Thursday, December 16, 2010

Zingers! - Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

By day, I work as a lawyer in McKinney, Texas. Other than the politics and the lack of synagogues, I love McKinney. It is growing so rapidly, but it still represents many of the quintessential virtues of Americana.

In this great city, there is one notable jewel. On McKinney's historic town square there is a small restaurant/retail store called Petina Greens. The chef at Petina Greens buys produce from the farms surrounding McKinney. The menu rotates daily based on availability of seasonal local produce. That is where I tried my first blueberry, white chocolate chip cookie. And it shook me...to my very core. Well, that might be a slight over-statement, but it did inspire me to try to recreate the recipe for myself.

So at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday night, I set out to create the greatest cookie in the universe. I researched several recipes and then played around with the ingredients. After covering myself in flour and spilling half the blueberries on the counter --victory was mine. The cookies actually tasted better than the ones at Petina Greens! I call these little cookies Zingers! The slightly tart blueberries, the salty white chocolate, and the bite of lemon zest produce a great zing in your mouth. Here is the recipe. This is a great new cookie to add to your holiday traditions! Enjoy!

Zingers!

Ingredients:
1 cup Crisco
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. double strength vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
Zest of one large lemon

Directions:
1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
2. Beat together Crisco, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Mix together dry ingredients and stir into crisco mixture.
4. Stir in white chocolate chips, dried blueberries, and lemon zest.
5. Roll dough into small 1 1/2 inch balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Take out when tops turn light brown. They may look slightly undercooked, but they will continue to cook out of the oven. Cool on sheet for a few minutes before removing to cool on rack.