Deep Dish Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream Sundaes

So...yeah. If you don't like peanut butter this may not be the post for you.

Monday was my husband's birthday. Whenever I start brainstorming what to make for his birthday, two things come to mind: carrot cake and peanut butter and chocolate.

When I asked him if there was something he wanted me to make he mentioned maybe something with peanut butter cups.

Well. Now, we all know I did that. Last year. And then some.

Also, I didn't want to make a cake. Too much leftover. You all know my husband pretty well by now. If I made him a cake he would eat one slice and then guess you would eat the rest?

All the running in the world wouldn't cure that, now would it?

So I made him some simple deep dish peanut butter chocolate chip peanut cookies.

And then I dressed them up like they were Cinderella, going to the ball.

No one likes a nekkid cookie. A nekkid cookie might get teased and then feel bad about itself. We can't have that, now can we?

So I made some ice cream. Peanut butter ice cream. You know, using that two ingredient method?

{But this time I used actual whipped cream instead of Cool Whip. 'Cuz my guy is one of those people...you know the type. The "hmmm...that's too sweet" type. WTH does "too sweet" even mean?}

Now, normally, I would have stopped there. But since we're dressing up the cookie, she needed some accessories. A hat, perhaps.

Made of chocolate sauce. And peanuts.

There she is. All dressed up and ready for the ball.

Hubba hubba.

Happy Birthday to my sweet husband. You're a fantastic husband and father.

Now go eat another cookie, will ya'?

Deep Dish Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Sundaes

by Crazy for Crust (Chocolate Sauce adapted from Kitty's Kozy Kitchen)

Ingredients

For the Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 cup chocolate chips

For the Peanut Butter Ice Cream

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Peanut Chocolate Sauce

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup roughly chopped peanuts

Instructions

Make the Ice Cream

1. Whip heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Mix peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla together with a hand mixer.
3. Fold together peanut butter mixture with whipped cream. Transfer to a sealable container and freeze until hardened, four hours or overnight.

Make the Chocolate Sauce

1. Place chocolate chips and oil in a microwaveable bowl. Heat 1 minute, or until chocolate begins to melt. Stir until melted and combined. Stir in nuts. Place in a jar and let come to room temperature.

Make the Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a whoopie pie pan with cooking spray.
2. Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars until well combined. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add salt and baking soda and mix well. Add flour and mix until just combined. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
3. Scoop large spoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons) into pan, press to fit. Bake 8-10 minutes, until edges are brown. Centers will still be a little gooey. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with a scoop of ice cream and a helping of chocolate sauce.

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Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!

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Monster Magic 7-Layer Bars

Let's talk Summer for a min, shall we?

I really love the lazier days of the school's out season. No making lunch at night. No homework. No rushing in the morning. Being able to go on a day trip on a whim. Swimming and the general do-whatever-you-want attitude. I can even handle the heat, because I know that it only lasts a few months. Plus, there's A/C. So pretty much, summer is all great.

Except for the dishes.

And the clutter.

And oh my god the attitude.

Let me explain.

About a week ago I found myself with a full dishwasher for the second time in two days. I was confused.

Then I looked at the kitchen table, where there sat a juice glass, a plate, a bowl, and empty string cheese wrapper, and a wadded up napkin from lunch three hours before.

Beyond the dishes, into the family room, Jordan sat, on the couch, headphones on, using the iPad. Around her was a tornado of pillows and blankets, all strewn around the floor because these items are not allowed to share her air, obvi.

On the coffee table was a full art kit, open, with pens all over the table, paper spread out to every corner. When I looked behind the couch I noticed an upended bottle of glue sitting on the carpet and scissors strewn about.

And I had an epiphany.

Summer is work. It's 24 hours a day, all day, every day, seven days a week for two and a half months.

Or, 35 runs of the dishwasher.

And my sanity.

To calm myself, I made you some 7-layer bars. But not just any 7-layer bars. Magical monster ones.

Last week, Heather, at French Press made Peanut Butter and Chocolate 7-layer Bars. The second I saw that post, and I mean the second, I knew had to make these. I dreamed about them all night long, got up, and made them at 7am the next day.

{And...I was probably channeling Ashton who made these awhile ago...}

I had Nutter Butters in my pantry (are you surprised?) I had earmarked them for another recipe, but, I kid you not, Shelly at Cookies & Cups made almost the exact recipe I had been planning. So I wanted to find a new use for my favorite cookie.

