Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Personal note first:

Our Christmas was lovely and we've been particularly blessed with good health this winter - for which I am exceedingly grateful.  I don't know how many of our friends have suffered through the flu. We do not get flu shots...but we do take lots of Vitamin D and C, try to eat healthy, get plenty of rest, and take probiotics.

My newest health kick is water kefir. I bought some grains from someone at our Azure Standard drop-off and have been brewing it ever since. We flavor it with fruit juice and call it homemade soda. :) The kids and I drink some every day and I'm convinced it's helping us stay healthy. What an inexpensive way to get probiotics!

Next step is milk kefir. I'm a little hesitant about it, since I've heard it's runnier and more tart than plain yogurt, which none of us like to begin with....but I guess you can make smoothies and not notice the taste too much. I'm still deliberating on that one.

So I'm a little late in posting....but I made these scrumptious cookies for an exchange before Christmas and just fell in love with them.

Featuring a soft and chewy texture, a slight coffee flavor accentuating the chocolate, and a sweet peppermint kick in each bite, this is a fabulous recipe for Christmas, Valentine's, or anytime you're craving a sweet treat.

Too bad they don't have probiotics too.....or I'd make them a lot more often! :)

Peppermint Mocha Cookies 
from Rebekah's Family, Food, and Fun
Yield: about 30 cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups peppermint baking chips, plus more for garnish if desired
1/2 cup chocolate chunks
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon sheets

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, and then the vanilla and peppermint extracts.

In a separate medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together. The coffee may not go through the sifter - if so, just dump in with the flour.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Mix in the peppermint baking chips and chocolate chunks.

Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Press a few peppermint baking chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of each cookie ball for a garnish if desired.  Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set.
The centers may look underdone - but don't overbake! Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool for a few minutes, then remove the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. These cookies will stay chewy for at least 3 days after baking.

Source: adapted slightly from Tracey's Culinary Adventures 

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies

It's Cookie Season! 

I'm sure you've seen more cookies than you know what to do with on Pinterest and everywhere else....but I figured I might as well contribute to the madness and post a couple of recent cookie recipes I've tried and had great success with. 

If you love chocolate and mint, these beauties will be an instant winner in your book. 

And if you don't love chocolate and mint, these might just make you a convert. 

I made these for a cookie exchange a couple of weeks ago and they were a smashing hit. With a soft, brownie-like cookie, a creamy chocolate mint frosting, and some festive sprinkles on top, they're hard to resist. 

My kids were quite unhappy with me for taking nearly the entire batch with me and would be delighted for me to make another round. Fortunately, since I found the Andes mints on sale, I bought enough for two batches, so another one may be appearing at our house soon. :) 

Marissa (9) is exceedingly interested in baking these days and thought it was great fun to help make these, especially the part with the mints and sprinkles. 

Note: Be sure to plan ahead, since the dough does require some chilling time. 

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies

from Rebekah's Family, Food, and Fun

Yield: 3-4 dozen depending on how big you make them

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 (4.5 oz) pages Andes mints

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, water, and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Pour mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer and allow to cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda. 

Using the paddle attachment on the mixer, blend in the eggs one at a time with the chocolate mixture. Add vanilla and stir gently. With the mixer set on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. 

Cover and refrigerate dough for at least one hour. 

Preheat oven to 350°. Scoop dough out by rounded tablespoons and shape into balls. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicon liners 2 inches apart. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until edges are set and cookies are slightly crackled. Allow to cool for 1 minute (meanwhile, unwrap chocolates) then add 1 Andes mint to the top of each cookie. Allow to rest for a minute or so, then spread over the top the cookie gently with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. 

Decorate with sprinkles if desired. 

Transfer to a cooling rack and allow chocolate to set. You can speed up that process by refrigerating the cookies for a few minutes if necessary. 

Store in an airtight container.

