Vanilla ice cream cookies with vanilla ice cream frosting

These are like a snowball cookie, using butter, powdered sugar, flour, but i added some vanilla ice cream and some vanilla ice cream frosting.  Why?  Not sure, just thought it would be neat to incorporate ice cream in some treats.

These are not overly sweet, so the frosting brings up the sweet level!

Remember to scoop you flour and powdered sugar from their respective containers into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also recommend chilling the individual doughs for a few hours.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softener
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup vanilla ice cream, melted
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions – in a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and powdered sugar.  Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly (you could also try a hand mixer).  Add egg, vanilla and melted ice cream.  Add chips, if using.  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 14 to 16 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.   Pop in fridge for a bit to firm them up. 

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs ice cream, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, combine ingredients.   Frost cookies. 

Store in covered container in fridge to firm cookies up.

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

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.

Frosted malted blondies with mini chocolate chips and malted frosting

I wanted to make another recipe using my malted milk powder, so I opted for blondies with mini chocolate chips and topped with malted milk frosting.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount (do not pour from flour bag because that packs it in and can result in a dry blondie).  Also firmly packed your brown sugar into your measuring cup.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup crisco
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup malted milk powder
  • 1 cup mini chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line a 9×9 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.   Set aside.   In a bowl, cream butter, crisco, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in flour, baking powder and milk powder.  Stir in chips.   Spread evenly into prepared pan. 

Bake 30 to 33 minutes, until golden on top, no longer.   Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup malted milk powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 tbs heavy cream

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, milk powder and powdered sugar.  Add vanilla and heavy cream.  You may need to add more powdered sugar and /or heavy cream to get the consistency you want.  Frost bars.  

Store in covered container. 

Almond m&m milk chocolate chip cookies

Rob bought some almond m&ms and I thought they would be perfect in a cookie!

   I used a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, instead of vanilla, I used almond extract.   I also used part bread flour along with all purpose flour.  They spread out a little more than I prefer, so maybe next time I add a little more flour and bake  the dough frozen to see if that helps.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount, freeze the individual doughs before baking and preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter,  softened
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of almond m&ms
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients then m&ms and chips.   Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and freeze.   When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger dough on sheets.  

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer.  Immediately gently press extra chips into tops of cookies. 

Cool completely.  Store in covered container.

First playoff win in 15 years celebration bars

These are quite a concoction to honor the Sabres first playoff win in 15 years in our first playoff game in 15 years.  I wondered how nervous I would be, as I would be working in studio for Sunday night baseball on espn radio.  The answer – very.  I was extremely antsy, much like for Bills playoff games.  And for 52 minutes, I did not take a breath.  We were down 2-nothing, scored 4 unanswered goals and beat Boston 4-3 in game one.  What i loved seeing is all the videos of people inside Key Bank Center and at various places indoors and outdoors, watching.   It was just awesome.  i am not sure how far this sabres team will go, but it just feels different.

Because it was such an impressive comeback win, these treats are a doozy- chocolate chip cookie layer on the bottom, a layer of oreos, a layer of brownies, and pieces of mini hershey bars pressed into the bars immediately after taking them out of the oven.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  And firmly packed brown sugar into your measuring cup.  And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Chocolate chip cookie layer
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray.   Place parchment paper on top of sprayed pan.  Set aside.   In a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add egg, yolk and vanilla.  Blend in flour.   Mix in chips.  Gently press into prepared pan.

Top with a layer of oreos.

  • Brownie ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chips in 45 second increments until you can stir melted.   Add sugar and eggs.  Blend in flour and cocoa.   Drop by large spoonfuls on top of oreo layer and spread evenly.

Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Gently press Press pieces of hershey bars on top. 

Cool completely.    Store in covered container.

