Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best chocolate chip cookies I've had in awhile. As the name suggests, they are both thick and chewy like the kind of cookie you'd find at a bakery. After finding this winning recipe, I think it is safe to say I will never have to try another chocolate chip cookie recipe (though, honestly, I probably will, just for the sake of trying something new). If you’re looking for a classic, this is it.

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Annie's Eats)

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven 325°F.

2. In a bowl, mix dry ingredient. In mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars until well blended. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla. Batter will appear slightly greasy.

3. Add dry ingredients, until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Scoop balls onto cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 min.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Cookies

These cookies are just like snickerdoodles, but quicker and healthier (if you can even consider a cookie healthy). This recipe uses whole wheat flour and incorporates cinnamon into the batter instead of rolling the dough into balls and then in cinnamon and sugar. A delicious twist on a great cookie.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Cookies
(Source: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, the eggs and the vanilla.

3. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda, salt, and cinnamon.

4. Scoop spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not overcooked.

Fudge Brownies

I'm not sure if I have ever made brownies from scratch before. If I have, it wasn't a recipe worth remembering. After making these brownies, I guarantee I will never make brownies from a box ever again. I am quite certain this recipe in particular will become my signature brownie recipe. These brownies are pure heaven.

A few things to note:

1) I didn't have Dutch-process cocoa. After doing some research online, I discovered that you can easily substitute the dutch-process cocoa with regular cocoa plus a little bit of baking soda. For every 3 Tbsp of cocoa you need to add a pinch (1/8 tsp) of baking soda. Since this recipe called for 1 1/4 cups of cocoa (20 Tbsp), I added 3/4 tsp baking soda. The recipe turned out fantastic.

2) According to the King Arthur blog, when you add the chocolate chips to the batter directly effects the texture of the brownies. If you want the chips to retain their shape and add chunkiness, let the batter cool before adding the chips. If you want the chips to melt right into the rich smoothness of the brownie, add them to the hot batter immediately, stirring to combine.

I prefer my chocolate chips to remain evident, so I let the batter cool for about 20 minutes. Because I used mini chocolate chips (it was all I had at home and I didn't feel like running to the store), the chunkiness is not as noticeable as I would have liked it to be. I definitely want to try this recipe again using regular chocolate chips.

3) Line your pan with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment. Seriously. It makes it so much easier to remove the brownies from the pan intact, without sticking and crumbling.

4) Glass of milk not required, but highly recommended.

Fudge Brownies
(Source: King Arthur Flour)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa (I used regular cocoa + 3/4 tsp baking soda)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp espresso powder, optional (I omitted this)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

2) In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it.

3) While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4) Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5) Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. (Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.)

6) Spoon the batter into a lightly greased (and parchment lined) 9" x 13" pan.

7) Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Makes 24 brownies.

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

We missed Kyle's birthday the last two years and there was no way we were going to miss it a 3rd time. For the celebration, I decided to make Cookies & Cream Cupcakes. These Oreo Cupcakes were my inspiration, however I really didn't want chocolate cupcakes. I was envisioning vanilla cake with cookie chunks and that is exactly what I ended up finding at The Sweetest Kitchen.

I made a slight modification to Jamieanne's recipe by adding instant pudding. I have never done this before, but I have heard that it is supposed to make cakes/cupcakes unbelievably moist and delicious. These cupcakes were moist (and very rich), but the tops were flat and slightly browned (both easily hidden by the frosting). I'm not sure if that is a common occurrence when adding instant pudding, if it was because of the cookie chunks, or if it was just a fluke, so I guess I will just have to experiment a little more. Anyone have any ideas on what might have caused this?

I frosted the cupcakes with Heather's Oreo Buttercream recipe and it was absolutely to die for! This will definitely be my go to frosting recipe (minus the crushed Oreos) from now on. I topped each cupcake with half an Oreo (which, by the way, I would recommend doing right before you serve them, otherwise the cookies get soft).

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes
(Adapted from The Sweetest Kitchen)

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3oz box instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Oreos, crushed into chunks

1. Count out 12 Oreos and separate bottoms from top, making sure there is frosting on both sides. Place one wafer, icing side up, in bottom of each muffin cup. (This didn't actually end up working for me. Every time I separated my Oreos, the frosting was always on one side and not the other. Not really a big deal, though - I just used the halves without frosting in the cupcake batter and for the buttercream.)

2. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5 min.

3. Add the egg whites and beat until incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, pudding, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, add vanilla extract to milk.

5. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the milk mixture and beat again until incorporated. Keep adding flour mixture and milk mixture alternately, being sure that you end with the flour.

6. Gently stir the crushed Oreos into the batter.

7. Fill the cupcake lines three-quarters full. (Mine were actually filled almost to the top because of the cookie on the bottom.) Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean.

Oreo Buttercream
(Source: Heather Drive)

1 cup shortening or butter (I used shortening so it didn't have to be refrigerated)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. water
1 lb. (approx. 4 cups) confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp. meringue powder
12-14 Oreos, finely crushed

1. In bowl of stand mixer, cream shortening, vanilla, and water.

2. Add confectioner's sugar, meringue powder, and crushed Oreos. Mix until well combined.

3. To top cupcakes, it's better to have medium to thin consistency icing, so you'll have to add more water. I probably added another 2-3 tbsp. to get the desired consistency, but you'll want to add the water little by little to make sure you don't add too much. When it's the right consistency, it should be pretty easy to stir by hand (think about whether you'd be able to easily squeeze it out of a piping bag). If you accidentally make it too thin (runny), add more confectioner's sugar.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Quick Cinnamon Biscuits

I had these ready for immediate consumption when the nurse walked out our front door this morning. You see, we had to fast for 12 hours for a health assessment and I thought this was the perfect way to celebrate.

If you're looking for the real thing, this recipe is probably not for you. However, if you're looking for the delicious goodness of a cinnamon roll without having to wait for the yeast to work it's magic, then this is definitely the recipe for you. This recipe yields a cake-like version of the cinnamon roll that is both quick and simple to make - I even managed to roll the dough without disaster. I can definitely see myself making these on a semi-regular basis.

That said, this recipe confirms my desire to one day make real cinnamon rolls. There is something to be said about warm, flaky cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven, covered in a sweet and sugary icing. Mmmm...

Quick Cinnamon Biscuits

(Source: Ezra Pound Cake)

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Biscuit Dough:
2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Icing:
6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
4 to 6 teaspoons milk or heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. For the Filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. For the Dough: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups cream, and stir until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. With your hands, fold the dough over a few times in the bowl, until the dough is smooth.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands, and pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, about 9 X 13 inches. Brush the surface of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of cream. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar topping.

5. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Slice into 9 equal rounds. Place the rounds, cut side down, into an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish or a pie plate. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned.

6. For the Icing: While the biscuits bake, mix together the confectioners’ sugar and milk or cream until smooth. When you remove the biscuits from the oven, immediately drizzle them with icing. Serve warm.

Makes 9 biscuits

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake

My inspiration for this cake was the Buckeye Peanut Butter-Fudge Cake at King Arthur Flour:

Doesn't that look absolutely heavenly? Unfortunately, my finished product looked nothing like this. Nope, not even close.

Where do I even begin?

All right, I'm just going to say it.

This was a disaster from the very beginning.

Don't get me wrong. The cake was delicious. The peanut butter filling was divine. Even the chocolate frosting was downright tasty.

But the presentation? Seriously needs some work. Let's just say I'm not overly skilled at layer cakes. Granted, I haven't had too much experience - I usually just opt for a simple 13x9 cake topped with frosting (and apparently for a very good reason).

