The Best Cookies - Secret Recipe Club

I don't know about you but I can't believe it's Secret Recipe Club time again.  Time has flown for me since the last SRC.  We took a vacation to Mexico, moved my Dad's furniture from KC to Omaha another weekend and moved him into assisted living up here last weekend, all while implementing a new system at work.  Needless to say, that's why I've been absent from blogging!

For those of you who don't know how SRC works, each month you're assigned a blog, you choose a recipe, keep it a secret until reveal day and then blog about it.  I was assigned Satisfy My Sweet Tooth.   I've been trying to choose savory recipes for SRC but with a blog assignment containing sweet in the title, it's hard to go for savory. Satisfy My Sweet Tooth features so many delicious recipes, it was difficult to choose just one to make.   How many times have you heard someone say, "These are the best cookies?".  With a title like that I couldn't resist.

Half of the  recipe went to work with me for a coworkers birthday and the other half with Tim for his office.  When I asked Tim what was his coworkers thought of them, he said everyone said these were "The Best Cookies".  Guess we now know where the title came from.

 Next time I make these, I want try a few more chocolate chips and a little less salt.  These just seemed a little salty to me!  Also, mine took more like 12 minutes to bake.

The Best Cookies

Author: Mercedes

Recipe type: Cookies, Dessert

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  20 mins

Serves: 30

Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside and stuffed full of delicious mix-ins

Ingredients

• 1 cup (16 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3¼ cups flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup cornflakes (or rice cereal) - I used rice cereal
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugars.
3. Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
4. Add flour, salt and baking soda and mix well.
5. Add oatmeal, cornflakes, coconut and chocolate chips and mix well.
6. Scoop ¼ cup-sized dough balls out onto cookie sheets using a large spoon or an ice cream scoop.
7. Bake 10 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets before removing

I am linking this to On the Menu Monday, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday!!!

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

Cheesy Breadsticks   Carrot Soup with Tahini   Tex Mex Shrimp and Chorizo Risotto   Mexican Pot Roast Tacos (Slow Cooker)   Peanut Butter Cups   Hungarian Goulash   Amish Chicken   Chocolate Chip Pull-Apart Bread   Everything Pecan Oatmeal Cookies   Double Pork Chili Colorado   Caramelized Butternut Squash   Samoa Cookie Bars   Mustard and Garlic Roasted Potatoes   Nutty Marshmallows   Banana Ginger Cake with Brown Butter Frosting   Vegetable Gratin   Messy Jacks   Sweet Potato Muffins   Homemade Southwestern Chicken Pot Pie   The Best Cookies - SRC   Biksemad (Hash)   Grilled Chipotle Chicken with Chipotle Cream Sauce   Black Bean Soup   Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies   Corey @ Learning patience   Creamy Coleslaw   Chicken Chorizo Burgers   Fudge Avocado Brownies   baked spinach artichoke dip squash casserole   Chamomile tea cakes   Armenian Nutmeg Cake   Slow Cooker Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary Chicken   Caramel Popcorn   German Chocolate Pecan Bars   Broccoli and Cheese Soup   Praline French Toast   Mushroom Wonton Lasagna   Cuban Burgers   Homemade Cereal Bars   Mini Blueberry Pancake Cups   Black Bean Brownies   Pineapple Cake   Sid's Sea Palm Cooking   Mulligatawny Soup   Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal   Cookie Dough Truffles   Caramelized Onion Bread   Sesame Beef Stir Fry

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Lemonade Brownies

Lemonade reminds me of summer and on a cold winter day a few weeks ago I decided to give these Lemonade Brownies a try. They're easy to make and are made with dry lemonade mix. The recipe warns not to over bake them, despite the warning I think I baked them too long. I thought they were tart with a nice hint of sweetness, Tim thought they were too sweet. As with most of the sweet treats I make, I sent them to work with Tim and one of his co workers thought they were the best lemon bars she'd ever eaten.

Lemonade Brownies
Recipe courtesy of Cookies &; Cups

Ingredients Brownies
1/2 cup butter, room temperature 
1/3 cup dry lemonade powder
 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, plus 2 yolks
 1 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup flour, plus 2 Tbsp
 1/4 tsp baking powder

Glaze
 1 cup powdered sugar
 2-3 Tbsp prepared lemonade OR juice from one lemon (I used lemon juice)
 approx 2-3 Tbsp 1 tsp lemon zest

How to Make Preheat oven to 350° Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray, set aside. Cream butter, sugar and lemonade powder in mixer for about 2 minutes,until light and fluffy. Add in egg and both yolks and vanilla. Continue mixing until incorporated. Turn mixer to low and add in flour and baking powder. Stir until combined. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 15-20 minutes until edges begin to golden and center is JUST set. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Glaze Stir powdered sugar, lemonade or lemon juice and zest in a small bowl and pour over cooled brownies. Let glaze set for at least an hour before cutting into squares.

I am linking this to On The Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday.

Basil Pesto Chicken

After taking December off, I am happy to share this month's Secret Recipe Club post with you.  For those of you who don't know Secret Recipe Club works like this, you're assigned a blog, you choose a recipe and keep it a secret till reveal day.

