Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip/Oatmeal Cookies

I'm always looking for new cookie recipes, because cookies are pretty much my love language. Sadly, too much of a good thing also makes me not fit into my clothes, so while I do love a good regular cookie, I'm always hunting for recipes that are a bit on the healthier side. (And no, not so I can eat twice as many. Most of the time.)

I know it's still better to eat a healthy dose of green beans than to have a cookie, but sometimes a girl just needs a smidgen of dessert, and my guess is you know what I mean! So when I happened upon these cookies on Pinterest, I pinned the recipe for later and "later" finally arrived a few weeks ago. I had the munchies on a Sunday afternoon, so I made the cookies and Ryan could not get over how good they tasted. Cookies that are a little healthy and a lot tasty? I call that a win! So with a few Shaffery modifications, here are our new favorite cookies!

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip/Oatmeal Cookies

* 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
* 2 Tablespoons of honey
* 4 Tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons old-fashioned oats
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
* 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, stir together peanut butter, honey, and brown sugar. Add oats, salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Stir thoroughly. Lightly beat the egg in a separate bowl and then add to mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and sticky, almost like no-bake cookies before they set up. Use a small cookie scoop to transfer the dough to a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes. Cool completely before removing from tray.

A Few Tips

* The first time I made these, I used a natural peanut butter that is much softer. I've also used regular peanut butter. The outcome seemed to be the same in ease of stirring and consistency, regardless of which peanut butter I used. (The original recipe I followed did say not to warm the peanut butter or the honey, however, so I'll pass that tip along to you.

* If you would rather use creamy peanut butter, you can. I just like the extra texture of crunchy peanut butter.

* I have made these with both quick and old-fashioned oats and noticed no difference in taste or consistency, but I prefer old-fashioned oats just because they're bigger. (Weird recent quirk of mine.)

* I always use pure vanilla. Another odd Bekah-quirk.

* If you prefer, you could mix in things other than peanut butter chips/chocolate chips. You could use other kinds of nuts or dried fruit. I'll take the chips though, thank you very much.

* This is a pretty messy dough, so I would highly recommend getting a scoop. You could spoon it onto the baking sheet, but you'll just have extra mess to contend with.

* This doesn't make a HUGE batch, so that's nice. It won't be around forever. (Also it tastes so good that it won't be around forever.)

* I put parchment paper on my baking sheet for easier cleanup.

* These are really unbelievable warm from the oven with a glass of cold milk. YUM!!!!

* They harden up a little bit the longer they sit, but they don't get really crispy like some cookies do. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last summer, when we prepared for Mom's surprise 80th birthday party, my favorite part of party prep was pretending I ran my very own bakery. I made dozens and dozens of cookies in preparation, trying to find the perfect recipes and also unearth the perfect array of flavors for the cookie buffet. (That's pronounced boo-fay in Shafferland.)

I had a handful of recipes already in my trusty box that I had to rework because all of them called for shortening, and I'm trying to get away from using that. I already shared with you my new peanut butter and snickerdoodle cookie recipes, and today I bring my new chocolate chip recipe! (For the party I named it "chocolate chippiest," because I threw in even EXTRA chocolate chips for good measure. My mom has never met extra chocolate she didn't like. And it was, after all, her party.)

Last week I made another batch of these for one of Ryan's co-workers, and they were good. Yes, she actually got some, but you know I had to sample a couple to make sure they were edible. It's the responsible thing to do when you're the one baking, right?

So in case you need a good cookie to get you through the week, {hello, hump day. I'm looking at you!} here's a chocolate chip cookie recipe that just needs a big glass of milk to go with it.

Chocolate Chippiest Cookies

• 2½  cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

 
Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Roll dough into small balls and arrange on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 11-14 minutes. Cool on wire racks and eat!

A Few Tips:

* I use white wheat flour in these cookies, and it works very well. You could also use all-purpose flour, and the cookies won't be quite as dark.

* As always, I use pure vanilla. I love the flavor!!

* Ryan bought me a small cookie scoop for Christmas, and I use that all the time now. It makes perfectly equal-sized cookies and with this recipe, they have this lovely little dome that makes them look like they really DID come from a bakery. Extra points!

* I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets to make for easier cleanup. You could easily skip that step and just make sure you spray your regular cookie sheet to keep the cookies from sticking.

* This makes about 3 dozen cookies, so it's the perfect size of a recipe!

* If you don't like chocolate chips so much (then I just don't understand you, but that's a whole different blog post - HA!) you could cut down the number you add to the dough.

* Seriously. Warm from the oven with a glass of milk. TRUST ME.
 

