Ultimate Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 small package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.  Combine shortening, brown sugar, pudding mix, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until creamy; about 3 to 5 minutes.  Beat egg into creamed mixture.  Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in small bowl; mix into creamed mixture just until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake one baking sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown for chewy cookies or a few minutes longer for crisp cookies.  Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.  Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

French Mint Brownies (Killer Brownies)

Louise got this recipe from her friend in church, Nancy Lund.  Her children dubbed them "Killer Brownies" because they are so good.  I think it's one of our favorite desserts that Mom makes.

Prep Time: About 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours including cooling time

BROWNIES
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients and bake in greased jelly roll pan at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes; cool.

MINT FROSTING
3 Tbsp butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp mint extract
4 Tbsp milk
A few drops of green food coloring

Mix ingredients until fluffy and spread over cooled brownies.  Refrigerate 20 minutes until crusty.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING
1 1/2 cups Hershey's(R) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
4 1/2 Tbsp butter

Melt chips and butter and spread over mint frosting; cool.

*Use Hershey's - don't substitute - Hershey's turns out best

Notes:
-I didn't have room in my fridge, so we let the brownies sit out after frosting until they got crusty
-Louise doubles the chocolate topping so that the chocolate is thicker and the frosting doesn't show through
-Sometimes we drizzle the chocolate over the frosting in a diagonal pattern.  Just put the chocolate in a sandwich bag and snip off one of the corners.


Substitutions - omit mint extract and green food coloring and add one of the following choices:
-Orange extract and orange food coloring
-Strawberry or chocolate confectioner's sugar instead of regular confectioner's sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-Raspberry extract and red food coloring (or blue!)

One Step Pound Cake

This is Louise's original pound cake recipe with a few variations listed at the bottom.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 60-70 minutes

2 1/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup butter, softened

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

3 eggs

Grease and flour a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt or Tube pan.  Preheat oven to 325F.  Blend all ingredients at low speed of electric mixer.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until top of cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool cake upright in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely.  Dust top with powdered sugar, icing, or leave plain.

Variations:
Substitute orange peel for lemon peel
Add a small package instant lemon with the rest of the ingredients
Glaze top with a lemon glaze
Omit lemon peel and add a small package instant vanilla pudding to recipe

Quadruple Chocolate Pound Cake

Another one of my mother-in-law's wonderful recipes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 60-70 minutes

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz. sour cream
3 eggs
3 Tbsp chocolate syrup
Small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grease and dust with cocoa powder a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt or Tube pan.  Preheat oven to 325F.  Blend all ingredients at low speed of electric mixer.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until top of cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool cake upright in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely.  Glaze or drizzle chocolate glaze over cake.

Chocolate Glaze:
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp corn syrup
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, corn syrup, and chocolate chips in microwave for 30 seconds; stir.  Microwave at 15 second intervals stirring after each time until melted.  Stir in vanilla.  Scoop into a plastic bag and cut off the tip of one corner.  Squeeze chocolate to drizzle over cake.


Other options:
Dust top with powdered sugar and serve with cherry pie filling on top of slices
Dust top with a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa powder
Instead of dusting pan with cocoa powder, dust pan with raw sugar

Homemade Moose Tracks Ice Cream

Fudge Ripple:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream

Ice Cream:
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup mini peanut butter cups

For Fudge Ripple:
Add chocolate chips and butter to a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave 30 seconds more.  Add evaporated milk and stir gently with a wire whisk until smooth.  Microwave 1 minute more.  Refrigerate until cool.

For Ice Cream:
Mix milk and sugar in a medium bowl with a whisk until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Add heavy cream and vanilla; stir.  Turn on ice cream maker and add ice cream mixture.  Process about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add mini peanut butter cups and turn ice cream maker off.  Layer ice cream and fudge ripple in a 2-quart container with a lid.  Make 3 or 4 layers of each.  Freeze for 2 to 4 hours or until firm.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Makes 2 cups frosting

2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
Cocoa powder (1/4 cup for light flavor, 1/2 cup for medium flavor, 3/4 cup for dark flavor)
6 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
4 to 5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

In small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar with amount of cocoa for flavor you prefer. Cream butter and 1/2 cup cocoa mixture in small mixer bowl. Add remaining cocoa mixture, milk and vanilla; beat to spreading consistency. For a glossier texture, add 1 Tbsp light corn syrup to the mixture.

This is my go-to chocolate frosting recipe. I got it out of a Hershey's Cookbook. It is really fast and easy and delicious, too!

