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!

Puck cookies for the Frozen Four and to welcome the Stanley Cup to campus

The Frozen Four begins tomorrow on ESPN2 (5 pm and 8 pm eastern), and the Stanley Cup will be on campus at ESPN Friday.   So to celebrate, I made puck cookies – soft chocolate sugar cutout cookies shaped like pucks.  Some are frosted with chocolate frosting and since I didn’t make enough of it, I topped the rest with melted Hershey kisses.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount (same goes for the baking cocoa).  Also preheat your oven before baking for the best cookies.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour (scooped from flour bag into measuring cup so you get the correct amount)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (scooped from the container into measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Blend in egg and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients.   Flour a flattened surface and rolling pin.  Roll and cut.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on it.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes.  Cool completely

  • Frosting list
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tbs water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp cornstarch syrup
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted

Directions – in a bowl, mix powdered sugar, water, vanilla and corn syrup.  Blend in melted chips.  Frost cookies.  Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Frosted Cake Batter Cookies

I am always looking for ways to tweak recipes and, while walking in the baking aisle, I noticed cake batter extract, so i added it to my flavoring collection (vanilla, almond, lemon, maple).  And today, instead of making vanilla flavor cookies, I went with cake batter.  Cake batter frosting too.  Some are topped with sprinkles, others with mini m&ms (bc the mini m&ms bag lasts forever).

Of course if you don’t have cake batter flavoring, vanilla is just fine. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also chilled the individual doughs overnight to keep them from spreading too much.

  • Cookie ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp cake batter extract
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar, eggs and extract.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Scoop our 1/4 cups of dough.   Chill, in a covered container, a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Stagger on prepared sheets.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes.   (Bottoms will be lightly browned).  Mine were a little gushy on top, so I popped them in the fridge to firm them up.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (scooped from your container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 1 tsp cake batter extract
  • 4 tbs milk

Directions- in a bowl, blend all ingredients well.   Frost cooled cookies.  Top with sprinkles or m&ms.  Store in covered container.  (I put mine back in fridge)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Turtle cookies

Today’s treat – turtle cookies.   A large chocolate cookie with topped with homemade caramel,  melted milk chocolate and crushed oreos.  feel free to use any flavor frosting you want.  Vanilla would be great, at would peanut butter, chocolate or marshmallow fluff frosting.

I did add some finely ground  pecans to put to the cookie dough.  You can’t  even detect them.  You can leave them out if you want. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount (same goes for the baking cocoa)

I advise chilling the scooped out dough a few hours.  Also preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 1 /2 cups brown sugar (firmly packed into measuring cup)
  • 1/4 cup corn syrup (or honey)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 3 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Place in a covered container and chill a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Bake 11 to 13 minutes.  Cool completely.

  • Homemade caramel ingredients
  • 4 tbs butter
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions – in a saucepan, combine and stir butter and brown sugar, over low -medium heat, to a boil.  Boil and stir one minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in heavy cream.  Let set 15 minutes.   Scoop a tbs on top of cookie.

Top with melted chocolate.

Top with crushed oreos.

Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  

Smores cookies

My latest treat for work was a request from my hubby, Rob, who saw these smores cookies in a store.  A graham cracker like cookie, topped with melted chocolate and a toasted marshmallow.

So that is what I made today.  I have to be honest, putting a toasted marshmallow on top was no easy on some of these and I have no idea why!

A little messy with the marshmallow on top

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. And, I recommend chilling these individual doughs a few hours or overnight.  I might make these a little bigger next time and make them a little flatter too.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup crisco (or butter flavor crisco)
  • 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • Milk chocolate
  • Large marshmallows

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco, and brown sugar.  Blend in eggs and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients and graham cracker crumbs. 

Scoop out 2 tbs of dough, roll into a ball and slightly flatten.  Chill a few hours or overnight.   Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stagger cookies on sheet, like below.

Bake 10 to 11 minutes, no longer.  They will be a little gushy on top.  It is ok.  Let them cool a bit and pop them in the fridge to firm them up. 

While their cookies are baking, melt your chocolate.  I melted some milk chocolate chips for most of them.  I ran out of that and called an audible and melted some Reese’s eggs for the final 6.

