Dole Whip? Dole Whip? Three Dole Whips!

Anyone else have hundreds of pinned recipes on Pinterest that you have yet to make? Hopefully it's not just me. LOL

Stick with me the next several posts, because I'm going to start working my way through my pinned recipes to see if they're worth making again. I organize my pins in two different folders. My "Yum!" folder is recipes I want to try that look good, and "Family Food Favorites" are the ones I've made that I would make again.

I started out with something easy, mostly because I already had the stuff on hand, and I had some leftover pineapple from another thing I made. Plus, the Dole Whip you can buy at Disneyland seems to have cult status, so if there's a home made alternative for you to get your fix, I'm here to help.  The problem is that I never had it when we went to Disney, so I don't have a point of reference for this.

That being said, this version is super simple (3 ingredients) and quick to put together, no need for freezing after you blend it. I have a Vitamix blender, so that made it a lot simpler, but even so, I still had to use the pusher thing to get the ingredients to stay down near the blades. Plus there was some stopping to scrape down the sides. 

 This is what I mean by the "pusher thing":

The recipe is basically dump all the things in the blender and puree together. Pretty simple (as one would expect from a recipe in Real Simple magazine!).

So here are all the ingredients in the blender:

In the process of making it smooth:

Like I said, it took some stopping and scraping and pushing around to get it all smooth...

Final product:

I thought it was pretty easy, and would even stock the ingredients to make again (the only thing I don't regularly have on hand is frozen pineapple anyway). I  like it, because it has real ingredients and no processed ingredients (is coconut milk considered "processed?" IDK). This is ready to serve right out of the blender, but if you have leftovers and put it in the freezer, it gets pretty solid, so you'll have to pull it out to soften to eat. 

Rather than copy and paste the recipe, I'm posting the link to the recipe located on the Real Simple website (it's called 3-ingredient Pineapple Soft-Serve), mainly because of copyright, but also because I'm not a fast typist and this is the easiest route to take. Work smarter, not harder, I always say!

For those of you who have had the real Dole Whip, let me know what you think. Is this an adequate substitute?

The best cake, as told by Norwegians

In Norway, there's a cake called Kvaefjordkake or verdens beste kake (world's best cake). Now, if you know Norwegians, or Norwegian-Americans at least, you'll know that we are not a people to use superlatives very often, because we are not a bragging type of folk, not given to creating a bunch of excitement. So, when I saw the name of this cake, I knew I had to make it! It's a sponge cake that you bake with meringue right on top, sprinkled with almonds, then sliced and filled with vanilla cream or whipped cream. My first attempt didn't go well. I used a recipe from Sverre Seatre's book, "Norwegian Cakes and Cookies," but it didn't work out. The meringue was fine, although I was starting to run low on the second layer, but one of the cakes underneath didn't bake and it was hard to get out of the cake pans. I don't do as well with recipes that I have to divide stuff equally into pans, to be honest. Part of the problem is that I'm too lazy to use my scale to get it just right...

Anyway, still intent on trying this recipe, I looked online and found a couple of options. I ended up using the ratios from one, but some of the directions of the other, so I kind of mashed up the recipe. The first recipe I used is from Sweet Paul, and I used it mainly because it had the number of eggs that I had happened to have pulled out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature. The second one is from Daytona Strong, one of my go-to people for Norwegian baking. Her site will also give you the history of this cake.

So, on to the cake. It was a little fussy, but not much (would have been easier if I had 2 bowls for my Kitchen-Aid mixer, but I don't, so I made due). You don't have to toast the almonds beforehand, because they get plenty toasted while baking. I took a suggestion from the Sweet Paul post and sliced strawberries to put in between the layers. I think it added a little brightness that cut through the richness of the cake. I also added a little almond extract to the cake, to enhance the almonds on the meringue, but I couldn't taste it much. Next time I make it, I might add more.

