The Most Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The Most Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Chocolate chocolate chip cookies. Soft cookies kids love.

You are welcome. You are just welcome. This is the most delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is the ultimate chocolate chip recipe. It is perfect. The cookies are soft. It is one of those foods that I can't stop eating when I have it in the house. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can give it any flavor you want to. You can make it chocolate. You can make it banana. You can make it pistachio if you want to!

When Kaitlyn was a baby and had reflux, I couldn't eat chocolate because I was breastfeeding her and when I ate chocolate, it made the reflux worse. During that year, I made the flavor cheesecake with craisins instead of chocolate chips. You can do so much with it! You can really tweak it and make it your own.

This recipe makes about 4-5 dozen cookies, so you can half it if you don't want that many. They are great friend-makers if you want to deliver them to some neighbors though!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 box instant pudding--flavor of your choice (I have used every size, but the smaller box is ideal)
• 4 cups flour
• 3 cups chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream sugar, butter, shortening, and brown sugar.
3. Add in eggs and mix.
4. Add in salt, baking soda, vanilla, and pudding and mix.
5. Add in flour and mix.
6. Add in chocolate chips and mix.
7. Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Variations:

• These are really good as Skookies (affiliate). You can buy these pans to use to make the Skookie. Skookies are cookies baked (I just put 2-3 scoops of dough per pan). When they are done baking, you put ice cream on top and add in chocolate and/or caramel topping. I usually bake cookies and save enough dough in the fridge for Skookies another night. 
• These also make great sandwiches for homemade ice cream sandwiches. 
• Try different puddings and different flavors of chips to suit your tastes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Tips:

• I use a cookie scooper (affiliate) to make each cookie the same size. It also makes the cookie making process faster. 
• Room temperature butter is supposed to be ideal for cookies. If you forget to get it out of the fridge early enough, as I do, just microwave it for 15ish seconds. It isn't ideal, but if you are making cookies for your family and not for Pinterest, no one cares. 
• A Silpat is an incredible kitchen tool for baking. You put it on your cookie sheet under the food you bake. It is non-stick and my food seems to bake more evenly. 

Related Posts On This Blog:

• Apple Cinnamon Smoothie Recipe

  Best {Zucchini} Brownies Ever!

  Easy Breakfast Meals

  Favorite Fall Recipes

  Favorite Recipe Books and Resources

  Feed Me Friday: Autumn Soup

  Feed Me Friday: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

  Feed Me Friday: The Best Rolls EVER

  Feed Me Friday: Black Bean Salsa Chicken Tacos

  Feed Me Friday: Beef Stew

  Feed Me Friday: Chocolate Zucchini Bread {And more zucchini recipes!}

  Feed Me Friday: Death by Zucchini Chocolate Cake

  Feed Me Friday: Fresh Salsa

  Feed Me Friday: Green Salads

  Feed Me Friday: Grilled Pizza

  Feed Me Friday: Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

  Feed Me Friday: Kiss Cookies

  Feed Me Friday: Overnight Waffles

  Feed Me Friday: Pumpkin Recipes

  Feed Me Friday: Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

  Feed Me Friday: Simple Fudge

  Feed Me Friday: Slowcooker Lasagna

  Feed Me Friday: The Most Amazing Baked Potatoes

  Feed Me Friday: Whole Wheat Bread

The Best Christmas Treats to Make with Kids

The Best Christmas Treats to Make with Kids during the holidays. These are great treats to make and eat and to share with neighbors, family, and friends at Christmas.

I love Christmas treats. There are several I feel are must-makes every year. This year, I decided to have each child choose a treat to make each Monday evening to go with our family night. This has been fantastic because it has spread the treats out over the month rather than us having them all in one week. We are slowly enjoying them rather than binging on them.

These five treats are easy enough to make with your children. 

Fudge

Fudge can be hard, but there are easy fudge recipes out there. I love to add different extracts to the fudge to change the flavor. Chocolate, mint, almond...it is all yum. Here is a link to my favorite fudge recipe:

My Favorite Frosting For Kids

I love frosting. Looooove. My favorite part of any cake is the frosting, and I would be content only eating frosting and leaving the cake part out. I like all kinds of frosting. Over the years, I have found at birthday parties that not all kids like all kinds of frosting. Cream cheese frosting? Not for everyone. Chocolate? Nope. It is all divine to me, so I could never understand it.

