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Tuesday, September 13, 2016

No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Because I am doing a self-imposed 50 dollar a week food budget for 2 months, I am having to think of how I cook a little differently.  For instance, I use butter regularly for my baking. I buy butter (usually 25 pounds of it) when it is deeply discounted during the holiday season and freeze it. Then I pull it out throughout the year and use it as I need it. (Unless I do a ton of kitchen gifts I rarely use it all.) When the holidays roll around again I assess my butter needs and purchase enough to equal the 25 pounds and start all over. While I am doing this challenge I am still able to grab butter from the freezer, but I have to assign the week's price of butter to it. I don't mind doing that, but I am not going to use it recklessly. Which brought me to yesterday's dilemma. I had decided to make chocolate chip cookies, (chocolate chips__another after holiday freezer stock up) but was not comfortable using all that butter just to indulge our sweet tooth.

A quick google search lead me here where I found a delicious recipe for an oil based cookie dough.




Different Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2½ cups flour
1 bag (about 1 -1 ½ cups) good quality chocolate chips (yeah, right__Aldi's are fine for cookies and I only used a half a bag.  You know, thrift and all!)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together oil and sugars until smooth and creamy.
Add the vanilla, baking soda, salt, eggs, and cornstarch, beating well to combine after each addition. Add flour and beat until just combined. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop (or a heaping tablespoon) onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until the tops are set. Do not over bake.

To be honest I cut this recipe in half for 2 reasons. We did not need the entire recipe of cookies and I did not have enough oil left to commit to one single recipe of anything.
These cookies were more than just a little tasty, they were really really good.  Around here we call a plate of leftover cookies bad cookies, and these definitely were not bad.  I think there might be 5 left.

I am going to make these again with no chocolate chips.  One of the cookies was made using the spatula to get the last tidbits of dough out of the bowl.  It contained no chocolate chips and it was delicious as just a sugar cookie. I have a feeling I will be playing around with this recipe for a while just to see what variations I can come up with.

So why are you reading this? Go bake cookies!

18 comments:

  1. We have made a very similar recipe. And it is good. Himself likes it with bananas (over ripe and yucky) mashed through. Sultanas are also good. And/or cinnamon.
    Until I stop resembling the Michelin Man I am not baking.

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    1. Disclaimer: In no way shape or form do I NOT resemble the Michelin Man. I just yelled "uncle" and gave into it.

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    1. These are quick and easy! bake some of have your husband whip them up.

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  3. I like to use the dough with no chocolate chips for blondies if I need to bring something and have no chips. I sometimes have jiffy cake frosting in my pantry and sometimes put chocolate frosting on top, but a little cinnamon sugar works wonders as well. I'll have to give the oil version a try, but of course, I'd make the whole batch.

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    1. Normally I would too, but I am getting low on oil and could not commit a full cup to anything

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  4. I have never made cookies like this with oil. Are they caky or crunchy?

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    1. Neither, they were chewy but had a slightly crisp very thin outer "shell"

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  5. These look and sound delicious. My butter is in the freezer, too, and I think that alone keeps me from constant cookie baking. I have to think just a little bit to get the butter out early enough that it isn't still a solid brick by the time I want to bake.

    We very rarely encounter bad cookies in this household. ;)

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    1. I used to make some anise flavored cookies for Christmas. This is a direct quote from My Beloved Sister "Those cookies are bad, you can only eat about 6 of them at a time"

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  6. I copied this recipe. We love cookies around here and they go fast. I make my pie crust with oil instead of butter or shortening and it comes out great. What kind of oil did you use?

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    1. I used organic canola. I have made the pie crust with oil before but I think I overworked it.

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  7. YUM only I want nuts in mine! In the old days, I made my chocolate chip cookies with Crisco and then later 1/2 Crisco and 1/2 butter. I don't think I've ever used oil! Have you made the Amish sugar cookies with butter, oil and granulated and powdered sugar both- those are really a good sugar cookie. I can't imagine buying 25 pounds of butter- what is your go to price?

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    1. Around Christmas and Thanksgiving Aldi has a price anywhere from 1.49-1.79. When it hits that price I load up.
      I have never tried the Amish sugar cookies. Care to share the recipe?

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  8. Sounds yummy!!!!!!
    I think that you shouldn't have to count what you already have in the cabinets and freezer.(Most people on getting state/federal help normally have a few things in their cabinets. I know its easy to argue this either way. But I have known a few people that have gotten help and their cabinets weren't completely empty.) You are being so strict that its almost impossible to keep up. But then again, I should shut up because I can't hold my food budget down. Yeah, don't listen to me.

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  9. I am counting things that people might not have available. I understand most people don't buy megatons of chocolate chips or butter, or have 6 jars of peanut butter in the pantry, so I am counting anything I run out of as a new purchase. It just sort of seems like the thing to do to replicate what they have to go through. I have not counted any staples or condiments unless I run out of them and then I add the replacement value back into my budget total. Again I understand most people don;t have as much in storage as I do. Son3 claims I buy back ups for the back ups.

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    1. Not trying to argue. I just feel bad for you. I want to send you coffee or something.;) How about I'll make a donation to our food pantry for you?

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    2. I didn't take it as argumentative in any way shape or form, and it is really hard for me to grab something from the freezer and have to assign a monetary value to it. In my brain once it is bought and frozen it is "free" food. I am just trying to put myself in the same place some of the people I will be talking with live. I can't imagine what it would be like to start from scratch on this small of a budget, so I am still including anything I have on hand (staples, condiments that are opened, seasonings, etc) as "free". (And I am really glad I buy oils in large containers) The coffee thing is killing me. I did find a really good deal on it at ThePig so I am waiting until Monday to see if the remaining money holds out before I buy it.(going to the lake this weekend and I do have good coffee there)

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Hey y'all thanks for leaving a comment. They are much appreciated. I read them all and do my best to respond to them, except for trolls or spam and I delete those suckers forever.