Pecan Pie Cookies

Its 70 degrees outside..in February. We've been planning to go play in some snow today for the last 2 months but obviously that didn't happen. Instead we took our bikes out and rode across the golden gate bridge, wearing t shirts. It's 9pm and I am beat! It was a busy day, but I wanted to share this recipe before I call it a night. I made a half batch of these (since thats all the pecans I had enough for) the other night and by the next afternoon I had eaten them all. It's hard not to eat a cookie whenever you walk by! These are ones i'll be looking for reasons to make. And when I don't find one, i'll make them anyway. Seriously, good stuff. I'm going to bed now!

Pecan Pie Cookies

Bakers Royale

Makes approximately two dozen 2 inch cookiesIngredients:
Cookie portion:½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup confectioner sugar
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

Pecan Filling:1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
4 ¼ oz chocolate, 65% cacao, melted
1 tablespoon of corn syrup
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Drizzle Finish:2oz. chocolate, melted

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Cream butter, brown sugar and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl lightly beat egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Add egg mixture to creamed butter mixture and mix to combine. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula fold in flour. Chill dough for at least 45 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, place pecans, melted chocolate, heavy cream, corn syrup, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix to combine.

To assemble:
Scoop out approximately 1 ½ tablespoon of dough and flatten it into one hand, then scoop out one heaping teaspoon of pecan filling and place it in the center of flatten dough. Bring the edges of the dough to the center press dough together so that it seals the filling in. Place dough stuffed cookies, seam side down on parchment lined bake sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Finish cookies with chocolate drizzle.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

It's Christmas time, what better time to decorate cookies? I wanted to try my hand at decorating sugar cookies with royal icing again. I think it's a lot of fun, but it's a little difficult to get them to look flawless, as you can tell by mine. It was only my 2nd attempt, so i'm still learning. The "pink" on the trees was supposed to be red. Last time I tinted using a hot pink coloring and I put to much so after drying it turned almost red. This time I had the opposite reaction where I put too little, thinking it would dry a lot darker. Which I guess means next time it should be right on. Atleast I hope. They take some time with all the drying and decorating, but well worth it in the end. I found that the squirt bottles you can purchase for cheap at stores like Michaels help a ton.
The cookie recipe was really good. In fact, Matt kept sneaking the extra cookies, a little more so than normally. The icing..not so much..but that's expected. Not that it was bad, but we're going for presentation over taste on that one.
Here's the sugar cookie recipe and royal icing I used, from Bake at 350.
Now get in the kitchen and show Santa some love!

Giant Cookie

Some things are just more fun really big. Or really small. When it comes to cookies though, the bigger the better, I think. I've wanted to make a really big cookie for a long time but haven't had the right occasion. So when my friend's birthday was coming up I knew immediately I wanted to make it. Now I can't vouch for how good (or not) this cookie is because I wasn't about to give someone a cookie with a slice taken out. But if there's any lack of flavor, I think the giant factor would make up for it. It's a little trickier making a large cookie as opposed to small ones. The edges definitely start to set up before the rest of the cookie, so just keep your eye on it to make sure they don't get too crispy before the rest of it even gets cooked. Now go make someone's day!

Giant Cookie
From Mel's Kitchen Cafe, seen on Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
½ cups White Sugar
½ cups Brown Sugar
½ cups Butter, Melted And Cooled Slightly
1 whole Egg
½ teaspoons Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Vanilla
1-½ cup Flour
½ cups Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Add the egg and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Line a large (11X17-inch) baking pan with foil and press the cookie into a circle. Press the cookie into a 9-inch circle, about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick. When it bakes, it spreads to about 11 inches, which fits perfectly onto a 12-inch round cardboard circle you can find at most craft stores.
If desired, top the cookie with M&M’s or any other garnishes.
Bake for 13-16 minutes until the cookie is lightly golden brown. Let the cookie cool completely on the baking pan. Once cool, gently use the foil to lift the cookie off the pan.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chips

