Tag Archives: baking cocoa

Cosmic brownie cookies

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To celebrate the start of the NCAA basketball tournament as well as the Division 3 frozen 4 (which is being held 10 minutes from where we live), I made cosmic brownie cookies.  They are like the little debbie cosmic brownies, which I loved as a child, in cookie form.  I used dark chocolate chips and black cocoa, but you can certainly use semisweet chips and regular baking cocoa.

Reminders – scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I recommend scooping out and freezing individual dough mounds before baking.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes once you are ready to bake.

  • Ingredients list
  • 12 tbs butter
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup black cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and dark chocolate chips in 45 second increments until you can stir it all smooth.  Add brown sugar and sugar.  Beat in one egg at a time.  Add vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 3 tbs of dough.  Freeze a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes.  Tops will be a little gushy.  Cool completely.   Pop in fridge to firm them up.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup black cocoa
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup warm water

Combine ingredients and frost cooled cookies.  Sprinkle with m&ms. 

Store in covered container.

Reese’s Pieces-peanut M&M chocolate cookies stuffed with Reese’s pb cups

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Well, sadly, on this football friday #20, I am not anxiously awaiting a Bills game this weekend. My guys are not playing. It is weird not to be getting excited for one of our games. Honestly, it It is a shock to my system how sudden the season can end this time of year.

Today’s treat is a chocolate cookie,with peanut butter chips, peanut m&ms and stuffed with a Reese’s peanut butter Christmas tree (I still have a lot left over from the holidays and they are good until August). Of course if peanut butter is not your bag, you can use chocolate chips, m&m’s and stuff them with oreos (or keep them plain).

A plain ore for Rob!

Remember to scoop your flour and cocoa from your container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. I ran out of time to chill the individual cookie dough pieces, but I would next time in hopes of them spreading less. Also, preheat your oven before baking.

Melt your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.

  • Ingredients list
  • 10 tbs butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 2/3 cups chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 bag peanut butter chips (10 oz)
  • 1 bag peanut butter m&ms (9 oz)

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Completely blend in melted chocolate. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix in chips and m&ms. Scoop out 1 1/3 tbs dough (I used a cookie scoop) and slightly flatten

Place a Reese’s tree on top

Top with another flattened 1 1/3 tbs dough

Seal edges

Stagger on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes, no longer. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today. Wishing you a day of love, joy and peace.

Oreo Brookie brownies

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An oreo layer on the left, nutter butter on the right

I could not decide between making brownies or chocolate chip cookies, so I combined them and put a layer of oreos in between them and baked them up. I thought of putting melted chocolate on top, but decided that would be too much. 😀

Remember to preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Also, scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Do the same drill with your baking cocoa.

  • Brownie ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup baking cocoa
  • Oreos

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. In a bowl, combine sugar, oil, and milk. Beat in eggs and vanilla. fold in dry ingredients. The mixture will be thick. Spread into bottom of prepared pan. Layer with oreos. Set aside

  • Chocolate chip layer
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup butter flavor crisco
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, crisco, sugar, and brown sugar. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Mix in chips. I grabbed handfuls of dough and flattened them like a pancake and placed them on top of oreo layer.

Bake in 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cover with tin foil to keep edges from getting too brown. Bake another 20 to 25 minutes (or possibly longer). Try not to let the edges get too brown. I would rather underbake than overbake. If you feel it is underbaked after you cut brownies up, you can chill them overnight in the fridge. That helps firm them up.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Remember to be kind!

Smores brownies

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A little story about these brownies. Rob decided to go to a local bakery (!) And buy a treat. He got this smores brownie thing that he said was not good. So he asked if I could make him some. These are pretty easy. I made homemade brownies, but you can certainly use a boxed mix for your brownies base.

These were hard to cut the way i made them. (Baked the brownies, immediately sprinkled with chocolate chips, graham cracker pieces, and cut up marshmallows). I think next time, I would cut the cooled brownies individually, then top them with melted chocolate, crushed graham crackers, and toasted marshmallows.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount (do the same for your baking cocoa). Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking

  • Ingredients
  • 10 tbs butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Marshmallows, mini or cut into pieces
  • Graham crackers broken into pieces
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. In a bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, brown sugar and baking cocoa. Add eggs, yolk and vanilla. Blend in flour, cornstarch and salt. Mixture will be thick. Spread in prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes (until toothpick inserted on center comes out with a few moist crumbs). You can do the topping one of two ways

1) sprinkle hot brownies with 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 4 graham crackers broken into pieces and 2 cups mini marshmallows. Broil on low 3 to 5 minutes. Cool completely. Cut and store in covered container.

2) cool brownies completely. In a pan sprayed with pam, toast marshmallows by broiling on low for 5 minutes Cut into pieces. Top with melted chocolate chips. Crushed graham crackers and toasted marshmallows. Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today! Remember to be kind. We are all fighting a battle of some sort.

Chocolate Reese’s Pieces cookies

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I noticed a couple of boxes of Reese’s Pieces in my baking cabinet, so I decided to put them in some large chocolate cookies. These only make 8, so I cut them in half and put some melted chocolate chips on a few halves. Not sure why. Also not sure why I thought it was a good idea to turn on the oven and bake when it is hot and disgustingly humid. Anyways, we celebrate the home run derby with these tomorrow at work.

