Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar

My son is 10 years old today and this is what he requested for his birthday. Happy Birthday Arthur! :)

This is the second year that I've have made this cookie bar for my son's birthday. This year I revised my recipe to make the cookie a little thicker. This year's version is definitely a winner. One of his friends took one bite and said, "this is what I'm having for my birthday." 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 (4) oz box of instant vanilla pudding and pie filling
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate baking chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

Lightly grease a pizza pan, or for a smaller cookie use a springform pan, and set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand blender, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract and blend until smooth. Stir in the vanilla pudding and pie filling, and mix just until blended. 

Add the flour mixture and, using a spoon or fork, stir the mixture just until all ingredients are well blended. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate baking chips.

Add the cookie dough to the pizza pan or springform pan and press and flatten the dough to about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thickness. Make certain that it covers the bottom of pan.

Cook the cookie bar for 25 minutes or until the top and edges are slightly brown.

Remove the cookie from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes and transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Slice and enjoy with a nice glass of milk or your favorite beverage!

Makes 10 - 12 servings.

©Rolisweets

Slow-cooked Pinto Beans

I put this in the crock pot this morning and they turned out so well! I remember eating these at least once a week, as a child, and it seemed like each pot was better than the last. There's something about pinto beans that's so comforting. 

Pinto beans are one of my all-time favorite foods! I add sugar to the beans while they're cooking so that they do not break apart as they cook. Not only that, the sugar does add to the flavor of the beans. However, using sugar is optional!

Ingredients

• 1 (16) oz pack of dry pinto beans
• 1 smoked turkey wing or 1 ham hock 
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 Tbsp salt

Directions

Fill a 6-quart crock pot, half with water, along with the smoked turkey wing or ham hock, and then, turn the pot on the highest setting.

Prepare the beans according to the package directions. I used the quick-soak method which consisted of rinsing the beans and then adding them to a medium-sized heated pot to boil for two minutes. I then turned the pot off and let the beans "soak" in the heated water for one hour. After the beans soaked for one hour I transferred the beans to a colander and rinsed them well.

Once the beans are thoroughly rinsed, add them to the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours. 

If you would like your beans to have a little more broth, add an extra cup or two of water to the beans about an hour before they're done.  

Enjoy them with your favorite bread or other sides. (I usually enjoy my beans with a piece of cornbread.)

©Rolisweets