The Best Chocolate Cookies Ever

We like cookies. A lot. One day when I was looking for a new recipe, I found one for chocolate chip cookies, but with a twist: the dough is chocolate and the chips white. I’ve adapted it a tiny bit, and now am sharing our new favorite cookie recipe. 

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The Best Chocolate Cookies Ever

Makes 72 small cookies 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 

1 1/3 cup sugar (all white or half white, half brown)

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

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1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar(s) together. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. 

3. Turn the mixer off. Add flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Turn the mixer back on and let it run until the dry ingredients are just combined. Do not overmix or your cookies will be tough. 

4. Roll the dough into small balls about the size of a “shooter” marble. Place on a baking sheet 1-2” apart (they will flatten but not really spread). 

5. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a serving plate. 

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Blessings,

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Sausage Etouffe (Recipe)

One of Will’s favorite past times is going to a restaurant and trying something completely new. He’ll do this in “old favorite” restaurants as well as new ones we’ve never visited before. Recently, we went to a Cajun grill, and he ordered the Crawfish Etouffe (ay-too-fay). He described it as a “spicy tomato soup with rice and seafood.” I’m not a huge seafood fan (I like many kinds of fish, but not seafood in general), so I didn’t try any. But he found himself going back again and again for this dish because it was so good. He even took the older boys once, and when they got back they raved about it too. So one night when we were at the store with no idea of what to fix for dinner, he decided to look up an etouffe recipe. It was fairly simple with easy ingredients (except the crayfish), so we decided to give it a go, with one exception: we got a kielbasa for the protein instead. It was really delicious, and I’m so glad we tried it! Today I want to share our version of the recipe.

sausage etouffe

Sausage Etouffe

Serves 6-8

6 cups water
3 cups long grain rice
1 kielbasa, cut into small pieces
1 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2-3 cups water, or as needed
3-6 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning, more or less to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the rice in the water according to package directions.

While the rice cooks, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Cook the kielbasa and onions until the onions are soft. Add the flour to make a roux. Stir in the tomato sauce and water and cook to make a gravy/soup-like consistency. Add the green onions and seasonings; stir well to combine. Serve in bowls over the rice.

Blessings,

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