I shared it with my Bible study group, and it was a big hit! I will definitely make this again. I think you could have fun changing the cream filling (maybe do a mocha, which would taste good with the almonds, or lingonberry sauce for something fun for the holidays), since the basic cake, while very tasty, is a bit of a blank slate between the plain sponge and the unflavored meringue and vanilla cream.

My main tip for this cake, is to make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to go for both the cake layer and the meringue layer. It makes the process go a lot smoother.

Is it the world's best cake? Most of my friends really liked it, a few definitely said yes, but my heart is with chocolate, so I don't know. Maybe I'll have to work on a chocolate version to see how that might compare! Hope you enjoy this! If you experiment with different flavor combinations, let me know how it went!

Norway's "World's Best Cake"

Ingredients for the Cake layer

10.5 Tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
5 large egg yolks (you'll need the whites for the meringue, recipe follows)
1/3 cup milk (I used 2%, although the original recipe used whole milk)
1/8 tsp pure almond extract (I use Penzey's) -- feel free to omit or add more (not more than 1/4 tsp though), according to your preference

Ingredients for the Meringue

5 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup slice almonds

For the Whipped Cream layer

1 cup whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean (again, I used Penzey's)

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven. Line a small sheet pan (mine was 15.5 inches by 10 inches) with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cream butter and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. It should look like this:

Add the flour and baking powder, mix in to the butter/sugar mixture, then add the egg yolks, milk and almond extract.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and spread into an even layer. Set aside while you make the meringue.

To make the meringue, using a clean bowl and dry beaters (I used the whisk attachment on my Kitchen Aid mixer), whip the egg whites until they start to look white and foamy, then gradually start adding the sugar. I add it in a slow stream while the mixer is running, but you can also sprinkle in a tablespoon at a time. Continue whipping egg whites until they form stiff peaks. If your whites were at room temperature, this should only take about 4-5 minutes using a stand mixer. DO NOT add all the sugar at once. it will make the meringue more marshmallow-y soft and it won't crisp up when you bake it. Believe me, I've tried it as a short cut. Don't do it.

Here's what they should look like:

Evenly and carefully (use a light touch!) spread the meringue onto the (unbaked) cake layer, then sprinkle with the sliced almonds. (hint: you don't have to spread the meringue all the way to the edges, because it spreads and puffs up a bit while baking)

This is what it looked like before baking:

Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes. I was nervous because my first attempt ended up with gooey cake batter, so I left it in a little longer than I needed to, but it turned out fine. Cool completely in the pan.

For the whipped cream layer, pour whipping cream into a chilled bowl (using a chilled bowl and beaters makes the whipping go faster), then split the vanilla bean and scrape the inside of the bean (those are the seeds) into the whipping cream. Discard the outer part of the vanilla bean (or add it to your vanilla extract bottle). Whip cream and vanilla seeds together until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.

To assemble the cake:

Cut cake layer in half width-wise, so you have two pieces, each about 10 inches by 7 3/4 inches. Put one layer on your serving plate:

Then fill with all of the whipping cream and most of the sliced strawberries. Save about 10-12 slices for the top).

 Place second layer on top of the first layer, then place remaining strawberry slices in a line down the middle. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.  Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this cake! It should serve about 12, depending on how big you make the slices.

Binge Baking

I have a confession to make. I get a LOT of food magazines. In my defense, some are gifts (Cooks Illustrated), some are just sent to me (I'm looking at you, Eating Well and Cook's Country) and some I really just like to read and try the recipes (Bon Appetit, Rachel Ray Every Day and Cooking Light). Plus I really look forward to Wednesdays, when the Washington Post (our local paper) puts out its weekly Food section. AND, my neighbors and I swap our magazines, so I also get Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Woman's Day and Women's Health. There's a lot of inspiration each month, so it's not surprising that I don't make the same meal more than once (the only things I make on a sort of regular basis are tacos -- but with different proteins -- meatloaf and chili). Sometimes I think my kids would like a little regularity, but they don't complain.

It's kind of hard to keep up with all of them, but some months I find more to try than others. Case in point was this week. This month's Bon Appetit had a feature on the "New Basics" that had a very interesting Sesame Tea Cake that I wanted to try and the paper had a feature on baking with salted butter that sounded interesting. I don't usually have a lot of time to do multiple bakes in a week, but this weekend kind of opened up when some of our activities were canceled, so I took advantage and made all the things in one weekend. YIKES! My family and neighbors were happy, because I shared some with them!

The first thing I tried was the Sesame Tea Cake from Bon Appetit. It involved finding black sesame seeds, but to my surprise, my area grocery store, Wegmans, carried them in the international foods aisle. Whew! For those who can't find them in your grocery store, you can also get them on Amazon, of course or my favorite spice shop, Penzey's.

I thought it turned out really nicely, and for those who don't like very sweet treats, this is perfect for you! Slightly sweet, but a little nutty and salty, even my kids liked it (my husband and older son ate almost half of it before we brought the rest over to our friends' house to try). It was also fairly easy to put together -- no complicated techniques or anything. With its pretty swirl pattern, it would make a nice addition to a brunch dessert platter as well!

Next up was a couple of recipes from the Washington Post Food Section. They had an article that featured recipes with salted butter. Now, I don't think I've ever used salted butter (like, at all), so I was really intrigued to try these out. Because I bought a full pound (the only amount available), I decided to try two of the recipes. First up was a recipe for financiers, a fancy-sounding name for a little almond cake. This was a little more complicated because the recipe called for browning the butter and separating eggs, but those were the hardest steps. You also have to plan a little (or not have a timeline), because the batter goes in the refrigerator for at least an hour. On the plus side, once the batter has rested, it's super simple to pop them in the oven. I used mini muffin tins, as directed by the recipe, but had a good amount of leftover batter. The consistency was similar to a madeleine batter, so I made the rest using my madeleine tin. They turned out pretty well! If you really wanted to get fancy, you could dust with a little powdered sugar before serving. These go really nicely with a cup of tea. :-) You can find the financier recipe on the Washington Post website.

After I made the financiers, I still had 2 sticks of salted butter to use up, so I made the Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Jam Blondies from the same article. Unfortunately, I didn't have any milk chocolate handy, nor did I have raspberry jam. What I DID have was semisweet chocolate chips and some jammy balsamic cherries, so I gave it a shot. I really liked them! I left part of the pan unsullied by the cherries, because we have a purist in our house, so he wouldn't have liked them like that.  In the end, everyone was happy!

Now, I think I need to figure out which of these I'm going to either freeze or bring to work, since there's no way we need to have all of these sweets in the house (even with 2 teenage boys)! Plus, there's a recipe for Fluffernutter cookies I've been wanting to try....

Nutella Makes Everything Better

As Spring is slowly showing her face, I realize indulgent comfort food is going to take a back seat to fresh spring vegetables (Hello, Asparagus!) and fruits (Yay, Strawberries!), but I wanted to post my take on Nutella Stuffed French Toast.

Normally, I made French toast by soaking it overnight, then baking it in the oven, similar to this recipe, since I've always had a hard time getting the right texture doing the stove top method (mine always seemed too soggy). However, on this occasion, I was inspired by a loaf of brioche that was on sale, which is the best type of bread to make French toast with, in my opinion. I know it's already rich, since brioche has egg in the bread itself, but it gets this wonderful crunch on the outside and melting texture on the inside that is the perfect kind of French toast!

The egg-milk batter that I dipped the bread in was pretty much your standard mix, but I added a little orange peel to complement the Nutella. And to up the crunchiness factor, I coated the French toast with corn flakes. I saw something similar on a cooking show (It might have been Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives where they did the same thing, but used Cap'n Crunch cereal).

This is my dipping set up:

Honestly, the trickiest part was transferring the dipped brioche from the dipping/crunch station to the frying pan (Once you dip the bread into the milk/egg mixture, the bread gets a little delicate), but after a couple of times, I got the hang of it.

