Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was younger, my brother always requested that I make Chocolate Chip Cookies. Even when he was serving an LDS mission, he always asked that we send some his way. Years have passed and for the life of me, I do not remember that recipe. When I became an adult, I was always searching for a new recipe that wouldn't sink. The day Pinterest came and I found and tried several recipes claiming to be the "World's Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie". I finally found one that I fell in love with!! Of course, the link now has a warning that reads: This link redirects visitors to another site - it may link to spam or other inappropriate content. I assure you, it is not spam or inappropriate. The recipe came from Dana Made It. This recipe makes a TON too. Which is great to put in the freezer to bake cookies anyday.

( This picture is from Dana Made It)

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes 5-6 dozen
Or…tons of dough to freeze for later enjoyment

1 Cup Vegetable Shortening
1 Cup Butter (don’t use margarine)
1 1/2 cups White Sugar
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
5 3/4 to 6 cups Flour (if the cookies feel flat, use 6 cups)
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Salt
2 bags choc chips (12 oz bags) – 1 semi-sweet, 1 milk chocolate

There are three key points in this recipe.
1. Use shortening and butter. I know some of you are going to replace the shortening with butter, and I won’t hold it against you. But the shortening is what gives the cookie a slight crispness around the edges while still feeling soft inside.

So, start by mixing the shortening and butter with white and brown sugar. Add the three eggs and vanilla and here’s the second key point….

2. Mix the buttery/egg mixture for a full THREE minutes. The time is important for the eggs and butter to become fully whipped and to develop new chemistry. You’ll watch the buttery mix go from gushy liquid to beautiful cream.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, and salt). Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Then add the other 1/2 and mix.
And finally….

3. Use a lot of good chocolate chips and mix semi-sweet with milk chips. Some recipes call for one bag of chocolate chips. This recipe is large so we’re using 2 bags. (I'll admit, if I don't have milk chocolate chips, I'll use straight semi-sweet.

Bake at 350 for 8-9 mins. or just until the cookies are slightly golden on top. You want them to be soft inside. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a cooking rack.

Now, here's a cool trick I found on Pinterest from Fooducate, of course. Take your dollar store ice cube trays & fill each hole with your left over cookie dough. About the same amount in each hole as you made for each cookie. Throw them in the freezer until it is frozen enough to keep its form. Transfer them from the ice cube trays to a zip lock bag. Then, when you are ready for cookies again, pop them on the pan and throw in the over. I like to put them in the microwave for 20 seconds or throw them in the oven while it is pre-heating. Then bake as normal.

Frosted Zucchini Brownies

I can't believe I, of all people, am posting a recipe for Zucchini anything. One thing anyone who knows me, knows I do NOT like Zucchini! EWW! The 1st time I made them, I was scared to even taste them. But, alas, I did and I loved them! Shhh, don't tell anyone. ;) I found this recipe on Pinterest from "Mommy? I'm Hungry!". She apparently found the recipe on Blog Chef.net recipe blog.

 

Chocolate Frosting:

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
 

To make the frosting- In a small saucepan over low heat melt together the cocoa powder and margarine. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, with a mixer, blend confectioner’s sugar, *milk (I don't use full ½ cup), and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in the margarine/cocoa mixture, allow to mix for a couple of minutes. Set in fridge to chill and set up more. Spread over cooled brownies, allow to set up then cut into squares. The longer these brownies sit, the thicker the frosting will become.

*Frosting is REALLY runny. I only used a small portion of the milk. Add milk as needed.


Chocolate Zucchini Brownies:

½ cup canola oil
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups zucchini (shredded)
½ cup chopped walnuts,optional

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until well blended. In another bowl combine the flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. A little at a time stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. The batter will be dry and crumbly, don't worry. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting.

Best Dinner Rolls EVER

This is my absolute favorite Roll recipe EVER! It's pretty much fool proof. You don't need any experience baking bread to get these to turn out great every time. I found it on Pinterest HERE from How Does She. If you want step by step instructions with pictures, head over there.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons yeast
• 2 cups of warm water
• about 9-10 cups of all purpose flour
• at least 1 cup of butter

Instructions

1. Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 2 minutes. Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster. There will probably be some little cubes of butter still floating in the hot mixture, they will melt.
2. add yeast to this hot mixture, but it will be too hot to just dump the yeast straight in (it would kill it!). To cool it down stir in 1-2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup dissolve 2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly.
3. Make sure your milk mixture is just warm, not boiling and add the yeast mixture!
4. Using a fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in 9-10 cups of flour (counting the flour you have already added to cool it earlier). I would recommend only adding 2 cups at time and stirring in between. These rolls turn out so much better when they are mixed by hand.
5. At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be hard to stir, you can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour if needed. Be sure not to add too much flour. Then smooth the dough out and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it rise.
6. When your dough is close to raising completely, butter 2 cookie sheets and set them aside.
7. Let the dough raise until it has doubled in size.
8. Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls. Eyeball the sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball. Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect.
9. Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a circle on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter from edge to edge. You will use about 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough.
10. Cut the dough into quarters using a pizza cutter.
11. Then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. You should end up with 12 triangles from each circle of dough.
12. Roll the dough starting with the wide end of the triangle
13. Tuck the tail of the triangle under the roll and place it on the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 3 rows, with 8 rolls per row. This will give you 24 rolls per pan. Two balls of dough will fill 1 pan. You will get a total of 48 rolls!
14. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven ’till they are golden brown. About 10 – 15 minutes, It may take longer depending on how hot your oven cooks. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time for the second.
15. While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls for a delicious buttery glaze.

Related articles

• Croissants
• Stuffed Croissants

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

Another Pinterest recipe I found here. I was a big hit and everyone LOVED it!

Baked Potato Soup Ingredients:

• 5 pounds russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
• 1 medium/large yellow onion, diced
• 10 cloves of garlic, minced
• 64 ounces chicken broth
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• (optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, green onions)

Directions:

1. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken broth to slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
3. Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup in the blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended. (I did half at a time and used my Ninja. Be careful not to over blend. It still tastes good but not as chunky).
4. Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy.

(I didn't take a pic but will the next time I make it!)