Source: adapted slightly from Allrecipes

Pecan Pie Squares

For as long as I can remember, pecan pie has been one of my favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas desserts. My grandma always made it for those two holidays and it was always served with heaps of generously sweetened homemade whipped cream.

Since then, I've tried some variations over the years. Caramel pecan pie, chocolate pecan pie, and pumpkin pecan pie to name a few. And honestly, I haven't met one yet that I didn't like.

But this year for Thanksgiving, since we had a crowd of 24 people meeting up at my parents' home, 13 of which are the grandkids, I figured a traditional pie wouldn't be the best option. They're a little tricky to cut, kids would likely end up with more than they wanted and that precious pie might be wasted, plus a lot of people just want a small taste and not necessarily the commitment of a whole piece of pie.

These were a perfect solution. The recipe makes a 13 x 9" pan, so there's plenty to go around when you cut little squares. Dessert-seekers could grab one to sample and still have room on their plate (and in their stomach) to have some of the other dessert options.

Now, these pecan pie squares aren't exactly like pecan pie. They have more of a toffee, chewy texture on a shortbread crust, which is reminiscent of pecan pie in flavor but very distinctly different.

I thought some of us die-hard pecan pie fans would feel deprived of our tradition - but you know what? I didn't hear a single complaint. What I did hear was lots of compliments and requests for more.

Personally, I couldn't keep out of them. I was astonished at how addictive they were - and even non-pecan pie eaters enjoyed them. They're not messy, easily portable, small portions, and absolutely scrumptious.

I'm making them again for Christmas. Can't WAIT!!

Pecan Pie Squares
from Rebekah's Family, Food, and Fun

Crust:
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chopped pecans (chop first, then measure)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13 x 9" pan with foil, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides. 
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, make crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly. 
3. Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey, and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and vanilla.
5. Remove the crust from the oven and pour the pecan filling on top, spreading to cover surface completely. 
6. Return pan to oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. 
7. Remove the pan and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. 
8. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut into squares. 

Store in a sealed container at room temperature. Bars will remain delicious for several days.  

Source: adapted slightly from Just a Taste

Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Day after Thanksgiving!!  Hope y'all had a lovely holiday filled with lots of laughter and delicious food!
In case you need an extra dessert to whip up for lingering family or friends.....or you want to get a head start on that Christmas baking....here's a cookie you don't want to miss.

Chocolate chip cookies.

Everyone seems to have their own favorite recipe.  There must be hundreds of variations on this "simple and ordinary" cookie.  It can be overwhelming to pick which one to try - everyone likes to claim that their version is "The Best".

Well, I guess y'all know that I completely avoid the "Best" label even when I might think it - because it's so subjective and very personal.

That being said, this version of chocolate chips cookies has rocked my world.

And what is so special about it?

It's the basic Tollhouse recipe....EXCEPT with one less stick of butter and one less egg.

Wait, what?

You can eliminate butter and an egg and still end up with an awesome, chewy, delicious cookie?

Yup. That's right.

When I heard the claim, I couldn't resist testing it out.

I made a double batch and took them to share with our church small group. Everyone wanted the recipe. One friend (who is an incredible baker and cook) texted me later that night and said that after I had left, her 8 year old son had asked her, "Mom, when are you going to learn to bake cookies like Ms. Rebekah?" LOL.

One thing to note - you MUST measure the flour appropriately, or they may end up too dry and crumbly. Here's how you do it.  Hopefully your flour is in a bin so this will be easier.

• Whisk the flour in the bin around gently to aerate it a little
• Scoop the flour with a spoon into your measuring cup.
• Level off with the flat side of a knife. 

 Bonus - the dough doesn't need to be refrigerated before baking, like many cookies.

Another HUGE bonus - you're saving money (and calories) by eliminating that butter and egg. 

Win/Win/Win. 

Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies
from: Rebekah's Family, Food, and Fun

Yield: 30-32 cookies

1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz), room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined. Add in chocolate chips and stir until incorporated.

Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silicon liners.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until lightly golden and crackled on top. Cool on cookie sheets for a couple of minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.


Source: adapted slightly (added more vanilla) from Good Cheap Eats

Browned Butter Snickerdoodles

Ever since I made these, I had been itching to make something else with some irresistibly scrumptious browned butter.
This recipe had caught my eye and been lingering in my mind for awhile and when I finally I made them, I regretted waiting so long.

Snickerdoodles are an old classic and are always delicious, although certainly not as wildly popular as the stand-by chocolate chip cookie. I rarely make desserts without chocolate in some form, if the truth be told.

But the browned butter was enticing me.

And I was blown away by the flavor it imparted.  Blown. away.

These immediately jumped to the list of favorite cookies and are there to stay. I will never make normal snickerdoodles again.

Browned Butter Snickerdoodles

2 sticks butter (I used salted)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. vanilla yogurt (buttermilk or sour cream are good substitutes, or even plain milk in a pinch)

For rolling:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon


In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Continue to heat and stir until it turns brown and gives off a nutty aroma.  It will get foamy and also get some brown flecks in the bottom.  That is fine.  Just don't burn it!  Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to cool down and prevent burning.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cooled browned butter and both sugars until completely blended.  Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined.  Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low speed just until combined.

The dough will be very soft.  Chill for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator, longer if possible.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.  Once the dough is chilled, roll into balls and roll the balls in the sugar mixture until well coated.  Place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look slightly underdone in the middle but will continue to cook once out of the oven.  After a couple of minutes, remove from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: Adapted slightly from Join Us, Pull Up a Chair

Soft and Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

Remember the Strawberry Dream Cake I told you about last week - that we took to our friends' home when they invited us for dinner?  (In case you need a plug for how good that cake was, my friend caught up with me on Sunday at church and requested the recipe, saying that she had woken up that morning with that cake on her mind - that it was the best strawberry cake ever!)

These are the other dessert I decided on making.  Just in case anyone didn't like cake or strawberries or whatever.  And because I really don't need an excuse to make something chocolate.

These cookies have an ingredient that I'm not really used to seeing in cookies - cornstarch. 
Just a couple of teaspoons - but apparently it's the secret to making the cookies soft and tender, and they stay that way for several days.

I couldn't get enough of these cookies, to tell you the truth.  The texture was absolutely perfect, and I loved the combination of chocolate chips and M&Ms giving it plenty of chocolate flavor and a little crunch from the candies.  They were definitely popular with kids and adults alike.

Note: You could, of course, use only chocolate chips or only M&Ms - the original recipe called for using the mini M&Ms, which I'm sure would be lots of fun.  Personally, I like the combination of candy and chips in these cookies.

Soft and Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
adapted slightly from Tracy's Culinary Adventures

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
M&Ms (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa power, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg and then the vanilla.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips.

Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.  Press a few M&Ms on top of each cookie.  Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set.  The centers may look underdone - don't overbake!  Let the cookies cool a few minutes on the pans then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with all the dough.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

When Jocelyn posted these cookies a few weeks ago, I knew I had to make them.

I rarely use cake mixes and I buy Oreos even less frequently (and had never even tried the mint ones), but I just could not resist.  My next trip to Walmart resulted in the ingredients for these cookies just hopping right into my cart and a couple of days later I had the chance to make them.

Wowzer.

First of all, mint Oreos are dangerously addictive on their own.  As long as I pretended I didn't know the ingredients or calorie count, I could seriously eat them every day and not get tired of them.

So when you chop them up and add them into a soft chocolate cookie.....and add some extra chocolate mint chips on top of that....yeah. Ridiculously good. I'm pretty sure we ate the entire batch in about a day and a half.

They're actually very similar to another one of my favorite recipes, Fudgy Mint Cookies, but with cream cheese and the Oreo chunks added.  Extra indulgence, indeed.

