Mom's Favorite Cookie Recipe

 I'm told these cookies are inspired by a Crumbl cookie flavor: Mom's Cookies.  I can neither confirm nor deny the truth of that assertion.  I can say that the flavor is not currently on the menu at my local Crumbl, nor did it show up in the list of past and present flavors that my search engine coughed up when I asked.  I will also say that these cookies are aptly named because they have quickly become this mom's favorite cookie*.  

Mom's cookies are an oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and toffee bits.  I hope you try them and love them!

Mom's Favorite Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

(very slightly modified from here)
(click here to print)

• 1 c softened butter
• 1 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 c flour (use the scoop and shake method to measure--if you spoon and level, the cookies will spread waaaay too much
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 c oatmeal (I used quick oats)
• 1 c semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• 1 c peanut butter chips
• 3/4 c toffee bits with milk chocolate (like these)

1. Cream together 1 c butter, 1.5 cups brown sugar, and 1/2 c granulated sugar in a large bowl
2. Beat in 2 eggs and 2t vanilla extract.
3. Add 2.75 c flour, 1t baking soda, 1/2t baking powder, 1t ground cinnamon, and 1/2t salt and mix well.
4. Stir in 1 c oatmeal, then stir in 1c semisweet chocolate chips, 1c peanut butter chips, and 3/4c toffee bits
5. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches in between cookie balls.
6. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are set.  Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

You can freeze the unbaked cookie balls so you can have fresh-baked cookies anytime.  You can bake from frozen--just add a minute or two to the bake time.

* I mean it's not far off from my previous favorite cookie, which is also an oatmeal cookie with chocolate and walnuts in it.

Spinach Pie recipe

 I recently enjoyed this heavenly concoction at a friend's house and immediately asked for the recipe.  It's just so delicious.  It's a family recipe, which my friend graciously shared.  I attempted to find it online so I could print it and add it to my recipe binder, but I couldn't find it.  Maybe because it's a family recipe?  So since I was typing it out to print and include it in my recipe binder, I thought I'd share it here as well.

Do not let the spinach scare you.  I'm not lying when I say I don't recall tasting it at all--the Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese make this dish flavorful and creamy.

Spinach Pie

(click here to print)

• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
• 1/2 c diced onion
• 8 eggs
• 2 ten ounce packages frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
• 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 c cottage cheese
• 1 t salt or garlic salt
• 1/8 t ground pepper
• 1/8 t garlic powder
• 1 t oregano
• 1 unbaked pie crust (omit for a low-carb option)

1. Brown sausage and onion over medium heat until onions are soft and sausage is cooked through.  Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs.  Add cheeses, seasonings. sausage mixture, and spinach and mix well.
3. Pour into prepared pie crust or greased pie pan or casserole dish.  Bake at 375°F until eggs are set, about an hour.  Cover pie crust during baking if it's browning too quickly.
4. Let the pie cool and set before serving.

Cake Mix Upsize Recipe

Do you have any recipes that start with a cake mix?  I have one, and it's a family recipe and a family favorite.  The past several times I've made Chocolate Caramel Layer Bars, the consistency of the dough has been off.  I suspect it's because cake mixes have gotten smaller in the years since my mother in law shared the recipe with me.  The cake mixes that I currently have in my cupboard* weigh 15.25 ounces, while the standard cake mix when the recipe was written was 18.25 ounces.  Perhaps the missing three ounces of dry ingredients (about 1/6 of the mix!) is responsible for my not right recipe consistency.

I came across a cake mix upsizer recipe (and subsequently found the same recipe on many other websites), and decided to try it.  The problem (not an actual problem) was all of the recipes were written in bulk: quantities of six.  And I rarely need to use a cake mix for a recipe, so I rarely need to upsize my cake mix.  So I did the division for you, to make up the difference for one cake.  And now I'm sharing it here in case you rarely need to upsize a cake mix for a recipe, too.

Here ya go:

For most cakes:

(click here to print)

Add the following to your dry cake mix, then continue with your recipe.

• 3 T flour
• 2T + 2t granulated sugar
• 1/3t baking powder (overfill your 1/4t or underfill your 1/2t)
• a pinch of baking soda (1/24 of a teaspoon to be precise)

For chocolate cakes (including German chocolate and red velvet):

Add the following to your dry cake mix, then continue with your recipe.

• 2 T flour
• 2T + 2t granulated sugar
• 1 T baking cocoa
• 1/3t baking powder (overfill your 1/4t or underfill your 1/2t)
• a pinch of baking soda (1/24 of a teaspoon to be precise)

Remember, this upsizer is only for when you're making a recipe that starts with cake mix, not when you're making a cake with the cake mix--the instructions on the box are written to work with that size cake mix.

I hope y'all find this helpful--let me know if you try it!

* I have cake mixes in my cupboard, despite my general dislike of cake mix ingredients, because every now and then my husband will ask, randomly, if we have cake.  And we never randomly have cake.  But if we have cake mix in the cupboard, I can tell him that yes, we do have some-assembly-required cake.