Happy Holidays!

I'll be taking a break for a week and look forward to seeing you all back here in 2011!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Sometimes I find myself craving a simple chocolate chip cookie. This time I decided to try something different since I was also craving something thick and chewy. These definitely satisfied!

Due to their size, it was difficult to make sure they cooked evenly and through. Next time I will make these in mini muffin tins. The mini cookie cups are perfect for holiday gatherings!

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoon Salt 

1/4 teaspoon Baking soda 

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tins with paper baking cups.

Whisk flour, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until combined. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Bake 20 minutes until top is golden brown. Cool before serving.

Yields 6 cookie cupcakes.

Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix

I typically enjoy Betty Crocker products, but I wasn't sure that by just adding a few butter, egg, and water to this mix that I could create a good, holiday-worthy gingerbread cookie. 

I was wrong! This mix produced, chewy, flavorful cookies and is certainly worth trying. These are definitely a great time saver at such a busy time of year.

My only complaint was that I could not roll out the dough. It was way too sticky, so I had to put away my cute Christmas cookie cutters and stick with drop cookies. I'll just add less water next time.

For some other holiday treats, try some of my previous recipes: Pecan Pie Bars, White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, and Apple Pie Cookies.

Are there any bagged/boxed cookie mixes you like?

Mint Chocolate Delights

These taste like a soft version of Girl Scout Thin Mints. Yum! I tried the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House Mint Chips bag and just eliminated the vanilla.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large eggs
1 cup dark chocolate and mint chip mix

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine flour, cocoa, 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 well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yields 18 cookies.

Mint Chip Cookies

My grandmother always made mints at Christmas from a recipe she found in the New York Times many years ago. Some were shaped like Christmas trees with sprinkles on top like ornaments. Others were covered in chocolate. Both were addictive and always tasted better at her house than when I took extras home. 

I'll be making the mints this year, but I'm also making two cookie versions. Come back for my chocolate mint cookies later this week.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 drops mint extract

3/4 cup mint and chocolate chip mix

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until combined. Add egg and mint extract and mix well. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined. Stir in baking chips. 

Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yields 18 cookies.

Socially Sweet Events

Need dessert for a holiday party?


Recently I had a chance to try goodies from Socially Sweet Events at the Chocolate Festival in Fountain Valley. Owner, Mijanou Pham, had some delicious chocolate chip cookie sandwiches available for sampling. These were excellent little treats and definitely are perfect for a social gathering (small, not messy). Her display was lovely as well. 

The chocolate chip cookies were thick and chewy with lots of chocolate chips. The marshmallow filling kept the cookie sandwich together and added another level of flavor and sweetness. I will definitely be trying this at home! A chocolate chocolate chip cookie probably would be even more decadent.

For more information, visit www.sociallysweetevents.com.

S'mores Bars

The holidays are here! It's time for eating, eating, eating!


This is a messy but deliciously indulgent treat. The combination of crunchy graham crackers, gooey marshmallows, and a soft cookie can satisfy any craving. Despite the three layers, this recipe was very easy to prepare.

The chocolate cookie base has a brownie-like texture and softness.  The base was very thick, so go for a larger baking pan if you prefer a thinner cookie. For a holiday twist, I used Kraft's red and green marshmallows. I broke the graham crackers into squares, thinking I could eat this easily by hand. I ended up using a fork, so next time I will break the graham crackers into smaller pieces.

Do you have any creative s'more recipes?

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup marshmallows

9 graham cracker squares

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add egg and mix. Gradually add in cocoa powder, flour, and baking soda. Pour into an 8x8 baking pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, and turn to broil.

Place marshmallows in an even layer on top of the cookie. Return pan to the oven for 3-5 minutes to allow the marshmallows to melt slightly.

Remove the pan from the oven, and place graham cracker squares on top of the marshmallow, pressing down slightly.

Finally return the pan to the oven for 3-5 minutes.

Allow the bars to cool before slicing.

Yields 9 servings.

Pumpkin Pie Cookies

With Halloween, football, Thanksgiving, and crisp weather, fall is definitely my favorite time of year! I like putting pumpkin into everything to turn it into a seasonal dish. Last year's pumpkin shortage was so difficult!

 

I needed a portable pumpkin pie to pack in my lunch, and this is what I came up with. I took a pumpkin cookie base and stirred in white chocolate chips for added sweetness along with graham cracker pieces to mimic a crust and add texture. The result was a thick, dense, satisfying cookie that goes perfectly with a cup of hot cider.

 

I hope you enjoy this fall treat! Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup graham cracker pieces

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix in canned pumpkin.

Gradually add in the flour mixture. Stir in graham cracker pieces and white chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 14 minutes.

Yields 24 cookies.

Essential Chocolate Desserts

Walking into Essential Chocolate Desserts, I was overwhelmed with choices! The rich chocolate brownie sample only made my decision harder. I was intrigued, though, by the giant, thick, chocolate-covered cookie shaped object in the front of the case. It was described as a variation of a moonpie. For those of you who don't know what a moonpie is, it is a soft graham cracker cookie sandwich filled with marshmallow cream and covered in chocolate. The moonpie at Essential Chocolate Desserts is a layer of marshmallow between two chocolate chip cookies that is then dipped in chocolate. I HAD to try it!

