Victory Monday treats for week 14 – gingerbread men/reindeer cookie sandwiches

To celebrate our win over the Bengals (which was pretty stressful), I present gingerbread men/reindeer cookie sandwiches.   One way they are gingerbread men,

flip them upside down and they are reindeer. 

I colored the filling green for a little holiday pop.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.   After you cut out the cookies, i recommend chilling them in for a few hours.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 6 tbs butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into cup
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • Water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter and brown sugar.   Add molasses, egg and vanilla.   Blend in dry ingredients.   Dough will be crumbly.  You may need to add a few tbs of water to make dough easier to use with.  Roll ans cut.  Chill doughs a few hours.   Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 8 to 18 minutes, no longer.   Cool completely. 

  • Filling
  • 1 stick butter, partially melted
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Green food color (optional)

Combine butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  Add food color, if using.  Spread between 2 cookies.  Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Hot fudge filled chocolate cookies

These cookies are a whole lotta chocolate.   Chocolate cookies with crushed oreos,  crushed chocolate pop tarts, filled with hot fudge. you could top them with melted chocolate chips and sprinkle them with more crushed oreos after they cool down.

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 15 finely crushed oreos
  • 4 pop tarts (opt)
  • Hot fudge

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Fold in crushed oreos and pop tarts.  Mix well.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Make an indentation in the center, scoop a tsp of hot fudge in center. Seal dough around it.  Freeze a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.   Bake 12 to 14 minutes, no longer.

Magic Middles NFL Opening weekend 2024

Rob and I were having a discussion about old school treats from when we were younger, and I brought up Magic Middles by Keebler.  They were a shortbread cookie stuffed  with some sort of soft chocolate.  For some reason, Keebler stopped making them.  I decided to try a version of my own.  These shortbread cookies are much softer than the magic middles I remember.  I  stuffed them with a super easy fudge recipe (only 2 ingredients).

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup.  I recommend chilling or freezing the stuffed dough to keep from spreading as much.   Also, make sure your oven is preheated before baking.

  • Fudge ingredients
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 14 oz can condensed milk

Line and 8×8 square pan with tin foil and spray with butter spray or vegetable spray.  Place both ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.   pour into prepared pan and set aside.

  • Cookie ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

In a bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugar.  Add vanilla.  Stir in salt and flour.  Blend in flour.  Mix in chips.  Scoop put 1 1/2 tbs dough and divide in half.

Scoop out a small amount of fudge and place on top of one half of dough.

Top with other flattened dough half.

Seal edges to cover fudge.

Chill or freeze doughs for a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer (edges will be golden).  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Have a wonderful day.   And…..

Go Bills!

Brownie cookies sandwiches filled with cookie dough

My favorite of all the sports postseason, is the nhl.  The level of excitement in the arenas and adrenaline from the crowds, plus the stress of overtime,  when if your team is not playing, can not be beat. l love football, but  playoff hockey is another animal.

What better way to celebrate than with cookies that look like pucks!  So I made these and filled them with cookie dough filling.  You could also do peanut butter or vanilla or chocolate.

A reminder to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. No need to chill this dough. It doesn’t spread too badly. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Brownie cookies ingredients
  • 6 tbs butter
  • 2 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used a combo of dark and semisweet)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chips in 40 second increments until you can stir smooth. Blend in sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Fold in flour, baking powder and salt. Mixture will be thick. Scoop out 2 tbs dough. Stagger on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 11 tbs butter,melted
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 to 4 tbs heavy cream

Directions – blend butter, powdered sugar and flour. Add vanilla. Mix in enough heavy cream to get the consistency you want. Spoon between 2 cookies. Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I wish you a day of peace, love and joy!

An ode to Keebler Cookies Magic Middles

Fudge filled chocolate chip cookies

Rob and I were talking about store bought cookies from childhood and I mentioned the only ones I really liked were magic middles by Keebler and Mystic Mint (which I know may gross some people out, because they can’t accept mint in a dessert, but I loved them). Anyways, Rob had never heard of magic middles, but I told him I remembered them as a chocolate chip cookie with melted chocolate inside. I looked them up and it was more of a shortbread cookie, but I decided to do my own version with chocolate chip cookie dough. Of course, I did not make enough fudge, so I used leftover Reese’s eggs for the remainder of the dough and added mini m&ms so the cookies could be told apart.