One birthday party, I tried this recipe for Brayden's cake, and for the first time ever, every child ate the frosting. Since that day, it is the only frosting I make for friend parties and it has consistently been a hit every single time. 

Creamy White Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening (I use butter-flavored shortening)
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla 
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon, orange, or almond extract (I only do almond)
• 4.5 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 Tablespoons milk
• Food coloring if desired

Method

1. Mix shortening, vanilla, and extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds.
2. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk.
4. Slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar.
5. Add in as much milk as you need to get the consistency you want for spreading. 
6. Add food coloring as desired for the color you want.

It is that simple!

Quick and Easy Meals for Busy Nights

It is currently soccer season for us, and soccer season means that we have a lot of busy nights. This has never been more true than this spring since it is our first time having four children playing soccer. That means we can have 8 games a week. We have 5 practices a week (Kaitlyn practices twice a week). My husband coaches two of the teams and is the assistant with Kaitlyn's team. Oh, and did I mention we are still working on our house addition (you can see progress photos on Instagram!).

I know we aren't the only ones out there with busy seasons. We all need great ideas for busy night meals. Here are some of my favorites. I would love to hear yours!

Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast foods typically do not take a lot of time to make. Having breakfast for dinner is a great option for a busy night! Various pancakes, breakfast burritos, quiche, omelets, waffles...so many options. 

Slow-Cooker

Ah the good old slow cooker. Another great, classic option for your busy evenings. I try to always have one slow cooker meal worked into my weekly meal plan. I have shared some of my favorite recipes in the past:

I have these two books below I reference often when I need slow-cooker ideas. They even include how-tos on changing any recipe you love into a slow-cooker recipe. These are both affiliate links. 

Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is the new slow cooker. I have been testing the waters with the Instant Pot and it is a great way to cook something faster. It can also be used as a slow cooker, so you can have your cake and eat it to with this one machine.

One of my favorite things I have tried in the Instapot is this curry soup from Six Sisters' Stuff. Something to keep in mind when turning to the Instapot is that it takes time for it to come up to pressure. So you might think something will take 30 minutes, but it takes 45 because of the coming ot pressure time. Just keep that in mind as you are planning out what to do for dinner and when you need to start. This is the Instant Pot I have and love (this is an affiliate link):



Sandwiches
Hey some nights are going to need to be a sandwich night. My kids love these nights because I allow any kind of sandwich and they can choose what they like. Peanut butter and jelly, meat and cheese, grilled cheese...sandwiches don't have to be boring. Even fancier ones can be done rather quickly. Add some avocado or some pesto sauce to a turkey sandwich and it takes that sandwich up a notch! Don't forget about things like egg salad sandwiches, sloppy joes, and BLTs! Add some raw fruits and veggies for a fast, easy meal.

Pastas
A lot of pasta dishes can be cooked rather quickly. Even if you make the sauce from scratch, a lot of them can be done in 20-30 minutes. If I want to do spaghetti and meatballs on a busy night, I will put the meatballs in the slow cooker all day with the sauce, then I only need to cook the noodles when I get home. We love salad (which can be made ahead of time), green beans, or asparagus with our pasta dishes.

Salads
The first time I made a salad for dinner, the kids approached with trepidation. Salads are for sides, and they envisioned starvation ahead. Now they love it! Salad with some grilled chicken...some homemade dressing...delicious!

Leftovers
If your family will eat leftovers, having a busy night be leftover night is a great way to get dinner done.

Favorite Recipes
As you go about your food-making year round, take note of the recipes you like that are fast so you can turn to those on your busy nights. Beyond the general categories I have shared, some specific

recipes I like are:

• Tacos
• Asian Lettuce Wraps from (affiliate link -->) Our Best Bites
• Chicken Salad Sandwiches. I have TONS of  recipes for this and I love them all. 
• Stir Fry from (affiliate link -->) Our Best Bites - side note. I super love Our Best Bites. Aaanndd they have a 30 Minute Meals list on their blog. So you're welcome. 

