Showing posts with label Cookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cookies. Show all posts

Friday, July 20, 2012

No Bake Cookies


It has been hot all over the country.  We rarely see the 90’s here in the mountains, but this summer is different.  Yesterday we were enjoying 97 degrees and ate a cold dinner.  But, I had a major hankering for a cookie.  I certainly was not going to turn on the oven to bake.  So, No Bake Cookies fit the bill.
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I probably have not made these since last summer.  And they are so yummy.  My husband likes them really cold out of the fridge.  I like them first thing in the morning with my coffee.
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Make these for your next BBQ or work potluck, you will be glad you did.
No Bake Cookies
4oz butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups quick cook oats
1. Combine butter, milk, sugar, and chocolate chips in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to boil for 1 minute.
2. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract.  Stir until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, pour chocolate  mixture over oats.  Stir to combine. 
4. Drop by large spoonfuls on to wax paper.  Enjoy when hardened. 
Enjoy your summer treat!

Monday, July 9, 2012

M&M Sugar Cookies


*Warning: you will need to double this recipe…they will disappear quickly*
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You all are in for a real treat!  I love to read a blog called The Girl Who Ate Everything.  She has a fun personality and she always shares some really great recipes. 
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Typically, I wouldn’t get real excited about a sugar cookie.  However, these have cream cheese, M&M’s, and are rolled in sugar……um, yes please!!
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Be sure to head over the The Girl Who Ate Everything.  You will love the things she shares.  And her pictures are phenomenal.  I really need to do some reading up on food photography.  She inspires me.
M&M Sugar Cookies
Gather your supplies:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
2 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/4 cups M&M's

Enjoy your time in the kitchen:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Combine 1 1/2 cups of sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl (no need to stir them together yet). Put the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a pie plate and set aside. Pour the warm butter over the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine - the mixture won't be completely smooth yet, that's fine. Whisk in the oil then the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

4. Use a rubber spatula to start folding the dry ingredients into the wet. When the dry ingredients are partially incorporated, add 3/4 cup of the M&M's to the dough. Continue mixing until a soft dough comes together. (Don't wait to add the M&M's until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated - you'll end up overmixing.) Refrigerate 2-3 hours.

5. Portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets with a cookie scoop, using about 2 tablespoons for each cookie. Working quickly (if you handle the dough too much you're more likely to wind up with flat cookies), roll the dough into a ball with your hands then roll in the sugar set aside in the pie plate previously. Repeat until you've used all of the dough, placing 12 cookies on each baking sheet.
6. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the dough balls into discs that are about 2 inches in diameter. Gently press 3 more M&M's into the top of each cookie. NOTE: Your M&Ms on top will crack from the heat while baking so I wait to put the M&Ms on top of the cookie until right after they come out of the oven. Just press how ever many your want on top right when they come out and they won't crack!

7. Bake the cookies, 1 tray at a time, for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set (do not wait until the edges or brown or the cookies will be over done….you want these to be a soft chewy cookie).
8. Remove from oven and press the M&Ms on top if you haven't already put them on top. The tops of the cookies will be puffy and slightly cracked. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.
Makes about 24 cookies.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Blondies: 4 ways

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Today while the girls napped, I experimented in the kitchen.  Science experiments with lots of sugar and butter are my favorite kind.
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I will give you the base recipe and directions.  You choose your chip combination.  I did one with butterscotch chips, one with semi sweet chocolate chips, one with white chocolate chips, and one with a combo of white chocolate and butterscotch chips. 
Blondies
Gather your ingredients:
6 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup “chips” (chocolate, butterscotch..etc)
1/2 cup pecan chips
Now,enjoy your time in the kitchen
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray 7X11 baking dish with pam or crisco spray
3. Cream butter and sugar together.
4. Add in eggs one at a time and mix well.
5. Mix in vanilla.
6. Add dry ingredients and until combined.
7. Stir in by hand chips and pecans. 
8. Spread in baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9.  Cool completely and cut in to bars.  Enjoy with ice cream.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Campfire Cookies

I love the idea of camping.  I like the first 4 or 5 hours of camping.  I do NOT like sleeping in a tent.  I do ok if sleeping in an RV of sort.  I much prefer day camping or camping in my back yard. 
However, I LOVE s’mores.  My friend and I used to roast marshmallows over her stovetop in college.  Nursing school made us a little crazy….we resorted to stovetop s’mores and very weird hours of the night.

Even if you do go camping, and you do make the real thing, these are a pretty tasty treat to have at home.



I think of s’mores…..I think of the movie The Sandlot.  Have you seen it?  If not, add it to your summer “must watch list”

The recipe comes from fahrenheit350.blogspot.com
Campfire Cookies
Cream together:
1 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 cup packed brown sugar
Add in and beat thoroughly:
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Mix in:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Stir in:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup miniature marshmallows
Drop by spoonfuls on to half a graham cracker and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.














