix and light style canned pineapple. 

Enjoy!

Momma's Rum Cake

The holiday season is all about the sweets in my household. My mom has a fantastic recipe for rum cake that I thought I would share with y'all. I'd consider it "semi-homemade" because it calls for a box mix but you could certainly substitute with a real deal recipe for your favorite yellow or butter flavored cake. This is a super simple and insanely delicious cake!

There is something so comforting about using a rustic looking recipe card...

What you'll need:

Cake:
1 box of butter cake mix (yellow works fine too)
3 eggs
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of white or golden rum (we use Bacardi Gold)
1/2 cup of water
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding mix
1/3 cup of chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Glaze:
1 stick of real sweet cream butter 
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup of rum


Putting it all together:

1. The most important part of this entire recipe is to grease and flour the bundt pan extremely well. Take this from my own experience, your cake will forever rest in your pan if this is missed! This step becomes crucial during the "big reveal" aka the flip at the end of your baking journey. 
2. Next, prepare your dry ingredients just as would make a normal box cake. Don't forget to add the box of pudding mix! It makes the cake incredibly moist; it is definitely the secret weapon of this recipe. 
3. Once your cake batter is all mixed up, take your nuts and sprinkle them evenly around the bottom of the pan. They will form a nice looking crust at the top your cake!
4. Pour the batter evenly into the pan and place it in the oven at 325 degrees for approximately 50 minutes.

Creating the Glaze

Important: You want to glaze your cake while it's still hot so you should start making your glaze just as your cake is about 1-2 minutes from being done. The glaze is really simple and it is actually quite versatile too! You could really use this on any cake. 

My mom and I had a bunch of oranges so we thought it might be nice to add in some fresh orange zest and a splash of orange extract. You could easily swap this out for flavors like lemon or almond. The cake tastes awesome regardless!

1. In a sauce pan on medium heat, drop in your stick of butter, 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of rum.
2. Bring the butter, sugar and rum mix to boil and stir continuously for two minutes (no more, no less- this is just how it is!). The mix will bubble and steam so don't be alarmed! 
3. Once you have boiled and stirred for two minutes, pour the glaze first around the edges of the cake in the pan, working your way toward the center. 
4. After the cake has settled and cooled for twenty minutes, it will be time to do the "big reveal" aka the flip!

Drum roll please... 

TAAADAAA!

 The final product! I must say, this cake is equally as delicious served straight from the oven as it is the next morning with a warm cup of coffee. Breakfast of champions, my friends!