Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are simply the best chocolate chip cookie I've made! They are a great treat, easy and delicious. Freeze well for lunches and snacks too!

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup butter (softened) or Crisco/butter combination if your running a bit low on butter!

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp vanilla (or more to suit taste)

2 eggs

2 cups milk chocolate chips (that's a bag of about 326g)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven: to 375 degrees

1. Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs.

2. Add flour, soda, salt.

3. Mix thoroughly add chocolate chips (and nuts if using them).

4. On greased cookie sheet (or parchment lined cookie sheet), drop by teaspoonful size.

5. Bake for about 9 minutes.

6. Remove from pan and cool. Store in airtight container or freezer containers.

TIP: Watch the BOTTOM of the cookies not the tops to check for when they are done. Cookie bottoms should be golden brown. The top of the cookie may look unbaked, but will finish baking... if you remove the cookies when the tops look 'done' or golden, the bottoms will be darker, and the cookie will be crunchier. For soft cookies, remove when bottoms are golden.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies. Cookies are about 1 1/2" when baked.

Make these on a rain or snow day when you're stuck inside and freeze them for picnics, school lunches, midnight snacks or just because you'd like a cookie!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Who can resist a fresh baked cookie? These cookies are a great freezer friendly recipe to have on hand for school lunches or midnight snacks!

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp milk

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup chocolate chips (personal favourite: milk chocolate chips)

Preheat oven: to 350 degrees

1. Cream butter and sugars.

2. Add egg, vanilla and milk.

3. Sift & add dry ingredients.

4. Mix well & add oatmeal and chocolate chips.

5. Drop 2" apart on greased (I use parchment instead) baking sheet.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Cookies are done when they are golden on the bottom; don't look at the tops because you may find the bottoms will burn by the time the top "looks" done.

Store in an airtight (childproof locked cupboard if you want any for the next day!) or in freezer bags.

Delicious cookie, easy to make and a great recipe for a budding baker to try!

Banana Sour Cream Cake

A delicious way to use up ripe bananas!

Topping:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix and set aside.

Batter:

1/2 cup shortening (I use Crisco in the blue box)

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup bananas, mashed (about 2 bananas)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven: to 350 degrees

1. Combine shortening, sugar & sour cream until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in eggs, bananas & vanilla.

3. Combine dry ingredients and mix with creamed mixture.

4. Spoon HALF of the batter into a well-greased bundt (or angel food cake tube pan).

5. Cover with HALF of the topping mixture.

6. Spoon remainder of batter onto topping and top with remainder of topping mixture.

7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake tests done with inserted wooden toothpick coming out clean.

Caramel Popcorn

I found this recipe on the Internet some time ago and was amazed at the taste! The caramel is so creamy and the batch actually makes more than what I would use on the popcorn called for in the recipe. I don't like the caramel so thick that it becomes over sweet.

1 cup light corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 stick (4oz) butter (or margarine) (One stick = 1/4 lb of butter = 1/2 cup butter)

3 quarts popcorn (popped)

1. Bring to boil (in pot on stove NOT in the microwave): Syrup, sugar, butter.

2. Add: Milk

3. Stir constantly, watching not to burn.

4. Pour over popcorn.

Left over caramel can be refridgerated and reheated for another batch of popcorn. (It's so delicious just on a spoon you'll have to resist eating the caramel right from the fridge, LOL).