That's layer one: a Nutter Butter crust. Layers two through seven include chocolate and peanut butter chips, nuts, pretzels, M&Ms, and, of course, the best thing in the entire world, sweetened condensed milk.

These are very rich bars. You can eat more than one, but you may want to pace yourself. Believe me, I know. Serve them up with a glass of milk.

With a side of sanity and a dash of prayer that school starts soon.

~Read More~

ICEE Cupcakes {and other fun Softball treats}

Softball season is officially over. It's kind of sad, really, because Jordan loved it so much.

I will not miss having to get dinner ready for her at 4:00 and packing it up in a cooler for Mel and I. Nor will I miss the post-school night-game whining.

I will miss watching Jordan learn how to catch. And watching her hit, without a tee, for entire games.

Last weekend I volunteered to host the end-of-the-year softball party. For 12 first-graders, their parents, and siblings.

Yes, I'm certifiably insane.

But I love doing it. Even when I was going crazy on Friday trying to get the house clean and do last minute prep and make eight dozen mini cupcakes, when I was growling "why do I do this???" at my husband, I still was having fun.

For the cupcakes, I decided to go with a "softball snack shack" theme. You know, that crap you buy while you're bored out of your mind watching your kid play. Popcorn, hot cocoa, Icees, candy.

I made mini cupcakes out of two box mixes, one yellow cake and one chocolate. FYI, that makes a lot of minis. I had no idea how many it would make. Be prepared. Probably 3-4 dozen per box.

{Just because I majored in math, you didn't expect me just know that a mix making 24 regular sized cupcakes would make a whole lot of mini ones, right?}

I made one large batch of homemade buttercream and divided it into four portions to make the four flavors of cupcake.

These ICEE cupcakes were the biggest hit. The frosting is made with cherry jell-o. Joan at Chocolate, Chocolate, and More used Jell-O in cupcakes awhile back and when brainstorming ideas, I came up with these.


~Read More~

Chocolate Cake Ball Stuffed Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Hey, before I tell you about these awesomeamazingyouwon'tbelievethem cupcakes, I wanted to let you know that I was a guest poster today over at Something Swanky! I'm talking about using Curves in PicMonkey and another little helpful commenting/HTML tip. Go check it out!

And now, on with your show...

I work out every day. I mean I stuff Almond Joy candy bars in crescent rolls for breakfast. I kind of need to exercise.

Usually I go to the gym, where I embarrass myself in a Core class or I read 50 Shades of Grey on the elliptical and try not to blush.

{Side note: have you read that book? Oh my. It's...intense. And I don't quite understand why everyone is so thrilled about a book where a girl chooses to be in an abusive relationship? If it wasn't for the good...stories...I'd probably have stopped reading. Just kidding... I'm so excited I'll be discussing this at a book club. That night should be interesting. There better be lots of cocktails.}

I've been really enjoying running, which is a lot for me to say because my running is a lot like Phoebe's. {If you have no idea what that means, well...can we even move on from there?}

I can't do it more than a couple times a week, as I have an old lady body with old lady knees and ankles and a bad lower back thanks to being pregnant with Jordan. (I swear, it's all been downhill since I had a kid. What the heck is up with that?)

{Speaking of kids ruining your body, when I'm at the gym and see the clique of 12-pack ab moms at the pool in their teeny tiny bikinis with three kids apiece, I want to cry. Or maybe go and poke them and look for their alien not-from-Earth marks. Because, seriously, how is that possible?}

I really enjoy running outdoors, although my geriatric knees don't allow it as much as on a treadmill. Nevertheless, I strap on my running shoes a few times a week and head out, jamming to I'm Sexy and I Know It.

And every single time right when I get sweaty and out of breath and I feel like I'm ready to die because I'm running a 12 minute mile, an old dude passes me.

The same old guy. Every time. He's gotta be in his 80s. All hunched over and running.

Faster than me.

It's humbling.

But then I remind myself, he's probably an alien too. And then I feel better.

Also something that makes me feel better?

Doing this:

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Chocolate Malted Shortbread

I love trying new things.

Well, not really. I don't love trying new foods. I've never had beets and I've never tasted mustard and I'm not going to, thankyouverymuch.

I love when I find new products at the grocery store. Especially when they are my kind of product, like cereal. Or candy. Or something I can bake with.

When I was in high school I had a friend whose mom had this same sort of love for new food products. And she wasn't on a budget so they always had the newest cereals and cookies and all sorts of great snack foods. Rice Krispie Treats Cereal, anyone? I think I *may* have eaten the majority of their box, because my mom wouldn't buy new things unless she knew I liked them. (She'd just send me to my friends' house for that.)

