Amazing Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

A new pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe that I tried back in the fall.  Again from melskitchencafe.com.

Amazing Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) brown sugar
• 1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (9 ounces) pumpkin puree (see note above)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour (see note above)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liners.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla, pumpkin, and water, and mix until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. The dough will be very soft. Use a spoon or cookie scoop (I use my #40 cookie scoop) to drop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are set but the middles are still a little bit soft. When the cookies come out of the oven, lightly tap or drop the cookie sheet on the counter (this helps the thinner/chewy factor of the cookies but you won't get fired if you don't do it). If the cookies were taken out while still soft in the center, they'll flatten more as they cool. Let them cool 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Repeat with remaining dough.
8. These cookies taste great the day of, even better the next day, and they freeze great!

Chocolate Fudge Sour Cream Bundt Cake

I'm playing catch up tonight.  I made this bundt cake per Nathan's request for his birthday back in November.  It was simple and oh so good.  I found the recipe at melskitchencafe.com.

Chocolate Fudge Sour Cream Bundt Cake

For the Pan:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

For the Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter
• 1/3 cup (1.25 ounces) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 3/4 cup (8.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups (11.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 large eggs (3.5 ounces)
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 cups (6 to 12 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat the 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the butter and cocoa powder for the pan until the mixture is well-combined and pasty. Use a pastry brush or folded square of wax paper to wipe the cocoa/butter mixture into a 10- or 12-inch bundt pan until the inner surface is evenly coated.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt and water. Heat until the butter is melted and whisk to combine well. Set aside to cool to room temperature (just slightly warm is ok, too, but let it cool more if it's overly warm or hot).
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and baking soda. Pour in the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
4. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Stir in the sour cream and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top lightly springs back and the cake is baked through.
6. Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before turning it out carefully onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. For the glaze, place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer (either in the microwave or in a saucepan) and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes without stirring. Add the vanilla and stir the mixture until it is glossy and smooth. The glaze will set up as it cools; if you want a thin drizzle, pour it over the cake while the glaze is still warm but if you want a thicker frosting, let it cool slightly.
8. Once the cake is cooled, place it on a serving plate or cake stand and pour the glaze over the cake letting it drip down the sides.

Texas Sheet Cake

I made this for a teacher dinner I helped put on at the kids' school this last week.  It was my first time making Texas sheet cake and I will have to look no further for a good recipe.  This one was a winner. It came from allrecipes.com.  The recipe calls for a 10 x 15" pan so if your pan is larger or smaller you may need to adjust the recipe accordingly.  I tripled the recipe and spread it between two 11 x 17" metal pans and it worked out great.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

6 Tbsp milk
5 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10x15 inch pan.

2) Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, mixing until blended.  **If I ever make this again, I will cook the chocolate mixture first so it can be cooling while I'm mixing the other ingredients.  

3) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4) For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then fold in the nuts, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake.  **It starts to harden up quickly so you have to time it so that the icing is ready at the same time the cake comes out of the oven.

Healthier Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

We've almost made it to the end of the month and the end of our no-sugar challenge.  These past few days have been the hardest for me.  I've been craving something sweet every day and tonight these no-bake cookies saved me.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  They are plenty sweet without any sugar and pretty hearty too.  The almonds are optional but I added them and don't think I'd ever leave them out - I thought the nuttiness they added was perfect.  I also left out the chocolate chips because 1) I didn't have any bittersweet and 2) I'm assuming like most other chocolate chips they'd have sugar in them.  The cookies were great without!

Healthier Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

• 1 cup natural peanut or almond butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups quick cooking or old-fashioned oats 
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the peanut or almond butter and coconut oil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Off the heat, stir in the honey and vanilla until combined. 
2. Immediately stir in the chocolate chips until melted (if the mixture is too cool to melt them completely, return the saucepan to low heat to help it along without bringing it to a simmer).
3. Add the oats, cocoa powder and almonds and stir until well-combined. 
4. Drop by heaping spoonfuls (the medium cookie scoop works great) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until set. 
5. The cookies will keep in a tupperware-type container (layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment) in the refrigerator for a week or more.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

No posts in almost a year and then four posts in one day!  This chocolate pudding has been a lifesaver since we started no sugar this month.  It's no Hunt's snack pack but it's surprisingly satisfying - and full of so much real food!  I found this recipe posted on Good Things Utah's Instagram account.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

2 avocados
3 T hemp seeds
1 T flaxseed meal
1 1/2 c. purified water
1 banana
1 c. cacao powder
4 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
15 mejool dates, pitted
2 T organic maple syrup

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth like pudding.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then enjoy!

Unbelievable Chocolate Cake

Made this cake for Bryce's birthday - his pick - and it was delicious!  Mel never lets me down.  Make note though, I didn't say healthy, just delicious.

Unbelievable Chocolate Cake

• 1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, making sure the baking rack is in the middle of the oven. Prepare your cake pans (2 circular 9" pans work great) by cutting out a piece of parchment or wax paper to line the bottom of the pan. Grease the pans, place the parchment or wax paper in the bottom of the pan and lightly grease again. Dust the pans with flour (or cocoa powder if you don’t want the white dusting on the finished cakes). Set the pans aside.
2. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs, yolk, warm water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Mix on low speed (with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer) until smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Do not overbake! Remove the pans from the oven and set the pans on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Gently run a thin knife around the edges of the pans and unmold the cakes, removing the parchment paper liners from the bottom of the cakes. Let them cool completely, top sides ups, on a wire rack.
4. Trim the tops of the cake layers with a long serrated knife to make them level. Frost as desired.  I used the recipe below:

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Mix the cream cheese, vanilla and butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the frosting and whip to combine (don’t overmix or the frosting will become too stiff). The frosting should be smooth and creamy. 

TMNT - Themed Food Ideas

This post is for Jared. :)  We just threw a TMNT party for my five year old.  I have to admit, these were pretty fun to make.

Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies

I'm not sure why I've never thought to put Reeses Pieces in cookies before but when I saw this recipe on The Sisters Cafe I knew I had to try it.  We had these for our family home evening treat on Monday night and I don't think any of us (Ben included!) ate just one.

Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 stick butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1½ cups flour
• 1 cup mini Reese’s Pieces (or regular if you can’t find minis)
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add peanut butter, egg and vanilla and continue beating until creamy.
2. Add baking soda, salt and flour. Mix until well combined. Add chocolate chips and mix on low until chips are mixed in. Gently stir in Reese’s Pieces.
3. Using a cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat liner. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Don’t overbake, they will look undercooked when you take them out. Allow them to rest on cookie sheet for about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Toffee Brownie Trifle

I love trifles for feeding a crowd.  This recipe called for cake-like brownies but the next time I make it I'll make them the regular way, with only two eggs instead of three.  The pudding combo was yummy (I used cheesecake and white chocolate) and you can never go wrong with toffee bits and mini chocolate chips.

Toffee Brownie Trifle

1 package brownie mix, prepared according to package directions (13 x 9 pan size)
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix
1 package (3.3 ounces) instant white chocolate pudding mix
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (I used 8 oz. heavy whipping cream, whipped with 1/3 c. powdered sugar.)
2 to 3 Heath candy bars (1.4 ounces each), chopped (Toffee baking bits and chocolate chips work great too!)

1.  In a large bowl, beat milk and pudding mixes on low speed for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in whipped topping. 
2.  Cut the brownies into 1-in. cubes; place half in a 3-qt. glass trifle bowl or serving dish. Cover with half of the pudding. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with chopped candy bars. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 servings.  

Blondies (Applebees Knock-Off)

I think it's pretty apparent that I do a lot more baking than I do cooking.  And I love sweets... definitely a weakness of mine.  I sure wish I was more like my husband who rarely even craves them.  Anyway, these blond brownies are chewy goodness.  And add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top... divine.  The recipe comes from Mels Kitchen Cafe.

