Black cocoa cutout cookies

  I am trying to make as many different cutout cookies for Christmas as I can before Santa arrives on the 25th.  So far, I have made gingerbread men, a chocolate chip version, and chocolate version, using regular unsweetened cocoa.    Today, I made a black cocoa version.  

I used a mix of all purpose flour and cake flour, but you can use just AP flour if you want.

Remember to scoop your flour from their bags into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I cut out the cookies and then chilled them before baking.  And preheat your oven before baking.

Ingredients list

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1/2 cup black cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend on greek yogurt.   Mix in dry ingredients.   Sprinkle  flour on a clean surface.  Roll dough to desired thickness and cut with cookie cutter.  Chill a few hours. When ready to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cutouts on sheet, leaving some room. 

Bake 8 to 10 minutes.   Cool completely.  

Santa!

Frost as desired. 

Sugar cookies

These sugar cookies use vegetable oil instead of butter or crisco.  I wanted to make something quick for work today and thought these would work.  I did freeze the dough for a few hours before baking to keep the cookies from spreading too much.   I only used 3 cups of flour, I may use a little more next time and add some cornstarch too.

I ran out of frosting so one cookie got melted hershey kisses!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag so you get the right amount.  Freeze the individual doughs for an hour or so before baking.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees before baking.  And only bake these 9 to 11 minutes, no longer.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Extra sugar

Directions – in a bowl, combine sugar and vegetable oil.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in flour, baking soda and salt.   Scoop out individual doughs and form tall mounds.  Freeze and hiur or to.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and stack cookies on sheet.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes, no longer.   Pop in fridge to firm up and cool, as cookies may be gushy.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 4 tbs butter, melted
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Heavy cream/milk

Combine butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Add enough heavy cream or milk to get the consistency you want.  You may need to add more powdered sugar.  Frost cookies. 

I added some buffalo bills colored sugar!

Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by!

Milk chocolate chip cookies (with finely ground macadamia nuts mixed in)

Instead of traditional chocolate chip cookies with semisweet chocolate chips, I opted for milk chocolate chips and I added some finely ground macadamia nuts for a unique, salty, flavor twist.  

I melted the butter to speed up the process.  I probably won’t do so next time and will use softened butter.  These cookies spread out a little more than I prefer.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.   After scooping out the dough, chill them at least a few hours at least a few hours.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed into measuring cup)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup macadamia nuts, finely ground
Added a few mini m&ms to some. 
Go Bills!

Directions- in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.   If dough seems a little dry, add a tbs or two of water.   Mix in chips and ground nuts.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Chill a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet, like below, because these do spread a bit.  

Bake 10 to 14 minutes, no longer. 

Store in covered container.

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.

M&M Oatmeal cookies, topped with melted milk chocolate

We had one last bag of leftover candy from Halloween – a bag of plain m&ms.   so I thought “why not bake with them?” 

Note the colors in the middle – red and blue!  Go Bills!

Instead of the usual chocolate chip cookie recipe, I went with oatmeal, for something different.

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 8 tbs butter, softened
  • 2 1/2 tbs crisco
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbs plus 2 tsp brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2  cups oats (I used quick pats)
  • 1 cup m&ms

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco and brown sugar.  Add egg, honey and vanilla.  Blend in flour, salt and oats.   Mix in m&ms.  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 on sheet.  flatten cookies to desired thickness.

Bake 10 minutes, no longer. Cool completely.

Top with melted milk chocolate.

Store in covered container

Halloween brown sugar cut out cookies

One last cutout cookies recipe, using my Halloween cookies cutters.  This is a brown sugar cookie recipe, no granulated sugar required.

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.

  • Ingredients list
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.   in a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.   Form dough into large ball and divide in half.   Sprinkle flour on a clean flat surface.   Roll out dough to desired thickness.  Cut out your cookies.  Place on prepared cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (scooped from your container into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Milk

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Add milk, 1 tbs at a time, until you get the consistency you want.  Frost cookies.  I sprinkled the frosting tops with Halloween sprinkles. 

Store in covered container.

Victory Monday week 8 treats # 2 – white chocolate brownies with 🎃 sprinkles

For all my non chocolate loving coworkers – white chocolate brownies, with Halloween sprinkles and vanilla frosting.   Super simply and easy.

I added  some of my homemade white cocoa powder to these.  You can absolutely leave it out.  

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag so you get the right amount.   Preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 8 tbs butter
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Sprinkles

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and white chips in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.   Add sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Fold in flour and salt.  Mix in sprinkles.  Spread into pan.  Bake 20 to 23 minutes (you will see light golden patches on top).  Cool completely. 

Frost with vanilla frosting if you want.  I combined 2 tbs butter, melted, 1 to 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream

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

Chocolate frosted peanut butter sugar cookies

Another variation of a sugar cookie,  this time with peanut butter.  And chocolate frosting instead of melted milk chocolate.  These are nice and thick and sweet!

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 a few hours so they spread less.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2  cup plus 2 tbs sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs greek yogurt
  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • Extra sugar

Direction – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, vegetable oil, and powdered sugar.  Mix in cream of tartar, salt and baking soda.  Add egg, vanilla and Greek yogurt.   Blend in flour.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Roll into a ball.  Spray the bottom of a drinking glass with cooking spray and slightly flatten dough ball.  Sprinkle with extra sugar.  Chill a few hours.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients list
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 tbs greek yogurt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, mix butter, Greek yogurt, powdered sugar and cocoa.   Add heavy cream and vanilla.   Frost cookies.  Store in covered container in fridge to firm up. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!