May the Sabres run their winning streak to 10 treats

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For my final treat of 2025, I made lemon frosted cake mix squares.  I didn’t have a lemon cake mix, so I used a white one and added some lemon extract, along with the other ingredients.  These are for my friend rib’s birthday and as luck for the Sabres, who go for their 10th straight win tonight against the Stars, one of the best teams in the NHL.

These are super simple, don’t require a ton of ingredients or time.  You can leave them plain or frost them.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 white cake mix
  • 1 sugar cookie mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tsp lemon extract

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray.  In a bowl, combine mixes.   Blend in butter, then eggs and extract.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.   Bake 18 to 20 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbs lemon juice

In a bowl, combine ingredients.  Frost bars.  Cut and store in covered container.

Go Sabres!!

German chocolate cake mix cookies

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The German chocolate cake is a masterpiece of a dessert- German chocolate cake, pecan coconut frosting and chocolate frosting.   The bakery in my hometown of Olean, NY – the former Ried’s food barn- made the nest German chocolate cakes.  And I am sure the now olean food barn does too.

So I made a cookie sandwich version using a cake mix, canned coconut pecan frosting and a homemade chocolate frosting as the fillings. 

You can make a homemade coconut pecan frosting, but I went with canned frosting today
  • Cookies ingredients
  • 1 German chocolate cake mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.   In a bowl, blend 3 ingredients.  Scoop out 2 tbs of dough.  Roll into a ball and slightly flatten.  Stagger on cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes.  No longer.  Cool completely.

  • Chocolate frosting filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbs evaporated milk
  • 1 tbs vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter and cocoa. Blend in powdered sugar, then evaporated milk and vanilla.  Add more evaporated milk or powdered sugar to get the consistency you want.

Place cookies flat side up. 

On one half, spread some coconut pecan frosting.  On another half, spread some chocolate frosting.  

Put two together and voila!

Thanks for stopping by!

NFL Sunday sunday week 16 – Traditional Christmas cut out cookies

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For my last Christmas cutout cookies recipe for this season, here are the traditional sugar cookies.  I made most of  them into cookie sandwiches so people can actually tell what they are. 

This is  a recipe from a family friend, one that brings back so many wonderful memories.   I used a traditional buttercream frosting recipe. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.   Make sure you flour your surface enough to roll out the dough and sprinkle flour in your cookie cutters too.  And preheat your oven before baking.

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

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco and sugar.  Blend in eggs well.  Add vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.  You can chill the door in a covered container for a few hours if you want.   Or bake them right away.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Flour a flat surface with flour.  Roll dough to desired thickness and cut.   Place on cookie sheet.  Bake 7 to 8 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Buttercream frosting/filling ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (scooped from container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • Milk

In a bowl, cream butter and vanilla.  Carefully blend in powdered sugar, a cup at a time.  Add enough milk to get consistency you want.  Frost or fill sandwich cookies. 

Store in covered container.

Go Bills!

Magic Middles take 2

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Last year, I tried to make the keebler magic middles cookies.  They were a shortbread cookies with mini chocolate chips, filled with a gushy fudge filling.  Last year, they were more like a stuffed chocolate chip cookie.   Today, I went for a more shortbread cookie, like a Mexican wedding cake.  I froze the fudge filling and cookies before baking.  Next time, I may just fill the cookies with a piece of chocolate baking bar. 

It is important to freeze the fudge filling if that is what you want to stuff the cookies with.  Then once you atuff them in the cookie dough, freeze the doughs before baking.  My goal is to not have the filling spill out of the cookie. 

Also, remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Fudge filling ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a pan, heat cream to a boil.  Remove from heat and add chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Stir smooth and put in fridge for an hour to firm up.  After an hour, scoop out teaspoons of dough, place on a paper plate in freezer for a few hours.

  • Cookies Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 to 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add vanilla.  Mix in salt, flour and baking powder.  Fold in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Divide in half and flatten each half.   Place a frozen scoop of filling on top. 

