BEST Hot Chocolate in the WORLD.

I have so many recipes to post and not enough time right at the moment to type them all out. But winter break is coming and I will make up for some lost time then, I promise! For now, this is definitely a cheater's recipe, but it is too good not to post.

*This is seriously the BEST hot chocolate I have ever had. And Boyd and I are hot chocolate connoisseurs. So even though it is only semi-homemade, you won't regret trying it. Thanks to Morgan who sent us our first can of the perfect chocolate shavings*

Perfect Hot Chocolate

10 Tbsp. shaved chocolate from 1 can of Williams-Sonoma "Rich & Creamy Hot Chocolate: Luscious Bittersweet Chocolate Shavings (Guittard)." Granted, it does cost $19.50 for a can that serves 8. But think about it, where else can you buy the most perfect mug of hot cocoa for $3.00 (including milk and whipped cream)? Cheaper than starbucks! Just hide it from the kids.

2 cups WHOLE milk (if you're going to use such nice chocolate shavings don't skimp on the milk!)

5 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream, whipped with 1 Tbsp powdered sugar and 1 tsp. good vanilla

Heat milk to scalding. Add chocolate shavings and whisk until dissolved. Pour into pretty mugs. Top with freshly whipped cream (don't use the canned stuff!). Sprinkle additional chocolate shavings on top of cream. Snuggle in with a good book.

And So it Begins...with something sweet

(photo by www.howdoesshe.com)
Welcome! I don't know about all of you, but I am really excited about this. It's still in the works, we'll work out the kinks as we go along, but I thought we better get this thing rolling before too long.
So, to start things off, in true Dahl form, I'll be posting a dessert, of course. A simple dessert, be it, but a delicious one! I made 3, yes 3, batches of these babies in 24 hours last weekend. I don't think I remember seeing cookies disappear so fast since the time Brian stashed a dozen cookies off a plate for himself without anyone knowing, leaving us all to believe we were complete pigs, when in fact he was. Just playing Brian, I'm pretty sure I ate close to 12 of those myself. (that's another recipe for another time that will surely be posted) Really, these cookies are SO GOOD, not to mention beautiful. Can cookies be beautiful? if so, these were. (my cookies really did look exactly like the picture) This is my new go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. There are a few little notes that go with recipe I'll post below. Ok. Get ready....
(sorry, I'm having problems with the font size, if you hadn't noticed)

PERFECT Chocolate Chip Cookies (slightly adapted from www.howdoesshe.com)

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, melted (yes, I said MELTED)

1 Cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar (granulated)

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 Cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark, or milk, if you're into that)
1 c. chopped nuts

Melt butter in glass mixing bowl. While butter is melting, combine dry ingredients*, whisk to combine. When butter is melted, add sugars* and mix until smooth. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix till combined. Add dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Stir in nuts and 1/2 of chocolate chips. Yes, only 1/2 or maybe 2/3, but put the extra in a small bowl for later. Put the dough in the refrigerator, after you have a taste of course, for 1 hour. If you don't you'll have flat, crispy, ugly cookies. After 1 hour, take out dough, have another bite, and then scoop, with cookie scoop if you have one, into balls. Grab your bowl of chocolate chips and dip the top of the cookie dough balls in it (this is part of why these are so dang pretty) before placing them on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 min. Take them out when the tops are just a tab bit shiny.

*Notes:
Be sure not to pack your flour. Sift it if you want, or I just make a heaping cup full and level it off with a knife.
You want to really pack your brown sugar, obvious I know, just really pack it in there.