Browned  peanut butter cookies topped with melted hershey kisses

This variation of peanut butter cookies start with browned butter.  It adds a nice nutty flavor to cookies.  Perfect for peanut butter cookies!   Making browned butter is easy.  You put the butter in a pan.  Turn your stove top burner to medium heat.  Let butter cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally,  until you see tiny brown specks in it.  Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

I used finely ground peanuts in these.  You can leave them out if you want.  You could also add peanut butter chips, which I have but forgot to add this time.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also, I recommend chilling the dough at least a few hours.  And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, browned and cooled for 5 to 10 minutes
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into your measuring cups
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup peanuts, finely ground
  • Extra sugar

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Blend in peanut butter.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients,  then fold in nuts.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and roll into extra sugar.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 14 to 16 minutes (tops will be lightly golden, make sure bottoms don’t get top dark).  Cool completely. 

Top with melted hershey kisses. 

Store in covered container

Dark chocolate fudge brownies with chocolate icing

These are an amazing brownie for those of you who love chocolate – very fudgy, dense and chocolate!  Super simple to make. Do they need the icing?  Probably not.  But i say the more chocolate and sweetness,  the better.i underbaked these a bit.  I would probably bake them another 2 or  minutes next time.  But I did put them in the fridge to firm them up.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also made the icing while the brownies were cooling and frosted them while they were warm, which likely added to the gushiness!

  • Ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cups butter
  • 1 1 /2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with aluminum foil and spray with pam.  Set aside.  in a microwave safe bowl, heat butter and 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips in 45 second increments in microwave until you can stir smooth.  Mix in sugar, then beat in eggs, one at a time.   Blend in dry ingredients, then chips.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Remove from oven and start making the icing.

  • Icing ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips
  • 5 tbs butter
  • 1/4 cup corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, combine chips, butter and corn syrup.  Microwave in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.  Set aside.  In another microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 2 minutes.  Whisk into chocolate mixture.  Pour over warm brownies. Let set.  Cut and store in covered container

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Smores graham cracker pound cake

It is a typical summer day here today – hot and humid and close to 100 degrees.  So what better treat to represent such a summer day than smores?  And not just with graham crackers, but a graham cracker pound cake, some pieces topped with fluff frosting and melted hershey kisses and others topped with chocolate fluff frosting.  The pound cake recipe is From one of my grandmothers, given to me a long time ago.

I read the secret to a good pound cake is putting it in a cold oven and then heating the oven to the right temp.  So I tried it.  Also, remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Same goes for the powdered sugar in the frosting.

A bit of advice, apply buttercream first, then melted chocolate.  It is much easier than putting the chocolate on the cake first,  then buttercream, I lesson I learned as seen below.

  • Graham cracker pound cake ingredients
  • 16 tbs butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup flour (scooped from flour bag into measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 1/2 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Line a 8×5 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and condensed milk.  Fold in dry ingredients and graham cracker crumbs.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Place in oven and turn oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 35 to 42 minutes (toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs). 

Cool completely.  I  sliced the pound cake.

and then cut the slices in half

  • Fluff frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

In a bowl, cream butter, vanilla,  and fluff.  Carefully blend in powdered sugar.   Divide in half.  To one half, add 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips.   frost some cake pieces with melted chocolate

To the other pieces, I topped them with buttercream.

Then scooped some melted hershey kisses on top.

Store in covered container.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with finely ground pecans

Before the temps go over 100 again, I wanted to bake some cookies.  I added finely ground pecans to chocolate chip cookies.  The recipe is from my friend, Jeff’s mom.  She was an incredibly, kind, sweet lady and I was grateful she gave me this recipe.  She made these before a bunch of us went to the U2 concert in 1992 in Toronto.  I still remember how good they were. 