So when Melt Organic contacted me about trying their rich and creamy spread, of course I said yes. New product? For cooking and baking? Of course I want some!

Melt Organic is a new buttery spread that is soy, gluten, and trans-fat free. It's organic. It has 50% of the saturated fat that butter has. It has fewer calories than butter and has no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. And it's and excellent source of "good fat" (fats that our bodies burn as energy instead of storing as fat). It's a healthy form of butter!

Melt Organic is made with virgin coconut oil, flax seed oil, palm fruit oil, canola oil, and hi-oleic sunflower oil. I've been hearing so much about coconut oil lately, so I was especially excited to try a product containing it. And guess what? The coconut oil gives Melt Organic the tiniest coconut flavor. Which is a huge score in my book.

I knew I was going to bake with it. I mean, I'm me, right? The question was, what to make? And would it turn out okay?

I decided to give these Chocolate Malted Shortbread bars another go. I tried making them at Christmas and they were good, but didn't turn out quite right. I was determined to make them perfect!

 

I baked my shortbread in a 9" tart pan. The chocolate shortbread dough has Ovaltine in it. I know there was a malted baking craze awhile back, with everything calling for Malted Milk Powder, which my grocery store doesn't have. They do, however, carry Ovaltine, my favorite drink from childhood.

I cut the slices small, to be more like cookie wedges. But believe you me, after I was done with these photos I cut myself a nice large slice and at it like a wedge of pie. Because these are that good.

The Melt Organic performed exactly like butter. Maybe even better. The shortbread is soft and chewy and delicious. But, of course, if you can't find Melt Organic in your store (they don't sell it near me, but if you live in the Los Angeles area, you can find it there or you can buy it online) you can use actual butter. But it won't be as good for you and you'll feel guilty eating the entire tart. So, just warning you. :)

So try these bars. And, if you can, try Melt Organic. It's good. I can't wait to make cookies with it. And frosting. Jordan even likes it on her sandwiches, and if you've been reading long enough to know how she is, that's an amazing compliment.

Oh, and who can say no to Ovaltine and Whoppers? Not I.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Malted Shortbread

by Crazy for Crust (Adapted from Land o' Lakes...and yes I see the irony.)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup Melt Organic Spread (or butter)
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 ounces (2 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
• ¼ cup Ovaltine powder
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 5 oz box Whoppers (movie theatre size)
• ½ cup Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the 2 ounces of melted chocolate and Ovaltine and beat until well mixed. Add flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together; stir in chocolate chips.
3. Press mixture evenly into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press Whoppers randomly around the top of the dough. (You won’t use the whole box…do what you will with the leftovers…)
4. Place on a cookie sheet (in case of leakage) and bake about 20 minutes until the top starts to look a little cracked. Cool 10 minutes and then remove sides of pan. Cool completely on a cooling rack and then cut into wedges.

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Legal mumbo-jumbo: Melt Organic sent me two tubs of product to try for free. The info on the fats and benefits of Melt Organic came from their website and the Dr. Oz show. All opinions of the results I got with baking and how I liked Melt Organic are all my own, of course! For more info, check out their Facebook page or tweet them @meltspread #atlastgoodfat!




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I link up to all of these fabulous parties each week!

Tea Party Tuesdays at Sweetology, Talent Show Tuesday at Chef in Training, Trick or Treat Tuesday at Inside BruCrew Life, Cast Party Wednesday at Lady Behind the Curtain, Sweet Treats Thursday at Something Swanky, Chic-and-Crafty at the Frugal Girls, Tastetastic Thursday at A Little Nosh, Sweet Tooth Friday at Alli-n-sons, I'm Lovin' it Fridays at TidyMom, Sweets for a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies, A Well-Seasoned Life, Strut your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters' Stuff, and all of these too!

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Donuts

I have a serious problem with breakfast pastries. I love them. A lot. It's hard for me to go to Starbucks and NOT buy a scone.

I also have a serious problem with free things. Like, I get all crazy and my eyes get big and my heart rate speeds up when I'm in Costco at lunchtime. I love free samples. Of anything. Shampoo, food, you name it. I'm addicted to little packets and I firmly believe that one bite of a deep fried piece of shrimp has no calories, because it is a sample and therefore, free.

So, you can assume correctly that free food + breakfast pastry would send me into an absolute tizzy. And you'd be right.

