Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

I always want to incorporate fresh cranberries into my holiday baking somehow. I usually find a bar cookie that contains fresh cranberries and this year I was hoping to find something a little bit different. I saw a link for these Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheels on Pinterest and I knew that they would be made for the holidays.

First you make a fresh cranberry filling that contains a little sugar and some cinnamon. You have to set that aside and let it cool completely. The filling is spread over a basic cookie dough, flavored with cinnamon and then the dough+filling are rolled up cinnamon roll style. The dough has to be frozen and for good reason. I wouldn't want to try slicing these when the filling is gooey. The freezer time makes these cookies easy to slice and bake.

I haven't been eating sweets for a couple of months, but I tried one of these and thought they were really good. I was surprised that my kids really liked them too. They aren't very sweet, but they have just enough sweetness to be a great cookie. The cranberry filling is tart and delicious and the cinnamon in the dough and filling really brings it all together. Plus, they look festive and are fun to share!

Here is the link for Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheels

Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprints

I saw these cookies in the latest issue of EveryDay Food Magazine and knew they were the perfect cookie for my holiday treat plates. A quick brownie-like cookie that is filled with a creamy, peppermint-chocolate filling- what could be better? These were received with rave reviews and quite a few requests for the recipe.

Chocolate-Peppermint Thumbprints

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (3/4 cup)

1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup each butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine.
2. Place 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove sheets from oven; with the small end of a melon baller or the bottom of a small round measuring spoon make an indentation in center of each cookie.
3. Bake until cookies are just set but still look moist, 4 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter in 10-second increments until melted; stir in peppermint extract. Let cool until thick enough to pipe, 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large zip-top bag; snip 1/4-inch hole in one corner. Pipe chocolate into cookie indentations. Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.
   

Dorie's Sugar Topped Molasses Cookies

These cookies are a family favorite that make the holiday treat rotation every single year. The dough is easy to mix together, can be made ahead of time, and they are just the perfect spicy/molasses cookie- crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. I made them again this year for a Christmas party and they were a hit. If you want an even chewier cookie, you can skip the step that flattens the cookies with a glass dipped in sugar. Merry Baking!

Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies
by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
a pinch cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 cup (12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat for 2 minutes or so to blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour and spices disappear. If some flour remains in the bottom of the bowl, to avoid over-beating the dough, mix in the last of the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. You'll have a smooth, very soft dough.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Put the sugar in a small bowl.

Working with one packet of dough at a time, divide it into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball between your palms. One by one, roll the balls around in the bowl of sugar , then place them on one of the baking sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar and use it to press down on the cookies until they are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops feel set to the touch. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, if the cookies have spread and are touching, use the edge of a metal spatula to separate them while they are still hot.

Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
Yield: about 24 fairly large cookies

Storage: The cookies will keep for at least 1 week in the cookie jar. Wrapped airtight, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Hazelnut Blondies

It's that time of year when everyone starts making cookies, candies, and other treats to share with their families and friends. Fun, fun, fun. The hard part is deciding which treats to make!

When my sister was here visiting about 2 months ago, we made these blondies together. I decided to save them until the holidays because I thought they would be a great addition to any party, plate, or whatever else you all might have going on this month. These are a very basic blondie with hazelnuts adding some extra texture and flavor and they are topped with Nutella.
My sister ending up taking them back with her and sharing them with her co-workers and everyone really enjoyed them.

Here is the recipe for Hazelnut Blondies

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes and Perfect Pumpkin Cookies

Once again, I present horrible photos! Sorry about that. I kinda forgot about the time change and how it gets dark early and etc., etc. But, I wanted to share these 2 quick, easy and delicious pumpkin treats with you that we made this past Sunday for a family dinner.

I wanted to make a soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookie and decided to give this recipe a try. I thought they turned out really great. My kids loved them too.

