puffy chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter-flavored shortening*
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Hardware:

• Ice cream scooper
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheets
• Mixer

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the shortening, sugar, and brown sugar in the mixer's work bowl, and cream until light and fluffy. In the meantime, sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

Add the eggs 1 at a time to the creamed mixture. Then add vanilla. Increase the speed until thoroughly incorporated.

With the mixer set to low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the shortening and combine well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 per sheet. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown and puffy, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool and store in an airtight-container.

*If you don't have butter flavored shortening you can just use a stick of regular cold butter.

Red & White Lasagna

What?

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 1 15oz container ricotta cheese
• 1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach
• 2c shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2c shredded parmesan (divided)
• 2 eggs
• 1lb ground sausage, cooked and drained
• 1 26oz jar marinara pasta sauce
• 1 16oz jar alfredo pasta sauce
• chopped fresh parsley
  

How?

Cook pasta according to package directions (this step can be omitted if you have oven ready pasta). Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, mozzarella cheese, 2T parmesan cheese and eggs; mix well. In a 15x9in baking dish, spread 1c marinara sauce. Layer 4 lasagna noodles over sauce. Top with 1/2 cheese mixture, 1c marinara sauce and all the cooked sausage. Layer 4 more lasagna noodles, remaining cheese mixture and remaining marinara sauce. Top with 4 more lasagna noodles. Spread alfredo sauce evenly on top; sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Cover; bake 40 min. Uncover, bake and additional 15 min or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 min before cutting.