Way back in the dark ages, when I was a teacher at the high school I attended (what up, BHS peeps?), Wednesdays were staff meeting days. School started an hour later for the students, and we teachers got to go to a faculty meeting and enjoy the droning of whatever was deemed important that week.

It was also "Starbucks leftover day." The best day of the week, if you ask me.

I don't know if it was a mom who worked at the local Starbucks or if it was just some good samaritan parent who knew we teachers would devour anything free that wasn't nailed down. Whoever she was, she was like a Goddess sent to us by the Heaven of Free Pastry.

The Goddess would bring in the day-old pastry, rescued from certain dumpster death, and drop them on the front counter in the main office for us.

But here's the funny part. Were they in bakery boxes? No. Paper Starbucks bags? No.

She would drop them on the counter in all their glory...in a big, clear, plastic garbage bag. (So I never really knew if they actually came from the dumpster or if they were just awaiting their trip to the dumpster when she picked them up for us.)

And us teachers would descend on that garbage bag like it was the last food on earth. I'm amazed no one got penciled over a blueberry scone.

And if I got the blueberry scone? Then it was a good Wednesday.

There would most certainly been some bloodshed if these donuts had been part of the garbage bag.

A peanut butter donut. Dipped completely in chocolate. And topped with chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Has your head exploded yet?

These were a Happy Birthday-Thank You gift for a friend of mine. I hope she doesn't mind she only got five of them. I had to eat one. Blogging rule #1: always taste.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Donuts

by Crazy for Crust (donut recipe from Fake Ginger)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 bag chocolate candy melts
• 1 cup chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups (or you could use peanuts)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a 6-hole donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix peanut butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla; mix. Stir baking powder, salt, and flour into wet mixture. Mix just until combined. Place your dough into a large Ziploc bag and cut off the tip. Pipe evenly into the donut pan.
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool a few minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. When donuts are cool, melt your chocolate according to package directions. Place a wire rack over a cookie sheet. Place the donuts in the chocolate, covering the entire bottom half. Place chocolate-side up on the wire rack and chill to harden. Repeat the dipping process, covering the other half of the donut with chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups while still wet. Let harden and enjoy!

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I link up to all of these fabulous parties each week!

Tea Party Tuesdays at Sweetology, Talent Show Tuesday at Chef in Training, Trick or Treat Tuesday at Inside BruCrew Life, Cast Party Wednesday at Lady Behind the Curtain, Sweet Treats Thursday at Something Swanky, Chic-and-Crafty at the Frugal Girls, Tastetastic Thursday at A Little Nosh, Sweet Tooth Friday at Alli-n-sons, I'm Lovin' it Fridays at TidyMom, Sweets for a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies, A Well-Seasoned Life, Strut your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters' Stuff, and all of these too!

Devil's Food Cake Batter Dip {Pie Crust Dippers}

{Well, that title is no surprise, now is it? You've been expecting it since yesterday afternoon, no? Blogger needs to create a pop-up "ARE YOU SURE???" to deal with people like me, obviously.}

When I was a kid, Santa came on Christmas. I put out cookies and milk that were gone in the morning. I was happy with that.

My daughter? Has an elf that requires daily movement. God forbid I forget to move France from place to place and have to either (a) try to distract my child into getting dressed so that I can almost kill myself running down the stairs to throw him to a new spot before she sees me or (b) make up some sort of elaborate story as to why he didn't move the night before, all while taking into account all the stories I've made up previously, lest there be a conflict.

On Easter when I was a kid, there was a short-lived 6am egg hunt culminating in a basket of goodies I always looked forward too.

Somehow, a few years ago, the Easter Bunny (stupidly) started the tradition of a treasure hunt to find the Easter basket, instead of a regular old egg hunt, which takes place immediately upon waking up, usually around 6am.

Guess what I get to do at 9pm on Easter Eve?

Then there is the tooth fairy. When I was a kid I left my tooth in a little envelope taped to my headboard and would wake to a quarter in its place.

When Jordan lost her first tooth, our tooth fairy left glitter all over the floor. GLITTER. And a note. And money. In fact, Jordan routinely asks what I think her tooth fairy is going to bring her whenever she loses a tooth. Apparently, forking over $5 for a disgusting little piece of DNA is not enough. Lots of her friends get gifts: movies, ornaments at Christmas, and other trinkets. So now I need to borrow money from her allowance to stuff under her pillow and buy her a gift.

And now we have leprechauns to deal with. We have to make traps, mess up the house, dye the toilet water green, leave footprints, and prepare green milk for cereal.

