My beloved Buffalo Bills have 3 losses this season. There are only 3 Sundays i have not baked. So clearly, there is a correlation between a Buffalo win and my baking. I can not be responsible for another loss, so even though I am exhausted, I made a treat for tomorrow – no bake peanut butter bars. They are usually made with crushed Graham crackers, but I opted for Ritz crackers.

You could also probably use chocolate graham crackers or nilla wafers or a similar cookie too. I have 3 huge bags of nestle chocolate chips, so I used that for my topping. #GOBILLS!

Bar ingredients

• 2 sleeves Ritz crackers, finely crushed
• 10 tbs butter
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions –melt butter and peanut butter in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Press into 8×8 or 9×9 pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

Topping – microwave 2 cups chocolate chips and 1 tbs shortening for 45 seconds. Stir smooth. (You may need to do another 20 seconds). Pour on top and smooth out.

Put in fridge for an hour. Cut. Store in covered container.

A nice little fall dessert – carrot cake, pumpkin cookies. I added some chocolate chips because I have 3 huuuuuge bags of nestle chips (thanks to Bjs, which keeps sending me baking coupons. You should see all the flour, sugar, and powdered sugar I have too). This is simple – I used a carrot cake mix, some canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie filling). You probably could use a white or yellow or spice cake mix too. I cheated on the frosting and used a can that I bought at walmart (time crunch today).

Ingredients

• Carrot cake mix
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – combine cake mix, puree, egg and butter. Fold in chips. Cover and chill at least a few hours. Preheat oven to 350. On a baking sheet lined with nonstick baking liners, ccoop out 1/4 cups of dough and stagger them on sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. They will be lightly golden on bottom. They may be seem a little undercooked but will continue to cook on sheet once removed from oven.

Let cool. Frost with cream cheese or vanilla frosting.

Store in covered container.

I was anticipating having a ton of Halloween candy left over and what I would bake with it. We had over 300 candies – Reese’s pb cups,snickers, Hershey bars, smarties and charms blow pops (the last two items were for kids with food allergies). We had 3 pb cups leftover. We must have had 125 to 150 kids. Each got a piece of chocolate candy and a smarties or a sucker. I mean, I can’t do anything with a sucker or smarties package, so they needed to be given out. I think my favorite costume was a little Ghostbusters. There were also 2 Ralph the Rex kids, and to watch them try to walk was hilarious. Gracie did great. I gave out candy and Rob held her by the collar. All the kids loved her, except one little girl,who ran off the porch,when Gracie ran to the door and sat (she did not bark)

This treat combines a cake mix and cookie mix and is frosted with a texas sheet cake frosting and a few pieces have some cut up pb cups. You can use any flavor cake mix and any flavor cookie mix.

Ingredients

• 1 cake mix (I used chocolate)
• 1 cookie mix (I used chocolate chocolate chip)
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbs vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cake mix, cookie mix, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Press into 9×13 pan sprayes with baking spray. I used this wilton’s spray and it is awesome!

My other sprays were letting me down with cakes and brownies sticking to the pan. This wilton’s spray rocks! Press dough into prepared pan.

Bake 22 to 27 minutes. After bars are done, immediately start making the frosting.

Ingredients

• 4 tbs Milk
• 4,tbs baking cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 stick butter

Directions – melt butter. Add cocoa and 1 tbs milk. Cook and stir and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and remaining 3 tbs of milk. Pour over warm bars. Top with cut up candy or crushed cookies. Frosting should be set after an hour.

Cut and store in covered container.

Halloween is less than a week away! I believe we have over 200 candy bars and I am nervous that may not be enough! So I probably in a panic, will buy at least another 2 bags. I can always bake with some of the leftovers, right? In addition to Reeses on cups, Hershey bars and snickers, we also have gluten free and peanut free options – and charms blow pops!

Today’s treat is another orange colored cookie ode to Halloween – orange velvet cookies. Basically I tweaked a red velvet cookie recipe and colored it orange and topped each with orange frosting. This recipe makes a TON of cookies, so you might want to cut it in half

Ingredients –

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbs water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs vanilla
• 5 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp salt
• Orange food coloring

Directions – cream butter, oil, sugar and powdered sugar. Add water and eggs. Mix in food coloring. Fold in dry ingredients. Scoop out 2 tbs of dough and roll into balls, then roll in sugar. Slightly flatten. Chill a few hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Stagger on cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. They will be a little mushy on top,and light golden on bottom.

Cool on sheet 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 3 -4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbs milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Orange food coloring

Directions

Cream butter and 3 cups powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla. Blend in food coloring. You may need more powdered sugar or milk, depending on the consistency you want.

Frost cookies and store in covered container.

What’s better than a chocolate chip cookie? A giant chocolate chip cookie – big, puffy and soft (and a little gushy, if it is still warm). These use melted butter and need to be refrigerated for at least a couple of hours in order to be puffy!

