Carrot cake bars for Championship week Thursday

I got some carrots to make a carrot cake, but changed things up a bit and made carrot cake bars.  I used melted butter, so they are a little chewier than carrot cake.  Also, they have way too much frosting!  But there are worse things in life.  I doubled this recipe and used two 8×8 square pans to bake them in.

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

  • Bars ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup shredded carrots (wow, is that fun to do)
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions- line and 8×8 square pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.    In a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla.  Blend in egg and yolk, then carrots.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Fold in chips.  Evenly spread in prepared pan.  Bake 28 to 32 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

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

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla.  Blend in powdered sugar slowly.   Frost bara.  Chill in fridge. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Victory Tuesday cookies, on A Wednesday- the Franks – a puffy version

Victory Tuesday cookies for my beloved Bills are a day late.. the reason – we traveled back from celebrating my grandma’s 99th birthday.

  It was a wonderful celebration of a wonderful lady, who loves the Bills and watches every game and is quite knowledgeable.

My dad died at age 67, so i know how lucky I am  still have her and my mom (who is 78) in my life.  I take no one for granted. 

Our girl, Gracie, made the trip (6 1/2 hours one way) and as always, was a trooper.  Quite a hit among my family.

  • Ingredients list
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 1 cup butter, cold and cubed
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Mix in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill 24 hours. line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies.  Bake at  375 degrees. 12 min.

Black cocoa Reese’s Pieces Cookies

I had some Reese’s pieces I want to use to, so I thought putting them in some black cocoa cookies would work just fine.  I also had a few mini m&Ms left so I tossed them in too, along with milk chocolate chips. Feel free to use whatever mix-ins you want.  You cam also use unsweetened or special dark baking cocoa.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your mmeasuring cup so you get the right amount (same goes for the cocoa).  I also recommend chilling the individual doughs for a few hours.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2/3 cup black cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups of mix-ins (Reese’s pieces, m&ms, chocolate chips etc)

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Fold in mix-ins.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill for a few hours.  Preheat oven for 20 minutes before baking.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on prepared sheet. 

This is how I stagger cookies

Bake at  350 degrees 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool completley.  Store in covered container.  If cookies seem to gushy, pop in fridge to firm them up.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!Wishing you a wonderful day filled with joy and love

Cosmic brownie cookies

To celebrate the start of the NCAA basketball tournament as well as the Division 3 frozen 4 (which is being held 10 minutes from where we live), I made cosmic brownie cookies.  They are like the little debbie cosmic brownies, which I loved as a child, in cookie form.  I used dark chocolate chips and black cocoa, but you can certainly use semisweet chips and regular baking cocoa.

Reminders – scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I recommend scooping out and freezing individual dough mounds before baking.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes once you are ready to bake.

  • Ingredients list
  • 12 tbs butter
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup black cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and dark chocolate chips in 45 second increments until you can stir it all smooth.  Add brown sugar and sugar.  Beat in one egg at a time.  Add vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 3 tbs of dough.  Freeze a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes.  Tops will be a little gushy.  Cool completely.   Pop in fridge to firm them up.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup black cocoa
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup warm water

Combine ingredients and frost cooled cookies.  Sprinkle with m&ms. 

Store in covered container.

Reese’s Pieces-peanut M&M chocolate cookies stuffed with Reese’s pb cups

Well, sadly, on this football friday #20, I am not anxiously awaiting a Bills game this weekend. My guys are not playing. It is weird not to be getting excited for one of our games. Honestly, it It is a shock to my system how sudden the season can end this time of year.

Today’s treat is a chocolate cookie,with peanut butter chips, peanut m&ms and stuffed with a Reese’s peanut butter Christmas tree (I still have a lot left over from the holidays and they are good until August). Of course if peanut butter is not your bag, you can use chocolate chips, m&m’s and stuff them with oreos (or keep them plain).

A plain ore for Rob!

Remember to scoop your flour and cocoa from your container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. I ran out of time to chill the individual cookie dough pieces, but I would next time in hopes of them spreading less. Also, preheat your oven before baking.

Melt your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.

  • Ingredients list
  • 10 tbs butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 2/3 cups chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 bag peanut butter chips (10 oz)
  • 1 bag peanut butter m&ms (9 oz)

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Completely blend in melted chocolate. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix in chips and m&ms. Scoop out 1 1/3 tbs dough (I used a cookie scoop) and slightly flatten

Place a Reese’s tree on top

Top with another flattened 1 1/3 tbs dough

Seal edges

Stagger on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes, no longer. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today. Wishing you a day of love, joy and peace.

