Tag: granulated sugar

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 

I feel I need to warn you that I am a little nostalgic this morning. As I sit down to choose the wedding photo of my son and his precious wife that I want to hang on my wall, memories flood my mind of when my kids were little. I quit work to be a stay-at-home mother, but I still feel like I did not have enough time!

I can remember when my kids were home during the summer break from school. The break never seemed long enough. There were always things I wanted to do with them that we just never got around to doing before it was time to go back to school again.

I know that many of you are thinking this will be a LONG summer. Kids have already been home for weeks, and it’s not even time for summer break. I know there is stress involved with raising children, but this too shall pass, and you will undoubtedly miss it. Don’t stress about the pile of laundry or the sink full of dirty dishes.

We have all been given the blessing of time right now, so no matter where you are in your walk of life, try to enjoy it!

This cookie recipe is a great recipe to have the kids help you make. I found this fabulous recipe on a blog I just found and am enjoying, dearcrissy.com.  These cookies come together in a snap and are deliciously soft and chewy. You do not even need to drag out a mixer, which is a huge plus!

This is a great cookie base, so start there and play around with the recipe to make it your own. You can always use fewer chips and add a few chopped nuts, use M&M’s instead of chips, or chopped maraschino cherries. Have fun with this recipe, and make sure you tell me about your fabulous creations.

 

Print

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Course Cookies
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter barely melted but not too hot
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • Coarse sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.
  • In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugars, vanilla and vinegar until smooth. Beat in the egg.
  • Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the chips.
  • Using a large scoop drop dough about 3-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to brown around the edges and the center looks undercooked. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with a tiny bit of sea salt. Allow to stand on baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

 

 

Cowboy Cookies

I recently went to the beach with some friends. Forgetting to take a book for the beach, I decided to try a podcast. Savannah and Ashley listen to them all the time. Who knew there were thousands of podcast and about that many subjects too?

Choosing a murder mystery, really unlike me, I settled back in my chair for the experience. It was not long before I was drawn into the case and was trying to figure out the crime on my own. If there is anything I probably should never be, it is a detective. I had everyone on that podcast convicted and sentenced, and I was completely wrong!

During this podcast the continued to talk about Cowboy Cookies. Although I had no idea what was in a Cowboy Cookie, this podcast persuaded me that I needed one.

Greg and I both eat low-carb 98 percent of the time. Occasionally, we both get a sweet tooth though, and this happened over the weekend. I pulled out our latest church cookbook. There, on page 131, was a recipe for Cowboy Cookies!

I scooped the cookie dough using a large scoop to make huge cookies that averaged 3 1/2 inches in diameter. They were chewy, delicious cookies studded with chocolate chips and pecans. You can use a smaller scoop, but you may need to cut the baking time, watching the cookies and baking just until they start to brown.

 

Print

Cowboy Cookies

Course Cookies
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. shortening
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 c. brown sugar packed
  • 2 lg. eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 c. rolled oats
  • 1-2 c. chocolate chips
  • 1 c chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla extract.
  • Spoon in the flour mixture and gently combine.
  • Stir in the chips and pecans.
  • Scoop using 1/4 cup scoop and drop onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes or until the cookies start to brown.
  • Cool on pan for 5 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Plum Cobbler

plum cobbler 001

 

If you have plum trees, then you know the incredible struggle of every plum on the tree ripening in a matter of days. I have been up to my ears in plums for the past week.

My mother made tons of jellies and jams every summer. However, my mother was one to cook breakfast every morning. We would eat jellies and jam on those warm homemade biscuits that she always made. I, on the other hand, only cook breakfast occasionally.

After a few attempts, I have a plum cobbler recipe that we have enjoyed. This cobbler is quite simple and delicious. It reminds me of a cobbler my grandmother made when I was growing up. The hardest thing about this cobbler is chopping all of the plums. Serve with vanilla ice cream for a special treat!

Plum Cobbler
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 8 cups pitted and sliced fresh plums
  • 1 c. light brown sugar
  • ½ c. granulated sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp. amaretto, (optional)
  • 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • Topping:
  • 1½ c. self-rising flour
  • ⅓ c. granulated sugar
  • 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ½ to ¾ c. heavy cream
  • 1 to 2 tbsp. coarse sugar for topping
  • Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375℉.
  2. In a large bowl combine the plums, sugars, salt, amaretto, and cornstarch. Spoon into a 9 to 10-inch cast iron skillet.
  3. In a medium bowl combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter and using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add the cream and mix gently. You are looking for a wet, sticky dough. Add more cream a tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too dry.
  4. Drop the dough on top of the plum mixture. (It is messy, but I do this with my fingers.). Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  5. Bake until golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbling, 30 to 45 minutes.
  6. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

 

Frothy Vanilla Milk

 

frothy-vanilla-milk-2

One of my favorite parts of Christmas was always helping the kids get ready for Santa’s visit.  We baked cookies and sat up a special table near the tree.  They would write him notes and leave a snack for Rudolph too.  I’m not sure who had more fun, the kids or me.

How about a special treat for Santa this year?  Instead of just leaving him a boring glass of milk, leave him this belly warming Frothy Vanilla Milk.  So delicious that you will be making it for yourself too!  A delicious change from regular old chocolate milk.

Frothy Vanilla Milk
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 4 c. whole milk
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1½ whole vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise
  • Whipped Cream, for garnish, optional
  • Ground nutmeg, for dusting, optional
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, combine the milk and both sugars. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the middle of the beans into the saucepan and also add the split beans. Bring the milk to a simmer; cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 30 minutes to allow the vanilla to flavor the milk.
  2. Discard the vanilla beans and rewarm the milk over moderate heat, whisking vigorously, until frothy and warm. Serve in mugs with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

 

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

chewy-oatmeal-cookies

 

When life gets hectic, I turn to baking. Baking calms my mind and soothes my soul.

Big changes for the Melton household are underway! My head is spinning with all of the adjustments that we are experiencing. After 33 years with different jobs in the same department, Greg has taken a new job. Same company but new department and new responsibilities.  He’s excited about the challenges and looks forward to doing something new. I suppose I always fear the unknown.

 Our oldest child, Wes, has a job that he starts this week! A real, full-time, paying job! He worked a lot during college. Sometimes for no pay, but always with a goal in mind. A paying job is wonderful news, especially for our bank account.

Then there’s Savannah, our baby; she will begin her junior year of college in a few weeks. She is moving out again in just two weeks. She has been busy painting furniture, making Pinterest projects, and shopping for things she’ll need out on her own.

So, with all of that being said, I recently baked. I have been cooking low-carb for several weeks now, so baking these ooey, gooey, chewy oatmeal cookies was a treat! I love a good oatmeal cookie, and these are the best. Baked in a convection oven they bake in about 5 to 7 minutes. These cookies will spread while cooking to a thin, flat cookie.  Lightly brown the edges of the cookies, leaving the middle soft. They should look slightly undercooked in the center when you remove them from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet and they will firm up as they cool.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
 
Author:
Serves: about 36 cookies
Print
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ c. granulated sugar
  • 1 lg. egg
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 3 c. old-fashioned oats
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. whole milk
  • ½ c. dried cherries
  • ½ c. chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Stir in milk, dried cherries, and chocolate chips.
  3. Place 1 tablespoon (slightly rounded, not flat, not heaping) mounds of dough 2-inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheets. These cookies do spread while baking, so do not place too close together on your baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes (or 5 to 7 in convection oven), or until cooked have browned lighted on the edges but are still soft in the middle.
  5. Let the cookies cool completely at room temperature on the pan.