My favorite though… the bag of pink, white and red M&M’s.  Simple yet so darn cute when used just right!

Today, there is 3 inches of new snow on the ground and it’s a perfect day to stay inside and whip up something sweet with these Valentine themed M&M’s for my daughter and her friends.  They’re spending the afternoon sledding and playing in the snow… so they’re definitely going to need a little energy from these cookie bars!

Normally, when I make sugar cookies, I use a dough that needs to be chilled and rolled… but I thought I’d try something a little different this time.  A sugar cookie that is cut, like a bar or with a cookie cutter, already frosted and decorated… and I use the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Recipe.  This recipe is just as easy, if not simpler and it gets pressed into a jelly roll pan!

The frosting, it’s my new favorite.  A bit of cream cheese and a lot of Madagascar vanilla!  YUM!

Sweetheart Sugar Cookie Bars
Makes 18+ bars

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
the seeds of 1 Madagascar vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 drop of Americaolor “Red Red” food gel

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  Line 13x18x1 in jelly roll pan (really big, deep cookie sheet!) with parchment paper and spray paper and sides of pan with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer using a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, almond and vanilla.  You want to beat this mixture on high for 4-5 minutes to get it very light and fluffy!
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
4. With the mixer on low, add the flour in three parts.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until incorporated thoroughly.
5. Press the dough into the pan.  NOTE: I used a piece of wax paper to help spread out the dough into the edges and corners.
6. Bake in the center of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack, in the pan, before frosting.

Madagascar Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

2oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
3-5 tbsp Madagascar Vanilla Cream

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
3. Add the cream until you get your desired consistency.  I like a thinner, smoother frosting for cookies so I add more cream than less.
4. Beat on high for 5-6 minutes.

To Assemble Cookies: 

Cutting board
Offset spatula
Large knife
Cookie bar
Frosting
M&M candies
Heart shaped cookie cutter

1. Use a knife to loosen cookie from the pan.  Gently slide the cookie out of the pan and onto the counter or a large cutting board.
2. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting evenly over the cookie.
3. Sprinkle whole M&M’s evenly over the cookie bar.  Chop more M&M’s into small pieces, even crushed a bit, and sprinkle evenly over the cookie bar.
4. Cut into squares and serve with a big glass of milk!
5. You could also cut a few using a heart shaped cookie cutter too if you wanted to be really creative!

So brownies it is.  BUT!  Not your traditional brownie… it’s a cookies n’ creme brownie!  This delicious thing has oreos baked inside of the brownie as well as a creamy oreo buttercream slathered on top.

NOM!

It’s a pretty easy recipe too, only took me about 10 minutes to whip up and get in oven… then another few minutes to beat up the frosting, spread and cut!

If the soldiers at work don’t love these at the potluck… well shoot.  hahaha!

Cookies ‘n Creme Brownies
Makes 16 brownies (depending on how you cut it)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 oz (3 squares) unsweetened bakers chocolate, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt

8 Oreo cookies, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Great 9×15 in dark pan with shortening or butter.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and eggs.
3. While that is creaming, melt the chocolate and set aside to cool for 2 minutes.
4. Add the slightly cooled chocolate to the butter mixture, scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until combined.
5. Mix in the vanilla.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour and salt.
7. Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix only until just combined.
8. Remove bowl from mixer, scrape off paddle attachment and sides of the bowl.  Fold in the Oreo cookies and make sure the batter is smooth and combined.  This should take about 7-8 strokes.
9. Spread batter evenly into the pan using an offset spatula.
10. Bake for 25-35 minutes or just until barely done.  Do not over bake!
11. Cool completely on a wire rack.  (If you’re in a hurry like I was, allow brownies to cool for 10 minutes in front of an open window, then remove them from the pan to cool more on the wire rack by the window!)
12. Frost with Oreo buttercream then cut into squares!
13. Eat…. nom nom nom!  Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from: How Sweet It Is

Oreo Buttercream

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
8-10 Oreo cookies, in chunky pieces

1. Cream together the butter, sugar and salt – about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add half the cream and beat until smooth.
3. Mix in the Oreos and beat until they are broken up.  You want a few chunks in the frosting, so don’t mix too long.
4. Beat in the the remaining cream until you get your desired consistency.
5. NOTE:  This frosting is VERY SWEET.  You can cut back on the sugar, oreos or add a pinch more salt to change the flavor.  Play around with it until you get it the right sweetness.

I used my homemade peanut butter, added some vanilla and a bit of flour. They taste YUMMMMM… but to be 100% honest with you, I’m not in love with how they look.

I will try them again though (maybe this afternoon if I’m up to it)… using store bought peanut butter. I’m sure that’s what is making them spread like they did instead of being so fluffy like Joy’s.

Thin & Crispy Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies
Makes 1 dozen giant cookies and 1 dozen regular size cookies

1 cup homemade peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda

6 strips of crispy bacon, chopped into pieces
1/4 cup sugar, for rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the peanut butter and sugars until combined.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix 1-2 minutes, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
4. Add the flour and baking soda and mix until just combined.
5. Fold in the bacon until it’s evenly incorporated into batter.  Batter will be soft and will feel greasy.
6. For large cookies, roll walnut size (1 1/2 – 2 inch) balls of dough in the 1/4 cup sugar and place on pan.  Use a fork to press cookies down using a cris-cross pattern.  (Pressing down with the fork I found really wasn’t that necessary… but you can still do it if you want.)
7. Bake large cookies 10-12 minutes.  Remove immediately and place on wire rack to cool.
8. For smaller cookies, roll 1 in balls of dough into the sugar.  I didn’t press these down and they turned out a little better.
9. Bake small cookies 10 minutes.  Remove immediately and place on wire rack to cool.

Actually, it’s just another reason for me to bake. Haha. My hubby and I don’t usually celebrate Valentine’s Day because he’s either been in the field training or deployed to war. This year, he’s home…. but we’re still not celebrating.

Instead, I’ll be making cookies and cupcakes in the weeks leading up to this mushy, pink, lovey dovey holiday!

But seriously, is anyone really going to complain about that? Probably not!

My first cookie is a spin on all the holiday blossom cookies I made during December. Hershey’s has a raspberry filled white and pink hug KISS this season which I thought would go perfectly on top of a blossom cookie! So these cookies are made with my favorite raspberry jam and a super dark chocolate rolled in hot pink sugar crystals and topped with a Hershey’s Raspberry Kiss! nom nom nom nom

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Hugs Blossom Cookies
Makes 3+ dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup raspberry jam (I used Smuckers because it’s my favorite!)
2 cups flour
2 tbsp milk
3.5 oz chopped 70% dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup hot pink sanding sugar
Hershey’s Raspberry Hug Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla.   About 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the raspberry jam, scrape the sides of the bowl, and mix until well combined.
4. Add the flour and mix on medium speed until combined.  Add the milk just before flour is completely combined.   This will help the flour incorporate into the dough.
5. Add the chopped chocolate and fold in using a spatula.
6. Chill for 20 minutes in refrigerator.
7. Scoop 1 inch balls of dough and roll in hot pink sugar crystals.   Place on a baking sheet at least 1-2 inches apart.  (Note: Don’t roll dough balls any larger than 1 inch or they will spread too much on your cookie sheet!)
8. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
9. Immediately press a Raspberry Hug into the middle of each cookie.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Eat and enjoy!