I don't understand this weather. The last couple days have been so hot! Hotter than most of summer. I've been pulling out the fall recipes lately but it just doesn't feel right when it's 80 degrees out. In fact we made pumpkin spice pancakes this morning (very good). This, however, is not a fallish recipe. It's one i've been wanting to make for a while, but you see, they require planning ahead. I rarely plan ahead when it comes to baking. Usually when I bake something it's because I want it in that moment. I'm glad I finally decided to think ahead. These were really good peanut butter cookies and I absolutely loved the addition of chocolate chips. My only issue with these? There wasn't enough of the chocolate chips. Next time i'll be adding twice as many. These cookies spread a lot so be sure not to flatten them much, give plenty of space between each, and allow the dough to rest the 3+ hours indicated.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chips
from Baked: New Frontiers In Baking, seen on Crepes of Wrath

Yield: about 24 cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes

1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 cup more for rolling the cookies in

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 ounces good milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
2. Beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, at least three minutes .Scape down the bowl and add in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and the peanut butter. Beat until combined.
3. Add in half of the flour mixture, mix for 15 seconds, and add in the rest of the flour. Mix again until just moistened. Fold in the chocolate chip with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours

4. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line and/or grease two large baking sheets. Using your hands, roll the dough into tablespoons-sized balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on the baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Press down gently with the palm of your hand, but do NOT press too hard and do NOT press it flat.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown, being sure to turn the pan around halfway through the baking time. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before removing to another surface to cool completely. Store in an airtight containers for up to 4 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

It officially feels like fall. Why does summer always go by SO fast, leaving me with a list of things I wanted to do?? It rained just about the whole day today so I mostly stayed inside with sweats on and looking like I just climbed out of bed. You think I would be used to it, growing up in Washington and all. As long as it doesn't stick around for too long, i'm ok with it.
Anyway, on to the cookies. I think of Christmastime when I think of sugar cookies. Growing up that's the only time we really made (and decorated) them. I'm not a big sugar cookie person, mainly since there's no chocolate involved. But I wanted to try these so I made them for a girl's night. These cookies were really good, thick and fluffy. I would make them again. The frosting wasn't what I expected though..I was hoping for a light and fluffy frosting, but instead this was more like a glaze. A little runny at first but then hardens rather quickly. Overall, I would definitely reccomend giving them a shot!
Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
Annie's Eats



Yield: about 2 dozen large cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
4½ cups all-purpose flour
4½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
5 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
7-8 tbsp. milk (plus more, as needed)
Food coloring (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk together to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.
When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart. Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set. The edges should be no more than very lightly browned, if at all. Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To frost the cookies, place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in additional milk as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired. Use an offset spatula or spoon to frost the cooled cookies. Top with sprinkles if desired. Store in an airtight container.

Tartine Bakery Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

Usually when I make cookies it's not planned. A sudden craving hits and I need to make them now. When I was looking through my list of 'to make' recipes a lot of them required hours of refrigeration, which wasn't going to work. So I picked this one since it was a new recipe I had all of the ingredients for and wouldn't take long. These cookies are very, very soft. There's no crispy/crunchiness to them at all. They're very decadent..-pure chocolate. Be sure you have plenty of milk in the fridge before you make these..you'll need it. They were good and i'm glad I tried them, but I think i'll stick to my 'go to' double chocolate cookie recipe.

Tartine Bakery Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

Barbara Bakes

Ingredients:

8 ounces SCHARFFEN BERGER 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate (I used Guittard 72% cacao)

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons SCHARFFEN BERGER Natural Cocoa Powder (It was Ghiradelli for me)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole milk

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a stainless steel bowl set over simmering water. Be sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.

