Ganache and mini m&m topped brownies for ALCS Game 3

Today, I present brownies, topped with ganache and mini m&ms for my coworker friend Eric’s birthday and game 3 of the ALCS between the Blue Jays and Mariners.

What is ganache,  you ask?  Why a combo of chocolate chips and heavy cream heated and then poured over brownies that are completely cooled.  And frankly, m&ms make everything better, so that’s why I added them.

Remember to scoop your flour and cocoa from their containers into your measuring cup so you get the right amounts.   Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.  And, I made the ganache while the brownies were baking so it thickened up a little more.

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

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 1 minute.  In another microwave safe bowl, heat  chips 1 minute.  Pour hot cream over chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes.   Stir until smooth and set aside.

  • Brownies ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch

 directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl. Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and cocoa.  Blend in eggs, yolks, vanilla and corn syrup.  Stin in dry ingredients.   Batter will be thick.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.   Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely.   Top with ganache.   Sprinkle with m&ms.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today

Week 4 victory treats – Cookies and cream cookies stuffed with brownies

Whew!  That was a very stressful Bills win today!  But a win is a win and worthy of victory treats!

I feel like I haven’t made stuffed cookies in a while, so I decided to whip some up.  These are a cookies and cream cookies, with crushed oreos and milk chocolate chips stuffed with brownies.  

You can use your favorite brownie recipe or a mix for these.  After they are completely cooled, I recommend cutting them in squares and putting them in the fridge.  

When baking the cookies – remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.   Also, after assembling the cookie dough stuffed with a brownie, chill the doughs a few hours.  And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 3/4 cup crisco
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs  sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbs flour
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbs cake flour
  • 2  tsp cornstarch
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 15 oreos, chopped into pieces
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • Brownie squares

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco, brown sugar and sugar.  Blend in egg, yolks and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.   Fold in chopped oreos and chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.

Divide in two pieces and flatten each. 

Top with a brownie square

Place other flattened half on top

Seal edges, completely covering brownie.  Chill a few hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 10 to 14 minutes.  Cool completely..

store in covered container

Chocolate chip bars

I wanted to bring in a second treat for tomorrow because not everyone likes peanut butter.  So I made chocolate chips bars.  These are super easy and soft and delicious!

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled 10 minutes
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into cup
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with pam.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, yolk and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Fold in 1 cup chips.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.   Sprinkle remaining chips on top and gently press into dough.  Bake 30 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Chocolate frosted Chocolate Sugar cookie bars

I wanted to make something chocolate, but instead of brownies, I opted to make  chocolate sugar cookie bars with chocolate fudge frosting.

Remember to scoop your flour, baking cocoa and powdered sugar from their containers into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also preheat the oven to 350 degrees before baking.  And don’t bake these longer than 22 minutes so they don’t dry out.

  • Bars ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs canola oil
  • 2 1/3 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Blend in egg, yolk, salt, oil and vanilla.  Blend in flour and cocoa.  Press into prepared pan.  Bake 20 to 22 minutes.  Cool completely.

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

Directions – in a saucepan pan, melt butter over low-medium heat.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate chips and stir smooth.  Blend in remaining ingredients.  Let set 15 to 20 minutes.  Frost cooled bars.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Brown butter chocolate chip cookies

These are an awesome cookie.  Made with brown butter so they have a little different taste.  These also use bread flour, which makes them thick and chewy.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I also suggest chilling the individual doughs for a few hours or in the freezer for an hour.   And, preheat the oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, brown
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbs heavy cream
  • 3 cups bread flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cups)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a pan over low-medium heat, cook butter until little brown specs appear.  Remove from heat, place in a bowl and cool 5 minutes.  Add sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in egg, yolk, vanilla and cream.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Add chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill a few hours or freeze an hour.  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.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Brownies with chocolate chip cookies baked in

I did not have time to make for the first round of the NFL draft, so I made up for it for rounds 2 and 3 – brownies with chocolate chip cookies baked in.

