Oatmeal Cookies

 For some reason, I feel constrained by the descriptor "gluten free."  I don't feel like I can be as creative.  So, I kind of got stuck doing chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter (because there are lots of flourless versions of that) cookies.  However, one day, David requested oatmeal.  I was surprised but that's what he wanted.  

Now, oats are typically gluten free but I guess can't be guaranteed gluten free due to processing.  We don't buy special oats but Chex now has a gluten free version that, I think, is a little less expensive than your typical gluten free oats.  Anyway, I found this recipe and it turned out great.  They were nice and puffy.  David said they were "really good."  Try them out for yourself!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies adapted from Mom, What's for Dinner
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups multipurpose Gluten Free Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chocolate chip



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla an beat until well blended.
Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well.
Add oats and mix well, if you are choosing to add raisins or chocolate chips, add them now.

Scoop your dough onto a pre-heated baking stone prepared with parchment paper.
Bake 10-12 minutes. 
Makes about 4 dozen.

Gluten Free Sharpei

One of the things that David misses being gluten free is cookies.  Well, I've taken it upon myself to try and make many different kinds for him.  One of the things I miss with him being gluten free is just making up recipes AND making the best cookies EVER! 

You've seen them before on this blog.  So, I had to try them gluten free.  They definitely aren't the same but they are still very good.  Kate thought they deserved a little inspection while we were making them but I thought they passed. 

Gluten Free Sharpei Cookies
2 sticks (one cup) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups AP Gluten free flour mix
1 tsp baking soda
1-1.5 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugars together in a mixing bowl until very smooth.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix together.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Place 2 tablespoon sized balls on the pan.  When pan is filled, place it into the oven.  Bake for 11-12 minutes (will be slightly undercooked).  Remove from pan and immediately squish the outside of the cookies toward the center of the cookie using the backsides of two spoons.  This gives the cookie its "sharpei" appearance.  Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes then remove to cooling rack.  Enjoy!

The Key to Baking Gluten Free Cookies... (HA!)

...is to wear the right head gear!

I have honestly made so many "different' chocolate chip cookies since David went gluten free that I don't really know the actual recipes for all of them, which means they won't all get posted.

 However, this was from a recipe that I pinned.  David liked these pretty well (but I think he liked one I made up recently a little better).  These were of the soft variety, which I know is one of the things David misses.

He occasionally says he misses the soft batch chips a'hoy version.  I think these were pretty close.  Kate did a great job helping and even put a few of the cookies on the pans.

It's still a little hard for her to squeeze the scooper but she put great effort into it.  Who couldn't with a sticker on her forehead?!  :-)

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies From Nerd Family
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups White Rice Flour
1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/4 cup Cornstarch
3/4 cup (or 1 1/2 sticks) Softened Butter
1/4 cup White Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
 2 cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. Stir all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Slowly blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by adding the dry ingredients in small batches. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop the dough onto baking stones or pans.  Place the pan into the oven and bake for 12 minutes.  If they spread, you can add a little more flour.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I try to bake something each week with K.  With David doing gluten-free, it means that sometimes we bake more than that.  I have actually found LOTS of good options for gluten free baking. 

Really, the biggest downside I've found for the basic baking (not sandwich bread) is the cost.  Gluten free flours are expensive and you have to have multiple types to get a better texture.  Oh, well!  Whatever I need to do for my man! :-)  These were some basic chocolate chip cookies but they turned out pretty good.  They were a little chewy and more like the soft-baked style cookie.  David really liked them and K had fun making them.

Chocolate Chip Cookies...Gluten Free from Nerd Family

Dry Ingredients
1 1/4 cups White Rice Flour
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/4 cup Cornstarch
Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup (or 1 1/2 sticks) Softened Butter
1/4 cup White Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 bag (about 2 cups) Chocolate Chips
Process
Cream butter then add both sugars and cream together in a consistent mixture. Then add the eggs 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients together with a fork. I don’t feel sifting is needed (because all the dry ingredients are already very light) but mixing them together is a must! Then slowly blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by adding the dry ingredients in small batches. Due to the powder like dry ingredients, there will be a little blowing of flours no matter how careful you are. So be prepared to wipe it up when you are done;). Then blend in the chocolate chips.
You can bake these immediately at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes but they tend to spread. To give these gluten free cookies a great shape and texture I recommend scooping them out and freezing them before baking them. Then you bake them frozen at 375 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes.
I make these 3 batches at a time and scoop them all out onto a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer. Remember you don’t need to leave much space because you are freezing them and there isn’t any spread in that;). I then put them  into single baking servings  portions in quart freezer bags. I find 14 cookies are a good batch for us. Then I store them in the freezer and bake as needed.
- See more at: http://www.nerdfamily.com/delectable-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies/#_a5y_p=1202264

