Friday, May 27, 2016

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars


Cookies are great.  But sometimes ... sometimes you just don't have time for a cookie and all the work that comes with it.  Sometimes ... you just want to throw something in a pan and then eat it. 






Bars are the best when you want that cookie taste but not the fuss. 






Plus sometimes bars are like a great marriage of cookie, bar, and cake. 






Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoon butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashion oats
1 cup chocolate chips




Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350F
2.  Cream butter and sugars on medium until creamy
3.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat until incorporated
4.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl.
5.  Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture
6.  Add oats and chocolate chips
7.  Cover a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.  Be sure to leave some of the parchment hanging over the pan so that you can easily remove the bars later.
8.  Bake 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes in pan and then remove to wire racks. 


Baby Girl got to have a couple of bites of a bar.  I sent some with her when she visited my parents.  I am sure she got much more there.


I do want to try different add ins next time. 


Keep baking friends!
XOXO

Monday, May 23, 2016

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


Everyone once in a awhile I crave a oatmeal cookie.  It's not often.  But sometimes it happens. 








There is just something about a chewy oatmeal cookie that can be so satisfying.  But they must contain chocolate chips for me.  NOT raisins.  A warm chewy oatmeal cookie is the best snack. 


Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoon butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashion oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350F
2.  Cream butter and sugars on medium until creamy
3.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat until incorporated
4.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl.
5.  Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture
6.  Add oats and chocolate chips
7.  drop 2 tablespoons of dough onto cookies sheets covered with parchment paper
8.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets and then remove to wire racks. 


This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.  Perfect for sharing. 


Keep baking friends!
XOXO

Monday, May 16, 2016

M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Homemade cookies are the best.  They beat store bought cookies every time.  There is just something about a warm fresh right out of the oven cookie.  Totally better than some hard crunchy from a bag cookie. 






Many people think that making cookie dough is hard.  It really is not.  Many of us even have the ingredients in our cupboard or pantry to make them.  The key is room temperature ingredients.


M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients:
2 sticks butter (room temp)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs (room temp)
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 oz bag mini chocolate chips
1 bag plain M&Ms


Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2.  In a stand beat the butter and sugars until creamy. 
3.  Beat in eggs one at a time until well incorporated
4.  Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and whisk 
5.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. 
6.  Mix in chocolate chips and M&Ms.  DO NO OVER MIX
7.  Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter for each cookie and bake for 9 minutes.  Let the cookies cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing them to a rack. 


I put this cookie dough into a Tupperware container and just scooped some dough out every night and made cookies.  Super easy and a great dessert.  A bonus is that your house will smell yummy too.


Keep cooking friends!


XOXO