I had 3/4 cup pumpkin puree left and didn't really feel like letting it sit in my fridge, so I quickly found another recipe that used exactly that much pumpkin. They aren't technically donuts, but a mini muffin that kind of tastes like a donut. They are dipped in melted butter and then coated in cinnamon-sugar. Similar to the ones I made last year, but the ingredient list is a little different.

Here is the recipe for Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
*I only dipped the tops into melted butter instead of the whole thing

Here is the recipe for Perfect Pumpkin Cookies
* I made 42 cookies

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Cookies

I've made Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls in the past and also tried Cinnamon Bun Cookies, so when I saw a recipe that combined those 2 ideas, I had to give it a try. I made a few changes to the recipe that I found and made these very delicious, unique cookies.

The dough is mixed together like a typical cookie dough, but it is rolled out like you would cinnamon rolls. A cinnamon-sugar mixture is sprinkled over the dough and then it is rolled up and chilled. I actually made the dough on a Tuesday afternoon and didn't have time to slice and bake the cookies until Friday morning. I had rolled the dough out on parchment paper, so once I had it filled with the cinnamon sugar and rolled up- I wrapped it in the parchment and kept it in the fridge for a couple of days.

The amazing part about these cookies is that they actually taste like a cinnamon roll and have the texture of both a cookie and a cinnamon roll. I was really quite surprised when I bit into one and it had such an amazing, interesting texture. I was able to share these cookies with quite a few people and many others had the same reaction and look of surprise when they bit into these cookies. These cookies are the perfect fall treat and a wonderful cookie to share with friends!

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Cookies adapted from this post
who adapted from Dine and Dish

Yield: 3 dozen

Filling:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1Tbls ground cinnamon

Dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups all- purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves

For the glaze:
2 Tbls butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 Tbls hot water

Cream together butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl, until light and fluffy. Add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. While this is beating, combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in several additions and mix until everything is combined.

In a small bowl, stir together the filling (sugar and cinnamon) until well mixed. Turn out dough onto parchment paper and spread or roll out into a large rectangle. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving about an inch around the edge. Roll up the dough jelly-roll style, using the parchment paper to help. If the dough starts to break as you're rolling, don't worry, just pinch it back together. Wrap and refrigerate for a few hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator, unwrap from plastic and cut into 1/4" thick slices. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or baking stone, 1-2" apart. Bake in preheated oven 9-11 min, until just beginning to brown around the edges or until just set. Cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack.

Once cookies have cooled, make the glaze by using an electric mixer to mix the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the glaze has reached desired consistency.

Place glaze in a ziploc bag, cut a small hole in the corner, and pipe glaze onto cookies, following the swirl of the cookie. Allow to set.

BLT (Bacon, Lemon & Tomato) Quinoa Salad and Lemon-Cornmeal Cookies

This recipe popped up on facebook the other day and I figured it would be a good meal for dinner on a Monday night. I happened to have everything on hand that I needed for the recipe and that made it a lot less stressful to get dinner on the table.

My dad loves a good BLT sandwich and he grows tomatoes in his garden, so BLT's were always a lunch staple of his in the summer. I personally didn't really like bacon or mayo (I still don't) back then, so I always just watched my dad put these sandwiches together and remember hearing about how good they were.

This salad is really good and the interesting thing is that it really tastes like a BLT. Somehow, the combination of the ingredients, makes you feel like you are eating a sandwich. I know that is crazy, but it's true. In this salad, the lettuce has been switched out to lemon, which adds a brightness to the salad, in color and flavor. I added black beans for fun and roasted some broccoli in the oven to round out our dinner.

That same night we still had lots of lemons and the kids wanted me to make a quick cookie. I found this one on myrecipes and decided it would be easy to throw them together at the last minute. My kids really liked these. They reminded us of these Cornmeal Lime Cookies in taste and texture.

