The Universal Chocolate Chip Cookie

Chocolate chip cookies are so wonderful. There are a lot of different varieties with a lot of different opinions. I think just maybe I’ve found one that will satisfy all tastes…. It was voted 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars by over 5,000 people.

Make

These

Cookies.

And when you realize you’ve finished the entire batch by yourself,

Make

More.

Then when those disappear, too:

Get

A

Treadmill.

Enjoy!!

Universal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Allrecipes.com
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1 egg
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Banana Cream Pie and My New Philosophy

Lately, I’ve been taking more pictures than baking due to a developing syndrome I’m currently suffering deeply from: dish-syndrome. I can’t take them anymore. There are too many and they pile too high, too fast. Which is why, when stumbling upon this quote, I knew I had the perfect solution.

“If you have to dry the dishes
(Such an awful boring chore)
If you have to dry the dishes
(‘Stead of going to the store)
If you have to dry the dishes
And you drop one on the floor
Maybe they won’t let you
Dry the dishes anymore”

-Shel Silverstein, A light in the Attic

….I’ll let you know how my new plan works out. Just don’t tip off my mom.

Banana Cream Pie
From Allrecipes.com

3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
4 bananas, sliced

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk in gradually while stirring gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.
2. Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.
3. Slice bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes. Chill for an hour. (or not!)

Bonfires and Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Fall and three day weekends are my favorite kinds of days. They mean bonfires and friends and pumpkin pie. I couldn’t get a picture of the entire fire because it was so frickin’ big, so you’ll have to use your imagination. But these are the fires that my dad prides himself on. These are the bonfires that bring back childhood. These are the fires that happen when the wind whistles and the leaves full of color blow.

It also happens to be the time when pumpkins grow and pies are made.

I love pumpkins.

And I love pie.

I guess that’s how, when everyone else had left for the night, Danielle and I found ourselves in the kitchen at 2am making a pumpkin pie, baking a pumpkin pie; then eating a pumpkin pie by our fall fire that had come down to be just an orange glow. I had high expectations for this pie.

After all, I am a pumpkin addict with only 3 cans in my pantry. I needed to make going down to two worth it.

It totally was. This pie is delicious. It’s custard-y, smooth, and fabulous cold or warm. Cool whip, ice cream, or whipped cream. Any way you want it, or even by itself it’s killer. I used to think that doing the recipe on the back of the can was the only way to go. It’s not. I’ll never go back.

Pumpkin Pie
allrecipes.com
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat 425F
Whisk together together all ingredients in a bowl.
Pour into unbaked pie crust.
Bake 15 minutes, turn over down to 350 and bake 35 minutes more or until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy the best pumpkin pie you’ve ever eaten : ) I guarantee it won’t let you down.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

I love red velvet everything: red velvet cake pops, red velvet cake, red velvet cheesecake, red velvet brownies, red velvet french toast. I’ve even made Red Velvet pancakes for dinner but since I was babysitting I did what any responsible babysitter would do; I made homemade Mac and Cheese to accompany all the pancakes!

And while I was busy being responsible Tif, Mag, and I decided we needed Swirled Cheesecake Brownies. Afterall, doesn’t every kid each dessert before bed? My brothers do.

It was so easy, too! All we had to do was whisk (by hand) the eggs and cocoa powder together, melt butter in a pan, and then add all the ingredients and the pasty mixture of eggs and cocoa powder.

Then you can grease a pan and pour 3/4 of the batter in while your friends whip together the cream cheese mixture of  4 ingredients with a hand-held.

Now just spread the cream cheese mixture and pour the batter over the top in zig-zags or globs. Just use a knife and run it through the cream cheese and brownie mixture. Be careful not to over-use the knife making designs. You don’t want it to start looking sloppy. Wa-la. Bake and you’re done!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
Slightly adapted from Fruetcake’s Red Velvet Brownies
Red Velvet:
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour

Cream Cheese:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a round glass pan.
Melt the butter on the stove. Add all your ingredients into the pan except the cocoa powder and the eggs. Whisk together the cocoa powder and eggs until paste-y. Whisk into the brownie batter, then stir in red or pink die. Pour 3/4 of mixture into a greased 8*8 pan.
Whip together all the cream cheese ingredients until nice and smooth. Smooth over the top of the unbaked red velvet batter. When smoothed over, pour the reserved red velvet batter over the top unevenly and so you can still see the white. Run a knife through the top of the batter making swirls.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Done!

Enjoy : )