Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the Our Best Bites gals (again).  If you want a little tiny amount of cookies, this is your recipe. If you want more than that, double or triple it.  I use a small size scoop so the cookies are only about 2 inches across.  I usually do a mix of mini M&M's, white chocolate chips and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.  I will measure the extra chips into Ziploc bags and put them in the freezer, then I just pull a bag out and throw into the cookie dough.

3 tablespoons real butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch table salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips, or add-ins of your choice 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Place butter in a small-medium sized mixing bowl and microwave for about 8-10  seconds. It should be soft enough to mix easily with a spoon, even semi-melted to  completely melted is okay. Add sugar and beat with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon till  fluffy. Add in egg yolk and vanilla and mix well until fully incorporated. Add flour,  baking soda, and salt all at once and mix until all combined. Add your chocolate chips or  other add-ins and mix.

Use a cookie scoop, or roll into balls. Bake for about 9-10 minutes. Cool for 1-2 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to cooking rack.  Makes about 15.

Notes

     You can make this recipe with softened butter, or completely melted butter.

Crystal's Sourdough Pancakes

Mix up the night before you want to serve them and put the salt, soda and sugar in a ziploc and just throw that in with eggs and oil right before serving.  Easy!  These are wonderful served in the canyon or out of doors.  They are great for a crowd and cheap.

2 cups flour

1 T. dry yeast

2 cups very warm water

Stir flour and yeast together.  Add water and stir together.  Let sit overnight.  In the morning add:

1 t. salt

1 t. soda

1 T. sugar

2 eggs

2 T. oil

Cook on a griddle with a little oil and enjoy.  Serves 6.

If you are making more than one batch at a time, for 4 cups flour still use just 1 T. yeast.  For 10 cups flour use 2 T. yeast.

Simple Vanilla Ice Cream - Cuisinart

makes about 14 1/2 cup servings

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/8 cups granulated sugar
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.  Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20-25 min.

If a firmer consistency is desired transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hour.  Remove from freezer about 15 min. before serving.

sorry I had to post - I panicked when I couldn't find this recipe. 

Deer Valley Carrot Cake

A classic at Deer Valley resort and a favorite of Heather's.  This carrot cake is moist and delicious but the best part is the frosting.  It is a smooth, not too sweet, cream cheese frosting.  Yummy!

Deer Valley Carrot Cake

4 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup canola oil (or regular oil)

2 cups flour

1 ½ t. cinnamon

½ t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 lb. carrots, grated (about 4 cups)

2/3 cups walnuts, chopped

Liz adds 1/2 cup of buttermilk to batter to moisten it up - I'm trying 1/2 cup discard next time

Preheat oven to 350º.  Spray 2 round 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.  Line bottoms with circles of parchment or waxed paper.  Whip eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick.  Add the oil.  Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt.  Add to the egg mixture and mix well on low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go.  Add the carrots and walnuts.  Pour the mixture into the two prepared pans.  Bake until the cake springs back when touched with your finger, about 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool completely.  

Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup butter, softened

2 (8 oz. pkgs.) cream cheese, softened

½ t. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth.  Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure there are no lumps.  Add the cream cheese and mix well, scraping the bowl again.  Add the vanilla, salt and powdered sugar and mix on low speed.  Be careful not to mix too much or the frosting will be runny.

Frost the first layer of the cake with cream cheese frosting, put on the second layer and frost.  Top with the ½ cup chopped walnuts and chill before serving. 

Croutons

Um so I'm not sure where I've been my whole life... Homemade croutons are the BEST.  Liz gave me this tip to make your own with leftover artisan bread and it is awesome and who doesn't love a crunchy bread in their salad or soup....

It makes quite a bit if you cut into bite size pieces and you don't have to pay big prices at the store. . .

Ann Romney, The Romney Family Table Cookbook pg. 111

Croutons:

cut day-old French bread into small cubes (I used leftover sourdough and it was awesome).  Toss with enough olive oil to coat cubes. Spread evenly in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan and sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake at 250 degrees F until crunchy, about 30 minutes.

Luscious Layered Pumpkin Dessert

So this was amazing and it's hard to describe but the title Luscious Layered Pumpkin Dessert is a good title.  It isn't as dense as cake, more oomph than a moose, and more kick than a jello type dessert.  I was a huge fan and I think the top layer would be fun to die green for St. Patrick's day or Pink/Blue for a fall baby shower or blessing etc...  Worth trying and I eat pumpkin year round kind of gal...

Makes 12 servings:

25 gingersnaps, finely crushed (about 1 1/3 cups) (I probably doubled the cookies I bought a small Winco brand box of gingersnaps and used the whole box and liked the extra crust and didn't mind the stronger ginger taste and I hate spreading crust to the littlest possible degree)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 cups canned or cooked pumpkin puree
1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice  (pumpkin pie spice substitution: make your own 1.5 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves or allspice, 1/2 tsp. ginger)
2 eggs
2 (3.4 oz) boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
1 (8 oz) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans (skipped this part and still devine!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the gingersnap crumbs and melted butter.  Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar and beat until blended.  Add the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and mix well.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended.  Pour mixture over cooled crust and bake until center is almost set, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk and beat until well blended.  Gently fold in 1 cup whipped topping to combine.  Spread pudding mixture evenly over cooked pumpkin mixture and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.  Spread remaining whipped topping evenly over top and refrigerate for 1 more hour.  Sprinkle with pecans before serving.

Recipe from Pumpkin It Up!  by Eliza Cross pg. 108

better than ever FUNERAL POTATOES

Potatoes and Bread are my favorite foods so I'm sort of picky and must be hard wired to consume carbs and starch..

Enjoy this easy winner.  A request every Christmas Eve Dinner with the Olsons.

6 cooked and grated potatoes or 2 lb. bag of shredded hash browns
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 carton sour cream (16 oz.)
1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions (I always add a tinch more since I love them)
Corn flakes and butter

Combine the first six ingredients.  Place in a 9x13 pan.  Top with buttered crushed corn flakes.  Bake at 350 for 45-60 min. depending on your preference.  

If you make the day before they need to cook a little longer.  For the corn flakes I dump in about 2 cups of corn flakes into my food processor, and pulse into small flakes and melt 3-4 TBS. of butter and combine and then add to the top of my potato casserole.

I think it would be fun to mix around and play with the type of cheese you put in as well :)