EL's Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

EL was supposed to make some cookies for a service project at Awana last night. So yesterday afternoon, while I taught piano lessons, she got online, found this recipe, and made some of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted! Here's the recipe, originally from AllRecipes.com.

I will experiment later with using freshly ground whole wheat flour and adding some oats and nuts, but here's what she made yesterday. Delicious!

(NOTE: I am sad to report that there is a big difference if you use whole-wheat flour in these cookies.  They're lots better with all white flour.)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
   
   

Black Bean Tostadas

OG made our lunch today, from a recipe she found online. I have no idea where, or I'd give credit where credit is due. Anyway, I just found a document open on the computer where she had copied the recipe. It was delicious, so I figured I'd share:

• 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil--we used olive oil
• 3 small onion, chopped
• 1-1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained--we used Trader Joe's organic black beans
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno peppers
• 9 ounces cream cheese
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven heated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.
2. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.
3. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture.
4. Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up. Serve immediately.

EV made our tortillas homemade from freshly ground whole wheat--and she left out the baking powder--so they were more like flat crispy tortillas. We ate these like tostadas. We added a little salsa and leftover rice and a can of Trader Joe's corn (the only canned corn that is any good; otherwise use frozen) and topped it off with avocado slices. We didn't have fresh cilantro, though I would have loved it!

Yum!