Sugar coated puffy peanut butter cookies

We have a busy day at ESPN Radio tomorrow with an NBA game 7 (Nuggets-Clippers) and and MLB game (Mets Cardinals) so I thought I would bring in large puffy, peanut butter cookies coated in sugar.  I thought of adding melted chocolate on top, but decided to skip it this time.  

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also, chill the individual mounds of dough and few hours to help keep them puffy.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 3/4 cups flour (scooped from flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup peanuts, finely ground in a food processor

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter.   Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in flour, baking soda and baking powder.  Stir in peanuts.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough and form into mounds.  Chill a few hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Dip tops of cookie mounds into sugar.  Stagger on cookie sheet, like below.  

Bake 11 to 13 minutes (no longer).  Cool completely.   Store in covered container. 

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

Blondies with Chocolate Chips

I do not know whether these are called blondies, toll house bars or chocolate chip bars.  They are basically a chocolate chip cookie in bar form.  Always a  big hit and super easy to make. 

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

And wait until these are cooled before cutting them.  This is on either Rob or Gracie.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×9 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and sugar.  Add eggs, yolk and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips and spread evenly in pan.  Sprinkle  remaining 1/2 cup chips on top and gently press into dough.  In preheated oven, bake 25 to 30 minutes .  No longer.  Cool completely.  Cut and store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

For part one of tomorrow’s treat for ESPN Radio – browned butter chocolate chip cookies.  Browned butter adds a slightly different flavor to the cookies.  It is pretty easy to “make.”  You place the butter in a saucepan pan, cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally,  until brown specks appear at the bottom.  Immediately turn off stove burner and remove from heat.

These also used bread flour, which makes the cookies a little thicker and more dense.  I would not sub all purpose flour in this recipe.  If you don’t have bread flour, I have plenty of other chocolate chip cookie recipes that use AP flour.  remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Pouring flour directly into your measuring cup can result in packing in the flour, making for a dry cookie.

I recommend chilling the individual doughs overnight, so they stay puffy while baking.   Also preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, browned, then cool for 5 to 10 minutes
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (packed into measuring cup)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 2 1/4 cups bread flour (scooped from flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, mix browned butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, yolk, vanilla and heavy cream. Blend in dry ingredients.   If dough seems a little dry, add another tbs of heavy cream.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill individual fridge overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies doughs on prepared sheets.  Bake 10 to 14 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  If cookies seem too gushy, pop them in the fridge a bit to firm them up.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Puck cookies for the Frozen Four and to welcome the Stanley Cup to campus

The Frozen Four begins tomorrow on ESPN2 (5 pm and 8 pm eastern), and the Stanley Cup will be on campus at ESPN Friday.   So to celebrate, I made puck cookies – soft chocolate sugar cutout cookies shaped like pucks.  Some are frosted with chocolate frosting and since I didn’t make enough of it, I topped the rest with melted Hershey kisses.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount (same goes for the baking cocoa).  Also preheat your oven before baking for the best cookies.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour (scooped from flour bag into measuring cup so you get the correct amount)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (scooped from the container into measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  in a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Blend in egg and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients.   Flour a flattened surface and rolling pin.  Roll and cut.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on it.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes.  Cool completely

  • Frosting list
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tbs water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp cornstarch syrup
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted

Directions – in a bowl, mix powdered sugar, water, vanilla and corn syrup.  Blend in melted chips.  Frost cookies.  Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Chocolate chip cookie truffle stuffed dark chocolate cookies

I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies, but they spread out way too much and i found them unacceptable to bring into work, so I decided to crush them up, make them into truffles and stuff them into dark chocolate cookies. 

The truffles were pretty easy to make and I think stuffing them in cookies was a pretty good idea.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  The same goes for the baking cocoa.  I also recommend freeze the cookie doughs once they are stuffed to keep them puffy.

  • Truffles ingredients
  • Chocolate chip cookies, finely crushed
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened

Directions – in a bowl, mix well.  Scoop out 1 tbs and roll into balls.  Freeze an hour.

  • Cookies ingredients
  • 5 tbs butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, melted (i put the chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwaved them in 45 second increments until I could stir smooth)

1 cup plus 1 tbs flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Stir in melted chocolate.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 1 tbs dough and slightly flatten.

Place a chocolate chip cookie truffle on trop

Scoop out another tbs dough and slightly flatten.  Place on top of truffle.

Seal edges.  

Chill doughs a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookiensheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Frosted smashed red velvet cookies

I attempted to make red velvet cookies for today’s treat, but I did not have enough red food color, so I added some blue to try and make them purple velvet.  That did not really work.  But I think they are still good!  I frosted some with a vanilla buttercream and others with a chocolate fudge frosting.

