There are so many times when you've promised to make something for a club or class bake sale, or it's your best friend's birthday the next day and you have absolutely no idea what to do. Instead of buying something from the grocery store (lamesauce), take a 15 minute break and make something at least semi-homemade and much more delicious. These recipes are simple and absolutely flawless - they come out perfect every time (trust me, I've made them enough times). Completely homemade recipes are obviously much healthier and taste more natural (see previous posts!), but here are some other options when you're pressed for time, as we always are.
Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie MixThis recipe is done very quickly, and it requires little or no expertise. All you need is an egg and a stick of butter - blend those together and then add in the mix from the packet. It says to have butter at room temperature, but I recommend microwaving it a little bit even then (or for two 8 or 9 second intervals if it's straight from the fridge), because the butter doesn't mix well with the egg. Even if the two are very lumpy & clumpy when mixed and you can't seem to blend them anymore - no worries, just add in the mix; the cookies will taste and look exactly the same. Also - don't worry about shaping the cookies. You can leave ugly little lumps on the cookie sheet (I recommend parchment paper) because they cookies will spread out perfectly into nice little circles just from the heat (unlike sugar cookies). Be sure to leave lots of room for the cookies to spread, and bake them on the lower end of the recommended time - otherwise they will be hard by the next day. Enjoy - these cookies turn out beautifully, and are absolutely indescribable when fresh out of the oven (...though still not as delicious as the recipe for "Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies" from March 9's post!)
Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
Because brownies require more time in the oven than cookies (40 minutes vs. 8-10), these may seem like a longer process, but in reality it doesn't take too much time to prepare. Add 1/3 cup each of water and vegetable oil (again, all the instructions are detailed on the back) and blend those together with an egg. Because you don't need to add butter in this recipe, I find that the ingredients mix well together (use a large rubber spatula to blend in the mix from the box) and never have any lumps, except for the chocolate chips. These brownies come out moist and delicious, and are delicious with ice cream (see previous post for tips on how to enjoy brownies, as well as a better - and longer - recipe!).
Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa - Double Chocolate
Nestle Hot Cocoa Mix - Mini Marshmallows
Both of these are heavenly hot chocolate mixes and quite popular as well, so be sure to buy some and keep them handy at home. The Ghirardelli mix comes in a cylindrical box, and the
Nestle comes in 6 individual packets to a box (perfect to keep in the kitchen at work for everyone to enjoy - or in your locker at school if hot water is available, and also excellent for traveling). The Ghirardelli mix calls for hot milk, and the Nestle mix works with both water and milk. To make the hot chocolate richer, milk is obviously the better choice, but sometimes it's good to mix a portion water and a portion of milk, to keep it a little healthier - and you can't taste the difference!Of course, all of these 4 recipes come in many other mix "flavors," but the ones above are my favorite. All of these are available at any local grocery store, along with various other types. Again, homemade recipes are much less precessed, more natural, healthier and much tastier - but don't resort to buying baked goods from the supermarket when you can make something fresher right at home. Be sure to keep some of the recipes above handy, so when you're pressed for time or just longing for something semi-homemade, you can whip up one of these.
The Chocolate Chronicles
photocredit1: savingwithshellie.com
photocredit2: shopniac.com