Snickerdoodles

I don't think I've ever posted a podcast and a recipe on the same day, but the way I look at it, we'll keep you company while you bake. And if you need a taste tester, call me!

This week, we're laughing at our own quirks. And yes, they are many. Hope you enjoy! And laugh!

Source

And now...on to the recipe!

Well, it's been almost a month now since my mom's cookie and canvas birthday party, but some of you are still drooling over that table of cookies! I had a request for the snickerdoodle recipe, so I'm here to deliver!

{Side note: all my "old" recipes - the ones I posted back in the day before I married Ryan - are linked in a list down the left side of the blog, clear at the bottom. There is actually a snickerdoodle recipe in that list, and it is quite good, but it uses shortening, and I'm trying to get away from using shortening in my cooking, so I went on the hunt for a new cookie. All my "new" recipes - the ones from Shafferland - are under the "Our Recipe Box" tab at the top of the page. I'll put this one there.}

I do love a snickerdoodle. In fact, it may be my favorite non-chocolate cookie. I love the cinnamon sugar, the little tart "bite," and the crunchy outside/soft inside. I love how it melts in your mouth and how great it tastes with milk and coffee alike.

And let's not forget how amazing the house smells while you're baking snickerdoodles. {Why do you think they make candles based on them?}

So here's my new snickerdoodle recipe. Delicious and cinnamony and sugary and worthy of its own huge stack on any cookie buffet.

Snickerdoodle Supreme Cookies

* 1 cup {2 sticks} butter
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
* 1 Tablespoon of vanilla
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 2 3/4 cup flour

Cinnamon Sugar Coating
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

In a stand mixer, beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy - 2 or 3 minutes. Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and beat for another minute, scraping the sides as necessary. Add baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and mix thoroughly. Add flour and mix carefully. In a separate bowl, mix white sugar and cinnamon and stir until combined. Take a teaspoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Then roll the ball into the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes.

A Few Tips:

* Like I said, I am working to get away from using shortening, so I've moved to using butter.

* I cannot separate an egg to save my life, but I do have a handy dandy egg separator tool from Pampered Chef that was one of the best investments I have ever made in my culinary career.

* As always, I use real vanilla, rather than imitation. {I feel like you probably know that about me by now, but maybe we just met! In that case, I want to make sure you know!}

* You may also remember that I have rather recently {actually during the cookie baking marathon that was my summer} fallen in love with parchment paper and use that instead of greasing my cookie sheets. Cleanup is SO MUCH EASIER with parchment paper on the cookie sheet.

* I am liberal with the cinnamon sugar coating. If I run out, I just make more. No lightly dusted cookie here! COAT THE THING.

* Don't overbake. I don't like a crunchy snickerdoodle. Gooey on the inside....slightly crunchy on the outside.

* You must eat at least one warm from the oven. It's basically a rule.

Peanut Butter Triple Threat Cookies

One of my  most favorite parts of planning Mom's surprise 80th birthday party was making all the cookies for the cookie buffet. {To be fair, my sister Lori made two kinds for me, and the week of the party, that was such a huge help! Saved me so much time!}

But before party week, there was the summer of taste-testing. I made so many kinds of cookies and trucked them, warm from the oven, over to Ryan's work to get his co-workers' opinions. They loved the summer of taste testing.

I have a peanut butter cookie recipe that I've long made {and still love} but it calls for shortening, and since changing my eating habits, I've felt the need to get away from using shortening in recipes. {Yes, I know butter is probably just as bad, but it's all in my head, okay?} So I went on the hunt for a new perfect recipe, and after some input from the work taste-testers, I came up with this one. It is very different from my old tried-and-true one, but it was a big hit.

Because I believe you cannot ever have too much peanut butter {unless, of course, you're allergic!!}, I just kept adding more and more peanut sources, and the combo of peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut butter chips made this the peanut butter triple threat.

So, without further ado...

Peanut Butter Triple Threat Cookies

* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 eggs
* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter and both sugars. Add vanilla and mix. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to mixture in mixing bowl and combined. Stir in peanut butter chips. Roll dough into one-inch size balls and place on a cookie sheet. Use a fork to make a cross pattern in the top and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

* If you choose to use creamy peanut butter, you can use just 1 cup instead of 1 1/2. The first time I made these, I used only 1 cup of peanut butter, but because it was crunchy instead of creamy, there wasn't enough of the "butter" for the dough. I increased it by a half cup and that worked really well.

* If you use creamy instead of crunchy dough, rename the cookies double threat instead of triple! You just eliminated a threat! {Ha!!}

* I use pure vanilla, not imitation, and I think that makes a huge difference.

