What can I say? I LOVE COOKIES! I guess you could just call me the Cookie Monster.
I know some people think they are so much trouble and it takes so much of your time baking them. I admit there are times I just want to mix up a cake and put it in the oven for 45 (+) minutes, but most of the time, it doesn't bother me at all. Those few minutes while the cookies are baking, I can do some quick chore I need to do.
AND I LOVE THESE COOKIES! These Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies are full of mini chocolate chips and chopped maraschino cherries. What more could you ask for?!
This is the second cookie recipe I have made from the Home Cooking With The Moyer Family. The cookbook was put together by Cathy (Early) Soto from Lawrence, KS. This recipe comes from her nine year old daughter, Chelsea Humerickhouse.
Click here to get a printable version of just the recipe.
CHERRY CHOO-CHOOS
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained (10 - oz jar)
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (I used butter at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup stevia/sugar blend)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Chop cherries (I cut in fourths) and place on paper towel and pat dry.
Stir butter, sugars, vanilla, and egg in large bowl
until mixed. (I used my electric mixer.)
(If you want to hurry along butter to room temperature, cut in slices.)
Stir in flour and baking soda.(Oops! Forgot to take a picture.)
Stir in cherries and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (I used my cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown.
Cool 1 minute before removing cookies from cookie sheet
to finish cooling on wire rack. Clean cookie sheet with paper towel and let cool a few minutes before you drop more dough on it.
It was good to get together with friends for an afternoon of Mexican Train yesterday. After having a colder December than normal, it has been nice to have a warmer January. We have had quite a few days already with highs in the upper 50s and plenty of sunshine. Just to remind us that it is January the last couple of days it has felt like January. So it was good to have a reason to get out, but enjoy an afternoon inside. It's not quite the same when you are inside someone else's house.
Anyway, Janice offered us a number of different things for a light lunch and this fudge was one. I managed to get a picture before all of the pieces were eaten. I told her she would have to give me the recipe and her response was "it's so easy". I reminded her how much I like "easy".
Click here to get a printable version of just the recipe.
EASY PEASY FUDGE
1 16 - oz package miniature marshmallows
1 24 - oz package chocolate chips
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 22 - oz can sweetened condensed milk
Line a 9 x 13 - inch baking dish with wax paper.
Melt the chips, butter, and milk in a large pan or skillet over low heat. Stir to melt.
When melted, stir in marshmallows.
Quickly pour into prepared dish.
Chill and the cut into squares.
May add peanuts if you like.
It has taken me a while to get this post written. About 6 weeks or so. That's about how long ago Thanksgiving was. For the second year in a roll, we have celebrated Thanksgiving Day with our younger son, Patrick, and his family and Lori's mother. I was told to bring my dressing, sweet potatoes (not mashed), and a pecan pie. The pie was no big deal because I could make it the day before, but the dressing and sweet potatoes I wanted to serve hot. I had to be a little creative and experiment with my recipes to make them so they would be hot.
Fortunately I have an oven roaster and plenty of slow cooker. I decided to use the oven roaster to cook the dressing and do the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. The dressing browned a little too much around the edges, but tasted like it had baked in the oven. Check out my recipe for the dressing HERE. If you scroll down in the post, there is a link to our favorite sweet potato souffle. My husband was really disappointed when I told him they didn't want me to bring it. The sweet potato recipe I used from my Betty Crocker Cookbook was quite tasty, but I would like to try it in the oven as the recipe describes. I'm thinking they would have been more "glazed" than they were cooked in the slow cooker.
ORANGE - GLAZED SWEET POTATOES
2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 6 medium)
2/3 cup sugar (I used stevia)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel (I use dried orange peel)
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoon butter
Heat oven to 400 degrees F if baking in oven.
Pare sweet potatoes cut in chunks.
In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and orange peel.
Slowly stir orange juice into sugar mixture.
Add butter and cook, stirring constantly,
until mixture thickens and boils.
Boil and stir 1 minute.
Pour hot orange juice mixture over sweet potatoes in a 1-1/2 quart casserole (or slow cooker).
Cover and bake 1 hour in oven, basting occasionally or at least 2 hours on HIGH in slow cooker.