Blondies (Applebees Knock-Off)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 10 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips (I also added white chocolate chips.)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I always omit nuts.)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13-inch pan with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and blend until combined.
3. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts over the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Strawberry Trifle

At my house we are thrilled that strawberry season has begun.  I have been picking up a case at Costco just about every week when I go and today I ordered cedar boards so Ben can make me some garden boxes to grow our own strawberries.  Can't wait.  I love trifles and opted to make this strawberry shortcake version for a large family gathering we had at our house last month.  I used pound cake but next time I will try angel food cake - either works.  I also used vanilla pudding but banana cream would have been delicious too.  Even banana slices with the strawberries would have been great... the possibilities are endless when it comes to trifle... In fact, I think I may try a Fourth of July version with blueberries.  This recipe came from the Taste of Home website.

Strawberry Trifle

1 cup cold milk
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 package (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp. grated orange peel
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped  (The recipe doesn't call for any powdered sugar added to this but I think it's necessary.  I would start with 1/4 cup and add accordingly until desired sweetness is reached.)
8 cups cubed angel food cake
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

In a large bowl, beat the milk, sour cream, pudding mix and orange peel on low speed until thickened. Fold in whipped cream. 

Place half of the cake cubes in a 3-qt. glass bowl. Arrange a third of the strawberries around sides of bowl and over cake; top with half of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining berries. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. 

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

My friend Lauren made these for a baby shower recently and they were delicious.  (Hers were much more petite and cuter than mine.)  I asked her for the recipe and made them this past week.  The biggest compliment for any sweet treat around here is Ben's consumption of it.  He's eaten his fair share of these! 

In other news, I finally invested in a Silpat.  They are pricey (this one was $20 on Amazon) but considering the cost of parchment paper, it won't be long before this thing actually saves me money.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

• 1 stick softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 TBSP lemon zest (about one lemon's worth)
• 1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

With a whisk, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a separate larger bowl, cream softened butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in egg, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and combine.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a Silpat).  Pour powdered sugar into a small bowl.  Roll cookie dough into small 1 inch balls and roll in sugar, coating evenly.  Place cookie balls 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes.

White Chocolate Popcorn

This is the other type of popcorn I made.  The recipe was adapted slightly from the Bake. Eat. Repeat. blog. 

White Chocolate Popcorn

8 oz. white chocolate (white chocolate chips work great)

2 Tablespoons butter (I used lightly buttered microwave popcorn so I only used 1 Tbsp.)

1 bag microwave popcorn (preferably natural, not butter flavored)

1/4 cup M&Ms (regular, peanut or pretzel!)

 

1. Pop popcorn according to package instructions. 

 

2. Place the white chocolate (or white chocolate chips) and butter in a microwave safe dish. Microwave until melted and smooth (about 2 minutes), stirring every 30 seconds. 

 

3. In a large bowl combine popped popcorn with white chocolate mixture. Add M&Ms and stir to combine.  Let cool and harden on parchment paper.

Candied Popcorn

I tried two different popcorn recipes this holiday season.  In my opinion, there is something irresistible about fancy popcorn.  My boys and I could eat this stuff all day.  None of these holiday recipes are helping my waistline though!  That's probably why I'll only be making this once a year!  This recipe comes from Erin at The Sisters Cafe.

Candied Popcorn

3 to 3 1/2 batches of air-popped popcorn (each batch is 1/2 c. unpopped corn kernels)
2 cubes butter (1 cup)
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup

**I used lightly buttered microwave popcorn.  Each bag is equal to one batch.  I also cut the butter in the recipe down to 1 1/2 cubes since my popcorn was already lightly buttered.

First, pop all your popcorn.  Shake the popcorn and then scoop the top layers into a couple large mixing bowls. Leave the heavy and/or unpopped kernels behind.

Melt butter in a large pan.  Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Continue stirring, on medium heat, until the mixture is completely smooth and is just barely starting to simmer.  (Don’t allow it to boil for long, or the popcorn will harden rather than being soft.) Turn heat off.

Using a ladle, drizzle the sugar mixture over a portion of your popcorn.  Then mix it with a spoon, add another portion of fresh popcorn, drizzle the mixture over it, and stir it around, etc.  Continue until all your mixture is evenly distributed on the popcorn. 

I packaged my candied popcorn into gallon sized twist-tie bags I bought at the grocery store. Or you can store it in tupperware for a few days. 

Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love brownies and I love cookies so I figured I couldn't go wrong with this combination cookie.  Though a little time consuming, they are a fun change from the norm.  I figured out that I had to cut my brownie squares pretty small in order to make a regular-sized cookie.  The possibilities are endless when it comes to stuffed cookies and I will definitely be experimenting with other things in the future.

Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 brownie mix (Bake ahead of time.)
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (For fluffier cookies, add an extra 1/2 cup of flour for a total of 4 cups.)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips 

Prepare brownies according to package directions.  Let cool completely then cut into 1 inch squares.

Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until well combined.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips.  Place a scoop of dough on top of a brownie square and another smaller scoop on the bottom.  Gently press and enclose brownie with dough.  Place filled cookies onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  (Watch them, your time may vary.)

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts

My friend Marianne made these for a church function we had a few years ago and they were delicious!  I had to bring a dessert to another church function tonight and immediately thought of these.  I'm so glad I have this recipe now - thanks Marianne!  I doubled this recipe and it filled 30 baking cups, each 3/4 full.  Also, the original recipe didn't call for whipped topping but it makes all the difference.  Marianne adds a little cinnamon to hers and it's the perfect touch.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts

12 gingersnap cookies (just store-bought ones, the crunchier the better so they don't get soggy)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened (I almost always use Neufchatel - less fat)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place 12 muffin cup liners in a muffin tin. Place a gingersnap cookie in the bottom of each liner. Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until well blended. Add the eggs and beat well. Divide batter equally among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove from the pan and chill before serving.  Top with a dollop of whipped topping.

Whipped Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
powdered sugar to taste (about 1/3 cup)
sprinkling of cinnamon (about 1/2 tsp.)

With an electric hand mixer, beat the whipping cream on high speed.  Once it has started to stiffen, add in powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Continue to beat until correct consistency.


 

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

We had oatmeal with Craisins for breakfast the other morning and Tyler found a cookie recipe on the back of the Craisin bag.  He asked if we could try it, so that day after school he and I made these cookies together.  I have to say, they were delicious!  He asked me to post the recipe on my blog - no problem!  *I doubled this and it made about five dozen cookies.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups Craisins Dried Cranberries (I only used 1 cup.)
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips (I used a full cup... maybe even a little more.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, mixing well.  Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in separate mixing bowl.  Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.

Mom's Ice Cream Dessert

This is an ice cream dessert my mom used to make on special occasions.  I don't know why it's taken me 11 years of marriage to finally make it for the first time!  But it brought back good memories of home.  It's really pretty easy to make too.

Mom's Ice Cream Dessert

24 Oreos, crushed
1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix together and press in bottom of pan (9x13). Put in freezer.

1 carton Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream

Pull out of freezer and allow to thaw slightly. Cut into slices and lay on top of Oreo crust. Put back in freezer.

In saucepan combine:

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TB butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk

Boil until thickens. Cool until barely warm and pour over ice cream. Cover dish with foil and freeze. Take out and soften a little before serving.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies are so good, I didn't think I'd ever try another chocolate chip recipe again.  But I was perusing Mel's Kitchen Cafe where she posts her "best of" recipes and I just had to try her favorite chocolate chip recipe.  It was super!  Now I'm not sure which recipe I'll use in the future.... they are both fabulous.  I am usually a semi-sweet chocolate chip kind of girl, but I used milk chocolate chips in these cookies and man did they taste good.  (BTW, I doubled this recipe...without doing so these only would have lasted a day.) 

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Form dough into tablespoonful-sized balls and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just lightly browned (keeping in mind that ovens can vary in temperature so use your best judgment). Don’t overbake or else the cookies will be tough and hard.

Double Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies

I needed a quick dessert for Sunday dinner and found this recipe on the back of a bag of Reese's peanut butter chips.  These were gobbled up in no time!  Ben even had seconds!  A definite success in my book.

Double Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-10 oz. package Reese's peanut butter chips
1/2 cup Hershey's syrup

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom of 9X13 pan.

2.  Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla.

3.  In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt; mix into peanut butter mixture, blending well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Spread half of batter in prepared pan; spoon syrup over top. Carefully top with remaining batter; swirl with metal spatula or knife for marbled effect.

4.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.