Chocolate-Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since my last attempt to make cookies from scratch was foiled by a lack of sugar, this recipe was a good experiment in returning to purely homemade.  They were made as a moving day treat for a Saturday when I was helping out a friend.  

The original basis for the recipe was Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Chip Cookies, but since I was making it for others I left out the nuts that it calls for and added more chocolate chips.  I also made sure to add two sizes and types of chocolate chips. I almost always like nuts, especially in chocolate cookies or brownies, but I never know who is allergic or just doesn't like nuts in their cookies.

These turned out really good.  I think that the dough would be a good basis for various flavored chips, as well.  Peanut butter, butterscotch, white chocolate, etc. would probably each be yummy....

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa, unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened (I used margarine)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips (I used mini semi-sweet)
• 1 cup chopped nuts, optional (but I used an extra 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips, instead)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 
3. Cream butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed.
4. Add eggs and beat well. 
5. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. 
6. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if you are using them.  
7. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. 
9. Cool slightly, then remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes between 4 and 5 dozen cookies.  

Cheap, Cute, and Movable Porch Lighting

I bought some fun solar-powered lights as a gift for a family member's front garden, and while shopping for them I got a little jealous.  See, I have a back porch/deck that is above my townhouse's garage.  I like to sit on it during the day, but I think it might be nice to sit out there in the evenings as well (probably with some kind of mosquito-repelling candle or device and a beverage of some kind).  The problem is that the "official" light on my porch is a bit glaring and I really wanted something nicer to sit under that wouldn't work quite so hard against my mosquito candle/device.  So the problem was: how can I have cute lighting on my porch that would be more subtle than my light fixture that is out there?  And could it also be cheap, please?

To be honest, the first idea I had involved string lights, AKA "Christmas lights" for those of you who are biased against using them during non-winter seasons.  However, it seems that unless you are in college or a Gretchen Wilson fan, it isn't *actually* cool or subtle to leave up Christmas lights all year long.  Geez!  People sure can be judgemental, huh?        

Next I thought: Hey!  I have containers on my porch that are growing tomatoes and snapdragons and geraniums.  I could just jam some cute solar lights in those!  Well, yeah.  I could have.  However, to move the lights I would then have to move the flowers as well.  Didn't wanna do that.  I realized that portability was also a factor.  

The third iteration of thought was that I could fill different flower pots with plain dirt and "plant" my lights.  This seemed like a winning idea, but would then involve me having to deal with the pot o' dirt in the off-season for porch sitting.  Since the off-season is most of the year in Minnesota, that seemed like a lot of trouble.  Add ease of storage to the list of requirements.    

Then I saw a fun idea on Pinterest that showed turning a terracotta flower pot upside down and putting the stake for a solar light in the hole, making the pot essentially a freely movable stand for the light.   This was perfect.  Genius even!  Except....

I went to Menard's and none of the solar lights would fit in the puny little holes in the pots.  Unless I bought huge and expensive pots.  Grrr!  No!  On the spot I decided I would triumph over this project.  Terracotta pots be damned!  

The solution was surprisingly easy...and located on the end-cap of the terracotta pot aisle: plastic pots.  I selected super-cheap pots (like $0.89 each) that matched the turquoise of my chair cushion and other porch accessories, and I bought cheap but well-enough-made solar lights ($2.49 each on sale).  Then I came home and cut a hole in the bottom of each pot--very carefully using a box cutter--to fit the stakes on the lights.  

The light/stand combo worked with only one problem: the plastic pots were much lighter than terracotta, so the lights-in-pots were fairly top heavy.  That was solved by duct-taping a few rocks from my front garden to the inside edge of the pots.  Three rocks per light and the finished product has been stable through wind and rain.  

And--Voila!--I now have three light-weight, easily-movable, easy-to-store, sustainable, and fun lights for my back porch.  All for under $10.  Yay!  Now all I need is a free night at home to go out and enjoy them....

  

Easy Lemon Crinkle Cookies

This past weekend I was going to make some cookies from scratch for a gathering...but then I realized that I only had about 2 Tablespoons of regular sugar in my sugar container.  oops!  I could've made something like shortbread that didn't use very much sugar.  Or I could've found a recipe that used powdered sugar instead of granulated.  

Instead, I did something that combined the two: I made lemon crinkle cookies out of a cake mix, with powdered sugar on the outside to make the crinkles.  

Normally chocolate is the classic flavor for crinkle cookies.  But I like lemon, too.  And for summer, I like citrus a lot.  (See past posts about orange cake and lime pie....)  Ultimately, you can make crinkle cookies of any flavor using different cake mixes with or without additional flavors.  Just find a standard cake mix that calls for 3 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, and 1 cup water.  Then just follow the super-easy recipe below:

Ingredients:

• 1 cake mix 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• granulated or powdered sugar 

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees 
2. Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil with a spoon in a large bowl.  The dough will be a bit sticky.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar.  I usually use powdered sugar, but granulated will make the cookies more sparkly.  Both taste really great!
4. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set.
6. Cool for a minute or so on cookie sheet and then cool completely on wire rack.