Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Thrift Finds

It's been raining practically all day yesterday, and I have not had the desire to go outside in the rain, to do any errands, except just to chill out inside my condo apartment, open the windows in my living room and listen to the rain. I just love watching summer rain, and listen to the rain drops. Sounds corny, but it's one of the sounds of nature that I love so much. In the early morning, I love to open my back windows in the bedroom, just to hear the cricket sounds, and watch the lush greenery of the enormous grape leave trees. The clean fresh air, even if it's 79 to 81 degrees F. in the morning, I love to open my windows and get the nice cross breeze from the ocean, which is only about 100 ft. away.

I'm linking this to:

 Full Plate Thursday 8-11-11 @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage

I decided to bake cookies last night, and I always refer to the Original Nestle Toll House Cookies recipe.

The only adaptation I use for the full recipe, is instead of 2 sticks of butter, I substitute 1 cup of Crisco all vegetable shortening, which equals to the 1 stick of butter. The reason for that is...my cookies always come out so perfect and just the right amount of crispiness. It never flattens down, as it would with the full amount of the butter. So that's my little secret "tip!"

Now, do you see what I mean?...Perfect cookies every time! Later, I plan to make enchiladas, which I have not made in ages...one filled with leftover rotisserie chicken, and the other vegetarian.

In the meantime, here's the link to the Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. Yeayy!!! saves me from typing it all out! Trust me on this one. Perfect cookies every time!

 Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cross Country- Oatmeal Cookies and Blog Award

This morning was a cloudy, and gloomy morning that turned into a half way decent looking day, here in South Florida, but temperature only at about 68 degrees F. My daughter dropped off my little grandson at my place for a couple hours so she could go take care of errands, son-in-law had his only 1 day off, and he had to take care of things, as well. My little sweetheart came all set with his "Finding Nemo" CDVD, as he calls it, and I knew I didn't have his favorite little "Goldfish" crackers snack for him, so I thought, I better start making something real quick and yummy for him. Sure enough I had Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolates, but no chocolate chips. Found some quick cooking oats, and I knew I had the rest of the ingredients...so why not, some chocolate chunk cookies, instead of chocolate chip cookies?

Ready to jump into action, and in less than 30 minutes, warm cookies were waiting for my little guy, with a big smile on his face. For some reason, every time I'm looking for a recipe, that I have just about all the ingredients for, is the "Best Recipes" book, the latest copyright, 1982, that have a compiled great list from backs of boxes, cans, jars, but you really have to do some adaptation to make it up to date by switching, and adding ingredients, which I love to do, and adapt it my way. Interesting, about the Mazola corn oil, which the original recipe calls for 3/4 cups? and no butter?...well, I quickly narrowed the amount down to 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, instead, and I knew it would need at least a little butter, so I added 1/2 unsalted butter, and had to confidence of knowing it will turn out better, than with all oil, which would make it too wet, as well!...The result, was a light, perfect, chocolaty goodness with healthy oats!

Chocolate Chunk Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

This particular interesting Cheese Cake Cookie bars goes back to the seventies, that I was anxious to recreate. Just trying to make things more up to date and interesting. The original recipe calls for ready made chocolate cookie dough, and too much sugar, and butter, The creme cheese topping is what makes it so special, and unique. In order to make this extra yummy, you actually have to make the cookie dough from scratch, which really isn't difficult, and instead of chocolate chips, I added Nestle semisweet chocolate chunks, or you can make your own chocolate chunks that would even be better. This was part of the Sunday Lunch for Ten, and I even had enough dough left over to make cookies with. All, in all, it was a successful dessert, and everyone loved it. I highly recommend it.

Chocolate Chunk Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup(1 stick) unsalted butter softened
1 cup pure vegetable Crisco
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 cups(12 ounces) Nestle semisweet chocolate chunks,
or your own,  chopped


In a medium size  bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt, In a large bowl, with a hand electric mixer, mix the butter, Crisco, vanilla, and the sugars until nice and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well, until real fluffy. Add half of the flour, and mix with the mixer. (don't mix the whole amount with the electric mixer.) Now, fold in the second half portion of the flour, and fold in the chocolate chips. Divide dough into two large logs and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Unroll, the dough, and slice about half in slices to pat into an 8x8 in square pan, or use all the dough to pat into a 9x13 pan,( but you will not have left over dough to make cookies with.)  also the larger pan will have a flatter topping with the creme cheese The choice is your. (I made it in the smaller pan, and still had enough dough for 18 cookies too.

Cream Cheese Topping
2- 8 ounce package Philadelphia Creme Cheese (left out to soften)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
In a hand electric mixer, Beat cream cheese with the sugar until nice and creamy, add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Last, add the vanilla, and beat for another minute or two. Fold the Cream Cheese Topping on top of the cookie crust dough, and bake in a 350 degrees F. oven for about 30-35 minutes. Cut into small squares, or bars. Serves 8
note:
For easier removal from the pan, line the pan with aluminum foil, and let sides hang over. When it's done, you can remove it with the aluminum foil, for easier cutting.

Chocolate chunk cookies, from one recipe dough, or make the full recipe for the 9x13 inch baking pan with with 2 inch sides