(B)Rookie mistake

OK, so I decided to bake some cookies since I have some time (not for long, later on that) which I haven't done in a long time and made these awesome "Mantecaditos con guayaba" which I found in this great blog:http://www.thenoshery.com/.

They are delicious and so easy to make, however I may have to make more since Frank keeps finding the hiding place and keeps eating them. Here is the recipe.
Mantecaditos con Guayaba ( Shortbread Almond Cookies with Guava)
about 18 cookies

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup guava paste, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream sugar, shortening and butter in a large bowl. Mix in egg yolk and almond extract.  Blend in the flour a little at a time, until well combined and chunky. Shape a tablespoon of dough into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the cookies on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Using your thumb press the down on the cookie.  Fill the dimple with about 1 tsp of guava paste.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Transfer to cooling rack.

And here's what they look like once they are baked:

Yum!

So far so good! Then I decided to make "Brookies" from a recipe that I had found from a http://www.dailycandy.com/ post. OK, you say what the hell is a brookie? Duh, part brownie, part cookie of course, and how can you possibly go wrong with that? I will tell you. First though I will share the recipe:

Brookies
Makes eighteen to twenty

Ingredients
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. unsalted butter
2 c. semisweet chocolate chunks (52-62% cacao)
2 large eggs
¾ c. light brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt

1. While the oven preheats to 350°, melt the oil, butter, and 1 cup of the chocolate together in the microwave on high heat for 2.5-3 minutes, stirring at 1-minute intervals. Or melt the mixture in the stainless-steel bowl of a double boiler. Let cool.

2. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until combined. Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

3. Whisk together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine the flour mixture with the chocolate mixture, and then fold in the remaining chocolate chunks.

4. Freeze the batter in a shallow pan (such as a pie plate) 6-8 minutes until it sets and hardens slightly.

5. Spray two cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. Scoop about 10 tablespoons (teaspoons) of batter onto each sheet. Bake 11-12 minutes, until the tops look dry and cracked (the insides will still be quite moist). Cool completely. The brookies will be perfectly soft and chewy.

which I have already altered once I made them. I do NOT recommend using the nonstick spray on the cookie sheet because they spread out like this:

and once baked become even flatter, more cookie than brownie by a lot if you ask me. And secondly I say use a teaspoon full, not a tablespoon, too big. Either way though, they are delish, the brown sugar is awesome and regardless of what they look like:

which is definitely not soft and chewy, I'm still giving them to friends and family.

Max on the other hand could care less; he is still quite bored with all of this baking stuff and can't wait til it's over. Anyway, merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!