Reeses Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Finally, I bake again. It has been a little crazy around here. With all the church activities, birthday and Christmas parties, it seems like we are always on the go. Yesterday I took the time to bake some cookies. I substituted one ingredient. I had gone to the grocery store(which shall remain nameless...it is one of the mega markets). The aisles were so crowded with stock that I felt like I was in a maze. It really felt like I was imposing on them by being there. Employees would just glare as I tried to squeeze around boxes. On the baking aisle, a man started asking me questions about what I was shopping for as soon as I entered the aisle. I became so flustered that I just grabbed the closest orange bag of (what I thought was) morsels. It turned out I had picked up a package of Reese's mini pieces. I meant to get a package of Reese's peanut butter morsels. Oh well...just another holiday blunder. Believe me, I have a few.

The recipe for the cookies is from Hershey's Fabulous Desserts.

Enjoy-

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

1 1/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsps vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups (12-oz pkg)Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts(optional)

Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips and nuts, if desired, Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten when cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Praline Cupcakes.....

The reason I decided to prepare these cupcakes was the pecans. I have such wonderful memories of picking up pecans as a child. During the cool holidays, we would travel to my Mother's parents house. It was in a rural part of Mississippi. After we had all feasted, the adults would decide we all needed to talk a walk. We would take our buckets and head to the pecan trees. All the grandchildren ran around; occasionally picking up a few pecans. The adults would walk around reminiscing while picking up pecans. To see the adults laughing like children was always such a treat. This was truly a special time for adults and children.

These muffins looked good. Soooo why not make them?! The recipe is from a yahoo group, Catsrecipes. It looks like the poster, rlhintexas may have obtained it from http://southernfood.about.com/

PRALINE CUPCAKES

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

TOPPING:

1/4 cup melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

18 pecan halves

Cream softened butter in mixing bowl. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Add about 1/2 of the milk and the egg; mix until flour is thoroughly moistened. Beat for 2 minutes.

Add remaining milk and the vanilla; beat for 1 minute longer. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Place paper baking cups in muffin cups and fill about 1/2 full with the batter.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched with finger.

Combine melted butter and brown sugar; spoon over hot cupcakes.

Place a pecan half in the center of each; return to oven and bake for 5 minutes longer.

*******Delicious!! Please use REAL butter. It will make such a difference in the topping.

Not today...

No new recipe today. I have been on a field trip with my son's fifth grade choir. They performed at 5 different places. Riding on the bus with 28 boys and girls-what a treat. They are so funny at that age. The flirting, the smiles and giggles really make me laugh.

I have one more concert to attend tomorrow. I will clean my house and try out a new recipe then. Not sure..what it will be....just be prepared for a surprise. Who knows, maybe it will be a hit.

One-Is-Enough Cookies

I found this recipe in a cookbook that I got through PaperBack Swap. Just gotta love that site.(Check it out-tell them Paula P. sent you) The cookbook is Uptown Down South.

The cookbook is set up with a menu for various occasions. This particular recipe is on the Cookie Swap menu.

ONE-IS-ENOUGH COOKIES

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. light corn syrup

4 1/2 cups rolled oats, uncooked

2 tsps. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup M&M plain candies

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, peanut butter, vanilla and corn syrup; beat well. Add oats, soda, salt; stir well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by 1/4-cup measures at 4-inch intervals on lightly greased cookie sheet. bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

**Cookies are good. Middle son (11 y/o) likes them. Daughter does not. Today she has decided she does not like oatmeal. Tomorrow she will probably want oatmeal for breakfast. LOL!!

My first cooking post

Wow!! Now I have a book blog and a cooking blog. I am very impressed with myself.

I hope to try some of the thousands of recipes that I have collected over the years. Whether they are magazine clipping, newspaper clippings, old pamphlets or cookbooks-they are all possible choices.

I remember picking recipes to cut out of magazines as a young child. My mother had this wonderful cookbook that I would just salivate over. I would often pretend that I had to select meals for a restaurant out of that book. I have recently found a copy of the cookbook. What memories that brings back !

Well-I am off to bake some cookies. I will post recipe and results later.