I doubled the cake recipe, but opted to make one cake at a time so I didn't have to worry about making sure the same amount of batter got in each pan. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, I'm 99% positive I forgot to put half a cup of sugar into the first cake. Not really a big deal. It cooked a little faster than the other layer, but otherwise it was fine. It also probably tasted slightly less sweet, but who can really tell with peanut butter filling AND chocolate frosting?

What was supposed to be a four layer cake soon became a three layer cake because the layer with less sugar was not as tall as the other layer and, therefore, could not be cut in half very easily. I completely ruined the thick layer when I attempted to halve it. It was uneven and way too thin in places. I attempted to use the botched layer anyway, but when it started slipping and crumbling off the gooey peanut butter filling onto my kitchen counter (picture lava flowing out of a volcano), I knew I was in trouble. After hiding the evidence of the major disaster (thank God for garbage disposals!), I added more peanut butter filling to the soggy bottom layer, topped it with the sugarless top layer, coated it in frosting, and I was done. All before the clock struck 7 (in the morning, just to clarify).

This experience just confirms my dire need to take a proper cake decorating class.

Chocolate Cake
(Source: Everyday with Rachel Ray)

1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons unsweetened (non-Dutch process) natural cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan; line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center, add the eggs and milk and whisk gently to make a thick batter; whisk vigorously 30 to 40 times. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla just until smooth. Scrape into the prepared pan.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes; invert onto the rack, remove the pan and parchment paper and invert again. Let cool completely.

Peanut Butter Filling
(Source: King Arthur Flour)

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

Mix the sugar, peanut butter and vanilla till crumbly. Add the milk and mix till smooth, adding more milk if necessary to make a spreadable filling.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
(Source: Hersheys)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Sugar Cookie Bars

I love making sugar cookies, but it takes a lot of time an energy to decorate those oh-so-cute shapes and sometimes you just want something simple. These bars have been making the rounds in the blogging world for a very good reason. These sugar cookie bars (as seen on 3 B's, One Ordinary Day, The Repressed Pastry Chef, and My Baking Addiction) are deliciously addicting and so simple you'll kick yourself for not trying them sooner.

There is one important thing to note before making these bars. They make an entire cookie sheet worth of bars. I guess the 5 cups of flour should have been a dead giveaway, but I didn't really pay attention to what I was doing until after the dough had been made. Thankfully my work buddies were more than happy to consume them. :)

So, word to the wise: half the recipe or make these when you have guests.

Sugar Cookie Bars
(Source: One Ordinary Day)

1 cup butter, room temp.
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

2. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well.

3. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined.

4. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375°F for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Buttercream Icing
(Source: One Ordinary Day)

1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

1. Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt.

2. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency.

3. Spread over cooled cookie, then cut into bars.

Makes a ridiculously obscene amount of (delicious) bars.

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

Out of nowhere, I got a serious craving for peanut butter cookies this week. I found this recipe over at Brown Eyed Baker and I knew it was the recipe for me. This recipe yielded cookies that reminded me of the peanut butter cookies my great grandma used to make. They were one type of cookie she ALWAYS made and they were so incredibly delicious. I can't remember the last time I had peanut butter cookies - probably not since my days of eating in Stav Hall at St. Olaf (3 years ago, people!). And those weren't even what I would consider a true peanut butter cookie because they lacked the crisscross pattern.

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
(Source: Brown Eyed Baker)

1 3/4 all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg
Granulated sugar, for rolling cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

2. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Combine the peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add the egg and beat just until blended. Reduce speed to low and add to the creamed mixture gradually, mixing just until combined.

4. Put the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Scoop a tablespoonful of dough and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands. Roll the dough into the sugar and place on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Dip the tines of a fork into the sugar and make a crisscross patern on the cookies, flattening them slightly.

5. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

Storing: Store these cookies in an airtight container for about a week. You can also freeze these cookies in a freezer bag for approximately 3 months and thaw when you are ready to eat them.