 

1 1/4 cups White Rice Flour
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/4 cup Cornstarch
3/4 cup (or 1 1/2 sticks) Softened Butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup pack brown sugar (packed)
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups chocolate chips 

Preheat the oven to 350.  Cream butter then add both sugars and cream together in a consistent mixture. Then add the eggs 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients together with a fork. Blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by adding the dry ingredients in small batches. Then blend in the chocolate chips.  Place on baking stone in Tablespoon sized balls.  Place stone in oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.  Enjoy!

S'More Cookies

I found some mini-marshmallows at Target one day.  They are so tiny and fun.  On the back is a recipe for S'more cookies. 

The link is to the original recipe...before it was even put on the marshmallow bit container this year! :-)  I omitted the hot chocolate mix but they turned out GREAT!  It made about 6 dozen cookies.  I sent most of them to the residents' lounge, and, per report, they were gone by the end of the day! 

K was super excited about the "smarshmallows" and kept telling David that he needed to try one.  They both enjoyed the cookies as did I.  It has a great soft texture without being cakey.  I would definitely make these again!

S'More Cookies adapted from Love from the Oven

2 and 1/2 sticks room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup Marshmallow Bits

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together your butter and both sugars until light  and fluffy.   And in eggs and vanilla and blend well.  Add the dry ingredients a little at a time to your wet ingredients.   Then add the chocolate chips and marshmallow bits.  Drop on to your cookie sheets.  Bake for 8-11 minutes.   Allow to cool for a minute then remove to cooling racks to completely cool.  Enjoy!!!

Don't Worry, I wouldn't Leave you Hanging...

Yesterday, I told you about the cookies that David really liked.  I guess I'll be nice and go ahead and tell you about them.  Not only are these cookies gluten free but they are FLOUR free. 

When I started to make the cookies for last week, I was going to do peanut butter cookies, but David said he wanted oatmeal.  So, I looked for both.  Turns out, this recipe was exactly the same as the one I was planning to do...except it had oatmeal.  I think this is similar to a recipe that Paula Deen has made, though it is NOT her recipe.  These are really great!  They were almost gone but mid-week.  I would totally make these again even if we don't stick with the gluten free thing.  They are somewhat similar to a no-bake cookie except without the chocolate.  So good!

Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Domestic Fits
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup whole oats
½ cup chocolate chips
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl gently stir together all ingredients.  Using a cookie scoop, add golf ball size mounds to a cookie sheet  or stone.  Flatten to one-inch circles using your hand. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Enjoy!

Would you Believe....

that these are gluten free?! 

We've been doing an experiment around here with gluten free eating.  Not sure if we'll continue but so far the hardest part has been lunches and eating out.  Most of the cereals David likes are rice based and gluten free.  Making supper gluten free is SUPER simple...no bread.  ;-)  I did get some gluten free spaghetti and it was a hit.  I have also made corn bread (with rice flour) and K's "J" recipe was an easily modified recipe.  However, what could I do for my baking?! 

Man, I have found several good gluten free cookie recipes.  I guess I'll just go in order that I made them.  This first cookie has a little bit of a different texture; but it's not due to being gluten free.  It's because there is quinoa in the cookies.  It just gives is a little bit of a crunch.  David made fun of them but still ate them all.  I'd call it a success.  Though he did eat them all, he liked the next week's cookies even better.  :-)

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies from Simply Whole Kitchen
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cooked (cooled) quinoa
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar.  Add your eggs and mix to combine.  Add the vegetable oil and mix to combine.  Add the salt, cinnamon, and brown rice flour.  Add the cooked quinoa, oats and mix gently.  Then add the dark chocolate chips and stir to combine.  Using a tablespoon or medium cookie scoop, scoop the cookies onto a baking stone or cookie sheet.  Place in over and bake for 12-14 minutes or until slightly browned.  Enjoy!

Brown Makes All the Difference

Caramel.  I love it!  Browned butter...there is just something about browned butter that makes a cookie 100% better.  Toffee.  Yes, please!  With those brief thoughts, when I saw this cookie I KNEW it would be good.

 One modification I made was to use caramel bits instead of Rolo candy.  That made it SO much easier to make.  I mean, who likes unwrapped and cutting lots of little Rolo candies?  Not I!  Unfortunately, it's hard to find these caramel bits.  I totally should have bought several bags. 