And then, it was done! Served with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and some slices of Cara Cara oranges (our favorite), it was a big hit with the family! I thought it was sweet enough without syrup, but the kids put syrup on it anyway and liked it that way, too (we use pure maple syrup so it's not quite so sweet). Hope you enjoy making this!

Crunchified Nutella Stuffed French Toast

(makes 5 servings)

Ingredients:

One loaf of brioche bread (about 8-10 slices of bread)
Nutella
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk (any kind will do: skim, 1%, 2%, whole) -- I used 2% because that's what we have
1 tsp grated (or chopped -- it should be in small pieces) orange peel
approx. 1 cup corn flakes (may need more -- keep the box around...)
butter for the skillet
powdered sugar (optional)
maple syrup (optional)
fresh fruit for serving (optional)

To make:

Spread Nutella (using approx 1-2 Tbsp per slice) on 4/5 of the slices of bread. Cover with the other pieces of bread so that you have 4-5 Nutella "sandwiches." NOTE: start with 8 slices of bread -- for 4 "sandwiches," but I had enough of the milk-egg mixture to make a 5th serving. 

Combine eggs, milk and orange peel in a shallow pan (I used a 8-inch square dish). Pour the corn flakes in another shallow dish (I used a small plate with sides so that the corn flakes didn't slide out everywhere). Set up your dipping station:



Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet. I used a small skillet to make just one at a time. If you have a larger skillet to make more than one at a time, you might need more butter. Temperature of the skillet should be about medium to medium high.

While the butter is melting in the skillet, dip one Nutella sandwich into the egg/milk mixture, then turn over to coat the other side. It should feel a little soggy. Pull the sandwich out, let the liquid drip off the bread for a second, then put on the corn flakes, pressing down onto the bread a little so the corn flakes will adhere. Flip the sandwich to get corn flakes on the other side.

Transfer the dipped sandwich onto the hot skillet. Cook on one side for about 3 minutes (check to make sure the corn flakes don't burn, but they will get a deep, golden brown, then flip to cook the other side.

Repeat with the other Nutella sandwiches. You might need to add butter to the skillet as you go (there should be a thin layer/sheen on the skillet to make sure nothing sticks) and I had to keep a close eye on the French toast, making temperature adjustments as I went to make sure nothing burned.

If you like, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top and serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup on the side.

Enjoy!

Use it Up: Halloween Candy

Are any of you stuck with the last dregs of Halloween candy? Just us? My usual rule for the boys is anything that is left by Thanksgiving gets tossed. Most of it is usually smarties and lollipops, but I totally overbought this year and had a bunch of Milk Duds and Whoppers left over (because of course I already ate the Reese's peanut butter cups, Twix and KitKats). I like Whoppers, but they're pretty rich if you eat more than a couple at a time, and I'm always afraid that I'll lose a filling every time I eat a Milk Dud, so I was trying to figure out a way to use some of this stuff up. I was raised not to waste food, so it kills me to throw it away, even if it is candy.

So, I looked around for some inspiration on the internet and found it! Milk Dud brownies and Whopper Blondies! The Milk Dud Brownies are a little like something my Grandma used to make with melted caramels, chocolate chips and walnuts. If I tried this again, I might try to melt the Milk Duds and swirl it in the batter, but other than that, I think these turned out pretty well.

Just in time for Thanksgiving (you always need extra snacks and treats!), I wanted to share these quick and easy ways to use up some of your leftover candy:

Milk Dud Cake Mix Bars (from Kleinworthco.com)

2 Devil's Food cake mixes
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
2 cups Milk Duds
2 cups Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees & spray a 9x13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix cake mix, evaporated milk & melted butter in mixer beating well.
3. Add 1 cup milk duds & chocolate chips & beat well.
4. Transfer 3/4 of batter to prepared pan & spread out flat in bottom as best you can. It's very sticky.
5. Bake 10 minutes - pull out.
6. Top with remaining milk duds & chocolate chips and all of walnuts (if using)
7. Drop remaining batter on top- do not spread out.
8. Return to oven & bake another 40-45 minutes
9. Check with toothpick test- should be mostly clean.
10. Remove & allow to cool completely before cutting.

