Chocolate Chip (Tollhouse) Bars

These are a request from my goddaughter Sara, who along with her sister, also my goddaughter, Lyndsey, and their mom, Susan (my best friend from college), will be visiting us for a few hours tonight. Sara’s treat requests mirror those of Rob – chocolate chip cookies (or something along that line), or brownies. So these are also a win for my hubby.

Reminders – scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount and preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking.

  • List of ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled for 20 minutes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line an 8×8 square pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. in a bowl, combine brown sugar and butter. add egg and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Mix in chips. Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle with additional chips on top. bake 20 to 25 minutes, until edges are lightly browned but still soft. (I baked mine for 22 minutes. They seemed underbaked, but will firm up after you take them out of oven and cool down). Cool completely. store in covered container.

thank you for stopping by today. If you make these, let me know how they turn out. I wish you a day filled with love, and happiness.

Devil dogs

Devil dogs/whoopie pies, Suzy q’s

Today’s recipe is devil dogs. They seem remarkably like whoopie pies, Suzy q’s or whatever other similar Hostess or Drake’s (or where I’m from – Stroemanns).. though for whoopie pies, I tend to use cake mixes and devil dogs, i opt for homemade. Anyways, I think these devil dogs came out ok.

  • Devil dogs ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 4 cups flour (scooped from your bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1 cup baking cocoa
  • 3 tsp baking soda

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Place parchment paper on a large cookie sheet or spray a canoe/twinkie pan with baking spray. (I used both pans). Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Scoop out dough and fill canoe pans halfway full. I used a medium cake batter scoop, which is 7 tsp of dough. On the parchment paper cookie sheet, scoop out dough (7 tsp) and form a square on the parchment paper. I made mine kinda large. Bake 11 to 14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions – blend butter and fluff. Mix in powdered sugar. If filling seems stiff, add a little milk to get the consistency you want.

Assembly – slice canoe/twinkie devil dogs in half horizontally. Spoon filling between the two pieces. Or spoon filling between two of them pieces that were baked on the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Store in covered container.

Kinda large!

Thanks for stopping by today. I wish you a day of peace, love and joy. And remember to be kind. The world needs your kindness

Congo/chocolate chip bars

Chocolate chip cookie bars

These are an easy, popular treat. Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, in bar form. Less time consuming, but all the joy of chocolate chip cookies. An egg yolk makes these soft, as does the addition of cornstarch. Remember to scoop your flour from your flour container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. I used a combination of regular chocolate chips and mini ones.

I may have removed these a little too soon from the oven, but I didn’t want to bake them too long and dry them out. So they are a little on the softer/gushier side. Rob did not seem to mind at all.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 yolk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrres for 20 minutes. Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking sprat. In a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add yolk, eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips. Spread into pan. Bake 30 minutes (edges will be lightly brown). Cool completely. Cut and store in covered container.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day. Please do your best to spread as much love as you can out there. Things have been so awful recently, your small act of kindness may do wonders for someone.

Portillo’s Chocolate cake

Portillo’s Chocolate cake

From time to time, when I peruse chocolate cake recipes to bake, I come across the chocolate cake from Portillo’s in Chicago. It’s a restaurant known for Chicago style hot dogs, Italian beef and chocolate cake. The recipe I found on a couple different sites (including Hellman’s) uses a chocolate cake mix, eggs, water and mayonnaise (as opposed to vegetable oil). You could also add chocolate chips, but i forgot. I also went with a homemade chocolate frosting. It is 100 degrees in CT this weekend, so I kept the cake in the fridge. My hubby is not a cake person, but he loves himself some frosting and he was a fan of this frosting!

Check out the frosting!
  • Ingredients
  • 1 chocolate cake mix (i used devil’s food)
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 3 eggs,
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Spray 2 nine inch cake pans with baking spray. In a bowl, combine cake mix, water, eggs and mayo. Beat on medium speed with a mixer for 2-3 minutes. Add chips. Divide evenly into prepared pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Remove from oven. Cool 10 minutes in pans. Remove from pans and cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups baking cocoa
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tbs vanilla extract

Directions- combine ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed until creamy. Frost cake

Thanks so much for stopping by! I wish you a day filled with peace, happiness and love.

Brookies cookies

Brookie cookies

When you can decide between a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie, you combine them! No better way to celebrate a weekend of game 7s in the NHL and NBA Playoffs. 7 game sevens total. Wow! What an awesome time of year!

Cookie monster!
  • Chocolate cookie ingredients
  • 8 tbs butter
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chips in 45 second increments until you can stir mixture smooth. In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture. Blend in dry ingredients then chips. Chill for 15 minutes in fridge

  • Chocolate chip cookie dough ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold, shredded with a cheese grater
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup cake flour
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg, yolk and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips.

