Cake Ball Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are lots of things that I do well.

Making baked goods.

Eating baked goods.

Reading.

Math.

Being a wife and mom (well, I think I do that well).

Eating baked goods.

Watching Real Housewives, and my new fav, Beverly Hills Nannies.

Having the discipline to exercise (notice I said discipline to do, not actually doing).

Eating baked goods.

Of course, there are lots of things I don't do well.

Like trying new foods. (Thanks to Dr. Google, I'm pretty sure I have food neophobia.)

Discipline (really, I suck).

Cleaning (I hate it).

And, among other things, I am really not good at rolling cake balls.

Seriously, I see cake balls all over the internets. Perfect ones. Gorgeously round, plump, and smooth. And that's before dipping!

And it's not just cake balls. Truffles. Cookie dough balls. Anything round that requires rolling. Other people seem to be able to roll perfectly round spheres of goodness.

Mine? Look like deformed brains.

I have never, ever, not even once rolled a perfect round ball-of-anything.

They always look oddly misshapen, like they been sent through a wormhole to another dimension and back.

Probably why I don't make cake balls and truffles very often.

That, and dipping in chocolate makes me want to poke a sharp stick in my eye.

Now, I love cake balls as much as the next person. I've been known to throw back a few dozen or so in a sitting.

I also love cookies. And it seems fashionable as of late to stuff cookies with things.

So why not marry the two? Stuff a cake ball in a cookie?

But, then came my dilemma. Cake balls require rolling, thus causing misshapen, deformed little brains and lots of frustration.

And then I remember something that the Desperate Chefwife did awhile back. She made her own Nutella chunks by spreading it out in a thin layer and freezing, then cutting chunks of Nutella goodness to add to her cookies.

Would it work with cake ball mixture?

Yup, it totally does.

{Although you should cut them smaller than in that photo. Those were a little big. They'll break up a little bit in the mixing process.}

Added to my chocolate chip recipe, the cake ball chunks added a marbled texture of goodness. No deformed brains here!

Like I said. I'm good at baking.

And eating....sigh.

~Read More~

Rolo Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies {Back-to-School Printable}

Would it surprise any of you to hear that I was a major goody-goody teacher's pet in school?

I was the wannabe hall monitor.

I once got in trouble for reading in class. Not reading a passed note. Reading a novel. In the fifth grade.

Even though my mom will say I was a terrible teenager, all surly and teenagey, I was a goody-goody even then.

I never snuck out of my house.

I never cut class.

I did other things that shall remain untold. {Hi Mom!} But, in all truthfulness, I was a good girl.

The teacher's favorite. The one they could always count on to be on time, have her assignment, and not cheat. {There was, in fact, unbeknownst to me, a cheating ring in my sophomore history class that extended from the person behind me copying from my quizzes that wrapped all the way around the room so that the kid in the farthest corner had my answers on his paper.}

So would it surprise you then to know that, as much as I really do love being the Hospitality Committee chairperson and as much as I love doing things for the teachers at Jordan's school, I want them to like me.

And to me like is done through kindness, aka food. Or, in my universe, dessert.

When I stuffed Rolos inside of peanut butter cookies it was such a huge hit that I knew I had to do it again. Again, stuffing Rolos inside of cookies isn't new. I'm not the first to do it and I won't be the last. But today I'm sharing with you new-to-me Rolos stuffed inside of oatmeal cookies.

I love oatmeal cookies. Almost more than any other kind. {Shhh...you won't tell peanut butter, right?}

These cookies are for the teachers next week. I'm going to put them in their boxes on the first day of school.

{Pssst...they freeze reeealllly well.}

And because I want them to like me a lot, I made tags for the bags. These are "smart cookie" cookies.

Want the tags? So you can make some cookies for your kids' teachers?

Gotcha covered. For a .pdf copy of this printable, click here.

Now you can be the most popular too. Dessert = Like. It's just the truth.

~Read More~

Butterscotch Pecan Pies

I think I have a new sport I'd like to add to the Olympics: Dough Rolling.

