And the Top Secret Ingredient is . . .

Well, well!!!! BRAVO to all of you clever cookie experts!! Aren't you the most curious and creative bloggers around? MOST CERTAINLY!!

After Saturday's post on my famous, TOP SECRET INGREDIENT Chocolate Chip Cookies, I found myself tickled with all of the fantastic comments by so many of you! I must say, you are a very clever and creative group in the kitchen - and there were some absolutely wonderful "Top Secret Ingredient" ideas in those comments. Here is a run down of your guesses:

1. Potato Chips
2. Crisco
3. Whipped Cream
4. Caramel bits (received 2 votes)
5. Apricots
6. Almond Flavoring
7. Xanex
8. Corn Flakes
9. Peanut Butter Chips
10. Butterscotch Candies (received 3 votes)
11. Caramel Chips
12. Walnuts
13. Peaches
14. Whipped Cream
15. Garbanzo Beans  . . . blah!  ;)
16. Ricotta
17. Cream Cheese

WOW! Now if that isn't the most creative bakers I've ever met - I don't know what is! I'll tell you - it's not the apricots or peaches guess, because that is just way to healthy for me!! It's not the potato chips, although I'm thinking maybe I need to try it with that next time. And it's not the xanex, although my husband would probably LOVE it if it was (and he'd probably let ME eat them all!) Nope, none of those great great guesses!

But . . . ONE of you smart smart ladies DID have the correct answer. . . .

The Winner is . . . . Ruby and her guess "CORN FLAKES!!!!" Yep, good ol'American Corn Flakes.

Let's take another look at one of the photos from my last post, and see if you can find them now. . .

Pretty good, huh? Congratulations to Ruby @ Ruby Muslings, who guess the correct TOP SECRET INGREDIENT! She is either a pro in the kitchen, or has enjoyed lots of corn flakes in her life! FanTAStic job, Ruby!!!

I really contemplated baking a batch of cookies and giving them away. Then I wondered if someone would really eat cookies that they received from someone in the mail (particular, someone they don't really know.) Then, I decided that it was beautiful day, and I didn't want to be stuck inside baking. I decided  I would simply share the recipe with all of you, so that you could bake them whenever you'd like. So, without further adieu, I give you . . .

Leanne's Great-Aunt Stelle's

Blog Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies!

3 ½ cups flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

• Sift the above ingredients together in medium sized bowl.

1 stick of butter, softened
1 stick of margarine, softened (I use Imperial margarine)
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of brown sugar

• Combine the above 4 ingredients, in a large bowl, and mix until well incorporated. Add the next group of ingredients:

1 egg
1 tablespoon of milk (I usually just pour it into the bowl and don’t even measure – maybe it’s about 2 tablespoons.)
1 teas of vanilla

• Combine, again, until well mixed. Then, add the next ingredient:

1 cup of vegetable oil (I really only use about ½ cup, and find that it works just perfectly!)

• Mixer time, again. This time, I really let it mix well until it becomes fluffy and airy. Now, you really might be tempted to dip a spoon in there for a taste, but I would strongly recommend your finger!! (Less dishes to clean, you know?) Next, add the flour, baking soda and salt combination to the bowl and stir until well incorporated. Then, add:

1 bag of chocolate chips (I use Nestle Tollhouse … we just love the flavor. Sometimes I add more chocolate, just depends on what I have in the house)
1 cup of corn flakes (whole, not crushed. I just pour it in – I don’t even measure. My family likes more corn flakes so I’m probably adding about 2 or maybe 2 ½ cups in, so add more than 1. You won’t be disappointed!)
1 cup of oat meal (quick or not – doesn’t matter. Just whatever you have in the house!)

• Mix it up until you just can’t stand it anymore and have to get them in the oven. Drop them by tablespoon size mounds on your cookie sheet. I bake them in a 350° oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Once I take them out of the oven, I let them sit up on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes until they are moved to a cooling rack. Then, I pour a lovely tall glass of cold milk, and have a cookie!! They really are SOOOO Yummy!
• The recipe above is a single recipe, but when I make these, I usually double the recipe because I’m always packing up a plate or two for the neighbors or throwing some in the freezer for a couple weeks later (they freeze beautifully).

I hope you’ll give them a try, and think of me and my Great –Aunt Stelle when you bake them.

Aunt Stelle was a really cool lady with interests in things that really made a very big impression on me when I was a young child. She was the very first artist I ever knew, and I remember Mom often taking me to Aunt Stelle's condo when I was a young girl, where Aunt Stelle would spend lots of time with me showing me her paints and brushes and all of the projects she was doing. She painted these really cool flower pictures where she would cut out fabric pieces of flowers and glue them on the canvas with padding underneath the flower to add dimension ... so cool. I’d have to say that Aunt Stelle probably helped shape my love of art and my creative spirit during those younger years. She also was an avid bowler with her very own bowling ball (that was so cool to my young mind!) Maybe that is why I’m so committed to these cookies – because of the love and admiration I have for Aunt Stelle. She passed away years ago, but I’m sure she is loving that I am talking about her today (and that I am sharing her cookie recipe with all of you!)

Congratulations Ruby!!! While this didn't start out as a give-away, I'd love to send you a little something for being the first person to come up with the correct TOP SECRET INGREDIENT!!! If you wouldn't mind dropping me an email (chaostohappiness@gmail.com) with your address! Something will be in the mail to you soon!

Have a great day, everyone! And let me know if you try the cookies!!! You won't be disappointed, I promise!