recipes

Even Better Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I have revised Po’ Girl’s Chocolate Chip Cookies for the third and probably not last time.  I am still striving for something a little healthier than the original Toll House Recipe but lighter and tastier than my previous recipe posted 5 1/2 years ago.  I cannot believe it has been that long!  This newest revision still has half the sugar of the Toll House but a little more fat than last time.  Using much less flour makes a more tender, light cookie, even with most of it being whole wheat flour.

Place on parchment covered baking sheet by heaping teaspoons and bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes for soft baked, a little longer for darker crispier cookies if you prefer.

Our apartment shuts off the heat completely after May so it was down in the low 40’s out here this morning.  I wanted to heat my apartment up a little so I decided it would be a great time to bake and store some in the freezer for later.  Hot weather prevents me from using the oven all summer.

Daily Prompt: Blame the Dog

Any of you guilty of “blaming the dog” for stuff?  Farting, eating your homework, that missing cookie, etc…?

HUH?!

Don’t forget Queens! Today is International Tiara Day! Wear your crowns proudly! 

Please enjoy the following guilty pleasure if you happen to have one of the vintage Duncan Hines Tiara Dessert pans from the 80’s.  If not I’m sure you can make do with what you have on hand and play it by ear.

You can place the strawberries over a custard or vanilla pudding layer as I did or just top with the strawberries.  Whipped cream can only improve the experience.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Sweets 4 the Sweet

Sweets are my downfall in life, my drug of choice.  Mostly chocolate, but I do gravitate towards anything that is sweet.  I am very particular that my sweets not be overly sweet.  How some can scoop teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar into their coffee or tea is beyond me.  Go with one Tablespoon of those flavored creamers or scant 1 tsp of sugar if used instead.

I should mention I have been a “borderline Diabetic” for many years and really have to watch my diet, exercise and my weight to keep it from going full force on me so messing with sweets can be as dangerous as a druggie with actual drugs.  I have been so bad for so many years now, that I got another wake up again a few weeks ago that will scare me into being good again for a while anyway.

Mostly I just do dark chocolate right now but on Valentines Day I was alone and feeling like I needed a treat with no chocolate in the house and bad weather outside.  I made some bite size brownies with my mini muffin tins and used those disposable Wilton bags to decorate them with homemade pink buttercream frosting.

Can use 1/2 C all purpose flour if cake flour n/a. Add pinch of salt if using unsalted butter & not watching sodium intake.

Still take out my kids artwork for holidays!

Daily Prompt: Mushroom

Found some mushrooms in a beautiful Fairy Garden one evening.  Magic Mushrooms I think they call them.

I just happened to saute some button mushrooms in butter yesterday.  I cook them the same day I purchase them so they are fresh and use them in various things such as sauces, soups or even by themselves.  I like adding them to egg drop soup and pumpkin curry soup as well as to my spaghetti sauces.

After knowing supposed mushroom experts that poisoned themselves when using kinds they picked themselves, I leave it to the markets for mine.  I don’t eat mushrooms all the time nor do I eat the wide variety out there.  Sometimes I don’t eat them for years at a time til they catch my fancy again.  Depends on what I plan on cooking and if any fresh are available.

Onions, Mushroom, Zucchini, chick peas, sauteaud in butter with various Mediterranean Spices of your choice sauteed in olive oil.

Daily Prompt: Relax and Bake On!

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Muffins

8 oz cream cheese                   1/4 C milk or cream

2 Tb butter                      1/4 C vanilla creamer

1/4 C sour cream           1 tsp vanilla

1 egg                               1/2 C sugar

2 C flour                          3 tsp baking powder

1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected

I have only made cinnamon rolls a couple of times in the last 40 years or so.  I stopped trying because the dough was never soft enough and they never turned out well at all even though I followed the recipes to the letter.

This may have been the problem.

After refusing to pay what Cinnabon charges for a sweet roll I decided to try one more time while changing up the basic recipe.  I was very pleasantly surprised to finally have made a batch of cinnamon rolls that were tender and delicious, an unexpected delight!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  Please do not over bake them or they will be on the dry side.  That is what happened with my next batch even though they still were tasty.

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