Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 ½ C. Butter at room temperature (3 sticks)
1 ¼ C. Granulated Sugar
1 ¼ C. Brown Sugar
1 Tblsp. Vanilla
2 Large Eggs
4 C. All-Purpose Flour
2 tspn. Salt
1 Bag (24 oz) Semisweet Chocolate Chips
2 C. Coarsely chopped nuts, if desired

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat the butter, both sugars, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed (or a wooden spoon), until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

2. If you want all the cookies to be uniform in size and shape. Measure out the dough with a ¼ C. dry-ingredient measuring cup. Then roll the dough into a ball. Set it on the pan and flatted with a fork so it is round. If this isn’t something that you are worried about, skip to step

3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown (the centers will be soft). Cool 1 to 2 minutes on cookie sheets, then remove cookies to a cooling rack.

(Camille’s Note: the cookies seemed to be burnt when I cooked them for the entire 12 minutes. I ended up cooking them for 7 – 8 minutes and they turned out great.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Buy a box of Brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker Chocolate Chunk) or use the brownie recipe I posted earlier this year. Make according to the box. Pour into pan. Take bits of cookie dough from the recipe above, roll into ball, and place randomly throughout the brownie pan. Bake as directed per the brownie recipe.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Brownies and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

5 oz unsweetened baking chocolate

2/3 C. Butter

1-3/4 Granulated Sugar

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

3 Large Eggs

1 C. All-purpose Flour

1 C. Chopped Walnuts (if desired)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 inch square pan with the cooking spray
2. Cut the baking chocolate into pieces. In a 1-quart saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly, just until the chocolate is melted. Remove heat and cool 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer for 5 minutes on high speed. On low speed, beat in chocolate mixture, stopping occasionally to scrape batter from side and bottom with a rubber spatula. Beat in the flour, stopping occasionally to scrape bowl, just until mixed. Stir in the walnuts. Pour batter evenly in pan and smooth top of batter.
4. Bake 40-45 minutes or until until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pane. Be sure not to over bake. Place pan on a cooling rack. Let stand about 2 hours until completely cooled. Then frost.

Chocolate Butter cream Frosting

Ingredients:

3 C. Powdered Sugar

1/3 C. Baking Cocoa

1/3 C. Butter (at room temperature)

1-1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 - 2 Tablespoons Milk

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, cocoa, and butter with an electric mixer until well mixed.
2. Stir in vanilla and 1 Tablespoon of milk. Beat. Gradually mix in additional milk until the frosting is at the consistency you want.

Gingersnaps

Ingredients:

1 C. packed Brown Sugar

3/4 C. Butter (1-1/2 sticks) at room temperature

1/4 C. Mild - Flavor or Full Flavor Molasses

1 Large Egg

2-1/4 C. all-purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

1/4 Teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter, molasses, and egg with an electric mixer until well mixed. With a wooden spoon, stir in remaining ingredients except the granulated sugar until well mixed. Cover and put in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 375. Grease cooking sheets with cooking spray
3. In a small bowl, put the granulated sugar. For each cookie, shape a rounded teaspoonful of dough into a ball and dip the top of the cookie into the sugar. Place on cookie sheet separated 3 inches apart.
4. Bake 9-12 minutes. Remove cookies from cookie sheets to a cooling rack. Cool cookie sheets 10 minutes between batches.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1-1/2 C. Granulated Sugar

1 C butter (2 sticks) room temperature

2 Large Eggs

2-1/4 C. Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoons Salt

1/4 C. Granulated Sugar

1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, beat 1-1/2 cups sugar, the butter and the eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt until well mixed.
2. In a small bowl, mix remaining sugar and cinnamon until mixed. For each cookie, shape enough dough to make a 1-1/4 inch ball. (If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate for 30 min). Roll balls in sugar mixture and place on a non-greased cookie sheet. Keep dough balls separated by 2 inches.
3. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove cookies from cookie sheets to a cooling rack. Cool cookie sheets 10 minutes between batches.

