Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies (or, the best cookies ever!)

Although the idea of adding pecans and cinnamon to chocolate chip cookies was not originally mine, some girls I know have spread my cookie-baking reputation because of these cookies.  They are quite simple really; but they taste sublime.

They melt in your mouth.  They break the strongest will to resist a second one.  And, they might make you famous.  So, here is how to make them:

First, melt the butter.  (I didn't photograph this step.)  Actually, first preheat your oven.  Unless you plan to chill your dough before baking.  (Whether I do that depends on how much time I have and how soft the dough is to work with.)

Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

And beat well.

Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Mix thoroughly.  

At this point you will want to use a sturdy fork, not a whisk.

When these are combined, add chocolate chips

and pecans.

Toasting the pecans beforehand is optional.

Stir to distribute.

Hungry yet?

Next, prepare your baking sheet with this stuff.

A baker's best friend. Besides the oven, of course.

Line up your cookies two inches apart on the sheet.  Actually, it's okay to eyeball it.

At this point the camera got blurry. Sorry!

Place in the middle of the oven and set your timer.

Except that it's eight minutes, not thirty-eight.  I broke my timer and put it back together the wrong way.  

Check the cookies when the timer rings.  Remove them when they look like this:

They don't look done, but that's why you leave them on the sheet for another minute or two.  They start to look like this:

The beauty of parchment paper is that you can pull the batch of cookies off the sheet and let them cool on the table;

and then you can prepare the next batch on the counter while the sheet is cooling off.

(You won't have to do this if you have multiple sheets.  But you still want to take the cookies off the baking sheet after two minutes.)

Cool slightly, and enjoy with a cup of tea.

And share the rest, because believe me, you don't want all of these for yourself.

Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies

1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter (2 sticks), melted
2 T. vanilla
2 eggs
2⅔ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon (or more if desired)
2 c. chocolate chips
1 c. pecans (toasted if desired)

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Cream sugars, butter, eggs, and vanilla.  Add flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix thoroughly.  Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
Spread 2 inches apart on paper-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes or until they look almost done.  Leave on sheet 1-2 minutes before removing to a table or plate to cool.

One more note: cooling racks dry out cookies.

Tractor Birthday Cake

My little nephew loves tractors.  And he just turned two.  In honor of him, I made a tractor cake.  And he loved it!

Side view

It was my brother-in-law's idea to put the candles in the cookies.

I didn't follow Jodi's instructions to a T.  Knowing how much my family loves chocolate, I used M&M candies for the head and tail lights, and stick cookies for the exhaust pipe.  The only wax-covered donuts I found at the store were miniature, so I had to send my sister on an emergency bakery run for regular donuts for the rear tires.  And, I used the extra cake to crumble for mud around the tractor.  It's sinking in the mud because of all the rain we've had recently.  ☺

The cake was a hit!

Mostly gone. There is a difference between mostly gone and all gone.

Instant Peach Cobbler

This is for those nights when you want a little something but it's just you that will eat it and you don't want a whole pan of cobbler in your kitchen.  And/or you don't have time to make a real cobbler.

Canned peach slices
Homemade granola
Cinnamon
Ice Cream (optional)

Place peach slices in a small dish.  Top with granola and cinnamon.  Microwave for one minute, if desired.  Top with ice cream, if desired.  Enjoy your single serving!

Tuna Enchiladas

Okay.  I know what you're thinking: 'Tuna? Enchiladas?' 

Yes.  I dislike tuna.  I don't know why I ever buy it.  I probably eat it once every three months or so.  But it's pretty low-cost, so occasionally I stock up--which means buying two or three cans.

When considering what to do with the current can in my cupboard, I thought perhaps with enough flavor I wouldn't know the difference between this and chicken.

Wrong.  I can still taste the fishiness.  But it's tolerable, so I decided to share my recipe.

1 can tuna, drained
1 can chopped green chilis
spices--garlic, onion, cilantro, etc.--the more robust, the better
3-4 T. or so sour cream
6 corn tortillas
1/2 can enchilada sauce (freeze the other half to use in something better--like chicken enchiladas)
shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine tuna, chilis, spices, and sour cream in a mixing bowl.  Taste to make sure it's edible.  (Seriously, you might be able to add enough spices to cover the fish flavor.)  Fill tortillas, roll, and place seam-side down in a greased 8" baking dish.  Cover with enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese.  (This step is essential.  Even tuna can be delicious when surrounded by saucy, melted cheese.)

Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6 enchiladas.  The number of people this will feed depends upon who they are and how hungry they are when the meal is served.  This number can also be stretched by serving this with sides such as Spanish rice, re-fried beans, and/or chips and salsa.

Little Snack Cookies

2 old, very ripe bananas
1 c. quick oats
Cinnamon to taste
Nuts, if desired
Chocolate chips, if desired
Raisins, if desired

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Mash bananas and stir in oatmeal (and other ingredients, if desired).  Drop by teaspoon onto greased or paper-lined cookie sheet.  Bake 15 minutes.

Enjoy your healthy cookies!

**I saw this idea on Pinterest, but the cinnamon and add-ins were my idea.  :)  

Food Coloring--A Word to the Wise

A little goes a long way.  Proceed with caution--it is easier to add color than to remove it, as my sickly-looking cookies bear witness.

Hot Chocolate at its Best

Hot chocolate is wonderful on cold, snowy days.  But doesn't it get old sometimes?  There are days when I want the rich, chocolatey delightfulness of a cup of cocoa, but it just seems...boring.  Here are some ways I change it up to make that mug of delight even more delightful:

Cinnamon--just a shake or two per serving.  A cinnamon stick would work too.  Sometimes, to this I will add nutmeg as well.

Peppermint--the best hot cocoa ever!  Add one mint hard candy to the dry mix.  It will gradually melt into the cocoa, diffusing its flavor throughout.

Coffee--there are two ways to do this. One way is to add instant coffee granules to the dry hot cocoa mix.  The other is to use freshly-brewed coffee as the liquid.

Happy sipping!  Do you have a favorite thing to add to hot cocoa?