pudding cookies for my puddin'

Back for Pearl's birthday party, I needed a simple yet delicious cookie to add to the dessert table ...  So, I went with an old standby recipe that I got from my mother-in-law.

These "Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies" are a one bowl deal and use a box of instant pudding mix to give them a little extra flavor and keep them nice and chewy (just how I think all cookies should be!).

 

 

You will need:

 

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 cup of butter (or margarine)

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 box of instant pudding mix (any flavor ...  I used chocolate for this batch)

2 eggs

12 oz. bag of chocolate chips

 

To make the cookies:

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

 

Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and pudding mix and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed.

 

Add the flour and baking soda ...  The dough will become very thick and stiff (and hard to mix, especially if doing so by hand, but stick with it!).  Stir in the chocolate chips.

 

Roll the dough into balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and place about 1-2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined backing sheet.

 

 

Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies have set.  They will still be quite soft and doughy in the center.

 

Allow the cookies to slightly cool on the cookie sheets (for about 5 minutes) and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

Makes about three dozen (delicous!) cookies.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

a different kind of christmas cookie

On the very first day of my Winter Break, Malcolm and I spent part of the afternoon whipping up a batch of Peanut Butter Dog Treats for my sister's dog (our furry nephew/cousin), Emmitt.  Not only was it an easy Christmas gift to put together, it was fun to work in the kitchen alongside my boy.

(It didn't hurt that, halfway through, he exclaimed "Mom is a good cook!")

Here is how you can make your own treats for the four-legged friends in your family ...

You will need:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup rolled oats

To make the treats:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, blend the water, oil, eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla together until well combined, then set aside.  Whisk the flour, cornmeal, and oats together in a small bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a workable (it will still be quite soft) dough forms.

Roll the dough out (to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) on a floured surface and cut the treats in whatever shape you desire.  We used cookie cutters to make bones, dogs, and some letters ("M" for Malcolm and "E" for Emmitt).

Place on an parchment paper-lined, or (ungreased) nonstick cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes.  After the 20 minutes are up, turn the oven off and leave the treats inside as it cools (this will allow them to become nice and crisp).

Store in an airtight container once they are cooled ... We "fancied" our treats up by putting them in a glass container and adding ribbon and a festive tag (since they were a Christmas gift).

Although Malcolm was disappointed that he could not taste the finished product, he was so excited to give the gift to Emmitt ...

how to make a turtle-shaped diaper cake

My husband's cousin is having her first baby (a boy) in August and is a bit of a turtle enthusiast ...  So, for her shower, I wanted to get creative and make her a turtle-shaped "diaper cake."

As I searched the internet for inspiration, I noticed two things ...

First, although there are many great pictures of finished turtle "cakes," I could not find a free turtle tutorial anywhere.

Second, from reading the descriptions of finished turtle-shaped "cakes" and tutorials that could be purchased, it seemed as if all of them were meant to become keepsakes ... That is, they were held together with glue, ultimately making the diapers and other components unusable.

Since I'm up for a challenge (and I've been feeling crafty lately), I decided to give my own "turtle diaper cake" a try ...  And, in the spirit of practicality, I made sure that all the baby items used to assemble the turtle could later be used by my husband's cousin and her newborn son.

On with the tutorial ...

Making the upper shell: 

Starting with the open end of the diaper, I rolled seven diapers and secured them in the middle with rubber bands.

 

Next I arranged those rolled diapers in a circle (with one diaper in the middle and the remaining six around it) and held that configuration together with another rubber band.

To create the top of the upper shell, I opened and flattened out another diaper and covered the top of the seven rolled diapers.  I used another rubber band to secure it in place.

Next, to give some depth to the shell, I took four more diapers, fully opened them, and then rolled them lengthwise.  I layered and wrapped them around the bottom of rolled diaper shell piece and secured them with a large rubber band.

To complete the upper shell, I opened folded diapers (six in total) and fed them up to the crease under a rubber band that was stretched around the top of the central shell piece.  With the rubber band securing the crease of the inside of the diaper, I folded the rest of the diaper back down.

 

 

Four more diapers (folded lengthwise), were added on top of the original ring of folded diapers to help "pad" the very bottom of the shell even more and to make it protrude a bit more than the very top ...

 

Once in place, and working in a counter-clockwise fashion, I used the tabs on the diapers to secure them to the central piece, thus completing the upper shell.