Toffee Bars

Ingredients:

1 Large Egg

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts (if desired)

Directions:

1. Heat Oven to 350. Separate egg yolk from white. We are going to be using the yolk. Either disgard the white or save it for a different recipe.
2. In a large bowl, stir the egg yolk, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with a wooden spoon until it is well mixed. Then add the flour and salt. Using your fingers, press the dough firmly and evenly on the bottom of a ungreased or foil lined 13x9-inch pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 min or until very light brown (the crust will be soft).
4. Immediantely sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot crust. Let stand about 5 minutes or until chocolate has soften. Spread chocolate evenly over bars. Sprinkle with nuts.
5. Place pan on cooling rack and let sit for 30 minutes before cutting.

Number Of Servings: 32 bars

Preparation Time: 15 min prep, 1 hour 20 min start to finish

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Can Corn (with liquid)

1 Can Kidney Beans (with liquid)

1 Can Black Beans (with liquid)

1 Can Tomato Sauce

1 package of taco seasoning

Cheese

Sour Cream

Tortilla Chips

Olives

Directions:

1. brown your ground beef
2. put beef, tomato sauce, un-drained kidney beans, un-drained corn, and taco seasoning into a slow cooker. Cover, set on low, and cook for 4-6 hours (stirring occasionally).
3. When ready to eat, top with sour cream, cheese and olives. We eat it with tortilla chips on top as well.

Preparation Time: 4.5-6.5 hours

Cherry Swirl Coffee Cake

Top: Cherry Coffee Cake, Bottom: Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
Coffee Cake:
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling (or alternative fruit)


Glaze:
1 cup powder sugar
1 or 2 teaspoons milk


Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare either a 15x10 in pan or 2-9x9 in pans by spraying them with cooking spray

2. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients except the flour and the pie filling with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes. Add the flour and mix. The dough will be stiff.

3. Spread 2/3 of the mixture evenly into the pan(s). set the other 1/3 of the mixture aside. Spread the pie filling over the dough. The pie filling would cover the entire cake. Spread it as much as you can. With the remaining dough, drop mounds on to the cake, about 2 inches apart, over then entire cake. (It will give the cake a fun 3-dimensional look).

4. Bake for about 45 min or until you can put a toothpick through the cake and come out clean.

5. While the cake is baking, in a small bowl, mix the glaze ingredients with a spoon until it is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Over the warm coffee cake, drizzle glaze from the tip of a tableware teaspoon, moving back and forth to make thin lines of glaze. Cut and serve.

Number Of Servings: 18 bars

Preparation Time:prep - 20 mins, start to finish: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Thanks to Camille S. For donating this recipe

Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

Streusel Top:

1/4 Cup Flour

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

2 Tablespoons cold butter

Muffins:

3/4 cup milk

1/4 vegetable oil

1 egg (large)

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can fresh, canned (drained) or frozen blue berries (I used 1/2 can blueberry pie filling)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a paper baking cups in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the streusel topping ingredients (minus the butter) until they all blend together. Cut the butter into the mixture and (using a fork or your hands) mix until crumbly. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat milk, oil, and egg with a wisk or fork. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir until flour is moisten (batter will be lumpy). Gently stir in blue berries. Spoon batter into the cups. Sprinkle each with about 1 Tablespoon of Streusel

4. Bake for 20-25 min.

Number Of Servings: 12 muffins (though I got 12 large and 12 mini muffins from the recipe)

Preparation Time: Prep: 20 min. Total: 50 min

Thank you Camille S! For sharing

Layered Coconut-Chocolate Chip Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

20 to 24 graham cracker squares

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup chocolate chips

1-1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in medium, microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 min (with papertowel covering it)

2. Place graham crackers in a ziploc bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are fine crumbs. Measure your crumbs. It should be 1-1/2 cups.

3. Pour the crumbs into the bowl of melted butter and mix. Then, using your clean fingers, press the mixture into the bottom of a ungreased 13x9" pan

4. Sprinkle nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut over the graham cracker mixture. Pour the condensed milk over the top.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Place pan on a cooling rack. Let stand for about 2 hours until completely cooled. For 36 bars, cut 6 rows by 6 rows.

Number Of Servings:36 bars

Preparation Time:10 minutes prep, 2 hours 40 min total

Thank you Camille S. for sharing this recipe

Easter Story Cookies

EASTER STORY COOKIES
To be made the evening before Easter.

You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
plastic ziploc bag
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important-don't wait 'til you're half done with the recipe!)



2. Place pecans in ziploc bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.



3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.



4. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.



5. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.



6. So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.



7. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed through repentance and the Atonement. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.



8. Fold in broken pecans. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.



9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.



10. GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.



11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9.