Tag Archives: vanilla

Special dark cookies stuffed with chocolate cake and chocolate ganache and topped with melted dark chocolate

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These are not for the faint of heart.   4x the chocolate – a special dark chocolate cookie stuffed with black cocoa cake, ganache (a fancy name for melted chocolate) and topped with melted chocolate.  I recommend chilling the raw doughs after brjng stuffed to keep them puffy and keep the stuffings (cake and ganache) inside.

Scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup to get the correct amount (same goes for the baking cocoa).  And preheat your oven to 410 degrees before baking.  And only bake for 15 minutes.

You will need one chocolate cake baked in a round pan, baked according to directions and cooled completely. 

Cut out small pieces 2 inch squares or circles and set aside.  I used my Bills shot glass!

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

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat cream for one minute.  Add chips.  Let stand one minute.   Sture smooth.  Let set at room temp for 20 minutes, then place in fridge to firm up.

  • Cookies ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbs heavy cream
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup special dark cocoa powder
  • 1 tap baking soda
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl,  cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and heavy cream.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Divide into 8 even pieces.  Divide each of those in half and slightly flatten each.  On one half, place a square of cake

and 1 tbs ganache.  

Top with other half

and seal edges. 

Freeze overnight.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 410 degrees.  line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 15 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.    Top with melted chocolate.  Store in covered containerm.

Peanut butter halloween cutout cookies

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With Halloween a little more than a week away, I decided to use my pumpkin, bat, ghost cookie cutters once again.  2 ghosts are frosted with a marshmallow fluff frosting and the rest are topped with melted mini hershey bars…. and mini m&ms for eyes and mouths.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I chilled the doughs after I cut them out.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup crisco
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbs heavy cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco and peanut butter.  Blend in brown sugar and sugar.  Mix in eggs, vanilla and heavy cream.   Stir in flour and baking powder.  Sprinkle flour on a flat surface.  Roll dough to desired thickness.  Cut with cookie cutters, and chill cutouts in a covered container 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 10 to 12 minutes,  no longer.  Cool completely.  

You can frost these with a marshmallow fluff frosting (2 tbs softened butter, 1/2 cup fluff, 1 cup powdered sugar and enough milk to get the consistency you want, or melted chocolate.  Store in covered container.

Week 6 Victory Monday cookies

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To celebrate our win over the Raiders, and an unbelievable touchdown toss by our Josh allen…

I made halloween themed cutout cookie sandwiches, using my   Pumpkin, bat and ghost shaped cookie cutters. 

Super easy recipe.  Big sweet, soft cookies that remind me of childhood and baking them for various holidays (mostly christmas).  I didn’t chill the dough at all, because these use crisco.

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

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with baking liners. Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Flour a flat surface with flour.  using a rolling pin, roll to desired thickness.  Cut with cookie cutters.  Stagger on prepared sheet.  Bake 8 to 9 minutes no longer.  Cool completely. 

For filling, I combined 1/4 cup melted butter with 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar.  I added vanilla and enough milk to get the consistency I wanted.  Spread a few spoonfuls between 2 cookies for a sandwich.  

Store in covered container.

Smores hot cocoa chocolate graham cracker cookies

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One last ode to summer – smores cookies that feature hot cocoa mix, marshmallow bits, crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs and milk chocolate chips. And a half of a mini hershey bar pressed on top of each cookie immediately after being removed from the oven.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  You can use regular graham cracker crumbs or none at all.   I recommend chilling the doughs for a few hours before baking.  I used a mix of butter and butter crisco.  You can use all butter or a mix of butter and regular crisco.  I used a combo of bread flour and all purpose flour.  But you can use entirely all purpose flour.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softene
  • 1/2 cup butter crisco
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 1/4 cups bread flour
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 packets hot cocoa mix
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 sheets chocolate graham crackers, crushed (anywhere between 1/2 cup and 1 cup crushed graham crackers)
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallow bits

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, butter crisco, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla.  Blend in graham cracker crumbs and dry ingredients.   Mix in chips, marshmallow bits.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  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.  Immediately gently press a half hershey miniature chocolate bar into top of each cookie. 

Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Smores hot cocoa chocolate graham cracker cookies

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One last ode to summer – smores cookies that feature hot cocoa mix, marshmallow bits, crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs and milk chocolate chips. And a half of a mini hershey bar pressed on top of each cookie immediately after being removed from the oven.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  You can use regular graham cracker crumbs or none at all.   I recommend chilling the doughs for a few hours before baking.  I used a mix of butter and butter crisco.  You can use all butter or a mix of butter and regular crisco.  I used a combo of bread flour and all purpose flour.  But you can use entirely all purpose flour.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softene
  • 1/2 cup butter crisco
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 1/4 cups bread flour
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 packets hot cocoa mix
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 sheets chocolate graham crackers, crushed (anywhere between 1/2 cup and 1 cup crushed graham crackers)
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallow bits

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, butter crisco, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla.  Blend in graham cracker crumbs and dry ingredients.   Mix in chips, marshmallow bits.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  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.  Immediately gently press a half hershey miniature chocolate bar into top of each cookie. 

Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Triple chip cookies

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These are a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe with a box of instant vanilla pudding mix added and I used a mix of milk, white and semisweet chocolate chips.  I also used 1 cup of bread flour, in addition to the all purpose flour, but you can use entirely all purpose flour if you want.  I like bread flour because it helps keep cookies from flattening.

  • 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
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs heavy cream
  • 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, butter  crisco, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, cream and vanilla.  Blend in pudding mix.  Fold in dry ingredients.  If dough seems a little dry, add another tbs or 2 of heavy cream.  Mix in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.   Chill.  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. 

Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Nfl week 2 Sunday – hostess cupcake cookies

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Well, I get to enjoy a stress free NFL Sunday,  as my Bills played and beat the Lions on Thursday night.  Josh Allen and the offense have looked pretty good.   Defense needs to be better, but as New DC Jim Leonard pointed out this summer – new defensive scheme, some new faces, it’ll take some time.  So i will go along with our new DC.

Rob asked for a hostess cupcake type of treat.   I suggested cookies instead of cupcakes and he was on board with that.  They are topped with a marshmallow fluff filling, chocolate frosting, and a squiggle,  that is more of a line bc I can’t decorate worth squat.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs corn syrup (or honey)
  • 1/2 cup bread flour
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs malted milk powder
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt

Dirsctions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs. Vanilla and corn syrup or honey.  Blend in dry ingredients..  scoop put 1/4 cups of dough and form tall mounds.   Bake 11 to 13 minutes,  no longer.  Cool comoletely.

  • Marshmallow fluff filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup fluff
  • 2 -3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Milk

In a bowl, combine, butter and fluff, blend in powdered sugar.   Mix in vanilla and enough milk to get consistency you want.

  • Chocolate frosting ingredients
  • 1/3 cup butter melted
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 to 2 tbs milk

Directions – in a bowl, comnbine melted butter and cocoa.  Blend in powdered sugar and enough milk to get the consistency you want.  You may need to add more powdered sugar and/or milk.

  • Squiggle ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (or more)
  • 2 to 3 tsp milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar.  Add 2 tsp milk and vanilla. You may need to add more powered sugar and/or milk to get the consistency you want.  Blemd well.  Scoop into a zip lock sandwich bag and cut out a small triangle in one of the bottom corners.  I placed the bag in the fridge for a half hour to help it firm up.

Assembly !

Top one cookie with fluff filling

Gently top with chocolate frosting

Top with a squiggle.

Store in covered container.

Go Bills.

Nieman Marcus chocolate chip cookies

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This is one of those urban legend recipes.   Where a customer asked for a recipe from a Cafe and the employee said for two fifty.  The customer thought it was 2 dollars and 50 cents and the employee meant two hundred fifty dollars.  So the customer gave their credit card not realizing their different understanding, was charged, got mad,  and got even by passing the recipe on to everyone they knew.  

My friend’s mom gave me this recipe years ago (she knew it was not a true story, but shared with me due to my love of baking).  So here is is.

I was in a bit of a hurry, so i didn’t finely pulse the oats or hershey bar enough. Plus my blender is new and I am not sure of some of it’s limits.

I combined bread flour and all purpose flour.  You can use entirely AP flour of you want.  Freeze the chocolate bar and then gratinf it makes the grating process easier.  I also chilled the individual doughs overnight to keep them puffy.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups oats, finely ground (i used quick, but old fashioned likely would be fine too)
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 4 oz chocolate bar, grated
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients and oats.  Fold in chocolate and chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill several hours.   When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.   Line a cookie sheet with parchment t paper.  Stagger on sheet like below.

Bake 13 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  

Store in covered container.

Funfetti cookie dough pie

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Last month, I made a cookie dough pie with edible chocolate chip cookie dough on a golden oreo crust.   Today, I made a version with edible funfetti cookie dough on a combo oreo-chocolate teddy graham  crust.  (I did not have enough oreos, so i made up with them with chocolate teddy grams)

A really nice treat for a very warm summer day.

  • Edible funfetti cookie dough
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbs milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups flour, heat treated (heated in a microwave safe plate, stirred after 30 seconds.  Heat  another 30 seconds and stir again
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • A few tbs sprinkles

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add milk and extracts.  Blend in flour and salt.  Mix in sprinkles. 

Scoop out tbs of dough and place in freezer.

  • Crust ingredients
  • 20 oreo cookies, finely crushed
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions – line a pie pan with parchment paper.  In a bowl, mix crumbs and butter.  Press into prepared pan and freeze.

  • Filling
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 8 oz cool whip, thawed

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Fold in cool whip.  Keep out 8 funfetti balls of dough and set aside.  Mix rest in filling.  Spread in prepared crust.  Add remaining doughs on top.  Freeze at least an hour.   

Store, covered, in freezer or fridge (will be much softer in fridge)

Monster cookies

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I haven’t made these in a while!  They suit so many cookie tastes – peanut butter, oatmeal, m&ms, milk chocolate chips.   I baked these directly from the freezer and they stayed perfectly puffy too!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Freezer your individual doughs for at least a few hours and preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 /2 cup butter, soft
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup mini m&ms
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients and oats.  Add m&ms and chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.   Freeze several hours, at least. Bake directly from freezer.  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.  Cool completely. 

Store in covered container