Amish bread for the bread machine folk.

It is a widely known fact that I am a bread lover. Sweet white bread is my favorite, probably because it is the furthest from healthy you can get when it comes to the bread group. I have two different versions of the bread, one is a bit sweeter.

Original Amish Bread

2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast

Add sugar, salt, water and oil in bread machine, then flour (make sure it covers all wet ingredients), lastly add the yeast. Bake bread at desired settings.

Here is another version for sweeter bread...

Amish Honey Bread

3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast

Add sugar, salt, water, oil and honey in bread machine, then flour and lastly yeast on top.
Bake bread at desired settings.

I set my bread machine settings to 'quick bread' and 'light' for crust color. Once the bread machine beeps it is done baking, I immediately pull the pan out of the machine. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then I remove from pan for the remainder cooling period. I keep our bread in a sealed container. This bread literally is the best homemade sandwich bread, not crusty at all. The key to longevity of moist bread is keeping it in a sealed container.

Ghirardelli Cookies

I am all for making cookies from scratch, but when I find a recipe for a cookie that comes from a brownie box I must try it. The other night I was preping my kitchen to make Ghirardelli's Double Chocolate Brownies, because let's face it, these are the best boxed brownie mix you can buy. As I was reading what ingredients I would need, there was a picture of their Chocolate Crackle Cookie recipe calling my name. I switched paths, and went on a cookie mission. I have made chocolate crackle cookies before, you know the ones that require you to melt the chocolate and vegetable oil, then add other ingredients to, viola, sticky dough that you now must roll in powdered sugar. Lot's of work, but the cookies are delicious. With that said, I saw the Ghirardelli recipe and was like, snap, short cut to heaven cookies? Where do I sign up??

Here is what the original Ghiradelli Chocolate Crackle Cookies call for:

1 -  box  Double Cocolate Brownie Mix
1 1/4c flour
1/4c sugar
1/3c vegetable oil
3 eggs
1c powdered sugar (reserve for coating dough)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place brownie mix, flour, eggs, oil and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Stir until blended. (Dough will be stiff.) Place powdered sugar in separate bowl. For each cookie, scoop 1 rounded tablespoon dough and place in powdered sugar. Roll dough gently into balls, coating thoroughly with powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 11-13 minutes.
Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies
        ________________________________________________________
Here is my version:

1 -  box Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
1c flour
1/3c vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/3c club soda
1c powered sugar (reserved for coating dough)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine dry ingredients into a large bowl, and mix (well) all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Then pour your wet ingredients into your dry mixture, stir until blended, then stir a few more times just to be sure. For each cookie, scoop 1 rounded tablespoon dough ( I always use a one inch scooper) and place in powdered sugar. Roll dough gently into balls, coating thoroughly with powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet, or you can use my all time favorite method of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Less mess to clean later.
Bake 11 minutes, <--- no longer than 11 minutes or you will end up with dry cookies.
Let cool, and enjoy!

My alterations and why:
I used less flour, because I did not use the cup sugar. I did not use the cup of sugar because I believe the brownie mixture was sweet enough. Two eggs instead of three, well, this was not planned. I only had two eggs, so I add the club soda to substitute what I was lacking not using the third egg. All in all, I would not change anything. Although I have not tried the orignal recipe, I feel my version of these cookies need not be changed... they are so so so good. Especially if you have a hankering for a quick chocolate fix.
Also, I did not make all these cookies at once. I made them as we wanted. I did not let the dough sit in the refrigerator for more than three days.