Extra Tips
If you are having a buy night, you will have so much more success with dinner if you plan ahead a bit. Make a meal plan for the week. Think through each day and take note of the ones you will need something fast for. I typically like to leave my meal plan fluid, meaning I just choose 7 meals for the week and decide as I go which I will make which day. During busy seasons, though, I assign ahead of time so I am sure I get the fast meals on the busy days.

At breakfast each day, decide what you are having for dinner and do any prep that needs to be done. That way you aren't at 3 PM realizing you needed to do a slow cooker meal that day. Oops.

What are your favorite meals to make on busy nights? I would love to hear ideas!

Feed Me Friday: The Most Amazing Baked Potatoes

I am all about feeding my family for cheap. I typically spend right around $100 a week on groceries to feed my family of six. I accomplish this by meal planning, buying things when they are on super sale (like, I am the crazy lady buying 30 jars of spaghetti sauce at a time), and by trying to have inexpensive meals every so often. My trouble with this goal is that I like variety in my diet. I seriously have a hard time eating the same food for dinner within 30 days. If I made spaghetti for dinner last week, I can't do it next week. It needs to a be a month or more after last week.

During the winter, however, I make baked potatoes twice a month. We live very close to the southern border of Idaho, and we get a 50 pound bag of potatoes for $10. Pretty awesome! And pretty cheap. I have to swallow my issues with the 30 day rule and embrace the baked potato. 

A few months ago, I came across a life-changing way to bake a potato. I have always really liked baked potatoes. It isn't uncommon to see me ordering that as my potato choice in a restaurant. But if I am going to eat it twice in one month, it needs to be fantastic. Amazing. 

I found it. 

You must know about it. 

So here I am.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes (I use Russet)
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt (this is the life changing part)
• Pepper
• Desired toppings

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
3. Scrub the potatoes so they are nice and clean
4. Pat the potatoes dry. Place them on your baking sheet
5. Use a fork to prick holes all over eat potato
6. Get a little bowl and pour some olive oil in it. Get a baster  (affiliate) and coat olive oil all over each potato. You can of course just use your hands if you want to
7. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. I sprinkle one side then flip and sprinkle the other. I think this is the key step to getting delicious potatoes.
8. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Flip every 20 minutes. I bake for at least 60 minutes. I do six potatoes at a time, and our potatoes are pretty big. I either squeeze the potato to see if it is done or I poke it with a fork. You want the skin to be crispy and the inside to be soft

Serve:

• To make getting the inside out easier, squeeze the potato all over before you cut it open. If it is super hot and you can't wait for it to cool down some, you can press it with a fork. 
• Cut the potato in half. Scoop out the inside. 
• Put your favorite toppings. We like butter, sour cream, cheese, chili, bacon, ham, peas, broccoli, salt, and pepper (not all of those things at the same time! But it is your potato...)
• I also load some toppings into my potato skins. That is my favorite part of any baked potato! My favorite is just butter and sour cream.

Favorite Fall Recipes

I love fall! I love the colors of Fall, the sights of Fall, the smells of Fall, and I super love Fall food. Here are my favorite, must-have recipes each Fall.

Pumpkin Recipes 

I obviously love Fall enough that I have already talked to you about great pumpkin recipes. We are talking cookies, latte, ice cream sandwiches (YUM!), shakes, and Alfredo.

Butterbeer

Last year was our first time making Butterbeer, and it was so fantastic! It is a new tradition for us to have this around Halloween. We have this one from Princess Pinky Girl. There are warm versions on Pinterest if you want to search it out and find one you love.

Apple Dip

Apples are in season this time of year, which means you can buy a lot for a little, which means having apple dip just makes sense. See? Logic. If you have read many of my recipe posts, you know I love Our Best Bites. This post contains affiliate links. In their first recipe book, you will find their Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip. They also have it on their website, lucky you. 

In their seasons cookbook, they have a Homemade Dulce de Leche, which is fantastic with apples.  They also have this on their website! Also in that book is my favorite pasta for Fall, Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce. Seriously amazing. That is not on their website, so if you want it, you will have to get their cookbook. Which is fantastic. 

Soups

Another thing I love about Fall is that I can add soup to our weekly menu. I do a different kind of soup each week. To be honest, my kids HATE soup. Really. This is despite the fact that we have it every week all Fall and all Winter. That is 6 months of the year. A soup is a success if they say, "Hmm..this actually isn't terrible." We actually have a couple of soups they do like, and I will share one below. 

