Chicago Cookie Finds Part 2

More from Chicago! What is a trip to Chicago without deep dish pizza and catching a game at Wrigley Field? As if I weren't having enough fun already, I tried cookies at a couple of pizza places and at the Cubs game. Here's the scoop:

Lou Malnati's- Before I went, several people told me this was the best deep dish pizza in town. It certainly did not disappoint on the pizza side, but the deep dish cookie did. I guess their focus is on their pizza, since this tasted just like undercooked refrigerated cookie dough. It is $3.25 for an individual size and $6.25 for a larger cookie.

Pequod's Pizza- This was our favorite pizza of the trip. I wish they shipped to California! For $2.25, we tried their warm chocolate chip cookie. It was a large saucer-sized cookie with milk chocolate and dark chocolate chunks- a very nice way to end our meal.

Prairie City- The Official Cookie of the Chicago Cubs- As if I need one more thing to eat at a baseball game, I found a great cookie that I will have to have if I'm ever back at Wrigley Field. The soft cookie needed some more chocolate chips, but the brown sugar and vanilla undertones were pleasant. $3.25 per cookie is not bad for a baseball game.

Fannie Mae- Just an aside... Great chocolate here! Their carmash (carmel marshmallow covered in chocolate) is especially tasty. I purchased two of their cookies (chocolate with buttercream and toffee chocolate chip, $1.50 each), which tasted just like the Cheryl's Cookies I will review next week. The packaging was eerily similar, too.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

I think people either love or hate pumpkin. I'm one of those who loves it! I cannot get enough of the pumpkin flavored drinks, treat, soups, breads, etc at this time of year. My favorite is the pumpkin spice frappucino at Starbucks. I've also had pumpkin bread every day for breakfast the past two weeks... I guess there could be worse addictions. :)

Ingredients
1 box of fudge brownie mix (sized for a 13x9 pan)
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.
Prepare brownies per the instructions on the box. Pour the batter into the prepare pan.
Using a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and pumpkin. Add in the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well.
Spoon dollops of the pumpkin cream cheese mixture into the brownie batter. Using a knife, lightly swirl the pumpkin cream cheese through the brownie batter. Do not mix it in. Just lightly swirl.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
Yields 36 bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Fall is here! These bars are a great way to welcome the season. They made my whole house smell like pumpkin yesterday afternoon. This slightly modified Martha Stewart recipe was very easy and produced a bar that was a cross between pumpkin bread and pumpkin cookies (more on the bread side). The bars were not too rich or sweet, and the mini chocolate chips provided just the right amount of chocolate and added a nice texture. I will definitely be making these every fall.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
   
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix well. Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake bars for 30-35 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan.
Cool bars completely in pan. Cut into squares and serve.

Yields 24 bars

Chicago Cookie Finds

Earlier this fall, I took a great trip to Chicago. I had never been (except for changing planes in the airport). It is a great city with so much to do. We also got really lucky and had amazing weather throughout the week. Let me know if you have any favorite things to see, do, or eat in Chicago, and I'll add it to my list next time I go!

I HAD to try some cookies while I was there. I went a little crazy, so I will have a couple more posts to wrap things up. To get things started...

Adler Planetarium- What a neat planetarium! We had great view of Chicago from here, too. In their Galileo cafe, I had a surprisingly good and freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. This classic cookie was soft and had a good amount of chocolate. For $2.25, it's definitely worth it.

Ben & Jerry's at Navy Pier- Navy Pier was so fun to walk around and was the departure point for a fun boat cruise. Of course, everyone knows Ben & Jerry's ice cream, but this was the first time I had seen cookies being served there. I wish more of their ice cream parlors offered them since they were only $2 and super chewy with lots of chocolate chunks. They even offered to warm it up for me, which made it even better!

Hershey's- I almost didn't go in this store located off of Michigan Avenue, but I'm so glad I did. They had an amazing cookie/brownie/decadent treats selection. I tried the S'mores Brownie (indulgent chocolaty brownie with toasted marshmallows on top- a little marshmallow heavy, but still good, $3.25), Dark Chocolate Cookie (I must find a copycat recipe, $1.75), and a Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwich with chocolate buttercream (excellent, could not stop eating it $3.95). You must go here!

More to come soon about the rest of my Chicago Cookie Finds...

Halloween Recap

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! If you are swimming in Halloween candy like I am (I always buy too much!), here are some ideas for you.

Skittles Rice Krispie Treats

Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats

Chocolate Rolo Cookies
Oatmeal Raisinette Cookies
Peanut Butter Delight Cookies

M&M Walnut Drops
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Butterfinger Sugar Cookies
No-Bake Butterfinger Bars
Peanut M&M Bars

Snickers Cookie Bars

Last Halloween I saw a recipe in Woman's Day magazine for Snickers blondies. I finally got around to making my own twist. These bars are chewy and have plenty of gooey goodness from the Snickers. Plus they're easy and fast to make! You can substitute Milky Way, but the peanuts add a nice crunch. Be sure to let them cool completely before slicing.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

10 fun-sized Snickers (about 1 1/2 cups), chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg. Gradually add in the flour mixture.  

Pour the dough into a 8x8 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Push the dough into all corners. Put the Snickers candies on top and push into the dough.

Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely before slicing. 

Yields 16 bars.

Banana Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I promised myself I would stop at two! (Of course, while they were baking I ate six or seven peanut butter minis, so I had to control myself when they came out of the oven.) I think I stopped at five. The soft cookie with the combination of banana, peanut butter, and chocolate is one of my favorites.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium banana, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter cups, roughly chopped

Instructions
Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, and mix well. Mix in banana. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.
Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Drop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies until golden (about 12 minutes).
Yields 2 Dozen