The Secret to Making Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Valentine's Day Stained Glass Cookies Recipe

I've been wanting to find a Valentine's Day recipe that will become a tradition in our household. The past few years I've tried different recipes incorporating hearts, pink and red in various ways. But nothing came out really amazing or easy. This year I think we found a winner! These are so super easy and adorable and taste amazing. Here's how to make these stained glass Valentine's Day cookies:

Ingredients

1 (7oz) bag assorted jolly rancher flavors

1 (17.5oz) bag Betty Crocker Sugar Cookies 

1 egg

1 stick butter, softened

1 tbsp flour (plus more for rolling)

You will also need: parchment paper or silicon baking sheets, a double heart-shaped cookie cutter, plastic sandwich bags and a dish towel.

Directions

1. Prepare dough as directed with egg, butter and flour. 

2. On a floured surface, roll out dough until 1/4" thick.

3. Use a double heart or a small and a large cookie cutter to create hollow heart cookies. Place hollowed hearts onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.

4. Place like-colored jolly ranchers into plastic bag, cover with a dish towel and hammer until jolly ranchers are crushed to pieces.

5. Fill centers of hearts with crushed jolly ranchers.

6. Bake on 350˚ for 7-8 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown.

7. Let cool and remove with spatula. 

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Things you may need:

  

Christmas Santa Pancakes Recipe

This is a fun little treat we made in the days leading up to Christmas. We decided not to make them Christmas morning just because they are little time consuming to create and we all know the kids are all about the presents, so there's no time for cooking Christmas morning! (We actually make this Cinnamon French Toast Bake on Christmas morning — yummy, quick and easy!). So here's how to make these adorable Santa panckaes. All you need is a red fruit, whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or milk)

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Extras: Chocolate chips, apple or strawberry slices or raspberries, whipped cream and syrup

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix together then add remaining ingredients.

2. Spoon batter into greased flat pan over medium heat. Add chocolate chips and sprinkles then flip. Cook each side until golden brown.

3. Cut the top edge of the pancake if needed to fit the "hat" on santa. Make the hat out of your red fruit of choice, add whipped cream and chocolate chips eye, and enjoy!

Merry Christmas!!

New! Cinnamon Baked French Toast Recipe

Oh my goodness, if you want to make the best french toast casserole, here's your recipe. I got the original  recipe from a good friend who made this for us during a visit to her house. It's a variation of Pillsbury's Cinnamon Baked French Toast recipe using canned Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls. I added extra cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar; and reduced the eggs so it didn't get soggy of overly fluffy. Per my friend's recommendation, I left off the maple syrup because it's plenty sweet enough without it. That's all there is to this easy french toast casserole -- great for overnight guests or as a family treat.

New recipe — now even better!

I recently (Dec. 2013) made some updates to this recipe to make it even better. It's now less fluffy and eggy and more moist and gooey. Also, a slightly shorter cook time. Let me know what you think of the new taste.

Ingredients

2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury flaky cinnamon rolls
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (half & half works too)
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Icing from cinnamon rolls
Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions
1. In a large glass bowl, melt butter then together with sugar. 

2. Beat in eggs, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

3. Open canned cinnamon rolls, slice each  cinnamon roll into eighths. Place cinnamon roll pieces into the bowl of egg mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.Then pour the pieces, coated in egg mixture, into a greased 9x12 casserole dish and spread out evenly. Any remaining egg mixture, you can brush over top of areas that look like they might get dry.

4. Sprinkle with pecans and then bake on 350˚ on a low rack for 35-40 minutes.

5. Remove bake from oven. Warm icing from cinnamon rolls in microwave for 15 seconds; pour evenly over bake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Serves: 6-8

*If you like this recipe, you'll love our Cinnamon Apple Strudel Bake, also using Pillsbury cinnamon rolls!

Spicy Hot Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Everyone remembers making pumpkin seeds when they were little but does anyone remember them tasting good? It always seemed like more of a novelty than a tasty treat. So, we decided to spice things up this weekend after we carved our jack-o-lanterns, and created this recipe in an attempt to bake some pumpkin seeds that were actually delicious. A few spices later and what do you know? These pumpkin seeds tasted out wicked good! They ended up making a really yummy snack and even the kids liked them. Score!

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tsp worcheshire sauce

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed

Directions

1. Thoroughly rinse pumpkin seeds to remove pumpkin guts.

2. Melt butter in a large bowl and add seeds, worcheshire sauce, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Toss to coat seeds.

3. Spread pumpkin seeds out evenly on a cookie sheet covered with a layer of foil. Bake at 250˚ for 1 hour, tossing seeds about half way through.

Enjoy your spicy hot pumpkin seeds! Have a happy Halloween!

