Chocolate chips versus raisins

a beautiful grass from my garden - I don't remember the name

Today I have been making blueberry mini-cakes and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.  Blueberries are great in just about anything, in my opinion.  I love to make blueberry reductions and spread them over things, just a simple concoction of blueberries and a very small amount of sugar that is heated up and simmered for quite a while until the juices have released, the skins have softened, and then all of that reduces to a smaller thicker portion.  Great stuff.

Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips

Now as to the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies ... actually the original recipe calls for raisins.  However, I always replace raisins with chocolate chips in cookies.  I have to admit that I have never been able to develop a liking for raisins, neither the flavor nor the texture.  In fact, I always melodramatically ask the same question of people (rhetorically, of course):  "How can anyone do that to a grape?"

To take a grape, a marvelous product of nature, and dry it out, wrinkle it up, and change the flavor and texture so thoroughly, well, I just can't figure it out.  I know, I know, many people love to gobble raisins like jelly beans for a snack.  But I would much rather stick with the original grape.

So ... anytime a cookie calls for raisins, chocolate chips are substituted.  Of course, I have to find the right chocolate chip.  They are not all created equal.  Chocolate chips that are often found in my kitchen include Valrhona, Michel Cluizel, Cacao Barry, and smaller amounts of Ghirardelli and sometimes Guittard.  A few others make their way from time to time.  Yes, I know a couple favorites that are found in many kitchens are not included (I won't mention their names, although they start with "N" and "H"), but there it is .... they are not among my favorites.

As we are heading past the mid-point of summer, I am looking forward to putting in my fall order of chocolate.  It's always fun to replenish my stocks and pick a few new varieties to try out.  And especially to start thinking about cooler weather and hot chocolate.

Well, it's time to pull the blueberry mini-cakes out of the oven.  The aroma is rich and fruity, and I can hardly wait to taste them.

Have a great evening, everyone!