Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies (Levain Copycat without Walnuts)

 https://www.modernhoney.com/levain-bakery-chocolate-chip-crush-cookies/

Ingredients

• 1 cup COLD Butter cut into small cubes (1 T slices)
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour* (You can substitute 1 1/2 scant cup flour + heaping Tablespoon of cornstarch)
• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups Chocolate Chips- I like to use a mix of mini and milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 410 degrees for large cookies or 400 for regular sized.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy.
3. Add eggs, ONE at a time, mixing well after each one.
4. Stir in flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. LARGE COOKIES: Separate dough into large balls and place on lightly colored cookie sheet. They are bigger than you think! You will fit 4 cookies on one large cookie sheet. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies.
6. REGULAR COOKIES: Spoon onto cookie sheet with parchment paper. Usually I fit about 12-13 regular sized.
7. LARGE: Bake for 9-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown on the top. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes to set.
8. REGULAR: Bake for 7-9 minutes. Let them rest on the cookie sheet

Hummingbird Cake

Recipes blended from Baking with Blondie and Cake by Courtney

CAKE 

1 box Duncan Hines spice cake, sifted 

3 eggs 

1/2c sour cream

1/2c buttermilk 

1/3c vegetable oil

1tsp vanilla

1c crushed pineapple*

2c mashed Bananas*

*I pureed my pineapple and bananas to not have chunks

FOR THE PINEAPPLE CURD

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 whole eggs

4 egg yolks

2 tsp. corn starch

4 tbsp. unsalted butter cut into cubes

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter slightly cold

6 oz. cream cheese slightly cold

6 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 tbsp heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

FOR THE CANDIED PECANS

2 cup chopped pecans

2/3 cup sugar

FOR THE CURD (make at least a couple hours ahead. You'll want it cold)

Whisk the sugar, the pineapple juice and corn starch in a medium saucepan.

In a small bowl, whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the pineapple mixture.

Turn the heat to medium. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it's thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until incorporated.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. (Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.)

FOR THE TOASTED, CANDIED PECANS

Combine the chopped pecans and sugar in a skillet over medium heat.

Continuously stir as the nuts are cooking and the sugar is melting. We want to coat the pecans with the sugar as it melts, but we don't want the pecans to burn.

This process takes some patience.

Once the pecans are coated with sugar and toasted, pour them onto a sheet of parchment paper to cool completely.

FOR THE CAKE 

Preheat convection oven to 325°

Use crisco and flour to grease 3-6" pans or 2-8" pans. Also could make 24 cupcakes. 

Whisk all wet ingredients together until incorporated. 

Sift cake mix into wet ingredients. 

Divide evenly between cake pans. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes- until center is just barely set. 

Let sit out for 5 minutes. Then plop upside down onto cooling  racks until room temperature. 

Transfer to freezer for 15+ minutes (makes it easier to frost) 

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add a bit of cream and vanilla and pinch of salt. 

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar 1/2c at a time. 

Add rest of cream. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes to whip.

ASSEMBLY

Place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake plate or cake board.

Spread a thin layer of frosting over the cake layer and pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a barrier to the filling. Spread about 1/4 cup of the curd in the center of the cake, carefully spreading it to the edge of the piping.

Place a second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and filling and repeat step 2. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.

Lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of frosting to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the frosting.

Finish frosting and decorating the cake with the remaining frosting. Cover the cake with the candied pecans.

Melinda's Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 sticks margarine
1 1/2 sticks butter flavor crisco
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla
Mix well
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
6 cups flour
Milk chocolate chip guittard brand
Bake at 350 for 12 mins

So you have to use the margarine and crisco. I know it sucks but its how it has to be. 😂

Baked Oatmeal

6 cups regular or quick oats
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup applesauce
4 Tbls. Butter, melted
2 cups milk
4 eggs
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon


In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until the center of the oatmeal seems firm and cooked. Serve oatmeal warm with milk, fresh berries and oatmeal crumble (optional).

Pressure Cooker Arroz con Leche (Perfected)

1/2 cup rice
3/4 cup water

Add to metal bowl smaller than pressure cooker and cover with foil. Place bowl in pressure cooker on a grill so it's not touching the bottom of the pot. Put 1 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the pot. Cook under pressure for 10 minutes. Cool immediately (under cold water).

2 cups milk (I use whole milk)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
2" lime rind
1 stick cinnamon

Stir milks, vanilla, and salt into rice. Add rind and cinnamon. Wrap again in foil and place in cooker. Add water to pot if cooker is too dry. Cook under pressure for 35 minutes. Let cool on its own. Remove rind and cinnamon and stir to mix, then serve.

Pressure Cooker Arroz Con Leche

I faked it with some leftover rice we had, so I'm not sure about the measurements....

1/2 to 1 cup *cooked* rice (I just eyeballed it)
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups water
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large can evaporated milk
1 stick cinnamon
strip of lime rind
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Put the rice and 1/3 cup water into a metal bowl smaller than the pressure cooker and wrap tightly with foil.
Put the 1 1/2 cups water in the pressure cooker.
Put a grate/grill on the bottom of the pressure cooker (it keeps the metal bowl from touching the bottom of the cooker) and place the bowl inside.
Cook under pressure for 3 minutes.
Run the cooker under cold water to cool immediately.  Do not pour the water out of the cooker.
Add milks, cinnamon, rind, vanilla, and salt to the rice and wrap with foil.
Cook under pressure for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cooker cool on its own.
Remove the cinnamon and the rind and stir the rice to mix it all.

It's a bit sweeter than we're used to, but it's really good.  I'm going to try using milk instead of evaporated milk (we were low on milk) so that'll cut down on the sweetness.  I'll also get some more accurate measurements of the rice and times

Shelly’s Granola

Mix the dry ingredients and set aside:

5 1/2 C Oatmeal
1 C Almonds
1 C Wheat Germ
1/2 C Sunflower seeds
1/2 C Coconut

In a pan combine the following and heat on the stove:
1/2 C Honey
1/2 C veg oil
1/2 C brown sugar

When it starts to boil take it off heat and add:
2 tsp vanilla

Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Spread over cookie sheet and put in oven at 225 degrees for 20 min.
If you want to add fruit like raisins add these after the granola has been baked.