I had to distinguish this recipe from other recipes I have for Date Nut Bread so I added "an Amish Recipe" to the post title. It is an Amish Recipe and I did really enjoy it, but it is a different bread than my mother's Date Loaf Cake which is still my all-time-favorite. I made it for Friend Fran and gave it to her to have when her family were all together for Christmas. The Amish Date Nut Bread I made and gave to Friends Sandy and Teresa before Christmas. They are two of the members of Blankets of Hope. While the recipe called for making one 9 x 5 - inch loaf, I made three mini-loaves and gave two away and ate one. (I wanted to make sure I liked the recipe before I gave the other two away.)
The recipe came from the book called AMISH - Country Cooking. No authors or editors were listed just Publications International, Ltd., from Lincolnwood, Illinois.
Click here for a printable version of just the recipe.
DATE NUT BREAD, an AMISH RECIPE
2 cups flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts (I did not toast the walnuts.)
1 cup chopped dates
1-1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel (I used dried lemon peel.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray one 9 x 5 - inch loaf pan or three mini-loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
I thinly sliced the cold butter and then used my mixer on low to cut in the butter. Works great!
Add walnuts and dates;
stir until coated.
Beat milk, egg, and lemon peel in small bowl with fork. (Since you need to measure the milk, just use a 2 cup glass measuring cup and you can save messing up a small bowl.)
Add to flour mixture;
stir just until moistened.
Spread in prepared pan(s).
Bake 45 to 50 minutes for large loaf or 30 + minutes for mini loaves. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. Bread is done if the toothpick comes out clean. (I also first will press lightly the center of the loaf to see if it is set.)
Cool in pan(s) on wire rack 10 minutes.
Remove from pan(s) and cool completely on wire rack.
(I did give two of the loaves away as I said above and did remove them from the aluminum pans, I just failed to take a picture of them.)
I know it might seem like I cook a lot of cookies. I guess I do. Often times I just need a little bit of sweet to satisfy me and I can't think of a better way to do that but with cookies. I usually try to find recipes that make only about 3 dozen cookies. If I see a recipe that sounds really good, but makes twice that many cookies, I look at the eggs and if it's an even number, I will just cut the recipe ingredients in half. Often times when I make a recipe that makes 3 dozen cookies, I will end up giving friends Janice and Fran some so they won't get old in the cookie jar.
While we were in CO with our older son, Jeffrey, and his family for Christmas, I wasn't feeling great. My sinuses had been bothering me a day or two before we left, but nothing serious. After our first night there though, I woke up Saturday morning with a head-splitting headache. Nothing would faze it all day. Jeffrey said he thought the elevation was making it worse. Almost 11 yr - old granddaughter Sadie had made some cookies but only crumbs were left. I did eat one or two crumbs though and loved the cookies. Before we left on Sunday (early because another snow was expected to move in Monday night and we didn't want to interfere with their New Year's Eve's celebration), I asked Sadie for her recipe.
Her recipe was the one you may have seen for "cake - mix cookies". One of Wayne's aunts had sent me some recipes when we first got married 40+ yrs ago for some of her favorite recipes and one of them was for a cookie that was a favorite of her sons that used a Swiss German Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies. Sadie had used a white cake mix and butter. Myra Elizabeth's used the German Chocolate cake mix and oil. The only other change was the length of cooking.
I got to thinking about it and because I wanted to use a sugar-free cake mix and the only one I had was a Devil's Food one, I thought, "you know you could use any flavor of cake mix and any mix in", such as a white cake mix and peppermint chunks, a spice cake mix and raisins, or a butter pecan cake mix and toffee chips or even coconut, a chocolate fudge cake mix and peanut butter chips, - you get the idea. As I so often say, "You are only limited by your imagination".
Anyway for my first try, I used the sugar-free Devil's Food cake mix and peppermint chunks. We love the cookie! Don't think Janice or Fran will get any of these. 😋 The only change I might suggest, is chopping up the chunks. They were kinda big and didn't want to hold/stick to the dough. I had to use my hand and fingers to press the dough together to form the cookie.
Click here for a printable version of just the recipe.
MAKE - IT - YOUR - OWN COOKIE
1 cake mix, your favorite (I used a sugar-free Devil's Food cake mix)
1/2 cup oil or 1 stick of butter (I used the oil)
2 eggs
1 cup add-in (I used peppermint chunks)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray cookie sheets or use nonstick ones.
Combine cake mix, oil/butter, and eggs and
stir with electric mixer til combined.
Add nuts, if you are using them, and the "add-in". (Next time I will chop peppermint chunks some.)
Using a cookie scoop, place "cookies" 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Can press lightly with fingers to flatten some. (I had to compress the dough to form a shape because the chunks were so big.)
