The Best of Both Worlds

Something about Sunday makes me want to bake. I get that from my daddy. Almost every Sunday evening found our family with a plate of warm cookies and a jug of ice-cold milk.

So today we made the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever. I know many CLAIM to have this recipe, but, in fact, WE do. Sorry. We got it from a family in Cincinnati, who brought the aforementioned cookies to a ward picnic. A year later, My Man and I were still talkin' about those dang cookies. I finally just emailed them for the recipe. And now they're all the rage in South America.

I'm feeling magnanimous today, and have decided to let you all partake in the goodness that is empty calories as well. Don't be fooled by the absence of any surprise ingredients. They are just plain THAT good.


Cream:
4 sticks of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar

Add:
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
6 cups of flour

Stir in 4 cups of chocolate chips (I like to do half milk, half semi-sweet). Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup to scoop out the dough, cook 6-8 on a sheet, 350 degrees, for about 12 minutes. You don't want these cookies to brown at all - take them out when they look just barely done and let them sit on the tray for a couple minutes.


The recipe makes 36 huMUNGous cookies or 70 normal-sized ones. (I once made over 100 bite-sized ones for a party.) It can be halved; to half an egg, simply mix it up in a bowl and measure out two tablespoons. Still, I recommend making the full batch. They freeze excellently.

So the title of today's post suggests that I will give you something from Brazil - and you would assume correctly. The most common sweets in this beloved pais o' mine are brigadeiros. You will find them at every single birthday party and wedding in the country. My sister absolutely fell in love with them while she was visiting - and my brother-in-law Brent won the dairy division in his county fair with 'em.

Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk in a small pot and add 2 heaping tablespoons of chocolate milk mix (like Nesquick or something - you can add more if you like them really chocolatey) and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until you can see the bottom of the pan - it'll take a few minutes. Pour the mixture on a plate and let cool completely - put it in the fridge if you're in a hurry. Once it's cooled, butter your hands really well and roll the mixture into little balls - about a teaspoon at a time. Then roll in sprinkles. Voila! You're done.

This recipe has a million and one variations. Skip the chocolate altogether and roll in coconut. Put a strawberry in the middle or a piece of caramel. Use strawberry milk mix instead of chocolate. The only limit is your imagination.

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Diet? What diet? ....