Our Family's Favorite Pancake Recipe

My kids are seriously crazy for pancakes. They ask — and sometimes demand them pretty much every weekend. When I am feeling generous (usually if they've given me enough time to have a cup of coffee first before they ask) I will make them their favorite breakfast: Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes with chocolate chips and sprinkles with maple syrup and whipped cream on top. Man, they are spoiled!  Don't worry, I do make sure they get a good teeth-brushing in afterwards and veggies later in the day. So, yeah. We've tried a lot of different recipes we've found on the ol' internet. We've finally settled on this one — our favorite pancake recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or milk)
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Extras: Chocolate chips, sprinkles, whipped cream and syrup

Directions
1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix together then add remaining ingredients.

2. Spoon batter into greased flat pan over medium heat. Add chocolate chips and sprinkles then flip. Cook each side until golden brown.

3. Top with whipped cream and syrup and enjoy!

Pineapple Zucchini Bread Recipe

This is an amazing zucchini bread recipe I got from a lady named Helen Brookman who lovingly passed along her recipes, with the help of the Hospice of The Rapidan. My mom handed the recipe on to me with a few of her own touches. Everyone says this is the best zucchini bread they've ever had. It really is very good and I think what makes it is the pineapples and, believe it or not, the salt. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking power
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 8oz. can crushed pineapples

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans.

2. In a large bowl beat eggs, add sugar, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in zucchini and pineapple, stir in dry ingredients until moistened.

3. Spoon into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325˚ for 1hr 15 mins.

Yield: 2 loaves

You might also like my Peaches and Cream Carrot Bread and my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

In honor of National Strawberry Sundae Day, July 7, 2013, I thought a homemade strawberry ice cream recipe was in order. The ice cream was delicious but I actually had more fun turning this holiday into a little strawberry sundae picnic! I thrifted this cute set of plates for the occasion and set up a kid-friendly table in the grass (in case plates were dropped or thrown!) with an overturned crate. I set our table with an old baby blanket, picked some flowers from the garden and grabbed some fresh strawberries from the farmer's stand. Unfortunately, our strawberry plants have only produced one strawberry so far this year. I don't think they are getting enough sun but at least I was able to use some of the leaves and a flower for decoration!

Our strawberry sundae
picnic table set up!

Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 pint mashed fresh strawberries
2 drops red food coloring

Directions
1. Mix together milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon, strawberries and food coloring in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and prepare according to your maker's instructions.

Don't have an ice cream maker? Here's how to make ice cream without a machine.

To make a sundae, I used a plain waffle (frozen but you could make your own too), strawberry ice cream, strawberry syrup, whipped cream and fresh-picked strawberries.

Things you may need:

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Bake

Cinnamon, cream cheese, pastry, oh my! This dessert recipe is seriously easy and oh, so deliciousioso. Let's just get right to it, shall we? Here's how to make this tasty treat:

Ingredients
1 can pillsbury crescent rolls
1 (8oz) package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions
1. Line an 8x8" glass baking dish with half the crescent roll dough.

2. Beat together softened cream cheese, vanilla, lemon, egg and 1/2 cup sugar.

3. Spread cream cheese mixture over top crescent roll dough.

4. Top with remaining half of crescent roll dough. Pinch together seams and around edge to seal.

5. Melt butter and pour over top.

6. Mix together 1 1/2 tbsp sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over top.

7. Bake at 350˚ for 25-30 minutes.

Serves: 4-6

Chocolate-Glazed Eggless Brownies Recipe

If you happen to be looking for a delicious recipe for brownies that does not use eggs, here you go... these are great for someone with an egg allergy or who's cutting cholesterol but they are also a nice change of pace if you're just looking for a new flavor. The chocolate glaze puts these over the top and makes you wonder why you ever needed eggs in brownies in the first place.

Ingredients
1 box Ducan Hines brownie mix
1 very ripe banana, mashed
2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp of vanilla

Glaze
6oz chocolate chip
2 tbsp butter

Directions
1. Blend together banana, oil, milk and vanilla then add Duncan Hines mix and stir until smooth.

2. Bake at 350˚ for 30min. Let cool for 5 mins.

3. Melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave for 1 min. Mix well and spread evenly over top brownies. Cool in freezer for 15 mins before serving.

You might also like our Eggless Pancake Recipe.

Eggless Pancakes Recipe

Since my friend's son is allergic to eggs, she's been whipping up some great recipes that normally call for eggs as one of their main ingredients — without eggs. Her secret substitute ingredient? A banana! She so generously shared this recipe with me so that others who are trying to cut out eggs can still enjoy delicious eggless foods. By the way, she's tried a bunch of different recipes and this is the version she and her son like best. Here it is, pretty simple:

Ingredients
2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
1/2 of a very ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.

2. Spoon batter into a skillet and cook over medium heat until each side is golden brown.

You might also like our Chocolate-Glazed Eggless Brownies Recipe.

Things you'll need to make this: