Cookie Time: Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This is the best ever recipes. We have been making these since 1990.  It is an old recipe From  a friend.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup  Butter flavored Shortening  or you can use plain Shortening
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Package Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1  teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Water
2 & 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 small package of Chocolate chips, about 2 Cups
 (Optional) 1 cup Chopped Pecans
     
1. Preheat Oven to 300°F

2.Cream shortening at medium speed in the mixer. Gradually add sugars, beat well.

3.Add eggs, vanilla and water; beat well

4.Combine Flour, baking soda and salt ,stir together. Add flour to Creamed shortening mixture.  Mix well

 5.Stir in Chips and Nuts( if using)

6. Roll into Tablespoon  size. Place onto a greased Or Parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Lightly press cookie with fork.

7.Bake at 300°F For 20 minutes

8.Remove from oven and transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely, if you can wait that is.

It's Valentines Day-Truffle time

That right, Truffles are the favorite for Valentines Day. You could stand in that long line at the Chocolate Shop for that fresh Truffle...Or...You could make your own. Really it only takes a little time with this recipe and I guarantee you will love them!

You will need:

2/3 cups Heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon almond Honey
1 tablespoon Light Agave Nectar
16 oz of Dark Chocolate Chips( I use 60% cocoa bittersweet)

Now mix together first four ingredients and put in a small saucepan on Medium heat. You want to heat til just warm, before it comes to a simmer. Then add the chocolate chips. Turn heat to low and stir until all the chocolate is melted.

Remove from heat and refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove from refrigerator and with a small melon scoop, scoop into ground almonds or powder sugar. What ever topping you like. Will keep in the refrigerator for a couple days. Can be frozen in airtight container for up to 3 months.

These are about 50 calories per truffle .

Coffee Time: Oh the thought of Chocolate.....

For some reason today my thoughts went to chocolate! Perhaps it was the commercial I saw that led me to a New Blog site. Not without Salt, she had a photo of Chocolate bars. I remember the one Mom use to make. The memories flooded back, times of my childhood and the time at home. The smell of Chocolate seems to bring back happy thoughts.

Mom seem to be the one to introduce the wonderful flavor to all us kids. She gave my Daughter her first taste in a DingDong. That started the love of chocolate for her. Then about 7 years ago Mom introduce chocolate to Critter and he was hooked. It was in a Hershey bar. He continued to warm up to her just to have another taste. We all laughed and then realized what was being created, a chocoholic!

Chocolate is an addicting food, but oh the Delight in it is great! I have since switched to Dark chocolate. However, once in a while I crave the Milk chocolate. What is your favorite chocolate?