 

Making the lower shell (including the head, tail, and feet):

In order to avoid gluing any pieces, I started by taking a basic paper plate and taping three diapers (opened and rolled lengthwise) along the edge ... I played with this a bit, making sure that the final upper shell would sit nicely on top of the plate, with the rolled diapers protruding from below.

 

At the front, I created a large arch with the diaper so that the turtle's head (a styrofoam craft ball wrapped in a baby washcloth and secured with straight pins) could be attached (via safety pins) to the paper plate underneath.

I also secured the tail (a rolled baby washcloth) on the plate opposite of the head.

For the feet, I used four baby socks (stuffed with plastic from some baby socks I had received for Pearl) and secured them with embroidery floss to the plate from below.

Putting it all together:

Lastly, to hold the upper and lower shell pieces together, I embellished the turtle with ribbon and other various craft items (as well as some additional small baby gifts).  This was also useful in covering up any "flaws" or portions that did not look as nice as I would have liked ...

 

 

Overall, I was pretty pleased with my final "turtle diaper cake."  It was fun to try and figure out how to make everything work (and stay together), while creating something that still looked good and was, ultimately, usable.

Definitely a fun little weekend project!

cute floral centerpieces for my cute baby girl

Pearl was baptized over the long weekend, which meant a gathering of extended family and friends at our house afterward.  In order to make our garage a little bit nicer for my girl's first ever party in her honor, I put together some simple floral centerpieces for the folding tables.

I already had the small metal pails from Malcolm's second birthday party, so all I had to do was remove his "street signs" and put flowers in their place.  Easy!

Here is a quick tutorial ...

To make the centerpieces, you will need:

Small metal pails
Floral foam (mine were half spheres that fit snugly into each pail)
Silk flowers (I purchased mine in bulk from www.afloral.com)
Wire snips
Shredded paper

Clip the silk flowers to your desired length (I found that about two inches off the bottom for the central flower and four to five inches for the perimeter flowers worked well).

Insert the stems into the floral foam.

 

Once all of the flowers are in place and how you like them, use the shredded paper to "fill in" the gaps and create a more finished look.

Proudly display your final product!

In all, each centerpiece cost just under $5.00 and took less than five minutes to make from start to finish ...  Not a bad little decoration, if I do say so myself!

fry up a fiesta

With "Cinco de Mayo" this past weekend, I had the perfect excuse to make a dessert that I love, but never get the chance to have ...

Mexican Fried Ice-cream!

This version that I created is actually "un-fried" so it is as easy to make as it is delicious!

You will need (approximately) ...

3 cups of cornflakes
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Vanilla ice-cream

To make the "un-fried" fried ice-cream ...

Begin by scooping balls of the ice-cream.  Use your hands to form and compact them slightly, then place them in a wax paper-lined dish and into the freezer.  Allow them to set for about 15-30 minutes.

In the meantime, put the cornflakes in a resealable plastic bag and use your hands or a rolling pin to crush them.  Add the sugar and cinnamon and shake to combine.

Working in batches, remove the ice-cream balls from the freezer and, one by one, coat them in the cornflake mixture.  I like to use my hands to actually smash the cornflakes onto the surface of the ice-cream, rather than just rolling it.  If at any point you feel like the ice-cream is becoming too soft, put the balls back in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then roll again ...  I like to roll each ball 2-3 times in the cornflake mixture to ensure that they are well coated.

Return the finished fried ice-cream to the freezer and allow them to set for another 30 minutes or so.

Enjoy with your favorite ice-cream toppings ...  My husband likes to drizzle his with honey and I like chocolate syrup.

Extra fried ice-cream can be stored in the freezer in the resealable bag ...  Although you will probably be tempted to eat them all in one sitting!

geology never tasted so good

Although I was a Biology major and am (currently) a high school Biology teacher, I have always had a soft spot for Geology ...

Geology in the form of edible, Chocolate Lava Cakes, that is!

These decadent desserts, my husband's specialty (and one of the many reasons he was "a keeper"), have been a Valentine's Day staple for me for many years ... So, with Valentine's Day a full week behind us, I am counting down the days until I will get to enjoy them again.

In the meantime, I thought I would share the wealth (and recipe) for any other chocolate lovers out there.

I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!


You will need:

4 squares of Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tablespoons flour
Vanilla ice-cream to serve

To make the individual cakes:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter and flour (3/4 cup sized) custard cups or souffle dishes and place on a baking sheet.

Note: In the years of making these cakes, we have used different dishes of various sizes and shapes. As you will see from the photos, the dishes this year were a bit bigger than the 3/4 cup size the recipe recommends ... I blame it on the pregnancy and my need for the extra calories! If you, too, are pregnant (and/or just want more Lava Cake!), adjust the baking time as needed (ensuring that the centers are still soft, but the edges are done).

