cookies

Magical Oatmeal 7 Layer Cookie Bars

December 21, 2015

I love giving homemade gifts for gifts at the holidays or other special occasions.

From homemade cocoa mixes to chex mix to cookies, I think that they are homemade gives such a wonderful touch. We even gave homemade Mixed Berry Jam as our wedding favor this year.

We decided to give out cookies to Spread Cookie Joy with friends and family. So much fun that everyone can enjoy!

I started by gathering up some great Krusteaz mixes to make a variety of cookies to gift. Baking with Krusteaz makes baking really easy, which is really important when you are baking with a toddler. You can download your own Krusteaz $1 off coupon here!

With the Oatmeal Scotchie Cookie Mix, I made 7 Layer Bars. The cookie mix makes for a fantastic base, instead of the typical graham cracker crumb base. Plus, this oatmeal cookie mix has butterscotch chips, which are in 7 Layer Bars, so it goes perfectly with the bars.

We even made sugar cookies, shortbread cookies with jam centers, and snickerdoodles with fantastic Krusteaz mixes. I used some of the remaining jars of jam we had from our wedding for the shortbread cookies. So fun! No matter what jam you use you can’t beat shortbread cookies.

Autumn loves to help in the kitchen when I am baking, which I love since it helps teach her how to count when we measure off ingredients. Or she will help turn on the mixer or decorate cakes or cookies. But this time she decided to give the Snickerdoodles an extra special touch as she shoved her finger in them as we were rolling them in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Some are more donut shaped than round. ha! But it gives them character and some extra toddler love.

I packaged them up in decorated bags and tied them off with some twine and attached a tag. The tags are so cute! They are tags that were customized from Zazzle! I had never ordered from Zazzle before but I’m hooked now with all the different products and creative designs that you can have personalized. Makes for a nice finishing touch on the cookie packages.

You can even package them in mason jars, which is super cute too! Just make sure you get wide mouth jars so you can easily get cookies in and out.

I hope that everyone has a great Christmas in 4 days!!!! (gah!!!)

Magical Oatmeal 7 Layer Cookie Bars

Makes an 8×8 pan

Ingredients

1 box Krusteaz Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies
1/2 stick of butter
1 egg
1- 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk (I used chocolate flavored one!)
1 1/4 Cup coconut flakes
1 Cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts
1 Cup chocolate chips
1/2 Cup butterscotch chips

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides of an 8×8 baking dish.
Mix together the Krusteaz Oatmeal Scotchie with the butter and egg. Evenly press into the baking dish.
Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cookie base. Then sprinkle the chopped nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. Gently press into the condensed milk.
Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool completely prior to cutting into 16 squares.

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ENTER KRUSTEAZ GIVEAWAY HERE!!!!!

The fun holiday baking pack is great for some fun, creative baking!

The baking pack contains 2 boxes of each of the following mixes: Shortbread, Gingerbread, Snickerdoodle, Butter Vanilla Sugar, and Oatmeal Scotchie. Plus, some fun holiday baking items like an apron, tote bag, cookie cutters, frosting decorating pen.

Be sure to enter HERE for your chance to win an awesome baking pack from Krusteaz!

Open to US residents

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A BIG thanks to Krusteaz for providing me with all these fun mixes and goodies to help #SpreadCookieJoy. As always, all opinions are my own.

Chocolate Chunk Chocolate Pudding Cookies

December 14, 2015

You won’t be able to resist these Chocolate Chunk Chocolate Pudding Cookies. The pudding mix makes them extra soft, just like biting into a chocolate cloud.

You know those weeks when you need to give yourself a pep talk before the week has even started?

Yeah, well this week is one of those weeks.

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Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

October 12, 2015

When the craving for pumpkin spice and chocolate takes hold, these Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are the perfect treat for you.

It’s Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day. I hope everyone who has it off gets to enjoy their long weekend.

Unfortunately, Price and I don’t get it off, but Autumn’s daycare is closed so Price is taking it off. (I’ll take off Veteran’s Day next month when daycare is closed then).