Remember to scoop your flour and baking cocoa from their containers into the measuring cups so you get the right amount.  Also, after scooping and smashing the dough into individual parts, i chilled them  to keep them from spreading too much, but if you don’t have time, that is fine.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 11/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tbs water
  • 5 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa powder
  • 1 top cream of tartar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs food coloring

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and powdered sugar.  Add eggs, water and oil.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 3 tbs of dough and roll into a ball.  Using a glass that’s been sprayed with pam, lightly smash each dough ball.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Chill and few hours.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line cookie sheets with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheets.  Bake 12 to 14 minutes,  no longer.  Let cool slightly and pop into fridge to firm them up.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs milk

Blend well.  Add more powdered sugar and/or milk to get the consistency you want. Frost cookies.

  • Chocolate fudge frosting
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 tbs milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions- in a saucepan over low-medium heat, combine butter, milk and sugar, stirring occasionally.  Once it starts to boil, remove from heat and add chocolate chips.  Pour in a bowl and place in the fridge to thicke .  Frost cookies.

Store in covered container. 

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

Extra large chocolate chip cookies with extra chocolate chips (and crushed chips ahoy)

What better way to kick off the week than with extra large chocolate chip cookies with extra chocolate chips? These include finely ground chips ahoy cookies.  A neat addition.  

These are 1/4 cup of chocolate chip cookies dough with extra chips pressed into the top before baking. I didn’t opt to chill the dough before baking so they spread a bit more than I prefer, so maybe next time I chill them a but before baking.

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.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (packed into your measuring cup)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbs water
  • 2 cups chips ahoy cookies, finely crushed in a food processor
  • 3 3/4 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 2 top baking soda
  • 1 top baking powder
  • 1 top salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs, water and vanilla.  Blend in half of flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt and crushed chips ahoy.  Mix in rest of flour.  Fold in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Gently press extra chips in tops of cookie dough.  Chill individual doughs.   When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Bake 12 to 14 minutes, no longer. 

Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!   Wishing you a wonderful day!

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Mini chip/mini m&m cutout cookies

Since it is Valentine’s Day, I wanted to use my heart shaped cutouts.  Instead of a traditional sugar cookie cutout, I opted for mini chip/mini m&m cutouts.  Full size chips can not be used here.  They  would make the dough impossible to use cookie cutters on.

This yellow multi shape cookie cutter is an old classic!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also, this dough does not need chilling. 

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs water
  • tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 cups flour
  • 11/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup mini m&ms

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, eggs, water and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Mix in chips and m&ms. Sprinkle flour on  your countertop.  Roll out dough to desired thickness and cut with cookie cutters.  line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 8 to 9 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  

Cookie love!

Frost with buttercream frosting or melted chocolate chips. 

Store in covered container.  Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you have a day filled with peace, joy and love. 

A Friday treat (not friday football.  Football and I are on a break right now)

Usually, on Fridays during football season, I bring in a Friday football treat.  But this post contains just  a Friday treat because football and I are taking a break. 

I did have something cool happen today though and it was football related.  Our midday show had Damar Hamlin on as a guest and I told one of our hosts, Joe, to tell Damar I love him.  He did and Damar replied “shout out to Christine.”  Made my day.

This is a simple chocolate cookie cake with a sweet chocolate frosting.  Both are easy.  And I sprinkled some mini m&ms on top.

Remember to scoop your flour and baking cocoa from your containers into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. 

  • Cookie cake ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 2/3 cups flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda

Directions- spray a ten inch springform pan (or cake pan) with baking spray, then line with parchment paper.  In a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Blend in eggs and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Press evenly into prepared pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven. Now make the frosting.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
This is what happens when the cookie cake is cut before the frosting sets

Directions – in a saucepan, combine butter, milk and sugar over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.   Let mixture come to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add chips.  Let stand a minute or two.  Store smooth.  Pour over cookie cake (even if it is warm).  Let frosting set as cookie cake cools  completely.  Cut and store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Wishing you a day of peace, joy and love (also wishing for Josh Allen to win NFL MVP tonight)

M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

What better way to spend part of a Monday than baking large chocolate chip cookies?  Very few that I can think of.

I tossed in some mini m&ms too.  You can add different flavors of chips or nuts if you want too.  I used my quarter cup cookie scoop and chilled the individual doughs over night to keep them puffy. Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Do not pour into your measuring cup.  Packed in flour could lead to a dry cookie. 

  • 8 tbs butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1  cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbs water
  • 3 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini m&ms

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco, sugar and brown sugar.   Add eggs, vanilla and water.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Fold in chips and m&ms.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill a few hours or overnight.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper.  Stagger cookies on prepared sheets.  Bake 12 to 14 minutes, no longer. 

This is what I mean by staggering cookies

Cool completely.   Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Remember to be kind!  Wishing you a day of peace, love and joy