Frosted chocolate chip cake bars (week 2 victory treat part 2)

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For part 2 of the week 2 Bills victory treats, I present frosted chocolate chip cake bars.  You can use any flavor cake mix (I used French vanilla), any kind of chips (I used traditional semisweet), and any kind of frosting (I used vanilla).

  • Bars ingredients list
  • 1 cake mix
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • Extra chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips.   You may want to wet your hands for this next part – gently, evenly press dough into prepared pan. Sprinkle extra chips on tip.   Bake 15 to 18 minutes (toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs).  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (scooped from powdered sugar container into cup)
  • Milk or heavy cream

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and vanilla.  Blend in powdered sugar and enough milk or heavy cream to get the consistency you want.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day!  Go Bills!

Week 2 victory treats

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Since the Bills win over the Dolphins ended after 11 pm, there was no time to make victory treats.   I needed to go to bed because I had a 430 am wakeup to work out!   Oh, and  I do not believe in premature baking of the victory treats.   They can not be made until the victory is complete.  The football gods must not be angered.  So these will be brought in Monday.   Dark chocolate brownies, requested by Rob. 

Couple of notes – these bake at 325, lower than most brownie recipes.  Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 tbs water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Additional 1/2 cup chocolate chips (opt)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8×8 square pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a microwave safe bowl, heat in 45 second increments – – 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, butter, sugar and water until you can stir mixture smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients.  Mix in additional chips, if using.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely.   Cut and store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I wish you peace, love and joy today.   Remember to be kind.  We are all fighting a battle and some are more difficult than others.

A classic cookie for a classic NFL rivalry (Go Bills)

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Week 2 of the NFL season kicks off tomorrow with my beloved Bills taking on the Dolphins.   The rivalry has so many great memories and moments- from us finally beating the Dolphins in 1980 (ending the 0 for the 1970s) to  Jim Kelly’s late touchdown run in Miami in 1989 to Josh and the current Bills matchups against the Dolphins.  Such a classic rivalry deserves a classic cookie, so I went with one of the chocolate chip cookies in my collection.  These use part browned butter and cold butter cut into small cubes, as well as a tsp of active yeast.  I recommend chilling or freezing individual doughs for a few hours to keep from spreading.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, browned
  • 1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

To brown butter, place in a pan and heat over low to medium heat until you see brown specs in bottom.  This may take 10 minutes or so.  Let cool 10 minutes.

Directions – in a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and yeast.  Cut in butter.  In a separate bowl, combine browned butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in egg and vanilla.  Add flour mixture.  Stir in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and form tall mounds.  Chill or freeze for a few hours.  Preheat oven to 375.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 min, no longer.  Cool.  Pop in fridge for a few hours to firm up, if they are a little gushy.  Store in covered container. 

Go Bills!

Golden oreo stuffed cake mix cookies

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Need a quick treat?  This is one recipe to try.  I used golden oreos, but you can use any candy you want too.  I added sprinkles to the dough, which is optional, of course.  You can also make these unstuffed. I estimate this recipe makes 12 to 15 cookies.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cake mix
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs water
  • Golden oreos

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, combine cake mix, vegetable oil, egg and water.   You may need to use your hands (like when making meatballs) to get dough to come together.  Add sprinkles, if using.  Scoop out 2 tbs dough and form around oreos.   Stagger cookies on prepared sheets.  Bake 9 to 10 min.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Stuffed brownie cookies

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Another simple, easy to whip up treat.  You can stuff these with anything – oreos, candy.  You can also make  them unstuffed (but what fun is that? 😉)

I want to estimate this makes around 12 cookies. 

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie mix
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (opt)
  • Oreos

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, combine brownie mix and flour.  Add oil and eggs.  Mix in chips if using.  Scoop out 2 tbs dough and evenly form around an oreo.  Stagger on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 10 to 12  minutes (be careful not to burn bottoms).    They may seem a little gushy on top.  Cool a few minutes.  Place in fridge to help cookies firm up.  Store in covered container.

Black cocoa brownies with peanut butter chips and black cocoa frosting

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I could not bring in just one treat for a Bills victory Monday tomorrow.   So Rob suggested black cocoa brownies with peanut butter chips and black cocoa frosting.  Black cocoa is what makes oreos taste like oreos.  I found some on Amazon that I like to use.  Of course, my hershey’s classic is my standby/old faithful, but the black cocoa is nice to use once in a while.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 /2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup corn syrup or honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup flour (scooped from your bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1/3 cup black cocoa
  • 1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350.  Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and corn syrup/honey.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in flour and black cocoa.  Fold in chips.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake 13 to 17 minutes (toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs).  Immediately start prepping frosting.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 3 tbs butter softened
  • 3 tbs black cocoa
  • 1 tsp corn syrup or honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 to 6 tsp milk
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions – in a bowl, blend butter and cocoa.  Add vanilla and corn syrup/honey.  Mix in powdered sugar.  Blend in enough milk to get the consistency you want.   Frost warm brownies.  Let cool completely.  Cut and store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Go Bills!