When the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat. Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set aside. Beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Slowly add the sugar and mix until the mixture is completely smooth and soft. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the salt and vanilla, and then add the melted chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Add the milk and beat until combined. Finally, add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies until they are just barely firm on top when lightly touched but are still very soft underneath, about 7 minutes (mine took longer). They will get firmer as they cool. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Yield: about 2 dozen

Monster Marshmallow Cookies

Not a lot of baking has been going on lately. We just got back from a trip we took down to Pismo Beach and Solvang, CA. It was a lot of fun! While everyone was up here getting rained on we were building sandcastles on the beach. And in just a few days we're about to go on another trip for a few days to San Diego. Not looking forward to the 8 hr drive, but it'll be worth it. So anyway, the other thing that quickly caught my eye in this months food network magazine were these cookies. They did a contest where readers had to submit recipes using the secret ingredient, which was marshmallows, and this is the entry that won. I made these last week right before we took off and I was really confused. Either not many good recipes were entered, I did something wrong (but it's cookies..they're simple. and I've made cookies enough to know how to do it..so I don't think that was the problem) or maybe they didn't make the recipes before picking a winner. Although they weren't terrible, I really don't see how they won.. they sounded great but the outcome wasn't that amazing, which stinks because I love marshmallows and think it was a pretty easy secret ingredient to work with. They were very crunchy (and I even left out the nuts) and I prefer a softer cookie. I also found them to be rather tasteless. I ate a few and the rest ended up getting tossed. Give it a try if you'd like but this isn't one i'll be keeping.

Monster Marshmallow Cookies
food network magazine April 2011



I didn't post the recipe, but instead posted the link to it on food network's website since it's already typed up and everything.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut butter cookies have never been something that i've loved. They're soft and taste like pb and that's about it. Not that those are bad things, they just seem lacking. This recipe though, sounded interesting. And i'm so glad I didn't pass it by! This cookie had a lot going on. It had a strong pb flavor with a soft texture and slight crispyness. The oatmeal also had a nice prescence, but not overpowering. Then the chocolate chips really pulled it together (gotta have chocolate!) This one is for sure making it's way into my recipe collection because I know i'll be making it often! I just made them last night and i'm wishing there were more left. I made a half batch and ended up with 7 large cookies. I've tried many cookies and recipes and this is now one of my favorites!
*It was nighttime when these were made, so I tried my best to get a decent picture for ya

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

brown eyed baker

Makes about 16 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.
Drop dough by large mounds (about 3 TBLS.) onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. (The cookies will still look undone when you take them out. The edges should look set and the middle puffy). Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

*Linked to Sweets For A Saturday

Nutella Butterscotch Cookies

I'm not a huge Nutella person, I mean I like it and everything but i'm not about to put it on my toast or eat it out of the jar. This was my 2nd time baking with it though and I thought it turned out pretty well. And I really liked it paired with the butterscotch. The dough for these cookies is really light and fluffy, like chocolate mousse.The cookies come out crispy on the outside and soft in the center.
*Linked to Sweets for A Saturday and Sweet Tooth Friday

Nutella Butterscotch Cookies

slightly adapted from Culinary Concoctions By Peabody


Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup Nutella or other hazelnut chocolate spread
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Cream butter and sugars in a mixer on high speed, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, then add the Nutella and mix well.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed until all the ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix just until the dough is smooth. Fold in butterscotch chips.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 6-7 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool completely

Crisp Cocoa-Pecan Cookies

I received my bon appetit magazine in the mail yesterday and there were a few recipes that caught my eye right away and knew I had to make soon! I decided to start first with this one because I had all the ingredients on hand and well, they're cookies, I can't help but get excited. I only made 1/2 batch like I usually do with first time recipes and now i'm wishing I hadn't! I left out the nuts since my husband doesn't like nuts in his baked goods (unfortunately. Especially since they would have been so good in these), but they still had a slight nutty, or butterscotch flavor to them. They really did spread out more than I thought they would and you'll end up with a thin, crispy cookie. They felt slightly fancy to me, don't ask why. I really did love these and i'm already thinking of when I can make them again.

