S'mores Bars

Saw this on TikTok and wanted to make it. Not all of the amounts were given, so I'm playing to figure it out, but they are sooo good! 

1/2 c melted butter

1/2 c brown sugar

1/3 c white sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1/2 T baking soda

1/2 t (or so) kosher salt

1 1/4 c flour

2/3 c (or so) chocolate chips

16 marshmallows

Chocolate bar (I used Symphony with toffee and almonds because that's what I had on hand - yum!)

5 Graham Crackers

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper.

Line the bottom of the dish with graham crackers. 

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until lightened. Add dry ingredients, just until mixed. Add chocolate chips.

Spread 1/2 of the cookie mixture on the graham crackers.

Layer with marshmallows and chocolate bar.

Spread the remaining cookie mixture on top - aiming mostly for the marshmallows.

Optional - sprinkle with flaked salt.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Monster Cookies

 Monster Cookies

- Lisa Jaberg

6 eggs
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 c sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
4 t baking soda

1 c butter

1 1/2 c peanut butter

10 c oatmeal

1/2 lb M&Ms 

6 oz chocolate chips

350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

Molasses Crinkles

 Molasses Crinkles

- Jan & Lisa Diller

 Blend

3/4 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

1 egg

1/4 c molasses

Add (don't overmix)

2 c all-purpose flour

2 t baking soda

1 T ground ginger

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ground cloves

Roll into balls and then roll in sugar. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Don't overbake. Cool on cooling rack. These freeze well!

Decorated Sugar Cookies

Why the crazy blogging spree yesterday? Well, we made sugar cookies during Thanksgiving break. You know, the get out all of the sprinkles and let the kids play kind of cookie day.
These were easy and so delicious. I wanted to blog the recipe combination to make sure I don't forget. Because these are keepers! But, then I realized that I was more than 6 months behind. Oops. So, basically there were about 37 posts which were photo dumps. But I feel better. And now, to the reason I came here...

There are lots of great sugar cookie recipes. I love a good lofthouse-style cookie that is super soft with over sweet frosting. However, this cookie is a nicely balanced butter cookie, from King Arthur Flour. I've made it lots of times before. It is excellent with the traditional buttercream frosting, rolled in sugar or just plain. We made this batch with this cream-cheese frosting from Averie Cooks. It is not super sweet like many sugar cookies, and I really like it. Like, I can't stop eating them. Therefore, I have to keep them in the freezer. Because, seriously, I.Can't.Stop.Eating.Them.

Here's the recipe:

Sugar Cookie - King Arthur Flour

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 large egg

1. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. 
2. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts, and the egg.
3. Add in dry ingredients, mixing at low speed just until evenly combined.
3. Place dough in a plastic bag, form into a disc and refrigerate an hour before rolling and cutting. 
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes, until starts to turn golden brown at the edges. 
Makes 6 dozen 2" cookies.

Cream Cheese Frosting - Averie Cooks

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (half stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt 

Beat cream cheese and butter. Beat in powdered sugar and salt. 

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ummm, it's been a long time since I've posted. Much has happened since then. Life keeps chugging along, and I don't yet have the time for my catch up post. But, I do want to post my final favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I thought I'd found the final. last. chocolate chip cookie recipe before, but nope. This is the one. I'd like to say that I was able to find some way to alter them to make an improvement, but I can't. I even like baking them at 325 like suggested. (I've tried higher temps to speed it along, and it's just best at 325, what can I say)?

I've made many, many batches since I first tried it about 6 months ago. I usually make a batch of dough, maybe make a pan of cookies, and keep the rest in the fridge. (Except the balls of dough the kids and I like to steal ... which is a new habit since I found this recipe). I just roll it in saran wrap and tuck it in the fridge. That way whenever we want a batch of cookies, they're fresh. You know, when they're crisp on the outside, and chewy in the middle? Just aren't quite the same out of the freezer or a day later. Anyway, I wanted to document the recipe on my blog in case (horror or horrors) something would happen to the site where I always return to make these little morsels of deliciousness.

Amy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
-Recipe from Alaska From Scratch

Ingredients

• 3/4c butter, softened
• 1c brown sugar
• 1/2c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1t vanilla
• 1/2t maple extract
• 2c flour
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2t salt
• 1c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. (Or spray with cooking oil).
2. In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the sugars. Incorporate the egg and egg yolk. Add the vanilla and maple extracts.
3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and beat until it all comes together.
4. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop cookies onto cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes, until golden and set on the edges but still a little undone in the center, being careful not to over-bake. The cookies will look puffy when they come out of the oven, but let them set on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. 

Fall Treats

Cooking and baking are a hobby for me, and a stress reliever. I'm still trying to limit my sugar/naughty foods, but these are a few treats I've made in the last week (or two) that I would recommend you make soon. :)

 

"Perfect" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Click on title to link to the recipe

I don't know if they are perfect, but they are good. They kept a nice chewy texture on the inside and slight crunch on the outside, even after being frozen and defrosted to serve again last night at Trunk or Treat.