* While I often have wheat flour instead of white on hand, I did buy all-purpose flour for all the party recipes, and I have to say, it made the cookies better. Hey, I never claimed this was a healthy recipe.

* The peanut butter chips really were the extra magic touch. They took the cookies from good to WHAT?!!!?!?!?

* After you make them, store them with a slice of bread in the container to keep them soft. {I always wrap the slice of bread in a paper towel or the cookies it directly touches become gooey.}

DELICIOUS!!!!!

 

Healthy Strawberry Crumble

If you've been around the old blogaroo for the last few months, you know that Ryan and I have taken on a clean eating journey, largely because I had reached the point where I had to do something about my weight, as much for the sake of my mental well-being as my physical state. We started our journey on November 30th...so just short of five months ago, and in that time, I've lost 23.8 pounds. It has taken a complete change in eating, an even more drastic change in exercise, and the unwavering support of my husband to achieve that accomplishment.

His support has been key, because as stubborn as I am - and that is VERY stubborn - there are times when I just cannot. I don't care, I want to quit, and the only thing that will make me feel better in that moment is a Blizzard. Or a Frosty. Or a Coke. {The list goes on.} Ryan has become quite adept at recognizing when I'm just weak and need to be grounded from dessert {that happened this week} and when the situation is really dire and he needs to get in the car and go GET the Blizzard. {That has only happened once, but he went on the double}.

He eats all the clean eating stuff with me, and while he does indulge in more treats than I do {because you can do that when you're naturally blessed with a six pack}, his support in the day-in-day-out food choices made all the difference for me.

But bless his heart, he deserves treats. And I like them, too. I know that if I deprive myself of dessert, I will quit this journey. So I've been working to find recipes that are truly tasty {not diet-y tasty} and yet are much better for you than the aforementioned Blizzard.

And I found today's recipe here. I've made a few adjustments to it to better suit our tastes, and Ryan adores this dish. I do too. {And so did the student shadowing Ryan who ate with us the first time I made this.}

Healthy Strawberry Crumble

* 1 cup oats
* 3/4 cup oat flour
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* pinch of salt
* 6 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 Tablespoon baking Stevia {or similar sugar}
* 2 cups washed and diced strawberries

Optional Glaze:

* 1/2 cup powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 Tablespoon milk

In a bowl, combine oats, oat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add melted coconut oil and stir until crumbly. Press about 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper {or sprayed well}. Place strawberries on top of crust mixture, pour lemon juice over them and sprinkle Steveia on top. Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture over the top and bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Allow the dish to cool and then whisk together the optional glaze and drizzle it over the top. Serve warm or room temperature!

A Few Tips:

* In the original recipe, she used regular flour instead of oat flour. In some dishes, substituting oat flour changes the consistency. I did not notice that happening in this one. {The first time I made it, I used regular flour, so I do have a frame of reference.} But you could easily swap in your regular flour for this if you prefer.

* If you are unfamiliar with oat flour, it's actually very inexpensive and easy to make at home! Just take regular oats and put them in a food processor or really good blender and run it until the oats become very fine, like flour.

* I use quick oats for everything. Her original recipe called for old fashioned oats, but I used quick and it worked just fine.

* The original recipe also called for nutmeg in place of cinnamon. I don't like nutmeg, so that's why I swapped them out. If you prefer nutmeg or want a bit of both, you can certainly do that!

* If you don't have coconut oil or don't like using it to cook, you can swap butter in for it in this recipe.

* The original recipe also called for granulated sugar in place of baking Stevia, so if you don't have Stevia, you can use regular sugar. I actually used a little less than a full Tablespoon, but if you are used to your strawberry dishes being very sweet, you'll want the whole amount.

* Parchment paper sometimes makes me crazy, and if you don't have any, this would work fine just baked in a pan. Parchment paper just helps the cutting and serving {and cleaning the pan!} go faster.

* If the dish is warm when you pour the glaze over it, it will sink down in and you'll never know it's there. If you wait until it cools, it shows up on top. If you don't want the extra sugar, you can eliminate that part entirely.

* We prefer eating this warm, and I know if we had any in the house, Ryan would prefer it with ice cream on top! :)

* I used to make cherry and apple crisps often, and this tastes very much like those. So it really is tasty, doesn't taste healthy/diet-y, and is a good dessert to have around!

Snickerdoodle Brownies

I love snickerdoodles. Who are we kidding? I LOVE DESSERT!! But I really do love snickerdoodles. The chewy, sugary delights make me so very happy. But sometimes I just do not have the patience to make them. It's that whole extra step of rolling the cookies in the cinnamon and sugar that gets me, because it just delays the baking process that much longer.

Yes. I know that is pathetic.

