Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Instant Pudding

I am always searching for a goooood chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I make a new one every week.  Sometimes, the ingredients add up and become the family’s favorite – for that week – and sometimes, we move it.  This recipe is definitely a winner….and the winning ingredient is…..INSTANT VANILLA PUDDING!  WHAT!  Who’da thought…well obviously someone did.

These are really good….they sort of remind me of Soft Batch cookies.  

Which brings back memories of Sunday night Lifetime movies and a new Barbie….and warm cookies of course!

Enjoy and Stay Sweet!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Sunday Baker)

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter softened

¾ cups brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

1 package of instant vanilla pudding

2 eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup of milk chocolate chips

Directions:

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees

~Sift flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

~In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars.

~Add pudding and mix until well blended.

~Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.

~Slowly add flour mixture.

~Fold in chocolate chips.

~Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie - AKA Doubletree Hotel Copy Cat Cookie

So, ever since I tasted a Doubletree Hotel cookie I have been obsessed.  If you have never had one, it is simply cookie perfection.  No really, it IS!!!!!!!

So in my quest to find a good copy cat recipe, I stumbled upon Food Geeks interpretation of what a Doubletree Cookie tastes like.  It’s not exactly it, but it sure is close.  REAL CLOSE!

Ingredients:

¼ cup rolled oats

1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

pinch of cinnamon

½ cup of unsalted butter

¼ cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup + 2 tbsp white sugar

¾ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp lemon juice

1 egg

¼ cup dark chocolate morsels

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

½ cup milk chocolate morsels

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:

~ Preheat oven to 325 degrees (I’m a low and slow gal)

~ Grind rolled oats in a food processor until fine

~ Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside

~ In the bowl of an electric mix, cream butter, sugars, vanilla and lemon juice

~ Add egg and mix until combined

~Scrape down sides if necessary

~ Add flour mixture and mix until combined

~ Fold in chocolate chips and nuts

~ Chill dough for 30 minutes or overnight (I did 30 minutes, I just can’t make a cookie dough today and eat it tomorrow – sooooo not my style)

~ Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop dough onto sheet

~ Bake for 15 – 20 minutes

~ Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy (in my case IMMEDIATELY!)

Stay Sweet!

Oven Baked Chili Hot Dogs

In my house, hot dogs are a staple.  They serve as a quick lunch, an afternoon snack or an easy meal in a pinch.  We’ve covered them in corn meal, topped them with slaw or mixed them with beans...we grill them, pan-fry them, boil them and even cook them in the microwave, but we have NEVER thought to cook them in the oven!!  Who knew that you could make delicious chili-cheese dogs in the oven?

Oven Baked Chili Hot Dogs (adapted from Sunshine and Bones) 

Ingredients:

8 hot dogs

8 hot dog buns

1 can of chili

Cheddar Cheese

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Relish (I used sweet relish)

Directions:

 ~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 ~ Line the inside of a baking pan

 ~ Spread mayo, relish and mustard on the inside of the hot dog bun

 ~ Fill bun with hot dog and squeeze into a pan

 ~ Top the hot dogs with chili and cheese

 ~ Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes

 ~ Remove from oven and ENJOY!

By the way, I ate these with my hands!  Oh AND I licked my fingers...

Stay Sweet!

Birthday Bark

We wouldn’t be Sweet Little Vittles if we didn’t like SWEETS!  DUH…

And what’s sweeter than bark…or in this case BIRTHDAY BARK?!  This isn’t your run-of-the-mill fruit and nut bark (though I would NEVER turn away chocolate and nuts).  This is a fun festive treat, flavored with a little cake batter and topped with sprinkles.

Birthday Bark

(adapted from How Sweet It Is)

1 cup of dark chocolate chips

2 cups of white chocolate chips

2 tablespoons white cake mix (I sifted mine to remove lumps) 

sprinkles of your choice (at least 3 tablespoons worth or more)

Melt dark chocolate either in the microwave or a double boiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour chocolate on. You can smooth it with a spatula to the thickness you desire. Stick in the freeze for 20 minutes.

Melt white chocolate. Whisk in cake mix slowly, stirring well until no lumps remain. Let it set for 3 full minutes (or at least until it slightly thickens). Remove baking sheet with chocolate from the freezer and immediately pour white chocolate on top. Sprinkle on sprinkles. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Once set, break into chunks. Keep refrigerated or eat immediately (which is what I did!)

Whipped Jack Rum

So this past weekend I discovered something yummy….it is whipped cream flavored rum.  I went in to look for cake flavored vodka and walked out with this bottle of deliciousness.  AND it was super inexpensive – a whopping $7.99.  For that price I definitely thought it was worth a try.  If you can find it in your area, pick it up!

I mixed it with ginger ale to make a cream soda, per the recipe on the back.  Quite yummy!!!!!!

Stay Sweet!

AND ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

Pinterest

OK, so I don’t usually spend hours and hours on the Internet searching for things or on social media…ok, maybe I can search for things for hours on end, I do love a good recipe search.  But since I have discovered Pinterest, it’s like I never have to search a recipe again…it’s all there at my fingertips.  Recipes, DIY’s, ideas for party planning and house decorating and just stuff upon stuff upon stuff.  I swear I don’t spend hours pinning things on my board, but I’d like to.  AND YOU SHOULD TOO!

Check it out…www.pinterest.com

Stay Sweet!

Snickerdoodles

I always wondered why these cookies are called snickerdoodles....they should be called happydoodles.  This cookie really made me smile.


I'm on a quest to try cookie recipes that DO NOT include chocolate...crazy, right?  I mean chocolate really completes the cookie.


Now, don't get me wrong, I like snickerdoodles - A LOT.  BUT, if they are next to a chocolate chip cookie, or chocolate chip with oatmeal cookie or an Oreo, it doesn't stand a chance. 


This snickerdoodle recipe is definitely worth a try...they are fluffy and soft AND delicious.

Fat Fluffy Snickerdoodles (adapted from How Sweet It Is)

 makes 16-20 cookies

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 egg

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for dipping

Directions:

~ Preheat oven to 350.

~ Cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth.

~ Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combined, about 2 minutes.

~ Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix until dough comes together.

~ If dough is still crumbly, add buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together.  

~ Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

~ In a bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon.

~ Remove dough from fridge and roll into big 1 1/2 inch balls.

~ Dip in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on baking sheet.

~ Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Stay Sweet!