Filled with mini Reese’s eggs

Reminders – scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Do not pour directly from the bag and pack it in. Give yourself time with these. The fudge needs to harden a bit (I scooped put individual scoops of 1 1/2 tbs, put them in the fridge. Once I stuffed the cookies with then, I popped them in the freezer to make sure the fudge didn’t leak all over the place).

  • Fudge ingredients
  • 14 oz condensed milk
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • In a saucepan, combine condensed milk and chips over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Grease a sheet of tin foil with butter (I sprayed with butter spray). Scoop out 1 1/2 tbs fudge and place in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.
  • Cookie dough ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of cough and divide in half. Slightly flatten and place a ball of fudge on top.

Top with second half of slightly flattened dough.

Seal edges

I ran out of fudge, so I used mini reese’s eggs for the rest of the dough.

And I used mini m&ms for the Reese’s, so people can tell the difference between them and fudge filled cookies

Chill cookie dough for a few hours or freeze for an hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Bake 12 to 15 minutes (light golden patches on top). Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Mini Chocolate Chip Football sandwich cookies

For the final football Friday of this NFL season, I made mini chocolate chip football sandwich cookies, with vanilla frosting as a filling. I thought of also using my football helmet cookie cutter too, but the last time I brought those in, my coworkers thought they were whales. So, just football this time. And some of the finished product don’t even look like footballs.

Remember to spoon your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup. Use mini chips for these. It will be too hard to use cookie cutters with full size chips in the dough. I did chill the dough for a half hour. I also preheated the oven for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

Not sure these look like footballs!
  • Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
A very good girl has a sweet tooth

Directions – in a bowl, blend butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in chips. Chill dough for at 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. While oven preheats, sprinkle flour on your countertop. Roll out dough to desired thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on prepared sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Cool completley.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Milk (2-3 tbs)

In a bowl, cream butter and vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar gradually. Beat in 2 tbs milk. Add enough milk to get the consistency you want. Frost between 2 cookies.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Happy Opening Night of the NFL season cookies! Go Bills!

Go Bills!

Tonight is a very big night – the Bills season opener, which is also the NFL season opener. 😊 To celebrate such a monumentous occasionally, I made chocolate cutouts sandwich cookies, with footballs and football helmets. I put a simple buttercream filling between 2 cookies.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup crisco
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes before baking, so your oven cycles to the correct temperature. Line cookie sheets with nonstick baking liners. In a bowl, cream butter, crisco and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Roll to desired thickness and cut. (I like mine to be on the thicker side)

On lined cookie sheets, place cookies

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes. Cool completley.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – blend butter and powdered sugar. Add cream and vanilla. Spread between 2 cookies. Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you make these, let me know how they turn out.

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

Yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting and a squiggle

My squiggles need work!

This weekend’s treat request from my chief taste tester was a yellow cupcake with a fluff filling, chocolate frosting, and a squiggle. I can’t master the look of the squiggle like Hostess, so really mine is a long blobby of a line. I used jumbo cupcake liners because larger cupcakes are easier for me to fill with filling. I used fat free free yogurt. You can use another type of greek yogurt or sour cream,if you prefer

Reminder – preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking, so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients for cupcakes
  • 1 cake mix
  • 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 3/4 cups Greek yogurt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. line large muffin tins with large/jumbo cupcake liners. In a bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, water, oil. Blend in Greek yogurt. Mixture will be thick. Scoop out 1/2 cup of batter into lined muffin tins. (I used a large cupcake scoop from Bed, Bath and Beyond). Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in top comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients.
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Milk or cream
  • Blend butter and fluff. Mix in powdered sugar. Add enough milk (1 tsp at a time) to get desired consistency
  • Chocolate frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter soft
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Mix well. You may need to add more heavy cream or powdered sugar to get the consistency you want
  • Squiggle ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Heavy cream
  • Blend butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add cream, a tsp at a time, to get the consistency you want. It will be a little on the thicker side

Now the assembly!

Cut out a cone of cupcake, saving the cut out part
Fill with filling
Gently press cut out cone on top of filling
Frost (sweet Gracie is supervising)
Add your squiggle/blobby

Store finished cupcakes in a covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I wish you much love, happiness and joy today. And remember to be kind. A small act of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life