Friday, January 20, 2012

Chocolate + Peanut Butter = Cheap Therapy


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Baking is relaxing for me. Eating a warm, gooey cookie can release pent up stress that has been brewing for days.  It is Friday night.  Whip up a batch of cookies, turn on your favorite show (I will be catching up on Parenthood and New Girl), and put your feet up.  Enjoy a relaxing evening. 
Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (I had to use 375, remember my cookie-oven dilemma?)
2. Cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugars.
3. Add in eggs and vanilla.  Beat until well combined
4. Add in flour, salt, baking soda and oats.  Mix well.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.  (taste dough for accuracy)
6. Use a large cookie scoop (2-3 tbsp) and place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  I can fit 12 cookies on my cookie sheets.  I also choose to spray my cooking sheets with Pam before hand.
7. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden.  Cool and devour.  Or devour hot.  Just make sure to clean the gooey dripping chocolate from your lips before going out in public. 
You can store these cookies in an air tight container at room temperature.  I have about 8 people that will be in and out of my house this weekend, so I don’t expect them to make it past tomorrow.
ENJOY!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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My oven and I have been at odds over chocolate chip cookies for 9 months now.  We moved into a new home and this oven has made me work for these golden brown beauties.  Today, we are finally at terms after a few temperature adjustments and some sweet sugar talking on my part to my oven.  I should name the thing!
I like to use the original Tollhouse Cookie Recipe.
*Have you all seen the show Friends?  I love the episode where Phoebe is trying to figure out her great grandmothers cookie recipe. It is just too funny!*

A little fun fact about me (Joyful Momma):  I can make a batch of these cookies by memory in the 6 minutes it takes to preheat my oven.  I know…..it’s an impressive skill.
Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Chocolate Rolo Cookies


Cookie Exchange week continues. 
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My friend Kristen brought these little treasures.  They are a soft chocolate cookie with a Rolo candy inside. They are like a little treasure box that you bite in to.  YUM!
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Chocolate Rolo Cookies (From food.com)
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup margarine
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 48 rolos chocolate-covered caramel candies
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, add Sugar, Brown Sugar, Margarine, Eggs and Vanilla.
    3. Mix together until well blended.
    4. Add Flour, Cocoa and Baking Soda and mix well.
    5. Refrigerate and chill dough for 30 minutes.
    6. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 Rolo in the center of each dough ball.
    7. Form the dough ball around the majority of the Rolo.
    8. Roll each dough ball in sugar.
    9. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes.
    10. Let cool on pan for 1 minute then take off and place on cookie cooling rack.

    Monday, December 12, 2011

    Cookie Exchange: Perfect Chocolate Crinkles


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    My twin sister made these!  And I must say, she is getting pretty good in the kitchen. 
    These are truly the perfect chocolate cookie.  The powdered sugar outside, the chocolate chip inside.  The love just pours out of them.  I may or may  not have eaten all 5 of them at nap time.
    Perfect Chocolate Crinkles (recipe from The Small Things Blog) *This is an awesome blog to browse*
    Mix together:
    3/4 cup melted butter
    1/2 cup cocoa powder
    1 cup sugar
    2 eggs
    2 tsp. vanilla

    In separate bowl, mix:
    2 cups flour
    1 tsp. baking soda
    1 tsp. baking powder

    Add dry ingredients to wet ones & mix well
    Pour 12 oz bag of chocolate chips in mixture, & stir together
    Refrigerate at least 2 hours
    Roll into balls, then roll in 1/2 cup powdered sugar (really coat these little guys in sugar)
    Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Do not over bake.
    This recipe will make about 3 dozen.
    Enjoy!

    Sunday, September 4, 2011

    Campfire Cookies

    I saw these on Pinterest and they are so so yummy!

    The recipe comes from fahrenheit350.blogspot.com

    Campfire Cookies
    Cream together:
    1 cup butter flavored Crisco
    1 cup packed brown sugar
    Add in and beat thoroughly:
    2 eggs
    2 tsp vanilla
    Mix in:
    2 cups flour
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 tsp baking soda
    Stir in:
    1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    1 cup miniature marshmallows

    Drop by spoonfuls on to half a graham cracker and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

    Monster Cookies


    This is my Aunt Audrey's recipe and it is so so  yummy.  She would make these when we all came to visit in the summer.  I am sure all of my cousins remember them.  

    Monster Cookies
    1 cup butter flavored Crisco
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar
    3 eggs
    1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 tsp Karo syrup
    4 1/2 cups quick oats
    2 tsp baking soda
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 cup mini M&M's (I use regular because I usually have them on hand.  And I like to use dark chocolate M&M's rather than milk chocolate)
    1/2 cup chocolate chips (bittersweet)
    1/2 cup butterscotch chips

    Cream together Crisco, sugars, and peanut butter.  Add in eggs, vanilla, karo syrup.  Mix well.  Mix in oats, salt and baking soda.  Stir in candies.  Press into 1/4 measuring cup and place on greased cookie sheet.  flatten lightly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.