#but I also added dark chocolate chunks

[dinosaurcharcuterie]

I could say that I messed up bad on my first two batches of blondies. Nothing burned, the flavor was right, but the texture and consistency were way off. Like, I somehow missed fudgy, chewy and cakey and ended up at the hard crack candy stage. On a tray bake. Which was also oily af on the bottom. (Long story short: batter height matters, don't pour bubbling hot butter into room temp ingredients.)

Instead of admitting failure, we're gonna call this a learning experience and also an opportunity to make the world's most failsafe brownies.

The lady presenting this is a trained food scientist, but I'm still amazed each time I make this, either from stale baked goods, or cake scraps or "hide the evidence" situations. The batter just looks wrong. Every time as I'm patting it into the mold at a different height, it looks like it's gonna fail in a different way. Too stiff, too dry, too grainy, too imbalanced with whatever crumbs it's based on this time. This time, I think, this time it won't work. Especially if it's made with a failed bake.

20-25 minutes later, there's brownies. Sometimes cakier, sometimes fudgier, and not always the prettiest, but always yummy.

So I might have messed up, but no one is going to find any blondie brittle in our house. Brownies are on the counter in the haribo tub, though.

[aewon]

cute, no?

sunghoon x fem reader genre: smut MDNI!! wc: 4157 warnings: kissing, rough sex, mouth fucking, fingering, cunnilingus, pussy slapping, mean sunghoon, inexperienced (but not virgin) reader, mention of chaewon, yunjin, hanni and karina. both sunghoon and reader are kinda weird. name calling (reader calls sunghoon a whore), multiple orgasms, nude sending. if there’s anything i missed lmk.

note: this is a repost from my other account that is now deleted @/wonkizz, also this isn’t proofread so ignore any fuck ups lol

You knew your roommate was somewhat of a whore. It never bothered you, if anything, you were jealous.

He just….snapped his fingers and girls fell at his feet.

You wished you could bag guys that easily.

Albeit you and Sunghoon rarely acknowledged each other. How did you become roommates in the first place, you may be wondering? It’s very simple. You were living with your sister, she moved out to live with her boyfriend, you needed a new roommate, Sunghoon answered your facebook ad. Simple as that.

The only rules you had were keeping the space clean and not being too loud at night.

Sunghoon definitely kept up with the first one, never having a hair out of place.

The second, well… not so much. But, it didn’t bother you. You had really good noise canceling headphones for a reason.

Though at night, you could still hear the sounds of the multitude of girls he would bring home day in and day out.

Their loud moans, whimpers, mewls, borderline screams!

You don’t know if the sex is really good, or if they’re just really sensitive.

It must be Sunghoon though, right?

But is he really that good?

Sometimes you find yourself wishing you were in those girls' places…but you know he’d never go for someone like you.

Something you haven’t mentioned, Sunghoon is like, drop dead gorgeous. You’re surprised he hasn’t been casted as a model or an idol or something.

But he’s just a struggling student like you. Clearly not struggling in the sex department though.

You’re not a virgin, but you’ve only had sex three times in your 22 years of life.

All three times were not that satisfying and personally you don’t blame yourself.

You just haven’t found that person who can really do it for you, and your own hand and toy have started to become…tired.

It’s been quite some time since you’ve felt the touch of another person. You’ve started craving, like you’re touch-starved.

Back to the topic of Sunghoon, he’s mesmerizing and you are a stereotypical nerd.

You’re not ugly, but your everyday appearance is not exactly eye-catching like what Sunghoon typically brings home.

You find yourself thinking about him more often than not. What he’s into sexually. How far he’s willing to go.

One thing about you, you’re very, very sensitive.

You’ve made yourself come 5 times in a span of 20 minutes.

Another thing about you, you’re somewhat of a freak…or maybe a major freak?

Safe to say you think about sex way more than you should, and you are not as vanilla as your friends think you are.

God, if you could just get one crack at Sunghoon, you’d be happy.

But alas, that’s just a dream.

It’s midnight on a Friday, you’ve just gotten out of the shower after doing your whole night routine.

You slip on some comfy pjs (aka an oversized tee and shorts) and make your way to the couch with a late night snack (black raspberry dark chocolate chunk ice cream) ready to indulge in the food network.

Sunghoon isn’t home, you figure he’s out at a party or with friends.

You’re digging into your pint of ice cream when the front door opens.

Sunghoon steps inside and you hear a giggle behind him.

Someone, a woman, steps in behind him.

Their lips are about to meet when her eyes find yours.

“Oh!” She exclaims, pulling away. “This must be your roommate! You didn’t tell me she was so…cute!”

This woman is gorgeous. Sleek, black hair, beautiful body that’s wrapped in a dress that fits her perfectly and her face is something out of a magazine.

She must be looking at you, with your oversized, not to mention stained, tee and shorts, glasses and ice cream in hand like you’re a joke. An utter, complete, joke.

Sunghoon barely spares a glance at you, clearing his throat and gesturing between you and this woman, “Karina, Y/N, Y/N, Karina,” he introduces you to her.

All you can do is wave before realizing the situation you’re in.

Sunghoon has once again brought a woman home and you’re clearly in the way.

You spring up from the couch, “I didn’t mean to be in the way, I'll just go to my room!”

Before either can say anything, you turn off the tv and nearly sprint to your room, ice cream still in hand.

You shut the door behind you, listening to footsteps.

You hear them making their way to Sunghoon’s room, right across from yours.

“She’s cute, no?” You hear Karina ask.

“I guess, not really my type though,” Sunghoon responds.

Ouch. You already knew it, but hearing it said aloud stings more than you thought it would.

The sex Sunghoon and Karina have that night is so loud, even your headphones can block it.

Her moans and squeals of his name infiltrate your mind into the morning, as you barely got any sleep.

You assume Karina is still in the apartment by time you get up for your early morning class.

You’re in the kitchen, preparing a cup of tea when Sunghoon comes in, rubbing his eyes.

He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, “I hope we didn’t disturb you too much.”

This is the first time he’s ever bothered to say this to you, not to mention the first time he’s ever acknowledged you in the morning.

You shake your head, giving him a faint smile as you push up your glasses, “Not at all.”

Once you leave the apartment, the walk to campus isn’t far.

Your best friend, Chaewon, is already waiting for you in front of your first class.

By the time you’re free, you meet up with your other friends, Yunjin and Hanni.

“What’s up with you?” Hanni asks, “You seem down.”

You sigh, “Sunghoon brought a really pretty girl home last night.”

They all raise their brows at you, “Okay,” Yunjin says, “that’s never bothered you before? Why now?”

“Because,” you start, “she called me cute.”

“She called you…cute?” Chaewon questions. “Why is that bad?”

“It’s not, but after I went back into my room, I heard them and she said to Sunghoon ‘She’s cute, no?’ and Sunghoon said ‘I guess, but she’s not really my type’. I already knew I wasn’t but hearing it said out loud stung a lot.”

Hanni rubs your shoulder.

“Well who gives a fuck what Sunghoon thinks!” Yunjin says. “You know you’re beautiful, and he’s just a man at the end of the day!”

“I know!” You groan, burying your head in your arms, “I know I shouldn’t care about his opinion or whether I’m his type or not but it’s like, when someone so attractive doesn’t see you that way it’s like, damn!”

You continue, “It’s not like I’m even into him romantically or anything like that. If anything, I’m just into him sexually, cause if you guys heard what I did you probably would be too!”

“So it’s not about romantic feelings, just sexual feelings?” Hanni asks.

You nod, “More like sexual frustration. I haven’t had sex in so long and it’s kinda killing me at this point.”

“So what if you make him acknowledge you sexually?” Chaewon implies.

“How do I do that? Like he said, I’m not even his type.”

“Well number one, acknowledge that this is just for sex. You’re not changing anything about yourself for him because at the end of the day he’s just a man and we don’t change ourselves for men, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay, then, do something to get his attention. Something sexual. Something that’ll catch his eye without changing how you are or who you are.”

You all pause for a moment, thinking of possible ideas.

Yunjin, after 5 minutes, lights up, “I’ve got it!”

After a long, somewhat agitating day of classes, you find yourself back at home.

You took another long, hot shower, did your night routine and dressed yourself in the cutest pj set you have.

What exactly was Yunjin’s plan? Take some pictures and “accidentally” send them to Sunghoon.

Now, have you ever taken nudes before? No. But you did a little research and you figure it can’t be that hard.

With your top pulled up and your tits fully exposed, you sit on your bed, front camera facing your tits.

The lighting is perfect, dim, but not too dark.

As you snap the pic, flash off, you look at it and…damn. If that’s not a good pic, you don’t know what is!

You spend the next 10 minutes debating if you should really do this. What if you just embarrass yourself completely and Sunghoon doesn’t buy into it at all?

Then you’ll never live it down.

But, you won’t know if you don’t try.

You pull up his contact, saved simply as ‘Sunghoon’

and attach the photo with the invisible ink effect and type ‘what do you think?’ before hitting send.

You nearly throw your phone across the room, but instead just slam it face down as your heart starts to beat more rapidly.

You know Sunghoon isn’t home right now, nor do you even know if he’ll be coming home tonight.

The only thing you can do is hope and pray for the best.

You exit out of the messages, not wanting him to know you’re waiting for a response and scroll through your phone trying not to panic.

After an agonizing few minutes, your phone dings.

You prepare yourself for embarrassment.

Sunghoon responded.

You’re expecting shock. An exclamation of sorts. Heck, even a question mark or two.

Instead, all you see is, ‘They’re nice.’

They’re nice.

Did he just fucking say, they’re nice?

Is that good?

You text the group chat a screenshot asking the same question.

The girls respond immediately, telling you to go forth with the plan, that that’s a good sign.

You take a deep breath. Don’t overdo it.

You: omg

You: sunghoon i’m so sorry

You: i didn’t mean to send that to you

He reads it and responds immediately.

Sunghoon: then who did you mean to send it to?

You: a friend

Sunghoon: what friend?

You: don’t worry about it! just please accept my apology :( i’m so sorry again

The text bubble indicates he’s typing, then it disappears and reappears.

Sunghoon: I’m coming home.

Sunghoon: Don’t move.

That last text makes your pussy throb in your pajama shorts.

You send the screenshot to the group chat which erupts immediately.

Chaewon: oh shitttt hehehe

Hanni: i fear you’re getting fucked into the mattress tonight

Yunjin: you mean you don’t fear lmao good luck girl

You occupy yourself for the time being, knowing Sunghoon will be home shortly.

As soon as you hear that front door open, you act nonchalantly, scrolling through your phone as if you’re not ecstatic.

Sunghoon doesn’t even bother knocking, opening your door and letting himself into your room.

His hair is slightly disheveled, like he’d been running his hand through it, and his face is stoic.

You look up at him innocently.

“Is something wrong?” You ask, knowing damn well you’re playing with fire.

Sunghoon scoffs, not saying a word as he walks to the side of your bed, grabbing your phone and throwing it to the side, not even watching where it lands.