I gotta quit making sweets for a few weeks.....I'm afraid my calorie consumption is higher than my calorie expenditure....at least, that's what the scale is telling me.  Not the news I want when spring and summer are around the corner.

But I couldn't resist sharing this recipe with you......and probably some others that I've not gotten around to posting.

Chocolate Mint Cookies 
adapted slightly from Inside BruCrew Life
Makes about 36 cookies

1 chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups mint Oreo cookie chunks

3/4 c. chocolate and mint chips OR Andes mint baking chips

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, egg, vanilla, and cream cheese.  Add the cake mix and stir well.  Add the cookie chunks and mix again. Stir in the chocolate mint pieces by hand.
Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°.  Roll dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on un-greased baking sheet and bake for approximately 9 minutes.  Cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in a covered container.  

Cowgirl (boy) Cookie Mix in a Jar

As I was trying to figure out what to do for party favors for Annika's birthday, I stumbled across this darling idea at Bakerella.    I simply couldn't resist.
Her idea had pink M&Ms also, which really made the cookies so feminine and adorable - but I decided to go with regular ones because (1.) I couldn't find pink M&Ms  (2.) If I had found pink M&Ms, they would have been at least 3x as expensive and (3.) Annika likes rainbow colors anyways.
I don't think anyone minded.

So I made up a batch of the cookies so we could taste them and I could take photos of the finished product.
Oh my goodness.  They were even better than I was expecting.
Grant put them right up there in his Favorite category.  I couldn't blame him.
They're just fabulous.

Bakerella also has a free downloadable PDF file with the labels that you can print out  - with options for Cowgirl Cookies in pink and Cowboy Cookies in brown, along with the little instructions for baking to cut out and tie to the jars.

Cowgirl Cookies (Mix in a Jar)

1-1/3 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tap. salt

1 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup m&ms

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1-3 cup chopped pecans (optional, I did not include)

Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Add in:

1 slightly beaten egg

1/2 cup (1 stick) slightly melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together well.  You may need to use your hands to really get everything incorporated.  I did. 

Then roll the dough into 1-1/2 inch balls (or use a medium cookie scoop), place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350° oven.  I got about 25 cookies.

To make each  mix in a jar, you'll need the following:

• 1 wide mouthed quart size jar
• A 6" square of desired fabric
• Ribbon or suede cord
• Labels printed out on cardstock
• A paper punch or decorative scissors for cutting out labels, if desired
• Double sided tape

Layer the ingredients in like this:

First: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (mixed together in a small bowl first)

Second: oats

Third: m&ms

Fourth: chocolate chips

Fifth: brown sugar

Sixth: white sugar

Seventh: chopped pecans (if using)

Pack each level down really tightly.  Seriously.  In my first jar, I almost didn't even get all the white sugar in, so I was glad I wasn't using the pecans.  I honestly don't have any idea how Bakerella got pecans to fit into her jars, because mine were too packed.  But if you can do it, more power to you!!

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Some friends from church just had their first baby last Sunday.  A darling baby girl named Eleanor Elizabeth.  Isn't that a sweet name??

I made dinner for them yesterday - and while I was cooking, I couldn't stop thinking about when I gave birth to Corban.  Having a baby is nothing short of miraculous whether it's your first or fifth, but that firstborn is something extra special.  Everything is so new, you have no idea what you've gotten in to, and the complete awe you have of that tiny human being that you are solely responsible for....well, it's pretty much indescribable.

I remember the day we brought Corban home from the hospital - we were so excited to just get home  We placed him in his car seat carefully on the floor of our tiny living room and then....panic struck. 
Oh. My. Goodness. We were alone with this helpless infant and he was ours to care for.  There were no nurses to call for help, no pediatrician just on the floor below; no, it was all on us.  My milk hadn't come in yet, I refused to give him formula/bottles, and he was dependent on me for everything.  I think I might have definitely cried.

