The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (theperfectchocolatechipcookie.com)

$3.31 ($0.06/cookie, $0.74 per dozen)

Makes ~54 cookies 

Updated 8/4/14.

14.5 oz (2¾ c) all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

4 oz (½ c) salted butter at room temperature

4 oz (½ c) Crisco (plain/butter flavored)

6.5 oz (1 c) light brown sugar

6.5 oz (1 c minus 2 Tbsp) white sugar

2 large eggs

1½ t vanilla

10 oz (1½ c) semi-sweet chocolate chips (Hershey's)

In a separate bowl, gently mix the flour, soda and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and shortening on high until light and fluffy, 2 min. Add both sugars and beat on high 2 min. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully incorporated. Add chocolate chips and mix gently. Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated (just until you no longer see white spots of flour). Do not overmix! Touch test the dough. It should feel slightly sticky, but not much should stick to your finger. If it is very sticky add flour 2 Tbsp (.5 oz) at a time.

Scoop dough into balls 1” tall (1 oz), handling as little as possible. Place in a 9x13 pan or back in the bowl, cover and refrigerate 30 min or until firm. (Dough will last up to 2 days in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.*)

15-20 min before baking, preheat the oven to 375°. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 min. They are ready to come out of the oven when they are domed and puffy, show a few signs of browning and look a bit underdone. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 min. Remove them to a cooling rack to cool evenly. Wait 10 min, then serve your Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie! For problem solving, visit www.theperfectchocolatechipcookie.com

*To freeze, place dough balls on a plate side by side, cover and freeze at least an hour. You can then bag them and they won't be stuck together when you take them out.

Variations: Replace chocolate chips with:

Lemon White Chocolate: 1 Tbsp citric acid, 1 Tbsp lemon extract, 1½ c white chocolate chips

M&M: 1 c mini M&Ms or 1½ c regular M&Ms

Milk Chocolate Toffee: 1½ c milk chocolate toffee bits

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (Big Red Kitchen)

Thank you Big Red Kitchen! These pancakes are divine and really do taste just like cinnamon rolls! My family went nuts over these and the kids already told me they were going to request these on their birthdays. Pretty yummy!

Makes 12 large pancakes. 

$2.12 including filling and drizzle ($0.18 each)

1½ c milk
 (can use made-from-powdered milk)

4 Tbsp butter, melted

2 large eggs


2 Tbsp sugar


2 c flour


4 tsp baking powder


½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 11×17 inch jellyroll pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg. Add sugar, then gradually beat in the flour. Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. Squeeze out swirls of Cinnamon Roll Filling over pancake batter: 4 swirls across, 3 down, for 12 pancakes. Use wooden skewers laid across the pan as a guide, if desired. Bake 8-9 min. until center is set and does not give when pressed with your finger. Remove from oven and drizzle with Maple Cream Cheese Drizzle. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Roll Filling


4 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 c brown sugar
, packed

1 Tbsp cinnamon

In a small bowl mix filling ingredients together until blended well. Place in a pastry bag or plastic zip-top bag and snip corner to swirl over pancake batter.

Maple Cream Cheese Drizzle
 (half the original recipe)

1 oz cream cheese, softened


1/2 c powdered sugar


1 Tbsp good maple syrup


Milk (1 Tbsp?)

Mix the first three ingredients in a bowl until smooth, dripping in small amounts of milk until mixture is a drizzling consistency. Place in a pastry bag to drizzle over pancakes.

Freezer Note: These can be sliced, placed on a cookie sheet and frozen. Once frozen, place in a freezer zip-top bag and freeze for individual treats, brunch guests, or lunchboxes. Reheat in microwave.

Pancake Squares (bigredkitchen.com)

$1.82



1½ c milk

¼ c melted butter
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp sugar

2 c flour
 *try using white wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9×13 dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and eggs. Add sugar, then gradually beat in the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 6.

I served this with cinnamon syrup, and the kids said it tasted like cinnamon rolls. I plan to try this with white wheat flour next time.

Thanks for this recipe, Big Red Kitchen!

No Bake Cookies (Anita Heap)

$2.13 with 3% tax



½ c margarine
1¾ c sugar
½ c milk
3 Tbsp cocoa
½ tsp vanilla
3½ c oats

Mix first 4 ingredients together in a saucepan. Stir on medium heat and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 3 min. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and oats. Drop by spoonful onto wax paper or silicone baking liner. Cool.