 

 

 

Almond Butter Sugar Cookies & Cream Cheese Frosting

Click on title to link to the recipe

I avoid making sugar cookies, even though I love how they taste, because of the work of rolling them out, cutting shapes, etc. With this recipe, you make drop cookies, frost and put on sprinkles. Easy peasy. I used orange and brown for the frosting and fall sprinkles (from the Target dollar section) as a treat for Trunk or Treat.

 

Pioneer Woman's Chex Mix

Click on title to link to the recipe



Wayne loves Chex mix. The Pioneer Woman adds fresh garlic and Tabasco to spice it up a little. I didn't have Tabasco on hand, so I used Sriracha. I really liked the slight heat the garlic and Sriracha added. This was another snack for last night...and before and after last night...

Halloween Puppy Chow

Click on title to link to the recipe

 

Tyler's class party is Wednesday, for Halloween of course. I gave him some options for our contribution for a snack, and this was his pick. It's a mix of white chocolate, semi sweet chocolate with the addition of Reese's Pieces. It's pretty yummy. But what Puppy Chow isn't?



Pioneer Woman's Supreme Pizza Burgers

Click on title to link to the recipe

I made these burgers a couple of weeks ago. My modification was to use 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sausage and made it into 7 patties instead of 4. They were still plenty big for us. I just need to get the ingredients on hand again so we can make more. They are delicious!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Growing up, every Monday, my chores included baking cookies, and sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor. I'm not sure why I remember that. But it was my favorite chore day of the week. I love cookies. Chocolate chip cookies are my father's favorite and we always made the Toll house cookie recipe.

When I was in college, a friend gave me a recipe she had gotten from Sarah for chocolate chip cookies. This recipe has replaced the Toll house recipe as my favorite. I substitute margarine instead of butter due to the advice of my friend, Lisa. I think they turn out chewier and a little less flat, which I prefer. Back in college, when I wrote down the recipe, I didn't include any baking instructions, so I just followed standard cookie baking instructions.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together:
1 cup margarine (2 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add and beat well:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla

Add:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Add:
1 package chocolate chips (I prefer Nestle semi-sweet morsels)

Scoop by tablespoons (I use a size 60 scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the pan, then move to a baking rack to cool.

Double Chocolate Dream Cookies

I made these cookies for the first time this week. The recipe is from my Nestle best-loved cookies cookbook. I made them because of Tyler's request for a "chocolate-chocolate cookie."

Double Chocolate Dream Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (I used margarine)
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz pkg) Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed. Cool on baking sheets for 3 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Tyler declared that they were very good, but especially good with "a bite of cookie, then a drink of milk, then another bite of cookie." I will definitely make these gooey, chocolaty cookies again!

I have some new recipes to try this week, so I may have more recipes on the way...

Snickerdoodles

In college, my friend, Lisa, gave me her mother's recipe for Snickerdoodles. This is a great go-to recipe that I can rely on when I don't want to have to go to the store. And, we all like them! We are planning a camping trip for next weekend, assuming the weather cooperates, so I decided to make cookies to take along.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (recipe doesn't call for it, but I add it)
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon (I double) for rolling cookies

Mix margarine, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Blend into margarine mixture. Shape into balls (I use my size 60 scoop - about a tablespoon) and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (I usually need 11-12 minutes). Allow to cool on pan for 2 minutes then move to cooling rack. Makes 5 dozen.

Oatmeal Cookies

I love baking. Last week, I made chocolate chip cookies. I felt I had to try them because, the author of Orangette gushed and gushed. And I quote, "In fact, it is, without a doubt, the best chocolate chip cookie that I have ever made at home. It is also the best chocolate chip cookie that I have ever eaten. It scares me a little to make such a bold statement, but I have decided to do it anyway. " So, if you're in the mood for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe, I recommend following the link and giving them a try. I will make them again, though the next time I'll probably leave off the sea salt or only put a couple grains on each. It weirded Wayne out a bit.

Yesterday, I was in the mood for a tried and true recipe, one that didn't require a day or two of refrigeration before enjoying them. This is a Martha Stewart recipe that I wrote down years ago. I love using both Heath toffee chips and chocolate chips in this cookie. They're chewy and crunchy. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookies - Martha Stewart
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature (I used 1/2 margarine, 1/2 butter)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups rolled oats (quick cooking)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup wheat germ (optional)
12 oz chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups golden raisins, or 10 oz toffee chips
(I poured in 12 oz chocolate chips and about 1/2 bag of toffee chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugars and butter until creamy and fluffy. (About 5 minutes). Mix in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add at a low speed, just to combine (10-15 seconds). Stir in raisins, chocolate and/or toffee. Bake until golden brown and just set.
18 minutes for large (2.5 oz) yield 13 cookies
14 minutes for small (1.25 oz) yield 3 dozen
(12 minutes for my size - a size 60 scoop - about a tablespoon - yield about 6 dozen or so)
Let cool for 4-5 minutes on the pan before moving to a cooling rack.