Very Most Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy, soft, sweet, chocolatey, mmmm. My very favorite recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. When they're warm from the oven I can easily slip into a sugar overload, especially when I tell myself they must be healthy, they have oatmeal!
I've always know cookies were thicker and more chewy if I refrigerated the dough before baking, but never really knew why. This month's Cuisine At Home magazine explained all that. They recommend chilling the dough until it's very cold. This way, the fat stays firm long enough for the shape of the cookies to set, meaning they won't spread thin and become crispy. Chilling also allows the proteins (gluten strands in the flour) to relax and the liquid to absorb, giving the cookies better texture and flavor. It's also important to let the cookie sheets cool between batches, then let the cookies cool completely on the sheets after baking. (if you can leave them alone long enough to cool!)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies      (from Taste of Home, adapted)                      

 1 cup butter, softened (I use 1 stick/1/2 cup each of butter and margarine)
3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 3/4 cups all-purpose (or half all-purpose/half whole wheat) flour
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mis
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter/margarine and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inch apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks (or let cool on cookie sheets)

Someone once asked me in my Extension educator job "how do you keep cookies from going stale?" I was stumped! That has never, ever, happened at our house.

Spring Treats

The calendar says it is spring, and all the organizations are having their spring Guest Days, recognition ceremonies,  and other spring activities. But this year the pastel light clothing usually worn to these events has been replaced with what we've been wearing for months - sweaters, dark slacks and heavy socks! I guess Mother Nature hasn't watched the calendar.

Thank You treats from a 4-H Club!

But in spite of the weather, there are some signs of spring. And these special spring events are still spring-like. For most of them the regular members of the sponsoring organization are asked to bring cookies or other treats. When my husband sees me making cookies this time of year, he asks "where are those going?". But we were the lucky recipients  of a box of tasty treats earlier this month. A local 4-H Club presented us with a large box of a variety of cookies to say "Thank you" for being a 4-H Journal sponsor in our county. We certainly enjoyed the treats, and it was nice to bring home cookies someone else made! The beautiful selection is the picture above.

So when it was my time to take cookies to the next event, I was inspired to try something besides my favorite traditional Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip cookie (I can't believe I haven't written a blog on these, I make them frequently - it will come soon!)
I thought these looked and tasted like spring. Both recipes start with a cake mix so they are simple and quick to mix up. Both were good, but the Lemon  were my favorites.

Strawberry Angel Cookies

Strawberry Angel Cookies

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) pkg. Angel food cake mix

¾ cup Smucker’s Strawberry Sugar Free Preserves or Smucker’s Special Recips Strawberry Preserves

3 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Just a few ingredients!

     1.     Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray. (even if you use parchment paper, spray it).

     2.     Beat together cake mix and preserves (do not add water) at low speed of electric mixer for 1 minute or until evenly moistened. Continue to beat an additional 1 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet

Its a meringue like batter

  3.     Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until tops are just lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet. Place on cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies will be soft and chewy.

Store between sheets of wax paper to keep from sticking together.

From Taste of Home

Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:

 (18.25 oz) package lemon cake mix

2 eggs

⅓ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. lemon extract

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.     Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, and lemon extract until well blended.  Form into balls (about 1 ½ tablespoon each) and roll in a bowl of confectioners’ sugar to cover.

3.     Set cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 – 9 minutes. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.

I'm anxious to try these with other flavors - orange cake mix + orange extract - strawberry cake mix + strawberry extract - or even cherry!

From Allrecipes. Com

A Chicken in Every Pot?

Do Americans have a "Chicken in Every Pot"? This phrase with the addition of "and a car in every garage" has been attributed to Herbert Hoover's 1928 Presidential campaign. While it was used in the campaign, history says Hoover never actually said that - but he did urge voters to support him as a vote for prosperity. The original promise can be traced to Henry IV of France (1553-1610). He stated "I want there to be no peasant in my realm so poor that he will not have a chicken in his pot every Sunday". It's hard to imagine that scarcity when we see the abundance of food available in today's U.S. grocery stores! Sometimes we forget how fortune we are when we're 'just serving chicken'.

This recipe for Baked Chicken Parmesan has become one of our favorites and does make chicken a special meal. It is not only easier than the traditional preparation on the range top, but it is healthier by being baked instead of fried. It is out of season for basil in my garden, so I used 2 teaspoons of dried basil and mixed it with the other seasonings and oil. Two pounds of chicken makes several servings, and it does reheat well. IF you reheat it in the oven cover with foil so the cheese doesn't overbrown and fuse together. Or reheat in the microwave. It's just as tasty a couple of days later as when first served!