German Chocolate Brownies

Prep Time: 35 to 45 minutes

Makes: 1 - 13"x9" pan

Brownie mix (for 13"x9" pan)

Ingredients to make brownies

1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

Make brownies according to package directions. Spread brownies in lightly greased 13"x9" pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and coconut on brownie batter. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top. Bake as per brownie mix instructions until edges and some of the top is golden. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.

This started as an experiment. I wanted to make the bar cookies that are sometimes called "Seven Layer Bars" or "Magic Cookie Bars" or "Easiest Cookies in the World". One time I made them with chocolate graham crackers instead of honey grahams and really liked them. So I decided to try using a brownie crust with the "seven-layer" part on top. I made a homemade brownie mix and altered the recipe a bit, but I won't post it since it's in a copyrighted book. I'm sure any brownie mix will work.

I served this at my parents' house and my dad named it. He had two big pieces in about 10 minutes...

Cookies 'n Brownies

My mother-in-law recently gave me a great idea. Make a batch of brownies and a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Pour the brownie batter in the pan and drop cookie dough on top. Bake as directed for the brownies.

Try it with a scoop of ice cream on top. Yum!

If you have refrigerated or frozen cookie dough, it makes it go a lot faster. See my tips for freezing cookie dough in Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies. Just put frozen cookie dough balls on top without defrosting.

I did this for FHE last night and it was a hit. I just wish I'd put more scoops of cookie dough on it! (I'll post a picture when I make it again, since I didn't take a picture of it.)

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 8 to 13 minutes per sheet

1 recipe makes: 3 dozen 3-inch cookies

My mom got a Butter Flavor Crisco(R) Cookie Recipe Book when I was a young teenager and I tried the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe and loved it. I have been making them often ever since...

Original recipe:

3/4 cup Butter Flavor Crisco (regular is fine, too)

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups if nuts are omitted)

1 cup large pecan pieces, optional

Doubled:

1 1/2 cups Butter Flavor Crisco (regular is fine, too)

2 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp vanilla

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (3 cups if nuts are omitted)

2 cups large pecan pieces, optional

Tripled:

2 1/4 cups Butter Flavor Crisco (regular is fine, too)

3 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

6 Tbsp milk

3 Tbsp vanilla

3 eggs

5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp salt

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (4 1/2 cups if nuts are omitted)

3 cups large pecan pieces, optional

1. Heat oven to 375F.

2. Cream shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Blend until creamy. Blend in egg.

3. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in separate bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

4. Drop rounded Tablespoonfuls (about 2 measuring tablespoons) of dough 3-inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

5. Bake at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies (they will look light and moist - DO NOT OVERBAKE), 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes (they will continue to bake during cooling). Remove to cooling rack.

My hints:

Using cookie scoops makes it go much faster and I end up with even, round cookies.

I like to bake cookies on stone. The cookies turn out more moist and cook more evenly. Occasionally, I forget that I'm baking cookies and remember about 20 minutes later when they start to smell overcooked, but they still aren't burned! When baking on stone, for moist cookies, the first batch takes about 12 minutes, but once the stones are a little warmed, it only takes about 10 minutes. They are ready when they are slightly golden and no longer shiny.

I usually triple the recipe and bake a couple of sheets of cookies, then scoop the rest of the dough onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper and freeze until hard. Then I put the frozen cookie dough balls into freezer bags, remove the air, label them, and put them in the freezer. Then when I want fresh cookies, I put the frozen cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and bake until slightly golden. I usually just use my toaster oven with my toaster oven-size stone pan!

Crisco's Variations:

1. Drizzle

Melt 1 cup semi-sweet or white melting chocolate with 1 tsp Butter Flavor Crisco over VERY low heat or 50% power in microwave. Stir well. If too thick to drizzle, add a little more Butter Flavor Crisco to thin. Drizzle from end of spoon back and forth over cookie. Sprinkle with nuts before chocolate hardens, if desired.

To harden chocolate quickly, place cookies in refrigerator for a few minutes.

2. Chocolate Dipped

Melt 1 cup semi-sweet or white melting chocolate with 1 tsp Butter Flavor Crisco over VERY low heat or 50% power in microwave. Stir well. Spoon into a cup. Dip one end of cooled cookie halfway up in chocolate. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts before chocolate hardens. Place on wax paper.

To harden chocolate quickly, place cookies in refrigerator for a few minutes.

