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!

Chocolate chip cookies made with melted butter

I decided to make chocolate chip cookies with melted butter because I was in a hurry.  They are a little flatter than I prefer my cookies to be, but I think they are just fine.

Sometimes I like to change up the sweeteners (sugars).  This time, I used less sugar and added some maple syrup.  You could use honey or corn syrup instead.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I recommend freezing the individual doughs for 30 to 45 minutes or chill them in the fridge for a few hours to keep them from spreading too much. And, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled 10 minutes
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and maple syrup.  Fold in dry ingredients.   If dough seems a little dry, add a tbs or two of water.  Mix in chips. Scoop our 1/4 cups of dough.  Freeze 30 minutes or chill a few hours in fridge.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on it.  Bake 11 to 14 minutes (no longer).  Cool completely.    Pop cookies in the fridge if you think they seem too gushy.  Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Cake batter funfetti cookies with mini chocolate chips and buttercream frosting

Sprinkles make people happy.  So I made funfetti cookies with sprinkles and mini chocolate chips.  And vanilla frosting makes them even better!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  If you don’t have cake batter extract, just use 2 tsp vanilla extract.and, preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cake batter extract
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sprinkles
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and extracts.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Fold in chips and funfetti.   Scoop our 1/4 cups of 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 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Cool completely.   

frost with buttercream frosting. 

Store in covered container.

Browned  peanut butter cookies topped with melted hershey kisses

This variation of peanut butter cookies start with browned butter.  It adds a nice nutty flavor to cookies.  Perfect for peanut butter cookies!   Making browned butter is easy.  You put the butter in a pan.  Turn your stove top burner to medium heat.  Let butter cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally,  until you see tiny brown specks in it.  Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

I used finely ground peanuts in these.  You can leave them out if you want.  You could also add peanut butter chips, which I have but forgot to add this time.

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

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, browned and cooled for 5 to 10 minutes
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into your measuring cups
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup peanuts, finely ground
  • Extra sugar

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Blend in peanut butter.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients,  then fold in nuts.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and roll into extra sugar.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 14 to 16 minutes (tops will be lightly golden, make sure bottoms don’t get top dark).  Cool completely. 

Top with melted hershey kisses. 

Store in covered container

Smores graham cracker pound cake

It is a typical summer day here today – hot and humid and close to 100 degrees.  So what better treat to represent such a summer day than smores?  And not just with graham crackers, but a graham cracker pound cake, some pieces topped with fluff frosting and melted hershey kisses and others topped with chocolate fluff frosting.  The pound cake recipe is From one of my grandmothers, given to me a long time ago.

I read the secret to a good pound cake is putting it in a cold oven and then heating the oven to the right temp.  So I tried it.  Also, remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Same goes for the powdered sugar in the frosting.

A bit of advice, apply buttercream first, then melted chocolate.  It is much easier than putting the chocolate on the cake first,  then buttercream, I lesson I learned as seen below.

  • Graham cracker pound cake ingredients
  • 16 tbs butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup flour (scooped from flour bag into measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 1/2 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Line a 8×5 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and condensed milk.  Fold in dry ingredients and graham cracker crumbs.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Place in oven and turn oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 35 to 42 minutes (toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs). 

Cool completely.  I  sliced the pound cake.

and then cut the slices in half

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

In a bowl, cream butter, vanilla,  and fluff.  Carefully blend in powdered sugar.   Divide in half.  To one half, add 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips.   frost some cake pieces with melted chocolate

To the other pieces, I topped them with buttercream.

Then scooped some melted hershey kisses on top.

Store in covered container.

Flourless chocolate brownies

I got a request for dark chocolate brownies, so I went with a flourless version this time.  Super simple and they only take 20 to 25 minutes to bake.

Remember to preheat your oven before baking.

6 tbs butter

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

3 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tbs cornstarch

Directions – line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with pam.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate chips.  Microwave in 45 second increments until you can still smooth. Add sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs one at a time.  Blend in cocoa and cornstarch.   Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes (a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs).  Cool completely.  Cut and store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

XL Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I have never had much luck making crinkle cookies.  They usually come put flat like pancakes.  These were perfectly puffy.  I think it helped I used cold butter and butter crisco. 

Remember to spoon your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also preheat your oven before baking.  And because these are baked at a higher temp, only bake for 10 minutes.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Extra granulated sugar
  • Powdered sugar

Directions – preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, cream butter, 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, yolks and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Form 12 even pieces of dough.  Roll in extra granulated sugar then powdered sugar.  Place 6 on prepared sheet, leaving a few inches between doughs.  Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let sit on cookie sheet for 15 minutes.   Store in covered container. 

Thank you for stopping by!

Black cocoa fudge cake

Thick.  Dark chocolate.  Fudge.  Cake.  With chocolate ganache.  Not much else to say, really.  If you love chocolate, you will love this cake.

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

And I recommend making the ganache while the cake is baking so it can thicken up for when you are ready to frost the cake.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter,  melted
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup black cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a round 8″ cake pan with parchment paper.  In a bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and warm warmed.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake 25 to 32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

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

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat heavy cream 2 to 3 minutes (make sure bowl is big enough so cream doesn’t boil over and make a mess in yiur microwave).  Add chips and stir until chips and heavy cream are fully blended.  Let it firm up while the cake bakes and cools.  Frost cake.

Thanks for stopping by!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Rob requested chocolate chip cookie bars.  He will only eat one, so the rest will come in to work with me tomorrow.  These are easy to make and are a big hit.   Instead of scooping and baking cookies on a few cookie sheets, you just spread the dough in one baking pan and bake. 

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 cup butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
  • 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed into your measuring cup)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into measuring cups so you get the right amount)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.  In a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.  Evenly spread dough into prepared 9×13 pan.  Sprinkle remaining 1 cup chips on top and gently press down into dough. Bake 26 to 28 minutes, no longer.  (Edges will be golden brown).  Cool completely.  Cut and store in covered container.

Sugar topped puffy peanut butter cookies

Did  I like it being 40 degrees a few weeks ago while we walked Gracie in the morning?  No.   Do I like it being over 100 degrees this week?  Also, no.  But this heat  has not stopped me from baking.  These are peanut butter cookies topped with sugar.  They are for a work friend’s birthday tomorrow.

I used crisco, but you cam use butter.  Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill the individual  doughs at least a few hours.  Preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (firmly packed into measuring cup)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Extra sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking powder and salt.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and tip tops in extra sugar.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer. Cool completely.   Store in covered container.