You however do watch where it lands on the floor a few feet away and are about to protest when Sunghoon grabs you by the jaw.

“Do you like playing games you know you’re not gonna win?” He asks, voice low and condescending.

Fuck, if it doesn’t make your pussy more wet than it already is.

His grip on your jaw tightens, making you whimper. But you like the pain, and he knows that immediately.

“Take your clothes off,” he commands, finally letting go of your jaw.

You move to do as he says, albeit slowly.

Starting with your top, you lift it over your head, your tits falling out into view.

His eyes latch onto them immediately, and you take note of how he licks his lower lip.

“Shorts too,” he says.

You lay back against your pillows, lifting your hips to drag your shorts down your legs, sitting back up to then throw them in the same direction as your shirt.

Sunghoon smirks in amusement, “Of course you’re not wearing underwear. You’re a little slut aren’t you?”

Your own tongue pokes out to wet your lips and you watch as his eyes follow it.

Sunghoon begins to undress himself, starting with his shirt.

His pale skin is beautiful and the expanse of his toned torso almost makes you drool.

Your eyes find his arms, taking in his biceps and how much you want them around your neck.

“Hey, eyes here,” he says, snapping you back to his own face, making you keep your focus on him.

He unbuckles his belt, taking his time undoing it, pulling it out of the loop, letting it drop to the floor.

You know for a fact that your pussy is leaking onto your bed right now, and you don’t give a damn.

Sunghoon lets his pants fall, stepping out of them.

Now, he’s just left in his boxers.

“Come here, on your knees,” he gestures to you with his finger to the floor.

You obey immediately, crawling off the bed to the floor.

The carpet of your room scratches against your knees but you don’t care.

“Take them off.”

Your hands reach for the waistband of his boxers, pulling them down gently.

His hard cock springs out, slapping against his stomach before stilling in front of you.

Sunghoon’s left hand finds the back of your head, grasping your hair tightly.

“Open your mouth, stick your tongue out.”

You do as he says, eager as he chuckles in amusement, “You must love cock don’t you?” He asks, using his right hand to slap the tip of his cock against your tongue, then spreading his pre-cum all over it as you hum in appreciation.

He quietly begins to push his cock into your mouth, before pulling back out.

You do your best to breathe through your nose, as saliva piles in your mouth and drips down the sides.

Suddenly he shoves himself into your mouth, until he hits the back of your throat, making you gag erratically.

Saliva spills out of your mouth rapidly, drilling onto the floor.

Your hands find his thighs, palms open, squeezing softly.

“I told you,” Sunghoon says, “don’t play games you’re not gonna win.”

With that, he begins to roughly thrust in and out of your mouth, getting off on how much you’re gagging.

Tears begin to pool in your eyes as spit and pre-cum mix together to coat his cock and spill everywhere.

He uses your hair as leverage, not letting up for even a second.

You keep your eyes on his as he uses you for his pleasure, even as your tears blur your vision.

“Fucking filthy,” he sneers, “I’m gonna cum in this filthy fucking mouth and you’re gonna swallow it, understood?”

You do your best to nod with his cock still in your mouth.

Suddenly he pulls out, and you gasp for air.

Sunghoon continues to pump himself, still holding onto your hair, “Stick your tongue out,” he says.

You do so and soon he’s spilling his load all over your tongue and into your mouth.

Just as he’s finished, he leans down, dropping a glob of spit on top of everything.

“Swallow.”

You do, eagerly, showing him your clean tongue once you’re done.

He pulls you up by your hair, leading you back to the bed.

Sunghoon shoves you down onto your back, pushing you so you’re up by the headboard, head on the pillows.

He’s on his knees in front of you, cock still hard.

He pushes you into a mating press, your thighs pushed against your chest, practically folded in half.

Without warning, he leans down, tongue meeting your wet, sopping pussy.

You gasp, jerking in place as you squeal from the immediate pleasure it gives you.

“Sunghoon!” You cry, eyes wide as his nonchalant ones look into yours.

“What?” He responds, as if it’s nothing.

“I’m..I’m sensitive.”

He smirks, “Then that means I get to make you come more than once.”

He goes back to your pussy, pinning you down to the bed as he eats you like a starved man.

Sunghoon groans at your taste, licking fat stripes up and down your pussy.

He takes your clit into his mouth, sucking it, flicking it with his tongue repeatedly, even having the balls to scrape it with his teeth lightly.

All this while your back arches up from the bed, hips held in place by Sunghoon’s hands.

“Oh my fucking god!” You shout into the open, knowing this would get you a one way ticket to hell.

Sunghoon then takes his tongue, fucking it into your hole.

You squeal loudly, hands gripping the bed sheets on either side of you.

More tears form in your eyes before falling like water from a faucet.

You’re full on crying from pleasure.

When you said you were sensitive, you meant it.

“Sunghoon, I’m gonna cum,” you whine,” one hand threading itself into his long locks.

He, who was occupying himself, makes his way back to your clit, licking circles around it, up and down, figure eights, anything to make you cum in his mouth.

You’re chanting to god, any god at this point.

With one final call of his name, you cum into his mouth, Sunghoon lapping it all up, swallowing it eagerly as you did to him.

Your breathing is heavy as you’re coming down from your high, noticing as Sunghoon pulls away, his lips glistening with your release on them.

He licks his lips, with that the remnants of you.

Just as you’re beginning to calm down, Sunghoon speaks, “We’re nowhere near done, sweetheart.”

Before you can say anything else, he takes his left hand and middle finger and inserts it inside you, making you gasp.

He doesn’t give you the chance to protest or adjust before he’s thrusting it in and out of you.

You throw your head back, getting used to the intrusion regardless.

Soon he’s inserting another finger, and together those fingers fuck you like no one has ever fingered you.

His fingers are long and they hit every spot inside you immediately.

Before you know it, you’re crying again in pleasure, the tears falling down your cheeks, leaving tear stains like the previous ones.

“Oh my fucking god, Sunghoon.”

“You love this, don’t you,” he says, almost like he’s mocking you.

His fingers curl, hitting that one spot inside you that has your toes curling.

Your mouth opens in shock, and stays open, refusing to close as he finger fucks you open.

Your pussy gets wetter as he goes on, more and more arousal leaking out of you onto his hand.

“You’re like a fountain,” he says, smiling almost genuinely. “You gonna cum again?”

You nod, finally closing your mouth, your lips pursing as you feel something different this time around.

“Sunghoon I think I’m gonna—”

And before you can finish, you’re squirting like an actual fountain, the liquid splashing out of you onto your sheets and Sunghoon’s hand.

You gasp, and even Sunghoon is surprised, his own mouth formed into an o.

His fingers finally slow down, pulling out of you as you finish.

Both of you are quiet for a moment before Sunghoon laughs, “That was fucking hot.”

You can’t help but blush, you’ve never squirted before.

It seems he can tell, “You’ve never done that before?”

You shake your head.

“Well, I’m glad I’m the first to do it.”

He then lands a surprisingly slap on your pussy, making you jump.

Your eyes widen, looking at him in shock and all he does is smile.

“I’m still not done with you,” he says.

“More?” You question.

“You didn’t think you’d get out of this without me fucking you, did you?”

Sunghoon pulls you towards him by your ankles, holding your legs apart before aligning himself with your hole.

You prepare yourself for his size as quickly as you can, because within seconds he’s pushing in.

You take deep breaths, “Fuck, you’re big.”

“I know,” he responds accordingly.

You pout at that, smacking his arm as he laughs at you.

He gives you time to adjust this time around, and after a moment you give him the signal to move.

You realize now he’s calmed down a little bit from before, which you don’t mind, seeing as this is a new side of him.

As he starts to piston his hips, his cock hits all the right places.

Your hands find their place on his back, your nails digging into his skin.

He groans at the feeling, liking the pain.

You mewl at the power in his thrusts, the roll of his hips.

“Fuck, yes Sunghoon.”

“You like taking my cock?”

“Love it,” you manage to get out.

“Oh you love it?” He teases you, but you can’t find it in yourself to care.

“Sunghoon,” you say.

He hums, focused on fucking you into the mattress.

You take his hand, bringing it up and wrapping it around your throat.

He looks into your eyes, his own widen for a moment before he bites his lip.

He presses down on the sides of your throat, just enough to wind you slightly.

“Dirty fucking girl.”

He keeps his hand there, steady pressure, making you feel closer and closer to cumming again.

“You gonna cum on my cock this time?” Sunghoon asks.

“Yes, yes, Sunghoon! Want you to cum in me!”

Sunghoon steadies himself, and uses his other hand to press on the bulge in your tummy.

“Cum for me, Y/N.”

You feel the band in your stomach snap for the third time tonight, cumming all around Sunghoon’s cock as you feel him cum inside you, pumping you full.

As his thrusts start to slow down and finally come to a stop, he unwraps his hand from your throat and just looks at you.

Your face, adorned by your glasses. Your red, tear stained cheeks. You look up at him, blinking a few times in succession, “What?”

Sunghoon leans down and for the first time, kisses you.

You kiss him back, albeit somewhat hesitantly.

As you pull away, he looks like there’s something on his mind.

You want to ask what it is, but choose not to.

After using the bathroom, Sunghoon helps you change your sheets and you both redress.

You figure he’s going to go back to his room, but he surprises you as he slides into your bed beside you.

Neither of you says anything for a few minutes, and then, Sunghoon speaks, “So, be honest with me. Who was that picture meant for?”

You take a deep breath, gunning between telling a lie and the truth. The truth eventually wins the battle.

“The truth is, it wasn’t meant for anyone. I sent it to you on purpose,” you say.

Sunghoon’s brows furrow, “But you said it was an accident?”

“Yeah, I lied. The truth is the other night, when you had Karina over I heard you tell her I’m not your type.”

Sunghoon starts to stutter out an excuse, “I didn’t mean—”

“I know what you meant, Sunghoon,” you say, cutting him off. “I won’t lie and say it didn’t sting but at the end of the day I already knew I wasn’t your type. The reality is I kinda just wanted you in my bed so I devised a plan with my friends to make you see me differently and well… it obviously worked.”

Sunghoon is quiet, until he’s not.

You expect him to be weirded out, curse you out and call you names. But instead, he starts laughing.

“That is the craziest shit I’ve ever heard and yet…I kinda like it.”

You look at him to find him already staring at you.

“You’re not weirded out?”

He shakes his head, “I’m oddly flattered. Maybe that’s weird but I guess that makes us both weird then.”

Suddenly, he’s shifting so he’s on top of you, caging you underneath him.

You don’t know what to do with your hands, so you, albeit somewhat awkwardly, place them on his shoulders.

“Is it safe to say you fascinate me now?” Sunghoon asks, leaning down, placing slow, deliberate kisses on your neck and shoulder.

You naturally turn your head to give him more access, “I guess not. I’ve never had someone tell me I fascinate them.”

Sunghoon’s kisses trail upwards until his lips meet yours in another fiery kiss.

Breaking away after a while, he descends until his mouth is adjacent to your clothed pussy.

“Sunghoon,” you interrupt, “we just changed the sheets.”

