Monster size chocolate chip cookies

Uncategorized Leave a comment
Now,that’s a cookie!

You may want to schedule an extra workout session, run or walk before eating one of THESE chocolate chip cookies to burn off the extra calories. To say they are large is an understatement! Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies, so instead of having two or 3, just have one of these and call it a day! These use a mix of cake flour and all purpose flour. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make it by sifting 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour with 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch. Also, I was in a rush and only had cold butter to work with, so I used a cheese grater to shred it so I could work with it quickly.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, cold, grated with a cheese grater
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 yolks
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – cream grated cold butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and yolks. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix in chips. Divide dough evenly into thirds. Then divide each third in half. Then, divide each remaining dough pieces in half. There are your 12 cookies., pile dough into mounds. Chill at least a few hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fpr 20 minutes. On a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners, bake 10 to 12 minutes. There will be light golden spots on top. Cool on sheets completely. Do not be like my husband and grab one while it is still hot. 😳 store in covered container.

When it comes to cookies, the bigger, the better!

Brownie cookies stuffed with Hershey Kisses and topped with melted milk chocolate and mini m&ms

Uncategorized 2 Comments
Welcome home NHL!

With the news that ESPN is getting back the NHL, I felt I needed to celebrate with an extra special treat. So I decided on chocolate brownie cookies. Stuffed with Hershey Kisses. Topped with melted milk chocolate AND mini M&Ms. Does that give you an indication about how happy I am the NHL is back?😁😁

Chocolate chocolate chocolate!
  • Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp chocolate extract (opt)
  • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda

Directions – cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and extract. Mix in melted chocolate chips. Fold in,dry ingredients. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Divide in half. Slightly flatten each half.

On one half of dough, place a Hershey kiss.

Top with second flattened half.

Seal edges.

Chill cookies a few hours. Preheat an oven to 350 for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies. Bake 9 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Topping ingredients and instructions – in a microwave safe bowl melt 2 cups of milk chocolate chips in 30 second increments until you can stir smooth. Add 1 tbs vegetable oil. Spoon on top on cookies. Sprinkle with m&ms. Store in covered container.

M&M’s make everything better!

Big wheels/Ding Dongs/Ring Dings

Uncategorized Leave a comment
Another hostess challenge answered!

These treats were a request from my husband, Rob. They have different names – big wheels/Ding dongs/Ring dings, but seem to be basically the same thing, made by Hostess. He asked if I could make “Big Wheels.” Honestly, I never heard of them. The only Big Wheels I knew of where the bike we all had as little kids! Anyways, I learned Big Wheels by Hostess, were a bigger version of Ding Dongs, which seem to be remarkably like ring dings. Just an individual chocolate cake, filled with a fluff filling and covered In melted chocolate. In my hometown, I remember Stroehmanns seemed to be the king in stores, and they had a lot of the same type of treats as Hostess. My favorites were the Sno balls, especially the pink ones. Anyways, here is the recipe for Big Wheels. I made them with a homemade chocolate cake recipe, but next time I would use a cake mix because it would be easier and faster..and frankly, cake is cake. They are a little messy in the pictures, but my ESPN Radio work family will like them on Monday. (And I didn’t waste the leftover cake after the cutouts! I smooshed it all together and formed whoopie pies! )

  • Ingredients
  • 1 chocolate cake mix, baked in round pans and cooled completely
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • Heavy cream/milk

Directions – invert cooled cakes onto parchment paper. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles. In a bowl, mix butter, fluff and powdered sugar. Add enough heavy cream or milk to get thr consistency you want.

Cut out a cone of each individual cake and save it.

Fill the hole with a spoon of filling

Replace the cone of cake over the hole,and gently press in.

Cover with melted chocolate and store in covered container.