It was a blondie of sorts.  A cookie bar.  Inside it had chocolate and marshmallow… and it got me to thinking, why haven’t I made more blondies before?

Since I had these two beautiful  jars of homemade peanut butter that I had just whipped up… I knew this was a perfect opportunity to make some peanut butter blondies!

The grocery store had a huge sale on it’s holiday bags of chocolate… so I picked up a couple bags of Hershey’s Chocolate Chunks for only $1 each today… so I knew I had to include some chocolate with the peanut butter!

This recipe makes a ton of peanut butter chocolate chunk blondies…. so be prepared to share!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Makes 12 large squares… more if you cut them smaller

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup homemade peanut butter (see my recipe!)

2 eggs
1tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup + 1/4 cup chocolate chunks

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.  Great a 9×13 metal pan with shortening or butter.
2. In a medium sauce pan, melt together the butter and brown sugar on medium heat… whisking often.
3. Once melted, remove from heat and whisk in the peanut butter.  Whisk until all the peanut butter has melted.  Set aside to cool as you prepare the flour.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Whisk the eggs and vanilla into the butter/sugar mixture.
6. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pur the butter/sugar mixture in.  Using a spatula, fold the butter/sugar into the flour about 6-7 strokes.
7. Add the milk and fold 4-5 more strokes.   You just want to barely combine the ingredients, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
8. Dump in the chocolate chips and fold until combined.
9. Pour the thick batter into your prepared pan and spread to the edges.  Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chunks.
10. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the top and edges have turned a golden brown.  Allow to cool in the pan before cutting into squares.
11. Drizzle with extra peanut butter, serve with a big glass of milk and enjoy!

But what?  Oh… duh, COOKIES!  haha  It’s that time of year and I’ve been doing nothing but baking cookies lately.  So, why not mandarin orange cookies?  But hmmm…. what goes with orange in cookies… hmmmmm??? CRANBERRIES!  Oh and WHITE CHOCOLATE!

I took a basic brown sugar cookie cookie dough recipe and transformed it into a super amazing Mandarin Orange & Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie!

Now, I used fresh cranberries and fresh oranges, but I’m sure if all you had was canned or jarred that would be okay too.  I just love the idea of big chunks of fresh fruit in these cookies!

I’ve seen some with a glaze on top, but I didn’t want to hide the chunks of fruit inside of them, so I just topped them dough with sugar before baking.  I think they’re pretty much PERFECT!

Mandarin Orange & Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp orange extract
3 tbsp orange juice
Zest of one Mandarin orange

2 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup halved fresh Mandarin orange slices (about 4 Mandarin oranges)
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks (I used a mix of both cause that’s what I had on hand)

1/4 cup sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
3. Add the egg, extract, zest and orange juice.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on high for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is light and fluffy.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
5. Add the flour to the butter/sugar and mix on low until just combined.
6. Fold in the halved orange slices, chopped cranberries and white chocolate.
7. Drop 1 tbsp of dough onto the cookie sheet, 1-2 inches apart.  Do not place more than 12 on a sheet, the cookies spread and need room!
8. Dust each mound of dough with sugar.
9. Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Do not overbake!
10. Remove and let cook on sheet for about 1 minute.  Remove to a wire rack to cool complete.

I was paired up with two other fabulous military wives and bloggers here in Europe to send a dozen of my homemade cookies to!

Carrie Fields of Fields of Cake and Other Good Stuff

Jessica Sutherland of Jessica Lynn Writes

These fabulous ladies received one of my most favorite recipes for holiday cookies, but with a twist!  I took my tried and true recipe for sugar cookies and added a little mint, dark chocolate chips, and green food coloring turning them into “Grinch Cookies”!  Green and black mint chocolate chip cookies!  Seriously so YUM!

(Sorry, the only picture I snapped before I packaged them up was this pic with my camera phone!)

Grinch (aka Mint Chocolate Chip) Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp peppermint or mint extract
4-5 drops green food coloring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Nestle brand)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together.
2. Add the eggs and beat on high for 2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add the peppermint extract and food coloring and mix until all the color has been combined.  Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all the color is incorporated.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. In three parts, add the flour.  Between each addition add a tablespoon of milk.  Mix flour only until combined.
6. Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
7. Cover dough and place in freezer for 20-30 minutes or chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.
8. While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 400 F degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
9. After the dough has chilled, scoop 1-1 1/2 inch balls onto the cookie sheet 2in apart.  Press each ball gently until flat (unless you want little round ball cookies, then leave them round).  The rounder the edges of your cookies, the rounder they will bake.  If you like imperfection like I do… just leave them with jagged, rough edges.  I pressed a couple extra dark chocolate chips into the top of a few of the cookies, just cause it’s pretty!
10. Bake 7-8 minutes.  Do not over bake!  You want the bottoms to just begin to get golden, brown but not dark!
11. Leave cookies on pan for 30 seconds before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

This time… it’s a cookie bar with a huge surprise in the middle.  Baked in these cookie bars are two kinds of chips and a Reese’s peanut butter cup! Seriously, I wish I had extra for myself, cause they are SO YUM!

Run to your kitchen and whip up a batch of these for your kids…. they’ll thank you for it.

(PS… I didn’t feel like breaking out the big camera to take pictures…. so, you get camera phone pics!)

Double Chip Surprise Cookie Bars
Makes 12 bars

8×8 glass pan
parchment paper
non-stick cooking spray

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
10oz bag + 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
12 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Lightly spray bottom of an 8x8x2 glass pan with cooking spray.  Line bottom of pan with a square piece of parchment paper.  Generously spray top of paper and sides of pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat on high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  In two parts, with the mixer on low, add the flour and mix until barely combined.
5. Add the milk and mix until just incorporated.
6. By hand, fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips.
7. Press half the dough into the pan.  Arrange 12 peanut butter cups evenly onto of this layer, pressing them gently into the dough.
8. Spread evenly the remaining dough on top of the pb cups, making sure to spread into the corners.  Again, press dough gently into bottom layer.
9. Bake in the center of your oven for 40-50 minutes or until baked through.  Do not over bake!
10. Allow to cool completely before cutting into 12 squares.  Be patient, you want them to set up before you cut them… they will keep their shape better if cooled when cutting.

I know.  Obsessive.

But whatever.  It’s Christmas!

So today…  I originally wanted to make a peppermint sugar cookie, but then decided to use these Chocolate Cherry Kisses that had been sitting in the candy bowl screamed to be used up.  Also in my cabinet was a jar of marichino cherries and some mini chocolate chips.

DING DING DING! We have a WINNER!

