Frosted Chocolate pop tarts bars

I loved pop tarts as a kid, specifically the chocolate frosted ones.   I saw that Taylor Swift made a homemade version of pop tarts,  so I thought, “why not”?  It was funny, my chocoholic husband asked for a brown sugar version.  Those will be on the way soon.

Remember to scoop your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Also freeze the uncooked bars for 30 minutes before baking to keep the fudge filling in place.  And, preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.

  • Fudge filling list
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, combine chips and cocoa. heat cream to a boil.  Pour over chips.   Add butter, stir until melted.  Mix in vanilla.  Set aside. 

  • Bar ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.   in a bowl, combine butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Press half of dough every into prepared pan.  Spread fudge filling on top.   Evenly press remaining dough on top of filling.  Freeze 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool completely

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs baking cocoa
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted

Directions- in a bowl,combine powdered sugar, cocoa, water and vanilla.  Blend in melted chips.  Frost cooled bars.  Store in covered container.

NFL Sunday, week 13 – Chocolate chocolate chip cake with crushed oreo frosting

If you love chocolate, this cake is for you.  It uses a chocolate cake mix (I used dark chocolate fudge, but any one is fine), and a handful of other ingredients.   The frosting is a buttercream with finely ground oreos. If you don’t have black cocoa, regular unsweetened baking cocoa is fine.  I think I will make a golden oreo version of this with a white cake mix another time.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 chocolate cake mix
  • 1 box chocolate instant pudding mix (3.4 oz)
  • 1/2 cup black cocoa
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a bundt cake pan with baking spray.  Set aside. In a bowl, blend cake mix, pudding mix and cocoa.  Blend in eggs, oil, greek yogurt and milk.  Fold in chips.   Batter will be thick.  Spread evenly into prepared bundt pan.  Bake 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Remove from oven.   Cool 15 minutes in pan.  Then pop cake onto a plate and cool completely.

I felt i left this cake in a minute too long, so I found a syrup recipe to help moisten it up.  This is used before you frost it.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa.  Whisk constantly over medium heat just until it boils.  Remove from stove.  Pour in a pan and cool completely.   Brush on cooled cake.

  • Oreo buttercream frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 to 6 tbs heavy cream
  • 14 oreos, finely crushed (i used a food processor)

Directions – in a bowl cream butter and crisco.   Slowly blend in powdered sugar.   Add vanilla and 4 tbs of heavy cream.  Mix more cream, one tbs at a time, until you get the consistency you want.  Blend in crushed oreos.  Frost cake.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Peanut M&M, Peanut butter chip brownie cookies

A simple cookies for today’s, but very chocolatey!    Fudgy brownie cookies with peanut butter m&ms and peanut butter chips.  They use a brownie mix, with just a couple of ingredients.    I recommend chilling the individual doughs for a few hours before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie mix
  • 2 tbs flour
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter m&ms

Directions- in a bowl, combine brownie mix, oil, eggs and flour.  Blend in m&ms and chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.   Chill for a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and stagger cookies like below. 

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Nfl Sunday week 10 – chocolate fudge cookies topped with edible peanut butter cookie dough and melted chocolate

I wanted to do a treat with peanut butter, so I thought I would make a fudgy chocolate cookie, topped with edible peanut butter cookie dough and melted hershey kisses.  A nice combo, if there ever was one.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill tall mounds of dough for a few hours.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into your measuring cup
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and corn syrup.  Mix in dry ingredients.   Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and form tall mounds.  Chill a few hours.  When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer. Cool completely. 

  • Edible peanut butter cookie dough ingredients
  • 3 tbs butter, softened
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour (heated in a microwave safe container for 45 seconds)

Directions – in a bowl, combine ingredients.    Divide evenly, slightly flatten and place a piece on top of cookie.

Top with melted chocolate. 

Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by!

Week nine victory Monday treats – chocolate football sandwich cookies

Chiefs- Bills, Mahomes-Allen round 10!   Stressful as always, josh played great and Mahomes worked his impossible magic, as usual.  I stood the last 5 minutes of the game and am pretty sure I did not breathe.   Anyways, to celebrate i made football theme chocolate cutout cookie sandwiches – a football, a helmet and a jersey.  And i used a vanilla buttercream for the filling.

Remember to scoop your flour and cocoa from their containers into your measuring  up so you get the correct amount. Also, preheat your oven to 350 before baking.

  • Cookie ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Sprinkle some flour on a clean, flat surface.  Roll dough to desired thickness and cut (i prefer mine on the thick side).   Place on prepared cookie sheet.  They don’t spread a ton, but don’t crowd them on the sheet.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Milk

In a bowl, combine butter and vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar.  Add milk, a tbs at a time, until you get the consistency you want.   Place a spoonfuls between two cookies. 

