Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

yields about 3 dozen cookies

ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 (3.4 oz) pkg instant vanilla or chocolate pudding

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

directions:

Sift together the flour and soda and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars; beat in the pudding mix until blended.

Stir in the eggs and vanilla.

Blend in the flour mixture.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, until edges are golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to sit on cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

serves 16-20
This cake is best if made at least 24 hours before serving, and tastes even better 2 days after making it. Store it in the fridge, but let it warm up a bit before serving (taking it out an hour or so beforehand should do it).

Cake:

3/4 cup butter

2 1/8 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tsp vanilla

chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

In a small bowl, mixed the mashed banana with the lemon juice and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in the 2 tsp vanilla.

Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk; do not overmix.

Stir in the banana mixture.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 inch baking pan and bake in preheated oven 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (it took 1 hour and 25 minutes in my oven).

Remove cake from oven and place directly into the freezer (uncovered) for 45 minutes.

For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth; blend in 1 tsp vanilla.

Beat in the confectioner's sugar until smooth and spread on cooled cake.

If using, sprinkle walnuts over the frosting.