*For No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies ($2.51 with 3% tax):
Prepare the same as above, but after boiling for 3 min, add: 
½ c peanut butter
3 c oats

Corn Bread Cake (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

$2.90

I have never tasted cornbread this divine! I had to change the title to "Corn Bread Cake" because I just might prefer this over cake. This tasted amazing with honey butter, and just as yummy crumbled into chili. Wow. You must make this! I love Mel's Kitchen Café!

1 c cornmeal

3 c flour


1 1/3 c sugar


2 Tbsp baking powder


1 tsp salt


2/3 c oil


6 Tbsp butter, melted


4 eggs, beaten


2 1/2 c milk (can use milk made from powdered milk)

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny). Bake in an 9x13” pan and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. (If you halve the recipe, bake in an 8” square pan for 35 minutes).

Variation: Corn Dogs
Corn bread cake batter
Hot dogs
Mini muffin tins

Cut hot dogs into 3/4" slices. Lightly spray mini muffin pan. Pour prepared cornbread batter into muffin tins most of the way full. Press hot dog slices into batter. If desired, cover hot dogs with a little more batter. Bake for 15-16 minutes or until baked through. 

Simple Honey Butter

$1.30

I can't bring myself to buy marshmallow cream, and this tastes amazing without it, so I'm happy!


½ c butter, softened
¼ tsp vanilla
½ c honey

Whip butter with egg beaters. Add vanilla and whip. Add honey gradually while whipping. Serve over scones, cornbread, etc.

German Pancakes (allrecipes.com)

$1.34

FYI: This is a very eggy dish, but the kids all raved about it and said it was very filling.

¼ c butter
1 c flour
1 c milk
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/8 tsp salt
*try adding:
1 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter in a 9x13 pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, milk, eggs and salt (*and new ingredients). Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake on center rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered or brown sugar, if desired. Serve with syrup.

Lemonade Cookies (Anita Heap)

$1.90 ($0.04 per cookie) Yield: about 4 dozen scrumptious cookies


3 c white flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c soft margarine
1/2 c frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
Extra lemonade concentrate and sugar

Preheat oven to 375°. Sift flour, sugar, soda and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, margarine, and lemonade. Blend. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until lightly browned around edges, about 8 min. Brush hot cookies with remaining lemonade concentrate and sprinkle with sugar.

Maple Syrup (melskitchencafe.com)

$3.03 ($0.30 per cup)
Compare: Western Family Syrup costs $7.20 for 1 gallon/16 c ($0.45 per cup)
Updated 3/22/13.

I don't like making syrup every time I make pancakes, but I only like homemade. So this recipe with its high yield is perfect! This is definitely a make-ahead recipe. Makes about 10 cups (2 1/2 quarts) of syrup. I have decreased the sugar by 1 cup and increased the water by 1 cup from the original recipe. I dont' have crystallization issues any more.

The flavor and consistency of this syrup has made it my new favorite homemade syrup recipe!


6 c white sugar
1 c packed brown sugar (7.5 oz)
½ c honey (5.75 oz)
5 c water
2 tsp pure maple extract (or artificial)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a large 5-6 quart pot, combine the sugars, honey and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to low so the mixture gently simmers. Cover the pot and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 20 minutes before stirring in the maple and vanilla extracts. Store covered in jars or other containers in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2 months in the refrigerator. Gently reheat before serving, if desired.

Lemon Ice Cream Pie

$6.57 including 3% tax

Crust:

2 c graham cracker crumbs (1½-2 pckg graham crackers, crushed)*

1/3 c sugar

½ c butter, melted

Combine and press in the bottom of a 9x13 dish.

Topping:

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

8 oz lemonade concentrate (undiluted)

Soften ice cream. Combine ice cream and lemonade concentrate in (KitchenAid) mixer until well-blended. Pour over the graham cracker crust. Freeze about 3 hours or until set. Let dessert warm slightly on the counter before slicing to serve.

*Blend the remaining ½ package of graham crackers, add some sugar and melted butter to it, and sprinkle over the top of the ice cream.

Peanut Butter Bars (sixsistersstuff.com)

Updated 9/2/14. ($4.83 including tax)
These are so amazingly yummy! Our family cannot get enough of these!

1 c butter, melted
2 c Honey Maid graham cracker crumbs (16 crackers; 4 crackers = ½ c)
2 c powdered sugar (8.53 oz)
1 c creamy peanut butter (9.3 oz)
1½ c milk chocolate chips (9.8 oz)
4 Tbsp creamy peanut butter (2.3 oz)

In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter until combined. Press into an ungreased 9x13” pan using a sheet of wax paper.