To toast marshmallows – preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  I sprayed a little pam on the parchment paper.  Bake these 5 to 7 minutes or until the marshmallows are as toasted as you want.

Take a cookie and lay it on a flat surface.

Top with melted chocolate.

I sprayed my hands with pam and place a marshmallow on top.  Sometimes I did a fine job.

Other times, I did not.

Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I wish you a day filled with happiness, joy and love and remember to be kind

Chocolate chip cookie truffle stuffed dark chocolate cookies

I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies, but they spread out way too much and i found them unacceptable to bring into work, so I decided to crush them up, make them into truffles and stuff them into dark chocolate cookies. 

The truffles were pretty easy to make and I think stuffing them in cookies was a pretty good idea.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  The same goes for the baking cocoa.  I also recommend freeze the cookie doughs once they are stuffed to keep them puffy.

  • Truffles ingredients
  • Chocolate chip cookies, finely crushed
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened

Directions – in a bowl, mix well.  Scoop out 1 tbs and roll into balls.  Freeze an hour.

  • Cookies ingredients
  • 5 tbs butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, melted (i put the chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwaved them in 45 second increments until I could stir smooth)

1 cup plus 1 tbs flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Stir in melted chocolate.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 1 tbs dough and slightly flatten.

Place a chocolate chip cookie truffle on trop

Scoop out another tbs dough and slightly flatten.  Place on top of truffle.

Seal edges.  

Chill doughs a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookiensheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Golden oreo frosting

A simple frosting to put on brownies, a cake or even use as a cookie sandwich filling. 

1/2 cup crisco

3 -4  cups powdered sugar

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Golden oreos, finely crushed (i went with one cup here)

2 tbs water (or more to get the consistency you want

Directions – in a bowl combine all crisco, powdered sugar, sugar, vanilla,  and 2 tbs water. Add additional water. Ine tbs at a time, to get the consistency you want.  Blend in finely ground oreos.  You may want to add more water, depending on the consistency you want.

Celebrating the first day of the NCAA tournament

In honor of the first day of the NCAA tournament,  I made cookie basketballs.  These are brown sugar cookies.  Instead of the classic sugar cookie, I used all brown sugar.  And maybe calling them basketballs is a stretch, but the orange frosting is the best I could do.  A while back, i tried to put the stripes on the cookies with chocolate  frosting, but it took too long and iblost patience.  My decorating skills stink so these are the best I can do.

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 doughs for at least a few hours.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.  Blend in egg, yolk and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.   Scoop out 2 tbs dough.  Roll in granulated sugar.  Chill a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on the sheet. Leaving room because these spread a bit.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.  Frost if desired with a simple buttercream frosting. 

Store in covered container in  fridge a few hours to firm up.  Store at room temp in covered container. 

Stuffed monster cookies for Championship week Saturday

Keeping my Championship week treat baking going with stuffed monster cookie#.  These have peanu butter, oats, milk chocolate chips and are stuffed with a) Reese’s pb cups

b) double stuff oreos or c) golden oreos. 

The oats make them healthy, right?

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 doughs for an hour or two.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup oats (i used instant)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 cup mini m&ms
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions -in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients and oats.  Fold in chips and m&ms.  Scoop out 1 tbs dough and slightly flatten.

Top with a Reese’s pb cup or oreo

Scoop out another tbs of dough, slightly flatten and place on top.

Seal edges.

Chill and hour or two.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and stagger cookies.

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

A peanut butter cup peaking through

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Brownie stuffed M&M chocolate chip cookies for Championship week

This is a big week – championship week in men’s college basketball, amid the start of NFL free agency, and races are tightening in the NHL and NBA ahead of the postseason.  So I felt stuffed cookies were in order.  Specifically – M&M chocolate chip cookies stuffed with a brownie.  Sounds about right. 

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter crisco
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/4 cups flour
  • 3.4 Oz instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups M&ms
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • One batch of brownies cut into small cubes

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, butter crisco, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in pudding mix.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Mix in chips and m&ms.  Scoop out 1 tbs dough and slightly flatten.  Place a brownie cube on top.  Scoop out another tbs of dough and slightly flatten.  Place on top of  brownie cube and seal edges to hide brownie.  Chill and few hours or over night.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies doughs on sheet. 

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.   Store in covered container.  Thanks so much for stopping by today!