But I found these little gems here and tried them...and loved them! All the chewy delight of snickerdoodles, but with the ease of a brownie. Oh. Yes. Please. I love it that I almost always have everything on hand to make these, they go together quickly, and of course, they are delicious.

I changed the original recipe just a bit to try to make it more healthy, and by that, I mean I did more than just sprinkle less sugar on top! {Although that too...}

Snickerdoodle Brownies

* 2 2/3 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups brown sugar
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
* 2 eggs
* 1 Tablespoon vanilla
* 2 Tablespoons white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar, and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla until well-combined. Add in dry ingredients a little at a time until fully combined. Batter will be very thick. Pour in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Combine white sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Cut and enjoy!

A Few Tips
 
* I use wheat flour, so my brownies are a little bit darker than yours will be if you use regular white flour. I've made these using both and they taste the smae to me.

* If you don't have unsweetened applesauce or you don't want to use it, you can substitute another 1/2 cup of butter in. I just wanted to cut out using a whole cup of butter, so I swapped the 1/2 cup of applesauce for it. I buy the little individual cup servings of applesauce and keep them on hand for substitutions. {I can't stand eating straight applesauce. Texture thing.}

* We have a little shaker that we keep a cinnnamon sugar in, so I just used that to sprinkle some on top. It was considerably less than the full amount of white sugar and cinnamon called for in the recipe, so that made me feel better, too. :)

* If you under-bake it just a little, it will be nice and gooey.

* We warmed up our leftover servings and possibly added a little whipped cream. Just for kicks. :)

Texas Sheet Cake

Everything's bigger in Texas, they say. I don't know who "they" are - and I've only been to Texas once. I sat in the airport for two hours during a layover and had my picture taken in front of a sign that proved I had breathed the air of the state.

But if "they" are correct, {and Beth Moore's hair height would lead me to believe "they" indeed are...} then the Texas Sheet cake is proof. What it lacks in height, it more than makes up for in length and width. This cake goes on for days, and I love that most of all because I believe all cakes should go on for days. And be chocolate. Check and check with this cake.

This has it all. It's the perfect consistency, the perfect richness, the perfect antioxidant level {I'm not a scientist and have NO idea if that is true, but I have read that chocolate is rich in antioxidants, so I choose to believe it is true.} It feeds an army and that's actually why I made it the first time. I was contributing to a dessert buffet, and they needed desserts that provided many servings. I found this one and haven't looked back since.

Also.  I could eat the bowl of frosting as-is. This is frosting perfection. It can be such a war...frosting. Is it too creamy? Is it too sugary? Is it too whipped? No need to question this. It's just happiness in a bowl. With a spoon. Being shoveled in without even bothering with things like cake.

So what I'm saying is - make this. And then invite us over because we'll help you eat it. We are givers that way.

Texas Sheet Cake

* 2 cups flour
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup water
* 5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


{Frosting}
* 6 Tablespoons milk
* 5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/2 cup butter
* 4 cups powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease and flour a 10x15 inch baking pan. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the Greek yogurt and eggs. Set aside. In a small pan on the stove, melt the butter on low, add the water, and the 5 tablespoons of cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Cool for just a moment and then pour into the egg/yogurt mixture until blended. Pour batter into pan, bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean .

For the icing - in a large saucepan on the stove, combine the milk and cocoa with the butter and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir until blended and spread over warm cake.

A Few Tips:

* I don't normally make anything with that long an ingredient list, but TRUST me. So worth the effort.

* Disclaimer: I realize that when a recipe calls for THREE STICKS OF BUTTER, you can just pretty much kiss any other health-it-up attempts goodbye. But that doesn't stop me from trying anyway. we use whole wheat flour, and it doesn't make the cake taste any differently.

* We also use organic eggs and milk, not because we're all organic, but because those are two things we choose to splurge on to try to be a smidge healthier.

* The original recipe called for sour cream where I've listed the Greek yogurt, but I choose yogurt because it gives me extra protein and is something I have on hand anyway.

* The batter is SUPER runny. You know how cake mixes are usually thick? Not this one. This one is very soupy. So if you think you messed up - you didn't.

* DO NOT mistake the pan size for a cookie sheet sized pan. I mean, not that I did that once or anything. I thought a regular cookie sheet was a Texas sheet cake pan and it is NOT. I had a running-over-in-the-oven mess and extra batter I didn't know what to do with. Nightmare. If you aren't sure, get out a ruler and measure. I mean, not that I did that either.

