Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe for chocolate chip cookies comes from an old cookbook that originally came with Easy Bake Ovens years ago. It produces a spongy, chewy cookie that, although it could use some improvement, is still better than the expensive mixes in the toy department. I used butter instead of the shortening called for in the original recipe, and I think mini chocolate chips would be better than one regular-sized chip per cookie. We baked two cookies at a time because they do spread out quite a bit in the pan.


Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons softened butter or shortening
2 Tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons milk
12 to 15 chocolate chips
Preheat Easy Bake Oven 15 minutes (regular oven 350F). Cream together sugar and butter or shortening. Blend in flour, baking powder, and vanilla. Stir in milk. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by half teaspoonfuls on well greased pan, allowing room to spread. Bake 5 minutes. Yield: 12 to 15 cookies.

Bagel Chips

I've had some bagels in my freezer that haven't been getting eaten. So, I turned them into bagel chips for an easy-to-grab snack.

Bagel Chips

6 bagels

6 Tablespoons olive oil

3 teaspoons garlc salt

2 teaspoons onion powder

Slice bagels into thin rounds. Place in a ziploc bag or sealable bowl. Add olive oil and seasonings. Shake to coat. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 30 - 45 minutes, checking and turning every 15 minutes or so until chips have reached desired crispness.

Easy Bake Oven Angel Cookies

Angel Cookies
2 Tablespoons very soft butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 pinch salt
¼ cup flour
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat Easy Bake Oven 15 minutes (regular oven 350F). In a small bowl, mix ingredients well and shape into 1-inch balls. Place one or two cookies in greased Easy Bake pan. Press down on each cookie slightly with fingers. Bake 5 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Yield: 10-12 cookies.

Angel Cookies are light, delicate, and crisp. They are perfect for little tea parties. The mixture will seem like it will never come together. You will need to finish combining the dough with your hands. Make sure you press down on the cookies so that they are not taller than the sides of the pan or they will get stuck going into the oven. They spread out quite a bit in the pans as they cook. I found that I had to bake them one at a time, otherwise the cookies ran together. They will firm up as they cool.

Zucchini Brownie Cake

Even when you're trying to eat more healthfully, special events arise when you need a yummy treat. I'm not calling this recipe "health food", but I feel that it is a healthier alternative to other treats. Tonight, we're visiting special friends and were asked to bring a dessert. This dessert tastes phenomenal and you'd never know it is packed with zucchini. The recipe produces a sort of cake-like brownie and requires no eggs. It will not look pretty before you bake it, but you will be amazed at how you won't be able to detect the zucchini afterward. I have successfully substituted unsweetened applesauce for half of the oil.

Zucchini Brownie Cake
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce)
1 1/2 cups sugar (reduced to 1 1/4 cup without a difference in taste)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour (a combination of white and whole wheat works well)
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Mixture will be very dry. Fold in zucchini (and nuts or chocolate chips, if using). Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until it springs back when touched. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
6 Tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Melt together the cocoa and butter, and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownie cake.

**UPDATE**
I made this brownie cake again using applesauce for all of the oil and whole wheat for half of the flour and baked them in a muffin pan. Even without the frosting, my family still gobbled them up.

French Toast Casserole

We had some leftover blueberry bagels in the pantry, and they weren't getting eaten quickly enough, so I thought I'd try making French Toast Casserole with them. It turned out nicely. I divided this recipe in half for a 9x9 pan.

Overnight French Toast Casserole1 (10-ounce) loaf French bread
8 eggs
3 cups milk
4 teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract, optional
4 Tablespoons margarine, cut up fine
3 teaspoons cinnamon/sugar mixture
Grease 9x13 pan. Cut bread into 1-inch pieces and arrange in pan. Mix eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and extract(s), and pour over bread. Dot with the margarine. Refrigerate 4-36 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with syrup as desired.