Kitchen Sink Cookies

I am a big one for "kitchen sink" recipes, since it's seldom that I have everything I need in the house for any given dish. I wanted to make something extra for the BBQ we were attending, so I started hemming and hawing (I am good at that) and did some research to find out what was a proper substitute for whatever I didn't have. I added confectioner's sugar when I found out I didn't have enough white granulated sugar, and  it combined well with the golden brown sugar. I also used more Rice Krispies because I ran out of oats. Oops. The cookies that resulted were light, chewy and tasty - and they are still keeping well at room temperature after 3 days! Here are the Little Cook's original:

"Kitchen Sink" Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 c golden brown sugar
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/2 c confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 c cocoa
• 3/4 c softened butter (butter is better!)
• 1 tsp vanilla (I used maple flavoring instead because that's what I had)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c rolled oats (once again, what I had)
• 2 1/2 c Rice Krispies (or so)
• half pkg of mini chocolate chips (about 3 oz)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (if you have it) or waxed paper.
3. In large bowl, beat the sugars and butter until light and fluffy.
4. Add cocoa, flavoring and eggs and mix by hand. 
5. Stir in the flour, soda, oats, Rice Krispies and chocolate chips. 
6. Drop by heaping tbsp's onto prepared pans. 
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes, or just until set and slightly golden. 
8. Cool, then remove from baking sheets and place on racks (I use a towel) to cool.

NOTE: This recipe made a good 40 or more cookies, plenty for the BBQ and for us, too. Like I said, they are still tasty and just right a few days later. One thing to remember - when you run out of white granulated sugar, you usually can use confectioner's sugar (as I did) in most recipes but you will have to use about half again in the recipe to compensate. It does make the cookies a bit chewy, but we do like that texture.

You may have to 'tweak' a few of the ingredients to make it your own. What you want is a relatively easy dough to spoon on, but one that is still moist, not too dry (as above).  If you use cocoa instead of baking chocolate (as I did) the cookies turn lighter as the bake. This recipe worked for me, and for the cookie monsters at the BBQ. let's see what you can do!

Roly-Poly PB-Chocolate Balls

I don't know about you, but summer sometimes makes me feel like a little kid again. With that comes the craving for ... peanut butter! I've found several snacks, Weight Watchers or not, that feature this ingredient, so in the interest of summer, here is the first of the Peanut Butter Treats, fresh from the Betty Crocker kitchens. As always, just beware of peanut allergies:


Roly-Poly PB Chocolate Balls (Yields 24 candies)

From our friends at Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 1 c milk chocolate chops
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 c creamy or crunchy peanut butter 
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1/2 c light corn syrup
• 2 c Cheerios

Preparation:

1. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips and water over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
2. In med. bowl, stir together peanut butter, powdered sugar and corn syrup until well-blended. Stir in cereal until evenly coated.
3. Lightly spray hands with cooking spray. For each candy, roll 1 tbsp of mixture into 1 1/2 inch ball; place on cookie sheet and press slightly so bottoms of balls are flat.
4. Spoon about 1 tsp cooled chocolate onto each ball. Refrigerate about 30 minutes, or until firm. Store in covered container in the refrigerator.

Hint: Spray the spoon with cooking spray to keep the peanut butter from sticking when scooping it out of the bowl.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Ball)

• Calories 150
• (Calories from Fat 70),

• Total Fat 8g
• (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g,
• Trans Fat 0g),
• Cholesterol 0mg;
• Sodium 70mg;
• Total Carbohydrate 16g
• (Dietary Fiber 2g,
• Sugars 10g),
• Protein 3g;

Percent Daily Value*:

• Vitamin A 0 %;
• Vitamin C 0 %;
• Calcium 2 %;
• Iron 4 %;

Exchanges:

• 1 Starch;
• 0 Fruit;
• 0 Other Carbohydrate;
• 0 Skim Milk;
• 0 Low-Fat Milk;
• 0 Milk;
• 0 Vegetable;
• 0 Very Lean Meat;
• 0 Lean Meat;
• 0 High-Fat Meat;
• 1 1/2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choices:

• 1;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.