Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Vanilla Infused Milk - do I have your attention yet?  How stinking cute are these?  I can't take credit -they're the brainchild of Dominique Ansel, but he's keeping his recipe top secret so I played around with a few recipes and techniques until I came up with this version.  They're a bit more work than baking a batch of cookies, but you can make them in advance so that helps.  Just wait until your guests see them - they'll be blown away.    

The cast of characters.

I love my BeaterBlade attachment.  It completely eliminates the need to stop and scrape down the sides of my mixing bowl.  Love it, love it, love it!! 

Cream the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla together until they look like this.

Add the egg white and mix until it looks like this.

Add the flour and mix just until no traces of dry flour remain.

In go the mini chocolate chips - mix just until the chips are evenly distributed.

Wrap well in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

You'll need something small, oven-proof, and cylindrical like these adorable stoneware espresso mugs.  They make the perfect size cookie cups!

For best results, use Baker's Joy.  Butter simply doesn't work for this recipe, and believe me, I tried - for some reason, it made the cookie dough fuse onto the mugs and I couldn't remove the cookie cups at all.  Couldn't even chisel them out.  Epic fail.

Ok, here's the best advice I can give you - don't put too much cookie dough into the espresso mugs.  The first time I tried these, I used more than twice the amount of dough shown, but I couldn't get the dough to bake through - the tops were burned and the bottoms were a puddle of raw dough.  

I found the trick is to press a much thinner layer of dough - basically the thickness of a mini chocolate chip.  Just press pieces of dough against the mug until the mini chocolate chips prevent you from pressing it any thinner.  Continue all around the sides and bottom of the mug, patching and pressing until it's completely covered, being careful to press all seams together.

Ready for the oven - note how I've neatened up the rim of the dough.

I bake my cups for exactly 16 minutes.  The top of the dough will just be starting to turn golden brown.  The cookie cups will be too soft to unmold at this point so it's really, really important to allow them to rest for at least 15 minutes before unmolding.  Again, I learned the hard way.  Your patience will pay off, I promise.

When you remove the cookie cups, they will still be a little warm.  Allow them to cool completely before proceeding.  This should only take a couple of minutes, but you can speed things along by placing them in the fridge.

Gently melt your favorite chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Coat the inside of each cookie cup with the melted chocolate.  Because the inside of the cookie cups are so narrow, a thin, round pastry brush like this one works very well.

Remind me to paint with chocolate more often - it's fun.  Chill until the chocolate sets.

Time to enjoy.  I like to serve each cookie cup with a little individual porcelain pitcher full of vanilla infused milk.  I like the milk icy cold.  How about you?

Refill and sip some more.

When you can't resist any longer, devour cookie cup.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• baker’s joy https://amzn.to/3gdpPKF

• oven-proof espresso cups https://amzn.to/3L5U6cg

• beater blade attachment https://amzn.to/3IW1cOH

• small pastry brush https://amzn.to/3HlMH6p

• small porcelain pitcher https://amzn.to/3giZ2wh

• pure vanilla bean paste (use the good stuff!) https://amzn.to/3HhfWXZ

• pure vanilla extract (again, use the good stuff!) https://amzn.to/3r9wNGK

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

makes 8 cookie cups

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Cookie Cups:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• pinch of fine salt

• 1 egg white

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

• 1 ounce high-quality dark chocolate, melted

Vanilla Infused Milk:

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in the lower center position.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBalde attachment (or the flat paddle), cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and salt for 1 minutes on medium-high speed.

3. On medium speed, add egg white and mix until completely incorporated.

4. Continuing on medium speed, add flour and mix just until no signs of dry flour remain.

5. Reduce speed to low and add mini chocolate chips; mix until evenly distributed.

6. Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

7. Spray 3.5-ounce mini espresso cups with Baker's Joy; use your finger to spread it into an even layer, paying close attention to get down where the sides and bottom of the cups meet.

8. Press a layer of dough about the thickness of a mini chocolate chip evenly into the bottom and up the sides of each cup.

9. Place cups on a 1/4-sheet pan and bake on lower middle rack of preheated oven for 15-16 minutes.

10. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before attempting to unmold cookie cups; allow to cool completely.

11. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate.

12. Use a small, thin pastry brush to coat the inside of each cookie cup with chocolate; chill until chocolate sets.

13. Make vanilla infused milk by whisking warm milk and vanilla bean paste together (serve warm or cold).

14. Serve with mini pitcher of vanilla infused milk - just pour the milk in the cookie cup, and enjoy.

MORE COOKIES:

Chipotle's Famous Guacamole

I grew up without avocados in my life so I need to make up for lost time.  That means I enjoy avocados whenever I get the chance.  I usually eat them straight up with a spoon, but occasionally I like to turn them into guacamole.  Recently I learned that Chipotle Mexican Grill decided to share their awesome guacamole recipe, and now I'm sharing it with you.  Thank you, Chipotle! 

Before you can make really good guacamole, you have to start with beautifully ripe avocados. Here's a nifty chart that shows the various stages of ripening.  

In my personal experience, I find the closer avocados are to being ripe when I buy them, the more bruised they tend to be - probably because lots of people have been squeezing them.  So I like to buy them when they're still very green and firm.  Then they can ripen to perfection on the counter, safe from frisky hands.  When they're perfectly ripe, they can be stored in the fridge for several days to prevent over ripening.  

Start with a couple of perfectly ripe avocados, red onion, fresh lime, fresh cilantro, a little jalapeno, and some salt.  Honestly, anyone can make it. 

Ok, scoop the ripe fruit out of the avocado shells and put it in a bowl.  I like to use a shallow bowl - it's easier to mash and mix the guacamole that way.

Now we need a little fresh lime juice.  It adds great flavor and helps keep the guacamole from oxidizing (turning brown).  

Please note the correct way to use a citrus press.  The cut side of the lime goes down, not the other way around.  Hey, that kind of rhymes.

I'm always amazed how much more juice you get when you use a citrus press.  It's crazy.

Two teaspoons of lime juice go into the bowl.   Add the salt too and toss well. 

Then add the finely chopped red onion....

And 1/2 of a jalapeno, minced....

And lastly, a couple of tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro.  

Mix and mash until you get the consistency you desire.  Serve immediately.  

Store guacamole in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite nakiri knife https://amzn.to/2LdUVC7

• citrus squeezer https://amzn.to/2SOPQEQ

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Chipotle's Famous Guacamole

makes about 2 cups

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ripe Haas avocados (skin should be dark and the flesh should give slightly under gentle pressure)

• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped (including seeds)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup finely minced red onion

Directions

1. Carefully cut avocados in half and remove pits.

2. Use a spoon to scoop fruit into a mixing bowl and toss with lime juice.

3. add salt and mash with fork or potato masher to desired consistency.

4. Stir in jalapeno, cilantro, and red onion.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Adapted from Chipotle Mexican Grill