Pazooki - January 16, 2011

Have you ever been to Oregenos Restaurant? So their food portions are pretty ginormous. And Not only do they offer these insanely large appetizers and crazy big meals, after all that they ask if you have saved room for dessert. And I have been that person to say 'yes please'. Regardless of the fact that I have ate my weight in pasta and unbuttoned my jeans about 20 minutes ago. But I'll tell you what... even though I have now put myself in the 'I have to wear my fat pants tomorrow' position. I loved every single bite of it. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I put in 2 extra tsp)
2 large eggs
2 cups of chocolate chunks
vanilla ice cream
(grouprecipes.com)

Directions:
Step 1: Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract on level 2 until creamy
Step 2: Add in flour, baking soda and salt
Step 3: Add eggs, one at a time and stir mixture on level 4 until well blended
Step 4: Preheat oven 375
Step 5: Fill 6'' skillets with dough, be careful not to overfill
Step 6: Bake about 12-18 minutes till golden brown, but still a little soft in the center
Step 7: Do not remove from ramekins. Top with scoop of ice cream


Tips:
* I made my cookie dough ahead of time since I was planning on making the dessert at my parents' house. This way we only had to bake and indulge in this ahhhhmmmazing goodness!
* Do not let your 1-year-old sit on your kitchen counter near the mixer while you grab for the chocolate chunks. There is a slight chance she might toss a purple crayon in your mix and as you are none the wiser you blend up the dough and wonder to yourself why it has all of the sudden changed in such a drastic color...

Peanut Butter Chip- Chocolate Chip Cookies - January 5, 2011

This I made for my husband. Nothing pleases this man more than fresh cookies. And I'm hoping that he will appreciate them enough to clean up the pans I left in the kitchen. No one ever talks about the fun clean up portion of cooking. And there is A LOT! Kinda makes just buying the bagged cookies seem that much easier... I need to get myself a little helper!
So instead of making a simple classic chocolate chip cookie I chose to mix it up and add in some butter chips to the recipe found on the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip bag. That's right I am becoming more confident and adding to existing recipes. Watch out Martha Stewart!

Ingredients:
(makes 60 delicious cookies)
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
(Nestle Toll House)

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven 375 F
Step2: Using wire whip mix butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy on level 2 approx 1 minute
Step 3: Add eggs, one at a time with mixer on level 2
Step 4: Mix in flour, baking soda and salt on level 2 gradually move to level 4 for 2 minutes
Step 5: At tablespoon side scoops place on non-stick cookie pans about 1 inch apart
Step 5: Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown (let cool 2 min after baking)
Step 6: Move onto wire rack and let cool completely


Tips:
*Be sure to make the cookie dough in a ball shape on the pan. If it's spread out and not a ball the cookies will more than likely end up looking like the ones I made, pancake shaped cookies!
*Since this recipe makes 60 cookies SHARE them!!! Everybody loves cookies and there is absolutely no reason you should need 60 to yourself.

Sugar Cookies- January 1, 2011

To ring in the new year and begin this new venture I figure... keep it simple. So I chose to make a classic star shaped sugar cookie.

For 24 cookies:
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
(allrecipes.com)

Directions:
Step 1: In mixer, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Step 2: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Step 3: Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
Step 4: Frost/Sprinkle/Create and Enjoy!


Tips:
*Do not let your toddler 'help' by tossing the cookie cutter into you new beautiful mixer while it;s running. It (the cookie cutter) will lose it's shape!
*When rolling out the dough be sure to use PLENTY of flour. When you think enough add just a tad more, because it will stick to your counter like crazy and you will have to start the rolling process over and over!