Brown Butter Rolo Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 30 cookies
INGREDIENTS:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup toffee bits
• 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup caramel bits (16 rolos per original recipe)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the foam subsides and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat browned butter and sugars on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Gradually add dry ingredients to sugar mixture at low speed, beating just until incorporated.
Gently fold in toffee bits, chocolate chips and Rolos.  Drop tablespoons of batter onto prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until edges are golden brown but center is still moist, about 7-8 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate for Doc

This past weekend my parents came for a visit.  Well, really they came to go to homecoming and trade mattresses (hopefully one day K will be sleeping in my childhood bed!) but I guess visiting us and K was an added bonus.  ;-)  Of course, as with any trip from Doc and Allie, we had to make cookies for Doc.  About a month ago I found some new chocolate chips from Nestle...dark chocolate!  Doc loves dark chocolate, so I knew we had to make these.  So, last week, K donned her apron and we "made cookies for Doc." (be sure to say Doc with more of an "aw" sound rather than "ah") 

I quickly found a recipe on pinterest and away we went.  They ended up being very crunchy, especially on the outside; but, it didn't seem to keep anyone from liking them.  David had some last night with ice cream and I took the rest to work.  Gone by the afternoon!  Another cookie success.  Love baking with this girlie!

Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies from Cait's Plate
ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
 ½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ cups dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla.  Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.  Place a walnut sized dough ball onto the cookie sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Place pans in over and bake until the cookie edges are just turning golden brown, but the middles are still quite pale, about 12 to 14 minutes.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Congratulatory Cookie Cake

David always has a cookie cake for his birthday.  I didn't get a chance to make his this year for birthday (though he had one when we visiting his parents) but I did make one to celebrate him completing the medicine boards.  It was actually kind of fun...I made it the day before and hit it in our guest room.  Ha! 

I found this recipe that claimed to be just like the cookie cakes that you buy.  I'm not sure I'd say that but only because the pan they instruct you to use makes the cookie so thick!  Texture-wise it was GREAT.  Moist and gooey.  I thought it was great.  David thought it was great. And the other residents thought it was great, too!  I do think I'd make this again.  The instructions say to use a cake pan but I used a spring form pan which was great.  Definitely as good as a store bought cookie cake even if not exactly like it. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake from Life, Love, and Sugar

Yield: one 8 or 9-inch cookie cake

Cookie Cake

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp cornstarch (I think this may be the key)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips OR about 1 cup of chocolate chunks

Vanilla Buttercream

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp water

 

Instructions

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.  Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.  Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper into the bottom of your cake pan (I actually used a springform pan) to help the cookie not stick. Spread the dough out into the cake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.

Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

For Vanilla Buttercream

Beat the shortening and butter until smooth. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and 1 tbsp water. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add more water to get the right consistency.

A Secret not SO Secret

Have you ever seen those recipes that say something about a "secret ingredient" or "you won't believe what ingredient makes these cookies the best?"  Yes?  I have too.  And guess what!  Most of the time, that secret ingredient is pudding.  I don't know...that doesn't seem so secret to me; especially when the secret ingredient is always pudding.  (Ok, so not ALWAYS...but most of the time.)  I actually made my own pudding cookies many years ago, but that's not the recipe I'll share today.  Today's recipe comes from a new site for me, I heart naptime.  K and I made these a few Sundays ago...we seem to be developing a Sunday afternoon baking ritual after she's taken a nap and I get home from boot camp while Daddy keeps napping.  Fun girl time.  And I do love baking with this beautiful sweetie! 

I ended up not having any vanilla pudding so we used butterscotch.  I don't think David even knew it was butterscotch.  One of the things I liked about this recipe was that it wasn't ALL chocolate chips.  A definitely enjoy a good sugar cookie more than a chocolate chip cookie but if you throw in some white chocolate chips in place of some of the chocolate chips I like it better.  David enjoyed these, too.  I guess some chocolate is better than none!  Now, don't get me wrong, the pudding really does make the cookies SO much better.  The texture is soft but not cakey and the flavor is enhanced greatly.  I just don't think it's so much of a secret anymore.  So join us bakers in using pudding in your cookies and enjoy! 

Double Chocolate Pudding Cookies from I Heart Naptime
 1 cup margarine (or butter) softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3.4 oz pkg sugar free instant butterscotch pudding mix
2 eggs (at room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir in pudding mix (dry) and vanilla. Beat in one egg at a time. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Then slowly stir into the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon cookie dough onto the baking sheet/stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy! 

David's Birthday Cookies

So, a couple of posts ago I mentioned a cookie that I made for David to take to work in honor of his birthday.  Here it is. 

