Category Archives: Uncategorized

XL chocolate cake

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I have a litany of baking items I rarely use – like a twinkie pan, whoopie pie pan, churr bake, cake pop maker and this 18×13 cake pan that I bought I long time ago for some reason.  So I put that 18×13 cake pan to use today and make a very large chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (hersheys recipe).  I am bringing in to work tomorrow for my espn radio friends working on Memorial Day.

You can also use a standard 9×13 pan, but obviously,  your cake will be thicker and take longer to bake (maybe check after 25 to 30 minutes, with the toothpick test)

  • Ingredients
  • 2 cups flour (scooped from flour bag into your measuring cups so you get the right amount)
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups hot water or coffee (coffee can bring out extra chocolate flavor)

Directions – line  a 18×13 pan with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, blend dry ingredients together.  Mix in milk, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Blend in coffee or water.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake 20 minutes for 18×13 pan.  Check after 25 minutes for 9×13 pan (toothpick will come out with moist crumbs).  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vania

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter and cocoa.  Blend in powdered sugar and milk.  With a hand mixer, beat to desired consistency.  Blend in vanilla.  Frost cake.  Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today.   Wishing you a day filled with peace,  love and joy!

Celebrating the NHL and NBA postseasons with a classic!

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When it comes to the playoffs, bigger is better.  That is my thought process with these cookies.  They are beyond large – 6 inches in diameter when baked.  I made 6 or 7 of these and plan on cutting them into quarters after they cool.  I also will be storing them in the fridge for a few hours to help them firm up a bit.

This is what happens when a certain someone does not let the cookie cool!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill the individual mounds of dough a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp. 

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, cold and cubed into tiny squares
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 3/4 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 extra cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips.

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients.  Fold in 2 cups chips.  Divide dough evenly into 7 pieces.  In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup remaining chocolate chips and mini chips.  Roll tops and sides  of cookie doughs into chips mixture. 

This is how the doughs look after dipped in the chocolate chip mixture

Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Place cookies on sheet, leaving plenty of room bc these spread.  Bake 20 minutes, no longer.  Cool completley.  Store in a covered container in the fridge to firm up cookies. 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Crushed Oreo Snowball cookies with mini chocolate chips

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I had (and still have) a large container of oreos and wanted to use some up, so I crushed up some and popped them in a snowball cookie recipe.  They came out pretty good.  These are super easy to make. 

Remember to scoop your flour and powdered sugar from their respective containers into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also, preheat the oven to 375 degrees before baking cookies.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tbs water
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups finely crushed oreos
  • 1 to 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and crisco.  Add vanilla and salt.  Mix in powdered sugar.  Blend in flour then Oreos.  Fold in chips.  Scoop put 1 1/3 tbs dough.   Chill a few hours.  Preheat ovent to 375 degrees.  Bake 9 to 10 minutes (no longer).  Sprinkle hot cookies with powdered sugar or top with melted milk chocolate.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Wishing you a day of love and peace and joy!

Sugar cookie sandwiches

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I needed a part 2 for my treats to bring to work today, so I went with sugar cookie sandwiches.   I meant to color the frosting blue but accidentally grabbed the green tube.  Not that it matters!

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour (scooped from flour bag into measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.    In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.   Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in flour and baking powder.  Scoop out 2 tbs dough and roll into a ball.  Stagger onto prepared sheets.  These spread out a little.  Slightly flatten each.  Bake 10 minutes.   Tops will be a little underbaked.   It is ok.  Let them cool 10 minutes and then pop them in a Tupperware container and put in fridge to cool completely.  

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softene#
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 to 2 tbs milk

In a bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Add milk.  Add more powdered sugar, if needed to get the consistency you want.  Frost between 2 cookies.  I cut the sandwiches in half.  Store in fridge for a few hours. Store in covered container.

Flourless chocolate cake/brownies

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A little story behind why I made this cake.  Rob got himself a piece of  flourless chocolate and put it in the fridge.  I was reorganizing, and it plopped onto the floor.  To make good, I made a one layer cake.  So simple to make!  Very chocolately!

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa (scooped from container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line only the  bottom of a round cake pan with parchment paper and spray with Pam.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate chips in 30 second increments until you can stir smooth.  Add sugar.  Blend in eggs, one at a time.  Mix in vanilla.  Blend in cocoa.  Spread evenly into pan.  Bake 25 minutes, no longer.   Cool ten minutes.  Flip over onto  serving plate.  Cool completely.  Store in covered container.