Easy Chicken Parmesan Bake

Ingredients:

5-oz package of garlic croutons

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic (minced)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 pounds chicken tenders (or breasts cut into strips)

5-6 fresh basil leaves (chiffonade) 

2 cups tomato sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and ground black pepper

Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic croutons in a plastic bag and pound with a meat pounder or heavy object until they are crushed into smaller pieces (not tiny breadcrumbs). Set aside.

2.     In a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish, drizzle olive oil. Add chicken, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat the chicken pieces with the oil and spices. Spread the fresh basil on top.

3.     Pour tomato sauce on top of the chicken, distributing evenly. Slide into a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove (leave oven on).

4.     Spread half of the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the sauce. Next sprinkle all of the crushed croutons onto the sauce. Finish with a sprinkling of the remainder of the two cheeses.

5.     Return the pan to the oven for another 25 – 30 minutes. The casserole is done when all cheeses are well melted. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares or spooning onto plates. 

Tips and Tools

There's nothing like spring for cleaning out drawers, trying new recipes, and planning special family picnics and warm weather outings. I've always been a fan of special tools for whatever hobby or activity I am involved in. As a result, our house has storage spaces stuffed with gadgets for sewing, scrapbooking, and cooking.  Time to clean out and make choices!
A recent copy of Cuisine At Home, one of my favorite magazines (another weakness!), included a supplement publication on cooking tips. Some of these I've used, some I'm anxious to try. More ways to use my toys...er, tools. I wanted to share some:

* Store ice cream with a piece of waxed paper or plastic directly on the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming (really, as if ice cream ever stayed in my freezer long enough to form ice crystals!)
* Have hard cooked eggs with centered yolks by turning the carton over in the fridge 24 hours before cooking the eggs (wrap rubber bands around the cartoon to prevent an omelet in your fridge).
* Be sure to store eggs in the carton they are purchased in. Those egg trays in the refrigerator are really not good for eggs. The eggs thin shells can absorb odors from other foods.
* Grill bacon in the George Forman grill, no splattering in the skillet or greasy paper towel in the microwave oven. Be sure to remember to use the drainage cup (hasn't everyone forgotten that at one time?)
* Skim fat from browned ground beef by tipping the skillet and pushing the beef to the high side. Blot the fat up with a piece of bread or paper towels held with tongs.
* Use food handlers gloves for forming ground beef patties and meatloaf. Clean up is much easier.
* Stuff manicotti shells using a baby spoon (I wondered why I was saving that) or a pastry bag.
* To help bread rise, turn the oven light (only the light - not the temp) on and set the bowl of dough or pan of rolls inside with the door closed.
* Freeze portions of tomato paste or pesto in ice cube trays then pop out and place in a plastic bag to store in the freezer. Instant small amounts of those ingredients. (I recently found tomato paste in a tube at our store - more expensive but very convenient)
* Keep cut herbs fresh by trimming the stems and wrapping in a damp paper towel and store in an unsealed plastic bag in the fridge. (just like a fresh bouquet)
* Store fresh asparagus for several days by making a fresh cut at the ends and standing upright in a glass with 1 inch of cold water. Cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate.
* Refresh limp celery in a wide mouth jar with cold water. Cut the bottom and place the stalks in the water, refrigerate for a couple of hours.
* Bananas too ripe but no time for banana bread baking? Peel and put 3-4 bananas (whatever your favorite recipe calls for) in a plastic bag, slightly mash to make the bag flat for storage. Freeze.
* Keep fruit fresh and not brown by pouring a bit of lemon-lime soda over it instead of lemon juice. (We cut apple slices, sprinkle with soda or lemon juice, and put in a baggie for road trips)
* Use a ula (say OO-loo) knife (or sometimes called rocker knife), or pizza cutter to cut brownies, frosted cakes, bar cookies. It doesn't drag through the product and makes sharper cuts.
* Instead of using a buttered or sugared glass bottom to flatten cookie dough, use the textured side of a meat mallet. It leaves an interesting pattern.
* A plastic bottle makes a good funnel when you cut the top away from the main part of the bottle. Use a 2-litter for a large funnel, or a smaller water bottle for a smaller funnel.

Cooking, or any hobby, can be more fun when you've got tools you enjoy using. Time to clean out those cabinets and see what I find!