As you know, I have a hard time calling desserts too sweet or too rich. I was looking forward to devouring the entire moonpie,  but alas, I could not. I saved the other half for the next night, and it stayed perfectly fresh. The cookies were soft and thick. The marshmallow cream was gooey and sticky but did not melt or drip. The chocolate coating was thick and did not melt. I will be making my own version of these soon!

The Moonpie is $7.00. Regular cookies are $1.50. Their website (http://essentialchocolate.com/) includes pricing for their other specialty treats (brownies, snack cakes, macaroons, cupcakes, etc). Be sure to order in advance or go earlier in the day since they do run out of items.

Essential Chocolate Desserts is located at 10868 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City. There is even a little seating area if you prefer to eat your treat immediately.

Pumpkin Softies

These pumpkin-flavored cookies have a soft, muffin top texture and plenty of pumpkin flavor. Not overly sweet, these cookies are a great mid-morning fall snack. Thanks to Nicole at Baking Bites for this great pumpkin spice ice cream topping!

This was the first time I had used an ice cream topping in cookies. I think I will try this again with chocolate. Have you used ice cream toppings for anything other than topping ice cream?

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup pumpkin spice ice cream topping

1 egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cream butter, brown sugar, and ice cream topping until creamy. Add egg and mix.

Gradually mix in the flour mixture.

Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes.

Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Yields 1 dozen

Dee's Treats

I was very excited to finally try the delights of a local baker who focuses on fresh, creative treats! I was not excited about the price, though. $9-$11 per dozen of small cookies was a bit much.

Mounds of Chocolate was the first cookie I sampled, and it was delicious! This chewy chocolate cookie was studded with chocolate chips, Oreo cookie pieces, and a layer of sweetened coconut. I also tried a caramel swirl cookie. I really liked the chewy caramel swirls and soft, chewy texture of the cookie with the rich chocolate flavor.

Overall, I love the creative flair of Dee's Treats, but due to the cost, I will not be ordering them again soon. You can order Dee's Treats through her website (www.dees-treats.com) or you can find them in various shops around Orange County.

Magic Bars

These bars were indeed magical! Last weekend I found a can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk in my pantry set to expire in a few days. "What am I going to make with this?" I thought. "Make me!" said the recipe on the can. I had all of the ingredients in my pantry, and the picture looked tasty, so why not?

I will be making these again. This is a great make-ahead recipe. Coming out of the oven and later in the day, the bars were too hot and too goopy to really enjoy. The servings I had the next day and the day after were incredibly chewy and chocolatey. Another thing I really like about the recipe was the flexibility. Just put whatever you want on top of the graham cracker crust and condensed milk, and you are set for a delightful treat! I swapped out half of the chocolate chips for 1/2 cup white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips.

What would you put in your magic bars?

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture.

Layer chocolate chips, coconut and nuts on top.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into squares.

Yields 30 bars.

Banana Walnut Bars

This is a fast and healthy recipe that yields a soft, bread-like bar cookie. I made this in a loaf pan, but next time I plan to use an 8x8 pan for a thinner bar.

I always use real banana in my banana flavored treats, but sometimes I don't want the texture to be altered by it. Have you tried banana extract or flavoring? If so, what did you think of the result?

Ingredients

1 cup wheat flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 Tbsp margarine

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg white

1 mashed banana

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/8 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda is a small bowl. Set aside.

Cream together the margarine and brown sugar. Add egg and mix. Stir in the mashed banana. Mix in walnuts and mini chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into a loaf pan or 8x8 baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

Yields 12 bars.

Trail Mix Cookies

These easy-to-make cookies were a hit at the birthday party I took them to. They loved the chewy texture mixed with the crunch of nuts and flavor of dried fruit and chocolate pieces. I like how flexible I can be with the mix-ins. I just poured in a store bought, pre-made trail mix with almonds, peanuts, raisins, oats, and M&Ms, but you can use any trail mix ingredients you like.

I did have a bit of a disaster making these, though. I have decided I am finished using dark pans for baking! No matter what I do (change oven temperature, move oven racks, decrease baking time), I end up with burned cookie bottoms. Do you have any tips for baking with dark pans? I love my giant baking sheet and want to be able to use it...

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2  cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup trail mix

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat sugars, peanut butter, butter, shortening, vanilla and eggs until creamy. Stir in flour, oats, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in trail mix.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
Bake 10 minutes or until light brown.
Yields 2 dozen.

Paradise Perks

Paradise Perks is a great new coffee house in Irvine (15475 Jeffrey Road, corner of Jeffrey and Irvine Center Drive). Like any respectable coffe shop, they have tasty pastries to go along with their coffee beverages, so of course I am required to try them!