Microwave the chocolate and butter in a large microwave safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute, or until the butter has melted. Stir with a wire whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Return to the microwave for another 10-30 seconds, if necessary.

Add the sugar and mix well. Then blend in the eggs and egg yolks. Lastly, stir in the flour.

Divide the batter between the custard cups.


Bake individual cakes for 13-14 minutes or until the sides are firm, but the centers are soft and gooey (like "lava," if you will).

They should look a little something like the photo below (dry and cracked along the edges and a bit sunken in the middle):


Let stand for 1 minute, then carefully run a knife around the cake edges to loosen them. Invert onto a dish or into a bowl and top with your favorite vanilla ice-cream.


Enjoy the deliciousness!

when malcolm boycotts bananas

Sometimes we buy Malcolm a bunch of bananas for the week and he gobbles them down in a few days ... Other times, they sit on the counter, untouched, slowly ripening past the point of no return.

Those weeks with uneaten, ripening bananas are my favorite because they often mean I'll get to whip up a batch of my "Auntie Marianne's Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies" (or "BCCs" for short).


These delicious sweet and chocolately cookies have a long withstanding history in my life ... "Auntie" Marianne is actually my mom's old college roommate and dear family friend, so, growing up, every time we'd get together we could expect our fill of BCCs. I fondly remember downing about a dozen of these cookies the morning of my wedding ... Breakfast of champions!

Anyway, Auntie Marianne was kind enough to share the recipe with me years ago, and since it is so easy (everything goes in one bowl!) to make, I thought I'd post it for posterity's sake.


You will need:

2/3 cup of shortening
1 cup of (granulated) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of bananas, mashed (typically two bananas)
2 1/4 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
pinch of salt
12 oz. bag of chocolate chips

To make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, blend the shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the mashed bananas and mix thoroughly. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate chips.

Using two spoons, drop by teaspoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet (or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper) and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.


Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Then remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in a covered container ... Although they will go fast!


Makes about three dozen cookies.

Note: I have found that is is helpful if you allow the cookies to cool slightly on the pans before attempting to move them to a cooling rack. The chocolate chips will be very gooey and because these cookies are soft, you can end up with a huge mess on your hands if you are too anxious! Even after waiting, it is sometimes necessary to scrape off your spatula so that all the stuck-on chocolately goodness does not damage the cookies as you scoop them off the pan.

Enjoy!

count on mom (part 2)

With part 1 (The Counts "suit") out of the way, the missing piece of the Halloween costume puzzle was the familiar green cape.

To begin here, I purchased two yards of fabric in (each) solid green and a colorful number pattern. The green would serve as my top layer of the cape, and the numbers would serve as the lining underneath.


I decided to sew the cape in two parts ... "Part 1" was the actual cape and "Part 2" would be the stiff, triangular part that would stand up behind Malcolm's head.

After making my cuts for "Part 1" (I used one of Malcolm's hooded bath towels as a pattern to get the length right), I turned both pieces good side facing inward and sewed them along three sides with my sewing machine.



Then I inverted everything, turning the good sides outward.


Next, I constructed "Part 2" in a similar fashion, using two pieces of the green fabric (one of Malcolm's board books served as my square template here) and turning the "good side" inward.


Using my sewing machine, I sewed all four sides, but left enough space at the bottom of one point to insert some craft foam (to make the piece stiff enough that it would stand up on its own). For the craft foam, I created the same shape, but slightly smaller, and cut off one of the corners. then I rolled it and stuffed it into the that it could be pushed inside the three sided pocket that I had created.



Once the foam was in place, I secured and sewed the triangular piece to the top of the flowing cape. I cut off the excess fabric, rolled the remaining length under, and sewed it in place to create a more "finished" look.




To attach the cape to Malcolm, I created a green tie by cutting a long strip of green fabric and folding over both sides to create a tube.


I placed this tube horizontally across the top of the inside of the cape and sewed it in place. This helped to cover up the area where the triangular piece of fabric had been added, but was also the obvious place for a fastener.



I created a couple extra vertical stitches for added support and used the hot glue gun to smooth a few areas and make everything lay correctly.


And, there you have it, Count Von Count's familiar green cape.

It took a little coaxing and bribery the week leading up to Halloween to get him comfortable with wearing it, but, in the end, Malcolm absolutely loved it!