Chocolate Kiss Cookie

Ahh, the holiday that either people love or hate.  The dreaded/dreamed about "Valentine's Day"!  Are you a loather or a lover?  I love it.  No, my husband and I don't need a special holiday to express our love to each other (because I know that is a famous excuse) it is a day to do something extra special!  Anyone who doesn't like it will argue anything but, I am all about that mushy love stuff.  I get it often but I get a second helping on Valentine's day!

In case you wondered, the answer is yes.  I am that woman who tries to cook or bake everything in heart shapes or X's and O's, and writes a love note to use as a napkin ring.  Candles, and flowers, all of it.  In my defense, I am like that with most holidays, so no worries, that I am showing favoritism to this one.  Do it for your kids, for your parents, just show TONS of love on Valentine's day, don't make it so dang difficult!  This cookie for instance, adapted from the Hershey's website.  I just wanted a big cookie.  Some people don't like pies, or cakes, or cupcakes, and I think this same idea would be awesome for a birthday party if someone doesn't like cake.  It really is all about how you decorate it, or theme it.  I just wanted to share because I made it for my littles, and they loved it.  Also, I used a heart shaped pan I have.  It is about 11 inches at the widest part.  You can do it in a 9x13, or anything really, it will just make your baking time vary.  So I will give you the directions to get the particular cookie I made in the photo.

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 T milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Red Wilton candy melts
Pink Wilton Candle melts
almond bark
15-20 Hershey's Kisses
Red sugar

Preheat your oven to 350.  Beat together, butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, milk and vanilla extract.  Beat until completely combined.  In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix well, and pour into the peanut butter mixture, beat until just combined.  Lightly spray your baking pan.  Pour dough out into pan and use a spatula or fingers to press into place.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  I hate to be vague but this depends completely on your baking pan size.  You want the cookie to remain soft, but be baked all the way through.

When you take it out, IMMEDIATELY place your kisses on the cookie,  However you want, randomly as I did or in a design, or a name?!?!  Or the word "LOVE" OH yes!  Let cool completely!  Melt your red and pink melts, about 4 or 5 of them will be enough of each color.  Add a few drops of vegetable oil to them if they aren't drizzling nicely enough.  Do one color at a time and your almond bark as well.  About 30 seconds in the micro for each color did it for me.  Then sprinkle with red sugar and waa-laa!  A special Valentine's Day treat for your husband, wife, gf, bf, kids, parents, or friends.  Just spread the love!

ENJOY!

Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

ACK! 15 more days until Christmas!  Are you ready?  How are you doing on the shopping?  Are you at the "OMG I have no have to pay more than the price of the gift to get it shipped in time" phase yet?  I started wrapping last night.  We discussed, if you follow me on Facebook about how I am about that kind of thing.  Yikes.  But I enjoy soft lights, Christmas music and beautifully wrapping the gifts we have chosen for those we love.  It is relaxing, and my husband always says I should start a gift wrapping business at the holidays!

I did get in the kitchen yesterday and get these wonderful treats made.  They are a favorite in our family, and I wanted to make sure to share the really special treats we love with you this year.  It is a really busy time and developing new recipes this time of year, (which actually started 2 months ago for me.  I am like retail!) I just want to enjoy the beauty of the season, the reason for the season, my family and friends and spending a lot of time developing anything new isn't in my game plan for this month, especially this year with my grandchildren now living in the same city.  They are our families Christmas miracles as they were born last Christmas Eve, 6 weeks early and yet, they have grown into beautiful, funny, healthy little monkeys who we can't imagine life without!  Though this isn't technically their first Christmas, it kind of is.

I have to share one of their Christmas photos with you!


These cookies are so good.  The chocolate flavor is rich, and though the actual cookies isn't super sweet, the addition of the white chocolate drizzle and crushed peppermint, makes it the perfect cookie.  When you see the amount of sugar you might say, "WHOA", but using the unsweetened chocolate, in addition makes the flavor so much richer.  It makes over 5 dozen cookies, don't worry, you won't consume it all at once! They are easy, the dough is beautiful, and they don't take long to bake or cool.  I think it would be fun to let the kids drizzle and sprinkle them with anything they like! 



Here is what you will need:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsps. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate (I used the already melted variety because I had it on hand)
1 cup white chocolate chips melted
crushed candy canes (how many is up to you)
You can use any other candy or decoration to sprinkle over the top as well it doesn't have to be peppermint!