Cherries + Chocolate = DELICIOUS

Cherries + Chocolate + Cookies = HEAVEN

This cookie is so super simple and easy to make… almost too easy.   And even better than it’s simplicity… it’s almost VEGAN! No eggs or dairy!  (Sub a non-animal shortening for the butter and you’ve got Vegan! HORRAY!)

ENJOY!

Chocolate Cherry Blossoms
Makes 2-3 dozen cookies (depending on size)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 tsp Maraschino cherry juice (the juice your cherries come in!)
1/4 tsp almond extract (vanilla is okay too if you don’t have almond)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup Maraschino cherries, chopped
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup sugar
Hershey’s Chocolate Cherry Kisses, unwrapped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the salt, butter and powdered sugar.
3. Add the cherry juice and extract and mix until combined.  Don’t forget to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl!
4. Add the flour and mix just until combined.
5. Fold in the chopped cherries and mini chocolate chips.
6. Using a tiny 1in ice cream scoop… scoop then roll 1in balls of dough in your hand.  Roll them in the 1/2 cup sugar and place them on your cookie sheet 2in apart.
7. Using the bottom of a glass, press the dough slightly to flatten… not too much, we don’t want pancake cookies!
8. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown.
9. As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, press a Kiss into the center of each cookie.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.
10. I actually ran out of Kisses, so some of the cookies got a drizzle of a simple chocolate ganache on top!
11. Enjoy!

Confession #2:  I HOARD baking supplies.  This is a new thing for me.  Since moving to Germany, the luxuries of American grocery stores, having everything I need, at my disposal, all of the time is not a reality here.  When I see something at my local military commissary, I buy it… in bulk.

Confession #3:  I think “blossoms” may be becoming my favorite holiday cookie.  I have discovered two new ways of making them other than the traditional peanut butter with chocolate on top.  First, was my White Chocolate with Peppermint Kiss Blossoms and now these.  Gingerbread blossoms topped with white chocolate chips.

Confession #4: I’ve come to the realization that I’m not going to make it though the Holiday season without gaining 10lbs just from cookies.  It’s okay though, I’ll blame it on the pregnancy.

White Chocolate topped Gingerbread Blossoms
Makes 3 dozen+ cookies

3/4 cup (12 tbsp or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup full flavor molasses
1 tbsp bourbon whiskey (you can substitute vanilla if you don’t have bourbon)
2 tbsp milk

3 cups flour
1 tbsp ground ginger (fresh if possible)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (fresh if possible)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the egg to the sugar/butter and cream for another 2 minutes.  Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
4. Slowly pour in molasses and bourbon then beat until combined.
5. In three parts, add the flour mixture.  Scrape the sides of the bowl between each addition.  Mix just until combined.
6. Add the milk and mix only until incorporated.
7. Scrape the sides of the bowl and pat the dough into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to firm.  If you have time, you can put the dough into the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
8. When ready to bake your cookies, line cookie sheet with parchment paper and pre-heat your oven to 350 F degrees.
9. Scoop 1-inch balls of dough using an ice cream scoop and form them into a ball using your hands.  Roll them in the sugar then place 2 inches apart on your lined cookie sheet.
10. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.  Do not over bake!
11. Immediately press your thumb into the top of each cookie.  Drop 6 white chocolate chips into the well you just created then remove cookies to a wire rack.
12. After chocolate begins to melt, use a toothpick to swirl the chocolate together into a pretty swirl.
13. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Peanut butter blossom cookies are traditionally made with a peanut butter cookie and a Hershey Kiss… but I thought, what about a white chocolate cookie and a Candy Cane Kiss?  PERFECT!

Now, I know that white chocolate liqueur might not be easy to find… so you could make these with vanilla extract and some milk instead of the liqueur.  But, if you can find the white chocolate… use it.  It’s subtle but SO YUMMO.

White Chocolate Candy Cane Blossoms
Makes 2 dozen (and a few extra) cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tbsp white chocolate liqueur
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Green and red sugar crystals
1 bag of Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Cream together, with an electric mixer, the butter and sugar.
4. Add the egg and beat on high for 2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.  Scrape the sides and beat again for 1 minute.
5. Mix in the white chocolate liqueur.
6. Add the flour and mix on medium speed just until combined.  Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all the flour is incorporated.  Do not over mix.
7. Roll 12 1-inch balls of dough in the red sugar crystals and place on cookie sheet.
8. Roll 12 1-inch balls of dough in the green sugar crystals and place a cookie sheet.
9. Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes.
10. Cool on pan for 1 minute then place an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie.
11. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

WRONG!

Monday rolls around and I’m back in the kitchen baking. This time, one of my favorite combos: Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

I made these soft and chewy peanut buttery chocolate kiss cookies cause ya know, they’re my favorite and I made them HUGE because well, you know… everything is better when it’s HUGE!

Ultimate Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Makes 2-3 dozen JUMBO cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter, extra crunchy
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp vanilla extract
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 10oz bags HERSHEY’S mini chocolate Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter and peanut butter.
3. Add the sugars and beat on high until combined.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
5. Beat in the corn syrup, water and vanilla extract.
6. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
7. Add the flour mixture in two parts to the cookie dough, mixing only until just combined.
8. Fold in the mini kisses.
9. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop 8 mounds of cookie dough onto your pan.
10. Bake for 9-10 minutes.  DO NOT OVER BAKE!  You want them to begin to turn golden on top but still be soft in the middle.
11. Remove to a wire rack immediately to cool.

The recipe came from the 1963 Betty Crocker Cooky Book and in my Mom’s kitchen, this book was like the bible.  As an adult, every year I’d try to sneak it out of the house to add to my own collection, but my Mom would catch me and tell me no.  It was until until last year when she passed away that I was able to add it to my own collection.

This book and this page in particular have been opened and used so many times, there are years of finger prints and cookie dough smudges on the pages.  It’s like opening up a memory box to some of the best memories of me and my Mom.  You can even see in the picture where I wrote as a kid the measurements to double the recipe.  Yah, it’s that good.  We doubled and tripled the recipe sometimes because they disappeared so fast! So yesterday, I thought I was going to be doing some baking to take to a meeting I have later today, but alas, my plans were thwarted when I was told that the host of the party didn’t want my baked goods.  *GASP* I know what you’re thinking…. WHO WOULDN’T WANT YOUR BAKED GOODS?!?!? I know, I almost took it as a personal insult, but then I realized who I was dealing with and remembered she had never had my baked goods to know what she was missing out on.   But, by the time I got told no, I had already made this batter and needed to roll out cookies.  So…. here we have it…. one of my favorite childhood cookies, the Chocolate Crinkle!

Here’s the recipe from the cook book. The ingredients are the same, but the method is a little different. I simplified things a little bit…. not that Betty’s recipe was hard, but I like things as easy as possible! Enjoy!

