Caramel Chocolate Surprise Bars

Here is one that is sure to impress, and nobody need know how easy it was to make!  I like "101 More Things to do with a Cake Mix" for that reason.  Super easy when you need to throw something together.  All these ingredients work well together and it taste great served warm with a scoop of ice cream... trust me, I would know. :)  Definitely a big dose of sugar for the day, though, so watch out!

Caramel Chocolate Surprise Bars

1 yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped nuts

1 jar (12 oz) caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 350.  With a spoon, mix cake mix, butter, and evaporated milk together.  Spread 3/4 of dough evenly into a greased 9x13 pan. Spread chocolate chips and nuts over the top, evenly.  Break rest of dough into small pieces and drop[ evenly over top.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Cool 30 minutes.  Cut into bars.  Store in refrigerator.

Easy Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

 

I went "nuts" with these guys, gained 5 lbs. and now we're through. :)  It was true love while it lasted though.  A happy addition to any holiday goodie plate.  Super easy to make!  The kids had fun helping me shape the balls.  I served some of them chocolate dipped and some not... quite frankly because chocolate and I do not always get along- it is way to finicky.   Most of what I melted was made into fudge because it just wouldn't cooperate even with a double boiler... But I would say that isn't necessarily a bad thing. :)  So loosen that belt and help yourself. :)  Happy Holidays!

Easy Crispy Peanut Butter Balls cooks.com

2 c. crunchy peanut butter

1/2 c. butter

1 lb. confectioners' sugar

3 c. Rice Krispies

Dipping chocolate

(Creamy peanut butter is just as good, but add 1/4 cup more Rice Krispies if you use creamy.)

Combine peanut butter, butter and confectioners sugar in large bowl. Blend well. Add rice cereal. Form into 3/4 inch balls and dip into dipping chocolate. Makes about 75 or more balls. Great for holiday gifts.

Proof of my poor dipping abilities... oh well.  Don't judge a person by how they dip chocolate, please. :)

Nanaimo Bars

You know I love food, but have I ever mentioned how much I love to devour... books?  Good food, good books... I could die happy.  I usually have to find the audio version or I'll never get through it with the FREQUENT kid-interruptions.  It is a fantastic motivator for doing dishes!  You know I'm in the middle of a good book when I have no dishes in my sink... or sometimes it can have the opposite effect and I'm cooking and baking everything, all over the place; I won't leave the kitchen, because I have to finish the book. (I'm embarrassed to admit Harry Potter did that to me.)
I am part of such a delightful book group.  I love these ladies dearly!  We talk books, we laugh and cry together... then we eat Nanimo Bars. (Well, not every time, we just happened to be lucky enough to have our Canadian friend, Melinda hosting, and she whipped these up; which, after examining the recipe, was no small feat!)  They are quite delicious- I liked the little creamy layer.  They were saying you can find that vanilla custard powder at most grocery stores.
Happy reading... I mean eating. :)

*A little history, thanks to Wikipedia:

The Nanaimo bar is a dessert item of Canadian origin popular across North America. It is a bar cookie which requires no baking and is named after the West Coast city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. It consists of a wafer crumb-based layer topped by a layer of light vanilla or custard flavored butter icing which is covered with melted chocolate made from chocolate squares. Many varieties exist, consisting of different types of crumb with different flavors of icing (e.g.,mint, peanut butter) and different types of chocolate. Two popular variations on the traditional Nanaimo bar involve mint- or mocha-flavored icing.

Nanaimo Bars  

INGREDIENTS

Bottom Layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Middle Layer:

1/4 cup butter, room temp.

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 - 3 tablespoons milk or cream

2 cups confectioners (icing) sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder (Bird's) or vanilla pudding powder

Top Layer:

5 ounces semisweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS

Line a 9 x 9 inch pan with a single sheep of parchment paper, leaving enough room that you can grab the paper on two sides so you can lift the bars out when they are finished. This makes it MUCH easier to cut.