Crisp Cocoa-Pecan Cookies

bon appetit magazine

Yield: about 16 oversize cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3 TBLS. natural unsweetened cocoa powder (scooped into measuring spoon, then leveled)

1/2 t. baking soda

10 TBLS. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled

1/3 c. (packed) golden brown sugar

1/3 c. sugar

2 TBLS. plus 2 t. light corn syrup

2 TBLS. whole milk

1 t. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and 1/2 t. (generous) salt in medium bowl. Stir butter and next 5 ingredients in another medium bowl until smooth. Stir in flour mixture, then nuts. Cover and chill until firm enough to scoop, atleast 4 hours. (Mine felt firm sooner so I only chilled for about 2 hours). *Can be made 1 day ahead; Keep chilled.

Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure 2 level tablespoonfuls dough; roll between palms into ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Using fingers, spread out dough to 3 inch diameter disk. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 5 inches apart.

Bake cookies 8 minutes; reverse sheets. Bake cookies until flat and beginning to darken around edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to cooling rack. *Can be made 4 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Melt chocolate chips. Drizzle over cooled cookies and let stand until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Linked up to

Top Chef Eric's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't watch Top Chef. I once had tickets to go see something they were doing but of course I accidentally deleted it from my email and wasn't able to get new ones. (It's ok, they were free, wasn't that big of a deal). So I don't know much about the show, but I do know they did some "Just Dessert" episodes and this recipe was on one of them. It came from Eric Wolitzky who is a pastry chef at Baked (a bakery and cafe in Brooklyn, NY). These cookies were bakery style. Big, soft, chewy and chocked full of chocolate. I loved the use of coarse kosher salt in these. You could really tell how it complimented the sweet without being overly salty. I noticed there wasn't any vanilla used in this recipe. Next time i'll try adding a little and see how it compares, even though I thought these were delicious as they are. I think I may have baked mine a minute or two too long because they weren't as soft after cooling, but after a few seconds in the microwave and they were good as fresh. I don't know why they put the ingredients in grams and ounces, probably to confuse us. But go ahead and pull out your scale if you have one, otherwise i'll just note the conversions I used.
PS-check out Lisa's Blog Sweet As Sugar where you'll find this and many other delicious looking sweets for sweets for Saturday.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Eric Wolitzky from Top Chef

I made a half batch and got 20 cookies out of it. Of course it will depend on how large you make them. I made the scoops about twice the size as I would regularly. The dough was pretty dry, so dropping, like I would normally do, wasn't really an option, I had to squeeze into balls (don't flatten).

Ingredients:
340 grams butter (1 1/2 c.)
200 grams sugar (1 c.)
400 grams brown sugar (2 c. tightly packed)
21 ounces flour (4 2/3 c.)
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salt (coarse, Kosher-less if you're usin regular table salt)
2 eggs
2 yolks
21 ounces chocolate chips (I used chunks)

Directions:
1. Melt butter, cool slightly.
2. Paddle sugars with melted butter.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients.
4. Add eggs slowly.
5. Add flour, mix, add chips.
6. Bake at 325 for 14min or until golden brown.

Peanut Butter Chewies with Chocolate

I've been slacking lately, I know. The last couple times i've baked it hasn't been anything new to put up. I made these the other day along with some pumpkin shortbread bars that I don't want to talk about (don't u hate when u follow a recipe exactely and it doesn't turn out??). So anyway, I thought these were good, but I probably won't make them again. Unless it's a new recipe im trying, I like to stick with things I really like instead of ones I think that are 'ok'. But that's just me. The source I got this from couldn't stop raving about them which is why I even decided to try it in the first place, because honestly, they didn't sound that good to me. But they're simple to make and also gluten free if that's somethin you're into.

Peanut Butter Chewies with Chocolate

sticky gooey creamy chewy

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 jar (18 oz ounce) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth

6 cups corn flakes
3 oz chocolate of your choice

Directions:

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a full boil.
Remove from heat and stir in the whole jar of peanut butter. Mix well.
Add corn flakes to a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over corn flakes and mix well, taking care to coat all of the corn flakes.
With a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out and form into 1-2 inch balls, depending on your preference, and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
Put the chocolate in a small bowl and melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies. I put them in the fridge to cool so the chocolate would harden.

Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing

I wanted to try making decorated sugar cookies. Not the typical kinds with frosting and sprinkles, but some 'fancier' ones. Since Matt's sister was having a bridal shower I figured I would make some for that. I even used a cookie cutter that we had from our wedding favors. My friend Monica helped me decorate them (the whole thing is a pretty long process!) which was really nice.
They turned out pretty good, especially since neither of us had made any like this before. I had one color of frosting the perfect hot pink color but then I was pretty dissappointed when it dried as red. I didn't know it would dry so much darker! I'm not going to list the recipes for these, but I will post the links to the ones I used as well as the techniques. The first day I made the cookies and started the monograms. The next morning I finished the monograms then that evening decorated the cookies and let dry overnight. The next day they got packaged.
The cookies tasted good and the icing is pretty much what I expected. Royal icing is for the looks, not the taste. It's not bad, but it's no where near as good as regular frosting. It would also work well to use to build gingerbread houses. If you're going to try something like this, I suggest reading some tutorials and tips first to learn things like how to prevent air bubbles, about the consistency of the frosting and why it matters and also just to learn some cool tricks, etc. Sweetopia and Bake at 350 have some great tips and tutorials. I'm really amazed at what some people can do with these. Although I don't think i'd be able to put so much time into it, even if Rylee did allow it.

Sugar Cookies (I didn't use the icing on this page, only the cookie recipe)
Royal Icing (you can also find recipes that don't use meringue powder, since it's a little pricey. But this is the one I used)

Tutorial on How to Marble Royal Icing (soo easy!)
Monogrammed Cookies tutorial (again, very simple but takes a little patience)

Oreo Truffle Cookies

We did a bake sale for the business club at school again. I made NY Times Cookies, Rice Krispies Treats and helped my friend make oreo truffles (they're really easy and really good! I shoulda put the recipe for those up too, but they're popular so you can easily find it if you search.) I'm not sure how many batches were made, but in total there were 155 truffles!! So needless to say, there were tons left over. And it just so happens that I found this recipe! Now we used actual completed truffles in the cookies (the recipe for the cookies doesn't have you complete the truffle- dipping them in chocolate) since we already had them done. I was a little dissappointed with this recipe.. the cookies were good, but nothing special. I was expecting something special since it had an oreo truffle inside, but you couldn't taste it at all, it was pretty much like a normal chocolate chip cookie. I won't be making these again, as it's a lot more work to make truffles and cookies, but it was fun to try and wasn't really extra work since the truffle part was done. So if you have some extra oreo truffles on hand, or just want to give it a try, go for it!

Oreo Truffle Cookies

Picky Palate

Ingredients:
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 Cups chocolate chips
21 Oreos
3 oz softened cream cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
2. Place flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl; mix. Add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.
3. Place Oreos into a food processor or blender, mix until finely ground. Place into a bowl and mix with cream cheese until dough forms. Take 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Continue until all dough has been rolled, you should get 36 balls, enough for all of the cookie dough.
4. With a large cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Press a little hole into center of dough and put Oreo Truffle inside, cover cookie dough around Oreo Truffle so it’s hidden in the middle. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. 36 large cookies

Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

I went to the store to get some m&ms for these cookies. Not realizing just how huge the pretzel m&ms are, I bought them. They were fine, but I would definitely reccomend the regular plain ones! They still turned out delcious and something I will make (probably many times) again.

Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
My Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into eight pieces

3/4 cup M&M’s

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and the butter. Microwave for one minute at 50% power. Stir. Microwave again for one minute at 50% power and stir well. If the chocolate is not fully melted, continue microwaving in 30 second intervals at 50% power until the chocolate and butter are well combined. Let the mixture cool slightly, about 2-3 minutes until it is at room temperature or just slightly warm, but not hot.
In a large bowl, combine the chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until combined. Gradually mix in flour mixture on low speed. Fold in M&M’s with a wooden spoon.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease them. Drop dough onto baking sheets by tablespoonfuls spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until they have slightly flattened and there are a few cracks on the surface, about 13-14 minutes. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies sit for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for about 2 days. Makes 2-3 dozen