My guy is a big fan of chocolate...me, not as much.  I like it but prefer non-chocolate desserts.  However, I found a recipe, of course from Picky Palate (SO many good recipes here!), for a browned butter chocolate chunk cookie on Pinterest (actually, it is the first pin in my "Sweets" board)...and I figured this was a good time to try it out.

 I love browned butter in a cookie.  It just adds such depth to the cookie.  This recipe called for chocolate chunks, but I didn't have any. 

As an afterthought, I added 3 Hershey's chocolate bars to it.  This was a fun change in flavor.  David really enjoyed these, as did everyone else...from the empty container he brought home.  I thought it was pretty good, too...for a chocolate cookie.  ;-)  Test it out for yourself.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Picky Palate
(I doubled this recipe with no problems!)
Ingredients

• 1 stick/1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter into a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt and swirl pan until butter is browned with brown bits stuck to the bottomo of the pan. Takes generally 5-8 minutes.

Place sugars into stand mixer and add browned butter mixing to combine. Add egg, vanilla, mixing to combine then add flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder and chocolate chunks. Mix until combined then scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, pressing cookies evenly, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cookies cool on rack for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

A Quick Recipe Break

I'm having fun reliving our wedding day through the wedding posts, but I thought I'd give you a little break with a recipe. 

As has been established, K loves making things.  I realized this past weekend her entire motivation (well, maybe not ENTIRE but a big one).  We were making something and all that had been done was whipping some eggs and sugar.  I pulled out a spatula to be sure everything was off the bowl before adding more stuff and she says "Can I lick something?"  Good grief!  Anyway, a few weeks ago we made some M&M cookies (the ones that led her to ask for more "emmie m" cookies when we made peanut butter cookies.  I found this recipe on Picky Palate and know that any recipe with pudding in it is great!  It did not disappoint...except that my cookies didn't look nearly as good as hers. Maybe it was due to the fact that we used regular sized M&M's rather than mini.  Who knows!  Alas!  They are good....give them a try!

Perfect M&M Cookies from Picky Palate

• 1 stick/1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose Gold Medal Flour
• 3 tablespoons Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1-1 1/2 cups M and M’s

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream your butter and sugars until well combined. Add your egg and vanilla mixing to combine. Add your flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Add chips and m and m’s stirring to combine.
3. With a medium cookie scoop, place dough 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Cookies a Week Before

A quick post before I leave for work.  In ONE week, I get married!  So excited!  Just wanted to give you a quick recipe.  I made these a few weeks ago to take to work. 

One reason I wanted to make them is because they are called Alice's Chocolate Chip Cookies...and Alice is my mom's name.  :-)  They are definitely a crispy cookie.  The flavor is just a basic chocolate chip cookie but they are definitely leaning to the crispy side.  Not my preference, but then again I don't usually eat many anyway...and these quickly disappeared at work.  :-)  Test them out for yourself. 

Alice’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe via  Sweetnicks who got it from Little Kitchen, who got it from Alice at Savory Sweet Life
Yield: 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 360°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until nice and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and vanilla, and mix for 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. When the cookie dough has absorbed the dry ingredients, stir in the chocolate chips and mix until they are well distributed.  Drop 2 tablespoons of dough (or use a medium cookie scoop) onto the cookie sheet for each cookie, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are nice and golden brown. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes. Then slide the parchment paper, with the cookies still on top, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Surprise...redone!

When I was little, my mom served a dessert one night when my cousins were over.  It was a dessert with a shortbread pecan crust topped with chocolate pudding, cream cheese mixture, and cool whip.  Well, my cousin Joe decided that it would be fun to tell my brother, then about 2-3 years old, that the dessert smelled good and that he should smell it.  Well, he did and....SMACK!  Joe slammed his face into the dessert.  It "exploded" all over the living room, Philip screamed, and Aunt Margaret made not only Joe but his brother and sister clean up the mess!  Ever since that day, we called that dessert "Joe's surprise!"

  A couple of months ago, I found a recipe on pinterest that was exactly like that dessert except that the base was chocolate chip cookie instead of shortbread.  Well, I thought that D would really like it, so I pinned it.  Come December, I decided that it would be the perfect dessert for Christmas.  Everyone liked it!  My dad, I think, preferred the shortbread crust but D, of course, loved the chocolate chip cookie crust.  :-)  I love when he likes what I make!!  I didn't have two chocolate puddings but used one chocolate and one (random) pumpkin.   It added a little cinnamon to the mix.  Yum!  This really is a GREAT dessert!  Try for yourself.  I think it may have to go into the rotation of desserts D likes, along with the brownie trifle he loves.  :-)

Joe's Surprise Remade a.k.a. Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight adapted from Taste of Home
Ingredients:
1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough or one recipe chocolate chip cookies (about 2/3 dough used)
1 package (8 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
3 cups cold skim milk
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix (sugar free)
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant pumpkin/vanilla pudding mix (sugar free)

Preheat oven to 350.  Press cookie dough into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in 1-3/4 cups whipped topping. Spread over crust.

