Bake, Sauté or Grill Apple Slices

a Great Dessert

Apple Slices DessertThis no fuss dessert is perfect anytime of year. Summer grillin’ to winter baking. I love this fruit and it’s evident by the number of apple recipes I’ve posted. Well, I grew up with “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Hard to break the habit … and not a bad one at that! Add cinnamon or try a little Cognac for a dress up. Just Perfect!

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Good Ol’ Fashioned Chocolate Cupcakes

That Simple That Good

Chocolate Cupcakes

Complicated and difficult can produce wonderful results but it’s not an approach that is always necessary for deliciously wonderful results. So quick and simple, mix it up today! Double this recipe for an eight inch double layer cake.

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My Breakfast of Champions

Vegan Molasses Cookies

 

Perfect for me and healthy too. Amazingly chewy and so moist you can eat them without a plate. I’m pretty tidy and like the no crumb experience while reading. Perfect for reading and eating! Enjoy this Vegan recipe I’ve shared in the past.

 

Or if you’d rather go butter and eggs for a delicious experience with a taller cookie try this version here.

 

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Old Fashioned Chocolate Chippers

Shortening vs Butter

Old Fashioned Chocolate Chippers

I’ve been making Chocolate Chip Cookies for many years using the original Toll House Recipe. I don’t know if my memory is failing me but I don’t remember a butter option … The recipe called for shortening and a teaspoon of water. No longer.

Often we develop cookie (other foods too) taste and texture preferences early on and we tend to go back to these over and over. You may prefer a chewy chocolate chip cookie while another prefers a crispy one and still another may even prefer a Chips Ahoy.

Butter and shortening may be used interchangeably in this homemade cookie recipe but know the results will be very different. There is nothing like a butter taste but I enjoy a taller cookie that is hard to achieve with butter unless the dough with butter is refrigerated until firm before baking. And still there is a chance if baked just a little too long the cookie will be crispy. I have a taller chewy cookie preference but not too tall. I solve this by using half butter and half shortening. I’ve become accustomed to using salted butter for cookie making. Options for no salt butter were not often available many years ago. And since shortening has no salt I add just a pinch more salt.

The chocolate chips used are equally important. The choices today are pretty varied. Since I grew up on one particular type, the only one available except for a waxy knock off, it’s my choice to this day. Use the chocolate chips you and your family like best.

It has been my experience too that the baking makes a big difference in texture. Most old recipes call for a 375 degree F oven. I like to knock this down to 325 degrees … baking a little longer and removing the cookies at the right moment, a slightly golden brown. Any longer and the cookies will become crunchy when cooled to room temperature.

Hope you enjoy comparing some old recipes for this Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookie. And just maybe trying something a little bit different.

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Mother’s Day Chocolate

Chocolate Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the Mother’s Day chocolate fix. I’ve had a big fix with Edible Arrangement goodies (Thank you, Stephen) but a little more chocolate never hurts. Here’s a perfectly easy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that will please anyone who is a chocoholic.

Enjoy and Happy Mother’s Day!

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Moistest Chewy Oatmeal Bars

Moistest Oatmeal Bars or CookiesYou’re looking for the Moistest Oatmeal Cookie? Your search is over! These are perfectly moist and chewy too. This is one cookie I wouldn’t feel guilty about eating as part of my breakfast. Packed with the best ingredients! Making these for someone who prefers maraschino cherries (doesn’t sound like a bad idea) to raisins in her own oatmeal cookie recipe … But I’ve added dates, cranberries and silvered almonds to my recipe. Enjoy the texture, moistness and taste of yet another of my oatmeal cookie recipes.

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Banana Nut Cake

Caramel Glaze

Banana Nut Cake with Caramel Glaze

This is an old fashioned recipe or two … made for my mother. She has been very ill and you may have noticed this has impacted my posting. She is recuperating well and I’m making my way back to full swing.

This quick dessert is a simple 8 inch square banana cake … One of those last minute one bowl mixes providing a use for those over-ripe bananas. Delicious with coffee, tea or milk.

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Texas Sheet Cake Roll

Good Idea Or Not!

Texas Sheet Cake

This might have worked if I’d gone about it at a slower pace … Letting things cool a bit … rolling the cake in a towel sprinkled with powered sugar. But iffy at best. This is a heavy cake not spongy like most cake rolls. Why did I even attempt this? It seemed like a good idea at the time … It wasn’t just an exercise … It was about presentation.

Have you tried a slice of Texas Sheet Cake? It’s amazing! And can feed a crowd. But let’s say you’re not having a barbecue and you want to have this moist delicious chocolaty cake for a more formal event. The sheet cake presentation, well, is lacking.

So, here is my Texas Sheet Cake recipe but unrolled.

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Pineapple Loaded Hawaiian Muffins

Hawaiian Muffins

Inspired by my daughter’s recent trip to Hawaii and the nautical gifts she so generously brought back for Kitchen Getaway. I know Missy, the picture isn’t showing off my gifts in the best light. But the muffins look great!

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