Author Archives: Christine Lisi

Week 17 football friday – happy new year!

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Chocolate chip cookie bars

For week 17, I present the first of two treats on a football Friday at ESPN radio. These are chocolate chip cookie bars, made with a cake mix, and frosted with a quick homemade vanilla frosting. I used yellow cake mix and a vanilla instant pudding mix. (Use any flavor you choose for either). I ran out of patience and frosted them when they were warm, so the frosting also contained some melted chocolate chips. ☺

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cake mix, any flavor
  • 3.4 oz instant pudding mix, any flavor
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup oil
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • Frosting – combine 2 tbs melted butter and 2 cups powdered sugar. Add enough cream or milk to get the consistency you want.

Cookie bar Directions – preheat oven to 350 for 20 minutes. Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil. Stir in chips. Spread evenly in pan. Bake 18 to 22 minutes (may seem a little undercooked, but that is ok. If you cook too long, the bars will dry out). Immediately sprinkle with more chocolate chips and gently press down. Wait about five minutes and frost. Melted chips will swirl in frosting

Go Bills!

Chocolate triple chip cookies

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Chocolate x3!

I wanted a chocolate based cookie for my Christmas cookie cornucopia, so,I settled this one. It is a chocolate version of the cookies, affectionately known as the “franks.” Named after our friend, Frank. I used milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate and dark chocolate chips. I chilled the dough a few hours to keep the cookies puffy. I felt the bottoms of the cookies were a bit too done, so I smothered them in melted chocolate.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp,salt
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix in chips., scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. On a cookie sheet , lined with nonstick baking liners, stagger cookies. Bake 10 to 13 minutes. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Chocolate triple chip cookies

Gingerbread men sandwiches

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Now, this is a Christmas cookie!

These are just wonderful. They smell amazing and taste amazing! I can not decorate, so I made them into sandwich cookies. The best thing about the gingerbread cookie cutter – you can turn them into reindeer, just flip ’em upside down and perhaps place a red hot for a Rudolph nose.

Gingerbread reindeer
  • Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 cup molasses
  • 2-3 tbs water
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Directions – cream butter and sugar. Add egg, molasses and water, stire in dry ingredients. Chill a few hours or overnight. Remove from,fridge an hour or two before baking to soften up dough. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes., on a floured surface, roll to desired thickness and cut. On a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners, stagger cookies. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake 8 minutes. Cool completely.

  • Quick frosting filling – combine 2 melted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and enough milk to get the desired consistency. Spread between two cookies. Store in covered container.
This cookie will be Rob’s

Puffy peanut butter cookies topped with melted milk chocolate

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Peanut blossoms with a twist

These are a favorite of many people, especially this time of year. They are peanut blossoms with a twist. Instead of a Hershey kiss on a peanut butter cookie, I melted milk chocolate ans scooped it on top. I used Crisco, which is why the cookies stayed so puffy. (I also chilled dough overnight too help with the puffiness). If you don’t want to top with melted chocolate, sprinkle cookies with sugar before baking. Remember to preheat your oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes before baking.

Merry Christmas!
  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups flour

Directions – cream Crisco, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs. Fold in dry ingredients. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. (Sprinkle with sugar, if desired). Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. On a cookie sheet, lined with nonstick baking liners, stagger cookies. Bake 12 minutes. Cool completely. Top with melted milk chocolate.

Peanut butter+ chocolate = perfection

Chocolate chip cookies

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Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made a few different kinds of cookies for Christmas. I realize chocolate chip cookies aren’t the first cookie that comes to mind for Christmas, but they are Rob’s favorite, thus, they were included. Couple of notes – I chilled the dough overnight, to keep them from flattening too much. Remember to preheat your oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes before baking, to get the right baking temperature.

🍪
  • Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your container into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – combine butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Mix in baking soda and salt. Add flour and cornstarch. Mix in chips. Scoop,out 1/4 cups of dough. Chill dough at least a few hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. On a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners, stagger cookies. Bake 12 – 14 minutes. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Just for Rob!

Triple chip cookies

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Chocolate chip, milk chocolate chip and white chocolate chip cookies

These are rob’s favorite all time cookie. They have 3 types of chips – semisweet, milk chocolate and white. Basically the dough is a chocolate chip dough, with an instant vanilla pudding mix added for extra flavor. To keep them from flattening too much, I added some cornstarch and chilled the dough for a couple hours. He wanted me to bake victory cookies before the Bills game vs Denver. That is something that must NEVER be done. So, these are just cookies

3 kinds of chips!
  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup Crisco
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup white chips
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter and brown sugar. Add pudding mix. Mix in vanilla, eggs, baking soda, baking powder,and salt. Stir in flour and cornstarch Blend in chips. Scoop out 3 tbs dough., chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Scatter on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Voila!

Victory Monday brownies (because I needed something to put the extra ganache on)

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Go Bills!

Bonus victory Monday treat for my Buffalo Bills. I had extra ganache left over from the sugar cookie cups, so I quickly whipped up some brownies to remedy use up the rest. (I have many brownie recipes, though not as many as for chocolate chip cookies) And why not extra chocolate this Christmas week? You absolutely do not have to put anything on top of these, but the powdered sugar is recommended, by Rob!

