Tag Archives: vanilla

First playoff win in 15 years celebration bars

Uncategorized Leave a comment

These are quite a concoction to honor the Sabres first playoff win in 15 years in our first playoff game in 15 years.  I wondered how nervous I would be, as I would be working in studio for Sunday night baseball on espn radio.  The answer – very.  I was extremely antsy, much like for Bills playoff games.  And for 52 minutes, I did not take a breath.  We were down 2-nothing, scored 4 unanswered goals and beat Boston 4-3 in game one.  What i loved seeing is all the videos of people inside Key Bank Center and at various places indoors and outdoors, watching.   It was just awesome.  i am not sure how far this sabres team will go, but it just feels different.

Because it was such an impressive comeback win, these treats are a doozy- chocolate chip cookie layer on the bottom, a layer of oreos, a layer of brownies, and pieces of mini hershey bars pressed into the bars immediately after taking them out of the oven.

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

  • Chocolate chip cookie layer
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray.   Place parchment paper on top of sprayed pan.  Set aside.   In a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add egg, yolk and vanilla.  Blend in flour.   Mix in chips.  Gently press into prepared pan.

Top with a layer of oreos.

  • Brownie ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chips in 45 second increments until you can stir melted.   Add sugar and eggs.  Blend in flour and cocoa.   Drop by large spoonfuls on top of oreo layer and spread evenly.

Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Gently press Press pieces of hershey bars on top. 

Cool completely.    Store in covered container.

Smores cookies (for the Sabres first playoff game in 15 years)

Uncategorized Leave a comment

The Sabres play our first playoff game in 15 years tomorrow.  As I racked my brain to determine what treat might be special enough, I put the question to my husband – what kind of cookie – smores cookies, rocky road, brownie Rockies road, twix?  He settled on smores- a milk chocolate chip cookie dough with crushed graham crackers and mini marshmallow bits.  

Special enough?  I hope so. 

Note – my parents gave me this Sabres golf ball in 1999 and I have had it on display next to our kitchen sink since we bought our house in 2001.  Plenty of lean years since then, but my Fandom never left me. 

I started getting nervous/ excited on my drive home from work today at 5.   Not sure what i will be like tomorrow at work during Sunday night baseball.   Pray for my crew.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour  bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.   I did not chill these and they puffed up nicely.  

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 /2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups marshmallow bits
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.   In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.  Add vanilla and eggs.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Using your hands, mix in chips and marshmallow bits, like you would do with meatballs.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Stagger on prepared sheet.Bake 8 to 10 minutes, no longer (edges of bottoms will be golden brown)  cool completely.  

Store in covered container.

Italian (olive oil) brownies

Uncategorized Leave a comment
  • Ingredients list
  • 11/2 tbs water
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions- preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an  8×8 pan with pam and line with parchment paper, set aside.   In a bowl, combine water, oil and cocoa.  Microwave 45 seconds.  Let sit 2 minutes.  Blend in eggs and vanilla.  Add flourand salt. Mix in chips.   Spread into pan.  Bake 18 to 19 minutes, no longer.

Perfect and puffy chocolate chip cookies

Uncategorized Leave a comment

Another chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Why not?  There are so many ways you can tweak a ccc recipe.  These use an instant vanilla pudding mix (mix only, you do not make the pudding with milk). 

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter flavor crisco
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed  into measuring cup
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, butter crisco, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in pudding mix, then dry ingredients.  Fold in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Form tall mounds, like below.

Chill a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer.

Remove from oven.  Cookies will be gushy, but will firm up.  Cool completely.

   Store in covered container.

Brown butter triple chip cookies

Uncategorized Leave a comment

Triple chip cookies, starring brown butter and semisweet, milk chocolate and white chocolate chips.  I didn’t chill these as long as I usually do, so they are a little flatter than i prefer.  But rob said they are good, so that works for me!

I used a combo of bread and all purpose flour for these.  You can use entire all purpose flour, but either way,  remember to scoop it from the flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.

Chill the scooped out dough for a few hours and preheat the oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 1/4 cups butter, browned and cooled until it solidifies (might take an hour or so for that to happen)
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cups
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1  cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream solidified brown butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs, water, and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients. Mix in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and chill a few hours. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer. Cool completely.  

Store in covered container.

Blondies with chocolate chips

Uncategorized Leave a comment

These are a request from my goddaughter Sara.  Blondies with chocolate chips.  She has the same taste in treats that rob does – chocolate chip cookies, blondies and brownies.

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tbs water
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.  In a bowl, mix oil, brown sugar and sugar.   Add eggs, vanilla and water.  Fold in dry ingredients.   Mix in 1 cup chips. Evenly spread dough into pan.   Sprinkle remaining chips on top and gently press down.  Bake 18 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container

Thanks for stopping by!

