Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 TBS butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups plus 3 TBS flour
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 325℉.  Cream together cream cheese, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla.

2.  Add dry ingredients and mix until mostly incorporated but a few dry streaks remain.  Add in chocolate chips and mix well, until combined and no dry streaks remain.

3.  Roll dough in 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls.  Place 2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets or use Silpat liners.  Flatten balls slightly with your hand.

4.  Bake for 12 minutes until edges are just barely golden brown.  Let cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring  to cooling racks to finish cooling.

From Betty

Skinny Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 TBS unsweetened applesauce
1 egg white, beaten
2/3 cup strawberries, diced
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 350℉.  Spray 10 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. 

2.  In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.

3.  In another bowl stir together the sugar, brown sugar, and applesauce until no lumps of brown sugar remain.  Add the egg white and stir to incorporate.

4.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.  Fold in the strawberries and chocolate chips.  Divide dough evenly among the 10 cups of the muffin tin.

5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Allow muffins to cool and enjoy.

These are about 140 calories each with the chocolate chips.

From Sally's Baking Addiction

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, melted (1 & 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

1.  In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.  Set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain.  Whisk in the egg, the egg yolk.  Whisk in the vanilla.

3.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or spatula.  the dough will be very soft.  Fold in the chocolate chunks until they are evenly distributed.

4.  Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days.  Chilling the dough is mandatory.

5.  Take the dough out of refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

6.  Preheat the oven to 325℉.  Line two baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

7.  Roll the dough into 16 balls about 3 TBS of dough each.  The dough will be slightly crumbly.  Roll the dough to be taller rather than wide so the cookies will bake up thick.  Put 8 dough balls onto each cookie sheet.  Press a few chocolate chunks or chips on top if desired for looks.

8.   Bake for 11-12 minutes.  The cookies will very soft and slightly underdone.  Don't bake longer than 12 minutes. 
Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. 

If you want smaller cookies bake for about 8 minutes.  You can freeze the cookie balls and save for later.  Bake frozen for 12 minutes. 

From Sally's Baking Addiction

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

6 oz. of your favorite Greek yogurt (I use fat free vanilla Yoplait)
1 egg
scant 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda

1.  Open the yogurt container and stir the yogurt until smooth and creamy.  Add the egg and stir to combine.  It will be pale yellow with a few lumps.

2.  In a seperate bowl, mix together the baking soda and flour.

3.  Pour the yogurt and egg mixture in the flour and baking soda.  Stir to combine.  The batter will be very thick.

4.   Spoon the batter onto a sprayed griddle heated to medium high.  Flip when they start to bubble a bit on the surface.  Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Yield 4 big pancakes or 8 smaller ones.

From Everyday Belle

Bacon Cheddar Bread

10 strips cooked thick cut bacon, chopped and divided
6 cups flour
3-1/4 cups warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2-3/4 cups cheddar cheese, freshly grated
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl combine water, yeast, salt, and sugar.  Allow mixture to sit for several minutes.

2.  Add flour, 2 cups of cheese, 1/2 the bacon, and pepper.  Stir with spoon until combined.  Dough will be shaggy.  It will come together in the end. (I used my mixer)

3.  Cover with a towel and allow to raise in a warm place for an hour.

4.  After an hour, turn dough out onto a floured board and knead for a few minutes.  It doesn't need to be completely smooth.  Divide evenly into 2 loaf pans.

5.  Cover loaves with remaining cheese and bacon.  Cover loaves with towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

6.  Bake at 400℉ for 15 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil and reduce heat to 350℉.  Continue baking for about 25 more minutes.  Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes.

From A Beautiful Bite