A Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Sure to Please

This recipe has been a hit in my family and has been requested numerous times. I even took them to the local fall festival this year and won first prize. It was a small-town festival, but still I won! Hope you enjoy them as much as my family and friends do.

Ingridients:

• 1 yellow cake mix (do not follow the directions on the back)
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten
• semi-sweet chocolate chips (how ever many you like in your cookies)
• 1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour about 1/2 of the cake mix into a mixing bowl. Add the butter, vanilla and eggs. Stir until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the cake mix and continue stirring until smooth. Dough will be fairly stiff. Add the chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes.

For those who do not like chocolate chips, raisins work great with this recipe as well.

---

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies: Gluten-Free Recipe

I baked these cookies last weekend and am happy to report they didn't taste "gluten-free (GF)," which makes them a huge success in my book. Gluten-free recipes are often overly chewy and far too dense, something I know from first-hand experience as I made my share of flops before perfecting the art of gluten-free baking.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I test my recipes on people who generally turn their noses up at "healthy" food and these have officially earned the designation of boyfriend-approved. Kids will love them, too, I'm sure. If you're curious as to why someone would want to remove gluten from their diets, read this post from The Healthy Foodie.

The variety of gluten-free flours available at grocery stores is steadily expanding. I used two different kinds of flour for this recipe: almond and brown rice flour, both of which are great for baking as one is moist (almond) and the other is dry and fluffy (brown rice.)

Almond flour is a wonderful addition to your kitchen pantry. It's made from raw, blanched whole almonds that have been ground into a fine powder. If you are storing it for an extended period of time, it's best to store it in the freezer to maintain its freshness and prevent mold growth. It's a source of protein, fibre, calcium and iron and a perfect flour to add to cookies, muffins and bread.

Brown rice flour is another kitchen staple for gluten-free baking and my personal favourite because it always yields a fluffy texture, similar to whole wheat flour. I prefer Bob's Red Mill brand because many rice flours can be "gritty" due to the processing of the grain. Bob's is stone ground which creates a fine-textured flour.

This recipe is free of dairy, wheat, yeast, corn, refined sugar, and soy making it an almost allergen-free recipe.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp organic coconut oil
• 3-4 tbsp honey (liquid, runny honey works best)
• 1 organic egg
• 1/3 cup almond milk or water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1/2 cup ground almond meal/flour
• 3/4 rolled oats
• 1/2 cup organic chocolate chips – my favourite brand is Cocoacamino

Update! Please note: You must buy oats labeled "gluten-free" for this recipe to be truly gluten-free. For an egg-free option, please see the comments below for a healthy substitution.

Directions:
Mix coconut oil and honey together. Add egg, vanilla, almond milk, then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes. Makes 18 small cookies.

Enjoy!

---

Apple Butter and Almond Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

I've had an unnatural obsession with cookies since before I had a full set of teeth--in my Baby Book, the word "cookie" is recorded as being my first word. While watching Sesame Street as a child, I often felt that the Cookie Monster and I were kindred spirits due to our shared fanaticism over the baked treats. However, my passion never led me to the kitchen and as a result the cookies I enjoyed either came clad in a nutrition label and price tag, or from a sausage-shaped tube. It hasn't been until recently that I've been inspired to roll up my sleeves, grab some measuring cups and concoct some original treats.

Two women that are dexterous divas in the kitchen and have inspired me are my dear friends Alice and Jena. Alice constantly impresses my friends and I with dishes that make our taste buds dance and in turn leave us in awe when she reveals that many of her dishes were no-hassle. Jena shocked me when she revealed that the charming cake pops she had been kind enough to bestow upon my friends and I at a St. Patrick's Day party involved more fun than effort in the kitchen.

I took a leap of faith and stocked up on baking ingredients. Jena had once mentioned to me that cooking apple butter in a Crockpot made her kitchen smell like heaven, so I decided to use it as a key ingredient in my recipe. If my cookies tasted terrible at least they would have an aroma that could make angels sing. I also bought a bag of sliced almonds and white chocolate chips in hopes that they could balance the flavor of the cookies if the cinnamon I added made them too spicy. Most basic chocolate chip cookie recipes require a cup of butter, but being that the apple butter would add some moisture to the cookies I nixed the butter and instead decided to use 1/2 a cup of apple butter and 1/2 a cup of canola oil. Apple butter is naturally fat-free, so I decided to add oil in order to increase moisture and satiability. Making the cookies was no more difficult than making a standard batch of chocolate chip, and as expected they smelled delectable. My mother offered to be a guinea pig for my first attempt at an original recipe being that she has a shrewd palate when it comes to pastry. I was beyond pleased when my mother went back for two more cookies after finishing the first. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "These are addictive!" It turned out to be an astute observation--the cookies were delicious!