But we made it.  Heavens, the boy has feet as long as mine now and he's not even 9 years old yet.  (I wear size 8.5).  And we've had 4 more babies and somehow we've taken care of all of them!  I know that sounds a little silly, but hey, this whole parenting thing can be ridiculously overwhelming sometimes. 
But mind-blowingly rewarding, too. 

These cookies are rewarding, as well.  (not as much as children, but that goes without saying.)

I had great expectations for them - how could you not when chocolate and peanut butter are involved?  And I have to say, they did not disappoint.  In fact, they just might be one of my favorite cookies ever.  Big words, I know.  Would it help if I admitted that I ate 5 of them yesterday?  I don't know when I've had such little self control with cookies.

I modified the original by using freshly ground whole wheat flour, substituting some brown sugar for part of the white, and adding the Reese's mini pieces instead of more chocolate chips.  Truthfully, you could totally add chopped up peanut butter cups, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or pretty much any other little goodie you want and they'd be delicious.

Soft and slightly chewy, bursting with chocolate flavor, the peanut butter slightly in the background but still definitely present, and the lovely morsels adding texture and goodness, well, I just bet you'd love them too.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
(adapted from the Girl Who Ate Everything)
Yield: about 65 cookies (Recipe can be halved)

3 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
1 cup cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup Reese's mini pieces

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare baking sheets by lining with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, soda and salt using a wire whisk and set aside.
• In another bowl, cream butter, sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips and Reese's mini pieces.
• Use a medium cookie scoop to form balls of dough (or use a rounded Tablespoon of dough)
• Place on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Cookies will still be soft but will set up after cooling. Place cookies on wire rack to cool.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, and Tuesday Talent Show

Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies

We have had visits from both sets of grandparents this summer and I have yet to blog about it.
(I'll get to it, I promise!)

I have 3 loads of clean laundry that are waiting in various places to be folded and put away.

Annika's 5th birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and I need to figure out her birthday party...everything about it.  Oh, and maybe get her some presents. I do have a dress for her, bought from Land's End....super cute.  But I have a feeling she'd like something else also.

But these cookies are begging to be shared, so here we are.

They're a bit unconventional, with melted butter and oil taking the place of the usual softened butter called for in cookies.  And there's a little cream cheese in there, too.

The end result is a delightfully chewy sugar cookie with the pleasant crunch of chocolate candies - and I have to admit, just seeing M&Ms in cookies makes me happy.  That being said, I could totally enjoy these without the M&Ms.....maybe jazzed up a bit with some almond or lemon extract.

The doubled batch I made disappeared in a hurry at the church dinner we attended this week....and I'm assuming everyone liked them.

We sure did.

Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies (from Tracey's Culinary Adventures)
Yield: approximately 26 cookies

Note: Cookies will be thicker and (in my opinion) better if you let the dough chill for a few hours, or even overnight, before rolling into balls and baking.  Not required, but definitely great if you have the time. 

2-1/4 cups unbleached 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 oil (I used expeller pressed coconut oil - canola would also work)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (heaping) cup M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 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 bowl 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. 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.)

Using a medium cookie scoop, measure out even balls of dough and drop directly into the bowl of sugar.  Roll around to coat completely, then place on baking sheet.
Gently press 2 or 3 more M&M's into the top of each cookie.

Bake the cookies, 1 tray at a time, for about 11 minutes, or until the edges are set. The tops 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.


Photo Tip for other amateurs like me: (more experienced people - don't laugh.)

I just bought a white foam board and some white poster boards last week for helping my photos turn out better.
Here is an example of how I used one:

It was overcast and starting to rain when I had the chance to take the photos.  I set up next to our dining room window, which has the best natural light in our house (still isn't great, mind you.....despite all the many windows we have, none of them are ideal for food pictures).  The light was coming from the left.