One note on preheating your oven. I found out for our gas stove to get to the right temperature, it takes 20 minutes from when the oven is turned on. So I set the timer and then put cookies in 20 minutes later. A tech from LG told me after he came out to check the stove and hear me vent my frustrations that our new stove (in 2018) was not baking correctly. Stanley told me the 20 minute tip and he is right. That needs to be in the owners manual!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour (scooped from,flour container into measuring cup to get the correct amount. Do not pour from container directly into measuring cup)
• 2 tbs cornstarch
• 2-3 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Mix butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Fold in flour. Mix in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie and form into mounds. Chill at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Stagger on a cookie sheet that has been lined with nonstick baking liners. Bake 10 to 13 minutes. There will be light golden patches on top. Bottoms of cookies will be a light golden brown. They may seem a little mushy, but will firm up. Cool on sheet 10 minutes.

Cool completely.

Store in covered container.

Chocolate chip cookies have to be one of the treats I receive the most requests for (which would explain why I have 3 bags of the BJ’s megasize bags of chocolate chips at my house at any given time. And even when I don’t need them, I buy them because BJ’s keeps sending me coupons). So I like to have several recipes in my “rotation” so I am not making the exact same cookies over and over. These cookies are a solid addition, sort of like when the Yankees added Mike Mussina in 2001. 🙂

* Note – These use cream of tartar, as well as powdered sugar in place of brown sugar and swaps out some butter for vegetable oil. I also chilled the dough for a few hours because I want puffy, large cookies. Flat cookies annoy me, as do small cookies.

*Note #2- remember to scoop flour from it’s container into your measuring cup using a large spoon or scoop, so you get the correct amount. Do the same with the powdered sugar.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Cream butter, oil, sugar and powdered sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Blend in chips. Using a large cookie scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out mounds of dough, piled high. Chill for a few hours. Preheat oven to 350. Stagger on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or non stick baking liners. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. (Bottoms of cookies will be lightly golden). Let sit on cookie sheet ten minutes. Remove and Cool completely.

Store in covered container.

I love fall! The baking part, not so much the 35 degree mornings and dreading the impending winter. Right now, I am watching game 2, Yankees-Twins ALDS. My husband is at the game with a friend. I could never make it through a night MLB playoff game. I would be too cold!!! I am also watching the Sabres home opener, which is pretty cool. They are celebrating their 50th season and tonight is captains night, so many captains throughout the team’s history are there. I have made these pumpkin cookies, so the the house smells amazing, gracie is resting/sleeping on her bed,

and I am watching 2 of my 3 favorite teams play, so all is well. These cookies are part of the popular swig cookies,which I believe originated in Utah.

Cookie ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter,softened
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs water
• 1 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not the pie filling)

Directions

Cream butter, oil, powdered sugar and sugar. Add egg, pumpkin and water. Fold in dry ingredients. Scoop 2 tbs of dough and roll into mounds. Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 350. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Cool.

Frost with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting. (I colored mine orange)

Store in covered containee.

Today’s treat is one of two I am bringing into work tomorrow and it is part of my fall theme – a cookie version of carrot cake. And I used carrot baby food because grating carrots is not the most fun activity. I also added mini chocolate chips. You can leave them out or add nuts if you would like. They are topped with a frosting, where I used neufactel cheese instead of cream cheese (less fat and calories).

Cookie ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 12 oz carrot baby food
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips or walnuts (opt)

Directions

Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg, vanilla and baby food. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips and/or nuts. Roll 2 tbs into balls. Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stagger on cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners. Bake 9-12 minutes. Cool.

Frosting ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions – cream butter and cream cheese. Blend in powdered sugar. Frost cookies.

Store in covered containee.

I felt the need to bring in another treat tomorrow, so I felt a peanut butter sandwich cookie would partner well with the oatmeal chocolate chip treats. I opted for a chocolate filling bc peanut butter and chocolate are a perfect marriage.

Cookie ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbs water
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp salt

Directions – cream butter, shortening, peanut butter, sugar, 2 tbs water, and powdered sugar. Add eggs. Fold in remaining ingredients. Spoon out 2 tbs of dough. Roll into balls. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with sugar. Chill 3 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Stagger on a cookie sheet, lined with nonstick baking liners. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Edges will be light golden. Middle may be seem a little doughy. Let sit on sheet 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1-2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips, melted

Directions

Cream butter and powdered sugar. Blend in cocoa then melted chocolate. You can add extra powdered sugar of you want filling a little thicker.

Fill the cookies.

Store in covered container.

This is one of my work treats for tomorrow morning. They are oatmeal cookies with mini chocolate chips and vanilla frosting,. Lots of sugar to get work friends through a very busy Saturday at the Worldwide leader in sports – MLB playoffs (go Yankees!), college football, and the NHL (go Sabres!) Are they somewhat healthy bc they have oatmeal in them? 😋 oh, and I smudged them slightly and sprinkled them with sugar, so they are “deflated.” So should I call them “Tom Brady cookies”?😄

Cookie ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 tbs water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup oats (I used quick cook)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions – cream shortening, sugar ans brown sugar. Add water and egg. Fold in dry ingredients, along with oats. Blend in chips. Spoon out ice cream scoop size of dough (about 2 tbs). Roll into balls. Slightly flatten and sprinkle w sugar. Chill a few hours or overnight in fridge. Preheat oven to 325. Stagger on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners. Bake 11 to 13 minutes. Edges will be a little golden, middle will seem doughy. Let set on sheet for 10 min. Cool completely.

Frosting ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 – 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbs Milk
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions – cream butter with one cup of powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla. Add more powdered sugar of you want frosting a little thicker. Frost cookies.

Store in covered container.