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Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

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The name of these may be a mouthful but they are delicious! These are thin and crisp. Filled with bittersweet chocolate, dried cranberries and sprinkled with Fleur de sel. Perfect for the upcoming Holidays!

Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, soft
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 3/4 cups white all-purpose flour
10 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
6 oz dried cranberries
Fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F. Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl cream together the soft unsalted butter with the light brown sugar and white granulated sugar until smooth in texture and light in color.

Add in the pure vanilla extract and beat in the large eggs, one at a time.

Beat in the baking soda, salt and quick cooking oats. Carefully add in the white all-purpose flour and combined until mixed.

Fold in the bittersweet chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

Drop by tablespoon size balls onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake one sheet at a time for 12 minutes.

Remove, cool and serve.

CHEW THIS! Dorothy’s Peach Delight

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Dorothy’s Peach Delight

Dorothy's Peach Delight

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, November 18th 2018 edition. By: Blaise Doubman

Sharing recipes, cookbooks and memories with Judy!
Blaise Doubman

I love collecting old cookbooks and love even more hearing the history behind them. Some of my favorite cookbooks come from family and friends and have a rich passed history. I will admit that my cookbook collection has shrunk over the last several months because I decided I would only keep the cookbooks that I actually use or want to keep. I was not only running out of room but was having trouble finding the cookbooks that really mean something special to me. When I got a call from Judy Hayworth Stevens, a friend of mine, saying she wanted to gift me with some cookbooks I was over the moon! The collection was a collection of recipes from her family and they had a deep rich history that I loved exploring and hearing about. There were so many recipes that I had not seen before, cut and collected together so perfectly. Then, I ran across a cookbook that caught my breath and gave me cold chills. My mouth dropped open.

It was “Learn to Bake… You’ll love it!” An old pamphlet style cookbook with a pink cover and a cartoon arm holding up a yellow two layered cake with chocolate frosting. The reason I was so taken back by seeing this in Judy’s collection was that this very cookbook I had already had for over twenty years. It was the very first cookbook I had ever bought and still to this day really means a lot to me. I credit this cookbook, along with my family history of being in the kitchen, that really got me interested in not only baking more but collecting recipes and cookbooks. I had not seen this cookbook since the day I bought it, twenty something years prior, until that very moment. I immediately let Judy know my story and how odd that ended up. Perhaps all along I was meant to have the collection and this cookbook was proof? Regardless, I am so very happy and thankful that Judy thought of me in gifting this special collection. Sorting through I found several delicious recipes I wanted to try from Judy, her Mom Ruth and even from her Grandma Dorothy. The peach dessert recipe I am sharing here today comes from Judy’s Grandma Dorothy. Handwritten and spectacularly old-fashioned. Perfect for the Holidays!

Dorothy’s Peach Delight

This old-fashioned peach dessert would be perfect for the upcoming Holidays and is made ahead, so stress free all the way around! Chill this layered wonder in the refrigerator for up to 3 days! Substitute the peach for your favorite, or seasonal, fruit and you will have a dessert that everyone will be talking about!

MADE IN FOUR LAYERS

First layer
Line 9×13-inch pan with a mixture of one sleeve crushed large graham crackers, 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar and 4 tablespoons soft butter. Pat down evenly with clean hands.

Second layer
Mix 6 oz soft cream cheese with 1 cup confectioner’s sugar and 2 tablespoons milk. Mixture will be a little runny, which is perfectly desirable and normal. Spread this mixture on top of first. Place into the refrigerator while you make the next layer.

Third layer
Whip one package of Dream Whip and spread on top of the cream cheese mixture to create your third layer. Frozen whipped topping can be used in this step to substitute the Dream Whip. Place into the refrigerator while you make the final layer.

Fourth layer
In a medium sized saucepan cook 1 cup water, 1 cup white granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons corn starch over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Sprinkle fresh cut peaches over the top, distributing evenly. Finally, pour over the cooled glaze. Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keep and stored chilled.

Ask and Answer: Several people wrote to me after my previous column and wondered if the dough for Carol’s oatmeal scotchies could be frozen. Yes! Make the dough and roll the dough into balls. Place the balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in freezer for 4 hours. Remove and place dough balls in a freezer plastic storage bag. Keep in freezer for up to 6 months! When you are ready to bake cookies, simply remove desired number of dough balls from the freezer and bake in the oven, adding a couple of extra minutes baking time. Enjoy!