Store at room temperature in airtight container

Whopper Blondies (based on a recipe by Bobby Flay on the Food Network)

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan

1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups Whoppers, divided
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and line a 9-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter the lining, too.

Pulverize 1 cup of Whoppers, either in a food processor, blender, or using a rolling pin. Try to get it as fine as you can, but it's okay to have a few chunks in there. Whisk together the crushed Whoppers, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine melted butter, both sugars and whisk until combined and the sugar is melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Cut the remaining 1 cup of Whoppers in half (some smaller pieces will break off, but that's okay). Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. 

Honestly, y'all, I thought it looked a little like vomit when I put the batter into the pan:

Sprinkle the halved Whoppers on top (this made it look less vomit-y):

Bake until the top cracks slightly and is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist pieces clinging to it, 24 to 27 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. Remove the bars from the pan using the parchment handles, transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch squares.

Your Nachos Will Never Be the Same!

What could be better during football and hockey season that a big plate of nachos, amiright? Well, I do have something better, and you will be making it again and again, I promise!

It actually started with some leftover brisket from Monk's BBQ in Purcellville, VA. The best BBQ in the area, in my opinion. Actually, if you ever get out there, just get whatever is on their specials menu, otherwise you will have regret, because you won't be able to go back and get the thing again. Trust me, I know from experience.

Anyway, back to the leftovers. So I had a little of this, a little of that (including Monk's homemade pickles), so I thought, "Maybe I should make totchos with all of this stuff," you know, trying to stretch out what I could so that the whole family could have some. What are totchos, you ask? They are nachos, but made with tater tots. Yes, you read that right: Tater. Tots. I'll give you a moment to let that sink in...

So, I lined up my varied (some might say motley) items to turn into my bbq totchos:

I threw the tater tots in the oven to bake as directed on the package (I made the whole bag, natch). Once they had baked for half the time, I turned the tots, then scattered the chopped up brisket on top. while that finished, I chopped up the scallions, pickles and tomatoes (any kind will do - I just happened to have grape tomatoes to use up).

I also went fancy and made a cheese sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup of milk (approx.)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I used what I had on hand, so it ended up being a mix of white and sharp cheddar)
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then add flour and whisk until no lumps are in the flour and the mixture forms a smooth paste. Cook for a couple of minutes (set the timer for 2 minutes if you need to be precise, but it's just to cook the "flour-y" taste out), then slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Keep whisking and cooking the white sauce until it is smooth and starts to bubble. Once it's thickened, whisk in the cheese and continue whisking until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little bit more milk. If too thin, add more cheese. The sauce should be pourable, but not too runny (a little thicker than buttermilk pancake batter). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

OR, you can skip this step and just scatter shredded cheese on top of the brisket then put the sheet pan back in the oven. I made these both ways (cheese sauce vs. shredded cheese) and the boys liked both versions. I'm giving you the option. :-)

Once the tater tots are done, pull the sheet pan out of the oven, then pour cheese sauce over the top (if you didn't go the shredded cheese route), topped by the scallions, tomatoes and pickles. Those are the toppings I used, but feel free to be creative and share your favorite "totcho" toppings in the comments!

Serve and enjoy!  You might end up fighting over the last of the tots. Don't say I didn't warn you!

One final note: If you don't happen to have leftover BBQ, feel free to make your own in the slow cooker: Put a pork shoulder (pork butt) in the slow cooker (probably about 6 lbs, but it could be less, that's just what fits in my cooker), then top with your favorite bottle of BBQ sauce (16 oz). cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until it is pull-apart tender. Once you have this made, you can freeze leftovers (there will be a lot), or just make sure you have a plan for the week to use up the rest -- grain bowls, sandwiches, tacos, what have you.