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Crisp Lemony Star Cookies & a Krusteaz Back to School Baking Giveaway

September 29, 2015

Autumn is growing at record speed. Okay, she is not, she is in fact she is still teeny tiny. But I can’t believe she is almost 2!! Sobs!!

I’ve loved every age so far, but right now this is so super cool as she is so active. We are starting to be able to participate in things together more as she can take instruction well and give it well too.

My new favorite activity together is baking!!!

Everyone has geared up for back to school activities, including fall baking, recently, but since my wee one is still so young, our focus has just been on the yummy fall baking.

While I love to bake from scratch, I have found that using a mix has really simplified things for us so that we can quickly and easily get started right after I pick her up from daycare.

I get home about 30-40 minutes before I pick Autumn up from daycare so I prep for our new baking adventures by taking out the Krusteaz mix, butter, and preheating the oven, grabbing the dog for a walk, dropping him off at home, and then I head over to get Autumn. On our walk home I tell her what we are making that night. She gets excited about using the mixer and using her hands to ‘play’ with the dough.

Last week we made yummy cookies using Krusteaz’s Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookie Mix to make cookies. She helped with the mixer and by (sorta) rolling out the cookies.

And last night we made a toddler friendly version of Krusteaz’s Crispy Gold Star Day Cookies with their Meyer Lemon Cookie Mix. So good! And the perfect cookies to make with a toddler or young kids as they can use the cookie cutters to cut out the cookies and then decorate them with the sprinkles that came with the mix.

I started out by mixing the dough while Autumn was busy eating her dinner of lasagna, mango, and yogurt. Once she was done we were all ready to go!

I set her on the counter to help me cut out the cookies. It was the first time she used cookie cutters! She would grunt a bit as she push it down and then say ‘ah!’ when she was done, while she waited for me to pick it up to do it again and again.

We received the most adorable red aprons from Krusteaz, which would have been great to wear, but a certain toddler didn’t want to wear it. Something, something, screaming about her Minnie shirt. I, of course, wanted to protect the precious Minnie shirt, but she didn’t want it covered. #toddlerlyfe

We would then pat and roll out the dough again and again as we made more cookies. She certainly loved rolling out the dough.

Then I baked them. ‘Oven HOT mommy HOT!!!!” At least she gets that.

And how important it is to help with clean up!

We then decorated them the next morning, as the cookies need to cool before putting the glaze them and she goes to bed so early (6.30) so we just couldn’t fit it all in the night.

She did pretty well putting the glaze on them, but I think getting the sprinkles on the cookies was her favorite part!

We then brought them to daycare to share with her friends.

I hope you’ll bake up these! Be sure to grab a kid or two to for some fun help with the baking. You’ll love it, and so will they!

Crisp Lemony Star Cookies

Makes 12-24 cookies, depending on cookie cutter size

Ingredients

For the Cookies

1 package Krusteaz Meyer Lemon Cookie Mix
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg

For the Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 packet yellow decorating sugar, enclosed

Process

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with a nonstick baking sheet.
To make the cookies, pour the cookie mix in the medium bowl. Add the butter and egg, stir until a dough forms. It will be a dry crumbly dough.
On a well floured surface, knead the dough into a disk. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick, cut stars and place 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheet.
Bake 8-9 minutes, until the cookie is no longer soft in the center and the edges are golden brown. Time will vary depending on cookie size.
To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk in a bowl, whisk until smooth.
Decorate the cookies when they have completely cooled by drizzling or spooning the glaze on them and then sprinkle with the decorating sugar.

Adapted from Krusteaz

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And now the fun stuff… a GIVEAWAY!!!!

Be sure to enter for your chance to win the following goodies from Krusteaz!!!!

New Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mixes including:

Triple Chocolate Chunk
Meyer Lemon
Double Peanut Butter
Brown Sugar Oatmeal
Oatmeal Scotchie
Butter Vanilla Sugar

A Krusteaz lunchbox
Some fun kitchen items like a Krusteaz-branded oven mitt and aprons (one for an adult and one for a child!)
A selfie stick (for fun family photos taken while baking and enjoying cookies!)
Cookie cutter and measuring spoons for kids from Curious Chef
Cookie recipe inspiration cards

ENTER HERE

The giveaway runs for a week, ending on October 6th at midnight. Open to US residents.

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This is a sponsored post from Krusteaz, but all opinions are my own.

S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies

August 11, 2015

I am kicking this week’s butt!!!

Okay, so it’s just Tuesday but it feels like this is going to be a good week.

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Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 10, 2015

Orange You Glad You Made Chocolate Chip Cookies?!?!

Ugh, I’m the worst! ha!

But you know what was the best?!?!?! Watching The Bachelor finale last night!!!!!

I had always told myself that I wouldn’t watch The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, but I was getting tired of being surrounded by co-workers talking about the episode that aired the night before without knowing what was going on and being able to chime in. So I started tuning in to watch the trainwreck that was Juan Pablo. And, damn it, I got hooked. So then we had to watch Andi on The Bachelorette. Which lead to us watching Chris, aka Prince Farming.

I mean, I still can’t actually beleive it’s a show that people watch. I’m ashamed. I think. It’s all so weird. But it’s a fun guilty pleasure (Just like Dancing with the Stars!)

Are you as excited as I am about The Bachelorette? With Brit AND Kaitlyn!!! Oh man, this should be interesting. Can’t wait for May 18th! I’ll get my wine and cookies ready!

And I might just need to watch Bachelor in Paradise as well to watch Ashley S. I swear she is just playing us all and it’s all an act. I mean, it has to be, right…

Anyway, these cookies have the perfect amount of chocolate and orange. I’ve loved that combo ever since I wacked into my first Terry’s orange. I stuck with the milk chocolate and orange combination by using milk chocolate chips in these cookies. Semi-sweet or dark work well but I think the milk chocolate is the best. I added a bit of instant coffee to make both the chocolate and orange flavors pop. And they really do!

Damn, I have to make these again. ASAP.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 Cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon triple sec liquor
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
2 Cups milk chocolate chips

Process

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the bread flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugars until light in color and texture.
Add the eggs, triple sec, and orange extract and beat well until fully incorporated and smooth.
In 2 batches, add in the flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
Add the chocolate chips and gently fold in.
Roll out 24 cookies and place on parchment/sil-pat lined baking sheets.
Bake for 13-14 minutes or until, just set. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for at least 3-5 minutes before removing.

Chocolate Dipped Biscotti Bites

February 26, 2015

You know when you see a recipe and it just sticks with you so much that you just have to make it? But then a year passes as it collects dust as it’s stuck to your fridge… That’s this exact recipe.

Well the day finally came when I just had to make these sweet biscotti babies!

I’m here today helping throw a Virtual Baby Shower for fellow Secret Recipe Club member, Tara of Tara’s Multicultural Table. She was expecting her 2nd child so shower organizer Lauren, of Sew You Think You Can Cook, decided on the fun Biscotti theme as they are a twice baked cookie. Such a fun idea to go with with 2x theme for this 2nd baby.

Here’s the kicker… my biscottis only need to be baked once! They are cheater biscottis. Just kidding. They are teeny tiny so they are only need to be baked once. Just the best!

Similarly, Tara’s sweet little daughter didn’t want to cook any longer since she arrived 4 1/2 weeks early. So this Baby Shower is really to celebrate her sweet arrival now! You’ve just gotta go with the flow with babies.

I’m always so worried about creating evenly sized cookies and I was really afriad of that with these tiny ones. I solved that problem by rolling out a 10″ x 10″ slab and then cutting that in half, then each half was cut into 5 strips, making 10 strip. I then repeated that process in the other direction. Ta-da! 100 equally sized cookies.

And the dipping part was pretty cool. You know, when you dip too much and get chocolate on your finger tips you just need to lick it off!