Chocolate Crinkles
Makes 3-4 dozen

4oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together melted chocolate, oil and sugar until well combined.
2. One at a time add the eggs and mix in.  I used a wooden spoon which seemed to work really well.
3. Mix in the vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Add the flour to the oil mixture and stir together until completely incorporated.  I used a wooden spoon for about 50 strokes.
6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for several hours or overnight.  If you want to speed up the process, put it in the freezer for about 90 minutes,  this is what I did this time!
7. After the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350 F degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
8. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop 1 1/2 inch balls of dough.  Roll them generously in powdered sugar and place on the cookie sheet 2″ apart.
9. Bake 10-12 minutes.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  I actually removed them after about 10.5-11 minutes because I like them extra chewy and fudgey on the inside.
10. Move immediately to a wire rack to cool.  Be careful, they will be very soft!
11. Cool and enjoy!

Full of peanut butter, chocolate, a touch of espresso powder, chocolate chips and m&ms… these cookies are sure to cure any cravings you may have for something divine.

I paired these cookies with my Oatmeal Raisin cookies in goodies bags being sent to Afghanistan.  I’m pretty sure the boys are going to love them!!

Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 4 dozen

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp espresso powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup (heaping) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (heaping) M&M’s

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter.  Add the sugars and mix on high for 2 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, and mix on high until flight and fluffy.
5. In three parts, add the flour  mixture.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix only until combined.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips and m&m’s.
7. Using a 1in small ice cream scoop, scoop dough onto lined cookie sheets.  Press down with a fork in a cris-cross pattern.
8. Bake 12-14 minutes or until the edges are firm.  Don’t be alarmed if the centers seem soft still.
9. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

This cookie recipe comes from my online friend, and fellow Army wife stationed here in Germany, Ann Marie.  Ann Marie runs the blog Household 6 Diva, which I read all the time.  In her blog, she chronicles her life as an Army wife and everything that goes along with it.  Go check out her blog, it’s great! And thanks Ann Marie for the recipe! It’s fantastic!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
I doubled the recipe and got 96 1 1/2in cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened (OH YEAH)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
3 cups quaker oats – quick or old fashioned, uncooked (I used 1 Minute Quick oats)
1 cup raisins (I used an additional 1 cup of chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated.  Add the vanilla.  Turn mixer to high and mix for 2 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
5. In two parts, add the flour and mix until combined.
6. Add the oats and mix until incorporated.  Your mixer might not like this, but it’s easier than doing it by hand.
7. Fold in the raisins and chocolate chips (if you’re adding them like I did).
8. Scoop 1 inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet.  (If you want bigger cookies, go for it, but I needed to stretch this recipe so I made mine on the smaller side.)
9. Bake 12-14 minutes or until the tops and edges begin to brown.
10. Cool on pan for 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
11. Eat one warm… it’s SO GOOD!

These cookies combine sweet, salty, and chocolaty.  Three of my most favorite things.  Now, the are a little time consuming when you scoop them because you want to take extra care to make things look just right before baking to produce the perfect cookie.  But, other than that, these cookies are a breeze!

Pretzel M&M Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen small cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature and soft
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup M&M’s, separated
1 cup pretzel sticks, broken into pieces, separated

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and beat another minute or two.  Mix in the vanilla.
5. Slowly add the flour to the wet mixture and mix until smooth and combined.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.
6. By hand, fold in  3/4 cup M&Ms and 3/4 cup of pretzels.
7. Scoop onto a cookie sheet.  Add a couple extra M&M’s and pretzels to the top of the cookie.  This will ensure that you will really be able to see them after they bake! It really makes a difference in presentation!
8. Bake 8-11 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Leave cookies on the sheet for 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
10. Eat warm with a big glass of milk!

For the cookies, I used THIS recipe.
For the buttercream, I used THIS recipe.

To Assemble:

1. Pipe a dollop of buttercream in the center of one cookie.
2. Place a second cookie on top.
3. Gently press cookies together until frosting reaches the edges of the cookie.
4. Eat and enjoy!

Inspired by Bakerella’s snickerdoodle cupcakes,  my version has just a little more sugar and cinnamon.  I really can’t get enough of that good stuff.  The cupcakes are a moist, dense cupcake full of cinnamon,  with a cracked cinnamon and sugar crust then all topped off with a cinnamon buttercream and a fresh Snickerdoodle cookie.  That’s right… you heard me…. a whole cookie on top!!  That’s the Double Doodle!

Doodle Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes plus a few extra mini’s

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar + 2 tbsp cinnamon, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cupcake pan with liners
2. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a mixer set on high, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
4. One at a time, add the eggs.  Mix on high for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
6. Add flour and milk to the batter alternating, beginning and ending with the flour.  Mix only until combined making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
7. Fill baking cups about 3/4 full then top with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Rotate pan 1/2 way through baking.
9. Cool cupcakes in pan at least 5 minutes then cool on a wire rack completely.

Cinnamon Buttercream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 heaping tbsp cinnamon
1lb (3-4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted

Snickerdoodle cookies

1. Cream the butter until smooth.
2. One cup at a time, beat in the powdered sugar.
3. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined.
4. Add the whipping cream until you get the consistency you desire, mix until combined.
5. Beat on high for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
6. Using a large round tip, pipe a dollop of frosting on each cupcake then top with a Snickerdoodle cookie.

For these mini doodle cupcakes, I baked them the same as the regular size cupcakes, but instead of topping them with a snickerdoodle cookie (although you could bake mini snickerdoodle cookies and top them with those), I sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon on top of the buttercream.  Super yum!

Hey everyone! My name is Michelle, and I’m the creator of Kissed by Sweets, a Sweets and Vegetarian Treats Recipe Blog (http://www.kissedbysweets.com). I’ve been baking pretty and delish treats for the last 10 years, and giving them out to co-workers, neighbors, and my fiancé, Mr. Sweets (in an attempt to fatten him up!). I started my blog because several people would ask what my recipes were, so I wanted to share my experience and the ease of cooking and baking with everyone! I would also love to start selling my baked goods, and eventually open up a bakery! I hope you enjoy these treats! Please check out my website, http://www.kissedbysweets, and leave me a comment on my Twitter @KissedBySweets ! Thanks!

Snickerdoodles (who came up with that name, anyway?) are an all-American favorite, so they mean a lot to me. You see, I’m an American living in the UK, and no one really has a sweet tooth like us Americans! They don’t even like cinnamon…or peanut butter! Yeah, I don’t know why I’m still living here either, except to open their eyes and mouths to delicious treats that are pure American, like Snickerdoodles! And guess what? It worked! Prince Michael of Kent, a cousin of the Queen, tried one of my amazing Snickerdoodles this week! Soon the Queen will be calling me up asking for a box of them!! Ahh, pipe dreams…

I got the recipe from this website: http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-snickerdoodle-cookies-97496

Ingredients

• 1 cup Butter
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 3/4 cups Flour
• 2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 3 tablespoons Sugar
• 3 teaspoons Cinnamon

~ Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F

~ Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and eggs in a large bowl

~ Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl

~ Mix dry ingredients into the butter mixture

~ Chill dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes

~ Mix the 3 tablespoons of sugar and the 3 teaspoons of cinnamon together in a small bowl

~ Roll 1 inch balls of the snickerdoodle batter in the palms of your hands, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar mix until fully coated

~ Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes!