He looks up at you, a twinkle in his eye, “We can change them again.”

AEWON 2025

[tonyspep]

~*~big, big plans~*~

A/N: this is for the 24k winter fic exchange put together by the amazing @wyattjohnston I know this is a little late, and I'm so sorry. I've never written for Nico Hischier before, so I hope I do him justice for the great @kurlyteuvo. This doesn't take place during a specific season with the Devils as I know next to nothing about their lore. I hope you enjoy this and you've had a wonderful holiday season and have a great year this year. @fallinallincurls also helped me so much with this so shout out to her.

~*~big, big plans~*~

pairing: nico hischier x oc

summary: it's the holiday season and during the break, nico has some big, big plans on the little hawaiian island his girlfriend nadia's family has been spending the holidays since she was a little girl

rating: t

she don't know /i got some big, big plans

build a little house on some hand-me-down land

find a little island where we go to get tan

i bet we take our kids down there one day

and i know she wouldn't mind if i

did a little somethin' like find a flight

overnight to paradise and leave tonight

and i'ma put a diamond on her hand

“big, big plans” - by chris lane

Nico didn't expect to find love when he was drafted by the Devils. Honestly, he was just trying to hope he would get by with what little English he knew. Then he moved into the townhouse Hallsy recommended and he met his neighbor. Nadia turned his whole world upside down. He still remembers her wide deep brown eyes meeting his own and the cute little gasp that fell off her full strawberry pout when she realized who was standing in front of her.

She fixed her hair and babbled in the most adorable way, but her excited energy as she talked about how her family had owned season tickets to the Devils forever had him smiling. She rattled off his stats with ease and before he could say anything, she hugged him close and said softly, “Welcome to New Jersey, Nico,” and from that day on he couldn't get her out of his head.

That was six years ago. He still couldn't believe they had known each other that long. How when everything fell apart with her boyfriend, she had come to him, her beautiful brown eyes red rimmed with tears, her long dark hair piled atop her head. He comforted her and though he desperately wanted to tell her he had long fallen in love with her, he kept that secret close to his heart not wanting to take advantage when she was at her most vulnerable.

Everything changed during the pandemic. Though, her parents were close by, she stuck by his side as his family was a world away in Switzerland. She showed him how to use Zoom and surprised him by learning Swiss in additon to making way too much banana bread. She added chunks of chocolate just for him. He taught her his mother's famous Swiss food and one night, everything changed when she stood on her toes – in her kitchen – flour dusting her cheeks and smelling of vanilla and cinnamon, and she initated their first kiss.

It was everything he could have dreamed of and more. Her lips so soft and warm, her scent so beautiful and alluring, everything about her drawing him in deeper and deeper.

Now there she was at the Prudential Center cheering him on at every home game. Since she was a yoga instructor, the hours worked out perfectly for her to be able to come to nearly every game. Her parents – David and Savannah – welcomed him with open arms, which he was thankful for considering he had bought a beautiful ruby ring two months ago before both the Thompson and Hischier clans would be converging on the big island of Hawaii to spend the holidays together.

Vacationing in Hawaii to escap the harsh Jersey winters had been a tradition for Nadia's family since she was a little girl and the past two Christmases Nico had come along. Now, his family was coming. He could still hear his Mom's excited shouts in Swiss when he told her and his Dad of his plans of proposing. They had loved Nadia from the first moment they met. Welcoming her as if they had known her for years after their very first interaction.

“I can feel you staring,” Nadia as sweet as she was had a sharp tongue, and Nico could hear the teasing tone of her sweet voice. “I can enjoy the view,” He easy volleyed back, taking in her alluring shape as she finished packing her suitcase.

“What if I want you to do more than enjoy the view, huh?” Seeing her tongue wet her perfect pout had Nico groan low and deep in his throat.

Easily crossing the threshold of their bedroom, Nico had the petite brunette wrapped in his strong arms in seconds. Bending slightly as she stood on her tip toes, they kissed sweetly, their tongues tangling as her fingers found purchase in his thick hair while his roamed her back. Pulling away, they were breathing heavily and their eyes were full of love and heat. Nadia let one of her hands stay tangled in Nico's soft hair while the other trailed down his toned chest, feeling the muscles underneath his cotton t-shirt. He felt nothing but heat from her fingers.

Her soft sigh sent his blood rushing through his veins. “Can't wait to be on the beach with you,” Nadia mused. “Love seeing you get tan and how you can't keep your hands away from me. I packed the red bikini just for you, Neeks.”

“Nadi,” A desperate growl as she gave an impish smile promising nothing but trouble. “It's your favorite,” Her tone was dilberately innocent as she batted her lashes coquettishly. “How could I not bring it?”

They were talking too much Nico decided as he swept his girl up into another passionate kiss and laid her down on their bed, covering her petite body with his strong frame. They spent the rest of the night before they would leave for Hawaii in the morning, wrapped up in each other and with every kiss and every touch, every soft pant of his name, he knew more and more that Nadia was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

He could see her walking to him on David's arm in the most beautiful white dress. Giving him a cheeky wink and sticking out her tongue to make him laugh – you're too serious, neeks loosen up, baby – and how he would stick his tongue back out at her. He could hear him say I do and her say the same words back. He could see them fixing up their spare room; painting it a sweet and sunny yellow with sage accents the perfect mix of boht of them as their little girl would be. He could see them bringing her to the same resort they would be staying at once they touched down in Hawaii. Watching her play in the sand and the surf giggling as he chased her and Nadia, cuddling with her, seeing her grow and learn and change.

Kissing Nadia's head as he listened to her breath while she was wrapped in his arms, Nico couldn't imagine a better life for himself.

He only hoped when he got down on one knee, Nadia would say yes.

The first night was spent unpacking and enjoying a traditonal luau as the two families toasted each other and the holiday season. Nico was sure he had never seen a more beautiful woman than Nadia under the tiki lamps and the pink and orange of the setting Hawaiian sun. Her beautiful green and teal maxi dress hugged her figure perfectly. Her eyes were bright with happiness, her laughter infectious, every little thing she did made him fall deeper and deeper and only made him more certain of what he was going to do.

Her father David sent him knowing looks and winked, and he couldn't help but flush. His Mom couldn't resist mentioning how beautiful the resort would be for a wedding and Nadia murmured in his ear, “I always thought so. I wouldn't mind getting married here,”

Their fingers were linked together and she had brought their intertwined hands to her lips when she said that, and Nico felt his heart skip several beats. He wouldn't mind getting married here. The sun setting behind them and making her look like an angel.

He finds his voice, kissing her softly and says, “Me neither,” the smile he receives back is absolutely blinding and he's more confident than ever she'll say yes.

Being a yoga instructor, Nadida is an early riser. Even on vacation, so to no one's surprise both she and Nico are up early the next morning. Nico can't resist his eyes shamelessly roaming over Nadia's beauitful body in her choice of a red two piece sports bra and leggings set. The red ribbon tied in her high ponytail makes her even more adorable to him.

He can feel Nadia's eyes on him. The sight of her biting her lip has the heat rising and he smiles as he wraps his arms around her, ready for their morning yoga session as she giggles and tries to wriggle free. He kisses her all over as he lifts her from her feet making her giggles grow louder as he laughs, his hands roam over her curves. They fall into the lush grass, a tangle of limbs before he manages to get her tiny body under his strong frame.

“You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen,” His voice is husky and honest, making her shudder. “Neeks,” His nickname falling from Nadia's lips, makes him want her so much. Her deep brown eyes are shimmering in the morning light, making him love her even more.

He can feel the ring inside the pocket of his shorts and he knows this is the moment. The sun peeking through the palm trees, the birds chirping, the ocean lapping lazily against the sand and Nadia looking like a princess even her sports bra and leggings.

Caressing her cheek softly with his finger tips, he uses his other hand to reach into the pocket of his shorts and her little gasp is the cutest thing he's ever heard.

“Nico...” She whispers. “Shhh, Nadi,” Nico says softly. “There's only one thing I want you to say, but let me say what I have to first.”

“Okay,”

“I couldn't believe the most beautiful girl I had ever seen was so close when I had first moved to Newark after being drafted, that she was right across the hall from me. I never wanted any sadness to come to you and I hated that I was happy when Jason broke your heart because all I wanted was to have you for myself, but the thought of someone hurting of you, of you feeling any pain was something I never wanted. When you came to me, your beautiful eyes red rimmed, your tiny body shaking, all I wanted to do was hold you and do whatever I could to make you smile again...”

“And that's exactly what you did. You gave me everything I could ever want. You're my Prince Charming, Nico,”

“And you're my Princess, Nadia. So there's only one thing for Prince Charming and his Princess to do; to live happily ever after. Nadia Isabel Thompson, will you do me the utmost honor of becoming my wife and making me the happiest man in the world?”

Nico watched as Nadia's eyes went wide when he presented her with the gorgeous ruby ring. Her beautiful face was awash in pure happiness as tears filled her big beautiful chocolate eyes while she nodded and said in the sweetest voice, “Yes, yes! Yes, yes! Yes, Nico I'll marry you,”

Just as he slipped the ring onto her shaking ring finger, they heard the happy yells and cheers from their families as they ran from their respective bungalos on the resort, champagne in her Dad's hand and the other family members holding champagne flutes.

Hugs and kisses were exchanged. He shook hands with her Dad and Nico felt like he was floating. Nothing could be better than this.

Except for when Nadia was by his side when he was lifting the Cup and then when he was holding their beautiful little girl.

@nicohischier @nadia_yoga said yes!!!! #engaged #hawaiianholiday #merrychristmas

@nadia_yoga i said yes beaches!!!! #engaged #hawaiianholiday #merrychristmastome #merrychristmastous

@jackhughes way to go cap!!! congrats u crazy kids!!! gonna be so turnt for the wedding!!!

@dougieham i have the most incredible best man speech planned. vince vaughan and owen wilson ain't got nothing on me #shout #bestmandougieham

More and more comments flooded both Nico and Nadia's instagram pages as the day went on. After celebrating with their families, they spent the rest of the day wrapped up in each other as they showered each other with love more happy than they ever dreamed they could be.

As the sun set behind them, they danced on the beach, holding each other close. The waves and their heartbeats providing the music as they swayed softly together.