Contestants would compete in events like the Sugar Cookie Dash, Pizza Dough Sprint, and Pie Crust Speed Race.

Not only would baker-letes be judged on time, but on skill and form as well. Scoring would include three parts: speed (out of 5 points), difficulty (a range increasing with additional skill), and execution (out of 10).

If you manage to roll 15 mini pizzas in 30 seconds, you'd get a really good speed score.

If you could roll and cut 5 dozen sugar cookies lickety split, without any additional flour, you'd get high marks for difficulty.

And if you managed to line a pie plate with the perfect crust, no rips, tears, or thin spots, execution would get you a perfect 10.

The one with the highest marks would, of course, win the Gold Rolling Pin.

Picture it: middle-aged women who've trained their entire lives for just this moment, wearing their sparkly red, white, and blue USA aprons and standing in the state-of-the-art kitchen arena. Standing tall as the anthems are played, smiling to the cameras beaming their images back home to their fans and loved ones. NBC would even show the backstory of the participants...

"...she came from nothing to become something. Raised by her grandmother in rural Kansas, Jenny practiced her rolling skills for hours every day. She credits her rise to Olympic fame to her Grandmother, who would have been 100 years old on this very day of competition..."

And every four years they would compete for gold. But, as in any sport, new technologies would be introduced to the baker-letes, products that would become controversial but eventually become standard in the games.

This Roul'Pat would be one such technology.

The first one to use it would win gold for sure.

Because you don't need any flour for dusting.

Thus ensuring a perfect difficulty score.

Roul'Pat is made by the makers of the Silpat. You all know what Silpat is, right? That superfabulous awesome non-stick baking mat? I love mine so much I wish I had 10.

The Roul'Pat is a non-stick work surface that turns any countertop into an ideal rolling station. The back of the Roul'Pat is designed to prevent it from slipping or moving while you're working. It's also non-stick. I repeat again: it's non-stick. So you can roll out dough on it. Make candy on it. Work with fondant or chocolate. Or even crafts. With no additional flour or mess!

Did you hear me people? NO additional flour means NO additional clean-up which is music to my ears. I absolutely hate rolling out cookies and pie crust. I hate the mess it creates.

When I made these butterscotch pecan pies, I rolled out a cream cheese pie crust to sandwich them in.

I rolled and re-rolled and used my cookie cutter and lifted the circles up without any sticking at all.

And then I just wiped off my Roul'Pat with a damp sponge. And my kitchen was clean.

I cannot speak more highly of the Roul'Pat. It actually makes me want to make roll-out cookies, and if you know me, that's endorsement enough.

If I went to the Olympics and competed in Dough Rolling with my Roul'Pat I would win gold for sure.

And so would you!

You know you want one of these awesome Roul'Pats, right?

Come back tomorrow for Crazy Sweet Tuesday...and you just might win one!

~Read More~

Sugar Cookie Bark

I bet that, if you're a blogger, I could say the name of an ingredient and you could immediately spout at least five things to make with it.


Like, if I shouted "REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!" in a room at a food blogger conference I would immediately get responses like:


Stuffed Cupcakes!
Stuffed Cookies!
Pudding!
Pie!
Cheesecake!
Ice Cream!
Rice Krispie Treats!
Truffles!


Am I right?


It would be like brainstorming gone mad.


But what about when the ingredient is the dessert? Makes it a little harder.


Like, for example, sugar cookies.


When I think "sugar cookie," I think cute designs and royal icing. I think about Christmas.


{I mean, sure I think about pie crust too, doesn't everyone?}


But if you want a treat that actually tastes like a sugar cookie, it's a little harder.


My step-father-in-law (that's a mouthful, let's call him M), loves sugar cookies.


Like, really loves them.


So, every year for his birthday and Christmas I make him some.


But really, I can't just make sugar cookies anymore.


{Except at Christmas. Not making them then would be sacrilege.}


In blog-land-life, when you make stuff like carrot cake cinnamon rolls and ICEE cupcakes, you can't just make a sugar cookie a second time (says the little voice in my head).


Besides, I did that last year. But I made it a bar cookie.