The picture on the left was how all of my first attempts were turning out.  Not bad, I thought.
Then I remembered the reflecting abilities of the white board...and had Corban hold one up to the right of the cookies.  You can see how the shadows on the right side of the cookies goes away in the right photo.
No flash, nothing else extra....just the white poster board.  Reflecting lousy light from the window.  Cool, huh?

Now I'm gonna go tackle that laundry.  Wish me luck.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday and Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Graham Cracker S'Mores Bars

Everyone knows that s'mores are a great summertime treat - but when it's 95° outside, who really wants to go sit around the fire pit in the back yard and roast marshmallows?

Not me, that's who.

These bars take the addicting goodness of s'mores, add in chocolate chip cookie dough with a slight hint of cinnamon and the convenience of a quick bake in the oven, and presto!  A fabulous, people-pleasing dessert without mosquito bites, sweat pouring down your face, and smoky smelling hair.

I guess you can tell I wasn't born to live outdoors.

Marissa took some to her Wed. night class at church and all the girls loved them, I'm told.
"Everyone wanted seconds, Mom!"


And the ones left at home?  Well, let's just say it didn't take long for them to disappear.  And my visiting parents definitely wanted the recipe. (here ya go, Mom!) 

Side note:  Do you have spelling pet peeves?  One of mine is when people spell definitely as "definately."  Or even worse, "defiantly".   Sorry.  Just had to throw that in there.  

So when you're craving s'mores and don't have access to a campfire or want to be around a campfire, give these a try.  You'll love them.

Graham Cracker S'Mores Bars (from Life Made Simple)

11 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows, divided use
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 package snack size Hershey's bars, broken into sections
2 sleeves honey graham crackers, broken into squares

DIRECTIONS:


Preheat oven to 375°.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars (1-2 minutes).

In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.

Add egg one at a time to butter mixture, gently beating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix.

Slowly begin to add flour mixture to the butter mixture, keeping the mixing speed low while doing so.
Once combined, remove and fold in 1 cup mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Chill mixture in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

While mixture is chilling, prepare baking sheet (standard size, with sides) by lining it with parchment paper. Take graham crackers and break in half. Lay out onto sheet, until it is completely full (they should cover the entire sheet and cookies should be tight and touching- see picture).

Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and using a standard cookie scoop, place one ball of dough onto each cracker. use remaining dough to fill in the gaps. It may look like a lot of dough, but it all needs to run together in order to cover the entire sheet.

Place into oven for 6 minutes, then remove and press Hershey's bar pieces into top along with remaining 1/2 cup marshmallows (just fill in the gaps with them a little). Return to oven and bake for 5-7 minutes or until dough and marshmallows beginning to brown, making sure the dough is cooked through. Remove from oven and place sheet on a wire rack to cool. Once it is sufficiently cooled, cut into squares.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday and Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Homemade Oreos

Yum.
Yum.
Yum!

This cookies were a big hit with my family and with Marissa's Wed. night class at church.  The cookies aren't exactly as crisp as real Oreos, but they're very chocolatey and slightly crunchy.  The creamy frosting is a perfect sweet accent to the cookies. 

I debated whether or not to make some chocolate or even some peanut butter frosting also, both of which I'm sure would be fabulous - but ended up with just vanilla frosting this time. 

That's okay.
There's always next time!


Recipe: from My Kitchen Addiction
(makes approximately 3 dozen sandwich cookies)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I used salted and decreased the salt called for later)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder (or dutch process cocoa powder)
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 T. cream or milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove lumps

Begin by preparing the cookies.  Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well incorporated.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.  Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, beating on the lowest speed.  Continue to mix on the lowest setting until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Divide the dough in half, and shape into two discs.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.  Set aside.
Taking only one portion of dough out of the fridge at a time, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough to a 1/8 - 1/4-inch thickness.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until set.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies are cooled, prepare the filling.  Combine the softened butter, cream, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined.  The mixture may be a bit lumpy, but will come together.  Add the powdered sugar gradually, approximately 1/2 cup at a time, until the filling comes together.  It will be slightly stiffer than a cupcake frosting.

Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.  Pipe the filling onto half of the cookies and top with the remaining cookies to form cookie sandwiches.

Melting Snowman Cookies

Marissa and Annika were both the designated "snack bringers" for their Wednesday night church classes this week.
I had spotted these cookies recently and couldn't wait for a chance to make them.....they're just so CUTE!

The girls were very willing helpers in decorating these snow guys and gals - and their friends at church were super thrilled with them as well.
If we're not going to get real snow this year, we might as well eat some melting snowmen cookies, right?

Annika has been asking me if we can make these cookies every time they have to take snack, she loved them so much.  

Some of the snowmen weren't so happy with their fate - and some just took it all in stride with a big smile on their faces.  Some had bows - the one at the bottom right corner ended up with three of them, thanks to Marissa!  One had a headband that ended up looking like green hair.

This disgruntled snowman sported earmuffs with his nicely coordinated bow tie.  

Notes: 

• You can make your cookie dough from scratch, or you can even use the sugar cookie mix or pre-made dough from the store if you so desire.  
• The amount of Royal Icing was a bit much- I ended up with quite a bit leftover, but I'd rather have too much than too little.  We decorated 30 cookies. 

Recipe: (adapted from Truly Custom Cakery - she has a great tutorial on how to make these!)

Sugar Cookies (I used this recipe)
Large Marshmallows
*Royal Icing (recipe follows)
Icing Colors (Food Color or Wilton Gel Colors of your choice.)
Silver Dragees, Mini Chocolate Chips, or other little candy pieces to use for buttons and accessories (optional)
Wax Paper

*Wilton Royal Icing Recipe
3 T. meringue powder
1 lb. sifted powdered sugar ( about 4 cups)
6 T. water


Make your sugar cookies first.  Whatever recipe or mix you use, when the dough is chilled and ready to bake, shape into balls and press flat, about 1/4" thick.  They should not be identical or symmetrical - it's melted puddles of snow you're forming!


Bake and cool the cookies completely.  Then make the Royal Icing.

IF using a counter top mixer, beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes until icing forms peaks. If you are using a hand held mixer, it will take more like 10-12 minutes.

AFTER you get stiff peaks, transfer a few Tablespoons of icing to a bowl and tint orange.  I used a tad of red and yellow. Scoop into a sandwich bag and seal it shut.  Snip off one tiny corner for piping. Because it was so thick, it stood out straight when I piped the noses and really looked like little carrots.  Fun!

Do the same procedure for any other colors you want to tint.

Thin the remaining white icing by adding water while stirring, a teaspoon at a time.

To test for the right consistency: Using a knife, scoop a little of your runny icing and hold above the bowl. As it drips, count to 10. By the count of 10, the icing that dripped down should meld into the icing in the bowl so there is no indication of where your drips landed.

Put your icing in a container covered with a wet paper towel and a lid when you're not using it. If you don't, the icing will dry out quickly. 


When frosting a cookie, don't be afraid to let it puddle around the base of the cookie a little.  Once it dries, it will stay there and look even more like melting snow!  Take a marshmallow and squish it a little.  Pipe on the facial features and place on the cookie.  Pipe on arms, buttons, and other additional details as desired.
 

We liked little bow ties....handsome fellow. 

Scarves were very nice too.  Note: all of my colored icing except the noses was sparkly decorating gels, not tinted royal icing.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday

Fudgy Mint Cookies

These have to be some of the easiest cookies I've ever made. 

And some of the tastiest.  

Okay, so they do use a cake mix, which I generally try to avoid.....

but for these delicious morsels, I'm willing to make an exception.  

Chewy, fudgy, chocolaty, with little chunks of minty goodness in every bite, 

they're a huge hit wherever I take them.  

