:: Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies ::

with a twist.

What twist, you say? These lovely creatures certainly look like the real thing–do they not?

Heh, heh…well, my friends, it just so happens that the ooey, gooey, chocolaty goodness that you see here is made with…

whole wheat flour.

Now you may not think that”s any big deal, but to the tons of people who firmly believe that switching out white flour for 100% whole wheat would give them no earthly reason to live–I say–TAKE HEART!! Pretty sure this cookie would fool the old girl herself. In fact, we fed them to the whole family today and nobody even knew there was any change in the recipe…AT all. I mean, honestly–it probably has something to do with alllll that chocolate–for Pete’s sake.

Tastes kinda like a Symphony bar…with cookie wrapped around it.

As. It. Should.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 100% whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup cold salted butter, cut into cubes
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300° F.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer blend the sugars at medium speed.
Add the cold butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix at low speed just until blended. Do not over mix.
Add the flour mix and chocolate chips and blend at a low speed just until mixed. Do not over mix. Refrigerate dough for about 1/2 hour.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, two inches apart.
Bake 20-22 minutes until golden. Transfer cookies–still on parchment–immediately to a cool surface, so they won’t continue cooking.
Makes 30-36 cookies, depending on the size of your scoops.

Note: The cold butter, the chilled dough, the low oven temperature and the parchment lined cookie sheet are absolutely key in this recipe. If you want it to be right and glorious, don’t change what already works. :}

5.0 from 1 reviews
:: Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies ::
 
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (I used 100% whole wheat)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 cup cold salted butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300° F.
  2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk.
  3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer blend the sugars at medium speed.
  4. Add the cold butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix at low speed just until blended. Do not over mix.
  6. Add the flour mix and chocolate chips and blend at a low speed just until mixed.
  7. Refrigerate dough for about ½ hour.
  8. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, two inches apart.
  9. Bake 20-22 minutes until golden.
  10. Transfer cookies--still on parchment--immediately to a cool surface, so they won't continue cooking.
  11. Makes 30-36 cookies, depending on the size of your scoops.
Notes
The cold butter, the chilled dough, the low oven temperature and the parchment lined cookie sheet are absolutely key in this recipe. If you want it to be right and glorious, don't change what already works. :}

 

Very Berry Crumble

With a freezer full of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries from…ahem…last year, I have sincerely been on the look-out for any truly yummy way to use them before they become… extinct so-to-speak.

I found this lovely thing in the Gold Medal Whole Wheat Baking book that you can print out for free if you click the link. I tweaked it just a tad and it turned out simply scrumptious. In fact, with my high blueberry to other berry ratio–I love them–it ended up reminding me of a Blueberry Poptart…with whole wheat and oatmeal…sort of.  :}

Ingredients:

7 cups misc. berries–we used a combination of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries

3 Tbsps cornstarch

2 Tbsps sugar

In a 2 quart saucepan, mash 2 cups of berries; stir in cornstarch and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in remaining berries. Pour in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.

Topping Ingredients:

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients with pastry blender or fork until crumbly.

Sprinkle over berry mixture.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Serve with ice cream…a whole ton of ice cream. More ice cream, in fact, than we dared show here for fear that you, my friends, would run off screaming.

Yep. One, big, ice creamy…

poptart.

Yum.

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5.0 from 1 reviews
Very Berry Crumble
 
Ingredients
  • 7 cups misc. berries
  • 3 Tbsps cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsps sugar
Instructions
  1. In a 2 quart saucepan, mash 2 cups of berries; stir in cornstarch and sugar.
  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils.
  3. Boil and stir 1 minute.
  4. Stir in remaining berries.
  5. Pour in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
Notes
Topping Ingredients: ⅔ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup whole wheat flour ½ cup oatmeal ½ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. salt ⅓ cup butter Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over berry mixture. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve with ice cream.

Three years ago…

in August…

August 11 030

we changed old T-shirts into Baby Pants

August 24 016

made Deep Chocolate Ice Cream

Einstein laughing

solved Einstein’s Grandkids’ Riddle

cucumbers (5)

cut up fresh cucumbers

August 14 019

made Confetti Crayons

August9 041

LOVED deep Fried Pickles

concocted the perfect Peach Ice Cream

August 7 059

cooked luscious Zucchini Bread

July 16 466

spent some time in New York City

New York 089

rode a real, live subway

July 16 608

visited Toyland

July 16 304

and toured some Sacred Places.

What a beautiful, busy, scrumptious, amazing month it was!

:: Yummy Oatmeal Bars ::

“Grammy, we should make something really good.”

“Yeah, like yummy cookies or something that we can eat all the day.”

“Anything for you my darlings.”

:}

Ingredients:

1 cup butter- softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F.  Beat butter, and sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy; blend in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats. Spread into a lightly greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set. Do not over bake. Cool. Cut into bars and serve alone or with ice cream.


5.0 from 1 reviews
:: Yummy Oatmeal Bars ::
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter- softened
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsps vanilla
  • 1-3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Beat butter, and sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy; blend in eggs and vanilla.
  3. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well.
  4. Stir in oats.
  5. Spread into a lightly greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.
  6. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set.
  7. Do not over bake.
  8. Cool.
  9. Cut into bars and serve alone or with ice cream.

::Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie Crust::

I know, I know–this isn’t a sugar cookie, it’s Fruit Pizza. We take it with us EVERY, SINGLE time we go to the Balloon Festival in July. But since last year, we’ve been trying our very best to make a few healthier choices, and one of those includes phasing out white flour. After all, it was my mom that used to say, “The whiter the bread, the sooner you’re dead,” with a smile on her face. Yeah, ignore that if you can.

So, if you’ll be so kind as to look closely at our crust this time around. Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh–that’s right. You are looking at genuine whole wheat sugar cookie crust for our magnimonious creation. Yes it’s a word…I swear. But the best part is–it was really good…great even.

Best part is–it totally fooled the kids. We made two pans this year and brought home…

exactly

zero.

Now, that’s a hit.

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie Dough

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

In small bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar; beat mixture until combined. Stir in egg, and vanilla; beat mixture until well combined.

Stir in the flour mixture and milk just until combined.

If using for Fruit Pizza– press into ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees, or until golden brown. Cool.

If using for cookies- Shape into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake cookies in a preheated 350 degrees F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

I found this original recipe from the Kansas Wheat website. It is, however, tweaked…by me.

 

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
  1. In small bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar; beat mixture until combined.
  3. Stir in egg, and vanilla; beat mixture until well combined.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture and milk just until combined.
  5. If using for Fruit Pizza- press into ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees, or until golden brown.
  6. Cool.
  7. If using for cookies-shape into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
  8. Bake cookies in a preheated 350 degrees F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  9. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.