I sampled the chocolate chunk cookie and the peanut butter cookie. Both were very large for the $1.50 price tag. Both were also delicious! Soft and chewy, the chocolate chunk cookie was filled with TONS of chocolate chips and chunks. The peanut butter cookie was very chewy and did not have that chalky taste that peanut butter cookies sometimes have. I wish I could get my peanut butter cookies to be so chewy! The full-size Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the middle was an added bonus. I have only made cookies with fun-size, mini peanut butter cups, but the thinner regular size peanut butter cup melted into the cookie better. I will be sure to try this in my future peanut butter cookies!

I like my cookies with milk, but Paradise Perks (visit www.paradiseperks.com for more details) has a number of beverages available to go with your cookies. What do you like to drink with your cookies?

M&M Walnut Drops

A while back I made some M&M cookies and wanted to try a new version with the fall M&Ms. I found this recipe in a free M&Ms recipe booklet I got about seven or eight years ago. Cookies never go out of style!

Overall, I like the first M&M cookies I made better due to the chewier texture and chocolate punches from the M&Ms. If you are looking for a more brownie-like and chocolaty version with the added flavor and crunch of walnuts, this is definitely the cookie for you! I will say, I was craving these the next day.

Halloween is just about here! Are you dressing up? I just have a Halloween T-shirt and socks. Maybe I'll wear a cape, too...


Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup M&Ms
1 cup chopped walnuts


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. 
In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. 
In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. 
Stir in M&Ms and nuts. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. 
Bake 15 minutes.
Yields 18 cookies.

Candy Corn Rice Krispies Treats

I know what you are thinking... Candy corn mixed in with Rice Krispies treats? Sugar overload, right? Wrong!

This is a delicious treat perfect use for all of the candy corn available at this time of year. Oddly, I find candy corn too sugary to eat on its own, but mixed in with the cereal treats, it is a great way to enjoy this seasonal candy icon. Fearing I had become immune to sugar, I brought these for some skeptical coworkers to try. They were pleasantly surprised as well and have requested another batch!

A few months ago, I made another twist on Rice Krispies treats. Do you have any favorite variations?


Ingredients
3 Tbsp margarine

4 cups miniature marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 1/2 cups candy corn

Instructions

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. 
Add cereal and stir. Add candy corn and stir.
Press mixture into a 13x9 inch pan.

Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
Yields 30 squares. 

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

As promised, here is a homemade version of the Nestle Toll House Filled cookies. Plus the candy theme continues! This has a brownie-like flavor and texture and will make a great base for future chocolate cookie recipes. I made some cookies larger than others, and the smaller ones turned out much better (more flavor, better Rolo to cookie ratio).

Have you tried any filled cookies?

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

24 rolos (2 rolls)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add egg and mix. Gradually add in cocoa powder, flour, and baking soda.

Take one Rolo and press the dough around it to make a small ball. 

Bake for 12 minutes.

Yields 24 cookies.

Oatmeal Raisinette Cookies

This is a delightful twist on a classic, and I will certainly be making these throughout the year, not just at Halloween when there is a ton of candy around. These cookies are not overly sweet, and they have a chewy texture. As you know, I'm not in love with raisins, so having chocolate covered raisin is just the right mix of chocolate and raisins in this cookie.

What's your favorite twist on a classic?

Ingredients

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 egg whites

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup raisinettes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg whites and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. When it is fully incorporated, mix in the rolled oats and raisinettes. Drop by rounded tablespoon-fulls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 

Makes 18 cookies.

Junior Mint Cookie Bars

An easy recipe for incredibly addictive bars with gooey mint pieces! What could be better?!?!  Making these bars is a much better way to enjoy Junior Mints than sneaking them out of the Halloween candy bowl. Next time I'll eat mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

What do you cook for Halloween?

Ingredients

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup Junior mints

 

Instructions

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the 4 ounces of chocolate chips with the butter. Heat in microwave until almost melted.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla together until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Slowly add the melted chocolate, and mix until well-combined. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and Junior Mints. Pour the dough into a 8x8 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. 

Yields 9 bars.

Milky Way Cookies

With Halloween just around the corner, my next few posts are going to be dedicated to cookies that include candy. Some of my favorites are M&M cookies, Peanut Butter Cup cookies, and Peanut Butter Delights.

 

Today I'm making Milky Way cookies. These are very easy to whip up. Be sure they don't stay in the oven too long. They will brown quickly, and the caramel in the Milky Way will become too hard and ooze out of the cookie.

Do you have a favorite cookie recipe that includes candy?

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup melted margarine 

6 fun size Milky Ways, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Mix condensed milk and butter. Add in flour mixture. Stir in Milky Way pieces. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. Drop rounded tablespoons two inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes. 

Yields 1 dozen

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

If you have a chocolate peanut butter craving (like I did this weekend), this is a cookie for you! The brownie-like texture was an added bonus. My mouth is watering just thinking about them now...

Neither the chocolate flavor nor the peanut butter flavor are too overwhelming. If you want to make one flavor stronger, just use one kind of chips. Usually I'm craving peanut butter more, so next time I'm going to mix in choped Reese's peanut butter cups or put a mini peanut butter cup in the center. Maybe even Reese's pieces... Yum!

Are you a chocolate person or a peanut butter person?

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/3 cup Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Add egg and mix. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips. 

Drop tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.  

Yields 18 cookies.