In a large bowl or the bowl of your standing mixer, cream together, cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract together until creamy.  Add in baking soda and mix well.  Start adding in  your flour and beat (stand or hand mixer) slowly at first, so you don't get covered in flour and add until it is all incorporated!  Now, pour in your melted unsweetened chocolate and let it mix until well combined. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Take a tablespoon size scoop or actual spoon and roll that amount into a ball. Next roll it into a long snake shape, you can do them as small or as big as you like, but the size I did, I got a nice size cookie, and ended up with over 5 dozen.  Shape them into a candy cane shape and place on parchment lined or non stick cooking spray, sprayed, cookie sheets.  I easily get 12 on a sheet, they don't spread a lot but they do spread a bit. 

Bake for 10 minutes.  That is the exact time that I find keeps them soft, even with the carry over cooking.  Place them on a cooling rack to cool!

Melt white chocolate in either a double boiler set up or in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time on half power.  Trust me, just trust me.  Place into a piping bag or Ziploc that you have cut the tip off of.  You can even just use a spoon or fork to drizzle.  While the white chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with your crushed peppermint candy or whatever you choose to sprinkle on them.  Let sit until the chocolate is set and enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Graham Cracker Toffee Crunch

Good evening friends!

Hoping this finds you all enjoying your Monday evening, healthy and happy!  It has been a crazy day for me, and at 3pm on Monday I just not getting this typed up for you! 

As most of you know my parents have been needing us to be with them more (us as in my siblings and I) as they have increasing health needs.  Well my sister Anne was there a couple of weeks ago.  My mom is always having us text or FB message each other with things she MUST tell us.  Well she is always asking me about what I have been cooking and she cuts out recipes she thinks I need to try.  Often she will say, "I would try this one, but I would take out this, and I would precook that, and I would etc....".  She always has an opinion that one!  I am SO glad I don't take after her! (what?!!??!?!)  Anyway she was so adamant I get this recipe she had my sister photograph the newspaper clipping so I could get it made.  I don't recall what the name of the recipe was on there, but, I am sure this isn't the first time some of you have heard of this or perhaps it is a staple at your house.  I had never heard of it or eaten it so I gave it a try. 

This was undeniably a hit with my family.  In fact, it was SUCH a hit, that the first time I made it, I didn't get to photograph it, because when I got around to doing it, it was GONE! HA!  If it wasn't so easy to make, I might have minded more, but instead I just chuckled and made a second batch.  I did a couple of things different the second time and liked it better.  Nothing major, just, well......just keep reading!!

Here is what you need:
15 graham crackers.  (enough to cover a cookie sheet, standard-ish size)
1 cup of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanuts (you can use whatever kind of nut you like but this is one thing I changed and liked better the second time)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line your crackers up on your cookie sheet.  My recipe says to fill in the edges with crackers you have broken apart.  Forget about it.  Just leave the space.  Otherwise trying to even spread the topping on is a bit annoying.  In a saucepan place butter, and brown sugar, heat until melted.  Here is the next thing I changed.  It says to add the nuts to the brown sugar and butter, however, I just sprinkled them on top the second time and like them better.  SO....do as you wish but if covered by the toffee layer, they don't have much dimension to me.  Perhaps I am particularly ridiculous, perhaps.  They will get partially covered up anyway to be honest.  So add them in or don't, but pour evenly and then spread to cover your graham crackers.  If you didn't add them sprinkle nuts on while the top is hot.  Place in the oven and bake 10 minutes.  Let cool completely, break apart and devour!

This is dangerous stuff friends.   Put on a safety vest, you are going to need saved, and I want you visible to your rescuer. 

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

Hello to my favorite people!  It is so good to be back, in the kitchen, writing, creating, and sharing!  Wow, that sounded like a PBS television show.  I affectionately call it the coma channel, between the Victory Garden, Bob Ross, and the quilting lady, who needs sleeping pills?

I am BACK!  Done with sickness and back, better than ever!  Well, that might be a bit of an assumption but  I am hoping it will be true.  I think besides having double ear infection and a sinus infection, my MIND needed a break too.  I feel so refreshed.  Of course part of my excitement could be simply that I can breath again.  I can take 3 steps without hacking up a lung!  Oh, if I had a dollar for each time I said, "God, if you just make me feel better I swear I will never EVER say I am not feeling well to get out of anything again" I would be a rich woman.  By the way, the jury is still out on if this is a legit agreement. 