Place other flattened dough half on top and seal.  

Freeze for a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes.  Edges will be golden.  Cool completely.   Place in fridge to keep filling firm

 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Black cocoa cutout cookies

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  I am trying to make as many different cutout cookies for Christmas as I can before Santa arrives on the 25th.  So far, I have made gingerbread men, a chocolate chip version, and chocolate version, using regular unsweetened cocoa.    Today, I made a black cocoa version.  

I used a mix of all purpose flour and cake flour, but you can use just AP flour if you want.

Remember to scoop your flour from their bags into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I cut out the cookies and then chilled them before baking.  And preheat your oven before baking.

Ingredients list

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1/2 cup black cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend on greek yogurt.   Mix in dry ingredients.   Sprinkle  flour on a clean surface.  Roll dough to desired thickness and cut with cookie cutter.  Chill a few hours. When ready to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cutouts on sheet, leaving some room. 

Bake 8 to 10 minutes.   Cool completely.  

Santa!

Frost as desired. 

Powdered sugar triple chip cookies

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  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup  sugar
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 5 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 /3 cup chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, oil, sugar and powdered sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Fold in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.   Bake 10 to 14 minutes. 

Nestle tollhouse double chocolate brownies

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  • Ingredients list
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup additional chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 9″ pan.  In a pan, bring butters, sugar and water to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Stir in chips until melted.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Mix in 1 cup chips.  Evenly spread into pan.  Bake 30 to 35 min

Sugar cookies

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These sugar cookies use vegetable oil instead of butter or crisco.  I wanted to make something quick for work today and thought these would work.  I did freeze the dough for a few hours before baking to keep the cookies from spreading too much.   I only used 3 cups of flour, I may use a little more next time and add some cornstarch too.

I ran out of frosting so one cookie got melted hershey kisses!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag so you get the right amount.  Freeze the individual doughs for an hour or so before baking.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees before baking.  And only bake these 9 to 11 minutes, no longer.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Extra sugar

Directions – in a bowl, combine sugar and vegetable oil.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in flour, baking soda and salt.   Scoop out individual doughs and form tall mounds.  Freeze and hiur or to.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and stack cookies on sheet.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes, no longer.   Pop in fridge to firm up and cool, as cookies may be gushy.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 4 tbs butter, melted
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Heavy cream/milk

Combine butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Add enough heavy cream or milk to get the consistency you want.  You may need to add more powdered sugar.  Frost cookies. 

I added some buffalo bills colored sugar!

Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by!

Week 15 victory monday cookies – XL puffy chocolate cookies with finely ground walnuts and topped with melted hershey kisses

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Today’s game took years off my life.  But a win is a win.  Go Bills.  Also, I  love josh allen.

These are a soft, thick, puffy chocolate cookie with finely ground walnuts.  You can leave them out if you want, use another kind, or throw in some chocolate chips.

These use a mix of bread flour and all purpose flour. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill the individual doughs for a few hours and preheat your oven to 350 before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips (microwaved in a microwave safe bowl in 45 second increments until you can stir them melted)
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbs bread flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely ground

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in melted chocolate.  Fold in dry ingredients.   Blend in nuts.   Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

For topping – in a microwave safe bowl, combine 35 unwrapped hershey kisses and 1 tbs butter.   Microwave in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.  Spoon on top of cookies. 

Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Ring dings/big wheels/ding dongs

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Use any chocolate cake mix, baked as directed in 9×13 pan.  Cool completely.  Cut in large circles using a  glass

Filling – beat 1 cup shortening 2 minutes.  Blend in 1 1/2 cups powered sugar that has been lifted.  Add 1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream.   Blend in 1 tsp vanilla then a few tsp of milk or heavy cream.

Ganache – bring 1/2 cup heavy cream and 4 tbs sugar to a boil.  Remove from heat.   Whisk in 1 cup chocolate chips until melted.  Stir in 1 tbs butter until melted