Here is the recipe for BLT Quinoa Salad
* I cooked my quinoa in chicken broth to add more flavor
* I added drained, rinsed black beans
* I tossed my salad with a little bit of olive oil, along with the lemon juice and vinegar

Here is the recipe for Lemon-Cornmeal Cookies
* I added the juice of 1 lemon to the cookie dough, after mixing in the flour mixture

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bottomed Vanilla Cupcakes

Why not finish out a snack/sweet week here on the blog with something totally decadent and crazy? These cookie/cupcakes should do the trick.

I made these for a dessert gathering and did not try them myself. My husband took the few remaining that were leftover to work the next day and his boss declared this the best dessert ever.

What could be better than combining chocolate chip cookies with vanilla cupcakes? I don't know, but if you like those two things than I guess some fluffy frosting and a cookie on top just sweetens the whole deal.

These were fun and enjoyed by everyone who tried them. Have a great weekend everybody!

Here is the recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bottomed Vanilla Cupcakes

Chocolate Cake Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

It seems I always have a little bit of something leftover in my fridge. This time, it was sour cream. I had exactly one cup and needed to make a dessert to accompany the dinner I was taking to a family who had an unexpected event occur.
We also had a teenager staying at our house, so I knew these would be fun treat for us as well.

I didn't try one, due to my not consuming sugar goal for the month, but they were very popular with the kids. The teenager who was at our house was so confused by the fact that a cookie could be like cake. It was fun to show him that it is possible to make cake cookies. These are a really great sandwich cookie and nothing goes better with chocolate than peanut butter!

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies
Makes about 48 cookies from Baking: from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/4 cups (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plump, moist dried currants or raisins (I left these out)

Getting Ready: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 375f. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it is creamy and smooth. Add the sugars and beat for two minutes or so, then add the eggs one by one. Beat for another minute-the mixture should be smooth and satiny. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the vanilla and melted chocolate. With the mixer still on low speed, add the dry ingredients and the sour cream alternatively, adding the dry ingredients in 3 batches and the sour cream in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients). Mix only until the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth, then mix in currants.

Drop the batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets, making certain to leave 2 inches between the spoonfuls.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cookies will puff, spread and round themselves out in baking. They’re done when they are set on top but still springy to the touch. Pull the sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest for 1 minute, then, using a wide metal spatula, carefully transfer them to a rack. Cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

PB Filling- from spikes.does.stuff

1 1/2 cups of confectioner’s sugar
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 creamy peanut butter (don’t use natural peanut butter)
3 tbs milk or cream

In a stand mixer, beat the sugar, butter, peanut butter on low until combined and then on medium until smooth. Add the liquid, and beat until combined- this should lighten the mixture a bit and make it easy to spread.

To Assemble:

Once the cookies are cool, try to match up similar cookies into pairs. Spread about a tablespoon of filling onto the flat side of one cookie and gently press the flat side of the second cookie to make a sandwich.

Cooking School- Ice Cream Sandwiches, 2 ways

Summer is in full swing. It is hot.
When I saw these ice cream sandwiches in an recent issue of Cooking Light, I knew we had to make them. I knew they would be the perfect after-swimming treat. I tore out the page and put in my recipe-holding-clip-magnet on the fridge for a later date. Then my daughter told me that she wanted to make Ice Cream Sandwiches for our next Cooking School subject. She saw the recipe and decided these would be perfect. In the back of my mind I remembered another ice cream sandwich I had been wanting to try and so, we had to do a double whammy, making two types of ice cream sandwiches. Luckily, my sister and brother were here, so they were able to help make and consume both of these treats.

We made the cookies part of both of these recipes first. Then we mixed up the different ice cream mixtures and proceeded to put the sandwiches together. We used Edy's Slow Churned Vanilla Bean ice cream in both sandwiches.

Now, let me say that I have never had a margarita, so I don't know exactly if these replicate the same flavors, but the combination of a soft, chewy sugar cookie, that is loaded with lime flavor and a splash of salt, and the lime sherbet/vanilla ice cream filling, was really good. The cookies were also delicious on their own. This was made known by the fact that my brother polished off quite a few of them.

The Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches pictured above were just like a ice cream sandwich that you would get from a box at the grocery store, except better. The chocolate cookie was soft and perfectly chocolate-y. They were amazing.

Either one of these would be a great ending to a 4th of July picnic or meal.


Here is the recipe for Margarita Ice Cream Sandwiches from Cooking Light



Here is the recipe for Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches from Martha Stewart

Lemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

I was so excited when I found this cookie recipe that included zucchini. I was excited because it wasn't a cake-y cookie and there wasn't any chocolate involved. Not that I don't like the chocolate/zucchini combination- I do, but I wanted to try something different.

These cookies have a very nice texture. The cornmeal makes them a little bit sandy and the aren't overly sweet, but the lemon and zucchini really pair together nicely. They taste good straight from the freezer and you can mix them up with very simply- all it takes is a good spoon and some arm power.

I took these to a family gathering and they were a pleasant surprise. Many people were slightly alarmed by the combination of flavors and how well they all worked together.

Here is the recipe for Lemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies
* I flattened my cookies slightly when I switched the trays, with the back of a spatula

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know I have described the love-hate relationship we have in this family with bananas. Sometimes they are gobbled up and other times, they sit and get brown. I am very particular about my bananas- if I am going to consume them fresh. They have to be just right. Not very ripe. Not mushy. Slightly green. And even if the conditions are perfect, I'm still not crazy about them.

Anyways, it's the same old story. Bananas sit there and get overripe. What to do? Smoothies? check. Banana bread? check. Muffins? check. Banana pancakes? check. Tons of things I don't even have the chance to take pictures of and post about? check. Like these and these, for instance.

So, I present to you yet another option for those times when you have ripe bananas and need to get rid of them immediately. These were the perfect after school snack.
And if ripe bananas disappeared as fast as these cookies did, there would never be such a dilemma.

Here is the recipe for Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from myrecipes

Mint Brownie Ice Cream Pizza Pie

This is the last thing I baked before my brother left. It's a crazy concoction that we decided to call Mint Brownie Ice Cream Pizza Pie.

I'm not sure how this idea came about but my kids started talking about Ice Cream Pizza and I wanted to make the idea come to life. When thinking about it in my mind I decided that brownies would be the "crust", ice cream would be the "sauce", whipped cream and Peppermint Patties would be the "toppings" and sprinkles would be the "cheese". This was a thick pizza.

First, I made a batch of Thin Mint Brownies, but with Grasshopper Cookies instead of Thin Mints, in a 9-inch springform pan.
Then, I mixed chopped Cool Mint Oreos into some vanilla ice cream that we had in the freezer. I prefer lots of mix-ins when it comes to ice cream, so this ice cream was loaded.

I let the brownies cool and then I spread the ice cream mixture on top of the brownies and put the whole thing back in the freezer so the ice cream could firm up. This was not a good idea.

When I was ready to serve a piece of this pizza thing and top it with the whipped cream and sprinkles, cutting through it was an absolute joke. The brownie was rock hard.
So, I did what any person might do to save the dessert and scrapped off the ice cream layer from the brownie base. I put the ice cream back in the freezer and let the brownie thaw for a little while.
When the brownie was unfrozen and cut-able, I cut wedges of it and topped them with ice cream by spoon.
Then I piped the whipped cream on top of the ice cream, sprinkled sprinkles and put a Peppermint Patty on top.

Here is a diagram.
This dessert was quite decadent. It was a complete hit with my brother, my husband and my son. One of my daughters just ate the ice cream, whipped cream and sprinkles/candy. I thought the brownie was a little too much with all the other elements. I would've been just as happy with just the ice cream and a Peppermint Patty, but it was fun to create and certain members of our family ate more than one piece (I don't know how they managed it, because this was one heck of a sugar overload). Thank goodness we had a healthy dinner (just the vinaigrette over lots of mixed salad greens) before trying this dessert.