Bottom Layer: In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and then gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (1 - 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

Middle Layer: In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until the mixture is smooth. If the mixture is too thick to spread, add a little more milk. Spread the filling over the bottom layer, cover, and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

Top Layer: Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Then, in a heatproof bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water (or a double boiler if you have one), melt the chocolate and butter. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the filling and refrigerate for about 10 minutes or just until the chocolate has set.

When the bars are sufficiently chilled, lift the parchment paper and put on a large cutting board. Remove the paper. To cut the bars, press down on the bars with a sharp knife.

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup dried coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Do not use a sawing motion. From time to time, rinse your knife under hot water and dry quickly with a paper towel. You will get much cleaner edges by pressing instead of sawing.

Make it {Ginger} Snappy... (White Chocolate Dipped GingerSnaps)

I was just about to post a fish taco recipe, and then I started thinking... "HELLO!  It's December!  What am I doing messing with fish?  It's time to get festive!"  So what is more festive than some good old fashioned gingersnaps, I ask you? (Which--for your information--taste even better dipped in white chocolate... doesn't everything? :)  These went on our neighbor plates. (Although I didn't have the patients to dip them all. :)
Fish later. :) Merry Christmas NOW!
*This was a quick and easy recipe that make a bunch, (It says 14 1/2 dozen- SERIOUSLY? Is that a typo? I don't think it made quite that many- maybe I made mine too big... that is A LOT of gingersnaps.  Anyway- I was going to say, this is a good recipe, but I've tasted better... I just can't remember where I put the other recipe, so what you see is what you get. :)

Dipped Gingersnaps (Taste of Home)

2 cups Sugar

1-1/2 cups canola oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

Additional Sugar

2 packages (10 to 12 ounces each) white baking chips

1/4 cup shortening

In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat in eggs. Stir in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Shape into 3/4-in. balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until cookie springs back when touched lightly. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip cookies halfway into the melted chips; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Yield: about 14-1/2 dozen.

Nutritional Analysis:

2 cookies equals 128 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 6 mg cholesterol, 93 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

 

Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam

What could be better than a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich?  Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies, of course!  Did I mention CHOCOLATE Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies?  Quite scrumptious!  This is a bit more labor intensive, but still really yummy.  

*I do want to note that if I were doing it again, I would punch the hole for jam filling, but I would put it in after they were cooked.  It just got kind of crispy and the sugar burned a bit.  It might have been because I used my homemade jam, but I think it would taste better put on after.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam (Giada of Foodnetwork)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (recommended: Hershey's)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup

1/2 packed cup light brown sugar

1 egg, room temperature, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup blackberry jam

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, peanut butter, 3/4 cup of sugar, and light brown sugar together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until blended. With the machine running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until incorporated.

Put the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into 1/4 cup-size balls and roll in the sugar. Arrange 5 balls of dough, evenly apart, on each baking sheet. Using a round 1/4 teaspoon measure, or the thin end of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the center of each ball of dough, about 1/2 to 3/4-inch deep. Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam into each hole. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes until the dough has spread and the surface of the cookies are crackled. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Arrange the cookies on a serving dish and serve.

  

Skinny Monkey Cookies

Looks can be deceiving.  I know what you are thinking- they look just like sweet, chocolate-y no-bakes, AND you read "Skinny" in the title.  Too good to be true?  Yes, indeed.  These are very much not "no-bakes", and it's not just because you actually bake them.  I just feel like I need to throw that out there, just so you're not as disappointed as I was at my first bite; HOWEVER, these are a healthy, easy-to-make snack that is made with ingredients that almost everyone has on hand. (At least you do if you've got kids.)  They're cheap and I'll even add, pretty tasty... when not compared side-by-side with a no-bake cookie. :)  These would make momma proud!