3. Holiday Dress-Ups

Frost cookies with Creamy Vanilla Frosting. Decorate with red and green candy coated pieces.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting

Combine 1/2 cup Butter Flavor Crisco, 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners sugar, 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla in medium bowl at low speed of electric mixer until well blended. Scrape bowl. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Frost cooled cookies.

Striped Pudding Parfaits

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

This is a recipe from The Pampered Chef (R) "Kids in the Kitchen" recipe book (no longer in print). This is almost word for word from the book:

2 cups cold milk

1 pkg (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling

2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping

1 pint strawberries

2 medium bananas

1/2 cup Honey Granola Crunch

1. Pour milk into Classic Batter Bowl. Add pudding mix and beat with Stainless Steel Whisk for 2 minutes until pudding begins to thicken. Refrigerate 5 minutes.

2. Attach Open Star Tip to Easy Accent(R) Decorator. Using Medium Scoop, fill tube with whipped topping.

3. Remove stems from strawberries. Peel bananas. On Cutting Board, cut bananas into 2-inch pieces using My Safe CutterTM. Slice strawberries and bananas using Egg Slicer Plus(R).

4. In 6 (6-8 oz) parfait or clear plastic drinking glasses, layer pudding, whipped topping, strawberries, bananas, and granola any way you like. Top with a strawberry fan or extra banana slices, if desired.

Cook's Tip:

By using other flavors of pudding and different fruits, you can create an almost endless number of flavor combinations. Just let your imagination run wild!

Tool Tip:

The Medium Scoop is the perfect tool for scooping pudding into the parfait glasses.

Honey Granola Crunch

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Makes: 6 cups or 12 servings

This is a recipe from The Pampered Chef (R) "Kids in the Kitchen" recipe book (no longer in print). This is almost word for word from the book:

1 cup nuts

4 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup stick butter or margarine

1/4 cup honey

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. On Cutting Board, coarsely chop nuts, about 1/4 cup at a time, using Food Chopper.

2. In Rectangular Baker, mix nuts, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt using Mix 'N Scraper(R).

3. Place butter in Small Micro-Cooker(R). Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until melted. Stir in honey.

4. Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir with scraper until oat mixture is evenly coated.

5. Adult help: Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes so mixture browns evenly. Using Oven Mitts, remove Baker to Nonstick Cooling Rack. Stir.

6. Cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container.

Cook's Tips:

If you like, add 1 cup of your favorite dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, blueberries, coconut or chopped dates to the oat mixture after removing from the oven

For a speedy snack, sprinkle Honey Granola Crunch over yogurt or cut-up fresh fruits or just enjoy a handful!

Crunched for time but hungry for dessert? Sprinkle Honey Granola Crunch over your favorite warmed fruit pie filling and top with whipped topping or ice cream.

For an extra special dessert, use Honey Granola Crunch in our Striped Pudding Parfaits.

Berries and Cream Flag

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4


This is something I did with the Activity Day girls in celebration of Independence Day. It was really easy and they did almost the whole thing!

1 qt. fresh strawberries
1/2 pt. fresh blueberries
1 can whipped cream

Wash and hull strawberries and place top-side down in rows in a small rectangle pan (like one used for a toaster oven), leaving a rectangle of empty space where the stars would go on an American flag. Wash blueberries and place in empty space. Using whipped cream, make stripes in between rows of strawberries and make a few "stars" in the blue section.

Blueberry Crumb Pie

Prep Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 8

This is Michael's favorite pie, so I have taken some pains to get it just right. I'll probably change it again, but here it is so far:

Filling:
3 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen*
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix berries, sugar, and flour and put in an unbaked pie shell.

*If using frozen blueberries, increase flour to 3 to 4 Tablespoons.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut in quarters
3/4 cup quick oats
1/2 cup flour

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until it forms lumps and butter is mixed in.

Top pie with crumbs, cover crust with strips of foil, and bake for about 1 hour.

No-Bake Chocolate Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Makes: About 4 dozen 2-inch cookies


One of my favorite cookies, but horribly addictive.

Lay out 2 to 3 feet aluminum foil on the counter.

Mix together in a large pot:
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Mix in:
1 cup milk

Start heating on high, then add:
2 sticks margarine (do not substitute)

Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 2 full minutes. Remove from heat and add:
1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
5 cups quick oats (do not substitute)

Quickly drop by teaspoonfuls onto foil. Wait for cookies to completely set up, then remove and store in an airtight container.

One of my favorite ways to eat these are to crumble 2 or 3 cookies in a cup of milk and eat it with a spoon.

This is a cookie that Christian constantly requests.