A few tips : Scoop your flour and baking cocoa from your containers into your measuring cups so you get the right amount. Chill your mounds of dough at least a couple of hours to prevent too much spreading. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 8 tbs butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups Reese’s pieces

Directions – combine melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, and baking cocoa. Add vanilla, egg, and yolk. Blend in flour, cornstarch and baking soda. Dough will be very soft. Fold in Reese’s pieces. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Chill a few hours on fridge. Preheat ovento 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I put 4 on a sheet at a time bc they are 1/4 cups of dough each. Bake 12 minutes (no longer). Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by today. Please remember to be kind. We all need a little kindness.

A tribute to Little Debbie brownies

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A Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies tribute

I loved Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies (and Oatmeal Cream pies, too) growing up. With the brownies, I always thought the topping was magical, so delicious. I’m not sure how I would like the cosmic brownies now (processed foods have not been my thing for a long time), so I present to you homemade version. These have cornstarch in them to make them softer. I err on taking them out a little earlier (about 20 minutes) than too late because a dry brownie is a grave sin.

Remember to spoon your flour and baking cocoa from your flour bag and cocoa container into your measuring cups so you get the right amount. Pouring directly into the measuring cup would pack in the flour, and that makes for a dry treat. I also preheated my oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted then cooled for 5 to 10 minutes
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups flour (spooned from your flour bag into your measuring cups)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray and set aside. In a bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar and sugar. Blend in eggs. Fold in dry ingredients. Mixture will be thick. Evenly press into prepared pan. Bake 18 to 22 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center will come out with a few moist crumbs). Cool completely.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I combined semisweet and milk chocolate)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chips and milk in 1 minute increments until you can stir smooth. Stir for a few minutes to thicken up. Spread over cooled brownies. Sprinkle with mini m&ms. Let ganache set. Cut and store in covered container. I put mine in the fridge to help with the ganache setting.

Look at all that fudgy goodness

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you try these, let me know how you like them. Have a wonderful day and remember to be kind!

Fudgy Brownies

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Fudgy brownies

I got a request from Rob for brownies and thought these would fit the bill. I was looking for something that baked in 20 minutes or less.

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

  • Ingredients
  • 10 tbs butter
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave butter, sugar, baking cocoa and salt for 30 to 45 seconds. Stir. Mix in vanilla and eggs. Add flour and beat only for 40 strokes. Fold in chips. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center of brownies comes out basically clean. Cool completely.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a wonderful day with lots of love and joy!

Fudge topped, oreo stuffed blue velvet cookies

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Fudge topped, oreo stuffed blue velvet cookies

I wanted to make some red velvet cookies, but take it up a notch – so I decided to stuff them with oreos and top them with fudge and mini m&ms. I didn’t have enough red food color,so I opted for blue food color. When I added the baking cocoa it made for a very dark blue cookie. I don’t have this red velvet thing down very well, but I think these cookies will still be good. 😋

Remember to spoon your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. If you pour directly from the flour bag, the flour gets packed into the measuring cup and that can make for a dry cookie. I chilled the cookies overnight before baking, to minimize spread. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so your oven cycles to the right temp.

  • Cookie ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold and grated with a cheese grater or cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tbs food color
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 4 tsp cornstarch

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in food color. Stir in dry ingredients. Scoop out 1/4 cup of dough

Divide in half and flatten each half, enough so an oreo will fit with a little extra around it

Place an oreo between the two halves

Completely cover cookie

Chill cookies for at least a few hours. When ready to bake,preheat oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Stagger cookies on sheet (they do spread a bit).

Bake 15 minutes, no longer. As they are cooling, make the fudge topping. The topping may seem a little greasy when warm, but the fudge firms up nicely.

  • Fudge topping ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 cups milk (or semisweet) chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, over low heat, combine butter, sugar and evaporated milk. Stir occasionally to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chips until melted. Add vanilla. Spoon on top of cookies and press in some mini m&ms.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I wish you a wonderful day, filled with peace, love and joy. And remember to be kind. We all need a little kindness.

Easy chocolate snowball cookies

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Chocolate snowball cookies

These are simple and will satisfy any sweet tooth. They use a sugar cookie mix (17.5 oz), flour, baking cocoa, an egg and butter. I stuffed some with hershey kisses.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 sugar cookie mix (17.5 oz)
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Hershey kisses, if you want stuffed cookies
Cookie monster at it again!

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper. In a bowl, combine cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, baking cocoa and vanilla. Mix in chips. Scoop out 1 to 2 tbs cookie dough and roll into a ball. You can leave them plain or stuff them with kisses. Place on prepared sheet. Bake 10 minutes (no longer). Immediately after removing from oven, Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool completely. Sprinkle with more powdered sugar. Store in covered container.

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

One week until the NFL season opener brownies

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One week from tonight, the Bills and Rams kick off the 2022 NFL season. And to celebrate, such an occasion, I made brownies. Plus they fulfill Rob’s treat request. A win-win. Go Bills !!!

A couple of tops for you – remember to spoon your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temperature.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup baking cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line and 8×8 pan with parchment paper and spray the papered pan. In a microwave safe bowl, heat dark chocolate chips and butter in 30 second increments until you can stir it smooth. Add sugar and eggs. Blend in cocoa and flour. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread into pan. Sprinkle with additional chips. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely (although Rob is never good at that step before eating). Cut and store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today!!❤️❤️❤️