Cookie assembly – using a 1 1/2 cookie scoop (or measuring spoons), scoop out your dough. Layer a scoop of chocolate dough, a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough, another scoop of chocolate dough, and another scoop of chocolate chip dough (6 tbs of dough, total). Roll into a ball to marble the doughs. Chill a few hours or over night.

This is how I stagger my cookies

When ready to bake – preheat oven to 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper, stagger cookies on a sheet. I fit 7 to a sheet. They do spread a little. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I wish you a day filled with peace, love and joy.

Happy NFL draft day!

Chocolate chip cookies!

I love the NFL draft. I actually like all the pro sports drafts and seeing the joy of all these young people and their families celebrating the realization of a dream, after all the years of hard work and dedication. Four years ago, my beloved Buffalo Bills drafted quarterback Josh Allen. I was hoping at the time, we finally had our franchise QB, and it turned out for the first time since Jim Kelly retired on 1997, we did. I think Josh wins us a couple of Super Bowls too.

My recipe is based on the Nestlé Tollhouse classic. These chocolate chip cookies use crisco instead of butter because I wanted them puffy. I also added some cornstarch to keep them soft and puffy.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. I like to chill the dough before baking, but you don’t have to. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so your oven cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Chill. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper. I stagger my cookies evenly , putting 8 on a sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. There will be some light golden patches on top. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Triple chip cookies celebrating the NHL debut of Owen Power!

These cookies are to celebrate the NHL debut of Owen Power, the Sabres top overall pick last year. I’m pretty excited to see him play at the NHL level, after watching him play at Michigan. The Sabres have had a tough go the last few years, but I love our coach and the guys we have now after some moves. I think the team is heading in the right direction. Here’s hoping!

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup crisco
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3.4 oz instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 2 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1/4 cup bread flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1-2 tbs heavy cream or milk
  • 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, Crisco, butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in pudding mix. Fold in remaining dry ingredients. Mix in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Chill. Preheat oven to 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on sheet (alternating a row of 2, a single dough, a row of 2, a single dough, etc. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Thank you for stopping by today! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Brownie stuffed sugar cookies

I made some brownies and didn’t want to bring in “just brownies” to work, so I decided to stuff most of them in sugar cookies. I say most because I ran out of cookie dough, so a few “just brownies” will arrive with me tomorrow morning.

Didn’t do a good job of covering the brownie 😀

Reminders – 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, so your oven cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • One pan of brownies, baked, cooled and cut in squares
  • 14 tbs butter softened
  • 2 tbs crisco
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. In a bowl, cream butter, crisco, and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Scoop out 2 tbs of dough. Divide in half. Flatten one half. Place a brownie square on top. Flatten other half and place on top of brownie square. Completely cover brownie with dough. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet. I fit 8 on a sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. (Lightly golden on bottom) cool completely. Store in covered container.

This is how I stagger cookies on a sheet so they don’t spread into each other

Thank you for stopping by today. I wish you a wonderful day filled with peace, love and happiness. Remember to be kind. Your kindness might be just what someone needs in their day.

Golden oreo chocolate chip whoopie pies

Golden oreo chocolate chip whoopie pies

This is crushed oreo treat 2. ( I have a LOT of oreos.) This is a chocolate chip cookie recipe using crushed golden oreos. They came out a little flatter than I prefer, despite chilling the dough in the fridge.. so,I made them into half whoopie pies.! I will work on the puffiness another time. Perhaps adding more flour, or some baking powder will help. But i think my coworkers will be ok with them tomorrow.

Too flat!
  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients and oreos. Fold in chips. Divide dough evenly into 12 mounds and chill in fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (light golden spots on top). Cool completely. Divide each cookie in half

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1-2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
  • Heavy cream

Blend butter, powdered sugar and fluff. Add enough cream to get the consistency you want. Place a scoop between 2 cookie halves. Store in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by. Wishing you a day filled with peace, joy and love.

Frosted Crushed oreo milk chocolate chip cookies

Frosted Crushed oreo chocolate chip cookies

So I had a lot of oreos and decided to make two treats with them. These are a chocolate cookie with crushed oreos. These did not flatten out at all,so they look like mounds! Next time I will likely smoosh them a bit to flatten them. would not bake these longer than 10 minutes because they might dry out.

Reminders – scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. I chilled these for a few hours because I always chill my cookie dough in hopes they do not flatten too much. And, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 20 oreos, finely ground
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar and powdered sugar. Add egg, oil and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Add crushed oreos. Divide dough into 12 even pieces. Chill in fridge a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overtake. Cool completely

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1-2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup fluff
  • Heavy cream

Directions – blend butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and fluff. Add enough cream to get the consistency you want. Frost cooled cookies. Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today. If you make these let me know how they turn out. And remember, to be kind. We are all battling something and need kindness.