Cookie Dough Brownies

If you're a raw cookie dough lover like me, you have to make these brownies. I'm serious. As in, tonight, make these brownies. You won't regret it.

Imagine taking a great chocolatey brownie with chocolate chips and topping it with raw chocolate chip cookie dough. Yeah. they're simply amazing.

And don't worry - the cookie dough topping has no raw eggs in it, so it's completely safe to eat! It's basically like a cookie dough frosting that I could literally eat with a spoon. And I just may have.

For the brownies, I used my signature brownie recipe. The recipe has yet to fail me.

For the frosting, I used the recipe found on Lovin' From the Oven, which is as follows:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
4 1/2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

1. Combine the butter, sugars, milk and flour until well combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
2. Spread the cookie dough on the cooled brownies.

3. Chill the brownies until the cookie dough is firm. Cut into bars and serve.

Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I got an itch to try making my own ice cream after watching the "Going Bananas" episode of Good Eats. I love eating ice cream in the summer. In fact, our freezer usually has at least one kind of ice cream treat in it at all times during the summer.

The recipe called for 6 bananas, but I used only 4. The ice cream was good – the banana flavor was prominent without being to overpowering. And the chocolate chips added a nice crunch and additional flavor.

Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
(Adapted from Alton Brown at Food Network)

6 (approximately 2 1/4 pounds) ripe bananas (I used 4)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight.

2. Remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Peel bananas and place in bowl of food processor along with the lemon juice. Process for 10 to 15 seconds. Add corn syrup and vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on. Slowly pour in the heavy cream. Process until smooth.

4. Chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees.

5. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.
6. Place mixture in an airtight container and freeze for 3 to 6 hours before serving.

Pretzel M&M Cookie Bars

I've experimented with M&Ms before. So I obviously had to make something with the newest M&M:

The M&Ms themselves were quite good. They'd be even better with peanut butter, but everything is better to me with peanut butter. :)

I came across BEB's Chocolate Chip & Pretzel Cookie Bars and new the M&Ms would pair well with the bars since they already included pretzels. I didn't do much to adapt the recipe, other than to cut down on the chocolate chips to make way for the M&Ms. And they were fabulous. And, since I didn't snap any pictures, you'll just have to take my word for it. ;)

Pretzel M&M Cookie Bars
(Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup Pretzel M&Ms
1/2 cup pretzels, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chocolate chips, for drizzling (optional)
1/4 cup pretzels, crumbled, for topping (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Using a mixer, beat the butter and both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces.

3. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and press it down evenly with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely.

4. In separate sandwich size baggies, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cut off a small corner on each bag and drizzle the chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the bars. Sprinkle the extra crushed pretzels on top. Let set and then cut into squares.

Makes 32 squares

Reese's Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I originally picked these out to make for my coworker Jeff, I though they were peanut butter cookies. I'm not sure why, since clearly they're not. Despite that little self-induced letdown, they were still very good.

Photo courtesy of Jenny @ Picky Palate

Reese's Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Picky Palate)

1 stick real butter, softened
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp real vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup ground quick oats (in food processor or blender)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 Bag Reeses Pieces mini baking pieces
1/2 Bag Semi-Sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place butter, shortening and sugars in a stand mixer and mix until smooth and creamy. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla.

2. Place flour, oats, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Slowly pour into wet mixture on very low speed until just combined. Hand stir in Reeses and chocolate chips.

3. Drop onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes until just golden around edges.


3 dozen cookies

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

These might just be my new favorite cookies. The texture of these cookies is chewy but not thick and the brown sugar and vanilla give these cookies a flavor that is a little ‘deeper’ than most. The cookies were soft right out of the oven. These were easy to make and will not last long around the house (a sign that this recipe is a keeper)

Also, heed the instructions to remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the outsides are set but the centers are still puffy and soft. Doing so plays a large part in the resulting texture. Cooling the cookies on the baking sheets means they will continue to bake after being taken out of the oven, but without the circulating air of a cooling rack, they will retain their soft texture.

Photo courtesy of Bakingblonde

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips (I used a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Beat the butter and brown sugar until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, and vanilla and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix just to blend. Gently fold in chips.

4. Place dough onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet using a scooper. Bake 9-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies and your oven) or until cookies are pale golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy.

5. Cool cookies on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack until cooled completely.

Chewy Granola Bars

Hi, it's me.

With our overabundance of Girl Scout Cookies and Easter candy, I haven't been in my kitchen much lately. We're still recovering from our sugar high so, while I was eager to get back in the kitchen, I wasn't ready for another sweet treat. The solution?

Chewy Granola Bars.

These granola bars are boasted to taste exactly like the Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, and I'll admit they were pretty close. The outside of mine turned out sticky-crunchy (I think that maybe had something to do with the honey?) with a chewy center. They were good, but not as chewy as I would have hoped. At any rate, I will definitely be trying these out again.

