Kitchen Adventures 12.5

I'm back! After a long respite due to a very busy autumn, I am catching up on my very large backlog of recipes while on break. The perks of working at a university just keep going. :)

This first recipe is one I made for a work birthday party. I have had this recipe since my time at Pitt, about five years ago now. Time flies! I never had problems with this recipe while in Pitt, but for some reason every time I have made it in Norman the middle sinks down after baking. I don't know if I'm overmixing or using bad baking powder, but regardless people even like that part of it.

This coffee cake is great for dessert or breakfast. Chocolate chips and cinnamon are a great combination! And remember, if you run out of sour cream you can always substitute plain yogurt. It works just as well and no one will know the difference!

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick butter at room temperature
2 eggs at room temperature
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8"x8" square baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking p0wder, baking soda and salt. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Beat the butter and remaining 1 cup sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture until combined and pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar mixture and half the chocolate chips. Spoon the remaining batter into the pan and spread out, then top with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture and chocolate chips.
3. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 30-35 mintues.

*From Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Kitchen Adventures 1.3

Yesterday involved a couple baking projects with a girls' night thrown in the mix. As soon as I got home from work, I whipped up some chocolate chip cookie bars after catching up with my cousin for a bit. These will be for VBS snacks next week. I had to bake them and stick them in the freezer because I won't be home long enough next week to get them made! This recipe came from the good ol' Triple T Youth Group cookbook.


Chocolate Chip Bars

ingredients:
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the first four ingredients until creamy. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the sugar mixture. Stip in the nuts and chocolate chips, then pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Here's a picture:

While those were baking, I made the Gingersnap cookie dough. We are having a going-away party for our good friend, Andy Dale, next Monday since he is moving back to KC. We are really going to miss him and his awesome jokes, plus just having him here. I decided these would be something quick and easy to take. These cookies work best rolled, but I had to refrigerate the dough to get it firm enough. While it was in the fridge, I went out to dinner and did some shopping with my good friend and old roomie, Claire. We both needed some girl time, so nothing's better than food and shopping!

This is a recipe I contributed for our Carl Albert Center holiday cookie exchange cookbook a couple years ago.

Gingersnaps

Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. molasses
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg and beat well. Mix dry ingredients and stir in. Roll in small balls and dip tops in sugar. Bake 0-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, let stand a minutes, then cool on racks.

Here's a picture of some of them: