Victory Monday week 8 treats – Dark chocolate mini m&m milk chocolate chip cookies

That is a mouthful of a title, I know.  But these are a seriously chocolate cookie – melted dark chocolate chips in the dough and filled with mini m&ms and milk chocolate chips.

To melt the chips – place them in a microwave safe bowl and melt them in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.  

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag so you get the right amount.  Also, chill the individual doughs for a few hours before baking, and preheat your oven before baking.

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

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in melted chocolate chips.  Fold in dry ingredients.   Mix in m&ms and milk chocolate chips.  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 like below.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer.  Right after removing from oven, gently press more milk chocolate chips on top of cookies.

These will likely be gushy.  Pop them in the fridge to firm them up.  Store in covered container.

Halloween Cutout Sugar cookies

This is the sugar cookierecipe I use for all my holiday cutout cookies – halloween, Thanksgiving,  Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, football ( i know football is not a holiday but if i have cookie cutters for something, it is a holiday for me)   This recipe  is from a friend of my family.  They bring back a lot of wonderful memories of baking with my mom when I was younger.  And these were my dad’s favorite cookies and he loved the dough too!

Remember 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 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
A plethora of pumpkins!

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Slowly blend in dry ingredients.    Sprinkle flour on your countertop and roll out dough to desired thickness.   Cut out cookies.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 8 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

A gaggle of ghosts
  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 to 3 tbs heavy cream (depending on consistency you want)
  • Food coloring or sprinkles

In a bowl, combine ingredients. Frost cookies and sprinkle with sprinkles.  Store in covered container.

Chocolate chip bars

I wanted to bring in a second treat for tomorrow because not everyone likes peanut butter.  So I made chocolate chips bars.  These are super easy and soft and delicious!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.   Remember to preheat yourvoven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled 10 minutes
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into cup
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with pam.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, yolk and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Fold in 1 cup chips.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.   Sprinkle remaining chips on top and gently press into dough.  Bake 30 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Week 2 victory Monday treats

To celebrate the Bills week 2 win over the jets, I present carrot cake cookies.  The exception to these is that instead of grating carrots (which, is not fun), I used carrot baby food.  My mother in law gave me a carrot cake recipe, so it is based on that.

And the special ingredient- mini chocolate chips!!!!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill the individual doughs before baking.   preheat your oven before baking and only bake these 10 minutes. You can always pop them in the fridge after they are cooled and frosted to firm them up

  • Ingredients list
  • 10 tbs butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packead into measuring cup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 8 oz carrot baby food
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice or nutmeg
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Blend in egg, vanilla and carrot baby food.  Fold in dry ingredients.   Mix in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Freeze and hour or chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger mounds of dough on sheet. 

Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbs milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, blend butter and cream cheese.   Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.  Frost cooled cookies. 

Store in covered container.

Triple Peanut butter cookies topped with melted chocolate (with nutter butters and peanuts)

I present a twist on a typical peanut butter cookie.  These also have finely ground butter butter cookies and finely ground peanuts.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. 

I formed these into tall mounds then froze them, and they stayed super puffy.  I think next time I may flatten them slightly before chilling or freezing, or I may bake them right after making the dough.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup crisco
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 15 nutter butters, finely crushed
  • 1 cup peanuts, finely ground

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Fold in nutter butters and peanuts.  Scoop into 1/4 cups dough and roll into tall mounds.  If you are going to chill or freeze these, flatten doughs slightly.   Keep them tall if you are going to bake right away.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet. Bake 10 to 11 minutes, no longer.  They will be a little gushy, but you can pop them in the fridge to firm up.  

Top with melted chocolate. 

Store in covered container.

Frosted chocolate chip cookies (with chips ahoy mixed in)

I have seen suggestions to add finely ground cookies or pop tarts to homemade cookies for a neat twist so I have done that with these chocolate chip cookies, adding 2 cups of finely ground chips ahoy.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also chill the individual doughs for a few hours to keep them puffy.  And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Cookies ingredients list
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups finely ground chips ahoy cookies (save a few tbs to sprinkle on top of frosting)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in finely ground chips ahoy cookies.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 6 tbs butter, softened
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar (scooped from your bag into measuring cup)
  • 3 tbs heavy cream

In a bowl, cream butter and vanilla.  Blend in powdered sugar.  Add enough cream to get the consistency you want. Frost cookies.  Sprinkle extra crushed chips ahoy on top.  Store in covered container.

Chocolate chip cookies made with melted butter

I decided to make chocolate chip cookies with melted butter because I was in a hurry.  They are a little flatter than I prefer my cookies to be, but I think they are just fine.

Sometimes I like to change up the sweeteners (sugars).  This time, I used less sugar and added some maple syrup.  You could use honey or corn syrup instead.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I recommend freezing the individual doughs for 30 to 45 minutes or chill them in the fridge for a few hours to keep them from spreading too much. And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled 10 minutes
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and maple syrup.  Fold in dry ingredients.   If dough seems a little dry, add a tbs or two of water.  Mix in chips. Scoop our 1/4 cups of dough.  Freeze 30 minutes or chill a few hours in fridge.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on it.  Bake 11 to 14 minutes (no longer).  Cool completely.    Pop cookies in the fridge if you think they seem too gushy.  Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Browned  peanut butter cookies topped with melted hershey kisses

This variation of peanut butter cookies start with browned butter.  It adds a nice nutty flavor to cookies.  Perfect for peanut butter cookies!   Making browned butter is easy.  You put the butter in a pan.  Turn your stove top burner to medium heat.  Let butter cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally,  until you see tiny brown specks in it.  Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

I used finely ground peanuts in these.  You can leave them out if you want.  You could also add peanut butter chips, which I have but forgot to add this time.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also, I recommend chilling the dough at least a few hours.  And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, browned and cooled for 5 to 10 minutes
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into your measuring cups
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup peanuts, finely ground
  • Extra sugar

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Blend in peanut butter.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients,  then fold in nuts.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and roll into extra sugar.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 14 to 16 minutes (tops will be lightly golden, make sure bottoms don’t get top dark).  Cool completely. 

Top with melted hershey kisses. 

Store in covered container

XL Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I have never had much luck making crinkle cookies.  They usually come put flat like pancakes.  These were perfectly puffy.  I think it helped I used cold butter and butter crisco. 

Remember to spoon your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also preheat your oven before baking.  And because these are baked at a higher temp, only bake for 10 minutes.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Extra granulated sugar
  • Powdered sugar

Directions – preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, cream butter, 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, yolks and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Form 12 even pieces of dough.  Roll in extra granulated sugar then powdered sugar.  Place 6 on prepared sheet, leaving a few inches between doughs.  Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let sit on cookie sheet for 15 minutes.   Store in covered container. 

Thank you for stopping by!

Sugar topped puffy peanut butter cookies

Did  I like it being 40 degrees a few weeks ago while we walked Gracie in the morning?  No.   Do I like it being over 100 degrees this week?  Also, no.  But this heat  has not stopped me from baking.  These are peanut butter cookies topped with sugar.  They are for a work friend’s birthday tomorrow.

I used crisco, but you cam use butter.  Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill the individual  doughs at least a few hours.  Preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (firmly packed into measuring cup)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Extra sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking powder and salt.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and tip tops in extra sugar.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer. Cool completely.   Store in covered container.