Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies

My mom & I love to bake! So a huge bonus of living with my parents (besides the 24/7 help with Ben and overall good company) is getting to bake! These cookies are amazing...you can literally eat a million in one sitting. No lie.

Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies



Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, morsels and nuts; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 12 to 13 minutes for crispy cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: Nestle (Verybestbaking.com)

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe from Dan's childhood that he wanted to make. I was skeptical of the orange & chocolate chips, but it was delicious!!


Orange Drop Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: 1975 Betty Crocker Cooky Book

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest, grated
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1)Heat oven to 400F
2)Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3)In another large mixing bowl, mix butter, sugar and egg thoroughly. Stir in orange juice and rind.
4)Sift dry ingredients into wet ingredients and blend together.
5)Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet.
6)Bake 8-10 minutes or until delicately browned on edges.
7)Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Christmas Spritz Cookies!!

We have gone a tad overboard with the Christmas Spirit, and have decided to make Spritz Cookies, just like the old days. I have so many wonderful memories with my mom making these cookies...I hope they come out just as good!!

Spritz Cookies

2 ¼ cups unbleached flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder & salt together in a bowl.
With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is full of fine lumps.
Measure the egg in a measuring cup. A large egg will measure ¼ cup. If it does not, add water to the ¼ cup line.
Add the egg & vanilla extract and beat the mixture very well.
Put through the cookie press on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies from sheet at once.





Source: Mom's recipes

Simple Fudge Tarts

This is an easy quick dessert Mom had cut from a magazine in 2000!! haha.

The pictures were not so great, but they were delicious! Here's the recipe:

Simple Fudge Tarts

24 tarts

Nonstick cooking spray
9 ounces refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate piece
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk


Spray 24 1 3/4 inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside. For tart shells, cut cookie dough into six equal pieces. Cut each piece into four equal slices. Place each slice of dough in a prepared cup.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9 minutes or till edges are lightly browned and dough is slightly firm by not set. Remove tart shells from oven. Gently press a shallow indentation in each tart shell with the back of a round 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon.

Bake 2 minutes more or till the edges of tart shells are firm and light golden.
Let tart shells cool in cups on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Carefully remove tart shells from cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

For filling, combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan.

Cook and stir over medium heat till chocolate is melted.
(WATCH CAREFULLY) Spoon a slightly teaspoon of filling into each cooled tart shell. Cool, allowing filling to set.



Source: Better Homes & Garden 2000