A Vegan's Dream: M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

Being that my mind was completely blank today, having no idea what I should bake I decided to surf the web and look for chocolate recipes. However, I realized that I do not have any eggs and not wanting to go to the store; and wanting to try something different, I began my search for recipes with no eggs or egg substitutes. I have now come to realize that there are many people in search for egg less, flourless and etc.. recipes due to allergies or looking for no cholesterol recipes. So I found one egg substitute recipe for eggs when baking cookies and cakes. Now you might be wondering why candied fruits? Well, they were on sale after Christmas and have been sitting in my freezer ever since plus I had half a bag of Nestle Toll House Chunks, two fun size bags of M&Ms and thought that I would make Candy Cookies! I do not know if vinegar will have a bad effect for some but these cookies are great! Its weird, they almost taste better then when I make chocolate chip cookies with the egg. But do not fair, I will make other cookies or cakes without eggs using other methods of egg substitutes.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 or 1/2 cup of Nestle Toll House Chunks, roughly chopped
1/3 cup of Candied Fruit, roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup walnuts (optional)

Egg Substitute as follows:

1 tbsp water
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking powder
(recipe for each egg)

Preheat oven to 350F.
1. In a large bowl beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy. In a seperate bowl stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Then add eggs (egg substitute) to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well.
3. Beat in flour into butter and sugar mixture, then stir in chocolate chunks, walnuts and candied fruit.
4. Teaspoon small amounts of batter onto a ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Let cool and enjoy. Store in an air tight container. Makes about 3 dozen

Halloween Graveyard Cake (Easy)

This is an easy cake to make for Halloween and fun to do it with your kids. You can find this recipe at:
Halloween Graveyard Cake From Cooksrecipes

Candy Corn Cookies From Betty Crocker

Along with the Spooky Brownies, I also found this recipe on Betty Crocker, and I think its super cute but might be a little difficult then the brownies. But if you are interested in trying these cute cookies that will definitely be an attention getter, you can find the recipe at:
Candy Corn Cookies From Betty Crocker

Spooky Halloween Betty Crocker Brownies

As I was surfing the web for Halloween/Fall theme recipes, I found a few recipes on BettyCrocker.com that I thought would be great for anyone to do, and if your on a budget. This is an easy easy recipe, you can make for your Halloween party or kids. I love brownies and I think it is an easy and decorative project for anyone who may feel that you have to go to pastry school to produce decorative desserts.
Spooky Brownies From Betty Crocker

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars 1

My friends love Chocolate chip cookies, almost every week I must have cookies made for them. So this week was the week for me to make some and I just got tired of the same old cookies. What I decided to do was make the same recipe but make them into bars, less work and taste more like a cake cookie bar so to speak. Now this recipe is the base for an original chocolate chip cookie, however if you love cherries (as much as I do), pecans, walnuts, semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and oatmeal you can add these items and anything else you love, which will make such a nice soft bar.. But don't forget the chocolate chips, its the base of the recipe. This is only one bar recipe out of many, as they say, "The Skies The Limit".

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cup Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup roughly chopped cherries (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup instant oatmeal (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl, until creamy. Then add eggs, mix well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture, mixing until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips, saving 1/4 cup and stir in optional items, saving a few handfuls, if desire.
3. In a squared 8" pan or larger, spread the dough evenly throughout the pan, then sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips over the top and the few handfuls of optional items over the top as well.
4. Bake for about 25-40 minutes at 375F, it depends on your oven. Usually I check them at 25 minutes and leave them to brown for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Let cool and Enjoy!

WHITE Cake Mix Cookies Part 2

In my last post, I made Lemon cookies from a lemon cake mix. So I decided to try the same recipe, with a White Cake mix to simulate sugar cookies, and also to see if this recipe would be better when making sugar cookies with a little add and minus here and there. These cookies came out prefect, they were rich and soft. One review I got said, "the cookies are moist, rich and missing a glass of milk". Now, here is a quick and simple recipe for cookies that can be transformed into any flavored or type of cookie. Pecans, chocolate chip, all chocolate, and hazelnuts are just a few ideas, from dozens. Find all your baking needs at Brilliantcakes3000 ONLINE STORE

Hazelnut-Chocolate Chip cookies

Ok, so I found this recipe on Epicurious.com.. as I said on Sunday, I was interested in making either brownies or oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. So I decided to make these Hazelnut Chocolate chip cookies that I found and I think the hazelnut added a great taste to ordinary chocolate chip cookies. Even though I make several not so healthy desserts, I do try to shop at Whole Foods, and purchase all my ingredients from them, then everything I bake is organic.

This recipe is great, and it was a hit at my little get together the other night.

1 1/2 all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup creamy hazelnut butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups semi sweet mini chocolate chips

1. Sift together flour,baking soda, baking powder and salt 2. Beat both butters and both sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla. 3. Beat in the flour mixture and stir in the mini chocolate chips 4. Refrigerate dough for about 2 hours 5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line or grease 2 baking sheets. 6. You can use a tbsp or small ice cream scoop, arranging scoops of the dough 1-inch apart, and bake cookies one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

Today's Grocery list & Baking Ideas

Today, I had the idea to make some brownies or chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, I am planning to take a trip to my local grocery store here in Miami,Fl. My pantry is more or less full, but I would like to get in on some Labor Day sales. However I always end up thinking of new or old favorite things to bake and cook. With the exception of a sale, my weekly shopping budget is only $60-$80 usually it consist of meat and poultry, vegetables,cooking oil, rice and etc. And then when theres a sale I buy in bulk so the rest of the weeks, I am only spending money on important items that run out very quickly.

Heres what I plan to buy;
Orange juice (gallon) only $2.49
Cranberry juice (gallon) $5.19 buy 1 get one free
Pepsi/Mountain Dew 4 12pk cans for $10.00 plus get one free
Cereal $4.09 buy 1 get one free ( am a huge cereal fan)
Milk$3.79 (gallon)
Eggs $1.79
Brownie Mix 2 for $4.00 ( this is only for storage, because I love to make my famous brownies from scratch)
Cherries
Walnuts
Chocolate chip morsels
Cocoa powder
Water 24pk $4.00

Chocolate Almond Biscotti Recipe

1 Cup of Almonds
3/4 Cup of Gramulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon of Almond Extract
1 Cup Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Whisk eggs and vanilla extract together, then set aside.
3. Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until combined.
4. Gradually add the egg mixture, chocolate, and almonds, then beat until a dough forms.
5. With floured hands and surface, divide dough in half.
6. Roll each dough into a log.
7. Transfer logs to a lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, let cool and enjoy.

Breakfast with Sophie!

My mom was a nurse, and she took care of a sweet but tough little old lady name sophie. Her name may sound soft, but she was far from it. But, from time to time I would visit and help out. My real interest in baking came from visiting sophie, (because I was more of a cook since I was 10 years old, rather then baking).

I got the idea that it would be nice to bake something for her.. she loved sweets and trying new things. So I first began with breakfast, where I baked Almond stuffed Pastry Pretzels. It was in the shape of a pretzel and lightly stuffed with a mixture of sugar, almonds, and almond paste. As they were baking the house filled with a sweet aroma, and she could not wait. She enjoyed it, for the next couple of mornings.

Then I made semi sweet cinnamon buns, with her heath in mind and for christmas I made cookies. Sophie really enjoyed the treats, and she wanted to help so bad sometimes. It was more of a treat to see her face when she started to smell different things baking.