In this moment, they knew they were meant to be together and that their lives were just beginning, both of them imagining being right back here as husband and wife and then with their kids; a strong willed, funny girl with Nadia's big brown eyes and a sweet, soft spoken little boy who had the same smile as Nico.

all i am, i'll be

everything in this world

all that i'll ever need

is in your eyes

shining at me

when you smile /i can feel

all my passion unfolding

your hand brushes mine

and a thousand sensations

seduce me cause i

i do cherish you

for the rest of my life

you don't have to think twice

i will love you still

from the depths of my soul

it's beyond my control

i've waited so long to say this to you

if you're asking do i love you this much

i do

“i do (cherish you) – by 98 degrees

songs used “big, big plans” by chris lane and “i do (cherish you) by 98 degrees

[tameblog]

We love warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. Seriously, what could be better? This is our classic, fool-proof chocolate chip cookie recipe that ensures perfectly soft and buttery cookies every time. We promise, you’ll love these cookies as much as we do! For more homemade cookie goodness, try our easy Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. Why Our Recipe My tried-and-true recipe I’ve been making for almost 30 years! The perfect texture with a soft center, gooey melted chocolate, and a touch of crispiness around the edges. Use this recipe as the perfect cookie dough base and customize with your favorite mix-ins. Make a quick batch to satisfy your sweet tooth and freeze the rest of the dough for later! We have been baking these chocolate chip cookies for the past 25 years. It all started in the 5th grade, determined to make cookies without an adult’s help, where instead of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 cup of baking soda was added! Whoops! They grew larger and larger in the oven until they covered the entire pan! This learning lesson began our love for cooking. Mastering the ultimate chocolate chip cookie was extremely important, and we are happy to share that recipe with you today. Ingredient Notes Butter: Unsalted butter can be used, but add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Make sure it’s softened for easy creaming. Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar works, but dark brown sugar is going to give you a deeper flavor and a chewier cookie. Granulated Sugar: Balances the sweetness and helps the cookies achieve lightly crisp edges. Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla also works. Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature for best results. All-Purpose Flour: Stick with regular all-purpose flour for this one. Bread flour can also work. Baking Soda: Check the expiration date to ensure proper leavening. Chocolate Chip Options The type of chocolate chips you use is a matter of personal preference. There are no wrong answers here! Both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips will work, or you can use a combination of both. Mini chips, chunks, and disks all work! You can even chop up a chocolate bar instead of using chips if you want those big, melty puddles of chocolate throughout your cookies. Just stick to around 2 cups total. Parchment Paper vs. Nonstick Cooking Spray I always recommend using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when baking cookies. It keeps the cookies from sticking, and it does it without adding any extra grease. Nonstick cooking spray is the easier option, but it can leave a slightly greasy texture on the bottoms of your cookies. It also tends to brown them faster, which isn’t always a good thing. With parchment or a silicone mat, you get more even baking and a cleaner, crisper finish. The Science Behind the Perfect Cookie There’s real science behind what makes these cookies turn out just right every time. It’s not magic—it’s how the ingredients work together. This recipe is all about the balance that gives you soft, chewy centers with just the right amount of crisp around the edges. Butter creaming matters. Softened butter (not melted!) is creamed with the sugars for a solid 2 to 3 minutes in this recipe. Don’t skip on the time! This does a couple of very important things. First, it dissolves the sugars completely in the butter. Second, it beats in a lot of air which will allow your leavening agent (the baking soda) to give the cookies a bit more lift. Dark brown sugar adds moisture. The high molasses content in dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper flavor, but that extra moisture is what helps keep the inside of your cookies soft and chewy for days. The granulated sugar is what adds crispiness around the edges. No chill time needed. But if you have the time (or the patience), a quick 30-minute chill will make the cookies puff up just a bit more if that’s your thing. Timing is everything. Don��t you dare overbake! Baking for just 10 to 12 minutes ensures the centers stay soft. Pull them out when the edges are golden but the centers still look a little underdone. That’s the sweet spot. They’ll finish baking on the hot pan, giving you those dreamy gooey centers without overcooking. Troubleshooting Even a tried-and-true cookie recipe can turn out a little different depending on your ingredients, kitchen setup, or even the weather or your mood. We’ve all been there. If your cookies didn’t turn out quite how you hoped, here are a few quick fixes to get you back on track. Your cookies are spreading too much. That butter was probably a little too warm. Make sure it’s softened—not melted. If your dough feels super soft, just pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. That’ll help them hold their shape. They’re not spreading at all. This usually means there’s too much flour. It’s an easy mistake to make as measuring flour is a bit inaccurate without a kitchen scale. Fluff, scoop, and sweep is the method I use. Too cakey? That can happen if you overmix the dough. Overmixing can incorporate too much air into the dough or develop too much gluten, both of which can lead to a cakier texture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Burnt bottoms or crispy edges? This might be your baking pan. Dark pans heat up more in the oven and can brown the bottoms faster. I recommend using a light-colored sheet pan. If you only have dark ones, just lower your oven temp by 15 to 25 degrees and keep a close eye toward the end of the bake time. Cookies are getting hard after they cool. Take them out of the oven when the edges are set, but the centers still look a little underbaked. They’ll keep baking on the hot pan. Once they’re cool, store them in an airtight container—while they’re still just barely warm is even better to help lock in that softness. Make Now, Bake Later This recipe is perfect if you want to quickly make the dough and save it for baking either the next morning or later down the road when your cookie craving hits! Want just a little treat now and more later? Make the full batch of dough and stash the rest in the refrigerator. Cookie dough will stay good in the fridge for up to 72 hours. When you’re ready for more, just scoop and bake straight from the fridge—no need to let it come to room temp. This cookie dough can also easily be frozen. For best results, shape into balls and freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag for long-term storage, up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place frozen cookie dough in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Storage Instructions Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter. Cookies stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.  *Warm, gooey cookies are a must. If you don’t eat all these cookies in one sitting, you can put them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until warm. More cookie recipes… Source link

[romaleen]

We love warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. Seriously, what could be better? This is our classic, fool-proof chocolate chip cookie recipe that ensures perfectly soft and buttery cookies every time. We promise, you’ll love these cookies as much as we do! For more homemade cookie goodness, try our easy Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. Why Our Recipe My tried-and-true recipe I’ve been making for almost 30 years! The perfect texture with a soft center, gooey melted chocolate, and a touch of crispiness around the edges. Use this recipe as the perfect cookie dough base and customize with your favorite mix-ins. Make a quick batch to satisfy your sweet tooth and freeze the rest of the dough for later! We have been baking these chocolate chip cookies for the past 25 years. It all started in the 5th grade, determined to make cookies without an adult’s help, where instead of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 cup of baking soda was added! Whoops! They grew larger and larger in the oven until they covered the entire pan! This learning lesson began our love for cooking. Mastering the ultimate chocolate chip cookie was extremely important, and we are happy to share that recipe with you today. Ingredient Notes Butter: Unsalted butter can be used, but add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Make sure it’s softened for easy creaming. Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar works, but dark brown sugar is going to give you a deeper flavor and a chewier cookie. Granulated Sugar: Balances the sweetness and helps the cookies achieve lightly crisp edges. Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla also works. Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature for best results. All-Purpose Flour: Stick with regular all-purpose flour for this one. Bread flour can also work. Baking Soda: Check the expiration date to ensure proper leavening. Chocolate Chip Options The type of chocolate chips you use is a matter of personal preference. There are no wrong answers here! Both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips will work, or you can use a combination of both. Mini chips, chunks, and disks all work! You can even chop up a chocolate bar instead of using chips if you want those big, melty puddles of chocolate throughout your cookies. Just stick to around 2 cups total. Parchment Paper vs. Nonstick Cooking Spray I always recommend using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when baking cookies. It keeps the cookies from sticking, and it does it without adding any extra grease. Nonstick cooking spray is the easier option, but it can leave a slightly greasy texture on the bottoms of your cookies. It also tends to brown them faster, which isn’t always a good thing. With parchment or a silicone mat, you get more even baking and a cleaner, crisper finish. The Science Behind the Perfect Cookie There’s real science behind what makes these cookies turn out just right every time. It’s not magic—it’s how the ingredients work together. This recipe is all about the balance that gives you soft, chewy centers with just the right amount of crisp around the edges. Butter creaming matters. Softened butter (not melted!) is creamed with the sugars for a solid 2 to 3 minutes in this recipe. Don’t skip on the time! This does a couple of very important things. First, it dissolves the sugars completely in the butter. Second, it beats in a lot of air which will allow your leavening agent (the baking soda) to give the cookies a bit more lift. Dark brown sugar adds moisture. The high molasses content in dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper flavor, but that extra moisture is what helps keep the inside of your cookies soft and chewy for days. The granulated sugar is what adds crispiness around the edges. No chill time needed. But if you have the time (or the patience), a quick 30-minute chill will make the cookies puff up just a bit more if that’s your thing. Timing is everything. Don’t you dare overbake! Baking for just 10 to 12 minutes ensures the centers stay soft. Pull them out when the edges are golden but the centers still look a little underdone. That’s the sweet spot. They’ll finish baking on the hot pan, giving you those dreamy gooey centers without overcooking. Troubleshooting Even a tried-and-true cookie recipe can turn out a little different depending on your ingredients, kitchen setup, or even the weather or your mood. We’ve all been there. If your cookies didn’t turn out quite how you hoped, here are a few quick fixes to get you back on track. Your cookies are spreading too much. That butter was probably a little too warm. Make sure it’s softened—not melted. If your dough feels super soft, just pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. That’ll help them hold their shape. They’re not spreading at all. This usually means there’s too much flour. It’s an easy mistake to make as measuring flour is a bit inaccurate without a kitchen scale. Fluff, scoop, and sweep is the method I use. Too cakey? That can happen if you overmix the dough. Overmixing can incorporate too much air into the dough or develop too much gluten, both of which can lead to a cakier texture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Burnt bottoms or crispy edges? This might be your baking pan. Dark pans heat up more in the oven and can brown the bottoms faster. I recommend using a light-colored sheet pan. If you only have dark ones, just lower your oven temp by 15 to 25 degrees and keep a close eye toward the end of the bake time. Cookies are getting hard after they cool. Take them out of the oven when the edges are set, but the centers still look a little underbaked. They’ll keep baking on the hot pan. Once they’re cool, store them in an airtight container—while they’re still just barely warm is even better to help lock in that softness. Make Now, Bake Later This recipe is perfect if you want to quickly make the dough and save it for baking either the next morning or later down the road when your cookie craving hits! Want just a little treat now and more later? Make the full batch of dough and stash the rest in the refrigerator. Cookie dough will stay good in the fridge for up to 72 hours. When you’re ready for more, just scoop and bake straight from the fridge—no need to let it come to room temp. This cookie dough can also easily be frozen. For best results, shape into balls and freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag for long-term storage, up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place frozen cookie dough in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Storage Instructions Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter. Cookies stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.  *Warm, gooey cookies are a must. If you don’t eat all these cookies in one sitting, you can put them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until warm. More cookie recipes… Source link

[monaleen101]

