Cowboy Cookies

vegetable oil cooking spray
parchment paper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c old-fashioned oats
6 oz semi-sweetened chocolate, cut into 1/4 in chunks (1 cup)
3 oz (3/4 c) pecan halves
1/2 c shredded unsweetened coconut (I substituted rice crispies)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat baking sheets with cooking spray, line with parchment and spry parchment.  (only need to do this once)

2.  Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

3.  Beat butter and sugars in mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Reduce speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla.

4.  Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated.  Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans and coconut until combined. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

5.  Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop or small spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart.  Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until edges of cookies begin to brown.

6.  Transfer baking sheets to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.  Transfer cookies to rack and let cool.  Cookies can be stored up to 3 days... if they could even make it that long!

Fudge

This recipe is from Mrs. Kingsley, the grandmother of Peggy's cousin Jules. Peggy says it's the best, though we haven't had it yet. We're looking forward to trying it out!

4 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 cube butter
1/2 lb marshmallows
1 jar marshmallow cream
12 oz chocolate chips
2 medium or 1 large Hershey bar
1/2 cups nuts (optional)

Bring sugar, milk and butter to full rolling boil and boil for six minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and add marshmallows, marshmallow cream, chocolate chips and Hershey bar(s). Stir until partially cooled. Add 1/2 cups chopped nuts.

Pour into buttered pans and let stand 24 hours. May be turned to harden.

Fudge Brownies

Alyssa's preschool always needs brownies for those kiddos with nut allergies and homemade is the best way to go. This recipe came from my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer Instructions and Recipes book... they are pretty yummy!

1 cup margarine or butter, softened, divided
4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Melt 1/2 c butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, set aside to cool.

Mix remaining 1/2 cup butter, sugar and vanilla with a mixer. Add eggs one at a time.

Add cooled chocolate mixture and mix again, scarping bowl. Add the remaining ingredients until well blended.

Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. Cool in pan on wire rack and cut.

Tomorrow's Chocolate Chip Cookies

From "Perfection? Hint: It's Warm and Has a Secret," an article by David Leite which appeared in the July 9, 2008 issue of the New York Times. Recipe adapted from Jacques Torres
Makes 1-1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies

Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours for chilling

• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8-1/2 ounces) cake flour
• 1-2/3 cups (8-1/2 ounces) bread flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2-1/2 sticks (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter
• 1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
• Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

3. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

5. Scoop 6 3-1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate (www.jacquestorres.com); Valrhona féves (oval-shaped chocolate pieces) are available at Whole Foods.

Visit www.leitesculinaria.com, David's James Beard award-winning Web site for more of his articles and recipes.

The secret is letting the dough rest in your fridge for 24-36 hours. There’s a whole scientific explanation as to why this makes better cookies – it has to do with the allowing the dough to fully soak in the eggs, which makes for a dryer dough and a cookie that gets brown more evenly. It also changes the taste of the cookie. Check out this article for the full explanation. It’s actually really interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html?em

Auntie Ann's Royal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 9 doz. cookies

Ingredients:
4 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. shortening (plain)
1 c. shortening (butter flavored)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. squeezed orange juice
2 T. finely grated orange peel
4 eggs
2 c. pecans
1 pkg. chocolate chips (12 oz.)

Directions:
Combine flour, soda, and salt. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine sugars, shortening, vanilla and juice. Beat until mixture is creamy. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts, and grated orange peel. Refrigerate dough several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly grease insulated cookie sheet (wipe off excess). Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool 2-3 minutes before removing from sheet.

Buffalo Chip Cookies

(Recipe from Laura Neff Miller)

2 c melted butter
2 c sugar
2 c packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
4 beaten eggs

2 c oatmeal
2 c smashed cornflakes
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 large pkg chocolate chips (16-18 oz.)

Blend melted butter and sugars. Mix thoroughly, adding the beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix in oatmeal and cornflakes. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder. Stir mixture until properly blended. Add chocolate chips.

Drop by ice cream scoopfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Do not put more than 6 on one pan. Cook at 350 degrees F for 13-15 minutes. Cool on pan for 3-5 minutes.

Makes 31/2 doz.
(Cookies can be frozen.)

3-Layer Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

No one really knows who in the family to attribute this one to, but the general consensus says it goes back to Ryan's Grandma Doris. According to her husband Grampa Lynn, "Gramps" as we all call him, this cake has to be eaten in a bowl with milk poured on top of it like cereal. Maybe it's because it used to be made too dry, or perhaps it's because back in the day nobody wanted to be wasteful and dirty a glass for milk, but what ever the reason, to this day in our family, if it's served and there ain't a big jug of milk brought out with it, people start to grumble. It's become the standard, defacto birthday cake in the Jaffe family.

Cake
Ingredients:
Mix 2 tsp. baking soda into 1 cup of boiling water (set aside for later)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups shortening
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Sift together:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Lastly add the soda water. Lightly grease and flour the insides of three round 9 inch diameter cake pans. Divide the batter equally between the three cake pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and remove to cooling rack covered in wax paper.

Fudge Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 squares semi-sweet bakers chocolate
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
In a sauce pan over low to medium heat, stir till boiling. Boil for 1 minute. Let cool then beat till creamy, firm enough to hold peaks.
Frost a layer at a time then frost the outside edge and top of the cake.