Peanut Butter S'mores Cookies

♥ Beginner

I've been posting so much "real food" lately, and have been neglecting the sweets. The baking side of me has felt neglected. When my daughter came into my room this morning and said, "mommy, why don't we ever do anything fun in the kitchen anymore?" it pushed me over the edge. So off the babies went to bed, and into the kitchen we went.

I had one last cup of marshmallow fluff left (it doesn't
conform to the No-Preservatives & No-Dye program that we're on), but I needed to use it up. We just happened to have these items on hand, so we got to work creating a new cookie that tastes awesoooommmmme. If you don't like s'mores, or peanut butter, we can't be friends anymore. :)

What you'll need:
1 Box of Ritz Crackers (or similar)
1 Jar of Peanut Butter
1 Jar of Marshmallow Cream
1 Package of Chocolate chips OR Chocolate Bark

How it's done: 
1. Lay your crackers flat on the counter, bottom side up. Put Peanut Butter on half of them (not too much!), and put marshmallow fluff on the other half. Careful to go very light on the marshmallow fluff because when it comes in contact with the warm chocolate it will try to leak out the sides!
2. Push each half together to form sandwiches!
3. Melt your chocolate! (According to package instructions.) And dip your sandwiches in them. Place on baking rack to cool.

(This is where the old me would have covered them in sprinkles or drizzled them with an alternating color candy melt, but since we've given up dyes I restrained myself. :))

Enjoy!!!

Pink Lemonade Cookies

♥ Beginner

A week or so ago, my dad was just RAVING about these cookies that he had made. He made me eat a few of them (yea, force-fed them to me, if you believe that) and agree that they were pretty good. Not gonna lie, they actually were pretty awesome. The hang up? They were box mix cookies! Thanks a lot Pillsbury.  

I know what you're thinking. "Since when do YOU care if something comes out of a box?" Well, I had one of those moments last weeks that changes your mindset on WASTE. The hubs lost his job, and I had to come to the realization that my baking desires take a back seat to diapers, wipes, and actual food. Go figure. (By the way, be prepared for situations like these by building your food storage now.) Anyhow, I knew I couldn't be wasting our precious money on box mixes for cookies, so I had to come up with an alternative. Surely I had enough ingredients from scratch at home that I could duplicate these little lemony angels. 

And so you have it. A Pink Lemonade Cookie from scratch. You're welcome. (Don't judge my one and only photo, they were eaten before I could get any really good ones. Besides, it's the flavor that counts, right?) 

What you'll need:

* 1 Cup Butter, Softened

* 1 Cup Sugar

* 1/2 Cup Powdered Sweetened Pink Lemonade Mix (or regular sweetened lemonade powder - you can add pink coloring later) 

* 1 Egg

* 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

* 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Extract (or lemon juice)

* 3 Cups Flour

* 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

How it's done: 

1. Preheat oven to 350*F and grease a cookie sheet. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, or KitchenAid,  cream butter, sugar, and lemonade mix until fluffy. 

3. Beat in egg, vanilla, and lemon extracts. 

4. Add dry ingredients to the batter, beating until thoroughly combined. 

5. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and roll in sugar. Place them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes (or until edges start to brown). 

ENJOY! 

Lofthouse Cookies - Copycat!

♥ Beginner

Who doesn't love a good Lofthouse cookie? Or 8 of them?! You know which ones I'm talking about, the fluffy sugar-like cookies slathered with frosting and sprinkles, in whatever holiday theme is relevant... You see them as soon as you walk in to the grocery store, because they KNOW you'll buy those. You're welcome for making your mouth water.

I will admit, this recipe is NOT as good as those original Lofthouse cookies, but in a pinch they will do. And honestly, they are easy enough that you don't need to rush out to the store because most of the ingredients you'll likely have on hand.


What you'll need:

Just in case you had no idea what I am talking about.

• 1 Box of Classic White Cake Mix (I will always suggest a Duncan Hines) 
• 1/2 Cup Oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1/8 Cup Flour
• 1/4 Cup Shortening
• 1 Can Strawberry Frosting (Or any flavor!) 

How it's done: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350*F.

2. Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and flour. Mixture will seem oily, but that's a sign that it's just right. 

3. Using a 1/2 Tablespoon, scoop batter, form it into a ball, and then drop onto a cookie sheet. Using the measuring spoon guarantees uniformity. 

4. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Baking times will vary. 

5. Wait for them to cool completely on a wire rack, and then frost with the frosting you've chosen. Top with sprinkles if desired. 

Enjoy! 

Chocolate & Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

♥ Beginner

These are great to make around our house because even though we may be on the low side of groceries, we ALWAYS have the ingredients for no-bake cookies. I'm willing to bet that your home usually does too. I actually forget about no-bake cookies until my loving husband decides to make them. (This is sort of his thing in the kitchen!)

He got frustrated yesterday when he started pulling things out of the cabinet, determined to make something sweet for our family (thinking he could surprise me), when I asked "Whatcha makin'? No-Bake's?" His reply was an exasperated "How did you know?!"  - - I know everything. He should know that by now. 

If you don't love these little nuggets, there's something seriously wrong with you...

What you'll need: 

* 8 Tablespoons of Butter

* 1/2 Cup of Milk

* 2 Cups of Sugar

* 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

* 4 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter

* 3 Cups of Oatmeal (Rolled or Quick Oats)

* 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

How it's done: 

1. Combine the Butter, Milk, & Sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. 

2. Remove mixture from heat, and stir in chocolate chips, peanut butter, & vanilla. Once fully melted, pour mixture over oats. Work quickly!  

3. Once combined, drop by the spoonful onto waxed paper and let cool & harden. 

You'll need to make about 4 batches of them, because they disappear SOOOOOO quickly!!

*Pictures are from www.browneyedbaker.com - Check her out, she's amazing too! 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

♥ Beginner 

My Dad's all time favorite cookies are Oatmeal Rasin. I think he can smell them from five miles away. Not to mention, they are still a lot healthier of a cookie than most (cough, cough, chocolate chip...)

What you'll need: 

3/4 Cup Butter, Softened
1 Cup packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Rolled Oats
1 Cup Raisins

How it's done: 

1. Preheat your oven to 375*F.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

3. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.

4. Mix in Flour until combined, and hand stir in raisins.

5. Drop by tablespoon full onto non-stick cookie sheet (2 inches apart), and flatten with palm of hand. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

♥ Beginner 


When it dawned on me that I didn't have a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe here on the blog, I knew I had to post one right away. I'm sure most everyone has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, but for me it holds a special place in my heart. I can remember my mom baking cookies in the kitchen when I was just old enough to help her scoop dough onto the cookie sheet. My sister and I had so much fun scooping those lopsided little cookies. I imagine that most people have memories like that in the kitchen. 

This recipe is actually straight out of the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, it's the very recipe my own mom has used for years... well, until she discovered the Toll House scoop and bake cookie dough that is...

What you'll need: 

1/2 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Chocolate Chips

How it's done: 

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. 

2. It's very important that your butter is room temperature or your cookies could go flat! Beat in large mixing bowl butter and shortening on high speen for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. 

3. Beat in eggs & vanilla until combined (Note: Over-beating your eggs can make your cookies go flat as well, only beat until things are combined from here on out - or hand mix!) 

4. Add in flour and mix until combined.

5. Hand mix chocolate chips into batter. 

6. Drop by the tablespoon onto your non-stick cookie sheet two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are brown. Cool on wire rack. 

O-O-Oreo!

♥ Beginner

J and I just celebrated our 6th anniversary, so it's kind of fitting that I upload the one snack that we always seem to have around our house. Oreo's are one of J's favorite treats, and ever since we got married they seem to sort of just be one of those rotating treats that our house is only without between grocery trips. It dawned on me the other day that I could probably make them, for cheaper, than what we spend on them each year.  Honestly, I'm not sure if these were much cheaper since I used a cake mix, but they sure were yummy - and they might replace to usual blue package in the cabinet.

If you're wondering how good they are, then just know that once you make them you'll be so addicted!  And know also, that if you make them for a party or friends, people will beg you to bring them to every event there after.  It's a lot like the dark forrest cupcakes, you'll never hear the end of it from friends and family. 

What you'll need: 

• Chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate Fudge but you can use any chocolate cake mix) 
• 1 Cup of Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 Cup of Oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1/8 Cup Flour
• 1/4 Cup Shortening
• 1/4 Cup Butter (1 Stick) 
• 2 Cups of Sifted Powder Sugar (or more depending on desired consistency) 

How it's done: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350*F. 

2. Mix together Cake Mix, Eggs, Oil, and Flour. (Mixture will seem oily, but it's okay!) Add chocolate chips if you want them in the mix. 

3.  Using a teaspoon (it seems small, but it's perfect size, I promise) scoop out batter, form it into a ball and place on a cookie sheet.  Using the teaspoon guarantees that the cookies will be uniform in size. 

4. Bake for 9-11 Minutes. 

For the Oreo Cream: 

5. Cream the Shortening, and Butter in mixer.  

6. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar, and mix until creamy.  

7. Once the cookies have cooled, pipe filling into onto one cookie and top with another cookie.  Whallah, Oreos!  O-O-Oreo, the right stuff!

Chinese Almond Cookies

♥ Beginner

Leave the fortunes and lotto numbers to the kids.  What we all really want is a tasty little treat that isn't too heavy.  My mom was telling me about these little round cookies she would get at the chinese resturaunt when she was a kid.  "They had a little almond on top" she said, but she couldn't seem to find them anywhere for years.  I did a little homework and found just the cookie she was seeking.  So here it is, a little comfort food that might bring back memories for you as well.  Food with an emotional connection makes it taste even better.

P.S. These can also easily be made gluten free! Score! 

What you'll need:

• 1 1/3 Cups Almond Flour, Packed Lightly
• 1 Cup of Unsalted Butter, Cubed
• 2 Eggs
• Pinch of Kosher Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Almond Extract 
• 1 3/4 Cups of Flour (You can substitute white for gluten free)
• 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons of Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Cup Almond Slices 

How it's done:

1. Mix in large bowl almond flour, salt, butter, until well blended. It should be coarse and chunky looking.

2. Add ONE egg, and almond extract - mix on low speed just until blended.

3. Sift together the flour, sugar, and baking soda.  Slowly add the mixture to the butter mixture on medium speed only until combined.

4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to chill.

5. Preheat the oven to 325*F, and beat the remaining egg in small bowl.

6. Roll dough into 1/2 inch balls, place them on the cookie sheet, and then smash them with your palm to the shape of coins.


7. Press an almond slice onto the top of each one, and using a pastry brush brush each cookie with the remaining egg.

8. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

And as always... Enjoy!!!!

Cookie Pop Treats

♥ Beginner

This week I was wanting to do something special for my nursery kids, but wanted to come up with something a little more creative than just the usual treats.  Since it's easter time, I decided on a special little cookie on a stick for them to enjoy. (And LOTS of frosting!) Somehow I think the parents might enjoy these more than the kids.

I love Easter time, especially all of the joyful colors and beautiful blooms of spring. I've combined them both and made a really great flower cookie that is SUPER EASY to make!!!

What you'll need: 

• Flower Pan (or any shape you desire!) Mine was an actual cookie pop pan which allowed room for the stick. 
• Cookie Dough (Box mix is fine - I used Krusteaz Sugar Cookie mix)
• Sticks 
• Frosting & Sugars
• If you're planning on gifting them, you'll need pop bags. 

How it's done: 

1.  It's so easy, you'll be shocked at it's simplicity.  Preheat your oven to the desired temp on your cookie dough mix. Grease cookie pop pan. 

2.  Mix up your cookie dough, and pat it into the pan, leave 1/8 inch above the dough for rising.  Push your stick into the dough and cover it up. 

3.  Bake for amount of time listed on box mix.  I added a few minutes so that the centers were sure to be cooked through. 

4. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing. Once cooled, remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. 

5. DECORATE!!! (That's the best part!) and cover with bags. 

Isn't that shockingly simple??? I'll post pictures of McKinley eating hers in nursery on Easter. I wish I could make enough to share with ALL of you!!!! 

HAPPY EASTER!!!