Recipes Found (they've been lost for nearly 4 years!)

In the year 2010:  Finally after nearly 4 years, (yes 4!), I found my favorite cookie recipe.  

But how sad that when I baked them, they weren't as fabulous as I remembered!! LOL.......... too funny. Isn't this always the way it is?

I remember our favorite chocolate chip cookies from when I was very very young. They were the best ever! Then we got a new oven. And we could never get the cookies to bake to perfection!! It was so sad. I wish we had had an oven thermometer back then and maybe that would have solved our problem. We think it was the oven temperature that made the cookies the best. But I don't think we have ever succeeded in duplicating them, maybe we never really tried hard enough? We maybe just moved on and were happy because they still tasted great, even if the texture wasn't perfect? I hope I don't have to move on from my favorite shapes........................

So after baking my favorite Shape Holder Cookies in my new (now 4 year old new) oven, (meaning a different oven) they did not come out how they used to bake up! What's up with that!! 

Maybe I did not make the dough correctly? Maybe my oven temp is off? I know I baked the first batch too long, could that be the problem? But the second batch wasn't much better. 

So many variables............ now I have to figure out how to make my favorite cookies work here and anywhere they get baked!! 

However they still have a good taste and that might be what ultimately counts. 

They are not the best tasters, but they are good, at least we think so. They were the best shapers though, they kept the shape you put them into before baking. That was fun. 

Shape Holder Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp baking powder

3 1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder (optional)

bake at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes.

1. Cream butter and sugar. 
2. Add eggs and vanilla. 
3. Mix/whisk baking powder, salt, cocoa and flour together. 
4. Gradually add dry ingredients.
5. Roll out on floured surface and cut shapes or use cookie scoop and make 'ice cream' balls, my favorite way of doing this recipe!

The following recipes are ones that I used on a regular basis when we lived in Ruby Valley and the kids were younger. Now I have found these recipes too, and I am happy! I might make some of them up this next week and see if we still like them too.  

The muffins will be great for grab and go breakfasts. You can add lots of fun things to make different variations, the recipe is a basic recipe.

Favorite Sweet Muffins

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

1. Beat egg, stir in milk and oil.
2. mix in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened.
3. Batter will be lumpy!
4. fill muffin cups 2/3rds full- grease cups if not using paper liners.
5. bake in middle of oven.
6. immediately remove from pan after baking.

I have been making pancakes for the kids for breakfast for the last couple of months. It isn't too labor intensive and I really love the feeling of doing a warm breakfast for them in the mornings. I have not done this for many years if really ever and I love taking care of them and sending them off with a breakfast in their tummys. Starting the day with breakfast is very healthy! and I do try to make my pancakes using healthier ingredients.

However, the following recipe is typed as I used it years ago, without any healthy habits alterations. So, I will be substituting Splenda for the sugar and leaving out the oil, or using applesauce. Then it will be better for my kids.

Delicious Pancakes

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 Tb oil

1 cup flour

1 Tb sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tb vinegar

1. Beat egg, add milk and oil. 
2. mix in dry ingredients.
3. beat until smooth.
4. add vinegar and stir in thoroughly.
5. cook on heated griddle.  

This pizza dough was an easy fix dough and we used it many times in the old Ruby Valley days. However, I always did make it up in the Bread Maker on the dough only cycle. I am not one to make bread dough and knead by hand when the dough cycle on the Bread Maker will do. 

Calzone - Pizza dough

2/3 cup warm water 80 degrees

1 tsp active dry yeast

 2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 Tb olive oil

Bake at 500 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

1. Place warm water in a bowl, stir in yeast.
2. allow to sit at least 2 minutes until bubbly.
3. Place flour, salt, oil in mixing bowl and beat for 10 seconds.
4. add the yeast mixture.
5. beat for 1 minute, until dough is well combined.
6. Knead for 2 minutes.
7. Let rise for 30 minutes.
8. divide dough into four pieces for calzones or makes a 12" round pizza.

I am very happy that I found my long lost recipes! And now they are on the Internet and I should never loose them again!! Happy Blog Site Storage!!!

If you try them, I hope you have good luck with them and enjoy them too.

I always end up altering my recipes a bit each time, mostly because I don't precision measure, I do use what I have on hand, and I, well sometimes I just am weird and just make things. Many happy accidents have been enjoyed by my family and I over the years. But sadly, most of them have never been replicated!! I have sometimes taken the time to write my alterations down and that has been good and then I could replicate a good change, but those are few and far in- between!

Oops! I am rambling. Have a great day..................

....

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

1 pkg (8oz) Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup butter, softenend

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

2 heaping Tbs cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 oz (2 squares) semi-sweet chocolate, melted

6 oz white almond bark

colored sugar sprinkles, crushed candies,

1) heat oven to 350 degree F.

2) beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla until well mixed.

3) mix in melted semi-sweet chocolate.

4) stir/whisk flour, cocoa & baking soda together.  Add to creamed mixture. Dough will be stiff and you may have to finish mixing by hand/strong spoon.

5) make small balls and roll into 3 inch long ropes. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bend the top slightly to resemble canes.

6) bake for 10-12 minutes, until puffed up and set.

7) remove to wire racks and cool completely.

8) melt almond bark. I melted mine in a freezer zip-lock bag for about 1 minute. Follow melting instructions on the almond bark package. Clip a small bit off one corner of the bag for drizzling.
9) Working with small batches of cooled cookies, drizzle with melted bark and immediately sprinkle on decorations. Let coating firm up and then store in covered containers.

*notes:

Dough will be stiff. It may seem too sticky to roll, refrigerating 30 minutes will help. I find rolling in my hands quickly worked fine. If I spend too much time on a cookie, it will soften up and get stickier. So work quickly. I also make the balls with my small cookie scoop and drop them on a glass plate that I stick in the fridge between batches. That helps to keep them cold and make for easier rolling.

Butter should be used as the texture and baking properties will change drastically if margarine or butter substitute is is used.

Also, do not over bake. Remove when centers are set.

These are quick and easy. I usually make the cookies the night before I decorate them. So it really seems quick. We love these, I love these. Mostly because they are part chocolate!!