Smores cookies (for the Sabres first playoff game in 15 years)

The Sabres play our first playoff game in 15 years tomorrow.  As I racked my brain to determine what treat might be special enough, I put the question to my husband – what kind of cookie – smores cookies, rocky road, brownie Rockies road, twix?  He settled on smores- a milk chocolate chip cookie dough with crushed graham crackers and mini marshmallow bits.  

Special enough?  I hope so. 

Note – my parents gave me this Sabres golf ball in 1999 and I have had it on display next to our kitchen sink since we bought our house in 2001.  Plenty of lean years since then, but my Fandom never left me. 

I started getting nervous/ excited on my drive home from work today at 5.   Not sure what i will be like tomorrow at work during Sunday night baseball.   Pray for my crew.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour  bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.   I did not chill these and they puffed up nicely.  

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 /2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups marshmallow bits
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.   In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.  Add vanilla and eggs.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Using your hands, mix in chips and marshmallow bits, like you would do with meatballs.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Stagger on prepared sheet.Bake 8 to 10 minutes, no longer (edges of bottoms will be golden brown)  cool completely.  

Store in covered container.

Mini Peanut butter m&m peanut butter cookies stuffed with Reese’s eggs

My other treat for work, in honor of opening day of the NHL and NBA Playoffs and my Sabres first playoff game in forever, is for all my peanut butter loving friends- peanut butter cookies with mini peanut butter m&ms

And stuffed with reese’s eggs.  

Boom!

Remember to scoop your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also firmly packed your brown sugar into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill the dough at least a few hours before baking to keep them puffy and preheat the oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup peanut butter mini m&ms
  • Reeses eggs, unwrapped  (not the regular size ones)

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add egg, vanilla and milk.  Blend in dry ingredients then m&ms.   Scoop out 1/4 cup of dough and divide in half.  Flatten each half.  On one half, place a Reese’s egg.  Place other half on top and seal edges. 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.

Ice cream hot fudge m&m cookie dough brownies with melted hershey bars

Celebrating the Sabres first division title in a looooong time.   Next level cookie dough brownies, featuring a brownie mix.

Ice cream and hot fudge

Mini m&ms

And melted hershey bars

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup ice cream (not melted)
  • 1/4 cup hot fudge
  • 1 cup mini m&ms

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine brownie mix, eggs and oil.  Blend in ice cream and hot fudge.  Spread evenly into prepared pan.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes (toothpick inserted on center comes out with a few moist crumbs)  cool completely

  • Cookie dough topping ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup flour (scooped from flour bag into measuring cup)
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar 2 to 3 minutes.  Add cream and vanilla.  Blend in flour then chips. 

Grab a spoon!

Evenly spread over cooled brownies.   

Top with melted milk chocolate. 

Cut and store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by.  Can’t wait for the playoffs!

Milk  chocolate chip chocolate banana bars

I have not made any banana flavored treat in quite some time.  So today, I decided to make chocolate banana bars with milk chocolate chips and brown butter frosting.

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
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray and set aside.  In a bowl, blend bananas and melted butter.  Mix in sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients then milk.  Fold in chips.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes (toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs).  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbs milk

Directions – in a pan, cook butter over low-medium heat until browned, like below.  

In a bowl, combine  browned butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.  Frost cooled bars. 

Cut and store in covered container.

Baby food carrot cake cookies with mini chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting

For Sabres victory treats, Rob chose carrot cake cookies with mini chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting.  Grating carrots is not my favorite thing, so I used baby food carrots!

I used a combo of bread flour and all purpose flour.  You can use entirely all purpose flour.  I ran out of time to chill the dough, so they spread more than I prefer.   I recommend chilly individual mounds of dough for a few hours before baking.  Also preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2, 4 oz jars carrot baby food
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco, sugar and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients then baby food.  Stir in chips.  Evenly divide into 12 doughs.  Chill a few hours.   When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 12 minutes, no longer.

Cool completely.  

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and cream sugar.  Blend in powdered sugar, slowly.  Add vanilla.  Frost cookies. 

Store in covered container.