These teeny tiny cookies are angelic and devilish! Oh man, they are so good that they will get you in trouble. I ate 6 in about 5 minutes. No shame in my game!

Check out all the wonderful biscottis that everyone made to celebrate Tara and her babby!!!

Blueberry Pecan Biscotti from Renee at Magnolia Days

Cinnamon Biscotti from Lauren at Sew You Think You Can Cook

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti from Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti from Amy at Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Green Tea Biscotti Cookies from Rebekah at Making Miracles

Jam-Filled Mandelbrot from Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Maple Walnut Biscotti from Sally at Bewitching Kitchen

Nut-Free Anise Biscotti with Chocolate Chips from Susan at The Wimpy Vegetarian

Orange and Dark Chocolate Biscotti from Lynsey at Lynsey Lou’s

Orange, Date, and Almond Biscotti from Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Parmesan-Peppercorn Biscotti from Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Spa Water from of Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

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Chocolate Dipped Biscotti Bites

Makes 100 Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups fine cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 Tablespoons finely grated grapefruit zest (from 2 small grapefruits)
14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling, optional

Process

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Beat the butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Add the granulated sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until well combined.
Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Then beat in the shredded coconut, grapefruit zest, and 5 ounces of chocolate until evenly distributed.
Dump out the dough on a floured work surface. Create a 10″ x 10″ square. Evenly cut the dough into 10 strips, then cut across to create 100 equal sized cookies.
Roll out the cookies and set them on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with the sanding sugar. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets set on wire racks.
Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Dip the bottoms of the cooled cookies in melted chocolate, then set on parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Slightly Adapted from Martha Stewart

Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

December 29, 2014

The year is winding down. Just a few days to go!! I just can’t believe it. Time is flying.

Rolo Cookie Cups-1

Sure, sure, I can comment on how fast Autumn is growing but the real thing that ‘gets’ me is that the show Friends has been off the air for 10 years. And that it started 20 years ago. OMG.

That is just too much for my brain to comprehend. I mean, I still watch Friends A LOT.

I can tell you the story-line just by hearing the title of the episode... all of which start with “The One Where…”

I know random factoids about the show. I know silly little things about the cast, characters, and the show. I will kick some butt at Friends trivia. Kick butt!

I pride myself on that fact that I can quote a lot of it. “They don’t know, we know, they know!”

Anyway, when I was making these Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups, I remembered that Rolos are Joey’s favorite candy. Loved them so much that he ate them all over the apartment, including in his recliner, Rosita. I’m sure that he would love these babies.

I suggest that you make these guys for a party or cookie exchange as you get a lot from a batch. 60 cookies in fact! Hey, just invite Joey Tribbiani over. He will help you eat all these cookies. Or just eat them all yourself. I don’t judge.

These cookies are super simple to make. I actually had Autumn help me. She helped push some of the Rolos in the cookies. Aww! Anyway, the only thing that is ‘tricky’ about the cookies is that you need to wait until they are completely cooled before taking them out of the muffin tin. If you rush it the cookies will break apart or collapse in on itself. I ending up putting mine in the refrigerator for a bit so they were really cool before running my knife around them and just popping them out. I just put the chilled cookies in the microwave and nuked them for bout 15 seconds to get ooey gooey again. yum!!

So, enjoy some of these Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups while watching your favorite Friend’s episode.

What’s my favorite episode? ALL OF THEM!!!!!!!!

Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Makes 60 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 Cups mini chocolate chips
60 Rolos (you’ll need 2 12oz bags)

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini cupcake cookie tins with non-stick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels.
Spray your hands with cooking spray. Pinch off the dough to create balls just bigger than 1″ around. Roll in your hands and drop into your cupcake tins.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are set and golden brown.
While the cookie cups are baking, remove the wrappers off the Rolos.
As soon as the cookies are out of the oven, place a Rolo in the center of each cookie cup. Let cool, you may chill in your refrigerator to speed up the process. (If you remove the cookie cups while warm they will break apart and collapse.)