I love quality food but don't like to fuss in the kitchen. I'm excited to offer you this simple recipe that delivers a very unique treat.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (more may be added if you want a spicier cookie).
• 1/2 cup apple butter.
• 1/2 cup canola oil.
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar.
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 2 large eggs.
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds.
• 2 cups white chocolate chips.
• 2 cups powdered sugar.

Directions: How to Make Cookies

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine flour, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. Beat apple butter, canola oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
6. Stir in white chocolate chips.
7. Stir in sliced almonds.
8. Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
9. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Allow cooling for several minutes and then sprinkles with powdered sugar.

Serve and enjoy!
This recipe yields 36 cookies.

---

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

The other secret ingredient is 4 ounces of finely grated Belgian chocolate mixed into the batter. Some people espouse this recipe tastes very much like Mrs. Field's highly regarded chocolate chip cookies, but that recipe is a jealously guarded trade secret. It all matters not, as anyone can make this recipe and savor the results himself.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
This recipe makes 5 and a half dozen, but it can be easily doubled to make 11 dozen, perfect for a class, group party or Christmas cookie exchange.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter (Margarine can be used but it is not as desirable. There is nothing like the taste of real butter)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 and a half cups of oats or oatmeal (not quick oats)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 12 oz. chocolate chips (any variety can be used, such as white, milk chocolate or dark chocolate)
• 4 oz. finely grated chocolate candy bar, preferably dark (Trader Joe's grocery stores offer excellent Belgian chocolate that can be used in this recipe)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400*.
Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix in.
Put a small amount of the oatmeal in a blender and grind it until it has turned to powder. Continue this step until all the oats are powdered. However, measure out 2 and a half cups of oats and only powder that, not 2 and a half cups of powdered oatmeal.
Mix together the flour and powdered oatmeal in a separate bowl.
Add to the flour and oats the salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix together.
Mix the dry ingredients with the butter, sugar and egg mixture.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips, finely grated chocolate and nuts.
Using an ice cream scoop, drop golfball-sized balls of the cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400* for 8 to 10 minutes or until the sides are golden. Aluminum pans that prevent the cookies from burning on the bottom are great to use.

Chocolate chip cookies are a time honored favorite any time of year, but they are especially great to serve during the holidays at parties. They are also a fabulous choice for a Christmas cookie exchange. Make a double or triple batch and swap the cookies with friends who are each bringing multiple batches of their own special cookie recipes. It is great fun and allows everyone to have many varieties of holiday cookies.

---

Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are hundreds of recipes out there that try to recreate the classic chocolate chip cookie into a vegan friendly food. Not many are pass the taste test.

Vegan baking is a joyful experience that can produce outstanding results, if the basics are learned. When making cookies, for example, there are two animal ingredients that are normally used: eggs and butter. Learning to use the proper substitutions is the key to chewy, chocolate treats.

For the eggs, the best substitute in cookies recipes is a flax and water mix. Flax is very gelatinous when mixed with water and gives helps the cookies to rise a bit. The general guideline is to combine 1 Tb. of ground flaxseed with 3 Tb. of water to substitute one egg, cooked over medium heat until it thickens. This recipe calls for two eggs, so it doubles these amounts.

For the butter, there are many fats that are vegan in nature that can be used in vegan baking, including olive oil, vegetable oil, and even shortening. However, for this recipe, it seems the one that produces the best results is a "vegan butter" product, available at any health food store. The particular brand that is used in this recipe is Earth Balance and it's a 100% vegan butter.

Here is the Vegan Chocolate chip Cookie recipe that'll easy get a five star rating:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick of Earth Balance, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tb. ground flaxseed, mixed with 6 Tb. water (as described above)
• 1 bag of vegan chocolate chips (like semi-sweet)

Directions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Add the vanilla, flax mix, and butter and blend with hands until a firm dough forms.
3. Mix in the chocolate chips until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Drop by the Tb. onto a greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. The cookies will still looked slightly undercooked at this time. That's good! Allow them to remain on the baking tray for 1 minute before gently removing. They continue to cook during this time, creating a chewy (not crispy) texture.
6. Also, these can easy be turned into peanut butter chip cookies. Simply omit 3 Tb. of the Earth Balance, add 3 Tb. of natural peanut butter, and substitute vegan peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips.

This recipe has been tested by vegan and unsuspecting carnivores. They animal ingredients were never missed! It's also a great treat to bring to potlucks. Everyone can enjoy these classic, chewy chocolate chip cookies.

---

Cherry Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

As American as apple pie, chocolate chip cookies were invented by accident by Ruth Wakefield, baker at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. She tried to make chocolate cookies by adding broken chocolate pieces to the dough, thinking that they would melt into the dough. As everyone knows, this is not what happened; instead, she created one of America’s favorite sweets. American GI’s from Massachusetts who were stationed overbroad during the Second World War are responsible for sharing the homebaked cookies their families sent them with their mates, thus spreading the popularity of the chocolate chip cookie across the country. It is the Toll House Inn that gives the famous Toll House cookies their name.

