Chewy Chocolate Cookies

CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Your favorite cookie!  I wish these kept better, but they don’t have to since they are usually eaten before they have even cooled.  They are nice to have in the freezer to pull out as needed since they thaw quickly and even taste great frozen.

1-1/4 c butter, softened                                   
¾ c cocoa

2 c sugar                                                         
1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs                                                             
½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla                                                     
1 c nuts or 1 c mint chips, optional

2 c flour

In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add combined flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and blend well.  Stir in nuts or chips, if desired.  Bake at 350° for 8-9 minutes.  Cookies will puff during baking and flatten upon cooling.  Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute before transferring to wire rack.  About 4 dozen.

NOTE: These cookies do not keep well.  They are best the day of baking, but they freeze very well.  Enjoy them right out of the freezer.

Variation:  Freeze cookies on cookie sheet when cooled, but don’t stack or they will stick together.  Soften some vanilla, coffee, or favorite flavor ice cream; the kind packaged in rectangular packages will slice more easily.  Cut ice cream into ½-inch slices, then cut each slice in half.  Place one cookie face-side down on a cookie sheet; top with a half slice of ice cream.  Top ice cream layer with another cookie, face-side up.  Wrap snugly in plastic wrap and freeze until firm.  Place frozen, wrapped cookie sandwiches in zip-type freezer bag.  You may drizzle melted semi-sweet, white, or other chip on top of assembled sandwiches before freezing to dress them up a bit.  If you like, you may sprinkle colored chocolate sprinkles on the drizzled chocolate before it sets up. 

Snickerdoodles

SNICKERDOODLES

I always think these cookies are boring until I eat one warm from the oven.  With a nice hot cup of coffee or glass of milk, these are even better.  These freeze very well, so make a double batch. 

½ c butter
½ c shortening
1-1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 c flour                                                     

2 tsp cream of tartar                                         

1 tsp baking soda                                             

¼ tsp salt                                                         

Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar.  Beat in eggs.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  In small bowl, combine 6 TBS sugar with 2 tsp cinnamon.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture.  Bake at 375° for about 9-11 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.  About 4 dozen cookies with 65 calories each, but who cares?

 

Peanut Clusters

1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup of butterscotch chips
1 cup of peauts
cup of cornflakes
Melt chipits over low heat.Remove from heat add peanuts and cornflakes.Drop by spooonfuls on to waxed paper cover cookie sheets.Refrigerate until firm.I double the recipe as the bags hold 2 cups of chipits.ENJOY!!!

All American Baked Lasagna

1/2 c. chopped onion
1lb. ground beef
2 large cans tomato sauce
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
6 oz. grated Mozzarella
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. sugar
1tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook onion & beef until brown. Combine sauce and spices with beef mixture. Simmer 30 minutes or until thick. Cook lasagna while beef mixture is simmering. Arrange 1/3 lasagna in greased pan. Cover with 1/3 sauce & beef mixture, 1/3 Parmesan and Mozzarella and repeat until end, with generous layer of cheese on top. (I don't measure my cheese - I like lots). Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Mountain Dew Dumplings

2 cans crescent rolls
2-3 firm apples, peeled, cored and cut into 6-8 slices
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 sticks oleo/butter
1 (12oz.) Mountain dew soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place one apple slice in each triangle of dough. Roll up large end to small end. Place all rolled apple slices in 9x13 pan. Melt butter/oleo in small pan, add cinnamon and sugar. Pour mixture over dumplings and pour Mountain Dew around dumplings. Bake 45 min. Make approx 18 dumplings, but only serves about 5 or 6 people, because everyone wants more than one.
I have made these with several different kinds of apples and have used Sprite and/or Mountain Dew

Bran Muffins In Microwave

From the Home Extension Dept. of Ohio State University
This makes a very large batch, but goes quickly when grandchildren are here!

Favorite Bran Muffins
3 cups whole bran cereal 1 cups boiling water 2 cups buttermilk 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup shortening 3 eggs 3 cups sifted flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt *Optional - cinnamon-sugar Mix 3 tablespoons sugar 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Microwave water in glass measure until boiling.

2. Measure cereal in large mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over cereal. Cool to lukewarm. Add buttermilk.

3. In mixer bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at t time. Beat well after each addition. Stir into cooled bran mixture.

4. Combine flour, soda and salt. Add to bran mixture. Stir just to moisten. Do NOT over-mix.

5. Store, refrigerated, in tightly covered containers or jars until needed. Batter keeps up to one month.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen muffins, depending on size.

TO MICRO-BAKE BRAN MUFFINS:

1. Spoon batter into paper-lined microwave muffin pan or glass custard cups. Use two paper liners for each muffin. Fill each half full.

2. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar, if desired.

3. Microwave with full power.

1 muffin 1/2 minute if refrigerated 3/4 minute
2 muffins 3/4 minute 1 1/4 minutes
4 muffins 1 1/4 minutes 1 3/4 minutes
6 muffins 1 3/4 minutes 2 1/4 minutes

This recipe may not be what you had in mind , but they are really good! Hope you try them. Patty

 

apples galore

Meatloaf

I’ve made this meat loaf and it is my favorite and DH's too. I add a clove of chopped or minced garlic (depending on how ambitious I feel.)

Have substituted ground turkey because I like it better than beef and it is delicious this way too. I just don't put the ketchup on top with the ground turkey but serve mayo on the side for dipping or spredding over the top.

I serve it with either mashed potatoes or mac n’ cheese and a tossed salad or cooked veggies but like it best in sandwiches the next day.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/meat-loaf/be0e38e7-c6f8-4e4d-a9b9-5fdc5e17cd2c?itemId=dda9ebb4-5587-43f5-bb43-05b7600ae5f4&sc=Meat+Loaf+Recipes&term=Meat+Loaf