Chocolate/Vanilla Chip Cookies!

I have been told these cookies are amazing - and I agree - I really enjoy them too.  Maybe I haven't had enough home-made cookies but I can't imagine a goo-y chocolate chip cookie straight from the oven could be bad!  But I have been told a number of times that these are the best chocolate chip cookies.  Since I've never made a different recipe - I wouldn't know if they really are the "best" - they are just the ones that we make around here.

This is a quick recipe - my six year old can pretty much make them herself.  It is an easy recipe that doesn't take a lot of time - so if you know me - don't be surprised if I show up with them next time I visit or drop them by your door as a surprise...remember, this recipe makes two dozen...and I'm only giving away half.  The other half is for me and a glass of milk ;-)

Chip Cookies Recipe

• 2 1/4 cups flour (I use unbleached flour, sometimes sold as bread flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt (I just use a sprinkle - I never measure salt so I always put in less than what a recipe calls for)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups or 1 package of chocolate or vanilla chips

How to

• Cream/mix both sugars with the butter. 
• Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until blended. 
• Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.  You can mix these in a separate bowl and then add to the wet ingredients or if you are trying to take a short cut - you can add the flour on top of the wet ingredients and then stir the baking soda into the flour with a spoon before using the mixer.  Sometimes my cookies don't turn out as fluffy without mixing the dry ingredients together thoroughly, but they still taste good even if they are a little flat!
• Bake for 10 minutes at 350.  Bake until the edges start to brown.

Enjoy!
 

Cupcakes!

Who doesn't love a yummy creamy cupcake?  My daughter just adores cupcakes and I'm all for eating them as a "junk food" snack - so long as they are homemade and filled with some yogurt to balance out the sugar and butter!

Here is our family's go-to favorite cupcake recipe.  You can eat them frosted or not (I will just leave them on the counter as a sweet treat without the frosting and the kids will eat them just as quickly!)

Cupcake Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups flour (I use unbleached flour, sometimes marked as bread flour)
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• salt
• 1 stick butter (softened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

How to:

• In one bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder a a pinch of salt.
• In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs (one at a time).
• Beat in the yogurt and the flour mixture alternating between the two until its all added.
• Beat in the vanilla.
• Pour the mix into lined muffin tin filling each about half-way.
• Cook in 350 degree oven for about 14 minutes or when a knife inserted into the middles comes out clean.

Icing

• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar
• 2 tablespoons yogurt (plain or vanilla) and this ingredient can be left off if you don't have it.

How to:

• Melt the butter.
• Mix in the sugar and yogurt.  It may be a little lumpy or smooth - it tastes just as good both ways.
• Frost your cupcakes by dipping them into the bowl face-down.  Give it a little twist on the way up and the cupcake is perfectly frosted.  Plus the kids love to do this step!

Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies!

I am always on the hunt for a good sugar cookie recipe - one where the dough rolls out easy and the cookies don't stick to the table...ahhh...doesn't that sounds great!  If you happen to have one - let me know!  In the mean-time - this is the recipe that we have made countless times.  The dough can be tough to roll (you can put it in the fridge for a bit before to help but be careful not to leave it in too long), but it's manageable.  The dough will stick to the table without enough flour under it - you can roll it between parchment paper or wax paper to help.  But it's not too bad and it's all part of making cookies :-)

Sugar Cookie Recipe

• 2 sticks softened butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour (I use just regular unbleached, sometimes called bread flour, for everything)
• salt

How to:

• Use a beater to mix the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla in a large bowl until mixed.
• Add the flour, sprinkle the salt on top of the added flour.  Mix again with the beater.
• You can refrigerate for 30 minutes or not at all - your call ;-)
• Cut with cookies cutters and bake for about 14 minutes at 350.  You can add sprinkles before to decorate if you want.

Enjoy!