Posts Tagged ‘Baking’

Mr.CBB’s Chocolate Chewy Big Bites

Posted: March 10, 2013 in Mr.CBB's Easy Treats
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Chocolate Chewy Big BitesThese chocolate chewy big bites were named thanks to Canadian Budget Binder Facebook Fan Patricia Morell Manuel when I asked the fans to help me name my cookie. I know you probably think by now that I love chocolate and sweets and to some extent you are correct. Although I enjoy my puddings and cakes creating homemade cookies is something I enjoy even more. My wife also has a passion for cookies as we don’t always like to have the same boring chocolate chip cookies.

She remembers making cookies with her mother and grandmother when she was a child and that’s what sparked her interest in the kitchen just like my parents did for my siblings and I. She was able to participate in mixing the cookie dough or rolling the dough into balls and of course eating them. I always got caught sneaking bits of chocolate when my mum wasn’t looking. We both believe that memories in the kitchen with children do last a lifetime and that if we have a child one day we will do the same for him/her.

For us, there’s nothing more rewarding than grabbing a cup of tea and a couple of delicious chocolate chewy big bites as a snack any time of the day. If you have kids dipping their hands into the cookie jar is just as rewarding especially if they helped make them. Moderation is always important with everything in our diet so we splurge when we get the urge and stay active. What I really like about these cookies though is not only the fact that I used quite a bit of chocolate but the depth of chocolate taste. You will also notice when you roll the cookie dough it is a bit wet and when you take them from the oven the centres are a bit gooey but that’s OK. This is what you want and it creates a softy chewy centre that is creamy and sweet and hits the spot. 

For this easy chocolate cookie recipe I used 4 types of chocolate which sounds like alot and you know what, it is! It’s a chewy cookie for the chocoholic in you! The different types of chocolate I used all lend a certain taste to the cookie which I think comes together nicely. You can use whatever chocolate you have on hand but the better quality you buy the better your cookie will taste. This is not the best chocolate for baking but somewhere in the middle I would say, affordable for an everyday grocery budget for most.

Types of Chocolate

The chocolate bars we actually picked up last year as they were hiding on the shelf at Zehrs with pink stickers and a lovely coupon right in front of them. I can’t remember the exact price but the wife says they were a $0.25, likely why we bought enough to store some for baking and for those days we get the chocolate cravings. One day I would also like to try my hand at making white chocolate chip cookies as that’s something I haven’t gotten into yet. I’ve tried white chocolate and it’s not that bad although it’s essentially not really a chocolate at all.

  1. Hershey Milk Chocolate Chipits
  2. Frys Cocoa
  3. PC Fair Trade Milk Chocolate Bar
  4. Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate square

When making the chocolate chewy big bites I noticed after the first batch that I needed to use a fork to push down the ball of cookie dough simply because it was a wet dough. I also rolled the balls a bit bigger to give them a nice spread, after all they are called “big bites” so make them a decent size.These are not flat cookies as they tend to puff in the middle and are a thick cookie which I prefer but admittedly have a passion for all types of cookies.

I also decided to add some sweetened coconut to the cookie to give it that island coco-nutty taste along with some crunchy walnuts for texture. I seem to enjoy different types of nuts in cookies because I think nuts and cookies go together so well. Don’t over cook these cookies or they will be crunchy. I always like to check while they are baking as every oven is different. When I see a brown colour under the cookies I remove them to finish cooking on the hot baking sheet.