Skinny Monkey Cookies (Jimmie @ Onceamonthmom.com)

• 3 bananas
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Mash bananas in a large bowl, then stir in remaining ingredients. Let batter stand for approximately 20 minutes, then drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Freezing Directions:

Cool completely, then place cookies in a freezer bag. Seal, label, and freeze.

Nutritional Information:

47 calories; 7.5 g carbs; 1.6 g fat; 1.5 g protein; 1.3 g fiber; 1 WW PointsPlus

Servings: 30

For the LOVE! German Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

HAPPY HEART DAY!!!  It would be a crime to break with a tradition: Chocolate on Valentines Day.  German Chocolate cake is my hubby's favorite, so of course these cookies caught my eye.  Unfortunately, this one is going down as a "mishap".  I thought the icing was quite tasty, but a lot of work to make, so if I did it again (which I probably won't) I would definitely just buy some pre-made icing.  PLUS these little babies did not hold together right.  Is there any thing more exasperating than seeing a picture off a recipe and not recognizing it your own "version"?  Theirs were all flat and mine just stayed in little crumbly balls--actually making a "thumbprint" was a joke because they just fell apart.  I don't know what I did wrong, but I finally added a little bit of milk and they stayed together pretty well.  They did, however, taste pretty good... which in my opinion is #1 priority.  (This is second to "labor involved" and this one was high labor.  Don't be deceived by "cake mix".  I have a hard time when you have to refrigerate cookie dough and all that--but I'll have you know that I didn't skip that step.) So consider carefully before before proceeding... it might just be a better idea to buy a candy bar or a box of chocolates. :)  I'm just saying.  But here it is anyway.

German Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies (Taste of Home)

1 cup sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter, cubed

3 egg yolks

1-1/2 cups flaked coconut

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) German chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup butter, melted

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla. Set aside 1-1/4 cups for topping.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, flour, melted butter and remaining coconut mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Fill each cookie with a teaspoonful of reserved topping.

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 5 dozen.

Nutritional Facts1 cookie equals 113 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 93 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Chocolate Snowballs

A couple weeks ago, we got almost two feet of snow in one day.  It was wonderful!  I love snow days!  They closed school and all the kids spend the day building forts and snowmen.  It was that wet kind of snow, perfect for making snowballs... chocolate covered snowballs, that is. :)  This was a fun recipe I tried.  They were tasty, but a little dry--and too time consuming to be a "regular" around here.  I think there might be better versions out there, but I thought it was a fun concept, and it makes for a fun "snow day!"

Chocolate Snowballs (From Christmas at Home: Delicious Desserts)

1 1/4 cups butter

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the pecans until well blended. Cover, and chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven. Roll in confectioners' sugar when cooled.

Iced Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Happy Halloween! I wish you could come over to our house for some of my "Prize Winning Chili" and homemade donuts and rootbeer! But these yummy little cookies might make you feel better if you have other plans. :) They are good with or without the frosting. Happy Halloween!

Iced Cinnamon Chip Cookies (Taste of Home)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (10 ounces) cinnamon baking chips (I actually used butterscotch chips and it was yummy.)
• 
  ICING:
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in cinnamon chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients; beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until fluffy. Spread over cooled cookies. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 158 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 148 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Apple Pie Crumble Bars

I kind of did my own twist on this, and I was happy with the results. I have a yummy Taste of Home cookies recipe book, and I came across "Chocolate-Drizzled Cherry Bars" but for lack of cherry pie filling, we turned it into a fun harvest dessert and I used the pie filling that I put up last year. It was pretty delicious--a lot like a pie--and I liked the crumbles on top!

Apple Pie Crumble Bars

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/4 cups butter, softened
• 1 jar/can of apple pie filling

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside 1-1/2 cups for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
• Carefully spread pie filling over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until edges and topping are lightly browned.
• Cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 3 dozen.

