Gunther's Cookies from San Jose

Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Sarah | Broma Bakery

Serves 12 giant cookies     ADJUST SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (I used King Arthur Unbleached AP Flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 3/4 cup + 4 teaspoons (6 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate baking chips)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a large baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until it comes together in one lump, about 1 minute. Add in the sugars and beat for another 1-2 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves into the butter. Lower the speed to medium-low, and mix in the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed (the batter will be lumpy). Gradually add in the flour mixture, beating until a little flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
4. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Shape the dough roughly into a ball, but do not roll it. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but up to 12 hours before baking.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown. When in doubt, take your cookies out early. The cookies will continue to cook as they cool. There's nothing that ruins them more than being overcooked. I can't stress this enough! Cool on a wire rack, then serve!

RECIPE NOTES

This recipe works best if:
-You undercook the cookie. It keeps baking as it cools, so be sure to take it out of the oven early.
-Use large chocolate chips. They create those beautiful melted chocolate puddles inside your cookie!

Persimmon Cookies

Persimmon Cookies
When I was a kid, I would go visit my grandparents in California. It was always pleasant spending time with them and being doted on by their friends who thought we were the cutest things to hit San Jose (and we were, ha, ha). As I've gotten older, my grandparent's friends have continued to be so kind and generous and it allows me to relive those fond memories. This past week, their friends sent me a whole BOX of persimmons from their tree. So sweet :) Oh what to do with a box of persimmons? Well, you make these delectable nuggets, of course...

Persimmon Cookies
1 C  Persimmon pulp (best when persimmons are over-ripe and mushy)
1 tsp baking soda  spread over pulp
1 C  sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C shortening
2 C flour
1 C walnuts
1 C raisins
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Combine ingredients as listed, sifting flour with spices and salt.  Add walnuts and raisins; drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet.  Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.  Makes about 4 dozen.

Namasu (pickles for eating and for Banh Mi)

Namasu
Julienne 2 medium carrots
Julienne 1 medium daikon

Keep both separate but sprinkle both with salt and let sit (about 1/2 tsp. salt on carrots and 1 tsp. on daikon). Let sit 10-15 min. and squeeze out all excess water out of both the carrots and daikon. Mix both together so the ribbons are distributed evenly.

Mix:
1/2 c. white vinegar
2 1/2 TBS. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Pour over carrots and daikon and mix all together. Let sit overnight at a minimum. Keeps 2-3 weeks before becoming quite pickled.

Murakami Recipes

Thank you Obaachan, mom and Auntie for sharing these gems with the rest of us :)

Steamed Cheese Bread
Melt in a small pot over low heat:
4 slices Kraft singles, torn
4 TBS. milk

After cheese is melted, add:
4 tsp. vegetable oil
4 tsp. cream or whole milk

Mix and put aside:
1 egg
1/4 c. sugar

Sift together:
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Mix all liquid ingredients together. Add dry ingredients and mix just until wet (don't overmix). Pour into muffin cups inside of muffin tin and place in steamer. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Polvoron
2 c. flour, toasted over medium heat until light brown
1 c. powdered milk
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. melted butter

Mix dry ingredients together. Add butter and mix well. Press into molds and let cool. Leave in freezer 10-20 min. Unmold and wrap if desired.

Obaachan's Potato Salad
8-10 medium sized russet potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 TBS. white vinegar
2 eggs, boiled and cut into small cubes (through an egg slicer both ways)
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. prepared Coleman's English mustard
1/2 small yellow onion, minced, rinsed through hot water in a strainer, squeeze out excess water

Pepper, celery and pickles to taste

Put whole russet potatoes (skin on) and whole peeled carrot in cold water. Cap pot and bring to a boil. When carrots are soft (but not mushy) take them out of water (they will be ready before potatoes). Remove potatoes when done (soft to toothpick).

