Small batch, XL Peanut butter cookies

XL Peanut Butter cookies topped with melted hershey kisses

It is rainy and windy here today, so I am baking more cookies (in addition to steak pizziaola), as we watch hockey. Instead of putting a Hersey kiss on top to make peanut blossoms, I melted a bunch of Hersey kisses and out that on top of the cookies instead.

Cookie monster!

A couple of notes about these cookies – I used a mix of cake flour and all purpose flour. If you don’t have cake flour, you make make it by adding 1/2 tbs of cornstarch to 1/2 cup flour and soft together. Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. I froze the cookie mounds for 30 minutes to help prevent spreading. I preheated the oven to 410 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. I did not cook these longer than 13 minutes. I did not want them to get too done and dry out.

These make 5 really big cookies. You can double the recipe and make 10 if you want.

  • Ingredients list
  • 12 cup butter, cold, grated with a cheese grater or cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup cake flour
  • 1 cup flour

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg, vanilla and peanut butter. Blend in dry ingredients. Divide evenly into 5 pieces of dough and roll into tall mounds. Roll each in sugar. Freeze at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 410 degrees for 20 minutes. On a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper, place 5 cookies on it, leaving room between each because cookies spread. Bake 10 to 13 minutes. No longer than 13 minutes. Cool completely.

Topping – in a bowl, combine 20 unwrapped hershey kisses with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Microwave in 30 second increments until you can stir smooth. Spoon on top of cooled cookies. Store in covered container.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a day filled with happiness, love and kindness!

Mini chocolate chip cutouts

I hope you can tell this is a Christmas tree

For my first cutout cookies of the season, I opted for a mini chocolate chip recipe and tossed in a few mini m&ms. I like my cookies thick, so these spread out a little more than I prefer. I will try to tweak the recipe to see if I can remedy that. I do recommend mini chocolate chips because the dough is easier to cut with cookie cutters.

These are very old, yet I can’t part with them!

I made my cutouts into cookie sandwiches because I am a terrible decorator. I use a simple vanilla and /or chocolate frosting.

A gingerbread man
Flip the gingerbread man upside down and you have a reindeer

Notes – remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup. If you chill the dough, take it out a few hours before so it is easier to roll. And preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so your oven cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup crisco
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini m&ms (or you can use another cup of mini chips)

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper. In a bowl, cream butter, crisco, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and salt. Blend in yolks. Fold in flour. Dough may take a while to come together. Add a tbs or 2 or water if you want to help blend dough. Mix in chips and m&ms. On a floured surface, roll and cut. Place on your prepared cookie sheet. Bake one sheet at a time, for ten minutes. Cool completley.

Frosting – combine 2 tbs butter (melted), with 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbs milk, 1 tsp vanilla. You can add more milk or powdered sugar to get the texture you want. I added green food coloring

These are a Christmas tree, Santa’s ans stockings
A stocking sandwich cookie.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Appreciate you!

Football friday for week 9 part 1 – Brownie mix cookies

Brownie mix cookies

A simple, yet great way to get your chocolate fix. Brownies, yet in cookies form. Plus, they take less time to bake than brownies, 10 minutes, as opposed to 20. Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into you measuring cup and preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking.

  • Ingredients
  • An 18.3 oz brownie mix
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners. In a bowl, combine brownie mix, eggs, oil, and water. Fold in chips. Scoop out 2 tbs of dough and place on baking sheets. Do not put too close together bc they spread a little. Bake 10 minutes. Sprinkle warm cookies with powdered sugar. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Cookie monster!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day, filled with peace, joy and love

Football friday #6 – Monster cookies for a monster football game on Sunday

Go Bills!

For the 5th (!) time since the fall of 2020, the Bills are playing the Chiefs. Both teams are 4-1, and jockeying for the top spot in the AFC. Monster game calls for monster cookies! These are huge, filled with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, mini m&ms and milk chocolate chips. Go Bills!

Reminders- spoon flour from flour bags into measuring cups to get the right amount. Preheat oven to 400 degrees for 20 minutes before baking.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, cold, grated with a cheese grater or cut into tiny squares
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 yolks
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup m&ms
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions -preheat oven to 400 degrees before baking. Line 2 cookie sheets with nonstick baking liners. In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and yolks. Blend in dry ingredients and oats. Mix in m&m and chips. (I actually ised my hands for that last part). Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll into balls. Flatten slightly. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool completley. Store in covered container.

That’s a lot of cookie!

Thanks for stopping by today! If you make these, let me know how they turn out!

Chocolate milk chocolate chip and m&m cookies for football Friday #4

Go Bills!

I have this bag of mini m&ms that seems endless.  No matter what I bake, there always appears to be a half bag left.  In my attempt to use them up, I present chocolate cookies with mini m&ms and milk chocolate chips.  Here’s to week 4!  Go Bills!

Remember to scoop your flour and baking cocoa from your flour bag into your measuring cup, so you get the correct amount.    Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees or 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

Football Friday
  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed into measuring cup)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour (scooped from flour bag into measuring cup)
  • 1 cup baking cocoa
  • 11/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup mini m&ms
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Direction – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  mix butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients and fold in chips and candy.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Using floured hands, shape dough into tall mounds and stagger on prepared cookie sheets.    Bake 13 minutes. (Do not overtake or they will dry out).   Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by!   Have a wonderful day!!