Cookie dough adapted from Nestle

Chocolate Mint Chip Sandwich Cookies

December 9, 2014

I’ve put in my time off requests for the holidays (and for our upcoming cruise in January)!! Once it was all signed off (by 4 diferent people) I almost danced around the office.

I am taking Christmas week off for some ME time… lots of PJ wearing, garlic noodle making, You’ve Got Mail watching, with some scrapbooking in the mix. Damn, I really miss scrapbooking. I could have a sob fest about it right now, but I will soilder on and focus on how I get 2 whole days to myself (the others will be with Miss Autumn) to make a mess with pictures, washi tape, stamps, and such. Bliss.

In the 9 days from when I leave work to return from the holidays I’m sure I’ll do some baking as well. Or plan on it and maybe I’ll just scrapbook instead. I dunno. I’m trying to stay quite focused on that so that I can zen out while I watch Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan exchange witty emails back and forth while I work on our 2014 project life.

I am thinking about making these babies again though. They are perfect. Minty. Chocoately. They scream winter to me. And there is plenty of minty frosting smack dab in btween 2 cookies. Aren’t cookie sandwiches the best?

I have a funny story about making these cookies.

It involves a thief (Price) who snagged a cookie while they were cooling before I had put a generious amount of frosting between the paired off cookies. So when I was a nearly done with the sandwiching, I noticed I was off. I searched the counter. I recounted. I looked on the dining table. A cookie was missing. I knew had made 13 pairs. And then I asked…

“Yeah, I took a cookie. Why?”

UGH!!! And that is why you must notify other thieves in your house when making sandwich cookies. ha!

I’m starting to think that all cookies should come in pairs with frosting in between. The world needs more cookie sandwiches. Def.

I brought they babies into work to share so I cut them up. They cut in half pretty easily as the cookies are delightfully soft, and yet dense to hold up to the frosting filling.

If you don’t feel like making sandwiches cookies then at least the cookies since they are so Christmasy good.

What are you doing for the holidays? Any movie marahons? Crafting? Cooking and baking? Traveling? Stuffing your face with cookie sandwiches and spiked nog?

Chocolate Mint Chip Sandwich Cookies

Makes 12-13 Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies

2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels

For the frosting

1/2 Cup butter, at room temperature
4 Cups of powered sugar
10-12 drops green food coloring
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-2 Tablespoons milk

Process

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper/ use a silpat.
Wisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a bowl to combine. Set aside.
Combine the butter and sugars in bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until a dough as formed. Once the dough has combined add in the minty chocolate chips and continue to mix.
Divide the dough in half. From each half, scoop out even sized cookies until you have made 12 or 13 cookies (24 or 26 total).
Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove cookie sheets from oven when the center of the cookie is still soft to the touch. Let cool and set up for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet prior to removing.
While the cookies are baking, make the sandwich cookie filling by beating the butter until light in color and fluffy in texture. Add the powdered sugar in small amounts and beat until combined. Add the food coloring, and extract. Add a bit of milk until you have reached your desired consistency, which should be thick but spreadable.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, put a big dollop or pipe the frosting on the underside of a cookie. Add another cookie to sandwich it off.

Pillowy Cream Cheesy Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 29, 2014

I have a project under construction that is in Miami that I needed to visit so I just ‘dragged’ Price and Autumn along with me this past weekend. Friday was a work day for me and the weather was down right crummy, but the weekend was beautiful so the trip was totally worth it.

Since I was working, Price and Autumn hung around the hotel in the morning and then they went to the Miami Children’s Museum in the afternoon. It was so cute to see their pics pop up on my phone while I was taking pics of stone tiles. Let me tell you, it’s a wee bit stressful to have to select pallets of stone tiles when each tile is about $120 each!! Anyway, Price suggests taking kids to the museum, it’s pretty cool.

After my site review, construction meeting, and nerve wrecking tile selection, the fun began for the weekend!! The weather got better and better so we got to enjoy the pool on Saturday. We took dips in the pool and splashed around with Autumn. And then while she took her afternoon nap in the room I snuck away for some solo lounge time!

