Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I found this recipe on the Picky Palate blog and decided to give them a try. I made them for my company and they really enjoyed them. She used unsalted butter but all I had was salted so I used that and didn't add any additional salt. She also used Hershey's Dark Cocoa Powder but I just used what I had and they worked out great! I would suggest adding a little more flour than it calls for.

½ Cup chocolate chips
1 stick unsalted butter
1 ½ Cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ Cups flour
½ Cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place ½ Cup chocolate chips and stick of butter in a heat proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

2. Place cooled melted chocolate, sugar, eggs and vanilla into the bowl of a stand or electric
mixer. Mix on medium speed until well combined. On low speed, slowly mix in flour mixture and chips until just combined.

3. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cookies begin to crack on top and edges look slightly crisped. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Doctored Cupcakes

I found this recipe on another blog, Dinner on a Dime, and made them yesterday for my Achievement Day girls. They were a huge hit! They call for LOTS of butter, so be prepared!

1 white cake mix
1 C. whole milk
1 stick butter (melted)
3 lg. eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Combine, mix on low 1 min, scrape sides of bowl, mix on medium 2 minutes. Use temps and times on cake mix box.

Fluffy Frosting:

3 C. salted butter
6-8 C. powdered sugar
vanilla to taste (around 4 tsp)
1-2 TB milk

Mix everything together well, spread on cupcakes.

**I suggest making only half, or even a quarter of the frosting. I made half and still have lots left over.

(Also I stole the picture, my cupcakes were certainly not that beautiful!)

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

I have two really yummy cinnamon roll recipes, but this one was requested- so this one's for you Ashby!

Dough:
1-1/2 packages dry yeast (about 3-1/4 tsp.) yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 shortening (I use butter flavored)
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
4-5 cups sifted flour

Filling:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon
(you may substitute brown sugar for the white sugar)
raisins (optional)

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2-4 tbs. milk or cream

Preparation:
Add the warm water to the yeast and soak for 10 minutes. Scald milk; pour over the shortening. Add sugar and salt and cool to tepid (lukewarm). Add the dissolved yeast and beaten egg. Add 4 cups four, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Dough should be soft yet firm enough to handle.
Knead on floured surface until elastic and smooth. Avoid too much flour. Turn dough into well oiled bowl. Let rise for 1-1/2 hours.
Press dough down and divide into workable size. Roll dough out into a rectangle. Cover with melted butter, leaving about one inch on ends. Layer generously with filling. Roll up jellyroll fashion. Using a knife or piece of string, cut off slices about 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick. Place slices in a pan. Press rolls down to even out. Let rise until rolls fill the pan generously- about another hour.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. If rolls begin to brown too fast, cover with a piece of tin foil until the end of baking. Do not over bake.

For the frosting:
In a medium bowl, place sugar, butter and vanilla. Then stir in enough milk or cream to reach a consistency you like. Spread over warm rolls.

Meatloaf

I don't like to measure things so these are all estimates.

1 lb. Hamburger
1 egg
5-7 Saltine Crackers crumbled
3 Tbs. Ketchup
2 Tbs. Mustard

Mix together and divide in half, take one half and press into bottom of loaf pan. Top with 1 cup grated cheese. Then top with remaining half of hamburger mixture and press edges together. Spread about another 3 Tbs. Ketchup on top. Bake at 350 about 30-45 minutes until center is no longer pink. I like to eat it with baked potatoes on a cold day.

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

4 c. chopped, cooked chicken

1 c. chopped celery

1/4 c. chopped carrots

1/4 c. chopped onions

1/4 c. butter

8 oz. egg noodles

2 boxes (32oz) Swanson chicken broth

3-4 c. water

1/2 t. dried marjoram

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 T. dried parsley (I prefer fresh)

1. In a large stock pot, saute celery and onion in butter.

2. Add chicken, carrots, broth, water, marjoram, pepper, bay leaf and parsley. Simmer 30 minutes.

3. Add noodles and simmer 10 more minutes.

Blueberry Crumb Pie

4 cups blueberries** (washed and drained)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbls. lemon juice
2 Tbls. butter

Stir sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Coat blueberries with it. Pour into uncooked pie crust. Cut butter (approximately 2 Tbls.) into small pieces and place in the blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Top with Crumb mixture.

Crumb Mixture
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter

Cut butter into the flour and sugar and mix together until crumbly.

Cover edge of pie crust with foil and remove 15 minutes before it should be done cooking, Bake at 425 for 35 to 45 minutes.

**Fresh apples or peaches can be substituted for blueberries.