Mouthwatering Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had these for the first time this semester, courtesy of one of my professors. They are now my favorite cookie! It's been a long time since I've posted (fortunately H has been keeping up quite well), and I thought this would be an excellent way to get back to the blog.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening (softened)
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp (at least) grated orange rind
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips (or 1 cup choc. chips, 3/4 cup English walnuts)

Directions: Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and grated orange rind; beat until smooth. Mix soda into sour cream and add. Add flour w/baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes until bottom edge begins to brown.

Glaze:
1 1/2 tsp. (at least) grated orange rind
1/3 cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar
Mix all ingredients to a thin paste.

Remove cookies from baking sheet while still hot and immediately drizzle glaze over top so it drips down and all over the cookies (cookies must be hot for this!).

Note: More orange is better. 2-3 large oranges should produce enough zest and possibly enough juice as well if you don't have orange juice around.

Enjoy!
K

Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars

Athough I have not made them in a long time, these used to be my favorite bar cookies--even more than brownies! They are very soft, and they are way better without nuts.

1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. water
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 c. coconut
6 oz. chocolate chips

Melt butter in a saucepan and remove from heat. Add sugars and blend. Add water, egg, and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in flour and baking powder. When well-blended, add remaining ingredients. Stir lightly to combine. Pour into greased 9" pan and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. Cool into pan and cut into bars. Or, eat warm--they're really yummy that way. =)

Grape Salad

2 lb. grapes
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1 c. white sugar
1 t. vanilla
brown sugar
pecans

Beat cream cheese and sour cream; blend in white sugar and vanilla. Fold in grapes. Place in a serving bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar and pecans on top.

Serve chilled.

This recipe was given me by my boss.

Easy Lasagna

8 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
4 c. spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. water
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. sugar
2 c. small curd cottage cheese
3 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and drain excess fat. Add spaghetti sauce, water, seasoning, and sugar. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. In a 9x13" casserole dish, layer 1/3 of the sauce, 1/2 of the uncooked lasagna noodles, 1 c. cottage cheese, and 1/3 of the Mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with sauce and remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes. Remove foil and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with hot garlic bread. This is also good served with a salad.

Delicious Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Thanks to my cousin, M, and her mother, Aunt S, for this recipe.

1 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1 t. vanilla
2 beaten eggs
1 c. buttermilk*
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
4 T. sugar
2 t. cinnamon

*If you have no buttermilk, place 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add sweet milk to the 1 c. line. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the milk to sour.

Preheat oven to 325°. Mix 1 1/4 c. sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk. Sift and add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix 4 T. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon. Set aside. Spread half of batter in a greased and floured 9"x13" pan. Sprinkle half of cinnamon mixture over batter. Spread with remaining batter and then the rest of the cinnamon mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes. (Do not overbake.)
When cake is done, if desired, use a fork to poke holes at intervals. Pour icing over the top.

Icing:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
hot water

Add hot water to make a thin icing. Pour over the cake while hot.

Note: icing makes this coffee cake very sweet. With icing it would make a better dessert than breakfast!

Easy Biscuits

2 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3-4 T. shortening
2/3-3/4 c. buttermilk*

Preheat oven to 450° Fahrenheit. Sift dry ingredients; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once; stir only until dough follows fork around bowl. Pinch off a small portion of dough; roll into a ball and flatten slightly with your hand. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 450° for 12-15 minutes. Serve piping hot with butter and honey, under gravy, or alongside soup or stew.

*If you have no buttermilk, place 2 t. vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup and add milk to the 2/3 c. line. Set aside to sour for 5 minutes.

Note: odd as it sounds, these are delicious made with whole wheat flour!

Hmmm....

...What happened to K? Truth is, I'm wondering that myself. Did you fall off the face of the Internet, my friend?