Your house will smell amazing for the rest of the day!

Thanks, everyone! Smooches! Xoxo

Michelle

http://www.kissedbysweets.com

Twitter: @KissedBySweets

This sugar cookie is made a lot like a Snickerdoodle is.  It’s got cream of tartar and it’s rolled in sugar but… it’s got a bit of a twist.  You see, this cookie is filled with delicious chocolate.  Not just any chocolate, but M&M’s chocolate!  Little yummies of chocolate with a chocolate shell baked perfectly into a sugar cookie bliss.

Don’t be fooled though.   These aren’t your typical sugar cookies that you’ll see on the Christmas table covered in frosting.  These have a bit different flavor and texture.  More like the Snickerdoodle.  You can’t quite put your finger on it, but there’s just something different about it.  I think that’s why I love this cookie so much.  It’s just a little bit different.

JavaCupcake’s Sugar M&M Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 eggs
1 vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
dash of salt

1 cup M&Ms

1/4 cup sugar – for rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.   Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes or until fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for 2 more minutes.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
5. With a wooden spoon, gently mix in the M&M just until combined.  You don’t want to break your candy!
6. Scoop balls of dough using a 1 inch ice cream scoop.  Roll the dough in a ball then coat with sugar.  Place balls on cookie sheet and gently press down.  TIP: Try and place the side of the cookie with the most M&M’s at the surface of the dough to get lots of color showing once they bake!
7. Bake  for 8-9 minutes or until you see the cookies start to crack. Take them out of the oven and let them finish cooking on the hot sheet for about 5 minutes.
8. Remove from the cookie sheet onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

I’ve noticed this recipe is pretty much the same as Martha Stewart’s recipe and the majority of other bakers and bloggers I’ve seen.  But, I’ve been using this recipe for ages.  I love it.  This recipe makes the perfect chewy, yet slightly crisp cookie with a delicious cinnamon flavor.  The cream of tartar really adds a dimension of flavor unlike any other cookie too.

If you’ve never made a Snickerdoodle before… get on it.  Make one, or 30.

Snickerdoodle Cookies
Makes approx 3-4 dozen cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and shortening.
3. Add the sugar and beat on high for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and mix until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl again.
5. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
6. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture. Scrape the sides and mix on medium until incorporated.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the topping sugar, cinnamon and sugar crystals.
8. Using a 1 inch ice cream scoop, measure out balls of dough. Drop ball into sugar & cinnamon.
9. Place onto cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart.
10. Bake about 10 minutes, rotating pan after 5 minutes, until they begin to crack.
11. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.

You see,  a snickerdoodle is made with a white powder called “cream of tartar” which activates the baking powder during the baking process.  Personally, I think it gives is a bit of a twist in the flavor too.  Also… a snickerdoodle is different than a sugar cookie in that it is rolled in sugar AND cinnamon.  DIVINE !

Where does the name Snickerdoodle come from?  The Joy of Cooking* claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and that the name is a deviation of the German word Schneckennudeln (lit. “snail noodles”), a kind of pastry.  I’ve also read that some people think that it was just a made up word.  Personally, I’m going to believe it has German origin, since I’m here in Germany!

(Citation: *Rombauer, I. S., Becker, M. R., & Becker, E. (2006). The Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition. Scribner.)

Typically, snickerdoodles bake relatively flat, chewy and super full of flavor.  I’ve seen some doodles cook up puffy and with a mound on top, but I don’t usually like those.   My favorite is fresh from the oven and soft.   After a couple days though, these cookies tend to get a little crisp and hard, but nothing a little milk and dunking can’t fix!

This week, you’ll see recipes for:

• Snickerdoodle cookies
• Snickerdoodle cupcakes
• Snickerdoodle mini cupcakes
• Snickerdoodle whoopie pies
• Snickerdoodle sandwich cookies
• And maybe a few more…

Check back everyday for a new way to make these delicious little cookies!

These peanut buttery, chocolaty, fudgy brownies are so simple to make and so so so so good you’re not going to want to share.

Seriously.

Don’t share.

Eat them all.

Yourself.

Do it.

Make some.

Eat them.

Ok… fine.

Share.

But only just one,

or two,

or three.

No.

Just one.

Seriously.

Tagalong Brownies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4.5 oz dark chocolate (I used a 54% cocoa Belgian chocolate, but next time I’ll use a higher % and 6-7oz)
1 cup flour
1 box Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies (quarter each cookie – next time, I’ll keep them whole or half them)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees.  Line a 9×13 glass pan with parchment paper or foil.  If you use foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray.  If you don’t use parchment or foil, spray your pan.
2. Using a double boiler, melt your chocolate and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and peanut butter.
4. Add the sugar and mix until incorporated.
5. Add the eggs and mix until light and fluffy.
6. Mix in the vanilla.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.
7. Add the chocolate and fold into the mixture, by hand.
8. Add the flour and mix by hand until just incorporated.
9. Fold in the quartered cookies.
10. Spread evenly in baking dish.
11. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
12. Cool in pan for at least 15-20 minutes until cutting and serving.

Now… before I go any further, I must take a moment to thank Rudy from Man Bakes Cake in helping me come up with the recipe for this cupcake. I was admiring his version of the cupcake and asked on his Facebook if he had a recipe. We exchanged a few emails in which he explained the basic process and ingredients for making his version of the Samoa cupcake. I took a few of his ideas and ran with it! I would have never thought to use one of the main ingredients in this recipe… coconut milk… but it really makes this cupcake AMAZING!

So thank you MAN BAKES CAKE for the inspiration and direction in making this cupcake!

So let me tell you about this cupcake.  This Samoa cupcake starts with a brown sugar base.  Now, most cupcake recipes I use call for some kind of liquid to be added, usually milk, but for this cupcake we use coconut milk.  That combination of brown sugar and coconut make for a perfect Samoa flavor.  For some crunch and added flavor, I’ve mixed in an entire box of Samoa cookies and some coconut flakes into the batter.  The cupcake is topped with a caramel coconut frosting.  This frosting is also made with the coconut milk.  I guess you could say that coconut milk is the secret ingredient of this cupcake.  I’ve never worked with it before, but I’ll definitely be using it again when I need a rich coconut flavor.   The chocolate drizzle on top is just a semi-sweet chocolate, but it’s a perfect pairing with the caramel flavors and coconut.

So… I won’t keep you from the recipe any further!  Enjoy!