Note about Granola: The original recipe recommends this granola, which I had a really hard time finding. I’ve never bought granola before, but I eventually found it in the Organic Foods section at Rainbow.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars
(Source: Adapted from Rachel Ray)

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 cups plain granola
1 cup rice cereal
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips

1. Combine honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar after butter starts to melt.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

3. Add the granola and rice cereal into the saucepan and fold them into the sauce until evenly coated.

4. Spread the mixture into a 9×13 inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill. Sprinkle the chocolate and peanut butter chips onto the top of the granola and gently press them down.

5. Put the pan in the refrigerator until cooled and firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into bars.

18 servings

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day!

Soft and tender from the peanut butter, a slight toasted flavor from the oats and just the right amount of sweetness from the chocolate chips. Definitely not your typical oatmeal cookie, as only 1/2 cup of oats is used in the dough, but they are still amazing!

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Brown Eyed Baker)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.


Makes about 16 cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm a big peanut butter-chocolate fiend, so I was really excited to try these muffins. Overall, I was a little disappointed in them. Their big, puffy domes were beautiful, but I just wasn't really impressed by the flavor. Yes, they're peanut buttery and yes, they've got yummy chocolate bits, so by all accounts I should have been wild about them. But I wasn't, and I think maybe it is the texture. Most muffins are light and fluffy. These were dense and I also think the bottoms got a little overdone. Andrew liked them, but I don't know that I'll make them again.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
(Source: Annie's Eats)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. (I greased my muffin cups instead)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, eggs and milk until smooth. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin tins, filling each to the top.

4. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Puppy Chow

I saw this recently on one of the many blogs I follow, and I knew I had to make some immediately. I probably haven't had Puppy Chow since high school, quite possibly since the time I upset my homeroom teacher Freshman year when I got powdered sugar all over the floor of his classroom. Sorry Mr. Erickson!

This recipe needs no tweaking. It is perfect just the way it is. It combines chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. What more could you ask for? And, as an added bonus, it's so easy to throw together and nobody can keep their hand out of the bowl!

I would, however, make one suggestion. Instead of putting all of the cereal in a large ziploc bag to coat with powdered sugar, I would recommend coating the cereal in smaller batches (1/3 of the cereal with 1/3 of the powdered sugar). I went the large ziploc bag route, and I found it difficult to coat the cereal evenly.

Puppy Chow
(Source: Chex)

9 cups Corn, Rice, Wheat, or Chocolate Chex cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used Milk chocolate chips)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

The Mother Load Layered Cookie Bars

I must admit I was slightly disappointed in the bars at first. I had some girlfriends over last night, so I whipped these bars up in the afternoon. When I cut into them before they arrived, the bars were a mushy mess! They tasted wonderful, but the layers all sort of mushed together into a cookie mess. (Thankfully we also had Chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chocolate chip cookies due to the recipe making extra dough.)

HOWEVER, when I took a look at the remaining bars today (I only plated a handful of bars for my friends since they were so messy), they were perfect. PERFECT! I guess I cut them too soon and they just needed more time to set. These cookie bars really were incredible and very rich. I would recommend cutting them into smaller bars than Jenny originally suggests.

The Mother Load Layered Cookie Bars
(Source: Picky Palate)

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie

1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

1. Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been lined foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I only used 1 cup)
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in chips. Layer 1/2 the recipe over sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.

Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Press over chocolate cookie dough.

Layer 4: Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp pure vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips.

4. Spoon 1/2 of the dough evenly over peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through. Edges will be brown. I covered pan with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

2. Let cookies cool completely. Lift out of pan with edges of foil. I cut off 1/2 inch edges and just used softer centers, but do as you wish. Edges are crispier. Drizzle top with 1/2 Cup melted chocolate chips if desired.

*Note: You can layer dough and refrigerate until ready to bake.

8 large bars (if you cut off edges), 12 bars (if you keep edges)

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.

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.

Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Bars

My dear college friend Maggie (below, with me) is moving to Connecticut with her fiancé Aaron. She is going to PA school at Yale this fall and will be gone for about 2 years. They had a going away picnic this weekend, which was a lot fun but also very sad.

These Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars were an instant hit at the picnic. The rich flavor belies their simplicity—an oatmeal cookie base, a gooey peanut butter middle sprinkled generously with chocolate chips and peanuts, topped off with more of the oatmeal mixture. I think I softened my butter a bit too much because the oatmeal mixture was more doughy than crumbly, but the overall taste of the bars was not compromised.

Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Bars

(Source: Pillsbury Baking)

Base & Topping:
2 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened

Filling:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, beat base and topping ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly, scraping bowl occasionally. Reserve 2 cups crumb mixture for topping; press remaining mixture evenly in bottom of pan.

2. In small bowl, mix condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla with spoon until well blended. Pour evenly over base. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top; press down gently.

3. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown (center will not be set). Cool completely, about 1 hour 15 minutes, before cutting.

Makes 36 bars.

Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

From the moment I first laid my eyes on these M&Ms, I knew I had to make them into a cookie.

But what kind of cookie?
Peanut Butter?
Oatmeal?
Chocolate Chip?

In the end, I settled on a recipe for M&M cookies, which is basically your ordinary chocolate chip cookie. This recipe yields a cookie that is not overly sweet, but just as tasty as any other cookie. At some point I might try an oatmeal or peanut butter (or a combination of both) with the other bag of M&Ms I purchased.

A few things to note:

1. The original recipe is supposed to yield 50 cookies. Mine yielded about 3 dozen average sized cookies. Clearly we have very different ideas of what is meant by "heaping teaspoonfuls." I think I would have ended up with bite-sized cookies if I had followed their idea of "heaping." Quite frankly, I am much happier with my interpretation. :)

2. The recipe calls for the cookies to be baked for 10-13 minutes. I enjoy a softer cookie, so I always go slightly under what they consider to be the minimum baking time. But to each his own.

Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

(Source: Adapted from Red's Ultimate M&Ms Cookies)

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M’s
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into butter/sugar mixture. Stir in M&M’s and chocolate chips. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container.

Make approximately 3 dozen.

Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

You can never go wrong combining peanut butter and chocolate. These bars are much like the peanut butter balls you see at Christmastime, only they have a crunchy cookie layer which, in my opinion, almost makes these bars better. These bars are incredibly rich and oh-so-delicious and you won't want to stop at just one.

Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
(Source: Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever!)

Cookie Base:
8 med Butter Cookies (I used 12 Market Pantry Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies)
1/4 cup salted butter (I used unsalted butter with a pinch of salt)

Chocolate Layers:
2 1/2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 1/2 cups creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3 cups Confectioners' sugar
2 tsp vanilla

1. Crush cookies until finely ground. Add butter and mix. Press crumb mixture into bottom of 8x8 pan and bake 10 minutes and 325°F. Cool to room temperature.

2. Melt chocolate. Pour half into pan and smooth evenly over cookie crust. Place pan in refrigerator. Keep remaining chocolate warm.

3. With electric mixer, blend peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread mixture over chilled chocolate layer.

4. Pour remaining warm chocolate over top and spread smoothly. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour.

Makes 24-36 bars.

Twix Candy Bar Cookies

I felt like experimenting this weekend and this is what I came up with.

I decided to try a new chocolate chip cookie recipe, so I picked the King Arthur Flour's Essential Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. This recipe uses vinegar and corn syrup, which are both slightly odd ingredients not normally found in chocolate chip cookies. The corn syrup adds a nice chewiness to the cookies and the vinegar actually works as a leavener to give the cookie a little lift. The resulting cookies had a nice chewiness and were not too sweet, but they were a little on the sticky side due to the caramel in the Twix bar.

Twix Candy Bar Cookie
(Source: The King Arthur Flour's Cookie Companion, adapted from The Essential Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie)

3/4 c softened unsalted butter

2/3 c dark brown sugar (I actually used light brown sugar since that's what I had on hand)

2/3 c granulated sugar

2 tbsp light corn syrup

1 tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar (I used white vinegar)

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour

2 c Twix candy bars, chopped

1 c milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugars, corn syrup, and vinegar, then beat in the eggs. Beat in the vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in the flour and Twix bars/chocolate chips.

3. Drop by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until they're just set; the centers may still look underdone. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a baking rack.

Scotcheroos

Simply one of the best (and one of the easiest) recipes ever. Definitely an all-time favorite at my house.

Scotcheroos
(Source: Kellogg's)

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

1. Place sugar and corn syrup into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and mix well. Add cereal and mix until well coated. Press mixture into a 13x9 pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm.

Makes 24 bars.

Chocolate Chip "Cookie Dough" Cookies

Well, after a brief baking hiatus, I am back in the kitchen.

I think cookies are my favorite thing to bake. They are quick and easy to make, they come in many varieties, and they are easy to share with others. So, when I saw this recipe over at Picky Palate, I knew I just had to try it. And trust me. These cookies are good. Really good.

Chocolate Chip "Cookie Dough" Cookies
(Source: Picky Palate)

2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugars until well combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well mixed. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and cookie dough bites.

2. With a cookie scoop, scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until baked to your liking. (I took mine out just under 8 minutes for a delectably soft cookie). Let cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 40 cookies.

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.

Reese's Pieces Cookies

For my first entry, I thought I would take a simple classic, the chocolate chip cookie, and put a delicious spin on it by substituting the majority of the chocolate chips with Reece's Pieces candies. Because how can that not make for an awesome cookie?

Reese's Pieces Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups Reece's Pieces
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in Reece's Pieces and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 7 minutes or until the edges turn a golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Make approximately 3 dozen.