* Let me help you with this part. when you're frosting the cake, "accidentally" leave some frosting in the bowl. And then eat it with a spatula. Just do it.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Deliciousness

Thirty years ago today, I had my hair French braided at a salon, and when the stylist got to the end of my thick braided hair, she realized she didn't have a ponytail holder. So she gripped my hair with one hand and dug through her purse with the other to find a tiny rubber band meant to hook into her braces.

Genius.

The French braid and salon visit came about because it was a big day for your Bekah girl. My debut as a flower girl. I put on my red dress and white shoes {don't tell...it was after Labor Day} and stood at the end of a line of girls wearing red satin, while my sister and brother-in-law said their vows at the front of a church.

A whole lotta livin' has gone into the thirty years that have followed, and I'm so grateful for those two. Grateful for their love, their commitment to one another, and how every adversity they've faced {and there have been some doozies!} left them clinging tightly to the Lord and to one another.

So today I celebrate them. I celebrate the good example they have offered me as I walked...you know...twenty-seven years behind them in matrimony. Thankful that they have invested in my life, in our life. And in honor of this auspicious occasion, I invite you to a peanut butter chocolate deliciousness party.

And of course, by that, I mean that I'll give you the recipe and you can make our own. And if you're local, give me a jingle and I'll come join you. :)  This recipe is so easy to make, and it is ridiculously tasty. This is perfect for work treats, church carry-in dinners, and rough weeks. {Or days.} It comes together really quickly, and because it's a bar recipe, you can cut the pieces big or small as needed!

{I originally found this recipe here, if you want to see her thoughts and twist on it.}

Chocolate Peanut Butter Deliciousness

* 1 yellow cake mix
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 cup creamy peanut butter
* 2 eggs
* 1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 Tablespoons butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter and 2 eggs. {This comes together more easily if you use a mixer, but you can mix it with a spoon.} Spread half of it in a 9x13 baking dish. On the stove in a small pot, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter and vanilla. Melt on medium heat until all melted and combine, stirring regularly to keep it from burning. Pour over the half mixture in the bottom of the pan, evenly spreading over the top. Take the remaining cake mix batter and press it in small, hand-pressed pieces over the top. Bake 25 minutes at 325. Cool, cut, and serve.

A Few Tips:

* I have actually used crunchy peanut butter in this several times {mostly because it's what I have on hand more often than not} and I like the extra crunch, myself. So if you're a crunchy fan, give that a shot!

* The cake batter part is very thick, so when I spread it in the pan, I put my hand inside a sandwich bag and press it in firmly and as evenly as possible.

* I haven't tried this with milk chocolate chips, but I can imagine it would be quite good - though very rich.

* I've found its easier to use the baggies-over-hands method to press out pieces of batter for the top as well. It's kind of like playing with play-doh! I just put them down on top of the chocolate - and there are always sections where the chocolate shows through. It's not a full piece like it is on the bottom.

Ugly, Lovely Pies

My mother makes amazing pies. Her mother ran a bakery, both of them worked in it, and both of them learned the art of baking...very well.

People have learned that if they get an invitation to a meal at my parents' house, dessert will probably include a pie option, and it will be good. {And pretty.}

Ryan and I had lunch there Sunday, along with my sister, and when the table was cleared and the stack of dessert plates appeared...not only was there pie...there was strawberry pie. One of my all time favorites. My mouth waters just typing about it.

Mom served up slices of pie...bright red berries held together by that delicious glaze, and topped with whipped cream. And I joked to Ryan that in my new life...I can make pies for him!

I say I joked about it...because you remember my all-day pie making attempt from gallternity leave, right?

But all day Sunday, I thought about that pie we had at Mom and Dad's, and I knew I had to give it a shot. So Monday morning, I hopped on Pinterest and found a pie crust recipe that called for ingredients I already had in the house. I stirred and patted and rolled and poked and baked the empty shell...and well...it wasn't much to look at.

I'd been lucky to get it to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. No room for pretty edges or pretty anything, really. The broken, jagged sides offered no promise of awards or a future of carrying on the family tradition of a bakery career.

It was ugly.

I crossed my fingers and hoped that deliciousness buried itself in the ugliness.

I went to the store and bought strawberries to make the filling...and that afternoon, I stood over the stove, stirring the glaze and folding in the sliced berries.

I slid it into the fridge and grabbed my phone to text Ryan and tell him a surprise awaited him. I wondered if I should really build it up like that because...well, you see the pie.

But I did anyway.

After we drove home from dinner with my sister and parents, I made him stand in the kitchen with his eyes closed, and I brought the pie out of hiding.

He looked right over that ugly crust and met my eyes...and said I hoped that's what the surprise was going to be!

I confess that the pie is now ENTIRELY gone. {It was a small pan.} And it was far more tasty than it was pretty.

