Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of our favorite cookie recipes. Never fails. Always loved. Hunter even makes them by himself!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies-original recipe HERE

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips (from shell-we just double chocolate chips and leave our peanut butter chips)

For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Wonder Cookies

These cookies came to our house during this holiday season from a friend. We quickly decided that we not only needed the recipe, but they needed a special name. We decided on Chocolate Wonder Cookies! They are delicious! And here is the super simple recipe (part of why they're such a wonder!)

1 box chocolate cake mix (the darker the better)
6 oz whipping cream
1 egg

Mix together.
Roll balls in powdered sugar. The balls are very sticky. Oil your hands if needed. Place balls on cookie sheet. They will puff up while baking but then flatten when you take them out. They are very smooshy! You have to be quick and use a good spatula to get them off. If you wait they will just be harder to move and will smoosh all together! (but, of course they'll still be yummy!)
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Baking them longer will burn them--and they don't always look done at 8 minutes so don't be tricked!! Enjoy!!

cheesecake-marbled brownies

I have been waiting to make these and small group was the perfect time last night! YUM!

cheesecake-marbled brownies

Makes 16 2-inch square, thick brownies

Brownie batter
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake batter
8 ounces cream cheese, well softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Plus
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Make brownie batter: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Heat butter and chocolate in a 3-quart heavy saucepan — though I did mine double-boiler style, placing the mixing bowl I was using over simmering water, thereby creating one less dirty dish and melting the chocolate more gently — over moderately low heat, whisking occasionally, just until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread in baking pan.

Make cheesecake batter: Whisk together cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula.

[I actually like using a butter knife because the tip of it is round enough that you can use it to fold bits of the brownie batter over the cheesecake batter for a more visibly marbled effect. Try it!]

Sprinkle chocolate chips over cheesecake/brownie batter swirl. Although it might be more logical to just mix them into the cheesecake batter (and feel free to do this, it will have no ill-effect) I thought it might interrupt the swirl-ability of it.

Bake brownies: Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

original HERE

Ice Cream Cake

I made an ice cream cake this weekend for the family and it turned out so well.

I started out with this recipe and the girls helped me choose the ice cream flavor. We decided on cookies and cream ice cream with Hershey's cookies and creme candy bars. How could we go wrong, right?

Basic Ice Cream Cake Recipe

15 3 Tb 2 2 quarts 12 oz

Chocolate crème-filled sandwich cookies Butter or margarine Favorite candy bars Flavored ice cream (your choice) Frozen whipped topping, thawed

Multicolored sprinkles or small candy decorations

On a cutting board, finely chop cookies, 2-3 at a time. Place butter in small microwave-cooker. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted. Mix in cookie crumbs. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a springform pan. Freeze 15 minutes.

Cut candy bar into 4-5 pieces; wrap in plastic wrap and freeze 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces.

Cut ice cream container apart to expose block of ice cream. Cut half of ice cream into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange ice cream slices over cookie crust, cutting pieces to fit. Spread into a smooth layer. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar. Top with remaining ice cream prepared the same way as first layer. Smooth top with spreader. Cover with aluminum foil. Freeze 3 hours or overnight.

Attach open star tip to a decorator. Fill tube with whipped topping and set aside. Run knife around edge of ice cream cake. Release collar from pan. Lightly frost top and side of ice cream cake with remaining whipped topping. Decorate with whipped topping using decorator. Top with sprinkles. Freeze 1 hour or overnight. Once whipped topping is frozen lightly cover cake with plastic wrap.

To serve, cut into wedges. (If cake was frozen overnight, place in refrigerator 10 minutes before slicing.)

Yield: 12 servings

Chocolate Cake

The best chocolate cake. EVER. My aunt's recipe!! YUP!!

Betty Crocker's Best Chocolate Cake

2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 stick butter (8T or 1/2 cup)
4 oz choc bake

Preheat oven 350 degrees
grease and flour 9x13 aluminum pan
Measure dry ingredients into mixing bowl
Zap butter until softened
Zap choco bake for 20 seconds
Add buttermilk, water, eggs vanilla, butter and chocolate
Mix 30 seconds on low
Scrape bowl. Mix again on high for 3 minutes
Pour into pan
Bake for 38 minutes and check w/tooth pick
Cool completely

Glossy Icing

3 T butter
3 oz Choco Bake
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 t salt
1/3 C milk
1 t vanilla

Melt butter and choco on low in sauce pan. Add sugar, salt, milk and vanilla. Whip all together with wire wisk until mixed. Stick the pan in the freezer and check in a few minutes. Whip up and put on cake.

YYUUUMMMMM!!!!

Mint Chocolate Brownies

I made these for small group on Friday and then we cancelled and i figured I would just save them for next week. It is Sunday and there are only four left in the freezer. They are SO SO SO Good!!!!


(I totally stole this picture from the blog I got this recipe from-lets hope she doesn't sue me, but I had to show how yummy they looked!!!!!!!!!!)


Mint Chocolate Brownies

******First Layer******

2 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup nuts (i didn't add these)

-line 8x8 with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray
-oven 350 degrees
-in saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat
-combine in mixing bowl with sugar and eggs
-add flour and nuts and combine well
-pour batter into pan and bake 20-25 minutes (mine took a little longer)
-cool completely

******Second Layer******

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon of peppermint extract
green food coloring

-mix all together and spread over cooled brownies

******Third Layer******

2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 Tablespoons of butter

-melt together in saucepan
-pour over green frosting
-tilt pan back and forth to cover entire top in thin layer

put in freezer to harder,
take out and pull away foil, cut into small squares
they freeze really well, if you have discipline