Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

I liked this recipe when I used it for Oatmeal Raisin cookies, so I thought I would try it again. While the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies were good, the Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies were better. The cinnamon chips seemed to work really well with the combination of cinnamon and cloves in the batter, really drawing out the cinnamon flavor.

Oatmeal Chocolate/Cinnamon Chip Cookies
(Source: Adapted from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook 14th edition)

3/4 cup butter
1 cu brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chocolate or cinnamon chips

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in remaining flour and oats. Stir in cinnamon/chocolate chips.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on a cookies sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Irish Chocolate Mint Dessert

Yet another recipe in honors of St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Chocolate Mint Dessert
(Source: Hershey's)

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) plus 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon mint extract
4 drops green food color
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Place 1 cup (2 sticks) butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 2 minutes or until melted. Stir in granulated sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; beat well. Add cocoa, flour and baking powder; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

4. Prepare Mint Cream Center by combining powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, water, mint extract and food color. Beat until smooth. Divide and spread evenly on brownies. Cover; refrigerate until cold.

5. Prepare Chocolate Glaze by placing remaining 6 tablespoons butter and chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute or until mixture is smooth when stirred. Cool slightly; pour over chilled dessert. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert.

24 servings.

Minty Irish Chocolate Cream Pie

My friend Maggie is having a "Poker, Pi and (St.) Patrick's Day" Party tomorrow night and I found this recipe at Hershey's. I liked it because it was easy (I'm not overly experienced at making pies) and it screamed "St. Patrick's Day."

Minty Irish Chocolate Cream Pie
(Source: Hershey's)

1 extra serving-size packaged graham cracker crumb crust (9 oz.)

1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
18 small (1-1/2 inch) York Peppermint Patties, divided
6 drops green food color(optional)

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan; gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust; carefully press plastic wrap directly onto pie filling. Cool; refrigerate 6 hours or until firm.

2. Shortly before serving, remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Remove plastic wrap from pie. Cut 9 peppermint candies in half; place, cut side down, at outer edge of pie filling, forming a scalloped edge. Finely chop remaining 9 patties; fold into whipped topping with green food color, if desired. Spread peppermint topping on pie. Serve immediately. Cover; refrigerate leftover pie.

10 servings.

Monster Cookies

Monster cookies, a nice twist on traditional peanut butter or oatmeal cookies, are my favorite cookie to make and eat. Even though there is a long list of ingredients, they are surprisingly simple to make. Everything goes in one bowl, which is especially handy and simple with a stand mixer. The dough has an interesting consistency, unlike standard cookie dough. And any cookie that combines peanut butter, oatmeal, M&Ms, and chocolate chips is a winner in my book.

Monster Cookies
(Source: Family Recipe)

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/6 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup margarine

1 cup peanut butter

3 1/3 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups M&Ms

Mix all ingredients together (add the chocolate chips and M&Ms last) and bake for 12 minutes at 350°F.

Vanilla Brown Butter Cupcakes

I've never worked with browned butter before, but these cupcakes over at Baking Bites sounded good, so I thought now was as good a time as any to give it a shot. Browned butter is surprisingly easy to make, even though I continuously checked the internet for pictures of what "browned butter" was supposed to look like. :) The toasty flavor of the brown butter was most noticeable in the batter (yes, I enjoy licking the beater), but the resulting cupcakes definitely tasted richer than they normally do.

Vanilla Brown Butter Cupcakes

(Source: Baking Bites)

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Melt butter in a small saucepan and cook over low-medium heat until butter has turned an amber color and smells toasty, but not burnt.

2. Pour from saucepan, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom with a spatula, into a small bowl to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together cooled butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined.

3. Distribute batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Makes 12-cupcakes.

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

(Source: Baking Bites)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

approx 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

2-4 tablespoons milk

Cream butter with an electric mixer until soft. Add vanilla and gradually add in sugar until most has been incorporated. Mixture will look a bit sandy. Add in milk as necessary (start with 2 tbsp), along with any remaining sugar, until frosting reaches an easy to work with consistency.