One Big Cookie

I baked the chocolate chip cookies that I was debating making, but a day later.
I used the large cookie scoop and experimented with the baking times and temperatures.
These are BIG cookies and I think I prefer the lower temperature for a longer time, since I ended up baking the higher temperature ones for about the same time and they were a little too done.  I also used some dark brown sugar as I didn't quite have enough light brown sugar.  So, there were a few differences.
I froze more than half the dough, already shaped, so I can bake a few cookies at a time, as needed for CCC cravings. :)  I may experiment with times and temperatures a little more.

With these cookies, I think I need to stick with the medium size cookie scoop and the higher temperature for the best results.  Plus, you (I) tend to eat the same number of cookies, so it's better to make them a little smaller. :)

Large Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake Me A Picnic Cake As Fast As You Can

I think this will catch me up with my baking and posting, maybe.

I made picnic cakes again last week and they turned out better than ever!!!!
The chocolate cake was super moist and the cream cheese filling was the perfect consistency.
I know what made the difference, but I'll never tell! ;)

I had gotten the brown with white polka dot cupcake liners, specifically for making these.  I figured they would match the cream cheese/chocolate chip filling.  I also used up all the random cupcake papers that I had from recent parties, hence the plain brown ones in the picture.  Now I am thinking I need to get some that look like a classic red checked picnic table cloth; although, I am kind of partial to the plain brown cupcake papers.

Picnic Cakes

Pretty Party Invitations

Here are the party invitations I made for Little C's Birthday.
The text is on a very pale pink cardstock, and everything else goes with the pink and brown theme.
She loved them!

Pink & Brown Party Invitations

Pink & Brown Party Invitations - Angle

What Did The Cookie Say To The Chef?

I have to make chocolate chip cookies on a semi regular basis because, well, they are chocolate chip cookies!  Sometimes nothing hits the spot like a perfect CCC!  In fact, I am debating making some today.  I recently made them as party favors for my Book Club.

The other night Little C said she was going to draw a picture of me cooking.  Well, she captured perfectly me making the CCC winning recipe.  I love the picture, so I had to share.  And, no, I don't typically wear pink heels when I am baking, but I may start!   If you can't read what the joke says......."what did the cookie say to the chef?"...."what?"....."what's cooking?"...."ha ha ha"
So cute!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Party Favors

Little C's Drawing of Me Baking

Cupcakes, Cookies & Crackers

Recently, we hosted a 50th Birthday Party for a friend of ours.

It was a picnic style party with hamburgers, hot dogs, and enough baked beans and potato chips to feed a small army.  (I didn't want to risk running out of anything)

Since it was more casual, I made chocolate cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  They both turned out really well.

For an appetizer, I made a Southern Living recipe (from the issue that kept me up half the night a few weeks back).  Pimento Cheese Cracker Spoons!  A fun and novel idea.  Teaspoon shaped crackers, which I made out of pie crust and teaspoon cookie cutters, with homemade pimento cheese spread piped on to the spoon part.  I made at least 40 and they all disappeared!

I had never made anything like that and it was fun.  The pimento cheese recipe is really tasty too!  I will use that one again.  It made quite a bit of pimento cheese spread, so I used the extra to make grilled cheese sandwiches - wow - delicious!

I wanted to have some sort of "Happy 50th" decorations without going crazy with black.  I found some napkins that had "50" all over them in red, lime, blue, purple....  They were black, so I picked lime colored napkins to alternate with them.  I had lime colored dessert/beverage napkins, and the dessert plates were a stack of black alternated with lime.  I put a lime and white flower arrangement on the counter with these items and it all flowed nicely.  The cupcake wrappers are brown, not black, and matched the cupcakes perfectly.  We did have some black candles on hand, so I used one for the guest of honor's cupcake.

The party was fun and everyone had a good dose of chocolate for dessert!

Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes

Party Set-up

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pimento Cheese Cracker Spoons