A Single Mom Bakes and Tells...

For some baking comes easy, for others not so much. Single mom, Maxine Stevenson, shares a quick recipe for that sweet-tooth that may come at any time of your day! Now my suggestion to you would be to take a trip to the market for these ingredients and/or bakeware if you don't already have them--Pampered Chef has some great stoneware (link to where you can order your first stoneware provided below). Of course you can always cheat and bake the cut-n-bake cookie dough already made for you, but why go there if you can at least chef it up on your own with a recipe that'll not only have you eating that soft, chewy cookie (or golden brown) in less than 15 minutes, but will also leave you feeling like a pro! Besides, everyone can always use a little practice in the baking department...and what better way to make amends, say thank you or "wink" at someone, than to bring them a little tray of treats the next morning? Whatever the occasion, click on the arrow below for a sneak peak at Maxine's mad skills baking a batch in her very own kitchen! (Yes, you will hear her love-bugs in this clip...and may even see them!)

Although Maxine's recipe was varied according to her preferences, you can find the Ghiradelli recipe here: http://www.ghirardelli.com/bake/recipe.aspx?id=1045

Maxine's Version of Ghiradelli's Chocalate Chip Cookies (makes approx. 3 1/2 dozen): 1 Bag of Semi-Sweet Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips, 1 cup of soft butter, 1 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 eggs, 3 teaspoons of vanilla, 2 1/4 cups of unsifted flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 pinch of salt.

Directions: Preheating the oven to 375 degrees, you will need to prepare your ingredients in two separate bowls. In the first large bowl, you will mix your brown sugar, eggs and vanilla with your already-softened stick of butter. It is important that your butter be at room temperature to ensure ease in the mixing of these ingredients, which you will continue doing until it blended into a nice soft mixture. You will then add the dry-ingredients (of flour, baking soda) into your soft batch of ingredients. Once both sets of ingredients are well-mixed, you can add your bag of chocolate chip cookies (and/or nuts if you desire).

Place the cookie dough on your stoneware/cookie sheet in chunks measured by a tablespoon. They will take somewhere between 9 to 11 minutes to bake, or until your liking...and voila!!!

Stoneware can be ordered online through:http://www.pamperedchef.biz/smgenin

Baking ingredients you should always have on-hand: Flour, Baking Soda, Brown Sugar, Eggs (or egg whites for those who don't like yoke)

Until next time, go out and do a little shopping...and next time, our mom will do a little more telling...

~Cyndi, 39 Fullerton, CA