CHEWY DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

 

I was scrolling through some text messages and found this recipe from December that Friend and Cafe Treats Baker June made for the Cafe Treats. She was unable to come the Sunday she had signed up for and brought them the following week when I was absent.

June often makes treats from diabetic cookbooks and this one was no different. I think June uses Splenda while I use stevia products. The nice thing about the recipe is who can make it either way. They made such a pretty picture.

I must do a better job from now on about getting the recipes shared on a timely fashion.

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CHEWY DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

nonstick cooking spray

1/3       cup  margarine 

1/3       cup sugar, or sugar substitute

1/3       cup brown sugar, or brown sugar complete blend

1          egg

1/2       cup skim milk

2          teaspoons vanilla

2          cups quick oats

1          cup flour

1/3       cup cocoa

1-1/2    teaspoon baking powder

1/2       cup reduced fat chocolate chips (you can also use sugar-free chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine, sugars, and egg until creamy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Fold in oats flour, cocoa, and baking powder.

Drop dough using a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size) onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 6 minutes, then sprinkle tops with chocolate chips and bake 6 more minutes. Cool for 1 minute before remaining to a wire rack to finish cooling.

70 calories per cookie - 55 calories with sugar (using sugar substitutes)

MOM'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Believe it or not, it has been a while since I last bought a cookbook at an estate sale. Friend Janice and I went to an estate sale on Thursday and I didn't even look long enough at the titles to see if I might find one or two that looked like good ones. Janice was so proud of me.

Saturday morning after breakfast (I made my awesome buttermilk biscuits), we drove up to Platte City to the home of our grandchildren's godparents to buy some eggs from them. The weather has been so unseasonably warm that the eggs started laying again. I thought we were going to go there and come straight back home, but I mentioned there was an estate sale in town that had started the day before and my husband said we could go.

I wouldn't have bought the two cookbooks if Wayne hadn't strongly questioned me about not finding anything in the kitchen that interested me. So I went back through and picked up two cookbooks that I had noticed the title of but didn't actually pick them up and look through them. When I did, I couldn't resist them. 

This recipe came from the one entitled Taste of Home Grandma's Favorites, 2023. It is one of those cookbooks with inviting pictures of some of the recipes. That kind of cookbook is hard for me to pass up. Be prepared for my sharing some of them in the near future.

The added instant pudding in these chocolate chip cookies helps create a softer, slightly different tasting chocolate chip cookie.

 

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MOM'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1       cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

3/4    cup packed light brown sugar

1/4    cup sugar

1       package (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix

2       large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1       teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups flour

1       teaspoon baking soda

2       cups chocolate chips (I used dark cacao)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla.

Combine the flour and baking soda and

then slowly add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough and place on ungreased cookie sheet. (I lined my sheets with parchment paper.)

My cookies didn't flatten much so I pressed the scoop slightly with my fingers.

Bake until lightly browned 10 to 12 minutes. 

Cool slightly and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

CRUNCHY KRISPIE COOKIES

A couple of weeks ago my husband asked me who had bought the Fruity Pebbles cereal he found in the pantry. I told him I had bought them to make Rice Krispie Treats but didn't use the whole box. I had planned to use the rest in a different recipe eventually.

Eventually came sooner than I expected when I was looking through some recipe cards looking for a recipe to make for the Cafe Treats and found this recipe from a long time ago for Crunchy Krispie Cookies using what else, but Fruity Pebbles. So that Saturday I found myself in my kitchen making Crunchy Krispie Cookies.

Crunchy is definitely a perfect name for them. The next day at church I saw our lead pastor eating something on her way to the service and I asked her which treat she chose. She showed me and I told her what they were called. She said she had looked everything over and decided she couldn't pass up the Fruity Pebbles. We both shared a laugh.

If you like Fruity Pebbles too, you might want to give this recipe a try.