Samoa Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 ½  cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 ½ tsp coconut extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼  teaspoon salt

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 box Samoa Girl Scout Cookies – broken into pieces

1 box Samoa Girl Scout Cookies – cut in half
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cupcake pan with 24 liners.
2. In a mixer, beat butter on high until soft.
3. Slowly add sugar and beat until light and creamy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each egg.
5. Add the coconut extract and mix until incorporated.
6. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
7. Measure out  the coconut milk and set aside.
8. Add about ¼ of the flour mixture followed by 1/3 of the milk mixture.
9. Repeat this step until you end with the flour mixture.  Mix just until incorporated.
10. Fold in the coconut flakes and Samoa cookies
11. Fill cupcake liners with batter about ¾ full.
12. Bake for 10 minutes then rotate pan.  Bake another 5-7 minute or until cupcakes are golden brown.
13. Let cool in pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to completely cool before frosting.
14. Frost with caramel coconut frosting, drizzle with melted chocolate and top with ½ a Samoa cookie.

Caramel Coconut Frosting
(Depending on how much frosting you want to put on your cupcakes, you may only need half this recipe)

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup coconut milk + 2 tbsp more
1 ½ tsp coconut extract
2 lbs sifted powdered sugar

1. In a small pan, melt the butter on medium high heat.
2. Stir in the coconut milk.  Slowly add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved, about  2-3 minutes.  Do not let the mixture boil.
3. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl.
4. 8 oz at a time add the sifted powdered sugar and mix with a hand mixer.  Scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. If necessary, add up to 2 tbsp more coconut milk to create the consistency you want.
6. Mix on high about 2 minutes, scraping sides making sure all the sugar is incorporated.
7. Work quickly to frost the cupcakes, the frosting will be warm but hardens quickly and is harder to work with.**

*Tips & Tricks*
The frosting will still be warm when it’s ready to be used. Make sure you’re ready to frost your cupcakes as soon as the frosting is ready! Once it cools, it will set up and harden, making any piping or spreading more difficult to do.

Oh, and you better eat them while they’re warm.  To. Die. For.  The cream oozes out the middle, it’s all warm and soft.  Oh heavens.  This is probably one of my favorite cookies ever. And… they’re HUGE.  You really only need one at a time.  Oh,  and dunk it in milk.  Do it. Dunk it.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes approx. 24 cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature and soft
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature (I used Danish eggs!)
1 tbsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
24 Double Stuffed Oreos

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. One at a time, add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing until well combined and scraping the sides of the bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
4. About a cup at a time, slowly beat in the flour to the wet mixture, scraping the sides after each addition.
5. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough into your hand and flatten the dough. Place an oreo in the center of the dough and mold it up around the sides. Scoop another tablespoon (not so much this time) and flatten it on top. Pinch the seams where the dough comes together and mold it in your hand so the edges are round. At this time you’ll also want to trim off as much extra dough as you can. You only want enough to just cover the cookie and not flatten out when you bake it. Otherwise you’ll have a flat cookie with a big bump on top where the Oreo is.
6. Place 12 cookies on your baking sheet (lined with or without parchment or mat… it’s your preference) and bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden.
7. Let cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet until removing to a wire wrack to cool completely. Or not. Right now would be an excellent time to eat one too. The cream from the Oreo will be all melty and oooooze out of the cookie… like this:

Sugar cookies shaped like “OSCAR”!

Raspberry Whoopie Pies

Cupcakes from Cupcake Royale

Peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate (my FAVORITE)

Gluten-free peanut butter mousse cake

Fresh cut fruit, perfect for my greek yogurt breakfasts!

Cupcake shaped cupcake pan

Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf Cupcakes -WTF?? lol

One bakery however did sell Snickerdoodle cookies… giant ones.  So, I caved in and bought one.  Now, I haven’t had a Snickerdoodle in a while but with one bite I was reminded of how delicious these simple cookies are.

I’m bringing dinner to my dad today and what better for dessert than homemade Snickerdoodles!  Seriously… you should run to your kitchen and make these.  Giant ones.  They’re so worth it!

Giant Snickerdoodles
Makes a bakers dozen

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons large colored sugar crystals

1. Preaheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and shortening.
3. Add the sugar and beat on high for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and mix until incorporated.  Scrape the sides of the bowl again.
5. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
6. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture.  Scrape the sides and mix on medium until incorporated.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the topping sugar, cinnamon and sugar crystals.
8. Using an ice cream scoop, measure out balls of dough.  Drop ball into sugar & cinnamon.  A little trick I learned while making these… to get the big sugar crystals to stick to the dough, pick up, rotate and drop the ball into the sugar several times to coat the sides.  The force of dropping the ball makes the large sugar crystals stick!
9. Place 6 on a cookie sheet.
10. Bake 10 minutes, rotating pan after 5 minutes.
11. Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.
12. Enjoy!

I had never made gingerbread cookies before, so these were going to be a fun adventure for me.  I’m not usually a fan of Martha Stewart recipes, but I had picked up her 2010 Holiday Cookies magazine and thought I’d give the recipe inside a whirl.  To my surprise, they turned out amazing.

The cookies were soft and chewy and FULL of flavor.  They didn’t harden up, held their color and shape really well and will definitely be my go-to recipe for gingerbread!

JavaCupcake’s Gingerbread Men Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewards Gingerbread Cookie Tree from the 2010 Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie magazine

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup dark unsulfured molasses

4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Repeat with the molasses.
4. In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients.
5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour to the wet mixture.  Mix just until incorporated.
6. Divide the dough into 4 parts, shape into balls, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 3 hours to overnight.
7. When dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
8. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out your dough one ball at a time to 1/4 inch thickness.
9. Using a gingerbread man (large) cut out shapes and put on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
10. Chill in the freezer for 5 minutes or in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before baking.
11. Bake for 10 minutes.  Rotate the pan half way though baking for even baking.
12. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
13. Frost! (PS… I cheated with this batch of cookies and used the store bought frosting in a squeeze tube.  No one has to know! Shhhh!! hehe)

These cookies aren’t your traditional chewy cookies, they are softer, more cake like.  And right out of the oven, still warm, they are like little bites of spice filled heaven!

These would also be good with oats added for a little crunch.  The ones I had at the farmers market had oats in them.  And for even healthier version, 1/2 whole wheat flour would be a good addition too!

JavaCupcake’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – heaping
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1 12 oz ban mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Nonstick spray or parchment paper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray OR line with parchment paper.
2. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
3. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes.
4. While the butter/sugar is beating, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
5. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter/sugar and mix until flight and fluffy again.
6. Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin until just incorporated.
7. In thirds with the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.  Mix until just incorporated.
8. Fold in by hand the chocolate chips.
9. Using a small ice cream scoop (1 in), scoop the cookie dough (a heaping tablespoon) onto prepared sheets.
10. Bake 10-13 minutes or until they cookies are spongy to the touch and are a golden brown.
11. When removing from the oven, let the cookies stand on the sheet for 2 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Eat them warm!

Jenny Keller, from Washington State, sells her cupcake cookies and her cupcakes on her website, Jenny Cookies, and they are some of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen!

You can order her creations on her website.  Cookies start at $2.25 and cupcakes at $2.75.  She also makes cakes for parties and weddings! Those range from $75 on up! You can also call her at 425.346.5424 for special orders & pricing info!

