Jekyll & Hyde For the Sick Soul. A Brownie & White Chocolate Cookie Story.

What do your friends do when you tell them you have a vile stomach virus you think you caught while traveling???? You’d think they’d bring you soup, bread, a nice gallon of flavored milk, ginger ale—anything “known” to remedy the virus and alleviate the 20 trips to the bathroom….

I thought I had those kinds of friends….. but I don’t, clearly. Quite disturbing, though it underscores how wonderful my mother is in halting her afternoon plans and scurrying to make me this chicken soup.

When we got back from Mexico last week, all was good. I was happy to be back at home in D.C., but was already missing the food I ate while in Mazatlan. Yes, a series of posts of the trip is forthcoming. But two days later, as I’m getting back to eating my normal foods, I fell sick. Like vilely sick. No real stomach pain or regurgitation–just a ridiculous amount of visits to the baño. Needless to say I lost 4 pounds.

So back to what you think our thoughtful friends would do in these dire instances. My college friend Alicia is a fabulous baker. I love it when a chef, baker, cook, etc… can modestly boast about their own product. But this girl decides to drop by with a big brown bag full of homemade brownie and cookies. Instead of hugging and profusely thanking her for her time and thoughtfulness, I side-eyed her and borderline chastized her adding insult to injury. Girl!! I’m sick in my stomach! Brownies and cookies! Two of my sugar weaknesses? Really?

Really.

Being a cordial friend and not wanting to come off as as snobbish brat, I cheerfully (though knowing a beeline for the bathroom would ensue), tasted 1/2 a brownie and one cookie.

*AHHHHHHH*

Sweet babies….what ever she used in it did the job. They ween’t too sweet but had a touch enough to tickle my buds…They were moist but not gooey. They were like a la carte gourmet delights. Perfection, I’d say.

As it turns out, it was a good thing I wan’t feeling well… the bag would have been eaten (w/out sharing) within the hour. I spent 8 days in Mexico w/out eating dessert so I was in dire need of sugar rush.

I didn’t push it and just stuck to those bites. But they were enough for me to ask her for the recipe to make them. Since she has a new baking business, she insisted I not share her secret ingredients and one process she takes in making these beauties…

Honoring the code of secrecy and respect, I agreed. I even promised I wouldn’t make my own batch with her classified ingredients. Because, yes, after giving away the baked goods, I committed to indulging myself once I got better.

That was 3 days later and this is what resulted! They turned out great but I definitely missed her sweet injections. You know how the saying goes, what you don’t know won’t hurt you. Apply in this case. These were great, too. Just not hers. And that’s okay! I’d make them again!

The brownie bar she calls Lemon Delight and the white chocolate chip cookie she’s dubbed Jekyll & Hyde for purposes of sharing the modified recipe. Her original recipes have a far more intriguing name…. but I’ll let you contact Alicia (especially if you’re in the DC-area) for your own secret batch. The beauty and special trick of these two treats is that it’s the same recipe! The choice of chocolate and a few minor adjustments (like sugars and extracts) make all the difference in the world.

Let’s just say her secret ingredients gave the batch she so kindly brought me were killer. To the 10th. At least my nibbles suggested so. And, ultimately, I enjoyed a content heart knowing she was thoughtful enough to bake for my sick stomach.

Either way, this version and hers are good for the soul when you’re not sick… and even when you are—because you can torture yourself with a nibble… a tease is always healthy, right!

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

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Enjoy

JEKYLL & HYDE & LEMON DELIGHTS

*adapted from Alicia Jones’ recipe

For Basic  Dough

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. butter, softened
• 3/4 c. brown sugar (omitted in Jekyll & Hyde cookies)
• 3/4 c. white sugar (doubled in the J&H cookies)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. extract (lemon for the bars & rum for J&H cookies)
• 2 1/4 plus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups chips (white chocolate for the lemon cookies & a mix of white chocolate and semi sweet)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in one egg at a time until no yolk remains.  Add flour in slowly being careful not to over mix. Once incorporated, add chips. Drop by rounded teaspoon on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden.  Cool slightly on baking sheet then move to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Yields 36 cookies or 12-16 brownie bars.