Unless we forget.

And then have to deal with the tears while we covertly remove the green food coloring from the baking cabinet and sneak it upstairs to the bathroom, where the bathroom glass can be filled with green water.

And then we can listen as our poor, neglected child recounts stories from her friends about what their leprechaun did to their house. Because ours forgot she existed. Obviously.

*Sigh*

At least I make her lots of treats to keep her happy.

You all read Ashton's blog, Something Swanky, right? Because if you don't, well...I'm not sure if we can be friends. Because she's awesome.

Anyway, if you do read her blog, you'll know she loves making dips. Cake batter dips, dips out of cookies, dips made from cookie dough. She's my long lost dessert sister, I know it.

Back in January, she posted Red Velvet Cake Batter Dip. Which was funny, because I was planning to make this dip the next week. So instead of trying to come up with a recipe as I went along, I decided to just use hers. Why mess with perfection?

Last week she made Blondie Batter Dip. In that post she mentioned needing to find new things to dip in all her dips. Well, Ashton, this is for you.

I made pie crust dippers for this Devil's Food version of the cake batter dip. I just cut out scalloped rounds of (refrigerated) pie crust, brushed them with melted butter, and sprinkled them with sugar before baking.

Then I dipped away.

And it was awesome.


~Read More~

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Do you ever feel like you have a double identity? I do.

There's the way I am in the outside world and the way (I think I'm) perceived by others. And then there's the way I am inside, where the little voices talk.

Often, I wonder if the people who see me on the outside know how I am on the inside.

Recently I hosted a mom's night in at my house. Vodka was served. The inside Dorothy made quite an appearance, from what I recall. I think some of my friends were a little shocked.

But the funny thing? Is that's the way I am all the time. Inside my head.

I just don't have the nerve to say it all out loud. To people. Lest they judge me and not like me for making teenage boy jokes when someone says something about a long stick. (I told you. My sense of humor is all my mom's fault. Blame her.)

I do, however, have the ability to do it in writing. Good thing I'm a blogger.

Hence the whole double identity thing. These cookies also have a double identity. Peanut butter on one side, chocolate on the other. It can't decide what it wants to be, either.

These cookies could also be called "secret identity cookies." Because they have a secret.

They're made of cake mix. Yellow cake mix.

Both sides. The peanut butter side AND the chocolate side. One box of yellow cake mix.

I didn't want four dozen cookies, so I didn't want to use two cake mixes. And Google failed me. No where on the internets could I find a recipe for a chocolate cookie made with a yellow cake mix. I cannot believe I'm the first one to ever do it.

(Pssst...it was easy. I just added some melted chocolate.)

(Pssst again...these cookies were inspired by lots of other versions. Like Maria's. And Robin's. And Jessica's.)

What's your double-identity secret?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

by Dorothy Kern

Keywords: peanut butter chocolate cookie

6014628

Ingredients (24 cookies)

• 1 yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super-Moist)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (2 one ounce baking squares), melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons water, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Using a hand-held mixer, beat cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl just until combined. Place half of this mix in a new bowl.
3. Make the peanut butter cookie side: in the original bowl, add peanut butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon water to half of cake mix. Beat until combined. Set aside.
4. Make the chocolate side: add the melted chocolate to the second bowl, along with the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Beat until combined.
5. Roll 1 tablespoon balls of the peanut butter dough. Add one tablespoon of the chocolate dough to the side of each peanut butter ball. Roll in your hands slightly to make them stick together. Place on cookie sheet and press down slightly. Repeat for the remaining dough. Use a fork to make crisscrosses on each cookie. (The cookies will not spread much.)
6. Bake 8-10 minutes until the peanut butter side is slightly golden. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets, then move to a rack to cool completely.

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Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts, Creative Monday (Clairejustineoxox), Mix it Up Monday (Flour Me With Love), Things that make you say mmmm Monday (Cooking with Karyn), Mop it Up Mondays (I should be mopping the floors), Show me what you got (Our Delightful Home). Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training), Trick or Treat Tuesday (Inside BruCrew Life), Let's Do Brunch (My Sweet & Savory), Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets), Cast Party Wednesday (Lady Behind the Curtain), Famous Linkz Par-tay (Made-Famous-By), Bakes with Bizzy (Bizzy Bakes), From Dream to Reality (DIY Dreamer), Whip it Up Wednesday (Crockpot Ladies).  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents), Taking a Timeout Thursday (Mom on Timeout), Things I've Done Thursday (BearRabbitBear), (RHW Recipe Round-Up) The Real Housewives of Riverton, BFF Open House (The Answer is Chocolate), Recipe Round Up (Eat, Pray, Read, Love). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog), Foodie Friday (Not Your Ordinary Recipes), Dwell on Joy, Fun Finds Friday (Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons), Sugar and Spice. Saturday: Country Mom Cooks, Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos), You inspire me (Polka Dot Pretties). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Recipe Party (The Sweet Spot), Seasonal/Occasional Linkys: Moms Crazy Cooking, Southern Mom Cooks, Cheap Crafty Momma, Susie QT, Springtime Holiday Link Party (Michelle Paige)

