Cold rainy days need cookies

Ok so I was planning on making these for Valentine's Day but, I needed a sweet treat and something to do. I got the recipe from... somewhere I can't recall at the moment. They're basically chocolate chip cookies, just using M&Ms instead. Pretty straight forward and might I add... delicious. They're also pretty cute and festive!

Uriah took all of the cameras to VA with him this weekend (snowboarding) so, all I had at my disposal was my iPhone. Enjoy the view!

Snap, Crackle, Pop

I had to go to the DMV today. It wasn't so bad (because I got there at 8am) but then when I got home, I noticed that they had spelled my name wrong on my license so, I had to go back. I had a lot of rage due to this but I swallowed it up when I got back to the DMV (where they then had to do EVERYTHING over again... Ugh). Anyway, after I left the DMV (for the 2nd time), I was in need of something to do to unwind (and a good little sugar rush). I decided to make some Rice Krispy Treats!

I'd never made them before but they seemed easy and all of the ingredients basically cost $2 soooo I went for it.

It was more challenging that I anticpiated. Those mama-jamas are sticky! Anyway, I got the hang of it and they turned out as anticipated.

I cut the treats into shapes with cookie cutters and I used "cookie icing" to decorate them and they kind of look like a small child did it. Oh well, they still taste good.



Decided to not knock myself out with the picture since they are not the most beautiful things ;-)



Gearing up for Christmastime!

My mom gave me the task of making cookies and other yummy treats for her Christmas Eve party that she has every year. Being in charge of the sweets at Christmas is pretty stressful (because let's face it, it's the goodies that are the most important).

So, with the weight of Christmas on my shoulders, I decided to try to get cracking on trying out some festive cookie recipes. While I was searching the web, I came across a recipe by Ocean Spray, of all companies, for Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

They sounded delicious and relatively simple so I gave 'em a whirl. I've actually never made any kind of oatmeal cookie so it was kind of an adventure (I spent a good deal of time in the grocery store searching for the ingredients haha).

They turned out pretty well but I like my cookies to be a little sweeter (Uriah usually comments that most cookies that I make are "too sweet"... as if there is such a thing). I suppose these are more for the adult cookie-lover.

yummmy yummy yum

  

Not your grandmother's sugar cookies

These are CHOCOLATE sugar cookies! I know, I know, they sound delicious. Well, guess what? They ARE delicious. They kind of taste like brownies but they are the texture of cookies and they are rolled in sugar (so they kind of sparkle). It doesn't get much better than that, people. It just doesn't.

I can't remember where I found this recipe, but I've made these cookies a few times now and they are always a hit.

If you want to make these yummy delicious treats, here's the recipe!

What you will need:

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

4 squares  BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

1-1/2 cups  sugar, divided

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

 

 

How all of those things come together:

 

MIX flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted (have patience). Add 1 cup sugar, egg and vanilla to the chocolate and butter mixture; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Refrigerate 30 min - 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

 

HEAT oven to 375°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in remaining sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. (For thinner, crisper cookies, flatten balls with bottom of clean glass.) I like mine nice and fluffy so, I skip the flattening step.

 

BAKE 8 to 10 min. or until set. Cool on baking sheets 1 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

 

ENJOY!!

An American Tradition

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Who among us doesn't have a happy little memory of baking Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies with our moms/grandmas/sisters/friends growing up? If you don't have this memory, I'm terribly sorry. There was nothing like licking the batter off of the mixer and then consequently, the bowl (and also sneaking a spoonful of dough when mom wasn't looking).

I actually haven't made these cookies from scratch with out my mom... ever. In college I'd just get the pre-made dough and bake it up. One of my roommates baked when she was stressed and always had the giant Costco sized tub of cookie dough in the fridge. You can definitely tell the difference between the two because the home made come out flat for some reason. Still delicious, just flat. I've googled some solutions to this problem so next time I can hopefully remedy the situation.





Peanut Butter Cookie Time!

Peanut Butter Cookies are not something that I enjoyed as a child and I haven't made/had them in my adult like that I can remember so I decided to make some today. In order to make these special old-fasioned treats, I used this recipe from The Joy of Baking. The recipe makes about 40 cookies so, there are plenty to share! They turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. Here's a picture (to whet your appetite)! Yum!