Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

Frankie asked for a giant chocolate chip cookie for his birthday party with his friends.  It would be so easy to just run to the mall and order one, except for the fact that he has some nut allergies.  So, to be safe, I decided to make it myself.

Who am I kidding?  I LOVE to bake, so I probably would have made it myself anyway.

I searched for recipes online and read lots of tips and tricks and did a test cookie myself so this recipe is a mash-up of all the things I read and came up with myself.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie - recipe adapted from Nestle Toll House Original Recipe

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (This is lower than the original Nestle recipe!!!)
2) Grease a 14 inch deep dish pizza pan with shortening, bottom and sides
3) Combine the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
4) Beat sugars, butter, shortening in large mixing bowl until creamy.
5) Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
6) Add half the flour mixture and beat well.  Repeat with other half.
7) Add in chips and mix until blended.
8) Scrape all dough into middle of pizza pan.  Start spreading toward the edge with a rubber spatula.  DO NOT SPREAD ALL THE WAY TO EDGE.  Leave about 1 to 1 1/2 inches between dough and sides.  Also, make sure the dough is thicker around the edge than in the middle.  Doing both of these things will help make the cookie come out more even instead of higher on the edges (and crispier on the edges).  The photo below tries to show you what I mean

9) Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack.  Let cool for about 15 minutes then using a stiff but flexible spatula, run it around the edge of the pan carefully to loosen the cookie from the sides.  See photo below.  Don't use a knife because you could scratch your pan!!  Wait another 5-10 minutes and repeat.  Keep doing this every so often, and eventually you will feel that the cookie is loose in the pan. Trust me, you'll know when it is. Wait until it is completely cool before trying to remove it from the pan.

 

To remove from pan: Be sure it is not sticking to any side or bottom of pan.  Place a large cookie sheet on top of the pan, using two hands and working quickly, flip both over at the same time so the cookie sheet is on the bottom and the pan is on top.  Slowly start to lift pan.  It should lift off easily.
Repeat the process using a 2nd large cookie sheet to invert cookie right side up.

Decorate as desired.  I used Decorator Icing for this one.  I actually only made 1/4 recipe of icing and it was enough for what I needed.

Some questions you may have:

Why do you use shortening and butter, instead of all butter like the Nestle recipe?  I use a mix because all butter will result in a crisper cookie, and I want a little bit softer texture for this, but I want the butter taste.

Can I use non-stick cooking spray in the pan instead of shortening?  Well, you can try it and it make work fine.  I, however, don't know, because I used shortening.  :)

Why did you reduce the temperature to 350 degrees instead of using the original 375 degrees?  Lowering the temperature helps to not overcook it.  It will keep baking in the pan for a little bit after you pull it out. 

Hope all that helps!  Let me know if you have any other questions!!

Decorator Icing

Many, many years ago, in 2001, I took the Wilton Cake decorating class at Joann's to learn how to do some basic cake decorating techniques.  I also acquired this recipe from one of the instructors of that class.  This is your basic Decorator's Icing. There is no butter in this.  It will be pure white.  It is good when you are doing lots of decorating, because if you use real butter Buttercream, then it will be soft and won't hold up good.  It also won't be pure white.

Decorator Icing

Yield: 3 Cups

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
3 tablespoons water
1 cup shortening
1 tablespoon meringue powder
1 lb. sifted confectioners' sugar (about 4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 teaspoon clear almond extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt (popcorn salt...not the kind with butter flavoring in it!)

Mix the shortening, salt, water and flavorings to a mixing bowl.  Start slowly as you don't want to splash your ingredients all over.  Add the sugar gradually and mix on medium until all ingredients are blended.  Then, turn up a little higher, and let it blend for a good 5 minutes.