Celebrating national chocolate chip cookie day

It’s 102 degrees today, so why not fire up the oven? It had to be done today because it is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! These are simple, but large cookies, with 4 kinds of chocolate chips – semisweet, milk, white and mini. A reminder to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp. I recommend chilling the mounds of dough for a few hours. I was trying to speed up the process, so I froze them for 20 minutes.:)

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, cold and shredded with a cheese grater or cut into very small cubes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups chocolate chips ,(i combined semisweet, milk, white and mini)

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar (instead of a mixer, I actually used my hands, like making meatballs). Add eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix in chips. Divide dough evenly into 12 pieces. Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger 6 cookies on the sheet. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely. Store in covered container

Thank you for stopping by! Wishing you a day filled with peace, joy and love!

Mounds of ccc!

Devil dogs

Devil dogs/whoopie pies, Suzy q’s

Today’s recipe is devil dogs. They seem remarkably like whoopie pies, Suzy q’s or whatever other similar Hostess or Drake’s (or where I’m from – Stroemanns).. though for whoopie pies, I tend to use cake mixes and devil dogs, i opt for homemade. Anyways, I think these devil dogs came out ok.

  • Devil dogs ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 4 cups flour (scooped from your bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1 cup baking cocoa
  • 3 tsp baking soda

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Place parchment paper on a large cookie sheet or spray a canoe/twinkie pan with baking spray. (I used both pans). Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Scoop out dough and fill canoe pans halfway full. I used a medium cake batter scoop, which is 7 tsp of dough. On the parchment paper cookie sheet, scoop out dough (7 tsp) and form a square on the parchment paper. I made mine kinda large. Bake 11 to 14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions – blend butter and fluff. Mix in powdered sugar. If filling seems stiff, add a little milk to get the consistency you want.

Assembly – slice canoe/twinkie devil dogs in half horizontally. Spoon filling between the two pieces. Or spoon filling between two of them pieces that were baked on the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Store in covered container.

Kinda large!

Thanks for stopping by today. I wish you a day of peace, love and joy. And remember to be kind. The world needs your kindness

Portillo’s Chocolate cake

Portillo’s Chocolate cake

From time to time, when I peruse chocolate cake recipes to bake, I come across the chocolate cake from Portillo’s in Chicago. It’s a restaurant known for Chicago style hot dogs, Italian beef and chocolate cake. The recipe I found on a couple different sites (including Hellman’s) uses a chocolate cake mix, eggs, water and mayonnaise (as opposed to vegetable oil). You could also add chocolate chips, but i forgot. I also went with a homemade chocolate frosting. It is 100 degrees in CT this weekend, so I kept the cake in the fridge. My hubby is not a cake person, but he loves himself some frosting and he was a fan of this frosting!

Check out the frosting!
  • Ingredients
  • 1 chocolate cake mix (i used devil’s food)
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 3 eggs,
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Spray 2 nine inch cake pans with baking spray. In a bowl, combine cake mix, water, eggs and mayo. Beat on medium speed with a mixer for 2-3 minutes. Add chips. Divide evenly into prepared pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Remove from oven. Cool 10 minutes in pans. Remove from pans and cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups baking cocoa
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tbs vanilla extract

Directions- combine ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed until creamy. Frost cake

Thanks so much for stopping by! I wish you a day filled with peace, happiness and love.

Brookies cookies

Brookie cookies

When you can decide between a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie, you combine them! No better way to celebrate a weekend of game 7s in the NHL and NBA Playoffs. 7 game sevens total. Wow! What an awesome time of year!

Cookie monster!
  • Chocolate cookie ingredients
  • 8 tbs butter
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chips in 45 second increments until you can stir mixture smooth. In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture. Blend in dry ingredients then chips. Chill for 15 minutes in fridge

  • Chocolate chip cookie dough ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold, shredded with a cheese grater
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup cake flour
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg, yolk and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips.

Cookie assembly – using a 1 1/2 cookie scoop (or measuring spoons), scoop out your dough. Layer a scoop of chocolate dough, a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough, another scoop of chocolate dough, and another scoop of chocolate chip dough (6 tbs of dough, total). Roll into a ball to marble the doughs. Chill a few hours or over night.

This is how I stagger my cookies

When ready to bake – preheat oven to 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper, stagger cookies on a sheet. I fit 7 to a sheet. They do spread a little. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I wish you a day filled with peace, love and joy.

Golden oreo chocolate chip whoopie pies

Golden oreo chocolate chip whoopie pies

This is crushed oreo treat 2. ( I have a LOT of oreos.) This is a chocolate chip cookie recipe using crushed golden oreos. They came out a little flatter than I prefer, despite chilling the dough in the fridge.. so,I made them into half whoopie pies.! I will work on the puffiness another time. Perhaps adding more flour, or some baking powder will help. But i think my coworkers will be ok with them tomorrow.

Too flat!
  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients and oreos. Fold in chips. Divide dough evenly into 12 mounds and chill in fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (light golden spots on top). Cool completely. Divide each cookie in half

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1-2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
  • Heavy cream

Blend butter, powdered sugar and fluff. Add enough cream to get the consistency you want. Place a scoop between 2 cookie halves. Store in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by. Wishing you a day filled with peace, joy and love.