Frosted Black cocoa sugar cookies

Oreo filling topping

These are a fun cookie.  A chocolate sugar cookie made with black cocoa (regular unsweetened cocoa is fine to use too).   You roll the dough into balls, gently smash them down and then sprinkle with sugar before baking.

Cookie dough topping

Remember to scoop your flour and powdered sugar from their containers so you get the right amount.   I advise chilling the smashed individual doughs for a few hours before baking.  And you can frost these however you want.  I used a homemade oreo filling, cookie dough and peanut butter filling.  And topped them all with melted milk chocolate chips.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbs Water
  • 5 1/2 cups flour
  • I cup Black cocoa
  • 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions- in a bowl, cream butter, sugar, powdered sugar and vwgetable oil.  Blend in eggs, water and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Spray the bottom of a glass with pam and gently flatten doughs a bit.  Sprinkle with sugar.  You may have to re-spray bottom of glass a few times.  Chill doughs a few hours.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 10 to 14 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.   Frost as desired.  Store in covered container.

Peanut butter topping

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Cookies and Cream instant  Oatmeal Cream Pies

I saw this box of cookies and cream instant oatmeal packets ans thiught they would be great for oatmeal cookies for oatmeal cream pies. (Those and the cosmic brownies were my favorite Little Debbie treats growing up)

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I recommend chilling the individual doughs for a few hours to keep them cookies from spreading too much.   And, preheat the oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 6 packets instant oatmeal
Look at the oreo goodness!

Directions – in a bowl cream butter, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and bakign powder.  Add eggs, vanilla and milk.  Blend in flour and oats.  Scoop out 2 tbs of dough.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely

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

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and fluff.  Slowly blend in powdered sugar.  Mix in vanilla.  Spoon filling between 2 cookies.  Store in covered container.

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Reverse Whoopie Pies (made with a cake mix)

I wanted something different to bake, so instead of the traditional whoopie pie (chocolate cake and white filling), I opted for yellow cake and chocolate frosting.   And these are made with a cake mix.  You can use any flavor!

  • Whoppie pie ingredients list
  • 1 cake mix
  • 3.4 Oz instant pudding mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup water

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Spray a whoopie pie pan with baking spray, or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil and water.   Scoop out 2 tbs batter into prepared whoopie pie pans or parchment covered cookie sheet. 

Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  

For the frosting,  remember to scoop your powdered sugar from the bag into measuring cup so you get the right amount.

  • Chocolate filling list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 to 6 tbs heavy cream

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and cocoa.  Blend in powdered sugar, cream and vanilla.  You may need to add more powdered sugar or cream until you get the right amount.  Then assemble the whoopie pies!

Place one piece flat side up

Spread filling on top.

Top with another half.

Store in covered container.

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When it’s top hot to turn on the oven….

Summer officially began on Friday and it has made it’s presence known.  Here in Connecticut, like many parts of the country, it is going to be in the triple digits the next few days, with the heat index factored in.  So I decided to go with a no bake treat.  Chocolate covered peanut butter treats.  Super simple and require only a few ingredients.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter melted
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 sleeves graham crackers, finely crushed (2 cups finely crushed)
  • 1 3/4 – 2 cups powdered sugar (scooped from your container into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla.  Blend in powdered sugar and cracker crumbs.  Scoop out 2 tbs, roll into balls and slightly flatten.  Pop in fridge for a half hour or so.  Cover with melted chocolate.  Pop back in fridge to firm up chocolate. Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Frosted Mud bars

These, dear friends, are somewhere between and brownie and a chocolate blondie.  I frosted them too!  Super simple to make!

Remember to scoop your flour and baking cocoa from their respective bags into your measuring cups so you get the right amount.  And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray with pam.  Set aside.  Melt butter and place in a bowl.  Add sugar, then eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.   Mix in chips.  Spread evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a saucepan, melt butter.  Add powdered sugar, cocoa and milk.  Stirring constantly, bring to a boil.  Boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Add more powdered sugar if you would like a thicker frosting.  Frost cooled bars.  Cut and store in covered container.

