YOGURT LEMON CAKE

3-1/2 cups unsifted flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 cup margarine (room temp)
2 T grated lemon peel
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1-1/2 cups plain yogurt (2 home-made cups)

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl and set aside.  Beat margarine with lemon peel and sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in flour alternately with yogurt to get a smooth batter, but do not over mix.  Turn into greased and floured 9-10 cup mold or bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for about 1 hour and five minutes or until it tests done.  Baking time depends on shape of mold.  Cool 15 minutes in mold, then carefully invert and cool on rack.  Sieve powdered sugar over top or glaze if desired.

This was very nice.  I used mini bundt cake pans and baked for less time watching closely.  When I served them, the reaction was "Ahh."  I also remember buying my mom back in the late '70s a "new-fangled" yogurt maker and she actually used it, so she probably really used that yogurt in this recipe!

OATMEAL, CHOCOLATE CHIP, AND PECAN COOKIES

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup regular oats
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 t vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup.  Level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk.  Set aside.  Place sugars and butter in a large bowl.  Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.  Add vanilla and egg.  Beat until blended.  Gradually add flour mixture beating at low speed just until combined.  Stir in pecans and mini chips.  Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned.  Cool on pans 2 minutes.  Remove cookies from pans.  Cool on wire racks.

These are really delicious and nice and chewy.  I love recipes like this that are baked on parchment paper because it just seems like they come out perfect.  I also like the fact that they're realistic in saying to drop the dough by 2 tablespoons since most recipes say something ridiculous like 1 teaspoon of dough.  We all love bigger cookies!