Copycat Panera / Paradise Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Warning: these are DANGEROUSLY good!

 Copycat Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings: 18 to 20 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar



1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not packed, just scooped and leveled with a knife)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (you want the oven ready as soon as you’re done scooping!)
In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and cover with a paper towel (will help for splattering). Melt the butter for 45 seconds to 1 minute until all is melted (no chunks left). You want it hot; it doesn't have to 'pop' but if it does "pop" then it's done - just get it all melted)
Add in white sugar and brown sugar and use a spatula to stir until combined
Add in egg and vanilla, then mix.
Next, add in baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix again.
Add in flour and mix until all the flour disappears into the dough. Note: the dough WILL be wet and sticky, this is normal.
Add the chocolate chips and mix. Allow dough to sit for 1-2 minutes to slightly set so it's not as sticky.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 1 to 2-tablespoon sized scoops then gently roll into your hands to create a ball. Flatten the tops so that they're a disc vs. a round ball. Without flattening, your cookies will be thicker and more cakey.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. You want them to be slightly brown on top and look slightly under baked (my oven was perfect at 11 minutes).
Remove from oven and place entire pan on a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool on the hot pan for 10-15 minutes before removing them. This will allow them to finish baking on the hot pan. Once cooled, use a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

Crispy Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

 Crispy Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

Ingredients

1.5 lb baby potatoes , halved (about 1.75", 20 - 24 potatoes)
2 tbsp olive oil , plus more for drizzling
PARMESAN MIXTURE:
1/2 cup grated parmesan from the refrigerated section
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or sub with onion powder)
1/2 tsp dried oregano or thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
DIPPING SAUCE (OPTIONAL):
3/4 cup sour cream, or sub with plain yoghurt , or a combination of both
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions/scallions plus more for garnish (or chives)

Steps

Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix Parmesan Mixture in a bowl.
Drizzle oil in 22 x 33cm / 9 x 13" glass baking dish (Note 2). Tilt pan to spread all over the base.
Scatter the Parmesan Mixture over the base. Spread as evenly as you can. Once sprinkled, do not touch - don't try to spread it.
Place potatoes cut side down, pressing firmly.
Optional: drizzle top of potatoes with a touch of oil or spray with oil, then sprinkle with salt.
Bake potatoes for 35 - 40 minutes or until they are soft and the parmesan crust is deep golden (you can check through the glass!)
REST for 5 minutes. Then use an egg flip to cut between every 4 or so potatoes (i.e. cutting through the parmesan crust which bonds between each potato - see video), then scoop up 4 or so potatoes and flip them upside down so the cheese side is up on a serving platter.
Serve with Dipping Sauce, if using, and sprinkle over extra green onions if desired. Serve as a side dish or as nibbles!

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies/Fudge

 These shouldn't be called 'cookies' since they aren't at all cookie like with no flour. Once you think of them more as 'fudgey' and don't have the expectation of a cookie texture, then you will enjoy them.

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter , smooth or crunchy
1 cup , packed, brown sugar
1 egg

Steps

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F (standard) or 320F (fan / convection).
Line 2 trays with parchment paper.
Place 1 tbsp scoops of the dough onto the trays 2" apart.
Dip a large fork in a bowl of hot tap water (stops fork sticking to dough). Press down on the dough. Re-dip fork in water as required.
Put both trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through, or until light golden on the surface and golden on the edges. (Or longer if you want crisper cookies)
Leave to cool on the tray. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 - 5 days.

Sunday Chat: Complaining

 During the night Pharaoh 

summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 

“Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites!

 Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. 

Take your flocks and herds, 

as you have said, and go. 

And also bless me.”

Exodus 12:31-32

By day the Lord went ahead of them 

in a pillar of cloud to guide them on 

their way and by night in a pillar 

of fire to give them light, 

so that they could travel by 

day or night. 

Neither the pillar of cloud by day 

nor the pillar of fire by night left its 

place in front of the people. 

Exodus 13:21-22

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,

 and all that night the Lord drove the sea back 

with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.

The waters were divided, and the Israelites went 

through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of 

water on their right and on their left. 

The Egyptians pursued them, 

and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and 

horsemen followed them into the sea. 

During the last watch of the night the Lord 

looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud 

at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 

He jammed the wheels of their chariots so 

that they had difficulty driving. 

And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away 

from the Israelites! 