Recipe:  (adapted slightly from Taste of Home)

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 T. water

2 eggs

1/2 package of Andes Mint Baking Chips

4 T. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, butter, and water until well combined.  Beat in eggs.  Stir in Andes baking chips.  Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

Yield: about 3 dozen

Super Soft Sugar Cookies

I like sugar cookies.   

I mean, there's sugar, in a cookie.  What's not to like?

But in all honesty, if given a choice between sugar cookies and something with chocolate or peanut butter or caramel (or all of the above), the sugar cookies would lose every time.  

Until now. 

These are seriously my Favorite. Sugar. Cookies. Ever.  

Reminiscent of the super soft frosted sugar cookies you buy in plastic containers at the grocery store, (did you know that at Wal-Mart, they'll give a free cookie to each child at the bakery....and it's often one of those sugar cookies?  I may or may not sneak a bite of my youngest's cookie once in awhile.), these are so much better, it's ridiculous.

  

Buttery, flavorful, perfect texture, they're just dreamy.  

No artificial ingredients, no chemicals, no weird stuff you can't pronounce, and unbeatable deliciousness.  

Can you tell I'm a fan?

I didn't try to roll out the dough to cut shapes, so I can't say for sure that it wouldn't work, but the dough is pretty soft and spreads quite a bit, so I'm guessing it wouldn't be the best for shaped cookies.  

But when you taste these, you won't care that they're in a plain ole circle shape.  I promise.

Recipe: (adapted slightly from Annie's Eats)

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature (I used salted)

1-1/2 cups sugar

5 t. vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4-1/2 cups flour (I used half all-purpose, half white whole wheat)

4-1/2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

Frosting:

5 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter (5-1/3 T), melted

1 T. vanilla extract

6-8 T. milk

Food coloring (optional)

Sprinkles (optional)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla.  

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together to blend.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed.  Cover and chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  

Scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball.  Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Alternatively, use a medium cookie scoop like this one (love that scoop!) to make balls and flatten them slightly.  Your cookies will be a bit smaller, but you'll get more of them, so it's okay.  

Space the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes or just until set.  (10 minutes exactly for me.)  Do NOT overbake!  The edges should be no more than very lightly browned if at all.  Let cook on the baking sheet for several minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To frost cookies, combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and 6 T. milk to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in additional milk as necessary until you reach your desired consistency.  Tint with food coloring if desired.  Use an offset spatula or spoon to frost the cooled cookies.  Top with sprinkles if desired.  Store in an airtight container. 

Linked to 4 Moms Eat Dessert

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cast Iron Skillet

I was brainstorming what to make for Grant for Father's Day and kept coming back to the good old standby of chocolate chip cookies. There's hardly anything he likes more than those.  But I wanted to jazz them up a bit, make it something out of the ordinary.  Then I saw this recipe on foodgawker and thought it would be pretty fun to make, not to mention faster than all those cookie trays.  Plus, there's always the option of decorating it with frosting, which could only make it better!  

He was delighted, as were the children.  It tasted great, even though I think I overbaked it a tiny bit.  The original recipe said to bake it for 40-45 minutes, but when I checked it at 35 minutes, it was definitely done.  So check early, always check early!  Ovens are not created equal.  

I made a basic buttercream frosting for decorating, using a stick of butter creamed with 2 cups of powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, a Tablespoon or two of milk, and added a couple of Tablespoons of cocoa powder to part of it to make chocolate frosting.  I did have frosting left over, which nobody complained about eating on graham crackers.  

If you don't have a need for decoration, this would be fabulous served warm from the oven with ice cream and hot fudge or caramel sauce.....ummm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  

Recipe: (from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

2 t. vanilla extract

1-1/2 c. chocolate chips (I used 1 bag Nestle mint chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl,  whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Transfer dough to a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (I greased with a little coconut oil), and press to flatten, covering bottom of pan. Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, 30-35 minutes. Don't overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in pan, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into wedges.