We love warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. Seriously, what could be better? This is our classic, fool-proof chocolate chip cookie recipe that ensures perfectly soft and buttery cookies every time. We promise, you’ll love these cookies as much as we do! For more homemade cookie goodness, try our easy Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. Why Our Recipe My tried-and-true recipe I’ve been making for almost 30 years! The perfect texture with a soft center, gooey melted chocolate, and a touch of crispiness around the edges. Use this recipe as the perfect cookie dough base and customize with your favorite mix-ins. Make a quick batch to satisfy your sweet tooth and freeze the rest of the dough for later! We have been baking these chocolate chip cookies for the past 25 years. It all started in the 5th grade, determined to make cookies without an adult’s help, where instead of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 cup of baking soda was added! Whoops! They grew larger and larger in the oven until they covered the entire pan! This learning lesson began our love for cooking. Mastering the ultimate chocolate chip cookie was extremely important, and we are happy to share that recipe with you today. Ingredient Notes Butter: Unsalted butter can be used, but add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Make sure it’s softened for easy creaming. Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar works, but dark brown sugar is going to give you a deeper flavor and a chewier cookie. Granulated Sugar: Balances the sweetness and helps the cookies achieve lightly crisp edges. Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla also works. Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature for best results. All-Purpose Flour: Stick with regular all-purpose flour for this one. Bread flour can also work. Baking Soda: Check the expiration date to ensure proper leavening. Chocolate Chip Options The type of chocolate chips you use is a matter of personal preference. There are no wrong answers here! Both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips will work, or you can use a combination of both. Mini chips, chunks, and disks all work! You can even chop up a chocolate bar instead of using chips if you want those big, melty puddles of chocolate throughout your cookies. Just stick to around 2 cups total. Parchment Paper vs. Nonstick Cooking Spray I always recommend using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when baking cookies. It keeps the cookies from sticking, and it does it without adding any extra grease. Nonstick cooking spray is the easier option, but it can leave a slightly greasy texture on the bottoms of your cookies. It also tends to brown them faster, which isn’t always a good thing. With parchment or a silicone mat, you get more even baking and a cleaner, crisper finish. The Science Behind the Perfect Cookie There’s real science behind what makes these cookies turn out just right every time. It’s not magic—it’s how the ingredients work together. This recipe is all about the balance that gives you soft, chewy centers with just the right amount of crisp around the edges. Butter creaming matters. Softened butter (not melted!) is creamed with the sugars for a solid 2 to 3 minutes in this recipe. Don’t skip on the time! This does a couple of very important things. First, it dissolves the sugars completely in the butter. Second, it beats in a lot of air which will allow your leavening agent (the baking soda) to give the cookies a bit more lift. Dark brown sugar adds moisture. The high molasses content in dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper flavor, but that extra moisture is what helps keep the inside of your cookies soft and chewy for days. The granulated sugar is what adds crispiness around the edges. No chill time needed. But if you have the time (or the patience), a quick 30-minute chill will make the cookies puff up just a bit more if that’s your thing. Timing is everything. Don’t you dare overbake! Baking for just 10 to 12 minutes ensures the centers stay soft. Pull them out when the edges are golden but the centers still look a little underdone. That’s the sweet spot. They’ll finish baking on the hot pan, giving you those dreamy gooey centers without overcooking. Troubleshooting Even a tried-and-true cookie recipe can turn out a little different depending on your ingredients, kitchen setup, or even the weather or your mood. We’ve all been there. If your cookies didn’t turn out quite how you hoped, here are a few quick fixes to get you back on track. Your cookies are spreading too much. That butter was probably a little too warm. Make sure it’s softened—not melted. If your dough feels super soft, just pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. That’ll help them hold their shape. They’re not spreading at all. This usually means there’s too much flour. It’s an easy mistake to make as measuring flour is a bit inaccurate without a kitchen scale. Fluff, scoop, and sweep is the method I use. Too cakey? That can happen if you overmix the dough. Overmixing can incorporate too much air into the dough or develop too much gluten, both of which can lead to a cakier texture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Burnt bottoms or crispy edges? This might be your baking pan. Dark pans heat up more in the oven and can brown the bottoms faster. I recommend using a light-colored sheet pan. If you only have dark ones, just lower your oven temp by 15 to 25 degrees and keep a close eye toward the end of the bake time. Cookies are getting hard after they cool. Take them out of the oven when the edges are set, but the centers still look a little underbaked. They’ll keep baking on the hot pan. Once they’re cool, store them in an airtight container—while they’re still just barely warm is even better to help lock in that softness. Make Now, Bake Later This recipe is perfect if you want to quickly make the dough and save it for baking either the next morning or later down the road when your cookie craving hits! Want just a little treat now and more later? Make the full batch of dough and stash the rest in the refrigerator. Cookie dough will stay good in the fridge for up to 72 hours. When you’re ready for more, just scoop and bake straight from the fridge—no need to let it come to room temp. This cookie dough can also easily be frozen. For best results, shape into balls and freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag for long-term storage, up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place frozen cookie dough in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Storage Instructions Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter. Cookies stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.  *Warm, gooey cookies are a must. If you don’t eat all these cookies in one sitting, you can put them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until warm. More cookie recipes… Source link

[iammeandmy]

We love warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. Seriously, what could be better? This is our classic, fool-proof chocolate chip cookie recipe that ensures perfectly soft and buttery cookies every time. We promise, you’ll love these cookies as much as we do! For more homemade cookie goodness, try our easy Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. Why Our Recipe My tried-and-true recipe I’ve been making for almost 30 years! The perfect texture with a soft center, gooey melted chocolate, and a touch of crispiness around the edges. Use this recipe as the perfect cookie dough base and customize with your favorite mix-ins. Make a quick batch to satisfy your sweet tooth and freeze the rest of the dough for later! We have been baking these chocolate chip cookies for the past 25 years. It all started in the 5th grade, determined to make cookies without an adult’s help, where instead of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 cup of baking soda was added! Whoops! They grew larger and larger in the oven until they covered the entire pan! This learning lesson began our love for cooking. Mastering the ultimate chocolate chip cookie was extremely important, and we are happy to share that recipe with you today. Ingredient Notes Butter: Unsalted butter can be used, but add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Make sure it’s softened for easy creaming. Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar works, but dark brown sugar is going to give you a deeper flavor and a chewier cookie. Granulated Sugar: Balances the sweetness and helps the cookies achieve lightly crisp edges. Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla also works. Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature for best results. All-Purpose Flour: Stick with regular all-purpose flour for this one. Bread flour can also work. Baking Soda: Check the expiration date to ensure proper leavening. Chocolate Chip Options The type of chocolate chips you use is a matter of personal preference. There are no wrong answers here! Both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips will work, or you can use a combination of both. Mini chips, chunks, and disks all work! You can even chop up a chocolate bar instead of using chips if you want those big, melty puddles of chocolate throughout your cookies. Just stick to around 2 cups total. Parchment Paper vs. Nonstick Cooking Spray I always recommend using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when baking cookies. It keeps the cookies from sticking, and it does it without adding any extra grease. Nonstick cooking spray is the easier option, but it can leave a slightly greasy texture on the bottoms of your cookies. It also tends to brown them faster, which isn’t always a good thing. With parchment or a silicone mat, you get more even baking and a cleaner, crisper finish. The Science Behind the Perfect Cookie There’s real science behind what makes these cookies turn out just right every time. It’s not magic—it’s how the ingredients work together. This recipe is all about the balance that gives you soft, chewy centers with just the right amount of crisp around the edges. Butter creaming matters. Softened butter (not melted!) is creamed with the sugars for a solid 2 to 3 minutes in this recipe. Don’t skip on the time! This does a couple of very important things. First, it dissolves the sugars completely in the butter. Second, it beats in a lot of air which will allow your leavening agent (the baking soda) to give the cookies a bit more lift. Dark brown sugar adds moisture. The high molasses content in dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper flavor, but that extra moisture is what helps keep the inside of your cookies soft and chewy for days. The granulated sugar is what adds crispiness around the edges. No chill time needed. But if you have the time (or the patience), a quick 30-minute chill will make the cookies puff up just a bit more if that’s your thing. Timing is everything. Don’t you dare overbake! Baking for just 10 to 12 minutes ensures the centers stay soft. Pull them out when the edges are golden but the centers still look a little underdone. That’s the sweet spot. They’ll finish baking on the hot pan, giving you those dreamy gooey centers without overcooking. Troubleshooting Even a tried-and-true cookie recipe can turn out a little different depending on your ingredients, kitchen setup, or even the weather or your mood. We’ve all been there. If your cookies didn’t turn out quite how you hoped, here are a few quick fixes to get you back on track. Your cookies are spreading too much. That butter was probably a little too warm. Make sure it’s softened—not melted. If your dough feels super soft, just pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. That’ll help them hold their shape. They’re not spreading at all. This usually means there’s too much flour. It’s an easy mistake to make as measuring flour is a bit inaccurate without a kitchen scale. Fluff, scoop, and sweep is the method I use. Too cakey? That can happen if you overmix the dough. Overmixing can incorporate too much air into the dough or develop too much gluten, both of which can lead to a cakier texture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Burnt bottoms or crispy edges? This might be your baking pan. Dark pans heat up more in the oven and can brown the bottoms faster. I recommend using a light-colored sheet pan. If you only have dark ones, just lower your oven temp by 15 to 25 degrees and keep a close eye toward the end of the bake time. Cookies are getting hard after they cool. Take them out of the oven when the edges are set, but the centers still look a little underbaked. They’ll keep baking on the hot pan. Once they’re cool, store them in an airtight container—while they’re still just barely warm is even better to help lock in that softness. Make Now, Bake Later This recipe is perfect if you want to quickly make the dough and save it for baking either the next morning or later down the road when your cookie craving hits! Want just a little treat now and more later? Make the full batch of dough and stash the rest in the refrigerator. Cookie dough will stay good in the fridge for up to 72 hours. When you’re ready for more, just scoop and bake straight from the fridge—no need to let it come to room temp. This cookie dough can also easily be frozen. For best results, shape into balls and freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag for long-term storage, up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place frozen cookie dough in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Storage Instructions Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter. Cookies stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.  *Warm, gooey cookies are a must. If you don’t eat all these cookies in one sitting, you can put them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until warm. More cookie recipes… Source link

[januishstory]

