Ashley's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe comes to you courtesy of my sis-in-law Ashley. These cookies are very yummy and the recipe is super easy. The secret ingredient is instant pudding. It makes these cookies very moist and chewy, which is just what I like in a chocolate chipper. You can also use chocolate pudding instead of vanilla and have yourself some chocolate, chocolate chip cookies.
Also this recipe makes a reasonable 3 dozen cookies, unlike my mom's recipe which makes 6-7 dozen. This recipe will not take you all afternoon to whip up.
Thanks Ash!


Ashley's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 pkg. 3.4-oz. instant vanilla pudding2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour1 tsp. soda
2 c. chocolate chips
Cream butter, sugar, pudding. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and soda. Gradually add. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Eat and enjoy!

Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know there are a ton of chocolate chip cookies out there. I have made lots of different recipes but the recipe my mom made when we were kids continues to be my favorite. I could literally eat 2 dozen of these babies without even blinking. Maybe that is why I bake them, then immediately bag them up and throw them in the freezer. But that might also explain why I have such a fondness for frozen cookies. Hmmm. . .



Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. shortening
1 c. butter
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
6 1/2 c. flour
1 bag chocolate chips


Cream shortening and butter together. Add sugars to butter mixture and combine well, scrapping down sides of the bowl as necessary. Add eggs one at a time, beating between each. Add vanilla, salt, and soda. Combine well. Add flour, 2 cups at a time. Mix well between each addition. Add chocolate chips, and stir to combine. This time I added a bag a M&M's to make them Valentine festive.
Place rounded Tbs. of dough on greased cookie sheets. I like to roll the dough into balls so the cookies turn out very uniform looking. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. I bake mine for 9 minutes. I like my cookies very soft in the middle. If you like yours more crispy, bake them a couple minutes longer. Cool on a rack, but be sure to eat a couple hot.


This recipe make a ton of cookies, about 6-7 dozen. I always figured if you're going to make cookies, make cookies! But this recipe cam easily be halved. These cookies freeze very well, as noted above. Hope you enjoy! And happy Valentine's Day.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yay, a new post! I did not intentionally take the whole summer off. It just happened. We had a super busy summer. But now the girls are back in school and I will maybe have some time to devote to food blogging. I'm sure the two of you who read this blog are really excited.

Anyway moving onto cookies. I found this cookie recipe back in February and have made them over and over. But we eat them so fast that I have never gotten a picture before. So the three cookies in this picture were held hostage for a day until I got around to taking some pictures. They are now long gone.
I got this recipe off all recipes.com. I read the comments and lots of people modified it. So I did the same. I changed from all white sugar to 1/2 white and 1/2 brown. And I also split the butter content in 1/2 and used some shortening because I like how chewy shortening makes cookies. I had never messed with a recipe like this before and it was kind of scary, but also very liberating. I have always heard that with baking, you have to be precise and don't estimate. But you can! And I did! And it was fun! So here you go: This recipe is fantastic! The cookies are chewy and rich. I like to make mine with mint chocolate chips, but they would also be good with white chocolate chips or semi-sweet. Enjoy!



Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. shortening
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
5 c. flour
1 1/3 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. chocolate chips of your choice

Blend butter and shortening well, them add sugars. Blend. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Then add chocolate chips and mix gently. Place rounded tablespoons of dough (I really did about 1/8 c. per cookie. I like them big) on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes at 350. Eat them hot with milk. Super yummy and gooey!

Crispy Chocolate Marshmallow Treats

Well, for any of you who know me you know that I can't stay away from the treats for long so here is another one for you. Again it is from Everyday Food, and they are super-yummy!


Crispy Chocolate Marshmallow Treats

6 Tbs. butter plus more for the pan
1 bag (10.5 oz) mini marshmallows
1/4 cl unsweetened cocoa
6 c. crisp rice cereal
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1- Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside
2- In a large saucepan, combine butter, marshmallows, and cocoa. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until melted, about 6 minutes; stir in rice cereal. Press rice mixture into prepared pan; drizzle with melted chocolate. (I couldn't get mine to "drizzle". It blobbed. So I just spread it on like frosting). Let cool at room temp; cut into bars and serve. Yum!

Nutella Frosted Cupcakes

Oh my goodness, I LOVE Nutella. I could eat it by the spoonful. Wait, I do eat it by the spoonful. It is just the perfect combination of chocolate and hazel-nutty goodness. But I have never tried baking with it before. I don't know why but the thought just never occurred to me. I came across this picture on Tastespotting (love that site) and decided I had to try these out. They turned out delicious and wonderful!


Nutella Self-Frosted Cupcakes
(I thought they turned out more the consistency and density of a muffin)

10 Tbsp. butter, softened
3/4 c. white sugar
3 large eggs, at room temp.
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
12 tsp. Nutella (1 tsp for each cupcake)

Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don't worry if the batter doesn't look smooth. Add vanillla. Stir in flour, salt, and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.
Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be about 3/4 full. Top each supcake with 1 heaping teaspoon of Nutella. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the Nutella.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Watch carefully, I overbaked mine and they are dry. Very yummy, but dry. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

We made these cookies on Halloween night. They were a big hit! Soft and chewy, and full of yummy flavor. I love the intense spice flavor. Along with the pumpkin and the chocolate, it is the perfect combination. We ate these cookies up instead of chewing on our nails while we watched Tremors.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 29-oz. can pumpkin
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
5 c. all purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

In a Kitchen-Aid mixer, combine pumpkin, sugars, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Add vanilla and chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
After refrigerating and before you proceed, give the dough a good mixing. The chocolate chips have a tendency to sink to the bottom of the dough.
Drop by spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 13 minutes or until the center of the cookie is firm.
Cool on sheet for 2 minutes, the transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Eat with cold milk and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This recipe came from Great Harvest. I love this bread during the holidays. This bread is very good- nice and moist.

2 1/2 c. white
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. oil
3 c. sugar
2/3 c. water
2 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
16 oz. canned pumpkin
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans or three 8x4 inch loaf pans. Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients and add to dry mixture. Combine well. Pour into loaf pans and bake for 60-70 minutes.

Chocolate Lush

This is one of Grandma’s most famous desserts. She would often make it when we had a big family dinner. I love to make it for a crowd. It is so yummy!

1 1/2 c. flour
1 ½ cubes margarine
1/2 c. nuts (optional)
1 ½ c. Cool Whip
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
1 ½ pkg. Cream cheese at room temp.
1 large + 1 small pkg. Chocolate pudding
4 ½ c. milk

Cut together flour margarine, and nuts. Press into a 10 1/2x12 in pan (you can use a 9x13 pan, everything will be thicker). Use a plastic sandwich bag on your hand to press into pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350°. Let cool. Mix cream cheese and sugar well. Then add 1 ½ c. Cool Whip. Spoon over crust and spread smooth. Chill 15-20 minutes. Carefully mix pudding well with 4 ½ c. milk. Spread over cream cheese. Let set in fridge for 20 minutes. Top with rest of Cool Whip. Sprinkle grated chocolate or chopped nuts on the top. This makes a lot. Can be made the night before. Cover with plastic wrap.