For the month of January, I was assigned The Bitchin' Kitchin'.  My favorite part of SRC is browsing the blogs and trying to decide what recipe to choose.  It's never an easy decision but I have vowed to try to always make a savory recipe since I never have ANY trouble finding new sweet recipes.  We love all things basil at our house.  During the summer, it is plentiful!  We harvest springs for caprese salad, make mojitos or use in recipes.  As the weather cools and we say goodbye to our basil plants, I often pick up a jar of Kirkland's pesto at Costco.  It's every bit as good as homemade and easy to use in recipes.

When I saw Ellie's recipe for Basil Pesto Chicken, I decided it would be a wonderful reminder of summer, despite the snow covered ground.  This is a tasty chicken dish!  Easy to prepare and healthy for you too!

Basil Pesto Chicken

Recipe Courtesy of The Bitchin Kitchin slightly adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

makes ~4 servings

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (~1 lb chicken)
• Salt, fresh ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper for seasoning chicken
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 1/2 - 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Trim the chicken so any visible fat and tendons are removed.  Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces, depending on how thick or thin you would like them.

3) Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper as desired.  Don't use too much salt, as cheese will be added later on to the chicken.

4) Spray a 9" x 12" (or 8.5" X 12.5") baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish.

5) Lay the chicken strips over the pesto, then spread the remaining 1/4 cup basil pesto over the chicken.

6) Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes, or just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through. (Don't cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

7) When the chicken is barely cooked through, remove the foil and sprinkle the chicken with the grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until the cheese is melted.  Serve hot.

I am linking this to Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday!

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

Key Lime Fudge   Indian Style Chicken and Lentils   Tomato Herb Focaccia   Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins   Pumpkin Toffee Cake Bites   Eggless Mint flavoured cookies   Buttermilk Pie Bars   Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad   Baked Potato Soup   South African Meatballs   Pretzel Sausage Rolls and Buns   Super Bowl Super Asian Chex Mix   Healthy Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookies   Parmesan Bicotti   Caramel Popcorn   Spiced Carrot Muffins   Basil Pesto Chicken   No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars   Bacon Wrapped Dates and Apple   Butterscotch Blondie Mini Muffcakes   Jalapeno Popper Dip   French Onion Soup   Maple-Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies   Whiskey Chocolate Banana Bread   Weeknight Bolognese   Butternut Squash Fries   Crock Pot Fiesta Chicken   Coc au vin   Soft pretzels   Italian Sandwich on Rosemary Focaccia   Chicken Stir Fry Lettuce Wraps   Banana Bread   Visitation Cakes   Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars   Molasses Coffee Marinated Pork Chops   Peanut Butter Cookies   Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries   Swedish meatballs   Chocolate Oat Bars   Chocolate Chia Pudding   Peanut Butter Cookies   Chocolate Banana

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A Little R & R

Tim and I along with our best friends Larry and Karen are enjoying a week of fun and sun in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.

No Knead Bread

Have you tried No Knead Bread? I've been eyeing the No Knead Bread recipes for a year or more. Finally, for Christmas Day, I gave one a try. It's so easy, too easy really! You mix the flour, yeast and water and let it sit for 12 - 18 hours. Mine was on the counter for closer to 20 hours. When I first checked the dough, after about 10 hours, it didn't appear to have done anything. I used a pretty large bowl, so I think I just couldn't tell. Also, it was a little chilly in my kitchen so I think that may have had something to do with it as well.

This makes a delicious, crusty bread.  I can't wait to try making it and adding rosemary!!  Wonder if my rosemary is still good under the snow cover?  Have you tried No Knead bread?

No Knead Crusty Bread

Recipe Courtesy of Simply So Good

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours.  Overnight works great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.  

I am linking this to On the Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday.

Wildlife At It's Finest

Tim took this picture of these beautiful creatures above the river, just across from our house. I love living in the country!

Happy New Year!!!

As we say goodbye to 2012 and welcome in 2013, I am reminded of what a great year 2012 was.  With the exception of the passing of my step mother, 2012 was full of happy times!!

As far as my corner of the blogging world, Little Bit of Everything, this year I posted less than any year since I began my blog in 2009.  Interestingly enough, though, my readership was the largest it's ever been.  Thanks to all of you who read my blog, leave me comments and have become my blogging friends, you all make blogging fun!

I've never done a post on the top recipes of the year before.  Curious to see what my top five recipes were, I am sharing them with you today.

Happy New Year everyone!  Here's to health, happiness and good food in 2013.  Cheers!!!

5.  Hotel Cookies - These are the best cookies!

4.  Candy Cane Kiss Cookies - A fun take on the traditional holiday thumbprints!

3.  Baked Chicken with Herbs - A beautiful and delicious dinner party dish!!!

2.  Cake Batter Muddy Buddies - Cake batter flavor, need I say more?  Addictive!!!

1.  Pastisio - A hearty and savory pasta dish!!

I am linking this post to Finding Joy in My Kitchen's favorites of 2012 and Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday!