As the cold weather creeps in, and snow days delve upon us, the ETHS student body has got you covered with recipes you can enjoy by the fireplace. Senior Dawit Alemayehu and freshman Arielle Buzil share their signature winter desserts. These baked treats are perfect for families to enjoy together, but they are so delicious that you might not want to share once they come out of the oven.  

Santa’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dawit Alemayehu

Ingredients (yields 24 cookies): 

• 1 cup unsalted butter (16 Tbsp), softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)

Total Time: 22 Minutes

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• In a bowl, combine 2 sticks of butter, 1 cup of packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar. Use mixer and mix for 5 minutes on medium/high speed until creamy and light (if no mixer available use melted butter and whisk by hand)
• Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition, then beat in 2 tsp of vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups of flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp of baking soda (sifted)
• Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter in thirds, mixing to incorporate with each addition. Pour in 2 cups of chocolate chips.
• Use an ice cream scoop to get even balls of dough (3 Tbsp each). Place scoops of dough onto a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Roll balls lightly with your hands then stud tops of cookie balls with reserved chocolate chips. Bake right away or cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 12-15 min at 350˚F (I do 12), until the edges are just turning golden. The tops should still look under-baked. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet 5 min, then transfer to a rack to cool.

Adrian’s Take

Chocolate chip cookies, the holy grail of deserts. Because prepackaged cookies are so readily available for purchase, homemade cookies are, at times, overlooked. Once Dawit’s cookies came out of the oven and cooled down a bit, the instant gooeyness of the chocolate chips signified an A+ for apparence. Now, time for the first bite feeling: instantaneous delight. The cookie was soft, and there was an exceptionality pleasing chocolate chip-to-cookie ratio.  Dawit’s cookies provide an outstanding flavor for each bite. If you celebrate Christmas, make sure to grab your glass of milk and lay these cookies out the night of Christmas eve as Santa will be very appreciative. 

Pumpkin Spiced Pie by Arielle Buzil

Ingredients:

• 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 pie crust (not baked, this recipe uses Trader Joe’s pie crust )

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes 

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 F.
• Combine pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, salt and spices in a medium bowl. 
• Pour into pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Keeping the pie in the oven, reduce oven temp. to 350 F.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish as needed. Serve and enjoy!

Adrian’s Take

Pie. What an intricate concept. A crust possessing whatever filling a human desires. Although pies can be savory, sweet, or even spicy, the forever classic pumpkin pie is a perfect comfort for a cold winter night.  Arielle’s recipe allows the pie to cook beautifully and imprinting a color that’s on point. The bright orange reminds me of the leaves that have fallen and are no longer. Time for that first bite feeling: splendid and full of spice. The different spices paired with the powerful pumpkin taste provided a nice contrast for my taste buds. The crust didn’t turn out too dry, and the filling stuck nicely to the crust as my fork dug in. This was a  solid pie, and you should very well try Arielle’s recipe next time you’re craving some.