Tag Archives: homemade

Chocolate peanut butter chip cookies

Uncategorized Leave a comment

I have made a LOT of chocolate chip cookies (or some version of them) lately and was looking to break out of the box. I noticed I had some Reese’s peanut butter chips among my morsels collection, and thought I would put them in some large chocolate cookies. So here is that recipe.

Remember to spoon your flour and cocoa from their bag or container into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. If you directly pour into the measuring cup, it gets packed in, and you can wind up with a dry cookie. Also, chill the mounds of cookie dough for a few hours to prevent spreading of the cookies in the oven. And, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup, so you get the right amount)
  • 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (scooped from your container into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 bag peanut butter chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Blend in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Chill in fridge a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on prepared sheer – a row of 2, a row of 1, a row of 2, a row of 1 (I fit 6 or 8 on a sheet, depending on size of sheet). Bake 10 to 12 minutes (no longer. You don’t want the bottoms to burn). Cool completely. Store in covered container.

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

7

Advertisement

A tribute to Little Debbie brownies

Uncategorized Leave a comment
A Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies tribute

I loved Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies (and Oatmeal Cream pies, too) growing up. With the brownies, I always thought the topping was magical, so delicious. I’m not sure how I would like the cosmic brownies now (processed foods have not been my thing for a long time), so I present to you homemade version. These have cornstarch in them to make them softer. I err on taking them out a little earlier (about 20 minutes) than too late because a dry brownie is a grave sin.

Remember to spoon your flour and baking cocoa from your flour bag and cocoa container into your measuring cups so you get the right amount. Pouring directly into the measuring cup would pack in the flour, and that makes for a dry treat. I also preheated my oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted then cooled for 5 to 10 minutes
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups flour (spooned from your flour bag into your measuring cups)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray and set aside. In a bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar and sugar. Blend in eggs. Fold in dry ingredients. Mixture will be thick. Evenly press into prepared pan. Bake 18 to 22 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center will come out with a few moist crumbs). Cool completely.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I combined semisweet and milk chocolate)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chips and milk in 1 minute increments until you can stir smooth. Stir for a few minutes to thicken up. Spread over cooled brownies. Sprinkle with mini m&ms. Let ganache set. Cut and store in covered container. I put mine in the fridge to help with the ganache setting.

Look at all that fudgy goodness

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you try these, let me know how you like them. Have a wonderful day and remember to be kind!

Brownie cupcakes with fudge frosting

Uncategorized Leave a comment

I got an unusual request from Rob. Chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate frosting and coconut. Normally, coconut is not his bag.. but luckily I had coconut in my stash of baking items (it is rare I am missing anything). So I made a small batch (5) of jumbo brownie cupcakes, frosted them and sprinkled them with coconut. Not sure what to do with the rest of the coconut. Of course, you do not have to use coconut. And you can use regular size cupcake pans and liners, but they will cook in less time.

All that chocolate goodness!
  • Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate (I used a bar of baker’s and broke it into pieces
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup flour

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a jumbo cupcake pan with jumbo cupcake liners. in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate in 40 second increments until you can stir smooth. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Add sugar and brown sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and stir until just blended. Spoon 2/3 cup batter into prepared pans for jumbo cupcakes. Spoon 1/3 into regular size cupcakes. Jumbo cupcakes take 18 to 22 minutes to bake. Regular take 15 to 19 minutes. (A toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs) The middles might seem a little soft, but they will continue to cook in the pan after being removed from oven. I always err of the side of underbaking. Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 stick butter soft
  • 2 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs milk

Blend butter and baking cocoa. Add powdered sugar. Add milk. You can add more powdered sugar and /or milk to get the consistency you want. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with coconut.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day filled with peace, love and joy. Remember to be kind!

Brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookies

Uncategorized Leave a comment
Now that’s a cookie!

To celebrate having one of our favorite co-workers on campus this week in Bristol – the one and only Harry Douglas, of “Fitz and Harry” on ESPN Radio, as well as day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft, I present brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookies. I “cheated” and used a mix for the brownies. But honestly, I think brownie mixes are just fine to use and make great brownies, especially when you are pressed for time.

Nothing wrong with using a brownie mix!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. If you pour directly from the bag to the measuring cup, it gets packed in, and you could end up with dry cookies! I chilled the dough overnight to prevent spreading. Also, preheat the dough for 20 minutes before baking so it gets to the right temp.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 pan brownies baked and cooled, cut into 2 inch squares
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. If dough seems a little try, add a tbs or 2 of water. Fold in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Divide in half and slightly flatten.

Place a small brownie square on top.

Top with other half of flattened cookie dough

Seal edges so you can’t see brownie.

Chill dough at least a few hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on sheet. Bake 13 minutes – there will be light golden patches on top. Don’t bake them too much longer. Even if they are a little doughy, they will firm up. Store in covered container.

There is magic inside this cookie!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I wish you peace and joy today. Remember to be kind. Life can be so hard for people. We are all fighting a battle, and some are worse than others.

Very puffy triple chip cookies

Uncategorized Leave a comment

As we enjoy another night of Stanley Cup playoff hockey, I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies. These are made with browned butter and 2 oz of cream cheese. The cream cheese helped them stay thick and they did not spread out at all. You can not taste the cream cheese at all! They stayed nice and puffy and are loaded with 3 kinds of chocolate chips.

A few notes – browned butter is super easy. Place the butter in a sauce pan, cook over low heat . A few minutes after it completely melts, brown specks will appear. Turn off the pan and pour butter in bowl. Let it cool for 30 minutes. Spoon your flour from your flour bag into your container so you get the right amount. And preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so your oven cycles to the right temp.