I have had this idea swimming in my head for awhile and decided it would be my "out of sickness" post.  I knew it wasn't going to be difficult because I used ALL box products.  Except the butter cream.  Yes, I did, and if you choose to be a better person than I, you can make your cake from scratch and the cookie dough as well.  This is a great recipe for little hands to help with.  It is fun, and when you bite in and you get cookie dough, well, come on now, that is the bomb diggity in, and of itself!

Please enjoy these!  I am on a cupcake kick, be expecting some cool stuff!!!  I will post the cupcake recipe first, and then beneath will be the chocolate butter cream recipe.  This amount of butter cream is the perfect, exact, on the dot, amount of frosting for 24 cupcakes! 

Cupcakes
1 devils food cake or just plain chocolate cake mix
1 roll of refrigerated cookie dough (or make your own)

Prepare cake mix as directed on the back of the box.  Set bowl aside.  Line cupcake tins with liners.  Add 1 tsp cake batter to the bottom of each. 

Take the cookie dough and divide into 28 slices.  OK, that was my original intention.  I wanted enough balls for the cupcakes and a few leftover to bake plain to crumble on top.  You will get about 3-4 balls from 2 slices.  I trust you will do fine with this.  If you don't care about crumbling any on top, then by all means, just divide into 24 balls. 

Now put a ball of dough in the center of each cupcake liner.  It makes no difference if they aren't EXACTLY the same size.  Don't fret.  Just go with the flow! 

Now divide the batter among all of the cupcakes.  Just get the dough balls covered.  Make sure to press them down a bit into the batter at the bottom too. 

Now, bake according to the direction on the box.  Mine was 350 F, for 18-23 minutes.  Mine took 20 exactly.  When they are done, let them sit and cool. 

Chocolate Butter cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter + 3 tbsp 
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Mix all ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Pipe or spread with a knife on top of cooled cupcakes.  YUMMO!

Your "Eat More Cupcakes" Chefwannabe

Fortune Cookies!

I am SO excited about these.  Let me gather myself, or medicate or something before I get started!  The possibilities with these are endless, colors, flavors, fortunes, ACCKK!!

Ok.  Ready.

Only in America can we get this little gem for dessert at a Chinese restaurant, but they don't serve it in China!  HA!

Fortune cookies are as traditional as pumpkin pie in the United States.  They were allegedly created in California, but many different people claim to have made the first ones.  It doesn't really matter to me, what baffles me is how many different ones I have eaten.  Some are sweet, some are not, some taste like paste, some taste like vanilla, some are light golden, some have been brown, but didn't taste of chocolate.  I mean, it is crazy how many versions of these there must be in the world!  And don't even mention that little "add ons".  You know the little words you add on to the end of your fortune?!  I know you know what I am talking about!

If you don't have a buddy to help you, please only make 2 at a time.  They MUST be hot, (I burned my hands) when you form them or you get a cracked mess!  You can purchase white cotton gloves that would make these much easier on your hands. 

I think these would be adorable if you use food coloring, you can tailor them to any occasion or event.  The fortunes could be advice, questions, etc.  I just think they could be adorable for so many events!! I couldn't help be want to try these, it was so fun printing different "fortunes". They take a little fanangling but are so well worth the time!!  Enjoy these sweet, vanilla-ee, crunchy treats!!

Here is what you will need:
-2 large egg whites
-1 tsp vanilla
-3 tbsp vegetable oil
-1/2 cup all purpose flour
-1 1/2 tsps cornstarch
-Pinch of salt
-3 tsps water
-1/2 cup sugar
-muffin tin
-cup or bowl
-White cotton gloves (optional) These babies are HOT when you have to handle them, so you have to wear gloves or suck it up!  I sucked it up, of course. HA
-12-14 "fortunes" written or typed out and cut into as small of a strip as possible, you may have to fold them in half, it is no biggie!

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  In a small bowl whip egg whites until frothy. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms. 

I sprayed my cookie sheet a few times but, likely didnt NEED to.  You have to work really fast here.  I did 2 cookies at a time, trust me, it is best.  If you have someone to help you, maybe 3 at a time. 

 

Use a tablespoon worth of batter (approx), using the back of the spoon spread to about a 3 inch circle.  It should be really thin and you can see the pan through it in some parts.  Bake for 10 minutes, the edges will be brown.  Take them out, working like a MADWOMAN or MADMAN, use a spatula to get them up, flip them over and put your fortune in the center, fold in half and then bend in half over a cup. 

