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.

Oreo cheesecake topped with cookies and cream mousse and chocolate ganache

After a rough sunday in Miami, I am making a plea to the football gods for my Bills for week 11 and am doing so with this request from my husband and a copycat of the cheesecake factory oreo dream extreme cheesecake.

This does take some time, but is worth it.  I used neufactel cheese, which is lower fat and lower calorie, so I added some cornstarch to help firm up the cheesecake layer.

  • Flourless Cake  ingredients
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 8 tbs butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees.  in a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and butter in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.  Add sugar, salt, and vanilla.  Blend in eggs well.  Line a 9″ round pan with parchment paper.  Evenly spread batter into pan.   Bake 18 to 22 minutes.  Cool completely

  • Ganache ingredients list
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 3 minutes.  Add chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Stir smooth.   Place in fridge.

  • Cheesecake ingredients
  • 24 oz cream cheese (I used neufactel,  which is softer and lower calorie and lower fat)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbs flour
  • 6 tbs cornstarch (if you are using neufactel or low fat cream cheese)
  • 3/4 cup greek yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 12 to 16 Oreo cookies

Directions – preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 9 inch springform pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  In a bowl, cream cream cheese, sugar and flour (and cornstarch if you are using a lower fat cheese).  Blend in Greek yogurt and vanilla.  Fold in eggs and yolk.  Pour 1/3 into prepared pan.  Top with 6 to 8 oreos and press down gently.  Top with a other third of batter and gently press 6 to 8 oreos on top.  Top with remaining third of batter.  Bake 55 to 60 minutes (middle jiggles a little and edges are set).  Turn off oven.   Crack oven and leave cheesecake in for an hour.  Transfer to fridge for a few hours.

  • Cookies and cream mousse
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • Crushed oreos (8 to 10)

Directions – in a bowl, whip cream amd powdered sugar to stiff peaks.  Blend in crushed oreos.    Put in fridge.

When ready to assemble – beat chilled ganache for a few minutes so it is spreadable.   Place flourless cake on a plate.  Spread a thin layer of ganache on top.  Gently place cheesecake on top of ganache layer.   Smooth oreo mousse on top of cheesecake layer.  Use rest of ganache on top and sides.  Store in fridge.

  • Layer list
  • Flourless cake
  • Thin ganache layer
  • Cheesecake
  • Cookies and cream layer
  • Frost entire thing with rest of ganache

Thanks for stopping by today!

Cookie dough filled black cocoa  brownie whoopie pies

For our MLB postseason Doubleheader- NLCS Game 3 and ALCS Game 4, I present black cocoa brownie whoopie pies with cookie dough filling.

Remember to scoop your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount and preheat your oven before baking. 

  • Brownie whoopie pie ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup black cocoa
  • 1 ts
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl,  combine melted butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and form tall mounds.   Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, stagger cookies doughs.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely. 

  • Cookie dough filling ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs flour
  • 2 tbs milk
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (opt)

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add flour and salt.  Add enough milk to get consistency you want.  Mix in chips.

For assembly –

Cut cookies in half, place flat side up.

Top one half with a spoonfuls of cookie dough.

Top with other half of cookie and smush down lightly.

Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Ganache and mini m&m topped brownies for ALCS Game 3

Today, I present brownies, topped with ganache and mini m&ms for my coworker friend Eric’s birthday and game 3 of the ALCS between the Blue Jays and Mariners.

What is ganache,  you ask?  Why a combo of chocolate chips and heavy cream heated and then poured over brownies that are completely cooled.  And frankly, m&ms make everything better, so that’s why I added them.

Remember to scoop your flour and cocoa from their containers into your measuring cup so you get the right amounts.   Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.  And, I made the ganache while the brownies were baking so it thickened up a little more.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1/4 heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 1 minute.  In another microwave safe bowl, heat  chips 1 minute.  Pour hot cream over chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes.   Stir until smooth and set aside.