Chewy Big Bites Ingredients

Chocolate Chewy Bites Ingredients

2 cups Hershey Chipits Milk Chocolate
1 PC Fair Trade Milk Chocolate Bar 
1 Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate Square
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 large eggs slightly beaten
2 tablespoons pure vanilla
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped fine walnuts
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
2 cups of white all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cookie Dough On Baking Tray

Mixing It All Up!
  • Soften your butter just slightly in the microwave oven
  • Break up your chocolate bar into small pieces
  • Melt your baking square in the microwave oven
  • In your bowl or mixer add in the salt, flour, baking powder, cocoa,brown sugar, granulated sugar and mix
  • Mix in the butter and eggs, then add in the remaining ingredients and mix to combine thoroughly
  • Have 2 baking sheets prepared with parchment paper
  • Roll dough into balls and just slightly press down on the tops
  • Bake in the middle rack of a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes
  • Remove when the bottom of the cookie looks browned as they continue to cook in the baking sheet when you take them out from the oven
  • Let sit on tray for 5 minutes after you remove from the oven then move them to a cooling rack
  • Enjoy!

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Reader Question: Homemade or Store Bought~ Which is Cheaper?

Posted: November 21, 2012 in Reader Questions
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rolling dough

Mr. CBB has paid me the compliment of inviting me to help answer a reader’s question:

A question I would love to have feedback on from you and your fans is: How do you know when it’s less expensive to make homemade baked goods or buy it pre-made at the store? I’m on a tight budget and I hesitate to try recipes only to find out it’s more expensive with the ingredients and electricity amongst other things. I am sure it’s more nutritious to make my own but right now it’s financial.

The short answer is that bakery goods have among the highest mark up in the grocery store, so home baking is almost always more affordable than an equivalent purchase from the store.

In reality, though, there are some factors that need to be considered, especially if you’re on a tight budget. If you are not already a baker, you’ll need to have some basic equipment on hand to bake and you’ll also need the ingredients called for in the recipe.

My advice?

Do bake at home and make homemade. You’ll recoup your initial investment in ingredients and equipment very quickly.

Tips on getting started with home baking inexpensively

  • Keep your equipment purchases to a minimum, buying only the pans you’ll need.  If your initial plan is to make granola bars and cookies, purchase only a cookie sheet and a rectangular baking pan (if you need it for the bars).  Do spend the money to buy good quality pans.  You’ll be using them again and again. You’ll always need measuring spoons, and measuring cups so do spend money to buy them too but check inexpensive outlets like the dollar store to find them at the lowest price.
  • For the rest of the equipment, make do with what you might already have on hand. If you don’t have a large enough mixing bowl on hand, look around for another item you can use in its place. Do you have a large saucepan?  If you don’t have a wooden spoon, use a serving spoon instead.
  • Begin with a couple of recipes that you know your family will enjoy and that share several common ingredients.  For example, if you’re planning to bake granola bars then oatmeal cookies of some sort would be a good second recipe.
  • If you have no baking ingredients on hand, begin by purchasing small amounts of ingredients until you’ve figured out which recipes your family likes and which recipes you’ll be making over and over.  You can minimize the expense involved in getting started with your first recipe by taking measuring cups and spoons to the store and portioning only the exact amount of ingredients you’ll need from the bulk bins. If the ingredients you need aren’t available in bulk, purchase small packages (unless they are things you know you’ll use for purposes other than baking).
  • If a recipe calls for an expensive ingredient or one that you don’t often use, consider a substitution.  For example, I have several recipes that call for pine nuts. Pine nuts are very expensive so I use sunflower seeds instead.

TIP: If a recipe calls for an expensive ingredient and you can’t make a less expensive substitution, don’t make the recipe.

Once you’re into the swing of homemade baking and have some idea about what your family likes – and what you like to make – begin buying your ingredients in larger quantities. Once you begin stocking up on flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, raisins, etc. you’ll start to see an even greater savings.

Good luck and have fun. You’ll love baking homemade in your kitchen once you get started along with saving money.

Guest Post Bio:  Aunt B’s family jokes that she started writing because she just doesn’t know when to be quiet!  In truth, her blogs grew out of a long illness and helped her to keep in touch with the world around her.  She’s interested in everything, and shares her interests at Aunt B on a Budget, A Word from Aunt B, B on Balance  and B-Attitude.

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