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pecans, finely ground

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and vanilla.  Mix in eggs.  Fold in flour and cornstarch.  Blend in chips and pecans.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.   Chill individual doughs in fridge for a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies of sheet, leaving space because these spread a little.  Bake 11 to 15 minutes, no longer.   Let cookies cool.  You can pop them in the fridge to firm then up.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

White chocolate brownies

I have a few non chocolate loving friends and work, so I wanted to bring in something non chocolate they would enjoy, so I used white chocolate chips and made white chocolate brownies.  Very fudge like.  The only thing missing- sprinkles!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount, and preheat your oven to 325 degrees before baking

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour

Directions – preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with pam.  Set aside.  In a microwave safe bowl, combine white chips and butter.  Microwave in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.  Add sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Mix in flour.  Evenly spread into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes, edges will be light golden and center will be set.  Cool completely.

  • Topping ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 2 tbs heavy cream

In a microwave safe bowl, combine and microwave in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.  Spread on top of brownies.  Cut and store  in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Milk chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies

All that gushy goodness!

Today’s treat – milk chocolate chip cookies with finely ground macadamia nuts.  I wanted to make something a little different, and milk chocolate chip cookies are a good way to do that…plus I had a half bag of macadamia nuts to use up!

Yes it is hotter than hell again (thanks climate change), and yet I turned on the oven. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also, chill the individual doughs at least a few hours so they don’t flatten too much.  And preheat your oven to 375 degrees before baking.

  • 1 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cups
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour, scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts,  finely ground

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Mix in chips and nuts. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Chill individual doughs in fridge a few hours.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet, like in picture below, a row of 2, then a row of one, another row of 2 and then a row of 1.  (I usually fit 8 cookies total on a sheet). 

Bake 10 to 12 minutes. let set a few minutes on sheets.  Cool completely.   I popped mine in the fridge to firm them up (not easy baking conditions in the humdiity). 

Store in covered container.  I will be keeping mine in our fridge until I bring them to work tomorrow.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Remember to be kind!

XL Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I have never had much luck making crinkle cookies.  They usually come put flat like pancakes.  These were perfectly puffy.  I think it helped I used cold butter and butter crisco. 

Remember to spoon your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also preheat your oven before baking.  And because these are baked at a higher temp, only bake for 10 minutes.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Extra granulated sugar
  • Powdered sugar

Directions – preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, cream butter, 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, yolks and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Form 12 even pieces of dough.  Roll in extra granulated sugar then powdered sugar.  Place 6 on prepared sheet, leaving a few inches between doughs.  Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let sit on cookie sheet for 15 minutes.   Store in covered container. 

Thank you for stopping by!

Black cocoa fudge cake

Thick.  Dark chocolate.  Fudge.  Cake.  With chocolate ganache.  Not much else to say, really.  If you love chocolate, you will love this cake.

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

And I recommend making the ganache while the cake is baking so it can thicken up for when you are ready to frost the cake.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter,  melted
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup black cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a round 8″ cake pan with parchment paper.  In a bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and warm warmed.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake 25 to 32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat heavy cream 2 to 3 minutes (make sure bowl is big enough so cream doesn’t boil over and make a mess in yiur microwave).  Add chips and stir until chips and heavy cream are fully blended.  Let it firm up while the cake bakes and cools.  Frost cake.

Thanks for stopping by!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Rob requested chocolate chip cookie bars.  He will only eat one, so the rest will come in to work with me tomorrow.  These are easy to make and are a big hit.   Instead of scooping and baking cookies on a few cookie sheets, you just spread the dough in one baking pan and bake. 

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
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
  • 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed into your measuring cup)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into measuring cups so you get the right amount)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.  In a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.  Evenly spread dough into prepared 9×13 pan.  Sprinkle remaining 1 cup chips on top and gently press down into dough. Bake 26 to 28 minutes, no longer.  (Edges will be golden brown).  Cool completely.  Cut and store in covered container.

Sugar topped puffy peanut butter cookies

Did  I like it being 40 degrees a few weeks ago while we walked Gracie in the morning?  No.   Do I like it being over 100 degrees this week?  Also, no.  But this heat  has not stopped me from baking.  These are peanut butter cookies topped with sugar.  They are for a work friend’s birthday tomorrow.

I used crisco, but you cam use butter.  Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill the individual  doughs at least a few hours.  Preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (firmly packed into measuring cup)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Extra sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking powder and salt.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and tip tops in extra sugar.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer. Cool completely.   Store in covered container.