  • Brownies ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch

 directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl. Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and cocoa.  Blend in eggs, yolks, vanilla and corn syrup.  Stin in dry ingredients.   Batter will be thick.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.   Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely.   Top with ganache.   Sprinkle with m&ms.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today

Brown sugar brownies

Stunningly, I am out of sugar.  I have no idea how that happened.  I am usually so on top of things.  But, when I went to bake brownies for Rob, I had no granulated sugar, so i had to use  brown sugar instead.  These are easy to make,  and fudgy and soft.  I will rectify the grave sugar error tomorrow and buy a huge bag from BJs.

Remember to preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.  I used an 8×11 Corning ware pan, so these bake in about 22 minutes.  If you use an 8×8 or 9×9, they will take longer.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into your measuring cup
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup flour

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 8×11 pan with baking sprat and set aside.  Place butter, brown sugar and chocolate chips in  a microwave safe bowl.  Place in microwave for 1 minutes.  Stir until chips are completely melted.  You may have to continue to heat in additional 15 second increments to completely melt mixture. Add 2 eggs and vanilla.  Blend in flour.   Evenly spread into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely.  

Store in covered container. 

Fudge brownies cookies with 3 kinds of chips (and special colored M&MS)

These are a chocolate brownie cookies.  Some have peanut butter chips, some have milk chocolate and others have semisweet.  To differentiate between the milk and semisweet, I placed one red M&M and one blue M&M on the semisweet ones.   You guys guess why I chose red and blue.  🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also, after your scoop out your dough, gently press the chips around the cookie instead of mixing them in with the batter.  Chill the individual doughs for a few hours to prevent spreading.  And, preheat your oven before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients list
  • 2/3 cup butter crisco
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Chips!

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, and blend well.  Mix in dry ingredients.   Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Gently press chips on top and sides.  Chill a few hours.  line  a cookie sheet with parchment and stagger cookies (I fit 6 or 8 per sheet, depending on size of the sheet) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  

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!

Brownie mix cookies

These are super simple and are done in no time.  just a few ingredients.    No chilling of the dough necessary.  While they would be fine on their own, I  had some extra fluff filling so I made them into cookie sandwiches.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie mix
  • 2 tbs flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, mix brownie mix, flour, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla.  Blend in chips.   Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Stagger on prepared sheet.  Bake 11 to 14 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  These are fine on their own, or you can make them into sandwich cookies..

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Rocky Road Cookies

I know rocky road is a favorite ice cream for a lot of people, so I decided to make it in cookie form. 

Who doesn’t love chocolate, milk chocolate chips, finely ground almonds  and tiny marshmallow bits, and a cookie dough made with black cocoa so it tastes like an oreo? I would imagine very few people!

If you don’t like almonds, you can, of course, leave them out.

Below is a container of  marshmallow bits

Remember to scoop your flour and dark or unsweetened baking cocoa from the container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  After scooping out the dough (1/4 cup), I chilled them for a few hours before baking to help keep them puffy. And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbs corn syrup
  • 2 1/2  cups flour
  • 2/3 cup black or unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup almonds, finely ground
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup mini marshmallow bits

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and corn syrup. Blend in dry ingredients.  Mix in chips, nuts and marshmallow bits.   Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and place in fridge for a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookie doughs on prepared sheet. 

Bake 10 to 11 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Wishing you a day filled with peace,  joy and love.  Remember to be kind!

Hot Cocoa Cookies

What better way to celebrate a perfectly, sunny, spring, 80 degree day than with hot cocoa cookies.  I am always looking for new tweaks for cookies, so I thought adding some hot cocoa mix and marshmallow bits would be a nice way to accomplish that. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also recommend chilling the individual dough mounds after scooping them out.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/4 cups flour (scooped from flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 4 packets hot cocoa mix
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup marshmallow bits

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Mix in chips and marshmallow bits.  Dough will be very soft.  Chill 30 minutes to an hour.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of  dough.  Chill a few more hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 12 to 14 minutes.  Let set on cookies sheets 15 minutes or so.  Pop in fridge for a bit to firm them up (I left them overnight).  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!