Despite them hating it, I make it every week. I always include a bread of some type because they all like breads. I don't mind them having to eat something they don't love. I think it builds character--haha! We will see what they decide to do with that experience when they are parents. Soup is usually pretty fast and easy and can often be done in a slow-cooker if needed, plus Nate and I love it. Our Best Bites has a great variety of soups on their blog and in their books. I have shared a couple of soup recipes on this blog in the past. Click on the picture to go to the post. 

Potato Cheese Soup

This recipe has a special place in my heart. My Grandmother made this for us every time we visited her. I liked it as a kid and it is one soup my kids like. You will see why. It is simple :)

Ingredients:

• Potatoes (number depends on how much soup you want. My recipe calls for 4 large potatoes. I use about 10 medium potatoes for my family). Peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• Water (enough to cover potatoes)
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 cup shredded cheese (or more--it depends on how cheesy you like it)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley to taste

Method:

1. Put diced potatoes and onions in your stock pot. Cover with water. Simmer until tender.
2. Once potatoes are tender, melt butter in skillet. Add flour and heat slowly until it bubbles. Stir in milk and continue stirring and cooking until thickened. This is a roux.
3. Add roux into potato mixture. Stir in. Bring to a a boil.
4. Add cheese. Simmer until thickened.
5. Season with salt and pepper. 
6. Add parsley if desired. 
7. Eat! 

Today the BFBN is posting on meal ideas. Here are all of the posts for you to check out and enjoy!

• Quick Dinner Ideas: Gluten, Dairy, Egg, and Soy Free
• Easy dinner staples to keep on hand (and how to use them)
• How to Make Any Dinner A Quick One
• Our Favorite Quick Dinners Link
•  5 reasons i love the crock pot

Feed Me Friday: Overnight Waffles

 Brayden recently competed in a mile race run with 9 other elementary schools in our valley. The night before the big race, I wondered what would be best to feed him for breakfast the next morning. Brayden is a swimmer, and I know all about what to feed him for swim racing, but I wasn't sure how that would compare to land racing. So I asked one of my closest friends whose husband also happens to be a major marathon runner. Her suggestion was waffles.

Waffles? Ugh. Waffles are delicious and all. But waffles take time to make (unless you have an industrial waffle maker that makes a lot at once, which is nothing to snuff your nose at!). Not only would I need to make the batter, I would need to stand at the waffle iron for approximately a million hours cooking waffles. 

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click the link and purchase the item, I will receive a percentage of your purchase. This does not impact the cost of the item for you at all.

But I turned to my trusty Better Homes Cookbook and found an Overnight Waffles recipe. Hooray! I had never tried the recipe because typically when I am making waffles, I want them now, not tomorrow. On this day, however, I was thinking about the next day. This would cut down on the batter-making time the next morning.

"What about the million hours at the waffle iron?" I know! It didn't solve everything. Until it did! When I made the waffles the next morning, the recipe made 7-8 Belgian style waffles. The good news is that the waffles were so filling that just one per person was more than enough for most of us. So this recipe can be done the night before and isn't so big that you will spend all morning cooking the waffles. I have since doubled this recipe and it doubled well, so if you need more than 7ish waffles, you can double it. 

With a Belgian waffle, you can cater to your indecisive side. 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast (I use this kind, which isn't in packages. One package is 2.5 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1-3 cup melted butter or cooking oil

Method:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. 
2. Add vanilla, milk, eggs, and butter/oil.
3. Beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined.
4. Cover bowl loosely and chill overnight or up to 24 hours (this batter will rise some overnight, so that is why you need a bigger bowl).
5. Stir the batter.
6. Pour about 3/4 cup batter onto a preheated, lightly greased waffle iron.
7. Close lid quickly. Do not open lid until waffle is done. Cook according to manufacturer's instructions. 
8. When done, lift out using a fork.
9. Repeat until done.
10. Serve warm.

 

 

Other Recipes:

Find even more recipes here!