Pumpkin Spice Caramel Cookies

We're back!! We had a great, much needed camping trip to Yosemite but now it's good to be back and into the routine of things, especially for Rylee. I know, I come back with another chocolate cookie recipe, but I couldn't resist! Remember how I went to the Ghiradelli Chocolate Festival and was introducted to their new Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Caramel chocolate that's my new favorite? Well I wanted to make a cookie version of the chocolate square since I liked it so much. And now that it's fall the recipe seemed fitting. I've only seen this chocolate at the factory so far but when you see it in stores, try it out. I think the cookie turned out really good and something I would definitely make again.

Chocolate Caramel Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla ext.

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 TBLS. pumpkin pie spice

2/3 c. cocoa powder, unsweetened

2 c. milk chocolate chips

Rolos

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time then vanilla and mix until smooth.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cocoa powder. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture at low speed until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in chocolate chips.

You may refrigerate dough for about 30 min. so it's easier to handle, although I didn't since I was a little pressed for time (Rylee was sleeping.) Wrap just enough dough around a rolo to completely encase it and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 11 min. until set and just firm at the edges. Cookies should still appear moist. Cool on baking sheet for 4-5 min. then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is another great recipe I found on the Guittard website, from David Lebovitz. These cookies are pretty much pure chocolate. They're very rich and moist and go great with a tall glass of milk. The dough is more like a batter and the top of the cookies come out like brownies, crispy and crinkley. I found the title to be a little misleading to me. Yes, they are chocolate and they do have chocoate "chips," but when I think of a chocolate chip cookie, well you know what a chocolate chip cookie is. Just fyi, this isn't your typical chocolate chip cookie with some cocoa in the dough.

I made 2 batches. The first one I refrigerated for 30 min., the dough was still a little sticky but I used it anyway. And flattened as the recipe says. They came out thin and very fragile. The second batch I put the dough in the freezer while the first one baked (about 10 min.) and it came out stiffer. I didn't flatten these and they came out thicker than the first batch and held their shape a lot better. Point being, wait until the dough is stiff (you can try freezing for a few min. like I did). Flatten if you'd like, but I thought it was better not.

Oh yea, and I won't be posting for a few days, but maybe Wednesday or Thursday i'll be back with more goodies.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe comes from Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz, published by HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. David says, "These are the best chocolate cookies I''ve ever made." The recipe calls for a total of 13 ounces of chocolate, for the batter and for the chips.

Makes: About 2 1/2 dozen 2-inch cookies

8 ounces (approximately 1 1/3 cups) E. Guittard 64% L'' Harmonie or 61% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate Wafers, chopped

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 large eggs, at room temperature

7/8 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

5 ounces (1 scant cup) E. Guittard 64% L'' Harmonie or 61% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate Wafers chocolate, chopped into chips

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. Melt the eight ounces of chocolate and the butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. 2. When the butter and chocolate have melted, remove from the heat.

3. Using an electric mixer, whip the eggs, sugar, and vanilla at high speed until the mixture is stiff (this takes a few minutes). Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.

4. In another bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder, then add them to the chocolate mixture. Add the chocolate chips and the nuts.

5. Chill the dough until it is firm enough to handle, about 30 minutes.

6. To bake the cookies, position the oven racks in the center and upper part of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch rounds* and set them onto the baking sheets spaced about two inches apart. Press each slightly to flatten.

7. Bake for about 9 to 10 minutes, until just set, but still moist and shiny in the center.

* Tip from the Kitchens of E. Guittard: Alternatively, you may shape the dough into logs and then slice to form the cookies. On a lightly floured surface or with the assistance of a sheet of plastic wrap surrounding the dough ball, roll the dough with your hands to form two 8-inch logs, 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough logs in plastic and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes. Slice the logs into 1/2-inch-thick cookies, and place them on the baking sheets which have been lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 9 minutes. Remove from the oven while they are still shiny and molten in the center but cooked on the outer edges.

Super Cookies!

So it's no secret that me and chocolate chip cookies have a thing. That is, if they're homemade ones. Packaged cookies? No thanks. I don't have a problem with them, but they're not my love. Guys, I know i'm not that big of a person, but i'm a true fat kid on the inside. Seriously, I am always thinking about food. What i'm going to make for dinner, when/what i'm going to eat next, what I might be craving, when the next opportunity will be to take some baked goods to, how I could change something I like (or don't) into something better. It's exhausting. It's like a marathon in my head and I haven't even left the couch. Point is, I wanted to make some chocolate chip cookies but I also wanted something different at the same time and this is the result. It started like a normal chocolate chipper, but then got wrapped around some dark chocolate (which happens to be very smooth and creamy) and topped with milk chocolate and some other good things. Normally I could pack away several cookies in 1 sitting, but these are so packed with chocolate I can only handle 1 at a time. Don't ask me why I named them Super Cookies. I guess cuz they're super.

Super Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

2 Hershey's Special Dark bars

milk chocolate chips, about 8 oz.

optional: toppings, such as: chocolate shavings, coconut, nuts, white chocolate, butterscotch/pb drizzled on top, marshmallows, etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla until well blended. Add baking soda, salt and flour until thoroughly blended. Mix in mini chocolate chips.

Grab 1 square from the Hershey bar and wrap about a tablespoon size amount of dough around the chocolate bar, just enough dough to cover the chocolate square and place on nongreased baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough. Bake about 12 minutes or until lightly golden all over. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Once cool, melt milk chocolate (either in the microwave or on the stove. I used microwave) and spoon on top of each cookie then garnish with desired toppings.

Makes about 21 cookies.

Toffee Roca Cookies

We were having an outdoor movie night and I wanted to make a treat for it. You know, because things are always more fun when treats are involved. Originally I was thinking 'something smore's', but instead decided on these, and i'm so glad I did. They're so very easy and quick to make and I liked them a lot. In fact, they're going down in my favorites list. I'm just sad I gave them all away :( It's probably a good thing I did though.

Toffee Roca Cookies

cookies and cups

1 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 beaten egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups AP flour
8 Hershey's bars, broken into pieces (I used Special Dark and only 6 bars because I bought a 6 pack)
1/3 cup chopped nuts or toffee bits (I used baking Heath milk chocolate and toffee bits generously sprinkled all over the top, about 3/4 of the bag)

Preheat to 350
In mixing bowl cream together butter and both sugars. When combined add the egg yolk and vanilla, mixing on medium until combined and smooth.
Add flour, 1 cup at a time mixing on low in between each cup to combine.
Dough will almost form a stiff ball.
Press dough onto ungreased cookie sheet about 1/4" thick. Bake 15-20 minutes until edges are golden and center is almost set, but not quite.
As soon as they're done, take them out of the oven and spread the chocolate bars on the top. Let them sit for a minute (they'll start to melt) then spread all over top. Sprinkle with nuts or toffee bits. Put in refrigerator or freezer to harden then cut into triangles.

Pizookie

I have never been to BJ's Restaurant, but I want to go sometime. I got this recipe from Todd Wilber's Top Secret Recipes collection and although I can't compare it to the real thing, this is for sure a keeper for me. It tastes just like a dessert you would get at a restaurant and is the perfect size for those times you just want a 'little' something. And it's great too because it only takes a few minutes to whip up! I served this with caramel cone ice cream, soo good.. I've only made the chocolate chunk version since i'm in love with chocolate chip, but i'll include the other variations as well.
BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse® Famous Pizookie

Chocolate Chunk
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons white chocolate chunks (or chips)
3 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts

Peanut Butter
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

2 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients for cookie of your choice up to, but not including, the flour, in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Add flour and baking soda (plus oats and cinnamon if making the oatmeal raisin walnut cookie) and stir well by hand. Stir in remaining ingredients then press the dough into a small buttered pie pan, cake pan or 6-inch deep-dish pizza pan.
3. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until cookie begins to brown. Cool for a minute or so, add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, and serve. Serves 2 for dessert.