Butterscotch Chip Bars

This is such a fast and easy dessert- great one to make when you are in a hurry. And who, I would like to know, doesn’t love butterscotch chips. They never last long at my house, which is the only reason I wouldn’t make these. :)
Butterscotch Chip Bars (From 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix)

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil. Stir in butterscotch chips until stiff. Press dough into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake 13-16 minutes at 350 degrees.

$250 Cookie

I know what you are thinking… “Seriously, another chocolate chip cookie recipe?” Can you ever have to many, really? They just all turn out so different and so good! :) I feel like Debra’s got cookies down! (Remember those Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies?) Well, this one is worth at least $250! :) Thanks for sharing Debra… especially in the middle of a move… bonus points for you!

$250 Cookie

• 2 cups butter
  4 cups flour
  1 tsp. salt
  2 tsp. soda
  1-8 o.z. Hershey Bar (grated)
  2 cups sugar
  3 cups chopped nuts (your choice/optional)
• 4 eggs
• 5 cups blended oatmeal **
  2 tsp. Baking powder
  24 oz. chocolate chips
  2 tsp. vanilla
  2 cups brown sugar

**Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies. (Recipe may be halved)
Note: May bake in a convection oven for 11 minutes at 350 degrees. Also if you take your butter and eggs out a few hours before you plan to make the cookies and allow them to warm to room temperature, your cookie will turn out better! I don’t use nuts. These cookies freeze really well, and defrost within a couple of hours. Freezing them is a way to keep them fresh and enjoy them longer!!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

I’m just a bit behind on my “Cinco de Mayo” post. I am certainly not of “Mexican” origin, but growing up, we used to beg my mom to make us these cookies, so you could just about consider me a "danged native". They are one of my favorites. They are kind of a shortbread cookie… with lots of butter as you can probably see… chalk it up as another reason I'm quite partial. :) My husband said he was surprised at how good they were, because he was just expecting little “dough balls”. My daughter did the powdered sugar dipping, so they weren’t “perfect” but I thought they tasted great, and I was happy to find a quick recipe that worked well and brought back lots of happy memories!

Mexican Wedding Cookies (kraftrecipes.com)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Beat butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and pecans, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.

SHAPE dough into 1-inch balls. Place, 1-1/2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 14 to 15 min. or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Cool 5 min. on baking sheets. Roll warm cookies in remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar until evenly coated; place on wire racks. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Make it Easy: Use a blender or food processor to finely chop the pecans. Just be careful not to overprocess them or you'll end up with nut butter!

Dairy-Free Chip Cookies and The Beginning of a New Adventure…

Dairy Free? Can in really be done? I mean… can it REALLY be done with someone like me? A month or two ago, I would have told you ABSOLUTELY NOT, but I have found a few gems a long the way that have really helped out. Rice Milk is one of them!

Alternative milks I like (in this order):

• Flax Milk is my favorite, but it is newer and hard to find. It tastes really good- vanilla flavored… Mmmmm! And it has that Omega 3 that is really good for you. They enrich these milks, so they have just as much calcium as a glass of cow’s milk- which I think is pretty cool.
• I also really like Rice Milk- the flavor isn’t too strong, but it does taste like rice. My husband didn’t like any of them until he tasted this, but he love rice, so there you have it.
• I also like Coconut Milk- it was so good in cereal!

However, I’m not as big a fan of Almond or Soy Milk- which are much easier to find. I just didn’t care for the flavor as much, but that is just my two bits on the subject. Why Dairy Free?, you may be asking. My husband and daughter have had a couple health issues, and we’ve found out they might have a food allergy/irritation to dairy, so I’ve just been trying to cook most of our meals without. I have been surprised at the difference- we have all felt better. My husbands stomach pains have decreased and my daughters issues are almost gone! It is hard, I still haven’t completely gotten rid of the cheese and yogurt- those have been the hardest, but we’ve found that the low fat kinds seem to cause the worst reactions.