Shamrock cutout cookie sandwiches.

Uncategorized Leave a comment

Another holiday means another opportunity to make cutout cookies to celebrate that holiday.   Ahead of St. Patrick’s day tomorrow, I made cutout shamrock cookies, using this multi shape cookie cutter that someone gave me a million years ago (I actually have 2 for some reason)

And I just happened to have green colored sugar to sprinkle on top!

Also, I only had time to bake half of these today, so the rest will be baked and brought in tomorrow to work.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 1/3 cups crisco
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbs milk
  • 4 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.  On a floured surface, roll dough to desired thickness, cut out cookies.  I chilled the cutouts overnight before baking.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies on sheet.   Sprinkle colored sugar on top, if you want. 

Bake 8 minutes, no longer (trust me).  Cool completely. 

  • Frosting/filling ingredients
  • 4 tbs butter melted
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
  • Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • Food coloring (opt)

Combine butter and 2 cups powdered sugar.  Add a few tbs of milk and vanilla.  Add more powdered sugar or milk to get desired consistency.  Frost,

or make sandwich cookies. 

Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Toasted sugar, graham cracker, milk chocolate chip cookies stuffed with mallo cups

Uncategorized Leave a comment
Now that’s a cookie!

I had a bag of mallo cups and wanted to use them up, so I thought of making a s’mores related treat. 

I also have seen some articles that suggest using toasted sugar in cookie recipes, so I thought i would use the mallo cups stuffed in milk chocolate chip cookies made with toasted sugar and some finely ground graham crackers.

Stuffed with mallo cups

First about toasting the sugar- you don’t have to.. but if you want to – place the cup of sugar on a cookie sheet and spread to a relatively thin layer.  Bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 15 minutes, or so, stirring every so often, until sugar is a light golden, like below.

I also used a combo of all purpose flour and bread flour.   Bread flour makes cookies a little more chewy.  You can use just all purpose flour entirely.

These are stuffed with Reese’s pb hearts (the mini chips are the marker)

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1 cup sugar, toasted (see above for directions)
  • 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1/2 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • Mallo cups

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, toasted sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add eggs and blend well.  Mix in flours, then graham cracker crumbs.  If dough seems a bit dry, add a tbs or two of water.   Scoop out 1/ cup of dough.

Divide in half and slightly flatten each half.  

  On one half, place a mallo cups.

Top with other flattened half and seal edges. 

Chill a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 16 to 20 minutes (golden spots on top).  Cool completely.  Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by!

Caramel/Milk Chocolate/ Oreo topped brownies

Uncategorized Leave a comment

Rob asked for brownies today, with some crushed oreos on top.  So I made those, cut out a few for him and wantes to make the rest a little fancy, so I topped them with  caramel frosting, melted milk chocolate chips and crushed oreos.

My caramel layer got a little thicker and harder to  than I wanted, because I went to let Gracie in and the cold air hit it and really made it too thick to spread, so I microwaved it for 30 seconds and was able to spread it.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.

  • Brownies ingredients
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs special dark cocoa
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • Crushed oreos

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.   In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and dark chocolate chips.   Mix in brown sugar and sugar.  One at a time, beat in eggs, then vanilla.  Do not overnight.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Mix in chips. Evenly spread into pan.  Sprinkle crushed oreos on top.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely.  Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes, about halfway down, in brownies. 

  • Caramel frosting ingredients
  • 6 tbs butter
  • 1 3/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cups
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tbs heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and salt over medium heat to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Once boiling, contstantly stir until thick (from 5 to 10 minutes).  Remove from heat and add vanilla. Wait a minute or two, then  pour over brownies.  Let set about 5 minutes.  

In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 cups milk chocolate chips in 45 seconds until you can stir melted.  Pour over caramel layer.   Top with more crushed oreos.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Vanilla cookie dough cookies with ice cream frosting

Uncategorized Leave a comment

I wanted to make something with cookie dough, so these are a chocolate chip cookie without the chips, an ice cream frosting and edible cookie dough on top.

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

  • Cookie dough pieces 
  • 2 tbs  butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/2 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup flour (heated in a microwave safe container for 30 seconds)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs  mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar for 3 minutes.   Add vanilla and heavy cream.  Mix in flour and salt.  Blend in chips.  Scoop out tsp of dough and place in a container in freezer.

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

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Place in a covered container and chill a few hours or overnight.   When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baker liners.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 15 minutes (Bottoms will be lightly browned).  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 4 tbs butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs ice cream, melted

Directions- in a bowl, blend butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Mix in ice cream.  Add more powdered sugar, if needed, to get the consistency you want.

Frost cookies.

Place pieces of cookie dough on top and store in covered container.