Week 1 victory treats #1 – chocolate chip cookies

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Not a great start for the Bills in the season opener – down at home to the Cardinals 17-3 in the 2nd quarter!   Thankfully, we put it together and pulled out a win, including another Josh leap over a defender play (this one ended in  a td).  Stress inducing for sure, and plenty for the team to clean up before facing the Dolphins Thursday night, but glad to start the season 1-0.

To celebrate, Rob asked for chocolate chip cookies for one of the treats.   I am making two for work tomorrow bc everyone will be in Bristol for the week.  It’s always nice to see old friends on campus, share some hugs, and laughs.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also recommend freezing the individual doughs for 30 min to an hour to avoid too much spreading.

Ingredients list –

  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled 10 minutes
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup, honey or corn syrup
  • 3 3/4 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs.  Stir in vanilla and maple syrup/honey/corn syrup.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Fold in chips.  Scoop put 1/4 cups of dough.  Freeze 30 min to an hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on a sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer.   They will be a little doughy on top. Cool completley.  Store in fridge a few hours to firm up.  Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Go Bills!  Squish the Fish!

Magic Middles NFL Opening weekend 2024

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Rob and I were having a discussion about old school treats from when we were younger, and I brought up Magic Middles by Keebler.  They were a shortbread cookie stuffed  with some sort of soft chocolate.  For some reason, Keebler stopped making them.  I decided to try a version of my own.  These shortbread cookies are much softer than the magic middles I remember.  I  stuffed them with a super easy fudge recipe (only 2 ingredients).

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup.  I recommend chilling or freezing the stuffed dough to keep from spreading as much.   Also, make sure your oven is preheated before baking.

  • Fudge ingredients
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 14 oz can condensed milk

Line and 8×8 square pan with tin foil and spray with butter spray or vegetable spray.  Place both ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.   pour into prepared pan and set aside.

  • Cookie ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

In a bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugar.  Add vanilla.  Stir in salt and flour.  Blend in flour.  Mix in chips.  Scoop put 1 1/2 tbs dough and divide in half.

Scoop out a small amount of fudge and place on top of one half of dough.

Top with other flattened dough half.

Seal edges to cover fudge.

Chill or freeze doughs for a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer (edges will be golden).  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Have a wonderful day.   And…..

Go Bills!

Fudge covered peanut butter footballs NFL opening weekend 2024

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I had some leftover fudge from the Magic Middles cookies I attempted to create.  Instead of baking it into another treat.  I made a batch of no bake homemade peanut butter cups and formed (or tried to form) them into footballs and topped them with fudge. 

These are simple and easy.   I put them in the fridge to firm them up so they don’t all blob together. 😀

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a medium size pot, over low to medium heat, combine butter, peanut butter and brown sugar.  Stir occasionally until everything is melted.  Remove from heat.  Add powdered sugar and stir smooth.  Let cool and little and form whatever shapes you want.  Top with melted chocolate or fudge.  Store in covered container in fridge.

Suzy Q brownies

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I had some leftover hostess fluff filling and hostess squiggle dough after making Rob’s hostess cupcake birthday cake, so I decided to use it by making some Suzy q brownies.   You can use whatever brownie recipe you want (or peruse my blog for some) or use a mix.

For my ESPN Radio friends laboring tomorrow on Labor Day, these are for you

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie recipe baked in a 9×13 pan and cooled
  • Topping ingredients
  • Milk chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • Filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
  • Water or milk
  • Squiggle ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 -2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Water or milk

Directions – cut cooled brownies into squares and set aside.   In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips and vegetable oil in 30 second increments until you can stir smooth.  Set aside while you make the filling.

For filling – in a bowl, cream butter and fluff, blend in powdered sugar.  Add milk or water, a tsp at a time until you get the consistency you want.  Spread between 2 cooled brownie squares. Top with melted chocolate chips.  Let chocolate harden up for an hour.

For squiggle – in a bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar,and vanilla.  Add water or milk, a tsp at a time to get the consistency you want.  Scoop into a zip lock baggie and cut out a corner.  Squiggle on top of hardened chocolate.  Store in covered container.