If you don't work incredibly fast, they will cool to much and crack on you both ways!  Immediately place in a muffin tin to help it hold the shape until completely cooled.  LIke this.........

Here is where I really messed up.  I forgot to take photos of the process!!! ACK!!  I was able to snap a few after to demonstrate as best as I could! There are many YouTube tutorials on it if you can't figure it out. 

This recipe, I changed up a bit is the only one that I found came out really crispy when completely cooled. These are delish and you could dip them in chocolate, use food coloring to make colored cookies, or use lemon or orange or lime juice instead of water.  The possibilities are endless, I just chose to go with a traditional cookie the first time around!

Your "wants to dip these in chocolate"chefwannabe

Zee fruit and zee pizza meet..

and what a wonderful meeting it is.  I swear this is proof there is no bad way to eat pizza.

We all know we have tried some fruit pizza recipes before.  They are all good.  I mean, I don't even like fruit and they are all good.  So I would imagine to the fruit lover, they are a little piece of heaven.  In fact, I am visiting my son next month and this is a definite MAKE for him, he is a fruit fanatic and he is going to love it.

So, for your information, you know that useless info holder in your brain?  The place where people tell you stuff you don't really give a flip about goes?  Well I have decided I know why I don't like fruit.  Growing up, as I have said before in a family of 12, (10 kids), we didn't eat fruit alot.  It was expensive and we ate what we grew.  It was likely much to expensive for my mom to buy on a regular basis, I am sure we had it semi regularly.  Not like my son who had tons of fruit at his beck and call at all times.   Oh how times change.  Regardless, I have embraced and owned my dislike of fruit and I DO try to hack down some strawberries or apple slices once in awhile.  If I find a soft spot, GRROOOSSSSSS, I am completely done!

This fruit pizza can easily have its fruit changed out.  Next time I am going with strawberries, blueberries and rasberries.   I am not a huge peach fan, in fact I don't like them at all, but they were on sale.  And I know, you know. how THAT goes!  I used some premade cookie dough.  Sue me.  Make your own if you have that kinda time to fill.  Let's move along!

1 roll sugar cookie dough
1 8oz. pkg cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp milk
3/4 cup white chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup mini marshmellows
2 peaches, sliced
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to temp suggested on cookie dough.  Press out unto a parchment lined pizza pan.  Notice I used foil?  Notice I said use parchment paper?  Yea......exactly. 

Bake for recommended time.  Mine took about 12 minutes.  I undercooked it a couple of minutes because when I sliced the pizza I didn't want it crumbly, I wanted a soft cookie crust!

While it is baking mix together, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips. Set aside.

When cookie crust is done, take it out of the oven.  Spread mini marshmellows all over the crust, put back in the oven, turn the oven OFF and let sit for 3 minutes.  They will puff up but you can use a spatula and press them down flat when you take it out.  Let cool 5 minutes.  Spread on cream cheese mixture.  Cover entire pizza, leaving a small border.  Arrange fruit however you like or just pile it on!

Melt remaining white choc chips in a bowl and drizzle (or in my case "plop") it ever the top of the pizza.

There you have it.  EASY, quick, and oh so sweet and tasty!  Well, I mean if you like fruit! HA!

Your "non tooty fruity"chefwannabe

Nuts about BISCOTTI!

This is so highly requested, not only by readers, but by family and friends!  You guys want to know how to make it and my family wants to EAT it!  My mom is completely addicted to all biscotti, I swear it could be drizzled with Lima bean puree and she would be on it like flies on a picnic!

For anyone who isn't in the know, biscotti is an Italian twice baked cookie.  A long time ago, twice baked items stored much longer and of course non perishable food items were ideal for traveling, during war, etc.  I think it is intended for dipping in hot coffee/tea.  You stick it in *pinky OUT* let it soften slightly and eat!  That of course is my American version of what biscotti is really for.  If you like crunching on something only slightly softer than a rock, go forth, crunch loud and crunch proud.  That comment only brings up the sound of one of my sisters who I swear can crunch ice cream.  Ugh, don't get me going on this.  She knows who she is.  Watch this is will be one she doesn't read!

I have used a few recipes that were, "ok".  Nothing fabulous.  I have tried using Splenda, Equal, Sweet and Lo.  Nothing worked fabulously.  So, I just molded the best parts of several recipes, yea, that didn't work either.  So I remolded that into the most basic of a recipe as I could get to work, and WAA-LAAA!  Perfect.  This is SO basic, you are going to wonder where all the flavor is.  That part is up to you!  This is kind of like build your own biscotti hour, isn't THAT fun?!?  Yea, I know you love it!  I will make a whole list of "mix-in" items at the end.  So hold on a second, you likely don't even have your coffee made and we all know biscotti is best with coffee, not tea. Blech!  I don't like hot tea.  