Melt chocolate chips and 4 Tbsp peanut butter in microwave, stirring every 30 second until melted and smooth. Spread chocolate over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting into bars. Tip: If the bars chill until the chocolate is too hard to easily cut, use a sharp knife and score the cuts first, then gently cut through. Can be stored in the fridge or at room temp. They will stay firmer if stored in the fridge.

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Buttermilk Syrup (Molly Cash)

$1.02

1 c sugar
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

In a big pot, mix sugar, milk and butter over medium-high heat. Add baking soda and boil until it thickens. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

If you love buttermilk, you’ll love this. If not… try another variety of syrup. Andrew and Jon love this. Andrew now requests "butter syrup" every time we eat pancakes or waffles.

Cinnamon Syrup (Allrecipes.com)

$0.34

Modified 6/17/13.


1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar (5.2 oz)
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c water
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all dry ingredients in a saucepan. Stir in water. Bring to a boil and stir until syrup thickens. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

If you like creamy syrup (I don't) you can add 1/2 cup of cream or evaporated milk with the vanilla.

Buttermilk Biscuits (Cooks.com)

I've been searching for a biscuit recipe that makes light and moist biscuits; most seem to turn out dense and dry. These are the best I've ever made. So yummy! The whole family loved these. 20 minutes. $1.66 including tax
2 c white flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
½ c butter
1 c buttermilk (or sour milk)

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and cut in the butter using a fork or pastry blender (butter chunks should end up pea-size). Stir in the buttermilk and continue stirring only until the mixture forms a ball and begins to hold together (do not over-mix or biscuits will be tough). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll out ¾-1” thick and cut into rounds. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper). Arrange biscuits close together for soft sides or 1” apart for more crusty sides. Bake at 450° for 12 min or until just golden brown.

Gourmet Peanut Butter Cookies (Nancy Giles)

Makes 24 gourmet-size cookies or 4 dozen regular-size cookies.$3.76 with 3% tax without peanut butter chips, $0.08 per reg cookie; $0.94 per dozen; $6.42 w/pb chips, $0.13/cookie, $1.60/dozen

2½ c flour (originally 3 c)
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 c butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
1½ c chunky peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp water (if needed)
1½ c peanut butter chips (optional)

Heat oven to 350°. Grease baking sheets. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until well blended. Beat in peanut butter, then egg and vanilla. Beat in flour mix until combined. Add water if dough seems dry. Stir in chips. Drop by ¼ cupfuls 4” apart on baking sheets. Press a fork into each to make a crosshatch design. Bake 11 min or until browned lightly at edges. Let stand 2min before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Whipped Cream

$0.97



1 c (½ pint) whipping cream
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Chill bowl and beaters for best results. In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in sugar and vanilla until peaks form. Make sure not to overbeat or cream will become lumpy and butter-like. Serve over pancakes with fresh strawberries or with any fresh fruit.

Vanilla Butter Frosting (Betty Crocker)

Fills and frosts two 8- or 9” layers or frosts a 13x9” cake. (Doubled Recipe)
$2.05 with 3% tax

2/3 c soft butter or margarine
6 c powdered sugar (1# 9.6oz)
3 tsp vanilla
About 4 Tbsp milk 

Blend butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and milk; beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.

Lemon Frosting (Betty Crocker)

Fills frosts two 8- or 9” layers or a 13x9” cake.
$1.93 with 3% tax

1/3 c soft butter or margarine
3 c powdered sugar
About 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Blend butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and milk; beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.

Chocolate Butter Frosting (Betty Crocker)

Fills and frosts two 8- or 9” layers or frosts a 13x9” cake. $2.17 with tax















1/3 c soft butter or margarine
1/3 c cocoa
2 c powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla
about 2 Tbsp milk

Mix thoroughly butter and cocoa. Blend in sugar. Stir in vanilla and milk; beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.

Brownies (Debra Garry)

$3.12 (including tax - When comparing with store-bought don't forget to include the price of eggs and oil.)

Updated 8/4/14.



1 c butter, softened in microwave
2 c sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (real)
1½ c flour
½ c cocoa (heaping)
¾ tsp salt (her original recipe uses 1 tsp)
½-1 c miniature chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Heat oven to 350°. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9x2” pan. Cream softened butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa and salt. Mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread in pan. Bake 32 min. Cool before cutting.

For Valentine's Day, crush candy canes. Immediately after removing brownies from oven, sprinkle candy canes over the top. After brownies have cooled, use a cookie cutter to make heart shapes.



For Christmas, crush candy canes. Immediately after removing brownies from oven, sprinkle candy canes over the top.