There isn't really a recipe for the entire thing, just a method to the madness. If nothing else, at least it will be a fun experiment!


Here is the recipe for the Thin Mint Brownies via the Food Librarian
* I used Grasshopper Cookies
* I baked my brownies in a 9-inch springform pan

I mixed 1/2 pkg of chopped Cool Mint Oreos into some Vanilla Ice Cream and returned it to the freezer until needed

I topped it all off with sweetened whipped cream- a tsp of vanilla extract and a few Tablespoons of powdered sugar- to taste- beat into heavy cream until stiff peaks form

Sprinkles and York Peppermint Patties were the final topping

Cornmeal Lime Cookies

Having my brother here was a great excuse to bake everyday. I knew that he would eat whatever I baked and that his youthful metabolism wouldn't mind at all about the butter, sugar and flour he was consuming.

Somehow I found these cookies and they looked like a great treat to make when he was here. We had a sort of citrus thing going on while he was visiting.

These cookies were easy to mix up, bake and devour. The cornmeal added a great little bit of texture and the glaze was the perfect way to top them off.

Between my brother and my kids, these were gone within 24 hours or so. Well, my husband ate quite a few too, but he said it was only because they had the glaze.
:D Gotta love the honesty!


Cornmeal Lime Cookies as seen here

Originally published in Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang

Makes 14-16 cookies (I made smaller cookies and got about 26 or so)
1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest (about 4 limes)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup medium-coarse yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Lime Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 – 1 1/2 limes)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest (about 1 lime)

Position rack in the center of the over and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer or a wooden spoon), cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. (This step will take 10 minutes if using a handheld mixer or a spoon). Stop the mixer a few times and use the rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar. Add the lime zest and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute to release the lime flavor. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bowl and the paddle again to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. On low speed (or with the wooden spoon), slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and then mix until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed.

Drop the dough in scant 1/4-cup balls onto a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand. (I used my cookie scoop, which made the cookies a bit smaller than that, maybe a Tablespoon and a half, or so of dough per cookie. I baked them for 10-12 minutes.)

To make the glaze:

While the cookies are cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, water, lime juice, and lime zest until smooth. You should have about 1/2 cup. (The glaze can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature).

Brush the cookies with a thin layer of the glaze, then allow the glaze to set for about 10 minutes before serving or storing.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The unbaked dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Some flavor combinations just cannot be beat. One of those combinations for me is Cookies & Cream. I can remember growing up that was always the milkshake flavor I would choose if we happen to have the treat of getting a milkshake. I also have memories of my dad crushing up a package of Oreos, and mixing them into softened vanilla ice cream. It was a special treat.

The funny part for me though, is that I don't like to eat Oreos plain. They are something that I only buy on special occasion, when used in a Cookies and Cream combination, for a special recipe. Like this ice cream, which I made last summer and we absolutely loved.

When it comes to Cookies and Cream- the more chunks of cookie the better. And the bigger the cookie chunks the better.
And you can't use fake brand cookies. It has to be Oreos.

So these cupcakes are perfect. They have the perfect amount of cookie chunks. They have the perfect white cake base. The frosting is perfect. It tastes just like the cream that is in the middle of an Oreo. The frosting and cupcake are the perfect match.
I made these to celebrate the end of my son's basketball season and we served them at the team dinner, after the last game. To make them even more festive and to incorporate more Oreos, I made basketball toppers out of candy coated Oreos. They turned out perfectly. The kids and parents were equally excited about consuming these delicious cupcakes.

Oh, and by the way, my blog is 3 years old today. YAY!

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (cut into quarters)

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 sp. vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. heavy cream

For garnish:
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves.