As for the amount it will make, well, I made a double batch and got 44.  So, for those of you who have had a really long day, that is 22 for a batch, but I would say 20-24 :)

Here we go folks and yes it is THIS easy.
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
6 tbsp melted butter
1-2 tbsp milk (can use cream, half and half, flavored liquid creamer)
1 tbsp of extract  (vanilla, almond, mint, lemon, cherry, mocha) those are what I can think of up in the cupboard right now!  I used my homemade vanilla extract

MY MIX IN'S
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup toffee bits

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a stand mixer or bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking powder, and any mix-in's, then add the eggs, butter and extract.  Turn out unto a cookie sheet lines with parchment paper.  Knead together just until it has fully come together.  Divide in half and make 2 "logs" approx 1 inch high, 2 inches wide and 10-12 inches long.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove and as soon as you can handle them, slice them on a diagonal.  However thick or thin you like, but you should get 9-11 from each one.  Turn them on their side, and bake another 15 minutes, flip them and then back in for an additional 10 minutes.  Leaving them in the oven turn oven off and let them sit for 10 or 15 minutes.  Remove and cool.  Drizzle with chocolate or don't drizzle with anything.  Your choice.  You can also fully dip one end of the biscotti in chocolate.

Here are a few things  that I have used to mix in to my biscotti at some point.  Trust me when I tell you I have tried darn near everything!
Nuts-almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios
Dried Fruit- strawberries, cranberries, raisins *eew*, bananas, apples, etc...
Chips-chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, mint chips, any kind of chips.  


Drizzle with chocolate if you choose.  I have also done a drizzle with maple syrup icing which is just powdered sugar and maple syrup.

I hope you enjoy experimenting! The possibilities are endless.  Now, get the coffee made, so you can get a fresh biscotti and coffee break in your Friday afternoon!!

Your "still twinging over my sisters crunching habit"chefwannabe 
Chris


P.S.  If you mix NOTHING in with these, other than vanilla or almond extract they are still wonderful!

Jello Christmas Cookies, A Blast From My Past

Ok, how many of you were in 4-H?  I loved 4-H.  I loved the cooking part of it especially.  There were a handful of recipes I wanted to make all the time, and one of them was Jello Cookies.  This cookies were so easy, and you could change them up so many ways.  Of course I loved feeling grown up cooking or baking by myself, and having everyone love it.  These cookies are really great and let's keep it real here.....who is sick of getting cookies trays with all brown cookies on them??  These are a simple, tasty cookie that will brighten up your trays wonderfully.  
 

As I was baking these cookies, I was thinking of a ton of different things you could do with them.  Let me give you my ideas first so that you can make changes if you wish.  This are so easy and fail proof.  Just make sure not to over bake them, 8 minutes is IT.  Otherwise they will lose their color and get a brown tinge.  

1.  Use any flavor jello you like, I used cherry for the red color, making them Christmas-ee, but could use lime or another green jello flavor.

2.  Replace vanilla extract with an extract that is the same flavor as your jello.  Cherry jello=cherry extract.

3.  I sprinkled mine with red sugar for effect.  But you could top the cherry cookies I made with a maraschino cherry the last minute or 2 of baking.

4.  You COULD intensify the color with food coloring matching your jello color as well.  These are not colored with food coloring and I think they still turned out fairly vibrant.  

Ok so maybe that wasn't an official "ton" of change ups but each involves change ups galore!  

Jello Christmas (or any other day) Cookies!
1 1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 3oz. pkg Jello of choice
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla (or flavoring of your choice)
1 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 cups flour
Red sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Add all the rest of the ingredients except flour.  When thoroughly combined, add flour a little at a time.  Use cookie scoop and scoop cookies 2 inches apart, sprinkle the top with a little red sugar if you desire.  Use silicone mat or parchment paper (or cooking spray). Bake 8 minutes.  ONLY 8 minutes.  If you bake longer, your cookies will get hard, and have a brown look to them which you do not want.  

Make these cookies tonight!  They are fast, simple, and tasty!  Merry Christmas my dear friends, I pray for the best for you all always!

Your "the world needs brighter cookies" chefwannabe

Chris