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CRUNCHY KRISPIE COOKIES

1       stick (1/2 cup) margarine, softened (I used unsalted butter)

1/2    cup brown sugar

1/2    cup white sugar

1       egg

1/2    teaspoon vanilla

1/4    teaspoon almond flavoring (I used 3/4 teaspoon vanilla)

3/4    cup flour

1/2    teaspoon baking soda

1/2    teaspoon salt

1       cup quick oats

2       cups Krispie cereal (I used Fruity Pebbles)

1/2    cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and flavoring and

beat well to combine.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to the creamed mixture.

Mix in the oatmeal and cereal.

May add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

I added 1/2 cup white baking chips.

Scoop out dough using a tablespoon cookie scoop and place on cookie sheet. (The mixture is fairly crumbly but the "globs" baked well even if they looked crumbly.)

Bake for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool for at least a minute before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY BLONDIES

 

Each Sunday we try to offer a gluten-free and a sugar-free treat at the Cafe at Platte Woods United Methodist Church.  I had an idea last week that I would buy a cake mix that was gluten-free and sugar-free so then I could make one treat instead of two. I was so excited. Then when I started to gather the ingredients, I noticed on the back of the box that the cake mix was prepared using almond and coconut flour. That wouldn't work at all since the Cafe is a "nut-free zone". So I put the cake mix back in the pantry and got out the gluten-free biscuit and baking mix that is made with rice flour. 

In the past that is what I have used when I had to make something that was gluten-free. It actually works well in a regular recipe like this one and just omit the baking powder, baking soda, and salt that the regular recipe called for. I have done this several times and it has worked well every time.

I used the brown sugar instead of my brown sugar complete so I did have a different treat to offer for no-sugar-added. I cut the servings small as I always do but I only took half of the pan so I can freeze the rest and share them again next Sunday.

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WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY BLONDIES

1       cup dried cranberries

2       cups hot water

3/4    cups (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

4       teaspoons vanilla

2       large eggs

1-1/2 cups flour*

1       teaspoon baking powder*

1/2    teaspoon salt*

1       cup white chocolate baking morsels

*I substituted 1-1/2 cups gluten-free baking mix for the flour, baking powder, and salt for gluten-free blondies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Chop the dried cranberries while you boil the water.

In a medium sized bowl combine the dried cranberries with the hot water and

allow to set for 1 minute.

Drain.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer

until light and fluffy, at a minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl at least once.

Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time,

blending well each time.

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients if you are not using the gluten-free baking mix. 

Add dry ingredients or baking mix to the creamed mixture and

mix to combine.

Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate morsels.

Spread the batter evenly into the pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown and tests done with a toothpick. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting.

Cut into squares or desired serving size pieces.

JO ANN'S COWBOY COOKIES

 

As I sit writing this post waiting for the Super Bowl game to start later this afternoon, I'm also enjoying a PBS special called GOSPEL Live, I'm glad I decided to add it to my library so I can rewatch it again. If you enjoy gospel music, I recommend that you check it out.

I couldn't wait to share this recipe with you. I heard compliments from several people this morning at church for these cookies. When Baker Jo Ann brought them in this morning, she said she had a question. She said she had never made the recipe before and said was so disappointed that they were thinner than she wanted them to be and wondered why. I told her they looked perfect to me, but I did attempt to answer her question. I asked her if she used butter in them and she said she did. Cookies made with butter generally spread while cookies made using shortening, don't. If you don't want your cookies to spread as much when using butter, place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before scooping out the dough and baking them. 

As I said, I thought they were perfect and can't wait to make them myself. Hope you will also.

GO CHIEFS!!!

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COWBOY COOKIES

2     cups flour

1     teaspoon baking powder

1     teaspoon baking soda

1/2  teaspoon salt

1     cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

1     cup brown sugar

1     cup sugar

2     eggs

1     teaspoon vanilla

2     cups old-fashioned oats

1     cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugars until smooth and light.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture to combine.

Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Using a small 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, drop scoops of dough on cooking sheet at least 2 inches apart, enough for them to spread as they bake.

Bake for 9 minutes or until edges are lightly brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets a few minutes before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.