Easter Day Cookies

I wanted to make some cookies for Easter Sunday.  Nothing crazy.  But I just like my cookie jar to have cookies.  

The best cookies to make for holidays is M&M cookies.  They are always just so easy to make festive.  

I love this recipe because it makes 6 big cookies.  Perfect for sharing.  AND I only have to bake one tray.  So easy and fast!  Baby Girl helped make these.  Her favorite was decorating the cookies before they went into the oven.  

The best part about large cookies is you can say you only ate one cookie!

Easter Day Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup M&Ms (add sprinkles optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  
3. Cute the cold butter into squares.  Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.  
4. Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract.  Blend until mixed.  
5. Slowly add in the dry flour mixture until ingredients are incorporated.  Do not over mix!
6. Add in the semi sweet chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.  Turn off mixer.  Add M&Ms and stir by hand with a spatula.  
7. Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet with a ice cream scoop.  (This recipe makes 6 large cookies).  Place extra M&Ms and sprinkles on top if desire.  
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on top.  Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 15 minutes.

These cookies baked for 11 minutes.  The bottoms were a little brown so for sure I would shave of another minute or 2 next time.  Just keep in mind each oven is different.  

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO

Peanut Butter Blondies

There is no shortage of sweets in our house.  

This recipe was fun for Baby Girl cause she got to do all the mixing by hand.  Which was great for keeping her entertained.  

But this recipe smelled and tasted super yummy.  Did I mention no mixer was necessary?

Peanut Butter Blondies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups M&Ms

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until combined.  Whisk in the peanut butter.  Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.  Whisk it all until completely combined.  
3. In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Pour into butter mixture and fold to combine.  Batter will be thick.  Fold in M&Ms.  
4. Spread evenly into prepared pan.  Sprinkle some M&Ms on top for looks.  
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and place on wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.  

These blondies were super yummy.  I think El Husbee and I snacked on them all day.  I loved eating these with a cold glass of milk.  

Keep cooking Friends!

XOXO

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

My kid will always eat a chocolate chip cookie with sprinkles. It's her go to. It is also what I make the most in my house. But honestly ... it is the best cookie.

Just simple ingredients.

This recipe is also a great made ahead recipe. Which with two kiddos I for sure have frozen cookies in my freezer.

Please excuse the Christmas theme. You gotta use what you got.

I also love using a cookie scoop. So much easier to portion out cookies.

This batter requires refrigeration. Do not skip this step. This prevents the cookies from spreading.

You can either bake after refrigerating or thrown them in a bag and freeze for later.

For these cookies I rolled them again in red sprinkles for extra color.  Or more like Baby Girl wanted to help make the cookies "prettier".

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, unsalted & melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup sugar, granulated
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no lumps remain. Wisk in the egg, and then the egg yolk until mixed. Wisk in the vanilla extract.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula. the dough will be very soft and thick. Fold in the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Scoop the dough out with a cookie scooper. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 1 or two hours. Then take out the dough and roll them into balls. Put them back into the refrigerator for about another 1-2 hours. Chilling is mandatory. This give the cookie dough it's flavor and prevents them from spreading. Now they are ready for the freezer. Put the cookie dough balls in a ziplock bag, label them with the date, bake time and oven time.
4. Take cookie dough out and put them in a Ziploc bag. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for 14 minutes at 325F, no need to thaw cookie dough balls.

Keep cookies my friends!

XOXO

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Monster Cookies

Cookies are kind of my thing.  If I think about it cookies are my daughter's thing too.  But not the packaged cookies at the store.  Fresh baked cookies.  Not that there is anything wrong with packaged cookies.  Oreos rock.  But there is nothing like a fresh baked cookie. 


I brought these peanut butter cup surprise cookies to a new years eve party and they were a hit. 

This cookie is full of yummy goodness.  If you like peanut butter cups this is the cookies for you.  Not only is there is peanut butter cup inside but the cookie itself is a peanut butter oatmeal cookie. 


Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Monster Cookies


Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, large
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 and 1/4 cup mini M&Ms
• Reese's miniature peanut butter cups

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Set aside
2. Mix flour, salt and baking soda together in large bowl.  Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain.  Whisk in the egg, peanut butter, vanilla extract until combined. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula.  The dough will be very soft.  Fold in the oats and the M&Ms.  Allow the cookie dough to sit for 15 minutes. 
5. Separate the cookie dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls.  Place a peanut butter cup between 2 cookie dough balls.  Cover the peanut butter cup with the cookie dough.  Repeat with the rest of the dough and peanut butter cups.
6. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes.  Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

These cookies are a must make.  They are very rich.  Basically in my house this cookie is best as a dessert after dinner. 


Keep Cooking Friends!

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

M&M Mixed Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are so yummy. They are perfect with milk, coffee, tea ... anything. 

These cookies are super easy to make. It's the perfect cookie dough to keep in your refrigerator for after dinner cookies. 

M&M Mixed Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted and cooled (12 tablespoons)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup M&Ms
1/2 cup mixed nuts, chopped
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 325F
2.  In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt together.
3.  Combine butter and sugars.  Then add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and mix.
4.  Slowly add the dry mixture to the bowl until dough forms.
5.  Fold in M&Ms, mixed nuts, and semi sweet chocolate chips.
6.  Stick the dough in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
7.  Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scooper and scoop 2 scoops on top of each other for each cookie.  Leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie.  Bake for about 12 minutes.

I am super excited to do more baking in 2016.

Keep baking friends!!

XOXO