So this year, when M's birthday rolled around I was stumped.


And then I remembered Shelly's Brownie Batter Bark.


And I realized how I'd create another good sugar rush for the man who can eat an entire batch of cookies without gaining an ounce.

Enter sugar cookie dough and white candy melts.


Add some sprinkles and you've got a super sweet sugar cookie dessert.


That's not a sugar cookie.


But kinda is.

I can't wait to try the other options for this.


I'm sure it involves Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.


And, maybe, pie.

~Read More~

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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Lemon Cream Pudding Cookies

Do any of you watch The Next Food Network Star? I really enjoy that show, except for the fact that they change formats about as often as I bake. And that Giada seems way too thin. {Am I wrong there? I mean, she cooks for a living. Not that I want her to go all Paula Deen or anything, but geez. Way to make a baker feel bad about herself!}

My husband thought it was really funny when Linky was still a part of the show. Every week he'd make some crack like, "hey! I wonder if she has parties?"

Is it me, or is it difficult to watch them speak to camera? I mean, even now, when the show is almost over, it's like, a totally cringe-worthy hour.

There's stuttering and dropped eye contact and too much energy and not enough energy and why can't Martita just tell stories for goodness sakes!


Watching this show just reinforces one important factoid about me: I never want to have a cooking show. Ever.

People tell me all the time, you should video tape yourself! You should totally audition! You should start doing videos in your blog! How-tos! It would be awesome!

Um, no. No it most definitely would not. I'd be just like one of those sputtering wanna-be Food Network chefs. But worse.

And my voice. I actually want you all to like me. I don't know how my husband stands it. Whenever I hear myself taped I just cringe and plug my ears.

{Although, I often think that my voice is akin to a dog whistle; one that only adults can hear. Because Jordan never can seem to hear me when I speak.}

Anyway, so even though I love watching Food Network Star, don't be all expecting videos here. I'm totally content to make you cringe with my written word.

Remember pudding cookies? I've done a couple versions now. Don't ask me to pick a favorite…I love them all. But, if someone were to point a frosting gun at my head and demand a favorite under penalty of appearing on video, I may have to say I liked these the best.

It may have been because of the cream filling. Tart, sweet, and just right. Sandwiched between two fluffy pudding cookies. Two cookies are always better than one.

~Read More~

Almond Joy Pudding Cookies

Well, were you able to figure it out after my teaser on Friday?

It's Almond Joy Week!

I have this huge love of Almond Joys. Really, a love of all things coconut.

It's one of those times in life where you realize your mother was right: your tastes change. See, until two Halloweens ago I hated coconut. Wouldn't come near it.

Then I tasted an Almond Joy from Jordan's trick-or-treat basket.

It was love at first sight.

Now I want to put coconut in everything.

I can't even buy Almond Joys. If I do? I'll eat the whole package. They're too easy to eat. Two bites, gone. It's not fair really.

After I made those Almond Pudding Cookies I was at the store staring at the pudding boxes. {Please tell me I'm not the only one that brainstorms in the Jell-O aisle? Long enough that people get annoyed at you for blocking their way?}

Coconut Cream stood out to me, as does everything coconut these days.

What goes best with a coconut pudding cookie?

That's right.

Almond Joy. And then my mind started going and I came up with so many ideas. Too many for a week, but I gotta start somewhere.

So it's Almond Joy week. Three recipes made with or inspired my my favorite candy bar.

{I say it's my favorite. Then I have a Reese's. And I change my mind. Just call me a flip-flopper.}

I hope you enjoy!

And if you don't like coconut? Well...have you tried it recently?

My mom likes to say that your tastes change over time.

~Read More~

Softball Cookies

{Or Baseball Cookies. If you have boys. But then you might want to leave them white. Or dye them blue. Unless your son really likes pink.}

So...remember how much I was dreading softball?

It wasn't so bad. {Yes, I'm eating my crowe and liking it thankyouverymuch.}

One caveat thought...I think I didn't mind it so much because half our season got rained out. If that didn't happen? This would be a totally different post.