Milk and Cookies

It is 1978. A nine-year-old girl takes out her key, opens the door, lets her little sister into the house, then follows. The house is quiet. The girl's brother had decided to stay outside and play with his friends, but the girl watches her little sister until her mom comes home from work in a couple of hours. Maybe she had watched too many "Leave it to Beaver" reruns or "Brady Bunch" episodes, but she felt a pang of regret that no one was at home, waiting for her with milk and cookies, ready to ask about her day. She didn't brood over it, but the thought stuck with her, resurfacing at random moments over the course of the next few years. She understood why her mom wasn't there. As a single mom raising three kids on a nurse's salary, she worked hard and long hours. It was just the way it had to be, and the little girl wasn't bitter, just wistful in a "wouldn't it be nice" kind of way. She vowed that if she could, she would have milk and cookies waiting for her kids.

Fast forward to last week, when my kids started back to school.  I have been a stay at home mom for several years (save for part-time jobs that allow me to be home when the kids walk in the door), and I don't always have cookies and milk waiting for them, but last week that memory from decades ago returned, and it inspired me to make some cookies that first day of school. I am sure my kids didn't see much significance in it (I bake stuff all the time), but it was more for me and that little girl back in '78. Being able to be at home, having cookies fresh from the oven and ice cold milk for my boys, sitting down to ask about their teachers, with whom they walked to school, homework. I didn't really have these conversations with my mom. That's ok; my mom is awesome in so many other ways! Some may think that's a humble dream, to be home to give milk and cookies to my kids, but I am so grateful that I am able to have this opportunity, and some day, I hope my boys will come to appreciate it as well. Maybe they'll appreciate the sacrifices my husband and I made in order to have one of us stay home, but we felt that this was the best thing for us, and fortunately we were in the position to have a choice. Not everyone does.

Maybe I'm starting to realize that, at 15 and 13, my boys aren't going to want to spend this time with me as much anymore. Even dinner time, which I have tried to hold sacred as family time to connect, is starting to slip through the cracks as one kid runs off to soccer practice with the other parent some nights or the older one made plans to meet his friends at the football game. I'm not sure there's much more of a point to my post this time, except to encourage every parent to take a little time, maybe not every day but consciously put aside a few moments, to sit and ask questions and then really listen to your kids' answers. And it doesn't even need to be over some milk and cookies! :-)

Feel free to share in the comments section ways you try to connect with your kids!

Classic Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

(from the Epicurious website, because the Nestle website was taking forever to load)

INGREDIENTS

1. • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
   • 1 teaspoon baking soda
   • 1 teaspoon salt
   • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (Marna's note: I often use 1/2 vegetable shortening, 1/2 butter for softer, less crispy cookies)
   • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
   • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
   • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   • 2 large eggs
   • 2 cups Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
   • 1 cup chopped nuts (Marna's note: I omitted them this time, but I especially like black walnuts if you can find them)

PREPARATION

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
   2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
   3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
2. Pan Cookie Variation
   1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.
3. Slice and Bake Cookie Variation
   1. Prepare dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   2. Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
4. Do Ahead
   1. Dough may be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.
   2. Marna's note: I will scoop out dough into cookie portions, freeze on a baking sheet for an hour or two, then put the frozen balls of cookie dough in a freezer bag to store. That way, you can take out just a few to have fresh-baked cookies in just a few minutes with no big mess! Here's how to bake them: take the number of dough balls you want to bake from the freezer, place on a parchment or lined cookie sheet, then put in a cold oven. Turn oven on to 350 degrees (F) and bake for about 15 minutes (if you like them crispier or more golden brown, you might need to bake for a little longer). Hint: on the outside of the freezer bag where you stored the frozen cookie dough balls, write the baking instructions on a piece of masking tape and stick it to the freezer bag.
5. 1. This recipe is made available as a courtesy by Nestle USA and www.VeryBestBaking.com. Nestle® Toll House® is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.