Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies and a bake sale

Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies and a bake sale

Next year Grace will be in 5th grade. And in 5th grade she gets to go on a school trip to Washington, DC. It's an awesome trip, a really long bus ride, 4 days of non-stop sightseeing, then another really long bus ride back home. They cram so much in to each day, the kids pass out when they get back to the hotel. I know about this. I chaperoned the trip for my son's class and hopefully I'll be chaperoning again for Grace.

The trip is around $500. The school will do fund raisers but it's tough, all the kids trying to sell at the same time, to the same people (small town) and it's usually over priced stuff, people really don't want. I can't stand the cookie dough fundraiser, sorry but the cookies taste terrible. And selling cases of sodas means delivering cases of soda. Does this make me a terrible mom? Now the Krispy Cream fundraisers, I'm all over that, in fact I have a certificate on the front dresser, need to remember to put that in my purse.

So since I love to bake around here, and Grace needs to raise money, why not a bake sale. She set a goal of $25.00 a week with everything selling for $1.00. And cookies are easy.

For her first week she chose my Hubby's favorite.

Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies
This is basically the recipe from the Nestle Chips but with one major change. The flavoring. Flavor can make all the difference.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon McCormick's Vanilla Butter and Nut flavoring
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour, baking soda and salt, just stir with a fork to blend. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars. add in eggs and flavoring, mix well. Be sure to scrape down sides of bowl.

Add in flour mixture, I add 1/2 at a time, mix well. Add in Chopped nuts.

Now fold in chocolate chips, you can use the mixer but I like to do this by hand.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie tray. These cookies spread so make sure to leave room between cookies. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, in my oven they are done at 8 1/2 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely.

Packaging for a bake sale makes a huge difference in selling out fast. The party favor goodie bags you get at the dollar store are about the same price as ziploc bags and with a little curling ribbon... Or if you're going to be doing a lot of baking/selling, check out your local cake store or party supply store. I can get 100 bags for about $2.50 at mine.



Grace also used this same recipe and made a batch with M&Ms instead of the chocolate chips and pecans.

I've linked up at some of these great parties.