Dark Chocolate Chewy Cookies...

I love chocolate. I mean, most of you probably knew it, but just in case I haven't said it lately, I really love chocolate. I follow a really great food blog called Baked Perfection and everything I have ever tried is really good.

So, I tried  her double chocolate cookies and found that she adds a box of dry instant pudding mix to her cookies. I am telling you what, they really make the cookies soft and long lasting. A really excellent addition.

So, today I made a batch of these wonderful and tried one just to be sure. Yep, they are awesome! You may be saying to yourself, "Isn't she trying to lose weight? Is she cheating on her diet?"

Yes and no.  I am losing weight but I am not cheating. With Weight Watchers you can eat anything as long as you track it and it stays within your point allowance. I have allowed myself to eat two today. One thing I do in order to restrict my eating and yet indulge my absolute love for cookies, is I dip all the dough out into cookie balls and then quick freeze them on a cookie sheet, bag them and then just bake 1-2 cookies when I plan for them. It is a win-win. I mean, if I am going to use 3 points for a cookie, I want it warm and delicious.

Here they are, frozen into balls. You can see I have already bagged a bunch of them. It only takes about 20-30 minutes for them to freeze. When you want a cookie bake the amount you want at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or so.

So, here is the recipe. Adapted from Baked Perfection.

CHEWY DARK CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Beat together in a mixing bowl till creamy:

            2 sticks butter [1 cup]

            2/3 C granulated sugar

            2/3C brown sugar

            1 tsp vanilla extract

Add:

            2 eggs, one at a time beating after each one

Mix together in another bowl and then add slowly to butter mixture:

            2  C flour

            2/3 C baking cocoa [dry]

                        1 tsp baking soda

                        ½  tsp salt

                        1 package chocolate instant Jello Pudding, the dry mix, not prepared, 4 serving size

            Stir only to combine all ingredients. Do not beat. Add:

                        2 Cups [12 oz] chocolate chips or 1 2/3 Cups M&Ms

                        1 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans [optional]

Stir till chocolate chips are combined. Do not beat or over mix.

Drop cookie dough onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheets. For large [rounded Tablespoon size] cookies for 11-13 minutes till cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

And for regular chocolate chip cookies that stay soft and chewy:

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

           

Beat together in a mixing bowl till creamy:

            2 sticks butter [1 cup]

            ¾ C granulated sugar

            ¾ C brown sugar

            1 tsp vanilla extract

Add:

            2 eggs, one at a time beating after each one

Mix together in another bowl and then add slowly to butter mixture:

            2 ½ C flour

                        1 tsp baking soda

                        1 tsp salt

                        1 package vanilla instant Jello Pudding, the dry mix, not prepared, 4 serving size

            Stir only to combine all ingredients. Do not beat. Add:

                        2 Cups [12 oz] chocolate chips

                        1 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans [optional]

Stir till chocolate chips are combined. Do not beat or over mix.

Drop cookie dough onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheets. For large [rounded Tablespoon size] cookies for 11-13 minutes till cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

And for another taste treat I made on Sunday--brownies on the bottom and chocolate chip cookie dough on top, baked till soft and delicious. Also adapted from Baked Perfection.  Also, a bonus recipe of Turtle Brownies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BROWNIES

(1) Make a batch of the chewy chocolate chip cookies above—you won’t use all the dough.

(2) Make a batch of Brownies for Kids or a box mix [for a 9x13 pan].

BROWNIES FOR KIDS

9x13 pan

1 1/2C flour                 2 sticks butter

2 C sugar                     4 eggs

3/4C dry cocoa            2t vanilla                    

Combine all ingredients.  Beat with mixer for 2 minutes.

Put the brownie batter in a well greased 9x13 or larger pan, I like 10x14 Pyrex and spread evenly. You can either mold the cookied dough into flat sections and place over brownie batter or just drop tablespoons of it onto the brownie batter. Push the dough down so it is even with the brownie batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cookie portion is brown and the brownies are set.

These are delicious and very rich.

TURTLE BROWNIES

Make a batch of Brownies for Kids [above].  Spoon 2/3 of the batter in the bottom of a greased  9x13 baking pan.

Sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips [mini or regular size] over batter.

Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile in a large saucepan, heat over low heat until melted:

            1- 14oz package of caramels, unwrapped

            1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Pour caramel mixture over baked brownie layer. [Optional: sprinkle with pecan pieces.]

 Drop remaining brownie batter over caramel by teaspoonfuls. Spread batter with an offset spatula till even.

Bake 35-40 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Do not over-bake. Cook on a wire rack. You may want to sprinkle with Powdered sugar before serving.

Take care,
Jill

Oh, my! I lost a whole Kate!

My niece Kate comes over once a week so my husband Bob can give her piano lessons and so she can help me out around the house. She is an awesome pianist and in the past two years has improved dramatically.

Besides listening to her beautiful music, I really enjoy her help. She is very versatile and helps me do everything from dusting, to stickering my Sonlight catalogs and cards, to beveling my homemade soap, to making  soap balls and helping me bake cookies.

She is also an amazing cookie tester! One time she and her sister Evelyn and I made chocolate covered oreos-and then she was more like a chocolate covered Kate. Nice as always, but a bit sweeter.

Well, today we hit a milestone. Kate weighs 55 pounds and I have now lost 55 pounds, so I lost a whole Kate! Here we are together today. I don't know how I could have stood walking up and down stairs and doing all the tasks I do with a whole Kate added onto to my body--but I did it for years!

I am much happier having Kate stand in front of me and helping me than I was having her strapped to my back. [Not really you understand, but it is still something that I could have lost a whole girl and still have my whole self left!]

So, today was a red letter day. I lost a whole Kate and still have the real Kate to enjoy and love and watch grow into a wonderful young woman. I am a very blessed woman.

Take care,
Jill

Do you do Facebook?

I would love if you would come and like my Paths to Learning Facebook Page.

Thanks,
Jill

I made a wood tote...

 We have a wood stove at our cottage and Bob cut and split  a bunch of wood this summer and fall. Then he stacked it on some patio blocks next to our walk out basement patio.

So, when we go out the farm, he brings it in the basement and then brings up the wood he put in the basement last week for me to make a fire.

But, wood is messy and when he brings up a few logs they make a mess and are used up quickly. We needed something to tote the wood in that would confine the mess as well.

I took a pair of my old jeans and sewed the legs together so that they were like one heavy duty piece. Then, I ran some nylon rope through each leg and out the top. I burned the ends of the rope so it wouldn't ravel, tied a good knot, then pulled the rope so the knot would be in one of the legs.

I then sewed across each end a couple of times so the rope handle is sewed tightly so it won't come undone. I have a pretty heavy sewing machine, but if you don't, you can sew this by hand using heavy thread.

 You can see how the top and bottom look in these photos.

 Then Bob just lays out the jean carrier and piles the wood on top. He can take more than this, but this is just to give you an idea.

 Then, he pulls up the two handles and carries it upstairs.

When he lays it down, the dirt, bark pieces and so on are all contained in the carrier and can be shaken out outside.

Very neat and it only took me about 1/2 hour to make out of old jeans and some rope. I ideally a larger gauge of rope would be nicer, but he isn't carrying it far and this is what we  had.

This has been a great invention for us and keeps the family room neat and clean. Also, it can hang on a peg or hook or just be tossed in a bucket when you aren't using it.

Take care,
Jill