Chocolate Chip Cookies - Mama Jantz style

These are the only chocolate chip cookies I remember my mom making when I was a kid.  I always thought they were so much better than ones I had elsewhere.  When she gave me the recipe, I realized why.  There is a secret ingredient that makes them extra soft and moist, and they NEVER dry out or get hard, at least, not before they're completely scarfed up by everyone. : )

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
200 g. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. castor sugar
1 package (small) Jello Instant Vanilla pudding
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 bag of chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts, optional

Mix flour with soda in a bowl and set aside.  Combine butter, sugars, jello mix, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs.  Gradually add flour mixture, then stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  You want a stiff batter.  Drop by tablespoon fulls onto an ungreased baking sheet, about two inches apart.  Bake at 375/190 for 8-10 minutes.  Makes about 2 1/2-3 dozen.

I'm planning to toy around with making vanilla pudding powder from scratch, so if it's successful in this recipe, I'll post that as well, so you won't have to import anything for these!

My Favorite Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I have tried dozens of baked macaroni and cheese recipes and just had never found the perfect (to my taste) recipe.  When we were back in the states last summer, I picked up a box of macaroni pasta at Winn Dixie.  On the side of the box, it had a recipe.  So I tried it in my quest for the perfect recipe.  And I found it!  : ) Who knew it would be on the side of a Winn Dixie box? : )

Macaroni and Cheese
16 oz. macaroni (about 500 grams)
1/4 c. (50 g) butter
1/3 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 c. milk
2 c. shredded Cheddar
1 c. shredded swiss cheese (or just use all cheddar, or any other cheese you have)

Preheat oven to 375 (190C).  Cook macaroni in boiling water, drain.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper.  Stir with a whisk and gradually stir in milk.  Cook until thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese.  Stir until melted.  Stir in macaroni.

Spoon half of macaroni mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.  top with Swiss cheese, remaining macaroni mixture, then remaining cheddar cheese.  bake uncovered 30 minutes or until bubbly.  

Gooey Butter Cake

This is my husbands favorite dessert.  He's not a big fan of chocolate desserts (which are MY favorite!)  and so I like to make this for him.  This is one of the main reasons I was so excited when my import store here started carrying the Britannia cream cheese!  : )

Gooey Butter Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 c. milk powder (I use EveryDay by Nestle)
100 grams butter
2 beaten eggs

Melt the butter and drizzle in the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan.  Combine the dry ingredients and sprinkle over the butter.  Pour the beaten eggs in the pan and mix together with a fork until it's all moistened.  Mash it into the bottom of the pan as evenly as possible.

1 1/2 boxes of Britannia cream cheese
2 eggs
3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Combine and mix with a mixer.  Pour on top of cake mixtures.  Bake at 350F (175C) for 30 minutes. Don't over bake it, even if it doesn't look done!