Sunday, November 15, 2009

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are not my words, but the words of the recipe author:

This is the best recipe I’ve ever found for these. And they can be used just like the ones from the store where you break them apart and slap them on the baking sheet.
3 cups plus 6 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup butter
1 cup plus 2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
Mix flour, soda and salt and set aside. Beat butter, vanilla and sugars until creamy. Then beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture, along with chocolate chips and nuts, mixing well. The place where I got this recommended rolling the dough into logs, covering with plastic wrap and freezing, so you could slice and bake them later.
Here’s what I do, and I think it’s ton easier. I use the equivalent of this finished recipe to fill 3 quart sized freezer bags (we did four). I seal them and press them flat on their sides. When it’s time to bake them off, I slice the square into thirds one way, then in fourths the other way. It’s easier if you do this when the dough has only had a chance to thaw for a couple of minutes. This leaves you with twelve little squares of dough, just like the brand name store bought packages. The cool thing about this dough is that these little squares bake automatically into little round cookie shapes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. This recipe is also easily doubled or tripled. This is a good idea if there’s a chance you’ll get hit with an unexpected spouse potluck at work or a “mom I forgot to tell you” bake sale sometime during the next couple of months. The dough keeps for a fairly long time in the freezer.

Ham Potato Casserole

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 cups cubed potatoes -- hash brown style
1/4 cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup green onions -- chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped Ham

2 cups crushed cornflakes
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix your cubed potatoes with the melted butter, soup, sour cream, green onions, cheese and ham.

Pour into a greased 9X13 pan.

Freeze.

When ready to bake, melt butter and mix with cornflakes and pour over potato mixture.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

Lasagna

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 pound lasagna noodle
3/4 pound ground beef, browned and drained
3/4 cup onion, diced
20 1/4 fluid ounces spaghetti sauce
12 fluid ounces cottage cheese
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tablespoons parsley

Mix pasta sauce with onion and beef

Mix cottage cheese and mozzarella and parsley

Put a small amount of sauce on the bottom of pan

Layer first with noodles, then sauce, then cheese mixture, then parmesan

Layer again, Noodles, sauce, and cheese on the top

Freeze

Thaw

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes