French Class Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our French teacher, Kathleen, baked us these cookies for our class yesterday-- they were super soft and delicious. I asked her for the recipe and when she brought it in today I discovered (after using my French - English dictionary) what the secret ingredient was- instant vanilla pudding- YUMMY! Give them a try and ENJOY! ~ Esther

1 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
102 g box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tbsp milk
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp each: baking powder, baking soda
2 cups milk chocolate chips

In large mixing bowl, using wooden spoon, mix butter and sugars until creamy. Stir in pudding mix and milk, then eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda; stir until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonsful on non-stick cookie sheets (about 12 per sheet). Bake, in batches, in preheated 350F oven 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.
Makes about 36.

Outstanding Oatmeal Cookies

If you are a fan of Oatmeal Cookies, this recipe is for you! Not only are they tasty, they are soft and easy to make. Enjoy these warm with a glass of milk and you have a great weekend treat!

Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats

In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I added about a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips - yum! You could also add raisins.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Cool Summer Dessert - Mango Lime Icebox Pie

The warm sunny California weather has put me in the mood for a cool summertime dessert. This week we have a tasty tart, yet sweet dessert that is perfect for a warm day! What is even better is that it is not bad for you. While this isn't a Weight Watchers recipe, I have calculated the points and it is only 3 points per serving - how awesome is that! A tasty treat that is low calorie.

Mango-Lime Icebox Pie

1 - 9 inch Piecrust (You can definitely use the pre-made piecrusts at the grocery)

Filling:
1 cup mango nectar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4-5 limes)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 T. butter
2 t. grade lime rind

Prepare and bake piecrust. Cool the crust completely on a wire rack. To prepare filling, combine the nectar and next 5 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter and lime rind. Spoon mango mixture into a bowl. Place bowl in a large ice filled bowl for 10 minutes or until mixture is room temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove from ice bowl and spoon mango mixture into prepared crust. Cover and chill for 8 hours or until firm. Top with whipped topping (for the above mentioned weight watchers points, use fat free whipped topping). Enjoy!!!!!!!

This is also great in a graham cracker crust or the new prepared shortbread crust.

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, June 2002

Final Course Friday: Sugar-Free Apple Pie

This Friday we give you a great final course that is perfect for those who want to be healthy and still have a great dessert! If you didn't know it was "sugar-free," you would never be able to tell! I used to make it for my grandpa who was diabetic and it was something we all could enjoy! There is nothing better than homemade apple pie - and if you just need some sugar - top it with some ice cream!

Sugar-Free Apple Pie

6 medium red delicious apples, peeled and sliced
1 - 6 oz. can frozen apple juice, thawed (without sugar)
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Double Pie Crust - you can do homemade or Pilsbury makes a great quick and easy refrigerator crust
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place apples and undiluted apple juice into a large pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Disolve cornstarch in water. Gently stir cornstarch into apple mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes (or until apples soften). Stir in cinnamon. Fill pie shell and cover with top crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes. Baste with melted butter.

Enjoy! This recipe from a kitchen in Mid-Missouri.

Grandma's Banana Cream Pie

Hi Foodlovers!

Since it's Wild Card Wednesday...I thought I'd share my Grandma's recipe for Banana Cream Pie. She always had to make several of them when making them for our family!

Serves: 6-8

Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

Stir together flour & 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening till pieces are pea size. Add 1 tblspoon water to part of the mixture & gently mix with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl & repeat moistening the dough till all the dough is moistened. Form dough into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, sightly flatten dough with your hands. With a rolling pin, roll dough from the center to the edges into a circle about 12" in diameter.
Wrap pastry around the rolling pin and transfer to 9" pie plate. Ease pastry ito pie plate being careful not to stretch the dough.

Trim pastry to 1/2" beyond edge of the pie plate. Fold extra pastry under. Crimp edges with fingers. Generously prick bottom & sides of shell with a fork. Make sure to prick where the sides meet the bottom of the crust. Place parchment paper in pie crust and fill with beans of some sort to keep the crust from shrinking.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove beans and paper & bake another 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Pie Filling:

1/2 cup sugar
5 tbl flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 tbl butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbl rum
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
3 large ripe sliced bananas

Sift sugar, flour & salt in large mixing bowl. With a large spoon beat in the egg yolks one at a time.

Heat the milk & butter in a small sauce pan until butter melts & small bubbles from around the edge of the pan.

Slowly pour into the egg mixture stirring constantly with a whisk. Add vanilla & rum.

Return to sauce pan. Bring almost to a boil, reduce heat to low & simmer stirring until it thickens into a heavy custard. Let it cool until lukewarm.

Meanwhile beat 1/2 cup of the cream until it forms peaks. With a spatula gently fold into custard. Layer custard & sliced bananas in pie crust starting & ending with custard. Top with the extra whip cream. (For 1 cup whipping cream add 2 tbl spoon sugar & 1/2 tsp vanilla)

Enjoy!