But I learned a little something in that pie-making. There was a Bekah of old who would have made an ugly pie and hidden it or thrown it away because it wasn't good enough. Wasn't perfect enough. Wasn't up to the caliber of what someone else could have done. Wasn't a gift worth giving

I'm so glad the Lord has worked on my heart to bring me out of being that Bekah. No, that pie would not have won a single 4-H award. No, it would not have secured any job for me in a bakery. It was an ugly pie. But it was a pie made with much love for the man I love. And I gave that gift to him in love, and he received it the same way.

I'm thankful for that. Thankful for the freedom to give imperfect gifts and to know they'll be received with joy because he sees the love and heart I put into making them.

I'm sure I'll work on my pie-making and it'll get better. And there's also a good chance I'm just not my mom when it comes to pie making. Either way - it's okay. Either way, it's a joy to give a labor of love to my love. And I appreciate the joy he offers in receiving it!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

My dream has always been to become that wife...the one who sends treats to work with her husband, just because. But sadly, it hasn't happened nearly as often as I would have liked in the last 30 months. Sometimes it was all I could do to get meals on the table for the two of us. Forget making treats for others!

But this past Monday was my chance. My first day in the post-work world, and it just so happened I had a doctor's appointment not far from Ryan's work. To me, it sounded like the perfect excuse to stop by, see the most handsome PTA I've ever met, and take some treats! And so, I did. Sunday afternoon, I planted myself in the kitchen and whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, because this recipe makes DOZENS of cookies. I had plenty to share with his co-workers, plenty for us throughout the week, and plenty to share with my family, since my sister is visiting.

This actually isn't the first time this recipe has hit the blog, but I wanted to update it a bit. Last time I featured it on the blog, there was quite the discussion about the use of butter flavored shortening instead of just plain butter. I haven't changed the recipe, and it certainly isn't one of the healthier things I make, but I won't lie: a giant glass of milk and a couple of these = happiness.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 2 cups butter flavored shortening
* 4 eggs
* 4 teaspoons vanilla
* 4 1/3 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and drop by teaspoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

A Few Tips

* I use butter flavored Crisco sticks for my shortening. I HATE measuring messy stuff, and there's no way I have the time or patience to measure out two cups of shortening when I can break out two one-cup bricks and be done with it.

* I use my stand mixer {Miss Mixy} for this project, and it has made ALL the difference. I start by combining the sugars, add the shortening and eggs, and then put in the vanilla, followed by the flour/baking soda/salt mixture. At the very end, I have to stir by hand, because the batter gets too thick for the paddle to work through effectively, but the mixer sure helps at the start.

* I do use pure vanilla. I will skimp on some things, but that's not one of them. I really do feel like it improves the taste of the cooking!

* I also use a wheat flour instead of a white flour. I don't think it changes the taste, but it does make the cookies look a little browner. {Is browner a word?} That would be the ONLY healthy thing I do with this recipe. {That and organic eggs, I guess.}

* Once the cookies are baked and I have them in a storage container, I tuck a piece of bread inside a folded paper towel and put it in with the cookies. Helps keep them softer for the time you have them. {Which probably won't be long.}

Like I said - grab milk or coffee, a couple of cookies, and enjoy. I highly recommend them STRAIGHT out of the oven. And shared with friends. If you make them, remember I'm your friend.

Candy Shop Pizza

You've all had the day when you {or your husband} {or child} {or all of the above} walks in the door and declares There's a party tomorrow and I have to bring something. Right!?!?

It never fails to happen on your busiest night, when you have no time to make something elaborate, but you also want to appear the super-wife/super-mom/super-friend who has a stunning dish at the ready, no matter what. Right?!?!!?

To be fair, I happened to marry a man known for his ability to cook and cook well. He's not above, beyond, beneath, or any other direction away from whipping up something delicious to take to his own work carry-in events. But he did happen to marry a girl who waited many years to have a husband stroll in the back door after work and declare There's a party tomorrow and I have to bring something...so I like to cook for him. Makes me feel wifey.

So last night, when he came home {and we were home for approximately .0002 seconds before heading out of town for a funeral visitation}, he told me there was a carry-in at work, and he needed to take something. We didn't get home until after ten, so I knew it had to be something quick and easy...and candy shop pizza came out the winner.

I got this recipe from my mom years ago, when I was a cooking novice and needed easy recipes to impress the ladies in Bible study and potential suitors alike. I love this recipe because it's easily altered to fit whatever kind of chocolate mood you might happen to find yourself in. And unless you are ME last night, it truly is a cinch to make. {How does my culinary mind know when I'm cooking for the added pressure of pictures...and suddenly it all goes wrong? Humility.}

Candy Shop Pizza

* 1 18-ounce roll of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 6 ounces chocolate chips
* 1 medium size bag peanut butter M and M's

Press cookie dough over a pizza pan or onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 11-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.While dough is hot, drop teaspoonfuls of peanut butter around it and sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Let it melt slightly {about five minutes} and spread both over the cookie to make a "sauce". Arrange candy on top of melted chocolate and peanut butter. Let it harden for a few hours or overnight. Cut in squares or triangles and serve!

A Few Tips:

* If you would rather use another kind of cookie dough to mix up the flavor, you certainly may!

* I usually make this in a rectangle cookie sheet with sides, but last night I made it on a round pizza stone so it would look authentic for Ryan's party. I learned that authentic comes at a price. The edges of the pizza may have overflowed into the bottom of our oven. Boy, doesn't our house smell PRETTY!!?!!? So if you're using a flat stone, you might put a larger pan underneath to catch the overflow. Or use a bigger stone. Or just have better luck than I did!

* You may use crunchy or creamy peanut butter, depending on what you like, and the same goes for milk chocolate chips vs. semi-sweet. I used crunchy peanut butter and milk chocolate chips.

* I used to make this recipe using multiple kinds of candy bars for the candy topping - chopping them up finely. Kit-Kat, Nestle Crunch, and Butterfinger were my favorite, because they chopped easily. But I really like using the M and M's now, because they look like pepperoni on the top there. It's a classier looking pizza in my opinion.{If anything can be classy when your house smells like burned cookies!}

* I also forgot last night that baking on a stone takes a little longer than a regular pan. I took it out too soon and had to put it back in...setting the burned cookie smell free in the house!

* Hope that everyone hates it so you can eat the entire pan. I'm looking at you, Ryan's work buddies.

Strawberry Shortcake

My parents had a huge {read: huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge} garden when I was little. If I'd known to do so, I might have accused my dad of tilling half the yard so he didn't have to mow it. Every year, he ran the red tiller down the plot of dirt, and I'd run along behind in my bare feet, feeling the loose dirt between my toes.

They planted all kinds of vegetables...but they did have a whole section just for strawberries. I'd watch as the tiny green berries popped out and then they blushed into pink and then right on into red. I didn't love picking them, but I did love it when Mom cleaned them, cut them, buried them in sugar, and served them over the little sponge cakes from the grocery store. Strawberry shortcake nights were second only to strawberry pie nights in my book.

As an adult, I continued the tradition of sponge cakes under my berries...but I learned I could get those berries from the store! And then...I learned about the Ivanhoe's strawberry shortcake. If you're not from our area and haven't experienced this delicacy...then I'm just sorry. There's truly nothing I can do to make up for that loss.

But a few years ago, I visited my friend Ronda at her house for dinner, and she offered me strawberry shortcake for dessert. In my bowl, buried beneath the giant strawberries, was a cake that tasted as close to Ivanhoe's as I'd ever tasted. Hesitantly, I asked her if she shared her recipe, and to my delight, she said yes.

I made some this week, and we've been snacking on it little by little every day...and how I love summer. 

Thought I'd share it with you today. The weekend is coming, and it might be the perfect time for some warm cake out of the oven, doused in juicy strawberries and topped {of course} with whipped cream!

Strawberry Shortcake

* 2/3 cup butter, softened
* 1 3/4 cup sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 3/4 cups flour
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 cup milk

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan or two 9-inch round pans. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture. Bake a 9x13 for 40-50 minutes and smaller layers at 30-35 minutes. Serve warm with strawberries and whipped cream.

A Few Tips

* Since I don't have a garden, I normally buy two 1-pound packages of strawberries at the store, and that gives me about enough strawberries for a 9x13. If you really love a ton of strawberries in your strawberry-to-cake ratio, you're welcome to do many more.


* Rinse the berries, cut the tops off, and cut them into halves or quarters to make them smaller for serving. I like mine a little sweet and juicy, so I sprinkle about 1/4 cup of baking Stevia over the chopped berries and refrigerate them for a while so the sugar breaks them down a bit. If you like the berries very very sweet, you can use regular sugar and add more to create a lot of juice.

* I use whole wheat flour in my baking, so my cake is a little darker than yours will be if you use white flour. I think it still tastes delicious.

* I use fat free or 1% milk and it works just fine.

Cake Mix Cookies

Confession: sometimes I'm a lazy dessert-maker. Perhaps you can understand my dilemma. I'm sure you've experienced it at some point: you need dessert right now and you don't have time to labor over a culinary delight before the need gives way to hangry tirades.

