Tag Archives: baking

Nieman Marcus chocolate chip cookies

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This is one of those urban legend recipes.   Where a customer asked for a recipe from a Cafe and the employee said for two fifty.  The customer thought it was 2 dollars and 50 cents and the employee meant two hundred fifty dollars.  So the customer gave their credit card not realizing their different understanding, was charged, got mad,  and got even by passing the recipe on to everyone they knew.  

My friend’s mom gave me this recipe years ago (she knew it was not a true story, but shared with me due to my love of baking).  So here is is.

I was in a bit of a hurry, so i didn’t finely pulse the oats or hershey bar enough. Plus my blender is new and I am not sure of some of it’s limits.

I combined bread flour and all purpose flour.  You can use entirely AP flour of you want.  Freeze the chocolate bar and then gratinf it makes the grating process easier.  I also chilled the individual doughs overnight to keep them puffy.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups oats, finely ground (i used quick, but old fashioned likely would be fine too)
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 4 oz chocolate bar, grated
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients and oats.  Fold in chocolate and chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill several hours.   When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.   Line a cookie sheet with parchment t paper.  Stagger on sheet like below.

Bake 13 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  

Store in covered container.

Brownie cookies stuffed with tollhouse bars

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I made some tollhouse bars for Rob to take to his mom and had a lot leftover, so i decided to stuff the rest in brownie mix cookies.   Of course, you can stuff them with whatever you want.  I ran out of tollhouse bars, so the last 2 were stuffed with golden oreos. 🙂

Scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also chill the dough for a few hours before baking.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie mix
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Tollhouse bars cut into small squares, or other stuffables

Directions – in a bowl, mix brownie mix, flour, eggs, butter and vanilla.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough and divide in half.  Flatten each half slightly.

Place a tollhouse square on top of one half.

Top with another half. 

Seal edges and place on covered container.  Place in fridge for several hours.    When ready to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  

Check cookies after 16 minutes to check how done they are.  Bake another 5 if needed, so cookies are no longer gushy. 

Cool completely.  You can put in fridge to firm them up.  Store in covered container.

Monster cookies

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I haven’t made these in a while!  They suit so many cookie tastes – peanut butter, oatmeal, m&ms, milk chocolate chips.   I baked these directly from the freezer and they stayed perfectly puffy too!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Freezer your individual doughs for at least a few hours and preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 /2 cup butter, soft
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup mini m&ms
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients and oats.  Add m&ms and chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.   Freeze several hours, at least. Bake directly from freezer.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely. 

Store in covered container

Brown sugar snowball cookies with chocolate covered cookie dough bites

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I have a bunch of different snowball recipes.  Today is the brown sugar variety.  With chocolate covered cookie dough bites.  Not sure they were needed.  We will find out tomorrow when I bring them into work.

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 after you scoop them out.  Keep them frozen right up until they are baked. And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (scooped from flour bag into measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 2 cups bread flour (scooped into measuring cup)  can use entirely all purpose flour if you don’t have bread flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 oz cookie dough bites, placed in freezer for a few hours)
  • Powdered sugar
Cookie dough bites!

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in flour(s), baking soda and salt.   Mix in cookie dough bites with hands.   Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.

Roll in powdered sugar.

Place in covered container in freezer.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.   In a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 12 to 14 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle hot cookies with more powdered sugar. 

Cool completely and store in covered container.

Melted Ice Cream Brownies

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There are another tweak of a brownie recipe.  Four (!) ingredients – a brownie mix, one egg, melted butter and melted chocolate ice cream. You can use any flavor ice cream.  I baked them at a lower temperature, 325, because sometimes I find my brownies edges are too crisp.  

To melt the ice cream – place 1 1/2  cups in a microwave save bowl, microwave in 15 second increments until you can stir melted.   Pour in another measuring cup to make sure you have one cup.  Discard the rest.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup melted ice cream

Directions – Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.  In a bowl, combine all four ingredients and stir until just combined.   Spread in prepared pan.  Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely. 

Store in covered container.

Black cocoa cookies stuffed with cookies and cream spread

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The other day, I made peanut butter cookies stuffed with smores spread.  I am following that up today with black cocoa cookies stuffed with cookies and cream filling. 

Another amazing Aldi find!