As you can see, I struggle decorating with melted chocolate

Brownies topped with homemade Reese’s

Uncategorized 1 Comment
Stepping up my brownie game

I didn’t want to bring in “just brownies” for work… I just saw a commercial for Reese’s eggs (which, honestly, are the best candy ever)… So I decided to make a homemade version of them and put them on top of the brownies. You can use any brownie recipe you want (even a mix is fine). You can also search my website for ideas. Rob would advise that you add a cup of chocolate chips, to make them even better.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 8×8 pan of brownies, baked and cooled completely
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil

Directions – in a saucepan, combine butter, peanut butter and brown sugar. Cook and stir over low/medium heat just until it bubbles. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar. (You way want to add more powdered sugar, depending on the texture you want. If you can too much powdered sugar, you can add milk, 1 tsp at a time, to fix that). Cool 15 to 20 minutes or until you find it cool enough to handle. Scoop out tbs and place on top of brownies. Melt chips in a microwave safe bowl, in 30 second increments until you cam stir smooth. Mix in oil. Spoon on top of brownies. Store in coveres container.

Throwing down the reese’s gauntlet with a homemade version!

Browned Butter Blondies with chocolate chips

Uncategorized Leave a comment
Are they still blondies if I added chocolate chips? ☺

I went with a twist on blondies by browning the butter, as opposed to just melting it. Browned butter gives a little different flavor, and a very, very good one at that. It is simple to make – just put it in a pan over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until you see little brown specs in it.

One reminder, don’t bake longer than 20 minutes or they will dry out. They will be just fine after 20 minutes, even,if they seem underdone.

Perfectly done!
  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, browned
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line an 8×8 pan with tinfoil and spray foil with baking spray. Combine browned butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Mix in chips. Press into pan. Bake 20 minutes (no longer) cool completely. Store in covered container.

Panic treats

Uncategorized 3 Comments
Graham cracker sugar cookie bar Smores

These are what I call panic treats – something that I whip up quickly when I fear the original amount of treats I have made to bring somewhere are not enough. (It’s a sickness, I know. But, I can’t be the only one who does this). I would rather bring too much, rather than too little. So these are Graham cracker sugar bar Smores. I wanted some wow factor, so I went beyond my sugar cookie mix. I tossed in some graham crackers, and topped the bars with marshmallow fluff and melted chocolate chips. Treats #4 for tomorrow for ESPN Radio

  • Ingredients
  • 1 sugar cookie mix
  • 1 cup crushed Graham crackers
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • Marshmallow fluff
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil. In a bowl, combine cookie mix, butter and Graham crackers. Press into bottom of the lined pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes (edges will be lightly golden). Spoon some fluff on top of warm bars. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chips and oil in 30 second increments until you can stir smooth. Spread on top,of fluff layer and swirl together. Cut before chocolate layer hardens. Cool completley. Store in covered container.

Panic treats!

Chocolate chip cookies, honoring hockey

Uncategorized 3 Comments
Chocolate Chip Cookies honoring hockey!

Dear friends, I present yet another chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have dozens (yes, that is with an “s”) in my arsenal because that is the number one request of my husband for a treat. And it is not in me to make the same recipe each time, so I mix it up. These cookies are thick and soft and filled with mini chocolate chips. I used mini chocolate chips because they are what I could get to. Gracie was sleeping in front of the cabinet where I keep the 72 ounce bag of Nestle Chocolate chips, so instead of disturbing her, I opted for another type of chip. Worked out just fine. As you can see, the cookies look, well, like hockey pucks. They do NOT taste like them. 🙂 A few reminders – scoop your flour from your container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount./ If you pour the flour directly in, you can get to much and wind up with a dry cookie. These cookies need to be put in the freezer for an hour or two so they can keep their nice shape. And, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so the oven is the right temerature. (an old trick from the kind LG repairman, Stanley).

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (I ran out of patience, as usual, and used a cheese grater to speed up the process)
  • 1 cup crisco
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups plus 3 tbs flour
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Chip cookies are like seeing or talking to old friends – they just make your day!

Directions – Cream butter, Crisco, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix in chips Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Freeze dough for at least an hour or two. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger frozen cookies on sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Go Sabres!