Monday, January 24, 2011

French Toast, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Pimento Cheese

After spending the morning doing things on post, I spent some time this afternoon in the kitchen.  Turned old bread into french toast, made some chocolate chocolate chip cookies, and some pimento cheese.  I know that sounds like an odd combination but the bread was taking up space in the refrigerator, today is my husband's birthday so I made some cookies, and I was out of pimento cheese which I love on celery!

Here's how I make French Toast:

2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 T sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter

In a shallow dish, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until well blended.  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Dip bread in egg mixture and place in hot pan.  Cook on both sides about 3 to 4 minutes each side or until golden brown and no visible liquid egg mixture remains.  Serve immediately.  Syrup, fresh fruit slices, or powdered sugar sprinkled on top are not necessary but are tasty!  This is for 4-6 slices of bread. 

I never have just 4 to 6 slices of bread that need to be made up, so I make a big batch and keep in the refrigerator for breakfast during the week.  That is unless my son is home and then it never lasts that long!  I use whatever bread is old, including cinnamon raisin bread, sourdough bread, sandwich bread, I've even been known to toss in some hamburger buns!



For the cookies, I use the recipe on the package of Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips and add Hershey's cocoa to make it chocolate chocolate chip cookies. 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups (12 ounce package) Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, or in our house, never!)
1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir together flour, cocoa (if making chocolate chocolate chip), baking soda and salt.  Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy.  Add eggs; beat well.  Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. (forget the mixer at this point!) Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.  Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

I add the cocoa to the dry ingredients, usually.  Today I accidentally added it to the wet ingredients bowl.   I don't think it really matters as they turned out fine.  One other difference today was I was out of all-purpose flour.  Who runs out of all-purpose flour?!  Luckily, I had self-rising flour.  So I just omited the baking soda and salt. 



Now, if you're a Southern gal, you already know all about pimento cheese!  It's good for a sandwich, on crackers, and my favorite, on celery sticks. 

Pimento Cheese

1 jar (4 ounces) of diced pimentos, well drained
1 pound to 1 1/2 pound of Velveta cheese
a dollop of Miracle Whip
dash of salt and pepper

Grate the cheese, add the rest, and stir together. 

 (in my MawMaw's glass dish!)

Hope y'all got more sewing done today than I did!

LaDonna

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