Chocolate/Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Well...on Sunday I made a "Banana Cream Pie" for hubby and DD#1 (dear daughter #1) of course from scratch... I made my own vanilla pudding, etc... it was a total hit! Hubby loved it and ate two slices right away... but... he is lactose intolerant (which I didn't consider when making this dessert) and even when he can do pretty well with desserts that include regular milk we decided he should take the rest to his job, DD#1 is only 3yrs. old and we don't let her eat too much sweets (plus she doesn't eat much dessert anyway) so we thought people in his job would like the treat... They all loved it! and I was very happy about that... but I felt bad because hubby didn't have any more dessert for yesterday (Monday) ... (He loves eating dessert every night with a cup of coffee... and he can afford to do that! He is actually trying to gain a little weight -sigh- so not like me!) Anyway... Yesterday I thought I would make something special for him... So I decided to make something with butterscotch... Back in Wisconsin (where he is from and where we lived the first 4 years of marriage) his aunts would make treats with butterscotch and ... well.. I thought it was kind of a "family thing" so... I was sure it would be special for him if I used butterscotch in some dessert! (I never use it because I am not a big fan myself) so I thought I'd make something with his favorite ingredient: CHOCOLATE and then add a little bit of that special and so familiar ingredient I was sure he loved: Butterscotch!

So... here is what I made:

One bowl Chocolate/Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen
Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butterscotch morsels

Preheat oven at 375F. In your electric mixer bowl (mix flour, baking soda and salt, just whisk to incorporate, place that same bowl in your electric mixer, add the sugars and shortening and mix for about 2 minutes at medium speed (it should look crumbly) then add eggs one by one mixing well after each addition, finally add the vanilla extract mix until it's all incorporated (do not over-mix), stir in your chocolate and butterscotch morsels and drop on your cookie sheet -preferably lined with parchment paper- or you can lightly grease it. (I use a small ice cream scoop to drop and have them all be same size and shape - It's about 1 tbsp. of dough per cookie - ) Bake in preheated oven for 8-9 minutes or until edges are golden brown. ENJOY!
 

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So... back to my story... When hubby saw the "butterscotch" in my cookies he said "what's that?" -Pointing at a butterscotch morsel-... I proudly said: "Butterscotch" (he bit the cookie and said nothing) I was like: "What's wrong?" "Oh! Nothing... I just hate butterscotch! but these are good regardless!" LOL! So ... he enjoyed his cookies with coffee last night! I tried one out of curiosity and actually LOVED THEM! I thought they were incredible, I was so proud of them we had to share again! hubby took them to his job and he's even had 6 already this morning! He says they are almost all gone and that everyone really liked them! So... I am glad I experimented with this... and it's good to know that hubby doesn't like butterscotch though! I am happy I didn't know before or I would've never tried making this!

© Paloma K.

Mashed Tots - by Brand

Hello... just wanted to share today about a great "Movie Snack" that my friend and collaborator Brand (who recently started contributing with cooking ideas/tips and recipes  for this blog) sent to me by e-mail... So... here it is...

Mashed Tots
by Brand Schoolcraft

My wife made a wonderful dinner complete with Mashed Potatoes.  We had a movie at home planned later, so I made some movie snacks.  The left-over Mash rolled up into quarter size balls, by hand.  Creamy Mash makes better balls than dryer...fridge them for about 15 minutes (helps them stay together for the dredging process. Dredge...roll them in flour, one beat egg, pulverized bread crumbs (I like Ritz Crackers in the Pestle and Mortar).  Fry them in enough oil to float freely, the less oil you use, the smaller batches you fry.  Pull them out of the oil; golden brown (approx 2-3 min.), salt them immediately, toss them, salt again.   Then I added Michael Chiarello's recipe for toasted spice rub (which is a whole 'nother recipe, worth it.  I have kept it on hand for months now, still good.  Way better than any pre-canned spice mix.  But, your favorite canned spice will work also.)  Crunchy crust, creamy hot insides, uh,...yum.

Brand.
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So, there you have it... I think they are easy to make and a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes, don't you think? Enjoy!

© Paloma King

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Oreo Butter Cream Frosting

Yesterday I felt inspired, I knew I wanted to bake something but I wasn't sure what! Now that I've been eating healthier and exercising... basically trying to lose weight, I TRULY BAKE OUT OF LOVE... Out of love for baking and out of love for my family! Because I know I will not get to enjoy what I bake... I am trying to find pleasure in just the art of mixing ingredients together, decorating and seeing others eat it all! And ... I am loving it! Yes... it is still tempting and yes I wish I could eat it too! But... I guess I love baking so much that I never feel deprived! So... I baked... but I decided for "Chocolate Cupcakes and Oreo Buttercream Frosting" My girls and I went to the store to buy what we were needing, basically we were needing just the Oreo Cookies because this recipe is very simple and I am sure you have all the ingredients at hand. Trust me! You want to make these! Hubby and dd#1 loved them! Hubby said they are like a delicious chocolate cupcake covered with a Dairy Queen Blizzard.

The recipe for the cupcakes is from Hershey's and it's to make a chocolate Cake ... but I went for cupcakes... My recipe (the one I am sharing) it's to make 12 cupcakes... (because I halved the original)

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cups and 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup and 2 tbsp. HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use Safflower Oil)
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin cups with paper bake cups and set aside. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter should be thin. 
Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake about 22 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Makes about 12 cupcakes.

Oreo Buttercream

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup shortening or butter
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Ttbsp. milk
• About 2 cups powdered sugar
• 7 OREO cookies, finely crushed (food processor or blender)

In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, vanilla, and milk. Add powdered sugar until desired sweetness is achieved, around 1 1/2 and 2 cups. Stir in crushed Oreos until well combined. Check the thickness of your frosting and add a little more milk to thin if necessary or more sugar to thicken. This is enough for the 12 cupcakes.

© Paloma King