ANYWAY- enough about all that- I did try out these cookies I found on the side of the Rice Dream carton. They were pretty good. I like the maple syrup flavor in them—although I don’t know how “healthy” that was with all the high fructose corn syrup… oh well, I guess you win some and you loose some. :) It reminds me a little bit of the guy I saw using one of those aluminum water containers to “help the environment” and I watched him open a plastic water bottle, pour it in, and toss it…Hmmmm…I guess you just do the best you can and just hope to yourself you are making a difference. Maybe you just feel a little less guilty anyway. :)

Huey's Chip Cookies (Rice Dream)

Makes 12 large cookies or 3 dozen small cookies

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup carob or chocolate chips (I used mini dark chocolate chips.)
• 1/2 cup Rice Dream Classic Original or Vanilla
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Drop by scoop or spoon onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake 10 - 20 minutes (depending on size) until edges begin to brown.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

My friend Bekah shared these AMAZING cookies at a girls night. HEAVENLY! She found the recipe from picky-palate.com, a really cute site full of some yummy, incredible, and seemingly a-bit-unhealthy recipes. :) (I just want to know who could possibly be picky using ingredients like that!) Watch out, because these are DANGEROUS! They are just such a perfect mix of gooey chocolate and peanut butter, that it is hard to muster up enough self control to stop at just one. Good luck, hope you’re a better man/woman than me! :)

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix

10 oz bag peanut butter chips

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or line with a silpat liner.

2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate pudding mix, peanut butter chips and marshmallows. Mix until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, place onto baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Guess I’ll Go Eat Worms... In Dirt Cups

HAPPY SPRING!!! It was a rainy Monday today, and as I walked my daughter to school, I noticed all the little earthworms scattered here and there on the pavement- a sure fire sign of spring… hooray! Getting to school took an extra ten minutes, because I had to wait while my daughter hopelessly tried to rescue as many earthworms as possible. This may not be typical “kindergarten behavior,” but in her class it is. They just completed an exploration on earthworms and finished it off by compiling everything they learned into a darling little picture book full of all the earthworm facts they learned along the way. (The book is called E is for Earthworm, An A-z Guide, and proceeds go to future explorations.) They recently had a book signing and reading at a local bookstore, and I made these dirt cups for the crowd. It was a lot of fun and we’re pretty proud of our little “worm” expert. :) This isn’t any kind of gourmet recipe, but great for a spring treat that kids (and might I add adults as far as I’m concerned) are sure to love!

Worm Dirt Cups

• chocolate pudding mix, prepared
• package of Oreos, crushed and crumbled
• gummy worms

In a cup or small bowl, layer prepared pudding with crushed Oreos over it. Top with gummy worm.

It was crunch time and I called in the troops to help me get it all together. Doug came through in a big way! He always seems to do that for me when I bite off more then I can chew… literally in this case. :)

Daring Baker's Challenge: Panna Cotta & Nestle Florentine Cookies

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.I LOVE ALL THINGS CREAMY... and this yummy dessert makes the list! This was fairly simple to create, but something about it makes you feel fancy... and something about that creamy texture is just heaven to me. I think this was one of my favorite challenges so far! I'll be making this again... after I loose a bit of weight from this go around. :)

Giada's Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
2. Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage).
3. Next, add the cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.
5. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.

(*My daughter sees me taking "food" pictures, and she said she needed a turn. :) She felt like a face with a beard would be "artistic".)

Nestle Florentine Cookies

Recipe from the cookbook “Nestle Classic Recipes”, and their website.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter
2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) dark or milk chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat. (Rather then do this over the stove, I just melted the butter in a big glass bowl in the microwave... I think it was quicker and worked fine.)
   
2. To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula. (No matter how far apart I spread my cookies, I still ended up with a "sheet" of cookie, rather then individuals... not sure what I did, but they still tasted good, I just broke them apart.)
3. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
4. While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl). (Or just use Netella like me... who doesn't love an excuse to use Netella. :)
   

5. Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean).
6. Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.

This recipe will make about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen sandwiched Florentine cookies. You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper).