Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
170 g (3/4C) Margarine
170 g (3/4C) Crisco (Vegetable Shortening)
3/4 c Brown Sugar
1 1/2 C Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla

Cream margarine & Crisco. Add sugars. Cream until light and fluffy. May take a few minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

Add:
3 1/4 C Flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix in dry ingredients until just combined.

Stir in:
3+ C Old Fashioned Oats
2 C Chocolate Chips

Mix until all combined. May need to do by hand if mixer isn't strong enough.
Put dough in refrigerator until chilled.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking pan. Can use a silpat or exopat to avoid sticking -- but don't grease pan.

Bake @ 190-200C (400F) for 3 minutes. Rotate pan and bake another 3 minutes or until just barely light golden on edges. Centers will still look soft. Let rest on pan for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to rack to finish cooling.

If you aren't going to eat all at once, its best to put remainder in freezer. Then bring out as you want to eat them or reheat in microwave for 10 seconds or so.

Buttermilk Cookies

Thanks to Mary Rhomberg and Grandma Sheehan

3/4 C (170g) Margarine
or 85g margarine and 85g Crisco
2 eggs
2 3/4 C Flour + 1/8C (approx 2TBS)
3/4 C Brown Sugar
7/8 C Buttermilk (7 oz)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 C Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Cream margarine, sugars and eggs until fluffy. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix in. Add soda and salt. Stir in flour. It will become VERY STICKY!
Chill overnight in fridge.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet with a silpat or baking paper. Bake at 375F (200C) for 7-9 minutes or until top barely springs back and edges are slightly golden. Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to rack to finish cooling. Frost after completely cool.

Browned Butter Icing:
1/4 C Butter (60g)
1/4 C Cream
1 lb Powdered sugar
2 TBS Vanilla

Melt and slightly brown butter in pan on stove. Don't let get too browned or it will taste burnt. Quickly add the cream and stir. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until combined. Frost cookies.

Lime Caprioska

2 oz vodka
1 oz cranberry juice
8 limes wedges
1 tsp brown sugar

Crush sugar into the lime wedges with a spoon. Place the lime wedges in the bottom of an 8 oz. glass. Cover with crushed ice, fill glass with cranberry juice then vodka, and serve.

Buttermilk Coffee Cake

PREP TIME	15 Min
COOK TIME	35 Min
READY IN	50 Min

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

TOPPING:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
  BATTER:
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup chocolate chips (Optional)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Spread half of the batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with half of the crumb mixture. (Sprinkle in chocolate chips.) Carefully spread with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F 180C for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Fruit Pizza Appetizer

2 Sheets Puff Pastry (I used reduced fat -- but its your choice)

Place one sheet on top of the other. Score a 2 cm rim around the top on, without going through to the bottom layer. Bake as directed on package. Approx 20-30 min at 200C. Remove from oven when golden. Cool on rack.

1/2 Pkg of cream cheese, softened
1-2 tsp of vanilla bean paste
1 tsp. super fine sugar (caster sugar)

Mix together until blended. Let set in fridge or counter to meld flavors.

Toppings (Choose fruits that you like or are in season. The more colorful, the prettier the presentation):
Dice:
Strawberries, blueberries, kiwi (green and gold), mandarin oranges, raspberries

To assemble:
Spread topping over crust -- up to edge. Then sprinkle fruit over the top.
Cut into triangles or squares and serve.

Veggie Pizza Appetizer

2 Sheets Puff Pastry (I used reduced fat -- but its your choice)
Or you can spread out canned crescent rolls and skip the scoring for the rim. Bake according to directions.

Place one sheet on top of the other. Score a 2 cm rim around the top on, without going through to the bottom layer. Bake as directed on package. Approx 20-30 min at 200C. Remove from oven when golden. Cool on rack.

1/2 Pkg of cream cheese, softened
1-2 tsp of powdered salad dressing mix (I used Ranch)

Mix together until blended. Let set in fridge or counter to meld flavors.

Toppings (Choose vegetables that you like or are in season. The more colorful, the prettier the presentation):
Finely dice:
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Red Onions, Red Capsicums (Peppers), Cucumbers

To assemble:
Spread topping over crust -- up to edge. Then sprinkle diced vegetables over the top.
Cut into triangles or squares and serve.

Lemon Madelines

INGREDIENTS:
5 eggs
200g (7oz) caster or superfine sugar
finely grated zest from 1 lemon (orange, lemon, lime)
200g (7oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
180g (6oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Whisk eggs and sugar together until they are pale and fluffy. Then mix in lemon zest. Add the flour, baking powder and butter and fold everything together. Leave the mixture to rest for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into a greased madeline tray and bake for 8-9 minutes or a little longer, depending on the size of the holes in your madeline tray.

Recipe from bill's food, Bill Granger