BTW, I loved the Bills pick of Maxwell Hairston last night.  Filled a need… and, ow cool was it to see him congratulate everyone who was drafted before him?  He will fit right in with Bills Mafia. 

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.

  • Chocolate chip cookie ingredients list
  • 1/3 cup butter softened
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • Egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add yolk and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Fold in chips.  Scoop out tbs of dough and roll into balls.  Freeze them as you make the brownie batter.

  • Brownies ingredients
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

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, heat butter and chips in 45 second increments until you cam stir them melted.   Blend in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Gently press cookie dough mounds into top of brownie dough.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in brownie batter comes out with a few mois crumbs.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! 

Celebrating the first day of the NCAA tournament

In honor of the first day of the NCAA tournament,  I made cookie basketballs.  These are brown sugar cookies.  Instead of the classic sugar cookie, I used all brown sugar.  And maybe calling them basketballs is a stretch, but the orange frosting is the best I could do.  A while back, i tried to put the stripes on the cookies with chocolate  frosting, but it took too long and iblost patience.  My decorating skills stink so these are the best I can do.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. I also recommend chilling the individual doughs for at least a few hours.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.  Blend in egg, yolk and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.   Scoop out 2 tbs dough.  Roll in granulated sugar.  Chill a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on the sheet. Leaving room because these spread a bit.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.  Frost if desired with a simple buttercream frosting. 

Store in covered container in  fridge a few hours to firm up.  Store at room temp in covered container. 

Victory Tuesday treats – 2 days late!

Because the Bills game ended at 1030 Monday night, it was too late to bake victory Tuesday cookies.  Last night, our neighbor chatted us up as we were walking Gracie and it was too late to bake.  So tonight I was determined.  I present iced oatmeal cookies.  Some came out nice and thick like I wanted.  Others spread out.  Next time I will chill the dough for an hour or so and perhaps form the mounds a little higher.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup crisco
  • 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 1 1/2 tbs honey or corn syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups flour
  • 4 1/2 cups oats (I used a combo of old fashioned and quick)

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco and brown sugar.  Add egg, yolk, vanilla, honey,  salt and cinnamon.  Blend in half of flour and oats.  Blend in other half.  Divide into 18 even size pieces.  Roll into balls and chill and hour or so.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes (no longer).  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – combine and drizzle on cooled cookies.  Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Wishing you a day filled with peace, joy and love.

Go Bills.

Triple Chip Mudslide cookies

Triple chip Mudslide cookies

These are a wonderful cookie – fudgy, soft and made with three kinds of chips – semisweet, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. They stayed nice and puffy too, which I love. Flat cookies are not my bag.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. (Don’t directly pour from the bag into the measuring cup). I recommend chilling the scooped out dough for a few hours to prevent cookies from spreading. I also recommend you preheat your oven to 325 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips. Blend in dry ingredients. (You may need to use your hands to mix it all together if your mixer can’t get it done. Stir in chips. Scoop out 2 tbs of dough and roll into balls. Chill a few hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper. Stagger cookies on sheet. Bake 11 minutes (no longer). Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a day filled with peace and joy. And remember to be kind. Your kindness may be just what some one needs.

Congo/chocolate chip bars

Chocolate chip cookie bars

These are an easy, popular treat. Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, in bar form. Less time consuming, but all the joy of chocolate chip cookies. An egg yolk makes these soft, as does the addition of cornstarch. Remember to scoop your flour from your flour container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. I used a combination of regular chocolate chips and mini ones.

I may have removed these a little too soon from the oven, but I didn’t want to bake them too long and dry them out. So they are a little on the softer/gushier side. Rob did not seem to mind at all.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 yolk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrres for 20 minutes. Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking sprat. In a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add yolk, eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips. Spread into pan. Bake 30 minutes (edges will be lightly brown). Cool completely. Cut and store in covered container.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day. Please do your best to spread as much love as you can out there. Things have been so awful recently, your small act of kindness may do wonders for someone.