Feed Me Friday: Simple Fudge

For me, fudge is a Christmas dessert. Each year, we would spend Christmas break at my Grandmother's house. Each year, she would prepare for our arrival by cooking up many treats, including fudge. Fudge can sound like a scary thing to make, but thanks to the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, we all can make fudge with their easy recipe. Just because it is easy doesn't mean it isn't delicious. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 5 ounce can of evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups tiny marshmallows
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional--I don't use these myself)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

1. Line an 8x8x2 inch baking pan with foil, extending over the edges. Set pan aside.
2. Butter sides of a 2 quart saucepan (according to the cookbook, the size of pan is very important to being successful with fudge).
3. In saucepan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. It will take about 10 minutes to get to this point.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 6 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.
5. Add in marshmallows, chocolate, nuts and vanilla. Stir until marshmallows and chocolate melt and the mixture is combined.
6. Beat by hand for one minute. 
7. Spread fudge evenly in a prepared pan.
8. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours or until firm. 
9. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to one month (like it would last that long!). 

My Addition:

I love to change up the flavor of things. This recipe calls for vanilla. I use whatever extract I feel like that day. Almond is always a favorite of mine and you can't go wrong with that. The last time I made this, I did orange extract. It tastes like those orange balls you can buy at Christmas time. I think next time, I will try mint. You could go peppermint, raspberry...whatever extract you have that you think will taste good with chocolate. 

Feed Me Friday: Fresh Salsa

When it comes to making your own homemade fresh Salsa, you can really tweak things so they work with your own tastes. This is how I make salsa.

Ingredients:

• 1 Red Onion. If you don't like red onions, you can use green onions or chives. You can also use a regular yellow or white onion, but the onion flavor will be stronger and not as sweet. 
• Peppers (your choice) as desired. You can use something more mild like a Garden Salsa pepper or spicier like a Jalapeno pepper. The number will depend on how much spice you like.
• Garlic cloves. I use about 3-4 cloves. You will want to use what is right for your taste pallet.
• 1 Tablespoon Vinegar. You can use a lot of different kinds. Sometimes I use Apple Cider Vinegar and sometimes I use Red Wine Vinegar.
• 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice. This is about one lime juiced.
• Sugar to taste. I use about 2 tsp.
• Salt to taste. I use about 2-3 tsp Kosher salt. The amount will vary on taste and on how many tomatoes you use.
• Cilantro if desired.
• Tomatoes. Roma are great for salsa because they don't have as much liquid in them. If you are using Roma, you will probably want 5-10.

Method:

1. Finely chop your onion, peppers, and garlic. I usually do a rough chop and then add to a food processor.
2. Add in the vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Stir (or pulse). Add the minimum salt amount so you can add more if needed once the tomatoes are added. 
3. Dice tomatoes. Add to mixture and stir (or pulse). If you are using a food processor, quarter tomatoes and then pulse so you don't over-chop your tomatoes. 
4. Add cilantro if desired. Stir. 
5. Taste test. Add more salt if needed.

Eat with tortilla chips!

How do you make your salsa? I love to try new ways!

Best {Zucchini} Brownies Ever!

It is that time of year again--Zucchini time. Time when your neighbors start avoiding your calls and lock the door when they see  you headed down the road toward their house. Zucchini everywhere! But if you have the right recipes for that stuff, it turns into one of your favorite things. Even so, It lasts forever. Last weekend, Kaitlyn and I made 4 large loaves of zucchini bread, 4 small loaves to freeze for eating later in the winter, gave half of our shredded zucchini to the neighbors (because a zucchini is "eh" but a pre-shredded zucchini is gold) and we still had some left. Just enough to try out these brownies I found on Pinterest recently. 

I  have already shared some of my favorite zucchini recipes with you. I told you about 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread {And more zucchini recipes!}. And let's not forget my favorite chocolate cake on earth Death by Zucchini Chocolate Cake. So if zucchini can contribute to the best cake, why not the best brownie? 

Brownies are not my favorite dessert, but they are the favorite of my husband and son. So Kaitlyn and I used the last of our shredded zucchini to make these brownies. 

They were a hit. 

Nate and Brayden declared them the best brownies they have ever had.

Those are pretty strong words.

I made them the next day to go with the dinner I made for my neighbors who just had their 9th baby, and they all loved the brownies  as well! I just can't let you go on through life without hearing about these brownies. 

Go on over to Crazy for Crust to get the recipe. You will be so glad you did.

And if you want to see more of the deliciousness I have found on Pinterest, see my Sweet Treats board.