Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

• INGREDIENTS
• 
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Yum yum! I also added chopped up caramel chunks

Go bananas, go go bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

• The somewhat over ripe bananas were on sale at Joe's so I decided to make some banana bread. I came across several recipes claiming to be "the best". I did the only sensible thing to do and made a loaf of 4 different kinds to decide for myself which was the best:
  
• 
  
• 1. Moist and Tasty Banana Bread
  
• * 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
  
• * 1/3 cup melted butter
  
• * 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
  
• * 1 egg, beaten
  
• * 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• * 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• * Pinch of salt
  
• * 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  
• Directions for Moist Banana Bread Recipe
  
• No need for a mixer for this banana bread recipe.
  
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  
• With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
  
• Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.
  
• Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.
  
• Add the flour last, mix.
  
• Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.
  
• Bake for 1 hour.
  
• Cool on a rack.
  
• Remove from pan and slice to serve.
  
• 
  
• 2. Best Ever Banana Bread
  
• *2 eggs, beaten
  
• *1/3 cup buttermilk
  
• *1/2 cup vegetable oil
  
• *1 cup mashed bananas
  
• *1 1/2 cups white sugar
  
• *1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• *1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• *1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• *1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
  
• DIRECTIONS
  
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.
  
• Blend together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.
  
• Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir in pecans. Mix well.
  
• Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  
• 3. Super-yummy Super-Moist Banana Bread
  
• 
  
• * 1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
  
• * 2 Eggs
  
• * 4 tbsp. Sour Cream
  
• * 1 1/2 cups Flour, all-purpose (white)
  
• * 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  
• * 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• * 1.5 cups (2-3) ripe Bananas, mashed
  
• Directions
  
• 1. Grease 9" x 5" loaf pan.
  
• 2. Beat together butter and sugar.
  
• 3. Add eggs. Mix well.
  
• 4. Add sour cream, flour, baking soda, vanilla, and bananas. Mix well.
  
• 5. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
  
• 6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 - 55 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean.
  
• 7. Cool on rack
  
• 4.   Ultimate Banana Bread
  
• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 3 oz. cream cheese
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 2 ripe bananas
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/4 cup sour cream
  
• 1 1/2 cup flour
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I like to use bittersweet chocolate chips if you can find them)
  
• Directions:
  
• Heat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a loaf pan and dust with flour.
  
• Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the bananas, egg and sour cream and mix until smooth.  Add dry ingredients.  Stir in chips.  Pour into prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 60 - 75  minutes, until golden and not doughy in the middle.
  
• 
  
• Results:
  
• 1.Moist and Tasty Banana Bread
•  Pro's: It was indeed moist and tasty, simple ingredients that I usually have on hand, t, came out of the pan nicely, easily mixed by hand, easy to improvise new flavors: cinnamon, chocolate, nuts, raisins, craisins, ect.
• Cons: kinda flat

2. Best Ever Banana Bread

Pro's: Chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, came out of pan nicely, not too sweet

Cons: only uses one banana (which is only a con because I had a lot, could be a pro if you only have once banana) 

3. Super-Yummy Super Moist Banana Bread

Pro's: it is a similar recipe to a yummy one my Aunt J'net gave to me, very moist, flavor not overwhelming

Cons: the whole bottom stuck to the pan, would be better with very over ripe bananas

4. Ultimate Banana Bread

Pro's: sweet like a dessert, came out of the pan PERFECTLY, kinda crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, chocolate is great, smooth texture

Cons: takes a little longer to blend

All in all Ryne and I liked #1 and #4 the best. They are all good in their own way. One great thing about all of these recipes is they can be made into more healthy snacks by substituting apple sauce for the butter/oil and using less sugar. It doesn't come out as rich, but still have the good banana flavor.