You can also find Jenny on Twitter and Facebook!

She’ll be brining her cookies to our 6th Birthday Bash in Seattle too! (Tickets still available!)

(Left) Jenny and her daughter dressed up like cupcakes! Oh my goodness, how cute!!

All photos courtesy of Jenny Cupcakes.

I made these for a football party I hosted this past weekend and they were a HUGE hit!!

Seem too complicated and time consuming to make?  WRONG!  I made these using pre-made cookie dough and a box fudge mix!

What you’ll need:

1. Brownie mix – eggs, oil, water
2. Cookie dough
3. Milk chocolate chips
4. 13×9 pan
5. Cooking spray

Assembly:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pick out your favorite boxed brownie mix and follow the box’s directions.
3. Lightly grease bottom and sides a 13×9 pan with cooking spray.
4. Pour and spread the brownie mix evenly into the bottom of the pan.
5. Drop 1-2 tablespoons of cookie dough (I used Nestle Toll House pre-made cookie dough) at a time on top of the brownie batter.  Cover the majority of the pan with the cookie dough.  Remember, it will spread out so some space is necessary between each drop.
6. Bake for 27-35 minutes.   Rotate pan half way through cooking.  If the cookie dough is browning too much, cover with foil the last 10 minutes.
7. Bars will be done with you can insert a toothpick or fork in the middle and no brownie batter is stuck to it when you pull it out.
8. Cool completely and cut into squares.
9. Before removing squares from the pan, drizzle 1 cup of melted chocolate over the bars.
10. To melt the chocolate, measure 1 cup of milk chocoalte chips and microwave for 40 seconds.  After the first 20 seconds, stir with a spatula.  Stir again after the last 20 seconds until all the chips are melted.  Microwave longer if necessary.
11. Let chocolate harden before taking the bars from the pan.
12. Enjoy!

Now… there are a few different ways you could put together an ice cream sandwich.  You could:

1) Buy cookies and ice cream at the store
2) Buy ice cream at the store and make the cookies (what I did)
3) Buy cookies at the store and make the ice cream
4) Make your own ice cream and cookies

Although I have an ice cream maker, I opted to buy ice cream at the store and bake the cookies to make this dessert.  I think they turned out great!

Now, the possibilities are endless for this dessert.  You could literally make any type of cookie and use any type of ice cream! The sandwich pictured above is a chocolate chip cookie with mint chocolate chip ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.  I also made it with a vanilla bean ice cream.  Both super delicious!

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Using a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Sandwich Assembly
1) Cool cookies COMPLETELY
2) With a small ice cream scoop, scoop 1 ball of ice cream into the center of the flat side of a cookie
3) Put a second cookie flat side down on top of the ice cream.
3) On a flat surface, gently press the top cookie down until the ice cream starts to come out the sides
4) Working quickly, with a metal spatula, scrape and shape the sides of the ice cream until it’s flush with the cookie.
5) Dip in sprinkles and immediately put in the freezer.

Tips & Tricks:
1) Work quickly! Melty ice cream is VERY hard to work with!
2) DO NOT stack sandwiches in the freezer, they will smush the ice cream out of the center of the cookies.
3) If you are bringing these to a party, assemble them on site. It could even be a fun party of the evening for people to be able to assemble and choose what kind of sandwich they want!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. In an electric mixer, combine sugar, egg, vanilla and baking powder.  Mix 2-3 minutes on medium-high.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add peanut butter and mix until combined.  Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Mix in by hand the chocolate chips.
5. Scoop 1 ½ inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet using an ice cream scooper.
6. Press down on dough a crisscross pattern with a fork.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes.  Do not over bake.
8. Let cool on cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes until transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

The recipe comes from the Betty Crocker Cookie Book (circa 1963)  that has been in my family for as long as I’ve been alive.  I’ve used this book so many times that it’s got recipe revisions written in the margins, butter stains and cookie dough crusted on every page.  I LOVE IT!! This is one book that will definitely be kept in the family and used forever!  You really can’t go wrong with a Betty Crocker recipe!

ETHEL’S SUGAR COOKIES

¾ cup shortening (part butter or margarine)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

½ tsp lemon flavoring or 1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ cups Gold Medal Flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs, and flavoring thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Stir flour, baking powder and salt together; blend in. Chill at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough ¼ inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut with 3” cookie cutter.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until cookies are a delicate golden color.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

For the icing, I kinda cheated a little bit.  I bought a tub of white whipped Betty Crocker frosting and doctored it up a bit at home.

SUGAR COOKIE ICING

1 tub of Betty Crocker white frosting

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp buttermilk

1. Empty the tub of frosting into the bowl of your electric mixer and beat until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla and mix just to incorporate.
3. Slowly, add the buttermilk until you get a very smooth and much thinner consistency.  You may not need all the milk.
4. In heavy weight zip-loc bags, spoon in frosting into one corner.
5. Cut corner tip to size of desired hole.
6. Pipe frosting onto cookies in whatever designs you like!

Sugar Cookie Flowers…um, Cupcakes

Wow, the title of this blog post was hard to come up with! hehe. I didn’t know whether to call them cookies or cupcakes because…well, see for yourself. =)

Here are the cupcakes…

Here are the decorated sugar cookies…

And these beauties are the finished product!

See what I mean? I promise the next post will have a less confusing title. hehe. Anyway, I thought these cookies/cupcakes would be a good way to celebrate Spring! It’s officially here! Although, I’d have to say that I’ve been quite confused about time-of-year since arriving in SoCal last week. The temperature has been around 80-85 degrees F this whole time! It makes me feel like we should really be celebrating summer! I have to keep reminding myself that it’s only March. =)

Anyway, more about these cookies/cupcakes…I saw them in Martha Stewart’s Cupcake book last month and knew that I had to make them. The cuteness was irresistible. I have a major weakness for aesthetically pleasing food.

And since the cupcake-shaped Sugar Cookie Pops I made last month turned out to be such a big hit, I knew these would be awesome!

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on how to make these because I already featured them in the cupcake-shaped pops entry. You can reference it for tips and step by step photos.

Just make sure your flower cookie cutter isn’t too big. Something around 2-3 inches in diameter would be perfect. And get the 6 inch lollipop sticks.

Here are some additional helpful links that I mentioned in my previous post:

Click HERE for Our Best Bites’ Sugar Cookie Decorating Tutorial
Click HERE for Our Best Bites’ Sugar Cookie Pops Tutorial
Click HERE for Our Best Bites’ Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe

Decorating these was really fun! I picked out three colors: white, pink, and yellow. Perfect shades for spring!

I outlined them in white and used yellow for the centers.

Then I very carefully filled in the pink petals.

Allow the icing to dry. Let the cookies sit uncovered for about 24 hours.

(2) The Leafs

These were really easy to do. All you need is some gum paste, a small leaf-shaped cookie cutter, and green food coloring.

Color your gum paste and roll it out. If your gum paste it too sticky, you can use corn starch to dust the surface of your work area.