While potatoes are HOT, remove skin (mom says it needs to be done as soon as they come out of the pot, don't wait for them to cool! Use chopsticks to hold them up.) Cube potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle HOT potatoes and carrots with vinegar (or a little of dill pickle juice), salt and white pepper. Add diced celery, minced onion, egg and pickles. Add mayonnaise and prepared Coleman's English mustard. Chill 2 hours.

Chicken Kiev
4 chicken breasts, deboned and skinned
1/4 lb. butter
Finely chopped parsley and chives
Wine
Poultry seasoning

Mix compound butter and make a 4 inch square. Refrigerate.

Cut chicken breast in half. Hammer to about 1/8 in. thick. Cut compound butter into 8 pieces. Put one piece in half of breast and fold. Mix together 1 egg, crumble bread crumbs. Dredge chicken in egg and breading. Deep fry in oil for 15 minutes before serving (340 degree oil).

Orzo with Smoked salmon and Capers
4 oz. smoked salmon or lox, coarsely chopped
4 TBS. olive oil
3 TBS. lemon juice
1/3 c. chopped Italian parsley
1/4 c. drained capers
1 (6.5 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. orzo pasta, uncooked
1/2 c. pasta cooking water
2 TBS. grated parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, combine salmon, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, capers, artichoke hearts, salt and pepper. Set aside. Cook pasta in lots of boiling water, according to package directions. Remove 1/2 cup of cooking water and drain pasta well. Transfer pasta to bowl with smoked salmon and mix well, adding reserved cooking water as needed to keep pasta moist. Sprinkle with cheese and serve. Makes up to 6 servings.

Sour Cream Cookies
Cream together:
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar

Add:
3 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together and add:
3 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Frost with powdered sugar frosting.

Croissant
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water (about 110 degrees)
3/4 c. warm milk
1 TBS. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 3/4 c. flour

Mix everything together. Knead until smooth (until softness of ear lobe). Let rest until double (2 hours). Roll out to 1/4 in. rectangle and mark into 3 even pieces.

Filling:
1 c. softened butter
1 egg yolk
1 TBS. milk

Spread filling into the center demarcation. Fold the outer wings inward, creating 3 layers (filling should be on the bottom layer only). Roll out to 3/4 inch rectangle. Mark into 3 sections and fold outer wings inward again. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll into 3/4 inch rectangle. Cut into triangles and roll toward tip, making a crescent shape. Let rest until double in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Stuffing
2 loaves of bread, crumbled
4 c. chopped onions
4 c. chopped celery
4 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. sage
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Mix all together and bake off.

Bok Choy
1/2 TBS. cooking wine
1 c. chicken stock
2 TBS. oyster sauce
1 TBS. soy sauce
3 drops sesame seed oil

Parboil bokchoy. Remove from water. Sautee in pan with sesame seed of oil. Add rest of ingredients.

Mix 1 TBS. cornstarch with 1 TBS. water. Add to bokchoy. Stir to thicken.

Chiffon Cake
Sift together:
2 c. flour (2 1/4 c. cake flour)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 TBS. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Make a well in dry ingredients and add:
7 egg yolks (5 eggs if cake flour is used)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lemon plus enough water to make 3/4 c. liquid
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Grated lemon peel

Beat with a spoon until smooth.

In a large mixing bowl add:
7 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Whip together until whites form very stiff peaks. Pour egg yolk mixture gradually over whipped whites, gently folding with a rubber spatula just until blended. Pour into ungreased 10" tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes then 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. When cake tests done, invert and let hang until cold.

Beef Teriyaki
Sirloin steak cut into 18 pieces per pound
Bamboo sticks soaked in water at least 3 hrs.

Marinate meat in:
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp.
1/3 c. soy sauce
1 1/2 TBS. sugar
1 1/2 TBS. honey
1/4 c. sake or mirin
Mix all ingredients. Add salt, pepper and drops of lemon to taste. Marinate meat for 45 min. to an hour, just before cooking.