At this point, you have a stiff icing that you can make those dramatic looking flowers that you see.  Like roses.  I have made these, but not in years.  And they are difficult (for me, anyway).  I just want to pipe some stars and borders, and other things that don't need to be 3 dimensional.  So if that is what you want to do then you need to:

Add 1 additional teaspoon of water for each cup of icing (recipe yields 3 cups), so 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) and mix for a couple of minutes.  This thins it to a consistency that is a little easier to work with.  Take out the amount you need for decorating, leaving what you want to use to ice the cake and do writing.  Because now we will thin that out a little more. 

Add a teaspoon of water to how ever many cups you have left.  So if you took out 1 cup to use for decorating, there are about 2 cups left in mixer bowl.  Add 2 teaspoons of water to that and mix for a couple of minutes.  That is what you will use to ice the cake and do any writing.

If I am making a cake with lots of decorating or lots of different colors, then I double this recipe.

Use the Wilton gel color to tint your icing to the colors you want.

Let me know if you have questions...I have so many tips and tricks, I can't even think of them all to type here!

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

A couple of weeks ago, I asked the kids to go through some cookbooks and pick out some new recipes to try.  Frankie picked this recipe and I was a little skeptical, but not wanting to discourage him, I decided to make it. 

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta - adapted from The Busy Family Cookbook

8 ounces penne pasta
1 pound ground beef (I used sirloin)
6 strips of bacon, diced
1 can condensed tomato soup (do not add water!)
1 cup shredded cheddar
Barbecue sauce and yellow mustard for topping

1.  Boil pasta according to the directions on package.
2.  While pasta is cooking, brown ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink.  Drain and scoop meat out into a heat proof bowl, and set aside. 
3.  In the same skillet, cook the bacon pieces until they are crispy.  Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and place the pieces on a plate lined with a couple of paper towels.  Drain the bacon drippings from the pan. 
4.  Add cooked pasta to the skillet, return the beef and bacon to the pan as well.  Add in the tomato soup and let it all heat through.  Add the cheese on top, then cover and let cheese melt for a minute or two.  Serve with barbecue sauce and mustard.


Ok, I know it does not sound healthy, but there are so many things you can substitute in the recipe to make it "healthier".  I made it as written this time, but I would not be opposed to using whole wheat pasta, ground turkey, and low fat cheese. 

I wasn't sure about the barbecue sauce and mustard, but believe me when I say, this is what made it taste SO yummy.  It really was much tastier than I anticipated.  We all gave Frankie the credit for picking it out, because honestly, it's not something I would have just looked at in the cook book and decided to make.

If you have a family bigger than 4, I'd suggest doubling it.  We finished it, and there was at least one (teen boy) that would have eaten more if there had been more.  Serve this with a big salad and you have an easy, yummy weeknight meal!!

Easy Homemade Cole Slaw

I know I should have probably posted this recipe at the beginning of summer, but really you can eat cole slaw anytime!  And sorry about the awful picture.  It's the only one I have.  Next time I make it, I'll update it to a better one!

I like cole slaw.  A lot.  But after making my own...I've become rather picky.  I got this recipe from Shelley R. when she heard me talking about buying cole slaw for a get together I was having.  She said this was the best and she was right.  And it's soooo easy.  I modified it a tiny bit by adding the shredded carrot.  Feel free to leave it out if you want.

Easy Homemade Cole Slaw

1 head cabbage
1 medium sweet onion
1 or 2 carrots
1 cup Miracle Whip (not mayonnaise!)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk

Using a large, sharp knife, slice the cabbage into large chunks.  Thinly slice each chunk (almost like you are trying to shave it).  After I slice a bunch of it, I like to cut the whole thing into smaller, mouth size pieces.  I just grab the whole pile of shreds and cut it into thirds and throw it into a large bowl.  Next dice the onion into small pieces.  I like to use my Pampered Chef chopper.  Scrape it all into the bowl with the cabbage.  Grate the carrots using the large, shredding side of a grater.  Please watch your fingers!!  Add the carrots and mix well. 

Mix the dressing together and pour over cabbage mixture.  Mix it in with a large spatula until it is all coated.  Let chill for a few hours and then serve!