We love warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. Seriously, what could be better? This is our classic, fool-proof chocolate chip cookie recipe that ensures perfectly soft and buttery cookies every time. We promise, you’ll love these cookies as much as we do! For more homemade cookie goodness, try our easy Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. Why Our Recipe My tried-and-true recipe I’ve been making for almost 30 years! The perfect texture with a soft center, gooey melted chocolate, and a touch of crispiness around the edges. Use this recipe as the perfect cookie dough base and customize with your favorite mix-ins. Make a quick batch to satisfy your sweet tooth and freeze the rest of the dough for later! We have been baking these chocolate chip cookies for the past 25 years. It all started in the 5th grade, determined to make cookies without an adult’s help, where instead of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 cup of baking soda was added! Whoops! They grew larger and larger in the oven until they covered the entire pan! This learning lesson began our love for cooking. Mastering the ultimate chocolate chip cookie was extremely important, and we are happy to share that recipe with you today. Ingredient Notes Butter: Unsalted butter can be used, but add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Make sure it’s softened for easy creaming. Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar works, but dark brown sugar is going to give you a deeper flavor and a chewier cookie. Granulated Sugar: Balances the sweetness and helps the cookies achieve lightly crisp edges. Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla also works. Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature for best results. All-Purpose Flour: Stick with regular all-purpose flour for this one. Bread flour can also work. Baking Soda: Check the expiration date to ensure proper leavening. Chocolate Chip Options The type of chocolate chips you use is a matter of personal preference. There are no wrong answers here! Both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips will work, or you can use a combination of both. Mini chips, chunks, and disks all work! You can even chop up a chocolate bar instead of using chips if you want those big, melty puddles of chocolate throughout your cookies. Just stick to around 2 cups total. Parchment Paper vs. Nonstick Cooking Spray I always recommend using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when baking cookies. It keeps the cookies from sticking, and it does it without adding any extra grease. Nonstick cooking spray is the easier option, but it can leave a slightly greasy texture on the bottoms of your cookies. It also tends to brown them faster, which isn’t always a good thing. With parchment or a silicone mat, you get more even baking and a cleaner, crisper finish. The Science Behind the Perfect Cookie There’s real science behind what makes these cookies turn out just right every time. It’s not magic—it’s how the ingredients work together. This recipe is all about the balance that gives you soft, chewy centers with just the right amount of crisp around the edges. Butter creaming matters. Softened butter (not melted!) is creamed with the sugars for a solid 2 to 3 minutes in this recipe. Don’t skip on the time! This does a couple of very important things. First, it dissolves the sugars completely in the butter. Second, it beats in a lot of air which will allow your leavening agent (the baking soda) to give the cookies a bit more lift. Dark brown sugar adds moisture. The high molasses content in dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper flavor, but that extra moisture is what helps keep the inside of your cookies soft and chewy for days. The granulated sugar is what adds crispiness around the edges. No chill time needed. But if you have the time (or the patience), a quick 30-minute chill will make the cookies puff up just a bit more if that’s your thing. Timing is everything. Don’t you dare overbake! Baking for just 10 to 12 minutes ensures the centers stay soft. Pull them out when the edges are golden but the centers still look a little underdone. That’s the sweet spot. They’ll finish baking on the hot pan, giving you those dreamy gooey centers without overcooking. Troubleshooting Even a tried-and-true cookie recipe can turn out a little different depending on your ingredients, kitchen setup, or even the weather or your mood. We’ve all been there. If your cookies didn’t turn out quite how you hoped, here are a few quick fixes to get you back on track. Your cookies are spreading too much. That butter was probably a little too warm. Make sure it’s softened—not melted. If your dough feels super soft, just pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. That’ll help them hold their shape. They’re not spreading at all. This usually means there’s too much flour. It’s an easy mistake to make as measuring flour is a bit inaccurate without a kitchen scale. Fluff, scoop, and sweep is the method I use. Too cakey? That can happen if you overmix the dough. Overmixing can incorporate too much air into the dough or develop too much gluten, both of which can lead to a cakier texture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Burnt bottoms or crispy edges? This might be your baking pan. Dark pans heat up more in the oven and can brown the bottoms faster. I recommend using a light-colored sheet pan. If you only have dark ones, just lower your oven temp by 15 to 25 degrees and keep a close eye toward the end of the bake time. Cookies are getting hard after they cool. Take them out of the oven when the edges are set, but the centers still look a little underbaked. They’ll keep baking on the hot pan. Once they’re cool, store them in an airtight container—while they’re still just barely warm is even better to help lock in that softness. Make Now, Bake Later This recipe is perfect if you want to quickly make the dough and save it for baking either the next morning or later down the road when your cookie craving hits! Want just a little treat now and more later? Make the full batch of dough and stash the rest in the refrigerator. Cookie dough will stay good in the fridge for up to 72 hours. When you’re ready for more, just scoop and bake straight from the fridge—no need to let it come to room temp. This cookie dough can also easily be frozen. For best results, shape into balls and freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag for long-term storage, up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place frozen cookie dough in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Storage Instructions Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter. Cookies stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.  *Warm, gooey cookies are a must. If you don’t eat all these cookies in one sitting, you can put them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until warm. More cookie recipes… Source link

[formeryelpers]

Mari Vees, 2150 Huntington Dr, San Marino, CA 91108

Mari Vees took over the San Marino Seafood space (I’m surprised they closed) in downtown San Marino. It’s a breakfast lunch café (they close early) that serves American comfort food (think upscale diner) like egg dishes, French toast, pancakes, burgers, salads, tacos, etc. Breakfast and lunch are served all day. The coffee is from Caffe Luxxe.

Chocolate chunk pancakes with warm maple butter ($19): The pancakes are the first thing on the menu and many people order them. They’re available with blueberries, banana, or chocolate chunks. An order comes with three fluffy, handsome pancakes. The chocolate chunk pancakes had chocolate chunks on top and in the batter. The top of the stack was dusted with powdered sugar. The pancakes were very nice – light with crispy edges, not too sweet. It’s overpriced though. And they would have been better with buttermilk or something that added more flavor to the pancakes.

Coffee ($4): comes with refills, very bitter and dark, but stronger than your typical diner coffee

Street parking was easy to find. There’s an automatic gratuity of 18% for parties of five or more. I also noticed a sign that there’s a one hour limit. The food takes awhile, so this could be a challenge. The interior was dressed up a little with fake plants, but it isn’t that nice.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[mamamittens]

500+ follower event!

As decided by popular vote, a food themed ask box event!

Running from 9-12-23 to 9-19-23, hopefully the menu makes sense!

Milkshake themed!

Here’s our menu for the special 500+ follower event running from 9-12-23 to 9-19-23! To enter your order, just put it in my ask box! I may suspend the ask box if I get overwhelmed, but all asks put in during this time frame are eligible for this event.

Who can go on an order? Why, you and a character of your choice as long as they are +18. Please clarify if this is a character from a specific fandom, otherwise I will assume One Piece as that’s my most active fandom at this time.

For yourself, please include a short description for your pronouns (F!, M!, GN!, AFAB, and AMAB), appearance, style, and personality. I just need a reasonable amount of information to write your stand in with. If there’s a particular quirk or detail you want focus put on, please do include it!

If I’ve written for you before, an OC may go in your place! I’m sticking to just what’s in the ask box, so if you don’t include it, I won’t know!

All I ask is that you keep it relatively simple, polite, and short since I don’t know if there’s a character limit to the ask box. Should you need multiple asks, make it clear which are yours.

If you intend to ask for a +18 order (smut), I advise you to be at least 18 as I voluntarily flag all my +18 content. In this particular context, I especially need to know AFAB/AMAB so I may write appropriately.

Flavor – Universe

Vanilla – Canon

Chocolate – Modern

Toffee – coffee shop au

Vanilla swirl – Office au

Strawberry – Fantasy

Cake – royal au

Chunks – fantasy creature au (feel free to specify who is what)

Add ins – Relationship

Caramel syrup – Childhood friends

Chocolate syrup – Strangers

Strawberry syrup – Unbalanced relationship

Fruit – Arranged marriage

Gummy candy – Enemies to lovers

Cookies – Coworkers

Flambe (on fire) – Fling

Powdered sugar – One sided crush

Toppings – Reception?

Sprinkles – Nervous

Whip cream – Confident

Cherry – Sweet

Fries - Casual

Additional shots* - Get a room!

NSFW+18 ONLY

Alcoholic shots (kinks) to be added to your milkshake or your partners! Please phrase it as “shot of X for (A)/me” to identify who receives the act. There is no limit but bear in mind a complicated order could take much longer! And some shots may interact in unusual ways, so if you have a squick please bear that in mind.

To specifically request something not be present when it is otherwise implied, please ask “to hold X”.

White Russian – Creampie/Cum play

Hot Damn – Praise kink

Mind Eraser – Degradation

Afterburner – Choking/breathplay

Jell-o shot – Edging

Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Oral

Alice in Wonderland – Size Kink

Motor Oil – Marking

Kamikaze – Temperature play (Served hot or cold for temp preferences)

Jager Bomb – Rough Sex (Extra strong is hate sex)

Green Tea shot – Soft Sex

Pink Schnapps – Dom/Sub (The person receiving this shot will be designated the ‘Sub’)

Black Jack – Restraints

Brain Hemorrhage - Overstimulation

Special side treat (totally optional!)

Mochi Ice Cream – Yandere

Vanilla – Obsessive

Red bean – Possessive

Grean tea – Delusional

Strawberry – Protective

Coffee – Manipulative

An example of an order would be as follows:

“Hi! Doffy and I would like a strawberry cake milkshake with strawberry, caramel syrup and powdered sugar (for me!). Whip cream and a cherry on top, please! A red bean mochi would also be nice! Add in an Alice in wonderland, black jack (for me), pink schnapps (also me), and a hot damn too! I go by “Sky” and I’m a short but lanky guy (masc pronouns please) with black curls, tan skin, and dark eyes. I’m nervous and tend to freeze when shocked before rambling. I blush really easily too… unfortunately.”

[eldritchsnowflake]

f/o list

i'm fine with sharing any and all of my f/os. there's no real preference order here, just by fandom then alphabetically. any warnings will be added, though as you will see some characters are warnings in and of themselves. i may make intro pages for the self-inserts for the specific fandoms and if so i'll make into posts and link them accordingly

bad and crazy

❧ oh gyeong-tae - romantic selfship

#f/o: burnt clover

❧ king "k" and ryu soo-eul - romantic polyselfship

#f/o: the justice system

❧ king "k", oh gyeong-tae ryu soo-eul - romantic polyselfship

#f/o: love in dark places

call of duty

❧ john price (2019 onward) - familial/romantic selfship

#f/o: cigars and daddy issues warning for paternal figure uncle/nephew incest

❧ kim "horangi" hongjin - romantic selfship

#f/o: of tigers and mutts

❧ könig - romantic selfship

#f/o: inferior god complexes warning for general unhealthy/obsessive behaviour

❧ nikto - romantic selfship

#f/o: nobody yet our everybody

❧ phillip graves - "romantic" selfship

#f/o: traitor to the grave no real warnings, but there may be some themes of betrayal

❧ vladimir makarov (2019 onward) - romantic selfship

#f/o: prince treatment and wolves makarov is a warning in and of himself, but also occasionally themes of kidnapping/obsession

dangan ronpa

❧ fuyuhiko kuzuryu - romantic selfship

#f/o: baby gangsta warning for gang activity (duh)

❧ kazuichi soda - romantic selfship

#f/o: disassemble reassemble

❧ korekiyo shinguji - romantic selfship

#f/o: red rope anthropology warning for obsessive behaviour, co-dependancy and incest mentions

❧ mondo owada - romantic selfship

#f/o: gentleman biker

❧ monokid - romantic selfship

#f/o: messenger from hell

❧ nekomaru nidai - romantic selfship

#f/o: anything is possible with a fighting spirit

❧ rantaro amami - romantic selfship

#f/o: more than survive

❧ teruteru hanamura - romantic selfship

#f/o: homecooked perversion

❧ yasuhiro hagakure - romantic selfship

#f/o: 30% lovin

dc

❧ edward "riddler" nygma - romantic selfship

#f/o: riddles and mysteries

❧ jerome valeska - romantic selfship

#f/o: the best medicine warnings for obsessive/possessive behaviour, murder, and unhealthy dynamics