Roll the piece of meat into three folds then skewer it with the bamboo stick with a piece of onion and a piece of green pepper at each end.

Filled Sweet Butter Horns
4 c. flour
1 cake compressed yeast
5 egg yolks (save whites for filling)
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2c. butter/margarine
1/4 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:
5 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. nut meats, ground
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Beat egg qhites until stiff. Add sugar gradually while still beating. Do this beating in a vigorous whole hearted manner. Carefully fold in vanilla, almond extract and ground nut meats.

For Butterhorn assembly:
Sift flour and salt together. Add yeast, which has been crumbled into small bits, and butter. Blend together with pastry blender or tips of fingers until mixture resembles fine corn meal. Combine sour cream, egg yolks and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll out each into a 9-inch circle. Divide filling into 6 equal portions and spread on circles of dough. Cut each circle in a 12 pie-shaped wedges and roll each one from the outside to the pointed end. Arrange on a baking sheet with the point end under. Bake immediately in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Makes 6 dozen butterhorns.

Pistachio Pound Cake
1 pkg. Yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant pistachio pudding
4 eggs
1 c. water
1/2 cup crisco oil
1 tsp. almond extract

Beat well 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Sweet bread
1 cake or 1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 egg (increase for fancy rolls)
1 c. milk
3 TBS. sugar
3 TBS. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
4 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in milk. If dry yeast is used, dissolve in water before adding to milk. Add egg(s), sugar, oil and salt. Beat together, adding flour a little at a time until it becomes too stiff to stir. Remove the dough onto a floured board and knead. Add flour as needed to keep from sticking. Knead until it no longer sticks. Replace in a bowl, grease the top of the dough and set to rise. Be sure to cover with wax paper or plastic wrap. let rise until double.

You can use for:

An Pan
Fill ball of dough with sweetened anko. Coat with egg yolk and top with poppy seed or sesame seeds. Bake at 350 degrees.

Kolache (fruit bun from Czechoslovakia)
To the sweet dough mix in 1/4 tsp. mace and 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind. Shape dough into 2" balls. Let rise. When light, make a depression in the center of each ball and fill with fruit filling or jam.

Clam Linguine with Red Sauce
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. salad oil
1/4 c. margarine
2 medium-large onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can 8oz. tomato sauce, plus 1 can water
1 tsp. salt
2 tomatoes
2 c. clam juice
Enough clams for approx. 6 people
Red wine
Oregano, rosemary, chili pepper

Place oil in pan and warm over low flame while preparing onions. Add onions and bell pepper to oil. Cook until onions appear slightly done. Add can of tomato sauce and tomatoes and simmer about 10 minutes. Add garlic and claim juice. Add a pinch of oregano, a little rosemary, 1 tsp. salt, red wine and chili. Nestle clams into sauce and cover. Cook until clams open. Serve over cooked linguine.

Linguine
1 TBS. butter
1 TBS. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
3-4 stalks chopped green onion
Minced parsley
1 small bottle Clam juice
Clams

Sautee onions in butter and olive oil, about 5 minutes. Add clam juice and bring to a boil. Add parsley and clams. Cover until clams open. Serve on top of cooked linguine.

Chocolate Chip Cupcake
1 1/2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sour cream
16 oz. chocolate chips.

Cream together butter and sugar. Mix in rest of ingredients (the batter will be stiff). Place in a greased cups. On top, add chocolate chips and sprinkling of sugar. Bake at 350 Degrees for 15 minutes. (If cooking on the lower rack--2nd from bottom--cook at 375 degrees for 15 minutes)

Coconut Rock Cake Cookies
8 oz. coconut
13 oz. flour
10 oz. sugar
1/4 lb. butter
2 eggs

Beat sugar and butter together. Add eggs and coconut, still beating the mixture. Add flour by degrees. Drop it in small spoonfuls onto a greased baking tin and back in an oven. Cook for about 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes about 15 cookies.