Store in covered container.

Go Bills!

Peanut butter black and tan cookies

I wanted to make a different version of the black and white/ half moon cookies.  Honestly, I don’t know the difference between the two.  Anyways, I opted for a  peanut butter cookie base and used a peanut butter frosting and 2 chocolate frosting. One is  with milk chocolate chips and I didn’t make enough, so I made a second batch with unsweetened baking cocoa.  I never get the amount of frosting right.  Either too much or too little.  Ugh.  Oh and while taking a picture for this blog, I dropped a cookie on the floor.  Gracie was not fast enough to get it before i tossed it in the garbage.

For the buttermilk, I used a sacco mix with water.  You can also add 1 tbs or lemon juice or white wine vinegar to the 2/3 cup of milk, let it sit for 5 minutes and that also makes buttermilk.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also chilled the mounds of dough for a few hours before baking and shaped them a little taller to prevent from spreading as much.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.  And don’t bake longer than 12 to 13 minutes.  Tops may be a little gushy, but after they cool, pop them in the fridge to help firm them up.

  • Cookie ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugar.  Add eggsand vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients then buttermilk.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and chill a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and stagger cookies.  Bake 12 to 14 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Chocolate glaze
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1 tbs corn syrup

Directions – melt chips and butter.   Add corn syrup

  • Peanut butter glaze
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 3 tbs butter, soft
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbs heavy cream

Blend together.

Place completely cooled cookies flat side up.  Frost one side with peanut butter frosting, the other with chocolate frosting.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Week 3 victory treats – Little debbie cosmic brownie cookies

Another win in the books for the Bills.  One worthy of not one, but two victory treats.  These are a cookie version of little debbie cosmic brownies, one of my all time favorite treats as a kid.   instead of a ganache like topping, I went with a fudge frosting topping.   Not sure if love this frosting.  I may try a different chocolate frosting next time.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill your dough for a few hours and preheat your oven before baking so it gets to the right temperature.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup crisco
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs  unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients. 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. 

Bake 11 to 16 minutes.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cups  chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup of butter
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1  powdered sugar

In a pot, over low-medium heat, combine ingredients, heat and stir until butter is melted.  Put in fridge until it is a spreadable consistency.  Frost cookies. Top w m&ms. 

Store in covered container

Chocolate frosted Chocolate Sugar cookie bars

I wanted to make something chocolate, but instead of brownies, I opted to make  chocolate sugar cookie bars with chocolate fudge frosting.

Remember to scoop your flour, baking cocoa and powdered sugar from their containers into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also preheat the oven to 350 degrees before baking.  And don’t bake these longer than 22 minutes so they don’t dry out.

  • Bars ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs canola oil
  • 2 1/3 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Blend in egg, yolk, salt, oil and vanilla.  Blend in flour and cocoa.  Press into prepared pan.  Bake 20 to 22 minutes.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 6 tbs butter
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a saucepan pan, melt butter over low-medium heat.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate chips and stir smooth.  Blend in remaining ingredients.  Let set 15 to 20 minutes.  Frost cooled bars.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hot fudge filled chocolate cookies

These cookies are a whole lotta chocolate.   Chocolate cookies with crushed oreos,  crushed chocolate pop tarts, filled with hot fudge. you could top them with melted chocolate chips and sprinkle them with more crushed oreos after they cool down.

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 15 finely crushed oreos
  • 4 pop tarts (opt)
  • Hot fudge

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Fold in crushed oreos and pop tarts.  Mix well.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Make an indentation in the center, scoop a tsp of hot fudge in center. Seal dough around it.  Freeze a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.   Bake 12 to 14 minutes, no longer.

Marble Chocolate Chip cookies

I could not decide whether to make chocolate chip cookies or chocolate chocolate chip cookies, so I decided to do both – and make marble chocolate chip cookies.  I know it needed to marble them more, but I believe they are just fine.

Remember to scoop your flour and baking cocoa from you flour bag/cocoa container into your measuring cups/measuring spoons so you get the right amount. I also recommend chilling the dough so the cookies don’t spread as much.  Also preheat your oven before baking so it cycles to the right temp for baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 2/3 cups plus 2 tbs flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 6 tbs baking cocoa
  • 1 cup chocolate chips, divided

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in 2 2/3 cups flour and baking soda.   Divide dough evenly into 2 bowls.  In one bowl, blend in 2 tbs flour, then mix in 1/2 cup chips.  In the other bowl, blend in cocoa then mix in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

  Scoop out 2 tbs  dough from each bowl.

Combine one of each into one cookie, form a tall mound and chill a few hours. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 11 to 13 minutes until chocolate chip side has golden patches.  

Cool completely.   Store in covered container.