  • Ingredients
  • 10 tbs butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 yolk
  • 1 tbs corn syrup (or honey)
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
Brownies!

Directions -preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with tinfoil and spray with baking spray. Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs,yolk,and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips. Bake for 20 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs). Immediately sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Cool completely. Top with melted chocolate or frosting. Store in covered container.

Chocolate chocolate chocolate!

Cookie cups victory cookies

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AFC East champs!

Today’s victory Monday treat celebrates the Bills first AFC East title since 1995 (back then, I was in my first year as a production assistant at ESPN, yowsa). Watching the Bills this season reminds me of why I love sports – for 3 hours I can forget about everything else and just enjoy/stress/lose-my-mind- about a football game. And in a year that has been so awful for so many, it is a welcome distraction. Here’s to a long playoff run!

The cookie cups are simple. All you need are 2 sugar cookie mixes, 1 stick of butter and 2 eggs. I got a mega sugar cookie mix package from bjs to use. You could also use your own sugar cookie recipe.

Go Bills!
  • Ingredients
  • 2 sugar cookie mixes (1 lb, 1.5 oz each)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 stick of butter, softened

Directions – preheat oven to 350 for 20 minutes. Spray a muffin tin (regular size) with baking spray. Combine sugar cooke mixes, butter and eggs until,well combined. Scoop,out 2 tbs of dough and roll into balls and place in muffin tins. Bake 12 minutes. Immediately – Spray the bottom of a wooden spoon or ice cream scoop with Pam and make an indentation in the center of each cookie cup. Cool completely

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • Directions – miscrowave together in 30 second increments until,you can stir,smooth. Spoon into cookie cups. Store in,covered container.
☺

Friday football week 15 treats – Peanut butter cookies stuffed with brownie truffles and topped with melted chocolate

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Peanut butter cookies stuffed with brownie truffles and topped with melted chocolate

I decided to up my cookie game for this football Friday before Christmas. (Go Bills!) Instead of a traditional peanut blossom (a peanut butter cookie topped with a Hershey kiss), I stuffed a peanut butter cookie with a brownie truffle and topped it with melted chocolate. For the brownie truffles, I smooshed up some brownies I made the other night and mixed in about a half cup of chocolate frosting. You could also use candy or Oreos, or you don’t have to stuff the cookies at all. These use Crisco and it keeps them nice and puffy. Remember to scoop your flour into your measuring cup, and to preheat your oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes before baking.

Yum!
  • Brownie truffles ingredients
  • 1 pan of brownies, prepared and baked, as directed, cooled completely
  • 2 tbs butter melted
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 tbs baking cocoa
  • Milk
  • Directions – combine butter, powdered sugar and baking cocoa. Add enough milk to make the frosting. Combine the frosting with brownies. Scoop out 1 tbs and form into balls. Set aside.
  • Peanut butter cookie ingredients
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 4 tbs milk
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees. cream Crisco, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Scoop out 1/4 cup of cookie dough. Divode in half. Slightly flatten bottom half and top with a brownie truffle. Top with other cookie dough and seal around truffle. On a cookie sheet lined with non stick baking liners, stagger cookies. Bake 11 – 13 minutes. Cool completely. Top with melted milk chocolate. Store in covered container.

Go Bills!

Island of misfit cutout cookies

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Santa!

You may wonder about the title of this treat.  It is a wonderful, tasty, sugar cutout cookie dough.  The misfit part is well, on me.  My baking skills are solid, my decorating skills are subpar, to put it mildly.. So outside of decorating a pumpkin cutout for Halloween, or a christmas tree, it is difficult for people determine what the cutout actually is.  One year, my friend, Mikey C, asked it I made a bicycle.  At Christmas.  Yes, because Santa rides a bicycle around the world on December 24th.  After that, I make cutout cookie sandwiches. Cookies, filled with buttercream frosting, instead of actually frosting them. That way you can actually see that it is Santa! This recipe brings back wonderful memories of when I was young and baking with my mom at Christmastime. And my dad loved eating this dough!! I will really miss baking with her this year. We usually make at least 150 cookies the day before Christmas. but we need to be safe. Maybe we zoom!

Good cookie, not good decorating!

Recipe notes – These are made with Crisco. I would not sub butter for the Crisco in this recipe. Remember to spoon your flour into your measuring cup to get the right amount, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes to make sure your oven is heated evenly.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups Crisco
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheer with baking liners. cream Crisco and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour, salt and baking powder. Chill a few hours. Remove about 30 minutes before baking, so dough is easier to roll out. Sprinkle flour on a surface, roll out to the desired thickness. Cut out cookies. Place on prepared sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. I take them out after 8 min, because that way, they stay nice and soft. Cool completely.

Buttercream filling – combine 2 tbs melted butter and 2 cups powdered sugar. Add milk or cream, 1 tbs at a time, until you get the desired consistency. Color as desired. Spread between two cookies. Store in covered container.

Christmas cookie sandwiches!