One can take a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe and change the flavor just enough to make cookies exciting all over again. This recipe features the addition of almond, coconut and cherry flavors, proving that even classics can be improved on without sacrificing any of the happy, reassuring chewiness.

Cherry Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

You will need:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¾ cup maraschino cherries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bring the butter to room temperature. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until smooth. Giving the sugar a chance to dissolve into the butter will improve the texture of the finished cookie.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the egg and almond extract to the butter and sugar mixture, then add the dry ingredients, beating only until just mixed.
3. Drain the whole maraschino cherries on a paper towel. Chop each cherry individually into eighths if or quarters, depending on your preference.
4. Mix the chocolate chips, coconut and cherries into the cookie dough, beating only until just mixed. The dough will be a light, pretty pink from the addition of the cherries. Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto a lightly greased or nonstick baking sheet.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The cookies should be barely golden around the edges, but not browned. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for one minute before removing them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Note: These cookies can be stored up to a week in a sealed container at room temperature. They also freeze extremely well, and can be frozen for up to a month.

---

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

With just a hint of instant espresso mixed in the batter, these soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are a gourmet treat for the grown-up palate. They're easy to make and can be ready in just about half an hour.

The dark chocolate offers an intense flavor in these cookies. And when combined with the espresso powder and just a hint of ground cinnamon, the intense flavor is mellowed and balanced.

In order to be labelled as dark chocolate, the chocolate bar must be made of at least 60% cacao or more. For the best results in these chocolate chip cookies, use a 65 to 75 percent cacao bar. Good choices include Ghirardelli Twilight Delight 72% Cacao bar, Ghirardelli Espresso Escape 60% Cacao bar, Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Extra Fine chocolate bar, and Lindt Excellence Origins Madagascar 65% Cocoa Extra Fine chocolate bar. There's no need to go to a specialty chocolate shop for these bars. Most large grocery stores carry them in the baking or candy aisles.

These chocolate chip cookies make a wonderful adult afternoon snack with a nice hot cup of coffee or tea. Or if you want to serve them to your kids, simply use decaffeinated instant espresso, available in the coffee aisle of your local supermarket.

Espresso Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. instant espresso
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 3.5 oz. bar of good-quality dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, egg and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture. Chop the chocolate bar into chip-sized pieces. Fold the chocolate bar chips into the cookie dough.

Drop by rounded tablespoons-ful onto a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat or parchment paper. Bake 13 to 15 minutes on the middle rack of the oven, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 18 chocolate chip cookies.

---

Nutrition Information on Chocolate Chips

Chocolate chips are commonly used in baking and added to many recipes including chocolate chip cookies. Hershey's semisweet chocolate chips have been around since 1970. The nutritional value of chocolate chips is generally the same but may vary depending on the brand, serving size and variety. Hershey's and Nestle Toll House are common brands that make chocolate chips; semisweet, white chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate chips are popular varieties.

Serving Size
Serving sizes for chocolate chips vary depending on the brand. It's important to read food labels on packages of any type of food to verify what the manufacturer considers to be one serving. In general, a serving size of chocolate chips is about 1 tbsp.

Calories
Calories per serving of chocolate chips will depend on the type and brand of chips. In general one serving, or 1 tbsp., of chocolate chips contains approximately 70 calories. Since calories in chocolate chips generally provide few nutrients, limiting portion sizes will help maintain a healthy body weight.

Most moderately active women require between 1,800 to 2,200 calories per day to maintain a healthy body weight, while most moderately active men require 2,200 to 2,800 calories per day.

Fat
Chocolate chips are a source of dietary fat. In general 1 tbsp. of semisweet or milk chocolate chips contains approximately 4 g of total fat and 2.5 to 3 g of saturated fat. The American Dietetic Association recommends the adult population consume a diet containing 20 percent to 35 percent of energy from total fat while limiting saturated fat. This means that a person consuming a 2,000 calorie diet should limit total dietary fat to 77 g or less per day.

Sugar
Dietary sugar should be limited as much as possible to help maintain a healthy body weight. Chocolate chips contain approximately 8 g of sugar per 1 tbsp. serving. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans do not set an upper limit for sugar; however, according to the American Dietetic Association, Dietary Reference Intake reports suggest limiting added dietary sugars to 25 percent of total calories or less.

Nutritional Benefits of Chocolate
Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contained in chocolate chips may provide some nutritional benefits when consumed in moderation. Dark chocolate contains healthy antioxidants which may help reduce heart attack and stroke. Other benefits of eating chocolate according to the American Dietetic Association include reducing the risk for sugar damage to teeth and providing a source of plant sterols which may help lower blood cholesterol. Plant sterols however, are found in enriched chocolate and may not be present in all types of chocolate.