{Seriously - please tell me you've been there. This week.}

When I'm a good plan-ahead wife, I make a big dessert on Sunday, and we munch on it throughout the week. When I'm the worst plan-ahead wife, we buy a carton of ice cream, and we munch on it throughout the week. When I desire to appear that I've planned ahead more than I really have, we have cake mix cookies.

They're brilliant, really. If you have a cake mix on hand, and a some eggs and oil to spare, you can have hot, fresh cookies in about 15 minutes flat with the most minimal mess to clean up. A baking dream.

They're soft. They're chewy. And they're any flavor of the cake mix world you like. So essentially, regardless of your craving, you can probably satisfy it.

Ryan and I have recently fallen in love with multiple batches of lemon cookies. They feel a bit on the classy side...as though we should be going to a tea somewhere. But if you're not a lover of lemon, that's okay. Pick your favorite flavor and go!

Cake Mix Cookies

* 1 box cake mix - any brand, any flavor
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 2 eggs
* chocolate chips/nuts/other add-ins/frosting optional

Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and any add-ins of your choice in a bowl and stir until well-mixed. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes at 350. Makes roughly 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cookies.

A Few Tips:

* You really can make these cookies as fancy or plain as you want based on what you add in. The chocolate cake mix variety tastes good with white or milk chocolate chips. You can add nuts, too, if you want.

* These work well with frosting, too, and if you're in a hurry, you can grab a tub of whatever flavor of frosting you like.

* I've tried making these using my baking stone, and find that they take longer to make because they don't bake as quickly and I have to leave them on the stone longer to keep them from falling apart when I remove them. Clearly I've moved back to a metal pan for this recipe because I'm in too much of a hurry to wait!

* Once upon a time, I tried making this with a homemade cake mix. It did not go well. It was dreadfully dry and crumbly. I haven't messed around with it enough to figure out what went wrong, but just in case you have homemade cake mix...beware that it might need some tweaking!

* These stay pretty soft on their own. When I make regular cookie recipes, I store them with a piece of bread in the container to keep them soft, but these don't require that.

* If you have extras and need help eating them, invite us over. We're equal to the task.

Healthier{ish} Danish

 
When I get to Heaven, sometime down the road, after I ask all the truly important, spiritual, eternal questions, I think there might be a distinct possibility I'll ask God whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy I stood so long in the appetite and weight-retention line. Seriously. Why wasn't I one of those with endless, carefree metabolism? No need to work out? No need to adjust recipes to health them up? I will ask in part because the original, creamy, gooey, delicious version of this recipe is admittedly funner {feel free to use that word} to eat.

But I will not lie...the healthier{ish} - and feel free to use that word, too - version is in no way shabby. It's good. And while I mourn the lack of fully fattened cream cheese and the absence of butterfalls from the top layer...I smile with satisfaction that I've taken more than one measure to try to make a sweet delight just that much better for us.

I first made this recipe for our Sunday School class, because we take turns carrying in breakfast each Sunday morning. They loved it, so I've made it multiple times since...each time, trying to make it just that much better...for us. So far I've not received rejections or complaints, so I think I may have landed on a good version.

It works as a breakfast treat or dessert...or dessert for breakfast. Whatever you like! Enjoy!! And if you just can't hack the health...it's not that hard to twist part or all of this recipe back to its original form!

Healthier{ish} Danish

* 1 can reduced fat crescent rolls, room temperature
* 1 8-ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 Tablespoons butter
* 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
* 1 Tablespoon sugar

Roll half the package of crescent rolls {four rolls} out until they stretch wide and long enough to cover the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Combine cream cheese and sugar in mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread cream cheese mixture over layer of rolls. Roll remaining half of crescent rolls {four rolls} out until they stretch wide and long enough to cover the top of the cream cheese mixture. Melt butter and brush over top of rolls. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over top of rolls. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve warm.

A Few Tips: 

* The original recipe called for 2 cans of rolls, with one can going on the bottom of the pan and the other on the top. If you choose to go back to that, you won't need to stretch out the rolls at all.

* I learned the rolls roll out better if they are room temperature. If they're cold, they snap back to their original size and make you CRAZY. I also learned they fit the pan better if you make them longer rather than wider.

* The original recipe also called for 2 bricks of cream cheese and a full cup of sugar. That version is certainly much creamier, but I think this halved version is plenty creamy and flavorful, so I decided to stick with less filling {even though I love filling with all my being}.

* The original recipe also called for a quarter cup of butter, but it was SO MUCH. I think even 2 Tablespoons is almost more than enough. You only need enough for your cinnamon/sugar mixture to cling to.

* So good with coffee. But that's just my opinion. :)