Magic cookies (hello dollies cookies)

This is a simple recipe – only 5 ingredients (4 if you want to omit the walnuts). They are like magic cookie bars (or Hello dollies as I call them), but in cookie form. My advice is do not bake them longer than 10 minutes and remember to leave them on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before removing them so they firm up a bit.

  • Ingredients list
  • 4 sheets of graham crackers finely crushed
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (you can also use different flavors, i.e., milk, white etc)
  • 1/2 cup finely ground walnuts (or other nuts or you can omit)
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut
  • 1 can condensed milk (14 oz)

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl. Combine crushed graham crackers, chips, nuts, coconut and condensed milk. Scoop out 1/3 cups of dough (I used a cookie scoop). I got nine cookies. Stagger on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes (no longer). Let set for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today! I wish you a day filled with peace, joy and happiness. Remember to be kind. ❤️💙

Chocolate cheesecake with an oreo crust

I asked Rob what he wanted for Thanksgiving dinner this year, and he said lasagna. He despises turkey and the rest of the Thanksgiving fixings, so the last few Thanksgivings I have worked and we have had lasagna for our dinner on 🦃day. And when it came to dessert, Rob requested chocolate cheesecake. I think I do pretty well, even though I am new to making cheesecakes. (Cheesecake factory has nothing to worry about though) 😉

I pre-baked the oreo crust for 10 minutes because that is what I see people recommending online for cheesecake crusts. Something about keeping the crust from getting soggy.

Here is a peek at the oreo crust
  • Crust ingredients
  • 24 oreos, finely crushed
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line the inside of a 10 inch springform pan with tin foil on the bottom and halfway up the sides. In a bowl, combine crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. While crust is in the oven, prepare cheesecake.

  • Cheesecake ingredients
  • 24 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used neufchatel, which is softer, less calories, and lower fat)
  • 14 ounce can condensed milk
  • 12 ounce semisweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, beat cream cheese smooth. Add condensed milk. Blend in melted chocolate. Beat in one egg at a time. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust. Bake 70 minutes at 300 degrees. Remove from oven. Cool completely. Store covered in fridge.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Wishing you peace and happiness. And please, remember to be kind.

Mini M&M chocolate chip cookies for football Friday #11

I was a little short on time tonight, so I made mini M&M chocolate chip cookies, using crisco and butter crisco. By using crisco instead of butter, I did not need to chill the dough to keep them puffy.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Also preheat your oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes before baking.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup butter crisco
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbs water
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini m&ms
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream crisco, butter crisco, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, water and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Mix in chips and m&ms. Scoop out 3 tbs of dough and form tall cylinders. Stagger on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 11 minutes. Bottoms will be golden. Cookies will be a little undone on top, but will firm up as they cool. Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to be kind because everyone is fighting some sort of battle. Go Bills!

Tollhouse cake mix bars

I had 2 yellow cake mixes that are expiring in a few days, so I decided to whip them up and make them into tollhouse bars and frost them with a simple vanilla frosting. Of course, I frosted them when they were warm, so they will be gushy. I think these will go over well at work tomorrow

These use 2 cake mixes, 4 eggs, chocolate chips, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp vanilla, and 12 tbs of butter, melted.

  • Ingredients
  • 2 yellow cake mixes
  • 12 tbs butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray. Preheat oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp. In a bowl, blend cake mixes, flour, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Blend in chips. Spread evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes (edges will be golden). Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Brownies stuffed with a whole lotta stuff

These brownies are a creation of my hubby, who discovered “junk bars” at a local cafe. They seemed to be a layer of brownies, topped with magic cookie bars, oreos, marshmallows and then another layer of brownies. So I went to work and tried to make the same thing.

These are very thick. They took 45 to 50 minutes to bake.

A reminder to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Also preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Brownies ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups flour

Directions – line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. in a bowl, combine melted butter, baking cocoa and sugar. Mix in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Blend in flour and salt. Spread half of mixture evenly in bottom of prepared pan.

  • Magic cookie bar layer
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 3/4 cup coconut
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • Pieces of oreos
  • Marshmallows

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees. cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Add graham cracker crumbs. Blend in chips and coconut. Spread evenly over brownie dough.

Top with pieces of marshmallows and oreos.

Then drop blobs of remaining brownie batter on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes (toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs) cool and top with melted chocolate.

Store in covered container.