1/2 cup butter

2 oz cream cheese (I used low fat)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 yolk

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)

1 tbs cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup white chocolate chips

2/3 cup milk chocolate chips

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 kinds of chips!

Directions – place butter in a pan, cook over low-medium heat until there are small brown specks. Cool in a bowl for a half hour. (Otherwise, the chips may melt and you will have marble cookies). Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. In a bowl, combine cooled butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and sugar. Add egg, yolk and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients (you may need to use your hands and mix them like meatballs). Mix in chips. Scoop our 1/4 cups dough. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on the sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (no longer). Cool completely.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Triple chip mini m&m chocolate cookies

Uncategorized Leave a comment

After some very unusually warm days, it cooled off today, so I thought it would be a good day to bake cookies. I went with a chocolate cookie dough using dark, semisweet and milk chocolate chips (I have a huge bag of each), and mini m&ms. I thought, perhaps, of drizzling melted hershey kisses on top, but not sure that is needed.

Xl bags of 3 kinds of chips

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup (same goes for the baking cocoa). I also recommend chilling the dough for a few hours. And, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking, so that it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled in fridge for 30 to 40 minutes (it will solidify and that’s ok)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbs water
  • 2 2/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 /2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup mini m&ms
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions – combine butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and water. Blend in dry ingredients. Mix in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. You may need to flour your hands for this – form tall mounds. Chill mounds of dough for a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Stagger cookies on sheet. Bake 11 minutes. Because these are chocolate, it is hard to tell when they are done. I err on the side of taking cookies out early bc they will continue to cook on the sheet after being removed from the oven. They will firm up and be fine once completely cooled. Plus, gushy cookies are not bad!

Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today. ❤️

Cakey chocolate chip cookies

Uncategorized Leave a comment
Cakey chocolate chip cookies

These are a cakey chocolate chip cookie. Very soft and pillow. I used a half all purpose flour and half bread flour. I incorporated bread flour because I wanted to prevent them from spreading too much. I also froze the dough pieces for 20 minutes to prevent spreading.

Scoop the flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount and preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 10 tbs butter, softened
  • 4 tbs crisco
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips. Scoop out 3 tbs dough and form into tall mounds. Freeze 20 minutes or chill an hour or two. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Stagger cookies on sheet – a row of 2, a row of 1, a row of 2, a row of 1. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Bottoms will be golden and tops should be mostly set. They will firm up after taken out of the oven. Cool completely and store in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by!❤️❤️

Chocolate cookies stuffed with Reese’s peanut butter eggs

Uncategorized Leave a comment

The other day, I picked up a mega bag of the Reese’s peanut butter eggs while at BJs. They truly are, the world’s best candy. I know Reese’s makes their peanut butter cups and other peanut butter variety treats for various holidays (like pumpkins and Christmas trees), but the ones they have at Easter time just seem different. I can make a homemade version of these eggs, but I opted to buy a huge bag for some reason.. so I decided to stuff some into chocolate cookies.

These chocolate cookies use melted chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate for these, but you can use semisweet) and are super fudgy. After making the dough and wrapping it around the candies, I chilled everything overnight to help prevent spreading.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. And preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

I made 12 stuffed cookies with this recipe. You can double it if you want to make more.

  • Ingredients
  • 5 tbs butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips (i melted them in a microwave proof bowl in 30 second increments until i could stir smooth)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Reese’s peanut butter eggs, unwrapped

Directions – cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in melted chocolate. Fold in dry ingredients.

Scoop out 1 1/2 tbs dough, slightly flatten

Top with a Reese’s egg

Scoop out another 1 1/2 tbs dough,, slightly flatten and place on top of Reese’s egg

Make sure egg is completely covered with dough

I chilled these overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees before baking. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, stagger cookies

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, not much longer, so to not burn the bottoms.

Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Fudgy Brownies

Uncategorized Leave a comment
Fudgy brownies

I got a request from Rob for brownies and thought these would fit the bill. I was looking for something that baked in 20 minutes or less.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp for baking.

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

Directions – line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave butter, sugar, baking cocoa and salt for 30 to 45 seconds. Stir. Mix in vanilla and eggs. Add flour and beat only for 40 strokes. Fold in chips. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center of brownies comes out basically clean. Cool completely.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a wonderful day with lots of love and joy!

Browned butter Triple Chip Cookies (aka “the Franks”

Uncategorized Leave a comment
Browned butter triple chip cookies

I got a request for the triple chip cookies from my hubby. I looked through my collection of chocolate chip cookie recipes and came across one using browned butter and bread flour. Browned butter is pretty simple to do. Just put your butter in a pan, cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until you see little brown specs. You should let it cool down for 5 minutes or so. I was in a hurry and didn’t.. so some of my chips marbled. I think the cookies are still good. I have not made these with all purpose flour, so I am not sure how they would turn out.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. If you pour it, it gets backed in and your cookies might turn out dry. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, browned and cooled 5 minutes
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbs heavy cream or milk
  • 2 1/4 cups bread flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch ingredients.
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar. Mix in egg, yolk, vanilla and cream or milk. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix in chips. Scoop out 3 tbs of dough and stagger on prepared sheets.

This is how I stagger my cookie dough

Bake 10 to 11 minutes (no longer) cool completely. Store in covered container.

Have a wonderful day. And remember to be kind! We are all dealing with something and your kindness may be just what someone needs that day!