Jordan loves softball. She's gotten so much better. She's great at throwing, can hit the ball when she remembers to lift her bat up (something, btw, I am NOT ALLOWED to remind her during games under strict penalty of death by no cookies). Catching...well, she'll get there.

She especially loves how she can sit in the dugout for half the game, and the other half she can dance hip-hop at right pitcher.

And she loves snack. Probably because of the snack bar. They have icees. And soft pretzels (which I, ahem, may have eaten one or ten times).

What I looked forward to during the season?

My snack day. (I know, that's the day most people dread. I'm weird.)

And of course, my snack day was the same day as the teacher luncheon, volunteer tea, and a school night. So I needed something fast, easy, and feezable so I could make it ahead of time.

These are all three of those things.

Enter my Whoopie Pie Deep Dish Cookie Pan.

Seriously, this recipe is even easier than the Deep Dish Thin Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies I made. No chopping of anything. Just press the dough, add some chocolate chips, and bake.

Easy-peasy.

Of course, I also made labels. Because obviously, I have "too much time on my hands" as so many other moms like to tell me.

{We won't go into how I feel about THAT comment.}

I made my own sugar cookie dough for this, because we had a peanut allergy on our team and I was worried about processed foods. But, by all means, use a tube of cookie dough. Dye it your favorite color, and add chocolate chips.

Easiest. Recipe. Ever.

Enjoy!

~Read More~

Chocolate Chip Turtle Cookies

My husband works from home. He's been doing it since Jordan was about 18 months old, so she's never known anything different. In fact, she doesn't quite understand the whole "going to work" thing. It's kind of funny when she talks about how her friends' dads are gone all day and have to work (since, obviously, my husband is home which means he's not working).

{Can't wait to see where that work idea gets us in about 12 years.}

Anyway, so Mel is home, locked up in his office all day. Most of his day is spent on conference calls with his clients or coworkers (which are spread out all over California and the country). All of his coworkers also work from home offices, so once in awhile they have to do video calls.

Those days are funny. Often, he forgets he has to be on a video call, so as I'm showering he rushes into the bathroom to change his shirt to one with a collar and I have to hand him his razor and the shaving cream so he can shave his 6-day old beard (the one he hasn't shaved since the last video call).

Then he heads back to his office and shuts the dog and cat in the hallway, hoping WWIII doesn't begin while he's talking to his boss.

All in a polo and workout shorts. Or sweat pants, if its winter. And slippers.

I really, really wish I could see what all the people are wearing on their calls. You know they are all clean shaven, hair brushed, the women have their make-up on. There are polo shirts, button-down shirts, and ties.

And then below the desks? Bunny slippers and flip-flops? Slips and boxers?

One of these days they should just all count to three and stand up.

Or maybe not?

So, if you're lucky enough to have your husband working at home during the day, he can probably take five minutes out of his lunch break to make these cookies for you for Mother's Day.

Because, seriously, that's all the time it takes.

Chocolate chip cookies, melted chocolate, pecans, and melted caramel. That's all you need to make these little bites of wonderful.

And to make it even easier? You can start with a refrigerator cookie. Or even your favorite bag of Chips Ahoy!


Top with melted chocolate. Top with melted caramel. Top with a pecan and chocolate drizzle.

Done.

Then he can go back to his office, sweats, apron, and all.

Chocolate Chip Turtle Cookies

by Crazy for Crust (Recipe from Nabisco Sweet Treats Magazine)

Ingredients

• 3 squares semi-sweet chocolate, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 12 chocolate chip cookies, baked and cooled (from your favorite recipe, a tube, or even a package of Chips Ahoy!)
• 6 caramels
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 12 pecan halves

Instructions

1. Melt two chocolate squares and butter in a microwaveable bowl about 1 minute until chocolate is melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Spread onto the cookies and let harden.
2. Microwave the caramels and milk in a small bowl for about 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Melt remaining chocolate square in a separate bowl.
3. Spread caramel onto centers of cookies and top with nuts. Drizzle remaining chocolate over the pecan and let cookies harden before serving.

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Enjoy!

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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