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.