❧ jervis "mad hatter" tetch - familial/romantic selfship

#f/o: hats and tea and a new alice warning for father/son incest, obsession, kidnapping, stockholm syndrome

❧ victor zsasz (gotham specific) - romantic selfship

#f/o: brazen hitman

house md

❧ gregory house - romantic selfship

#f/o: it's never lupus as house is house there may be themes of addiction

gravity falls

❧ bill cipher - romantic selfship

#f/o: what acutie

❧ stanford pines - romantic selfship

#f/o: dimension hopping and hoping warning for doctor/test subject

❧ stanley pines - romantic selfship

#f/o: scam together stand together

❧ stanford pines and stanley pines - romantic polyselfship

#f/o: journals and brass knuckles warning for brother/brother incest on the pines' part and doctor/test subject

labyrinth

❧ jareth the goblin king - romantic selfship

#f/o: peachy owls warning for obsessive behaviour

marvel

❧ kurt "nightcrawler" wagner - romantic selfship

#f/o: fuzzy circus mutant

❧ remy "gambit" lebeau - familial/romantic selfship

#f/o: card games and theft warning for siblinglike dynamics being shipped (not brothers but perceive each other like brothers)

❧ venom - romantic selfship

#f/o: chocolates and meat chunks

❧ wade "deadpool" wilson - romantic selfship

#f/o: mouthy merc madness

overwatch

❧ akande "doomfist" ogundimu - romantic selfship

#f/o: swallows and strength

❧ cole cassidy - romantic selfship

#f/o: 1880s all over again

❧ genji shimada - romantic selfship

#f/o: swords and spirits

❧ jamison "junkrat" fawkes - romantic selfship

#f/o: wasteland lover

❧ jean-baptiste augustin - romantic selfship

#f/o: stealing hearts and anything else

❧ maugaloa "mauga" malosi - romantic selfship

#f/o: manipulative muscles warnings for obsessive behaviours, kidnapping, abuse and manipulation

❧ ramattra - romantic selfship

#f/o: his human pet ... i think the tag is all the warning i need this time

❧ sloane "venture" cameron - romantic selfship

#f/o: archaeology dweeb

❧ maugaloa "mauga" malosi and sloane "venture" cameron - romantic polyselfship

#f/o: big doofus and two lil doofuses warnings for obsessive behaviours, kidnapping, abuse and manipulation

pokemon (sw/sh and s/v)

❧ ai turo - romantic selfship

#f/o: do i look like him? warnings for angst, death, and anything else that may come with having ai turo as an f/o- i love my sad little ai man-

❧ raihan - romantic selfship

#f/o: draconic selfies

❧ mr saguaro - romantic selfship

#f/o: sweet and spicy

resident evil: village

❧ karl heisenburg - romantic selfship

#f/o: mechanical mommy issues

scream

❧ stu macher - romantic selfship

#f/o: wanna be in the sequel? warnings for ghostface-accurate violence

south park

❧ christophe "ze mole" - romantic selfship

#f/o: childhood nihilism

❧ mike "vampir" mckowski - romantic selfship

#f/o: bloodsuckers per se

spiderverse

❧ hobie "spiderpunk" brown - romantic selfship

#f/o: punkfox

❧ patrick "web-slinger" o'hara - romantic selfship

#f/o: cow boy fox spider

❧ peter "spiderpig" porker - romantic selfship

#f/o: farmyard spiders

squid games

❧ choi su-bong/player 230/thanos - romantic selfship

#f/o: living in the thanos world warnings for excessive drug use, age gaps, possessiveness, and general squid games canon typical violence/general unhingedness

❧ kang dae-ho/player 388 - romantic selfship

#f/o: my little tiger

❧ nam-gyu/player 124 - romantic selfship

#f/o: those seeking death shall live warnings for excessive drug use, violence, manipulation, and general squid games canon typical violence/general unhingedness

❧ the salesman - romantic selfship

#f/o: russian roulette is not the same without a gun warnings for possessiveness, manipulation, violence (towards others), mutual toxicity, age gap, and generally this is just a dark ship

❧ choi su-bong/player 230/thanos and nam-gyu/player 124 - romantic polyselfship

#f/o: just one more game together see their individual warnings for this one

the boys

❧ black noir ii - romantic selfship

#f/o: replacement romance warnings for grief and loss occasionally

❧ earving "black noir" - romantic selfship

#f/o: date nights at buster beavers

❧ john "homelander" gillman - romantic selfship

#f/o: the only man in the sky and his devotee warning for... homelander, as well as obsessive/possessive behaviours

❧ kevin "the deep" moskowitz - romantic selfship

#f/o: the creep and the new recruit warning for the deep being the deep

❧ serge "frenchie" - romantic selfship

#f/o: atonement and homemade explosives

[thepomegranatewitch]

tu bshvat 5784

Welcome to the new tradition around here, sharing my family's tu bshvat table! Pictures imperfect because we needed to sit and eat!

Image description. Three photos of a table set with a meal, described below. One from overhead, the other two from just over tableheight at two different angles.

The whole table! This is a secondhand dropleaf table that I fixed up a bit with oilcloth, but I'd love to have one of those old country kitchen wooden tables that serve as prep table, dining table, and ad hoc operating table for La Résistance. The kids keep grabbing onto the edge and trying to swing off this, and you can imagine that will one day soon end very poorly.

Since I live an actually not aesthetically cottagecore life, we have nothing but the finest dollar store plain white dishware for us adults, and metal sets for the kids. I haven't finished making all the colour coded napkins, but eagle eyed individuals will notice each blue gingham napkin has a flower embroidered in the corner in each of our colour coding scheme, from top left clockwise that's red, yellow, green, orange. Each setting has a bowl on a plate, a fork and spoon on a blue napkin, and a haggadah with a pomegranate branch on blue circle. Adult settings also have a butter knife and a stemmed port glass, and the kid settings have two small square sticker sheets and a turkish teaglass.

The table has, from top left clockwise, an adult place setting, a fruit plate on glass, a child setting, a red plate with four servings of melanzane alla parmigiana, an adult place setting, a paper packet of parsley seeds, a small glass jar with cardamom pods, a glass bowl of wash water with three star anise floating in it, a gray towel with white stripes, and a child setting. Down the center of the table from left to right is a bowl of fruit and nut studded barley, a bottle of white and a bottle of red wine, a square container with mixed roasted vegetables, a half gallon mason jar with water, a pecan pie with circular pattern, and a plate of homemade thick matzah. Yes, I made matzah because I thought it would be easier than making bread. Yes, my oven hasn't been cleaned in a while and so started smoking. Yes, the smoke alarms went off multiple times. Yes, I did have to stand there facing the street while it rained pumping the side door while all the windows were open to get all the steam and smoke particles out of the air. Holiday adventures with Sahar!

Image description. Four close up shots of foods, described below. All are birds eye except the barley, which is at an angle to show the careful mounding.

the fruit plate! Our minhag is at least twelve tree fruits so we piled most of them on the tasting plate. From the ramekin going clockwise, that's a ramekin of pomegranate arils, a chunk of pomegranate, segmented tangerine slices, dried apricots, almonds, dried figs, golden raisins (the baby calls them 'ravens'), extra-dark chocolate chunks (cacao is a tree fruit, it's what the ancestors would want), a ramekin of pitted kalamata olives, and some dried medjool dates. Bonus: the kids ate the plate remnants as a serve-yourself breakfast the next morning. Always wonderful when a holiday yields some batch cooking and child autonomy.

a pecan pie. We use the King Arthur Flour Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie recipe because corn syrup tastes off to me. The changes we made this time are making a savory not sweet pie crust (my spouse makes it with iced water and vodka), cream instead of milk, toasting the filling nuts just shy of burnt, and cream instead of milk. It worked really well to reduce the sweetness from 'sickening' to 'very.' It's our traditional dessert and we eat it only once a year because it's so sweet. I like laying the pecans flat side up in rings on the top for full coverage and so it looks a little like tree rings.

The washwater bowl. It's just a glass mixing bowl with water, but I dropped in some orange blossom water and floated some star anise to make it pretty, and I liked it. Will have to repeat the anise for pesach, but skip the orange blossom water - the anise completely overpowered it.

The barley. We cooked it plain and then added walnuts, pine nuts, dried cherries, fresh pomegranate, and a lot of olive oil. We didn't salt it, which was fine, because we let the kids salt the eggplant before we roasted it, which was not fine. Together they taste great. For those keeping count, the barley dish rounds out the tree fruits to thirteen, and with the whole-wheat matzah that makes all seven species! Side note on the matzah, keep your eyes peeled around pesach for my recipe. Once I learned how to make it, I'm never going back to store matzah. Mine is delicious and oil rich, and we eat it as a pleasant flatbread, not just the bread of affliction.

Image description. Two photos of amanita mushrooms from overhead angles.

As a final bit, please enjoy these amanita mushrooms from the JCC. The groundskeeper is in a months-long battle with this patch that just keeps coming back. He keeps knocking over all but one so the preschoolers can safely enjoy looking only, and they keep popping up. I'm delighted - I thought these were mythical and didn't realize they grew where I live now!

If you'd like to support my work, you can buy a copy of my tu bshvat haggadah here, and the two tu bshvat stickers here and here.

[sundere1181]

Now that we’re getting into winter and Christmas, hot chocolate is something that people are making more.

Hot chocolate never impressed me. I dont know if its the autism, or i never tried the right hot chocolate, or just plain old superiority /j, i never liked instant hot chocolate (aka the only hot chocolate ive ever tried). I’d add whipped cream, mini marshmallows, but it just never did it for me.

When i imagine ‘hot chocolate’ i imagine a decadent, rich, creamy, thick, delicious blend of chocolate flavors that warms you from the inside. However, it never lives up to my expectations.

To remedy this, i have made it my mission to create the most delicious hot chocolate from mix.

So, in a pot i threw together:

Half and half

Hot chocolate mix (swiss miss)

Half of an 85% dark chocolate bar

About two teaspoons of cornstarch

At this point, I realized that i added too much cornstarch and it was more of a pudding so i added a bunch of more half and half. I also realized it tasted like fucking air (i could barely taste the chocolate) so i also added some sugar and semi sweet chocolate chips.

This was the result:

Its not entirely bad. It tastes like what chocolate pudding would taste like if it was good. Its thick, creamy, but not exactly decadent and maybe only middle class wealthy rather than rich. The top kinda solidifies so everytime you have to take a sip you bring it to your lips and you have to suck on the chocolate balloon until you can actually sip your drink and then it leaves a little bit on the top of your lips like a terrible doodoo mustache. Also, there are a few chunks of what i assume are cornstarch chunks in it, that have the texture between pudding (again) and tapioca pearls with erectile dysfunction. It also leaves gunk all over my tongue, which is a thing that happens with nearly every drink i like other than soda in water.

In conclusion: i need to try again.

[cicadabooks]

2024 Olympic Muffins: Gluten-free and dairy-free option version (with gram and ml conversions)

(Recipe transcript originally from this post above by @norabee)

(Edits: I baked the muffins and I have been rewriting this post with recipe changes!)