Bake 10 - 12 minutes.
Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.
The Amish Easy Carrot Cake recipe I shared with you recently was the best ever! The reason I found the recipe was because I knew Friend Carol was going to make a carrot cake for us when we had dinner with them earlier in December and I decided I couldn't wait. 😊
Her Baby Food Carrot Cake was different but also very delicious! I used to have a recipe for carrot cake that used baby food carrots a long time ago, but haven't seen it in as long. Carol almost always substitutes stevia for sugar in recipes, but this time she said she used the real stuff.
Click here for a printable version of just the recipe.
BABY FOOD CARROT CAKE
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups oil
2 (4 - oz) jars baby food strained carrots
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch baking dish.
Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, eggs, oil, and carrots with a spoon in a large mixing bowl.
Add walnuts and raisins.
Pour into baking dish.
Bake about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center. (Carol covers the edges with foil after the first 20 minutes.)
Ice with a vanilla or cream cheese icing.
Another year has come and gone. Hard to believe where 2018 went. We did a lot of traveling and saw many places on my bucket list. (I never thought about a "bucket list" but that seems to be what people call "things you have always wanted to do and hope to do them before you die". I guess "bucket list" sounds not quite so depressing.) I also continued enjoying my activities with friends - Mexican Train, Canasta, Farkle, Church - Blankets of Hope, Handbells, Hospitality Team, Communion Setup, and SAM Singers, and Fridays (and sometimes Thursdays) with Janice going to estate sales, etc. Time spent with our sons and their families was always special. We also started (it's not quite finished yet) a remodeling project on our huge deck replacing the deck flooring and railing and covering a section of it to make a three-season room. They also came inside and redid the ceiling and walls in the kitchen and gave us new lighting. I am looking forward to having it all finished and also of course for it to warm up so we can enjoy the extra room. Thanks to a reader of my blog, I discovered a new mystery writer, Louise Penny. (Thanks, Joansy. I have only four more to read. Will be sad when I read that last one.)
We just got back from having our Christmas in CO on Monday (had to cut it short because snow was predicted). Since we got home earlier in the day, it did mean that we could ring in the new year spending the evening with Friends Janice and Leon. Pizza was great and Janice and I won the canasta game and even the revenge game. (We tried to let them win the revenge game but it just didn't happen. 😇)
I have missed the Rose Bowl Parade the last few years, but I made sure I watched it this year. We never went to the parade during the 21 years we lived in CA, but one year, my parents, the boys, and I went down a day or two later to view the floats where they park them after the parade. They were just unbelievable. Wayne didn't get to go with us because he had to go to work. Now it is football bowl games and I thought I would multitask and write up this recipe for his favorite cookie. They are also called Clinton's Chips.
Click here for a printable version of just the recipe.
THE BEST OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE EVER
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup shortening
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 package (12 oz) semi - sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. ( I used nonstick cookie sheets and did not grease them. I took a paper towel and cleaned the cookie sheet before I put more dough on it to cook.)
Combine flour, salt, and soda on waxed paper (or a smaller bowl). Set aside.
Beat together the shortening, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer
until creamy.
Add eggs, beating until
light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in flour mixture and rolled oats.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop batter by well rounded tablespoon measure ( or a cookie scoop) onto cookie sheet. (I didn't smooth dough off in scoop and then when I placed the glob on the sheet, I turned it over so the rounded part in the scoop was on the sheet.)
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. (I did bake mine the full 10 minutes.) Cookies will be raised.
Cool cookies on sheets on wire rack for 2 minutes. Cookies will flatten.
Remove to wire rack to cool.
I am looking forward to 2019 and all of the recipes, quilting projects, etc that I will be sharing with you. I do enjoy this blog and appreciate when I hear comments from you that you love my recipes also and/or I helped you in some way with what I had to pass on to you.
In an earlier post I shared pictures of our MO family. I will leave you with a picture of our CO family. I am truly blessed and thankful!
Chop cherries (I cut in fourths) and place on paper towel and pat dry.
Stir butter, sugars, vanilla, and egg in large bowl 
until mixed. (I used my electric mixer.)
(If you want to hurry along butter to room temperature, cut in slices.) 
Stir in cherries and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (I used my cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown.
Cool 1 minute before removing cookies from cookie sheet
to finish cooling on wire rack. Clean cookie sheet with paper towel and let cool a few minutes before you drop more dough on it. 