Frosted  brownie cookies

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A simple, super chocolate cookie made using a brownie mix.  They do not need to be frosted, but I chose to.. and I topped them with m&ms. 

I chilled the individual mounds of dough to keep them from spreading too much.   Also wait until the cookies are completely cooled before frosting.  I was a little impatient with the final batch and things got a little messy!

  • Ingredients list
  • 2 brownie mixes (each one I used was 18.2 oz)
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa (scooped from cocoa container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tbs corn syrup, honey, chocolate syrup, (or hot fudge at  room temp)

Directions – in a bowl, combine ingredients.  Scoop out 2 tbs of dough (dough is soft).  Place individual doughs in fridge for a few hours.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Just before baking, i formed the doughs into tall mounds.  Line cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies.  Bake 8 to 10 min (no longer)

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (scooped from container into measuring cup)
  • 1 /2 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 to 6 tbs water (depending on consistency you want)

In a bowl, combine ingredients.   Frost completely cooked cookies.  Top with m&ms.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Wishing you a day filled with peace, love and joy.

NFL Draft Day 2024 cookies

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To celebrate the start of the NFL draft tomorrow, I made chocolate chip cookies with some ground up chips ahoy mixed in and frosting some of them.  All of them are not frosted because I either make too much or too little frosting.   And tonight, I made too little.  I think the unfrosted ones will still be well-received.

 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also chilled the individual dough overnight to try and keep the cookies from spreading too thin.  

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 cups crushed chips ahoy
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Fold in ground chips ahoy.  Mix in chips.  scoop out 1/4 cups dough.   Chill, in covered container, overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger on cookie sheet.  Leave some room.  These do spread.  Bake 10 to 11 minutes (no longer).  Cool completely. 

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 6 tbs butter, melted
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • Heavy cream or milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter and powdered sugar.  Add cream or milk, 1 tbs at a time, to get the consistency you want.  Stir in vanilla.  Frost cookies.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Go Bills!!!

Brownie stuffed peanut butter cookies

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The other cookies I made using small brown squares – peanut butter!   Few things go together like peanut butter and chocolate.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into you measuring cup so you get the right amount.   Chill your brownie stuffed cookie dough overnight to prevent spreading.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs milk
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Brownies cut into 1 inch squares

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco and peanut butter.  Blend in sugar and brown sugar.  Add egg, vanilla, and milk.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 2 tbs dough.  Divide in half and slightly flatten. Place a brownie piece between 2 flattened halves and seal edges around brownie.  Chill a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes (no longer).  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Brownie stuffed snowball cookies

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I made a large pan of brownies, Rob had one (per usual 😀), so I needed not one, but two kinds of cookie doughs to stuff them in.  These are snowballs – similar to Italian/Mexican wedding cakes or Russian tea cakes.  Very soft cookies because powdered sugar is used instead of granulated sugar.  

A couple of notes : Scoop your flour and powdered sugar into the measuring cup so you get the right amount.   I also chilled my dough overnight to prevent spreading.  Preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.  Do not bake cookies longer than 12 minutes, or else the bottoms will burn.

  • Ingredients list
  • Batch of brownies, cut into 2 inch squares
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and  vanilla.  Blend in powdered sugar.  Mix  in flour and salt.  Fold in chips.  Scoop out 2 tbs dough and divide in half.  slightly flatten each half.  Place brownie piece between the halves and seal edges.   Chill a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes (no longer).  Dust warm cookies with powdered sugar.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! 

Milk chocolate chip mini marshmallow bit cookies

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I went a little out of the box with this treat – milk chocolate chip cookies with mini marshmallow bits.  I thought they would be easier to use and less messy than mini marshmallows.  And they were!

I used a combination of cocoa powder and hot cocoa mix, but you can leave out the cocoa mix if you want.

Remember to scoop your flour and cocoa from their respective containers so you get the correct amount.  If you pour directly into the measuring cup, it gets packed in, and you end up with too much flour and dry cookies.  Yuck!

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbs brown sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 1/4 plus 2 tbs flour
  • 1/2 cup hot cocoa mix
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 cup mini marshmallow bits
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions- in a bowl, cream butter, crisco, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs.  Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in chips and marshmallow bits.   Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Chill and hour or two.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and stagger cookies.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes. Cool completely.  Store in covered container.

Thank so much for stopping by today.  Wishing you a day of peace, joy and love.  Remember to be kind.