Muffins I baked (Gluten/Dairy free version)

Notes:

Makes about 12 standard muffins. Maybe 6 jumbo muffins?

I added gram and ml equivalents based on some websites for converting US measurements. I think 1 teaspoon is same-ish everywhere, it's about 5ml.

The muffins taste VERY chocolatey to me! A friend thinks they have a nice balance of not too much sugar and good chocolate flavor. Either way, it may be nice to pair the muffins with coconut ice cream or coconut whipped cream. Especially if (like me) you baked the muffins with soy milk instead of cow milk - adding back in some cream may complement the chocolate flavors.

FYI, I used decaf instant coffee.

Muffin ingredients:

¾ cup milk (175 ml) (sub in: soymilk or non-dairy milk of choice.)

¼ cup water (60 ml)

2 tsp instant coffee (10 ml)

½ cup cocoa powder (about 40 grams) (Dutch cocoa recommended*)

½ cup chocolate chunks to melt (about 70 grams) (sub in: non-dairy chocolate chunks)

8 TBSP butter (1 stick, or ½ cup, or 113 grams) (sub in: non-dairy butter)

2 cups flour (between 240 grams - 280 grams?) (sub in: gluten-free 1-to-1 mix flour)

1 TBSP baking powder (15 ml)

¼ tsp salt (sea salt or kosher salt) (1 ml?)

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed (about 110 grams)

½ cup granulated sugar (about 100 grams)

¼ cup vegetable oil (about 60 ml)

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)

Additional ⅓ cup of chocolate chunks (about 47 grams)

Filling ingredients:

½ cup heavy cream (125 ml) (sub in: coconut cream - scoop out the top cream from a can of full-fat coconut milk.**)

¼ cup chocolate chunks (about 35 grams)

pinch of salt (use sea salt or kosher salt)

Cooking instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

Add milk, water, and instant coffee to a saucepan, bring to a simmer. (I turned off the heat once it simmered.) Add cocoa powder, mix well, then add chocolate chunks and butter. Stir until melted, transfer to a bowl, and allow to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

Once the chocolate mixture is cooled - add brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

Add a third of the flour mixture to chocolate mixture and combine. Then add remaining flour mixture, folding in gently. Take care to not over-mix. Then add chocolate chunks (video says to fold in these choco chunks, but it also looks like choco chunks were added on top before baking).

Spoon batter into muffin tins. (Spoon about 1/2 cup or 120ml of batter, or just know that the muffin will poof up.) This might be when to add some chocolate chunks on top of the batter.

Bake for 24 minutes. (Baking time may differ with GF and DF substitutes, often takes longer.)

While waiting - For the filling: add heavy cream, chocolate chunks, and salt to a saucepan, heat until melted, taking care not to come to a boil.

After baking, fill muffins with filling (spoon filling into a ziploc bag, cut corner of bag, cut out a bit of the muffin center with a knife, squeeze filling into muffins)***

Serve.

More Notes:

* Dutch Cocoa suggestion is based on a tumblr tag I saw and also this article. “[....] Dutch-process cocoa powder is usually used for batters containing baking powder.”

** Coconut cream substitution as suggested on this recipe page. (One can had a little more than 1/2 cup cream, when I opened it.)

*** Muffin filling tips from @picturesque-about-it from this post:

"[....] But you could definitely just use a knife to cut out the middle and use a ziploc bag with the corner cut off to fill it." And more ideas -

#honestly…….. it would turn out a bit different but i feel like you could put the filling in before you bake it

#that’s how we made chocolate chip muffins at my old job

#scoop of ganache that would sink as it baked and chocolate chips on top

#they were soooooooo good

if you’re craving chocolate muffins after the olympic muffin man videos, jordan the stallion on tiktok has the recipe for you

[thanakite]

I understand that a lot of people like chocolate

Hell, even I like chocolate!

But, I'm also not utterly obsessed with chocolate

In fact, I typically can be a bit picky about chocolate, which I'd guess is part of why I notice and question this better than people who do like chocolate more often than I do

But, sometimes people be adding chocolate to things in ways that leave me wondering why there isn't a non-chocolate option

And I'm not actually talking about weird dishes where everyone questions it

Actually, the easiest example I have is ice cream sandwiches, specifically the cookie ice cream sandwiches

Nearly 100% of the time, the cookie used for them seems to exclusively be chocolate chip cookies, which to me can be fine sometimes, but more often than not they are using dark chocolate in a way I dislike and often way too many chips, and if they aren't using chocolate chip cookies than they are using M&M cookies which is basically the same thing in many ways, and while milk chocolate is fine to me, I honestly have loved the very few sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches I've managed to find over the years so much more that it's just always kind of a disappointment

And it's to a point that illogical to me, as a sugar cookie one would be basically the same as a chocolate chip (or M&M) one, just minus 1 ingredient, and since companies love spending less on something, it truly doesn't make sense to me that they wouldn't do at least some that way instead, unless they are utterly convinced that they won't make money off of it, but there are actually a decent chunk of people in the world who don't do chocolate or have limited amounts of it only, etc. that it seems difficult to believe they wouldn't benefit from SOME variety here, but really the few times I've seen sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches at the store they disappear as quickly as they appear, and not so much in a "These didn't sell so we discontinued them" way, but in a "These were purchased so quickly they were barely on the shelves and now we have no stock with no sign of when they will be in stock again" way

Like why isn't fine to not have ones with chocolate in them?

Why isn't there more variety with this? Because like a butter cookie ice cream sandwich or a peanut butter cookie one, or so many other types of cookies could be great as an ice cream sandwich but it's like they decided that we only get 2 basically the same options here (or the Oreo option, which is still chocolate and BTW those should be AMAZING but they just, aren't which is always a bummer to me)

Anyway I could keep going on and listing other things, but this is already long and everything, but yeah that really bugs me, why certain things that could easily have a non-chocolate option just don't for some reason, makes no sense

[ramestoryworld]

We love warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. Seriously, what could be better? This is our classic, fool-proof chocolate chip cookie recipe that ensures perfectly soft and buttery cookies every time. We promise, you’ll love these cookies as much as we do! For more homemade cookie goodness, try our easy Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. Why Our Recipe My tried-and-true recipe I’ve been making for almost 30 years! The perfect texture with a soft center, gooey melted chocolate, and a touch of crispiness around the edges. Use this recipe as the perfect cookie dough base and customize with your favorite mix-ins. Make a quick batch to satisfy your sweet tooth and freeze the rest of the dough for later! We have been baking these chocolate chip cookies for the past 25 years. It all started in the 5th grade, determined to make cookies without an adult’s help, where instead of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 cup of baking soda was added! Whoops! They grew larger and larger in the oven until they covered the entire pan! This learning lesson began our love for cooking. Mastering the ultimate chocolate chip cookie was extremely important, and we are happy to share that recipe with you today. Ingredient Notes Butter: Unsalted butter can be used, but add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Make sure it’s softened for easy creaming. Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar works, but dark brown sugar is going to give you a deeper flavor and a chewier cookie. Granulated Sugar: Balances the sweetness and helps the cookies achieve lightly crisp edges. Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla also works. Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature for best results. All-Purpose Flour: Stick with regular all-purpose flour for this one. Bread flour can also work. Baking Soda: Check the expiration date to ensure proper leavening. Chocolate Chip Options The type of chocolate chips you use is a matter of personal preference. There are no wrong answers here! Both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips will work, or you can use a combination of both. Mini chips, chunks, and disks all work! You can even chop up a chocolate bar instead of using chips if you want those big, melty puddles of chocolate throughout your cookies. Just stick to around 2 cups total. Parchment Paper vs. Nonstick Cooking Spray I always recommend using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when baking cookies. It keeps the cookies from sticking, and it does it without adding any extra grease. Nonstick cooking spray is the easier option, but it can leave a slightly greasy texture on the bottoms of your cookies. It also tends to brown them faster, which isn’t always a good thing. With parchment or a silicone mat, you get more even baking and a cleaner, crisper finish. The Science Behind the Perfect Cookie There’s real science behind what makes these cookies turn out just right every time. It’s not magic—it’s how the ingredients work together. This recipe is all about the balance that gives you soft, chewy centers with just the right amount of crisp around the edges. Butter creaming matters. Softened butter (not melted!) is creamed with the sugars for a solid 2 to 3 minutes in this recipe. Don’t skip on the time! This does a couple of very important things. First, it dissolves the sugars completely in the butter. Second, it beats in a lot of air which will allow your leavening agent (the baking soda) to give the cookies a bit more lift. Dark brown sugar adds moisture. The high molasses content in dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper flavor, but that extra moisture is what helps keep the inside of your cookies soft and chewy for days. The granulated sugar is what adds crispiness around the edges. No chill time needed. But if you have the time (or the patience), a quick 30-minute chill will make the cookies puff up just a bit more if that’s your thing. Timing is everything. Don’t you dare overbake! Baking for just 10 to 12 minutes ensures the centers stay soft. Pull them out when the edges are golden but the centers still look a little underdone. That’s the sweet spot. They’ll finish baking on the hot pan, giving you those dreamy gooey centers without overcooking. Troubleshooting Even a tried-and-true cookie recipe can turn out a little different depending on your ingredients, kitchen setup, or even the weather or your mood. We’ve all been there. If your cookies didn’t turn out quite how you hoped, here are a few quick fixes to get you back on track. Your cookies are spreading too much. That butter was probably a little too warm. Make sure it’s softened—not melted. If your dough feels super soft, just pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. That’ll help them hold their shape. They’re not spreading at all. This usually means there’s too much flour. It’s an easy mistake to make as measuring flour is a bit inaccurate without a kitchen scale. Fluff, scoop, and sweep is the method I use. Too cakey? That can happen if you overmix the dough. Overmixing can incorporate too much air into the dough or develop too much gluten, both of which can lead to a cakier texture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Burnt bottoms or crispy edges? This might be your baking pan. Dark pans heat up more in the oven and can brown the bottoms faster. I recommend using a light-colored sheet pan. If you only have dark ones, just lower your oven temp by 15 to 25 degrees and keep a close eye toward the end of the bake time. Cookies are getting hard after they cool. Take them out of the oven when the edges are set, but the centers still look a little underbaked. They’ll keep baking on the hot pan. Once they’re cool, store them in an airtight container—while they’re still just barely warm is even better to help lock in that softness. Make Now, Bake Later This recipe is perfect if you want to quickly make the dough and save it for baking either the next morning or later down the road when your cookie craving hits! Want just a little treat now and more later? Make the full batch of dough and stash the rest in the refrigerator. Cookie dough will stay good in the fridge for up to 72 hours. When you’re ready for more, just scoop and bake straight from the fridge—no need to let it come to room temp. This cookie dough can also easily be frozen. For best results, shape into balls and freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag for long-term storage, up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place frozen cookie dough in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Storage Instructions Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter. Cookies stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.  *Warm, gooey cookies are a must. If you don’t eat all these cookies in one sitting, you can put them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until warm. More cookie recipes… Source link