CHEW THIS! Carol J Prosser’s Oatmeal Scotchies

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Carol J Prosser’s Oatmeal Scotchies

Carol's Oatmeal Scotchies.jpg

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, November 4th 2018 edition. By: Blaise Doubman

Carol J Prosser’s Favorite Ever Cookies!
Blaise Doubman

When my “Blaise the Baker” social media accounts were hacked several weeks ago, the thing I missed most about being online was the special friendships I had forged over the course of many years. I am slowly getting all my family, friends and fans back on my new accounts and sharing with everyone my new website, “TRAIL BLAISE”. The several weeks I was without social media really got me thinking about some of the friendships I had forged without social media and immediately I thought about one of my best friends, Carol J Prosser. I think I have known Carol since I was born. Growing up she was always “The Good’s Candies Lady” because she was always up at the candy store in Kennard. Carol has worked for “Good’s Candies” for years and years and it just would not be the same up there without her! She IS “Good’s Candies”! Her friendly, smiling face is always there to greet you, along with the comforting smell of warm chocolate, as soon as you enter the front door. Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious.

As I grew up and started seeing Carol more and more outside of the candy store, she really became a close friend. Whenever I see her I know that she will have some type of advice for me, a funny story to share or a kind word to mention. She has been best friends with my Grandma Barbra for years and years, way before I was born. My whole family knows and loves Carol and Carol knows and loves my whole family. I actually feel like, in a way, we ARE a family together. Carol and her daughters and their families are some of the sweetest people you will ever get to know. When Grandma Barbra was at Glen Oaks for a few months a couple of years ago, Carol would always go and visit, and I would always be there to laugh and talk right along with her. During the course of our friendship I have discovered her love of life, her strong faith, her strong and fighting spirit, love for friends and family, thoughtfulness and among many other wonderfully special qualities, her love for oatmeal scotchies. Every once in awhile she will ask me to stir up a batch and I happily hit the kitchen smiling. I am dedicating this special oatmeal scotchies recipe to a woman just as special, my friend Carol J Prosser. Love you Carol!

Carol J Prosser’s Oatmeal Scotchies

This recipe really is best made ahead. Stir up the cookie dough, cover and place into the refrigerator to chill for at least 12 hours, overnight is even better. The flavors have time to get to know each other and the cookie is so much more flavorful and actually structurally different that cookies made with fresh dough. These are delicious!

2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
¾ cup white granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 ¼ cups white all-purpose flour
11 oz butterscotch chips

In a large bowl combine the soft unsalted butter with the packed light brown sugar and white granulated sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture.

Beat in the large eggs, pure vanilla extract and orange zest.

Add in the baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon and stir to combine.

Beat in the quick cooking oats before folding in the white all-purpose flour.

Fold in the butterscotch chips.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator to chill for at least 12 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place tablespoon size balls of dough, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, in preheated oven for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before enjoying.

Ask and Answer: Within the past couple of months I have been getting questions about how to make your own self-rising flour. What you do is combine 1 cup white all-purpose flour with 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk together until combined.

Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

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I stumbled upon this recipe through a Facebook post and decided to try it. Turns out the recipe needed a little adjusting but the basics and the final result are delicious! The cookie is soft and the frosting, fudge.

Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

For the cookies…
1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
2 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil

For the frosting…
1 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tablespoons water

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl combine the cake mix, beaten eggs and vegetable oil. Mixture will be thick.

Place heaping tablespoon size balls onto prepared baking sheets and bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 14 minutes.

Once the cookies are cool, make the frosting. In a medium sized sauce pot over medium heat melt the unsalted butter with the whole milk and unsweetened cocoa powder. Once the mixture is melted, smooth and combined, add in the confectioner’s sugar and beat until smooth. Add tablespoons of water into the frosting and beat until frosting is thick but spreadable.

Pour the frosting carefully onto each cookie, spreading over the whole cookie.

Allow the frosting to set for about 5 minutes, eat and enjoy.

Gooey Butter Cake

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I love a gooey butter cake! Try this!

Gooey Butter Cake

For the crust…
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 large egg

For the filling…
1 stick butter, melted
8 oz cream cheese
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick baking spray containing flour.

In a large bowl make the crust by combining the dry yellow cake mix with the melted butter and egg. Pat this mixture into the bottom of the pan.

In another large bowl beat together the melted butter and cream cheese. Add in the large eggs and pure vanilla extract. Combine well. Beat in the confectioner’s sugar. Pour on top of crust and spread evenly.

Bake in preheated oven 48 minutes. Be careful not to over bake! The center will still be jiggly when it is done baking.

Let rest at room temperature until cooled. Wrap with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Remove, cut and serve.