Sometimes I make up both the cabbage mixture and the dressing the night before I need the cole slaw, but I don't mix it together until the morning of the day I am going to serve it. 

Hope you enjoy!!!

"Lower Sugar" Slow Cooker Applesauce

 

The early harvest Michigan apples have arrived!  I picked up a bag of Paula Reds today and decided to try to make some homemade apple sauce in the slow cooker.  I browsed through lots of recipes and for the most part, they are very similar.  Mine uses less sugar than a lot of the recipes, and I used brown sugar, rather than white sugar which gives it a little bit of a richer taste.

The hardest part of this recipe is peeling the apples...so if you can do that (which you can), then you can make this applesauce!!!

"Lower Sugar" Slow Cooker Applesauce

3 lbs. apples (about 8 medium sized apples), I used Paula Reds, use your faves or a few different ones
1/4 water
a heaping 1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
cinnamon

Peel, core and chop apples into chunks.  Place into slow cooker and add the water, brown sugar, and sprinkle in some cinnamon.  (not too much...you can always add more when you serve it!).  Mix it all up, place the lid on the slow cooker and turn onto low for 6 hours.

Mash the apples with a potato masher.  This will leave tiny bits of chunky apple.  If you like no chunks at all, then use an immersion blender.  I just mashed with the masher.  They should mash very easily.  If they don't, then cook longer.

My son has already given me two thumbs up for this recipe, and he is the applesauce expert in my house!  We are eating it hot right out of the slow cooker!  It is fabulous!!!

I would definitely make this again!

Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

For as much as I love to cook, you would think that I would have a garden. However, I am terrible at taking care of plants/flowers/gardens, etc. I kill most everything that I touch. Even if I follow the care instructions perfectly. Also, I do not like bugs. And with all plants, come bugs. So, it’s just better if I buy my produce, or drop hints to my friends with gardens, that they can off load some of their harvest to me anytime (subtle, aren’t I?).

Anyhow, the first time I made this a few years ago, my friend Tara P. had shared some cherry tomatoes with me (as well as some yummy peppers!) from her garden. It just so happened I needed dinner for that day and I wanted to make some pasta and use those cherry tomatoes. I searched around online and came across some recipes and settled on this recipe. I made this again last night with a combination of store bought tomatoes and some from my neighbor's garden (she gave them to me, I didn't help myself!)

Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

2 bags of cherry tomatoes (NOT grape tomatoes)
2 tbsp. cup olive oil
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 tbsp. dry basil)
½ cup kalamata olives, chopped
12 oz. your favorite pasta


1. Heat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Line a pan with foil, heavy duty is best, but any will work.  Place tomatoes in pan and drizzle with the olive oil.  Pour the vinegar over them and then sprinkle with kosher salt. 
2. Roast tomatoes 18-20 minutes, or until tomatoes look blistered and about to burst.
3. Prepare pasta and place in a serving dish.
4. When tomatoes are done, carefully lift foil out and pour the contents over the pasta (this is why I prefer heavy duty foil...sturdier).
5.  Stir in basil and olives.

Both times I have made this I didn't have or couldn't get fresh basil, so I used dry.  I know it will be even better when I use the fresh basil. 

Enjoy with a salad and some red wine!  Delish!


 

Chocolate Chip Blondies

The kids and I were craving something sweet one evening around 9:00.  I told them if we could find a quick and easy recipe we would make it.  So we each grabbed a cookbook from the cupboard and started looking.  I found this recipe in a Taste of Home "Bake Sale" magazine and adapted it.  These are easy, quick and yummy.  Perfect for packing in school lunches!!

Chocolate Chip Blondies

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a microwave safe glass mixing bowl, melt the butter.  Add brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix until just blended.  In a small bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Grease a 9x13 metal pan with cooking spray or Crisco.  Spread the batter into the pan.  It will just cover the bottom, you will have to spread pretty thin.  But they will puff up some when they bake.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  I use an insulated pan, so I have to bake mine for more like 28 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  While still warm, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen bars from side.

Enjoy with a big glass of milk!!