1950's Chocolate Chip Cookies

The recipe for these came from a Pillsbury's Best Butter Cookie Cookbook pamphlet from the 50's. I skipped the nuts, and added some white chocolate chips-but otherwise stayed with the original recipe. As someone who isn't a chocolate chip cookie fanatic, I have to admit, I liked these. I don't think I'd crave them, but I did enjoy them. The cookies are flatter, and crispier than what we associate with chocolate chip cookies today, and they have less butter and sugar in them.


You Will Need:

2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, unbeaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate pieces
1/2 cup nuts (I omitted these)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

Mix dry ingredients together, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter. beat in the sugars, mixing well. beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chips and nuts.

Drop by teaspoonful onto pan leaving about 2 inches apart. Bake about 10 minutes, or until slightly golden on top. remove to a rack to cool. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen (that's what I got).

Chocolate Cherry Muffins and Martians

I've been notified by the Martian ambassador that the only thing that can stop their planned takeover of Earth is a batch of double chocolate cherry muffins. He was pretty specific. Semi sweet and white chocolate chips-none of that imitation crap. And real butter. You don't want to know what Crisco does to the Martian intestines.

OK people of Earth-you owe me.

The ambassador said we're cool for now, but he sees some chocolate cornstarch pudding being the key to detente.

You Will Need:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped cherries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Preheat your Earthling subsistence heating machine to 450 degrees F. Grease the top of a 12 cup muffin tin and line the cups with paper. Set aside.

With your Earthling combining centrifuge machine (or a strong arm) cream together the butter, sugar and salt. Do this for about three Earth minutes. Rest your arm. Do ten jumping jacks. Blow your nose, wash your hands and continue. Wait, don't forget to face North while you do all this. Still with me?

Add the baking powder and eggs and mix well. Add the flour, vanilla and milk and mix again. Don't overbeat the batter. Stupid Earthlings always want to over-beat the batter. Fold in the chocolate and cherries. Spoon into muffin tin and sprinkle tops with granulated sugar.

Bake five minutes and then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Bake another 30-35 minutes. Cool before giving to little Martians as they tend to burn their delicate little Martian tongues on hot chocolate chips.