Source: slightly adapted from Annie's Eats, who adapted from Beantown Baker

TWD- Midnight Crackles

I know what you are thinking. Why do my Midnight Crackles look so different than everyone else's?
Well, it's because I kinda did my own thing and really tweaked this week's TWD recipe.
I didn't make New Year's Resolutions, but rather I am taking this year one month at a time and focusing on a few goals each month.
One of my goals/rules this month was that I am not going to buy any butter until February. This sounds slightly silly, but, I'm doing it anyway.
I only use butter to bake, so basically I am restricting the amount of baking that I am allowed to do this month.
I wanted to make these cookies anyway, since it is the 3rd anniversary of Tuesday's with Dorie- so I just experimented and crossed my fingers for an edible result.

Luckily this cookie dough starts out with melting the butter, so I got away with using canola oil (although I did learn, from a little research, that you don't want to swap oil for butter in exact measurements). I also used semi-sweet chocolate chips, white wheat flour and mixed the entire thing in a saucepan. I had to add a Tablespoon or so of skim milk to make the dough come together.

I was afraid for what might happen, but to my surprise- these cookies actually came out looking like cookies. I finished them just in time for my kids to get off the school bus and they loove them! Success! I sampled one and they are really tasty.

This recipe was chosen by TWD's founder Laurie and another member- Julie, to celebrate TWD'S 3rd anniversary. I joined this group just 2 months after it started, so I have participated almost the entire time. You can find the original recipe for Midnight Crackles over at Tuesday's with Dorie, along with the links from the other members who baked along this week.

Midnight Crackles from Dorie Greenspan's Baking:from my home to yours

heavily adapted by Me

3 Tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (10 Tablespoons) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups white wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg

2-4 Tablespoons skim milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the oil, brown sugar, and chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat. Melt completely, stirring occasionally and remove from heat.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves.

Add the egg and stir, until blended into the chocolate.

Add the dry ingredients, at mix until a dough forms. If it is too dry to come together completely, add a Tablespoon of milk or so, until there are no dry ingredients visible.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray it with cooking spray.

Using a Tablespoon cookie scoop, form balls of dough and place them on the cookie sheet. Flatten them using the back of a spatula.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are dry and tops looked baked.

Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Makes about 25-30 cookies.

2 Fun Christmas Treats for Kids- Brownie Buttons & Candy Cane Kiss Blossoms

I wasn't planning on posting about these 2 recipes that I made for my son's Christmas party at school. I don't post everything single thing that I make and I was just going to make these and let it be.
But, my 4-year old had so much fun helping me make these 2 treats that I changed my mind.

First, we made Candy Cane Kiss Blossoms using Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses.
They are based on the same idea as Peanut Butter Blossoms, which are peanut butter cookies with a milk chocolate Hershey's Kiss in the middle.
The dough is super easy to mix together and really easy to roll into little balls. My daughter loved making the little balls of dough and then rolling them in green and red colored sugar. We also rolled some in nonpareils.
They bake up in just a few minutes and then you are suppose to let them cool for a few minutes before you put the Candy Cane Kiss in the center. My daughter couldn't wait, since she had helped me unwrap all the Kisses, so we put them in when the cookies were still warm. The melted and so we just got a toothpick and smoothed out the tip and once they had cooled, we put the cookies in the fridge, so the centers could set. Very easy, festive and fun.
Then, we made Brownie Buttons. I have made these before and the usual topping is supposed to be white chocolate. I had a half a bag of Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips in the pantry, so I melted those and we dipped the brownie tops in that. Then we added lots of sprinkles. This topping gave a nice little peppermint-y flavor to the bite-size brownies.

The kids in my son's class enjoyed these fun treats. I popped a few of each one in the freezer to save for later this week, so we can put them out for Santa!

Recipe for Candy Cane Kiss Blossoms
* I used skim milk in the dough and it worked out perfectly

Recipe for Brownie Buttons
* I used Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips as the topping- I melted them in the microwave and then dipped the brownies
* I omitted the citrus zest called for in this recipe