Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love this recipe. The cookie is SO moist, so soft, and SOOO yummy! Just try not to fall over dead when you read the ingredients.....

Ingredients
1 c butter
1 c shortening
2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin
2 eggs
2 c chocolate chips
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugar, pumpkin and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, Bake until light brown (about 10 minutes). Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Amy's notes: I used mini chocolate chips, a full 12 oz bag. That way, you definitely get SOME chocolate on each cookie. Also, this cookie does not spread while baking. So, when usually you can get 12 cookies on a cookie sheet, you can get about 18-20 cookies or even more b/c you can space them together very closely. This entire recipe makes about 5-7 dozen (I stopped counting b/c I was eating them as I was baking.....)

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

Last weekend I was challenged to cutting eggs out of baking. Since I’d never really thought about taking out eggs I decided to give two of the suggestions a try in one recipe – Chocolate Banana Biscotti. These turned out 100 times better than I ever imagined! First out of the oven they have crip outsides, a warm and chewy inside, and a flavor that is sweet, but not too sweet. I could have eaten them all day, but I stopped myself after two. : )

The best part is the calorie count – I sliced my logs to make 19 cookies, and with a little math I discovered that puts the average sized ones at 93.42 calories. And with the fat corners I cut, the only fat involved is what comes in the original batter, and what’s in the chocolate chips. Not a bad treat!

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

• 1 package banana bread mix (I used Pilsbury)


• 3 Tbs water


• ½ banana, mashed


• 4 oz plain, fat free yogurt


• 2 Tbs natural applesauce


• 2 servings of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I actually counted them so that I could do the calorie math and I used 64)

Combine all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add wet ingredients to banana bread mix and stir until mixed. Chop half of the chocolate chip pieces until slivered, then add them and the rest of the chocolate chips to the batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Since I took all of the oil out of the recipe, I sprayed the foil with cooking spray until well coated for ease of removing logs. Divide dough in half and form two rectangular logs (about 4.5 inches x 8 inches) – dough will be sticky, but touchable (use wet hands if needed).

Bake logs for 30 minutes, remove from oven and cookie sheet, and allow to cool on wire racks. Once the logs are cooled cut them into ½ inch strips. Put strips back on the cookie sheet, cut side down, and bake for another 10 minutes. Flip strips to other side and bake another 10 minutes.

Kim’s note: Mine were crisp on the outside with a chewy center using the method described above, but have softened even more as I’ve stored them. If you want them to be truly crispy throughout like a coffee house biscotti, I’d suggest baking the strips longer, but still doing the 10-minute flip so that the edges don’t have the chance to burn.

Happy Cooking!

Cake Batter Cookies

This recipe is a dessert staple in our house. It throws together fast, is delicious, moderately healthy, and the cookies stay moist and delicious for days!

Cake Batter Cookies
1 box cake batter, any flavor (I think that Betty Crocker's Super Moist batter yields the best results, but any mix will do)
1 egg
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. applesauce

Mix all ingredients together. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray, then spoon dough onto sheet in heaping tablespoons. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes or until cooked through.

What's best about this recipe is that it lends well to creativity. Use any flavor of cake, stir in chips or other cookie items, or top with you favorite things. Some of my favorite variations are to make lemon cake cookies and dust with powdered sugar, make carrot cake cookies and drizzle with chocolate, chocolate cake cookies with mint chips, or add pumpkin to spice cake mix and make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Happy Cooking!

pineapple drop cookies

This recipe is from Ruth W., from Lauren S.'s home ward, in Aberdeen, SD.

Ingredients

1 c butter or margarine

1 1/2 c sugar

4 eggs

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple (well drained, reserve juice)

4 c flour

4 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1 c chopped walnuts

Mix together all ingredients. Refrigerate dough 1 hr. Drop by tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 mins at 375 degrees.

Frost with brown butter frosting while still warm:

6 T butter, browned (over medium heat, melt butter in skillet, til it turns brown)

6 T reserved pineapple juice, hot (heat in microwave)

1 t vanilla

3 c powdered sugar

Beat all together.

better than ___?____ cookies

created by Leisa P. & Erica..... you can fill in the blank of what these are better than. :D

Ingredients
1 Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Cake Mix (this has mini chips in the mix)

1/3 Cup Oil

2 eggs

3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips (used milk chocolate)

3/4 Cup Toffee bits

Combine ingredients and bake 9-10 minutes at 350