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Chocolate sugar cookie cake mix bars with fudge frosting

This is a twist on a previous recipe -sugar cookie cake mix bars.   This time, I used all chocolate crinkle cookie mix and devils food cake mix.  Super simply and easy.  I opted for a fudge frosting. But you can use whatever flavor you want.  Sprinkling powdered sugar on to would be good too, I think. 

You can use whatever flavor cookie and cake mix you want.

Remember to preheat your oven so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cake mix
  • 1 cookie mix
  • 2 sticks of butter, melted
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 sheet with tin foil and spray with baking spray. Set aside.  In a bowl, combine all five ingredients, beat on low-medium speed with a mixer just until blended  (Mixture will be thick).  Spread evenly into prepared pan.  Bake 20 to 23 minutes.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 6 tbs butter
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 2 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a pan, over low-medium heat, melt butter.   Turn off heat, leaving pan on burner.  Add chips, cocoa, powdered sugar, cream and vanilla.  Stir until melted.  Chill 15 to 20 minutes.   Frost cooled bars. 

Store in covered container. Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Magical mermaid graffiti sprinkle cookies

What the what?  I know, a weird name for a cookie.  I saw these sprinkles at price rite and thought “how magical for a cookie.”  So I made a funfetti like cookie dough with cake batter extract and vanilla extracts and poured in a container of magical mermaid graffiti.  Perfectamundo, to paraphrase Arthur Fonzarelli. 🙂

Of course, if you don’t have cake batter extract, you can use vanilla or almond extract. 

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp cake batter extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 4 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2.5 Oz container of sprinkles

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and extracts.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Mix in sprinkles.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough. 

Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 11 to 13 minutes.  (Bottoms will be lightly browned).  Cookies may be a little gushy.. but let them cool down and pop them in the fridge to firm them up. 

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp cake batter extract
  • 2 tbs milk.

Directions – in a bowl, combine ingredients and mix well.  Frost cooled cookies. 

Store in covered container. 

Frosted Heath Bar Blondies

Rob bought some mini heath bars and asked me to bake something with them,  so I opted for blondies with vanilla frosting.  There are crushed heath bars in the blondies and in the frosting.  Really, these use one of my many chocolate chip cookies recipes, but instead of chips, I put in heath bars. 

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.

  • Blondies ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup crushed heath bars

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Blend in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients.   Fold in heath bars.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbs milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Crushed heath bars

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar.  Add milk and vanilla.  Frost bars.  Sprinkle with crushed heath bars. 

Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Frosted Cake Batter Cookies

I am always looking for ways to tweak recipes and, while walking in the baking aisle, I noticed cake batter extract, so i added it to my flavoring collection (vanilla, almond, lemon, maple).  And today, instead of making vanilla flavor cookies, I went with cake batter.  Cake batter frosting too.  Some are topped with sprinkles, others with mini m&ms (bc the mini m&ms bag lasts forever).

Of course if you don’t have cake batter flavoring, vanilla is just fine. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also chilled the individual doughs overnight to keep them from spreading too much.

  • Cookie ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp cake batter extract
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar, eggs and extract.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Scoop our 1/4 cups of dough.   Chill, in a covered container, a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Stagger on prepared sheets.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes.   (Bottoms will be lightly browned).  Mine were a little gushy on top, so I popped them in the fridge to firm them up.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (scooped from your container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 1 tsp cake batter extract
  • 4 tbs milk

Directions- in a bowl, blend all ingredients well.   Frost cooled cookies.  Top with sprinkles or m&ms.  Store in covered container.  (I put mine back in fridge)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Carrot cake bars for Championship week Thursday

I got some carrots to make a carrot cake, but changed things up a bit and made carrot cake bars.  I used melted butter, so they are a little chewier than carrot cake.  Also, they have way too much frosting!  But there are worse things in life.  I doubled this recipe and used two 8×8 square pans to bake them in.

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.

  • Bars ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup shredded carrots (wow, is that fun to do)
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions- line and 8×8 square pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.    In a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla.  Blend in egg and yolk, then carrots.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Fold in chips.  Evenly spread in prepared pan.  Bake 28 to 32 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla.  Blend in powdered sugar slowly.   Frost bara.  Chill in fridge. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!