I was initially really bummed that we didn’t go to Miami Beach but once we figured out the logics of getting from the hotel Downtown to the beach associated with the hotel (25 mins each way for a cab/1 hr each way on public transportation) and the cost (~$50 round trip for cabs & $15 per chair & umbrella), it was very clear that we made the right decision to stay at the hotel.

Plus, it gave us a chance to hang out on the hammocks, we couldn’t have done at the beach. I put Autumn in one and at first she was spooked but then she relaxed and settled in. Within just a few minutes her eyes began to flutter so I hopped in a different one and Price brought her to me and we snuggled while she (we) slept for about an hour. Pure bliss I tell you!!

Speaking of bliss… these cookies!

I’ve been recently making chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese since I had a 1/2 of an 8 oz block left over that was begging for me to use it in something. I was craving chocolate chip cookies and when I went to grab the butter out of the fridge I saw the cream cheese and figure ‘hey, why not!?’ I had made a 1/2 batch of cookies then since I knew I would have inhaled them all so the proportion worked out perfectly. Since then I’ve scaled back up to a full batch of cookies and a full 8 oz block of cream cheese.

The cream cheese just adds a bit of tang to the cookie, which goes well with the semi sweet chocolate chips. And since you don’t completely mix it in you get some streaks of it in the cookie which changes up the texture, but in a really good way. They are still super soft and not dense so they hold up their fluffy texture well, making them pillowy. I suggest eating them hot from the oven- well that holds true with any cookie, no? But they will last up to 2 days in an air-tight contianer.

PS- Sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on the top right before baking and it will knock your socks off.

Pillowy Cream Cheesy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 32 Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups chocolate chips

Process

Preheat oven to 375° F.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream cheese and beat until just incorporated, it’s okay if it’s a bit streaky. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips.
Drop heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased non-stick baking sheets or onto non-stick baking mats.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Pie

April 25, 2014

I am so happy it’s Friday. Giddy, I tell you!

Why…

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Hidden Samoa Cookie Brownies

March 26, 2014

Autumn is just beginning to laugh. EEEEEEE!!!!

She has spent the past 2 months laughing like a mime. Just imagine watching some TV on mute when you see someone crack up with a huge smile. Yep, that is how she had been. But since last Thursday night she has given us a few giggles. It’s just the best thing ever. Makes us so happy whenever she does it.

Until I can actually capture her laughing to share with you, I’ll make you happy with this recipe for Samoa Cookie Stuffed Brownies.

That’s right cookies inside brownies. And not just any cookies… Samoas!!

Hidden Samoa Cookie Brownies_06

I just love Samoas (aka Caramel Delights) so much so I’ve made cocktails to take like them and even just put them in a pie! Well, the next obvious step to me was that I had to put them in brownies. Obvi.

These are fun because it’s a treat to bite into them and discover a cookie inside the brownie!

Now don’t fret if you don’t have Girl Scout Cookies on hand, you can use Keebler’s Coconut Dreams. So you can enjoy these brownies whenever you want, not just in the spring time!

Hidden Samoa Cookie Brownies_02

Enjoy!

And please, winter won’t you go away soon? Like now! RIGHT NOW!!

Hidden Samoa Cookie Brownies_03

Hidden Samoa Cookie Brownies

Makes 20 brownies

Ingredients

8 ounces of semisweet chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 Samoa Cookies

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by generously buttering/spraying with non-stick cooking spray the bottom and sides.
In a large microwavable safe bowl, melt 8 ounces of the chocolate chips and the butter together, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted and combined.
Add the cocoa powder and sugar, mixing completely.
Add in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract.
Stir in the flour and salt to gently incorporate.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Then place 20 cookies into the batter in a 4×5 grid, then pour the rest of the batter on top. To help you cut later on put a tooth pick in the center of the few cookies to give you some guidance.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center is clean upon removal. Do not over bake. Let cool prior to cutting into 20 pieces.

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