Tuesday
Tuesday 5th December 2017. Art of Living and Food with Sara.
December 5, 2017
Program Audio:
Today we talk about mediation and the Art of Living foundation with Alessandra Moreno. Relaxing for every situation using various breathing techniques. More information? Click HERE.
We start our new food segment today with Sara Solomon. No chia seeds this time but we have a good look at seasoning, especially salt. Here in Panama the government have instructed restaurants not to put salt on the table for so called health reasons. We check out not just salt but the many variations of it. Sara’s rant for today? How supermarkets manage to completely destroy the contents of a package of crisps! Most importantly we look at how to eat chocolate chip cookies, it just so happened that Sara brought some with her, it’s a hard job.
Soft-Style Chocolate Chunk Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (use cream cheese in a block or spreadable, don’t use fat-free, light or whipped)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used 1 cup chips and 1 1/4 cups chunks)
DIRECTIONS:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, cream cheese (measure it by smooshing it into a 1/4-cup measure), sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use an electric hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes).
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Add chocolate chips and chunks, and fold in by hand.
- Using a medium 1-inch cookie scoop or tablespoon, form heaping mounds (I made 12/tray). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat or spray with cooking spray and place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 12 cookies per sheet). Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 14 minutes as cookies will firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled overnight, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and were baked for 10 minutes, with trays rotated at the 5-minute mark. They have chewy edges
Sara & Gerry with soft, pillowy centers). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
News Audio:
The National Bar Association (CNA) presented yesterday a list of 21 lawyers who could fill the two vacancies from January 1, 2018 in the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ).
With the Chinese Minister of Commerce, Zhong Shan, scheduled to visit on Thursday, Panama and China will take their first steps towards a feasibility study to establish a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Minister Augusto Arosemena reported
A judge of guarantees declared yesterday that the flight of the Dominican Gilberto Ventura Ceballos from the La Joyita prison on December 28, 2016, is a complex investigation.
Environmental groups met yesterday at the headquarters of Parlatino, in Amador, Ancon, to participate in the discussion with the Environment Minister, Emilio Sempris, on the progress of the government’s environmental action plan and the goals for 2018.
A total of 1,020 families from Colón received yesterday the first apartments of the Altos de Los Lagos residential project that is part of the Renovación de Colón project. The Minister of Housing, Mario Etchelecu, reported that the apartments are three and two bedrooms and families will pay, respectively, a monthly payment of $75 or $56.
At least $25.1 million has been paid by the Panama Metro, S.A., as compensation for the damages generated by the construction of line 2 of the rail system.
The organization Jóvenes Unidos por la Educación, together with the Education 2020 program, held yesterday the official launch of the second edition of the Citizen Advocacy Laboratory (LIIC).