The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” 

Then the Lord said to Moses, 

“Stretch out your hand over the sea so that 

the waters may flow back over the Egyptians 

and their chariots and horsemen.” 

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, 

and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. 

The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, 

and the Lord swept them into the sea. 

The water flowed back and covered the 

chariots and horsemen the entire army 

of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites 

into the sea. Not one of them survived. 

Exodus 14:21-26

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea

 and they went into the Desert of Shur.

For three days they traveled in the desert

without finding water. 

When they came to Marah, 

they could not drink its water 

because it was bitter. 

So the people grumbled against Moses, 

saying, “What are we to drink?” 

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, 

and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. 

He threw it into the water, 

and the water became fit to drink.

Exodus 15:22-25

So the people grumbled against Moses, 

saying, “What are we to drink?” 

Exodus 15:24

In the desert the whole community grumbled 

against Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 16:1

But the people were thirsty for water there, 

and they grumbled against Moses.

Exodus 17:3

They murmured in their tents, 

and did not obey the voice of the Lord. 

Psalm 106:25

 Moses heard all the families standing 

in the doorways of their tents whining, 

and the Lord became extremely angry. 

Moses was also very aggravated.

Numbers 11:10

“How long shall this wicked 

congregation grumble against me? 

I have heard the grumblings 

of the people of Israel, 

which they grumble against me. 

Numbers 14:27  

Nevertheless, some of the people 

went out on the seventh day to gather it, 

but they found none. 

Then the Lord said to Moses, 

“How long will you refuse to keep my 

commands and my instructions? 

Exodus 16:27-28 

But while the meat was still 

between their teeth and 

before it could be consumed, 

the anger of the Lord burned 

against the people, 

and he struck them with a severe plague. 

Numbers 11:33 

The Lord heard you when you wailed, 

“If only we had meat to eat! 

We were better off in Egypt!”

Numbers 11:18

They said to Moses, 

“Was it because there were no graves 

in Egypt that you brought us to the 

desert to die? What have you done 

to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  

Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, 

‘Leave us alone; 

let us serve the Egyptians’? 

It would have been better for us 

to serve the Egyptians than to 

die in the desert!” 

Exodus 14:11-12 

These people are grumblers 

and faultfinders; 

they follow their own evil desires; 

they boast about themselves 

and flatter others for their own advantage. 

Jude 1:16 

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 

Philippians 2:14  

Do not grumble against one another, brothers,

so that you may not be judged; 

behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 

James 5:9  

Nor grumble, as some of them did 

and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 

1 Corinthians 10:10  

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, 

but only such as is good for building up, 

as fits the occasion, 

that it may give grace to those who hear. 

Ephesians 4:29  

Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

that you may be blameless and innocent, 

children of God without blemish in the midst of 

a crooked and twisted generation, 

among whom you shine as lights in the world, 

holding fast to the word of life, 

so that in the day of Christ 

I may be proud that I did not run in 

vain or labor in vain. 

Philippians 2:14-16  

If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, 

I will change my expression, and smile,’ 

Job 9:27 

Give your burdens to the Lord,

    and he will take care of you.

    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 55:22

Don’t worry about anything; instead, 

pray about everything. 

Tell God what you need, 

and thank him for all he has done. 

Then you will experience God’s peace, 

which exceeds anything we can understand. 

His peace will guard your hearts and 

minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

I call on the Lord in my distress,

    and he answers me.

Psalm 120:1

Show me your ways, Lord,

    teach me your paths.

Psalm 25:4

Give thanks to the Lord, 

for he is good; his love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

Give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus

1 Thesselonians 5:18

Let them give thanks to the Lord 

for his unfailing love and 

his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Psalm 107:21

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits,

Psalm 103:2

 For I know the plans I have for you,” 

declares the Lord, 

“plans to prosper you and not to harm 

you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

And my God will supply every need 

of yours according to his 

riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Do not be anxious about anything, 

but in everything by prayer and supplication 

with thanksgiving let your requests be 

made known to God. 

And the peace of God, 

which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts 

and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-8

“Therefore I tell you, 

do not worry about your life, 

what you will eat or drink; 

or about your body, what you will wear. 

Is not life more than food, 

and the body more than clothes? 

Look at the birds of the air; 

they do not sow or reap or 

store away in barns, 

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not much more valuable than they? 

Can any one of you by worrying 

add a single hour to your life?

Matthew 6:25-34