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cake

What is it about February? There are so many birthdays this month I've lost count.

Well, I guess I should say, what is it about May/June? I would have thought the opposite; that there would be a lot of birthdays in November because of Valentine's Day, not the other way around.

Jordan's birthday is in February. But she was due in March. She just decided to be impatient (as she still is today) and come 10 days early, right smack dab in the middle of the birthdaypalooza.

My mom's birthday is on the 15th. Which happens to be the same day as Jordan's BFF's little brother. Oh, and another girl in her class.

Three other kids in Jordan's class at school have birthdays in February, making party planning fun. I just made sure to get my invites out first, a whole month early. Classy, aren't I?

Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl are also in February. It's a short month for goodness sake, what the heck?  This month is a cake making extravaganza.

Also in February? My Mother-in-law's birthday. Today, in fact. Which also happens to be the day a friend of mine is having her scheduled C-section.

Again, what the heck is it about May and June? Is there some special "romantic" notion about Memorial Day?  There wasn't anything particularly romantic for us; June was when we fit into the doctor's schedule.

And don't get me started on January. So I guess April is a big month for romance too.

Happy Birthday Lorna!

**Hey, do you need some Valentine's treat or craft ideas? Check out the Virtual Party I attended at the Dollhouse Bake Shoppe for inspiration!**

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cake

by Crazy for Crust

(Glaze from Annie's Eats)

Ingredients

• Chocolate cake (your favorite boxed mix or my favorite recipe

For the Cookie Dough Filling

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used mini ones)
• 3 tablespoons milk

For the Chocolate Glaze

• 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Filling

1. Beat heavy whipping cream using whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Chill until ready to use.
2. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Pour into an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. While still hot, add both sugars and mix on low until combined. Let sit to cool for a few minutes.
3. Turn mixer on low. Mix in vanilla extract and flour. Stir in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Stir 1 cup of whipped cream into cookie dough mixture (using paddle attachment). Add more whipped cream if needed to reach your desired consistency. Stir in chocolate chips.

Make the Glaze

1. Place your chocolate, cream, butter, and corn syrup in a bowl and set it over a pan of boiling water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Stir until the ingredients have melted together and are smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool to room temperature. Frost cake as desired. (This will frost the top only of a 6” round cake. If you want more, double the recipe.)

Assemble your Cake

1. Slice your layers in half. (I baked my cake in 6x3” rounds and sliced each in half to make a four layer cake. You can do it that way, or leave it as two layers. Or whatever.) Top each layer with a healthy dose of cookie dough filling. Top the whole cake with chocolate glaze, or you can frost it with your favorite chocolate frosting. But beware – this is a rich cake. A little frosting goes a long way!

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Enjoy!

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These are the fabulous parties I link to each week:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts, Creative Monday (Clairejustineoxox), Mix it Up Monday (Flour Me With Love), Things that make you say mmmm Monday (Cooking with Karyn), Mop it Up Mondays (I should be mopping the floors). Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training), Trick or Treat Tuesday (Inside BruCrew Life), Let's Do Brunch (My Sweet & Savory), One Stop Shop Linky (The Southern Product Queen). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday (Lady Behind the Curtain), Famous Linkz Par-tay (Made-Famous-By), Bakes with Bizzy (Bizzy Bakes), Whip it Up Wednesday (Crockpot Ladies).  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents), Taking a Timeout Thursday (Mom on Timeout), Things I've Done Thursday (BearRabbitBear), (RHW Recipe Round-Up) The Real Housewives of Riverton. Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog), Foodie Friday (Not Your Ordinary Recipes), Dwell on Joy, Fun Finds Friday (Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons). Saturday: Country Mom Cooks, Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Seasonal/Occasional Linkys: Moms Crazy Cooking, Southern Mom Cooks, Cheap Crafty Momma, Susie QT