The month of June is a big month for birthdays in my family. First, Mr. Bee’s, Daddy’s was the 11th, and today is my brother’s birthday. Tomorrow is Father’s Day. Mr. Bee and Miss Bee leave for a mission trip in the morning so I get the entire week to myself! I’ve got some projects planned that I will share with you, along with alot of sleeping late and reading by the pool.
This week, I felt like baking so I got out my salt plate from Williams-Sonoma. It’s a hand-cut slab of iridescent salt crystal mined from the foothills of the Himalayas and you can use the salt plate on the grill or stovetop, in the oven, or as a chilled serving platter.
The recipe is really the best chocolate chip recipe I’ve made and I make these even without using the salt block. You can omit the smidge of sea salt sprinkled on top before baking if you want to.
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp of baking soda
1 3/4 cups of butter (I use European butter)
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 whole egg, plus one egg yolk
12 oz. chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325. This makes the big difference in how your cookies bake. Slow and even. In my opinion, 350 is too hot for cookies.
Mix the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars. Add in eggs. Then vanilla. Toss the chocolate chips into the flour and coat evenly, then stir into the butter sugar mixture.
Drop scoops full onto a parchment paper lined tray. Bake about 12 minutes. You want them almost underdone. They will cook a little longer on the hot cookie sheet before you transfer them to your cooling rack.
Makes about 24 cookies.
Last night I treated Mr. Bee to a surprise — The music of Pink Floyd at the Concerts in the Garden. It was like nothing else I have heard before — the music of Dark Side of the Moon accompanied by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Oh, my, it was amazing. We went with our friends Darold and Becky and had such a fun night under the stars sipping wine, noshing on dinner and listening to the music.
Central Market is the concert picnic partner and they make it so easy to have the perfect outdoor meal while you enjoy the concert. You call the catering office (Alexa was super helpful) at Central Market, place your order, and on the evening of the concert, you pick up your meal on the concert grounds all packed in a reusable insulated tote bag.
You can bring in your own food, but really, this makes it so much easier. We enjoyed a charcuterie platter, grilled chicken and beef tenderloin sandwiches with roasted vegetables, strawberry spinach salad, and dessert. We brought our own bottles of wine and water (and flameless candles!).
And, look how cute Becky is in her Pink Floyd t-shirt! She said she found it just this past week at Nordstrom rack and knew it would be the perfect touch to the night.
We sipped wine I purchased on a recent visit to Fredericksburg. A summery rose´ from Baron’s Creek and a Le Quattro Stagione 2014 from Becker Vineyard.
And I told Mr. Bee I paid a little extra for fireworks at the end! Have a super Saturday.
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
