What would it feel like if vacations lasted forever? Would it feel as good as I think it would? Yes. Yes, it would.
Reality hits hard after you’ve had days to let your brain ease into a happy mush.
I’m not complaining. Does it sound like I’m complaining? Ok… maybe a little. It’s just hard to let vacation time slip out of my hands.
Maybe permanent vacation is like only eating these cookies for the rest of your days. Sure, they have both chocolate and vanilla, but you can’t eat cookies forever. They’d lose their cookie goodness. Maybe permanent vacation would somehow start to feel like work. Constant cookies and vacation? I’d be willing to experiment just to see how the two would treat me after a few years.
While I’m day dreaming of vacations past, I’d like to send a big fat thank you to my darling friends who hosted us this weekend.
Britt is one of my few friends who actually still has a land line. Phone with a cord!? Well done.
Seattle is a great city. A big thank you for all of your Seattle suggestions. I actually used to live in Seattle so this vacation was half sightseeing and half old stomping ground good times.
Now… cookies.
Salted Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart
These cookies are the perfect combination of vanilla and dark chocolate. They aren’t too sweet and the chunky sea salt really brings out the rich chocolate flavor. They’re pretty impressive for slice and bake refrigerator cookies. Can you dig it? I can.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, save egg white for brushing cookie dough
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or scraped vanilla beans from 1/4 vanilla pod
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate, very finely chopped
- course sea salt
- Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla bean or extract. Gradually add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Remove half of the dough; set aside. Add cocoa powder and chopped chocolate to remaining dough; mix on low speed until well combined. Turn out chocolate dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 10-inch log, about 1-inch wide and 1/2-inch tall. Repeat with reserved vanilla dough. Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until slightly firm, at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the chilled doughs from the fridge. Brush the top of the chocolate piece with a bit of a remaining egg white. This will help the chocolate and vanilla stick together. Press the vanilla piece on top of the moistened chocolate piece. Press lightly. Rewrap dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If dough becomes too soft to slice cleanly, return to freezer until firm. Sprinkle course sea salt onto the chocolate half of the cookies. Press in lightly with fingertips.
- Bake until firm to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.
Shawnda
Chocolate, salt, vanilla beans. Sounds like perfection to me!
Yummy!
These sound fantastic! Are they chocolate-y enough, though? 4T doesn’t sound like a lot (yes, I have a SERIOUS chocolate problem/issue/mmmmm…addiction dare I say?)
Also how many cookies does this recipe produce?
Here’s another design suggestion: Roll out the dough flat. Place the Chocolate on top of the Vanilla (or vice versa). Then Roll into a log. Refrigerate. Slice. Cook. They should (in theory) be swirls!
Jenn
would it be possible to roll these out and cut them with a cookie cutter? I wanted to make vanilla hearts with little chocolate hearts in the center, and the combo of these 2 doughs sounds too good to pass up.
Maggie
They look delicious! I have to make these just to see which side everyone in my family eats first.
Shaw Girl
Ohhh! Culinarywannabe has a great idea! I think I’ll make these little darlings into heart shaped, red tainted cookies for V-Day!
Culinarywannabe
How cute! Maybe you could add red food coloring to one side and make them for Valentines! And to send your kids into that hyperactive state that only red dye # whatever can cause.
Dallas (bitchin'kitchen)
These are like the best of two worlds: black and white cookies and chocolate-vanilla pinwheels. BUT, you definitely kicked the sophistication level up a notch with high quality chocolate, vanilla bean and salt. Yum.
Nirvana
Joy, I would have absolutely no problem with a constant vacation nor with eating these every single day :) I am dying to visit Seattle, and your pics made me want to go even more!
Bridgett
I love salt on cookies – tried it first on a recommendation from King Arthur’s Cookie Companion when I made chocolate chip cookies. It sounds odd until you taste it – it really adds a lot to the cookie.
Glad you had a nice visit with friends, Joy. :)
Egl?
These look so yummy! And, I believe, are addictive ;)
Definetely need to give them a try.
P.S. Your blog is soooo amazing!!
Sandy S
These look so delicious. I want to drop everything and bake them RIGHT NOW!!
Sugar Duchess
Sure, we can’t live on only cookies and vacations, but I do think the world would be a happier place if everybody had cookies and vacations just a little more often :)
These look delicious, as always!
Sophie
These look fabulous!Yum Yum!
Kylie of Thin Crust, Deep Dish
I have to applaud any cookie recipe that makes a point of incorporating sea salt. Yum.
Britt
At least I am holding a cell phone in the picture. I like to rock it old school. We had a great time I hope you guys did to. You are welcome any time.