Copycat Chick-fil-A Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 Ingredients:

½ cup butter softened

½ cup shortening

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar packed

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 ¾ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup oats quick cooking or old fashioned

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

12 ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips chunks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, shortening, dark brown sugar, and white sugar in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer.

Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined.

Stir in oats.

Stir in chocolate chips

Using a medium cookie scoop (2 Tbsp.) scoop cookie dough and stack two cookie dough balls, one on top of the other, on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 4-6 cookies per sheet to allow for room to spread.

Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack

 I always make Anissa cookies for her birthday. I was late baking for her this this year.

Savory Sweet Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs

 

Ingredients:

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (you can also use boneless)

1tbsp olive oil,1 tbsp butter ( I like this combination)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 tsp smoked paprika 

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Chicken:

Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels.

Season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.

2. Make the Sauce:

In a skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil and butter.

Add garlic and sauté until fragrant .

Stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Simmer until slightly thickened, 2–3 minutes.

3. Sear the Chicken:

Add chicken thighs, skin-side down, and sear for 3–4 minutes until golden. Flip and coat with sauce.

4. Bake:

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove Chicken from skillet and place in baking dish. Put in the oven. Bake for 25–30 minutes, basting with sauce halfway, until chicken reaches 165°F 

3-ingredient cottage cheese dole whip

 

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen pineapple ( save the liquid from the can pineapple)

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 cup cottage cheese

Directions:

Process the pineapple, banana, and cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides and bottom as needed. Add liquid if needed.

This is absolutely delicious! ★★★★★

Banana Bread Cookies

 Ingredients:

Cookie Base

1/2 cup  salted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup  brown sugar

1 banana, mashed 

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup old fashion oat- put in food processor to make oat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon and Sugar Mixture

1/3 cup  granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F . Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the salted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and overripe banana and vanilla for 1 minute, or until light in color and fluffy in texture.

Add the flour,  oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the mixer. Mix until a soft dough or thick batter forms.

Roll batter into small balls ( was easier with hand that are wet). The batter is pretty sticky.

Roll balls into sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes.

Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for about a minute or so.

Remove and place on cooling rack.

Mei gave me a bunch of very ripe bananas this morning. I saw this recipe awhile ago and it was on my list to make.

Mei came over to bring us Chili she made. Gave her cookies to bring home.

BTW- The cookies were good

Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake

 Ingredients

1 cup 2% cottage cheese

2 eggs

1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup oat flour ( put old fashion oats in food processor to make flour)

1/4 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

spray for dish

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Add eggs to bowl and beat well. Add cottage cheese, vanilla, cinnamon and honey and mix until thoroughly combined.

Add oat flour, baking powder and salt to the cottage cheese mixture and combine.

Fold in blueberries to the above.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove when done and let cool

At first I didn't think I was going to add this to the blog but the more I picked on it the better it got!

Think it would be better with fresh blueberries

Cauliflower Hash Browns

 

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, riced (about 3 cups packed)

1/4 cup  almond flour

1/2 cup shredded cheese

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Oil for frying

Directions:

Prepare the Cauliflower Rice: Using a food processor or a hand grater, pulse or grate the cauliflower until it reaches a fine, rice-like consistency. Be sure that the pieces are as small as possible for the best texture

Mix the Batter: In a large bowl, combine the riced cauliflower, almond flour, cheese, eggs, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Stir until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Heat the Skillet: Place a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Allow the oil to heat until shimmering.

Form and Cook Hash Browns: Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the cauliflower mixture and shape into a patty approximately 3/4-inch thick. Gently place each patty in the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook in batches if necessary. Fry each side for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve: Remove the hash browns from the skillet when fully cooked and set them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately while hot, or allow them to cool for freezing and future use.

Mei wanted to shop in a local produce store. I picked up just the cauliflower - it was just a dollar and I can never resist a bargain. Since I'm absolutely  HORRIBLE about frying Mei offer to help me.

These came out really good!

ALMOND COOKIES

 

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter or margarine (or half that, half shortening)

¾ cup sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp almond extract

Optional: ½ tsp vanilla extract

2 ¾ cup flour

½ tsp baking soda

Extra sugar for flattening

Optional: Almonds or walnuts for topping

Directions

Cream butter or margarine (and shortening if using) with sugar in mixer. Mix in the egg, then the extracts, then slowly the flour and baking soda.

Shape dough into ¾” balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass into the extra sugar and use it to flatten each ball (redip as needed or for each ball). If desired, top each cookie with a nut, pressing it in lightly to make it stay.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, or until edges are just starting to show color.

Recipe from Reddits Best Family Recipes. OP stated-My grandmother used to have these lovely little almond cookies on hand whenever we were coming to visit -- and often kept some in the freezer, because my grandfather really liked snacking on them and they're also delicious frozen. She devised the sugared-glass-flattening method herself -- a reinvention of the wheel, but one she was pleased with that works quite well and leaves the edges a bit decoratively rough. They're deceptively unassuming-looking cookies but simply wonderful.