And there you have it! Easy peasy.

I like to stick the leafs on right away, before they have a chance to harden. When it’s soft, you can bend it slightly in the middle to mimic a real leaf. But I’m getting ahead of myself here…

(3) The Cupcakes

Use your favorite cupcake recipe. Chocolate cupcakes would be awesome too! In retrospect, chocolate probably would’ve been better, huh? hehe. Oh, well. Maybe next time. And use whatever frosting you like! What about cute liners? Maybe green polka-dotted ones! My point is: you can get super creative with these! Go wild!

For the frosting, I used Wilton’s grass tip. Here’s a good tutorial on how to pipe it. I thought it was going to be way hard, but it actually turned out to be quite intuitive! You’ll know what to do when the time comes. hehe. I didn’t like for the grass to be super uniformed. So instead of pulling straight up, I pulled every which way, to make it look more real. Because grass never just grows straight up, you know? It’s more like “artistically messy,” I’d say.

(3) Putting it all together

No explanation needed, really. Stick the cookies in the middle of the cupcakes, then add leafs. Some of them had one, some had two. I’m very unpredictable like that.

Ok, and here’s one more picture. Because I couldn’t resist. =)

Happy Spring and Happy Baking!

Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes

It’s my favorite cookie time of the year. And yes, there are cookie times of year. Don’t fight it. Acceptance is the key that unlocks the door to happiness.

At least that’s what my Chinese horoscope says. Right now Samoas are here. As are Thin Mints. And Tagalongs. And some weird new flavors that nobody wants. But I’ll forgive them their dried-cranberries-in-a-cookie misstep just this once.

I just can’t resist those cute little gals in uniform in front of the grocery store. I’m their best customer, and especially so this year because I decided to take on a baking project involving my all time fave—the aforementioned Samoas. Crunchy cookie covered in chocolate, caramel and toasted coconut? What could be better?

Making it into a cupcake, of course. You could do this with any of your favorite cookies, Girl Scout or non—see my suggestions at the end of this post. To match the flavors of the Samoa, I chose a basic vanilla cupcake and a frosting lightly flavored with coconut.

I now accept that I am ready to begin. So I will.

First we need to get some coconut milk reducing to make it more concentrated.

Pour a can into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat for about a half hour. Give it a stir once in a while. It will froth and get really big, but the liquid is really reducing in there.

Meanwhile, grab the basics: flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.

4 eggs. Hippie eggs. I wrote a song about them earlier but I felt it would be inappropriate to share with you.

Unsalted butter. 2 sticks. Cubed.

One cup of whole milk. And I’m definitely not going to share my song about hippie milk with y’all.

Pure vanilla extract. Don’t ever buy imitation vanilla flavoring, pretty please. I will come over and throw it out your window.

And, most importantly? The cookies.

I used two boxes for 24 cupcakes. I accept that there are far too many calories in Samoas alone, let alone in a Samoa cupcake.

Somewhere Jillian Michaels is doing push-ups in her magical trainer castle and plotting what she’ll have in store for me tomorrow.

Stick ‘em in your food processor and pulse away.

Not even close.

Getting closer….

…perfect.

Toss ‘em in a shallow bowl and let’s get ready to make our cupcake batter.

Toss your dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Give it a quick spin on low to combine the powdery stuff.

Throw in your butter…

…and mix just until those little buttery chunks are coated with flour.

Crack your 4 hippie eggs into the milk and add one tablespoon of vanilla.

Mix well.

Add the milk/egg/vanilla mixture to the dry ingredients a third at a time, stopping before each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

One…

two….

…three. It’s alright if it’s a little lumpy. Those little chunks of butter will serve to keep the cupcakes moist.

Now here’s my trick for filling cupcake liners. Grab a big freezer bag and anchor 3 inches of one of the bottom corners under something heavy. Your stand mixer works perfectly for this.

Pour in the batter (I usually hook one edge of the bag onto the little metal thingie that the mixer attachments hook onto. Yes, that is it’s proper name.).

Seal the bag, hold at the corner and cut off the tip. This is for those of us ghetto-fabulous chefs who don’t own pastry bags.

Fill your liners about 1/3 full…

…and then sprinkle on a light layer of the crumbled cookies.

Then squeeze more batter over the top so that the entire thing is about 3/4 full.

Throw into a preheated 325F oven for 17-20 minutes.

By now your coconut milk should be about a quarter of what it once was. It’s also creamy and thick—perfect! Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Ready to make frosting? Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar and reduced coconut milk in your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Mix until light and creamy.

Once the cakes are done, set them on a rack to cool completely before frosting.

I’m fairly certain my cupcake army is plotting to take over my home.

Once they’re cool enough, frost with about 1 tablespoon of frosting each. We’re really using frosting in this case to serve as “glue” for the cookie crumbs—we don’t want to overdo it.

After frosting, give ‘em a light dunk in the cookie crumbles.

Perfect!

I found one stray cookie in the box, so he gets the seat of honor.

Uh oh. Maybe he’s commander of the army. I think I’ve just done myself in.

And, just because I feel like being sued for copyright infringement*, I stuck a purdy little Girl Scout logo on one of these beauties.

*Rainy Day Gal has no affiliation with the Girl Scouts. She admires and respects the organization and hopes that they will not sue her, but instead send her boxes and boxes of cookies.

Alright, let’s get down to it: how did they taste?

Pretty darn good. The cake was moist and a tad on the dense side, with a crunchy little layer of cookie halfway down.

The frosting added to the flavor of the cake, but didn’t overpower the taste of the cookies on top.

I simply loved the texture: crunch is always good.

These cakes are not for the faint of heart, however—they are incredibly rich. I would make two Girl Scouts share one.

A chaser of milk is definitely in order.

I now accept that this post has come to an end. But before you go here are some ideas I have for making cupcakes using other flavors of GS Cooks (that’s my new nickname for them. Go with it.):

• For Tagalongs: Ina Garten’s recipe for chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting
• For Thin Mints: Simply Recipe’s chocolate mint cupcakes
• For Dulce de Leche: Sugarlaw’s caramel cupcakes

I hope you’re enjoying Girl Scout cookie season as much as I am! Well, who am I kidding—I don’t think anyone enjoys Girl Scout cookie season as much as I do.

Have a totes fab wed, y’all.

-RDG

Samoa Cupcakes

• One batch Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake batter
• 2 boxes Samoas cookies, pulsed in a food processor until crumbly
• One batch Slightly Coconut Frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 325F. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full of batter. Sprinkle a light layer of cookie crumbs on top of batter. Pour the remaining batter on top until liners are about 3/4 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Once cool, spread one tablespoon of frosting on top and then lightly press frosted side of cupcake into cookie crumbs. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Slightly Coconut Frosting

• 1 can coconut milk
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pour coconut milk into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 75%. Let cool. Combine 4 tablespoons of the reduced coconut milk and remaining ingredients and beat until light and creamy. Refrigerate any unused frosting.