A few things about this recipe.   Scoop out the cookies and cream spread and freeze for several hours.  As always, scoop the flour from your flour bag and cocoa from it’s container so you get the right amount.  Make the dough and once you fill each one with a ball of the spread, freeze the doughs for several hours.  Only when you are ready to bake, take the dough out.  Directly bake, in a preheated oven at 350 degrees from freezer.  only bake 15 to 16 minutes.  And store them in the fridge after they are completely cooled.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 2/3 to 3 cups flour (i may use 3 next time to try and prevent spreading a little more)
  • 1 cup black cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Cookies and cream spread, scooped into tiny mounds and frozen solid

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.   If dough seems too dry, add a tbs or two of heavy cream or milk.  Scoop out 1/4 cup of dough.

Divide in half and flatten each half.

On one half, place a frozen mound of cookies and cream spread. 

Top with other flattened half. 

Seal edges.

Freeze doughs for several hours.  When ready to bake, keep dough in freezer until oven is preheated to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.   Bake 15 to 16 minutes,  no longer.  Cool completely.   Store in fridge in covered container to keep filling firm.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mini chip snowball cookies (Italian version)

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The mini chip snowball cookies I make are a big hit with family and friends and so easy to make.  I made some for my youngest goddaughter Sara’s high school graduation Friday and for her grad party yesterday.  Rob wished he had brought home one, so i whipped up another batch today.  These are an Italian wedding cake cookies version, instead of using powdered sugar, they use regular granulated sugar.  It does make them a little more tender and fragile, but Rob deemed them still very good!

I recommend scooping your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also chill (or freeze) the individual doughs for  a few hours before baking, preheat your oven before baking.  And, sprinkle powdered sugar on before baking, right after they come out of the oven and after they cool for 3 times the sweetness!

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla.  Blend in flour, then mini chips.   Scoop our 2 tbs of dough, roll into a ball then thick disc.   Dip each side in powdered sugar.   Chill or freeze doughs a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 320 degrees.   Line a cookie sheet with a nonstick baking liner or parchment paper.   Place cookies on sheet (i fit 3 to a row, these did spread a little because I only chilled them an hour).   Bake  18 to 22 minutes (bottoms will be light golden).    Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Cool completely.   Sprinkle with more powdered sugar and store in covered container.

Chocolate s’mores cookies

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What’s better than a humid 90 degree day?  Turning on your oven to bake cookies and heat your houseboat even more.   Although these have smores cookies, which are a summer staple, so perhaps that makes it all ok. 

I used chocolate graham crackers in these, but regular grahams are just fine.

These feature mini marshmallow bits.  I don’t recommend mini marshmallows because I think they would get all melty during the baking process.  If you don’t have or can’t find marshmallow bits, perhaps toast some marshmallows ans put them on top of cookies after baking.

I also used 1 cup of bread flour, but feel free to use entirely all purpose flour.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring. Up.  And chill the individual doughs before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup marshmallow bits
  • 14 mini hershey bars, chopped

Directions- in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients then graham cracker crumbs.    Fold in chips, bits and hershey bars.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  Store in covered container

.

Thanks for stopping  by!

Sabres game 4 victory treats #2 – sugar coated xl peanut butter cookies

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The second treat for our game 4 win – extra large puffy peanut butter cookies rolled in sugar.   Sometimes in the playoffs, the victory treat game must be stepped up.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup peanuts, finely ground
Perfectly puffy!

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter.  Add eggs and vanilla..  blend in dry ingredients then peanuts.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Roll in extra sugar.  Chill a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Stagger cookies on sheet. Bake 14 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.

3 kinds of chip, 2 kinds of m&m, crushed chips ahoy game 6 victory bars

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Due to time constraints, life stuff and work,  am a little late in baking these treats for our first playoff series win in 19 years, but i feel i made up for it with my effort – these cookie bars have 3 types of chips (semisweet,  milk, and white,

2 kinds of m&ms (regular and mini peanut butter,

and crushed chips ahoy cookies….

with hershey kisses on top!

It was stressful, but wonderful watching our sabres win game 6 in Boston and move on (as a Buffalo fan, ending a Boston team’s season is sweet, considering all the pain they have caused us).  Now, we meet up and meet Tampa or Montreal in round 2!

These treats I jazzed up a lot.  You can keep them simple, if you like.  You absolutely do not need to add the crushed chips ahoy!

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 14 chips ahoy, finely crushed (opt)
  • 2 1/2 cups worth of chips, m&ms or whatever additions you want.

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray w pam.  Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter, crisco, sugar and briwn sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Mix in crushed chips ahoy then m&ms and chips.  Evenly spread into pan.

  Bake 18 minutes.  No longer.  Remove from oven and immediately press hershey kisses on top. 

Cool completely.  Store in covered container.