In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes then refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate curls if desired. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours...will be more firm if you have time to refrigerate overnight.  Enjoy!

Yield: 15 servings.

Christmas Mint Cookies

I told D last week that I'd make cookies for him but we ran out of time before he had to go home...work was calling the next day.  I decided to make cookies anyway!  He doesn't really like mint, but I wanted to make cookies with the Christmas mint M&M's...so I did one pan with no M&M's and the rest with them.  They turned out REALLY good. 

D said he liked them a lot.  I think I'd consider making this a new base dough recipe with varied mix ins.  I think one thing that made it better was the "sprinkle" of cream of tartar...I love that stuff!  Anyway, try these out for your favorite little elves...or even Santa!  :-)

Christmas Mint Cookies
2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
sprinkle/pinch cream of tartar
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup mint M&M's

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar.  Cream for 5 minutes.  Add egg and vanilla.  When mixed together, stir in dry ingredients.  Dough will be thick.  Add in chocolate chips and M&M's.  Place walnut sized drops of dough on a baking stone or pan.  Place pan in oven and bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack.  Enjoy! 

Oreo stuffed Cookie Bars

Back several months ago when D was on a call rotation, I helped with K every fourth night.  Pretty much, every time I kept her, I baked after she went to bed!  This is one of the recipes I made.  I did forget to get caramel, so instead of being oreo AND caramel stuffed, these are just oreo stuffed...and they are STILL fantastic! 

There's something about all of a sudden coming to that center icing of the oreo in the middle of a cookie bar.  I took them to the lounge at work and, per usual, they were devoured!  Try them out...they'd be fun Christmas goodies. You could even use some of the special holiday oreo flavors for some fun.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Bars from Recipe Girl
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temp
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
24 oreos (recipe says double stuffed which would be awesome!)
1 cup jarred caramel (I didn't have this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13X9 pan.  In a large bowl of a mixer, place butter and sugars.  Cream until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla.  Beat well.  Stir in flour, oats, baking soda and powder, and salt until well incorporated.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Spread half of the dough in the bottom of the pan.  (This is done easily with your hands.  I wet my hand with water, recipe girl used baking spray).  Place oreos on top of dough, evenly spaced.  Spoon remaining dough over the oreos and spread with your hands.  It's okay if it doesn't cover all the cookies (though it drove me CRAZY!), when it bakes, it will cover them.  Place pan in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely and cut into desired sized bars.  Enjoy!

Mixer Not Required

During the month of August, D was on a rotation where he was on call every 4th night.  This meant that I kept K every 4th night.  I did quite a bit of baking that month...some with her and some after she went to bed.  This was a cookie that she helped me to make.

K making cookies for Daddy

  D liked it a lot and even said his dad would like them.  Word to the wise, do NOT use light butter for this.  The second time I made these for D's dad, I had accidentally purchased light butter and didn't have any regular butter.  It just didn't turn out nearly as well...still okay but not stellar. 

The original...stellar!  There is just something about butter melted in a pan that makes a unique flavor even if it's not quite browned.  Try these out with YOUR little kitchen helper sometime!

Saucepan M&M Cookies
8 tablespoons (1stick) butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup M&M's

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Remove from the heat and add the sugars.  Whisk until smooth.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.  When butter mixture has cooled, add the egg and vanilla.  Stir well.  Add the flour and stir until blended.  Let this cool well.  Stir in chocolate chips and candy. 

For large cookies, use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop dough; place on prepared pan.  For regular sized cookies, use a Tablespoon sized scoop.  Place pan in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.  Remove when done and let cool on pan, then remove to cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Cookies for Doc!

A few weeks ago, I picked K up from daycare and kept her because D was on call.  When I got her, she was a little fussy, so I asked her if she wanted to make cookies. 

She immediately perked up and said "We'll make cookies for Doc! (my dad)"  I just went along with it.  Well...she really thought that my parents were going to show up.  "Where are Doc and Allie?"  When I told her they were at their house she kind of pouted and said "But we made cookies for them!  When are they getting their cookies?!"  Poor K!  I think they're coming soon, though, and we'll make some cookies for Doc then!  :-)  The cookies we made this time were an attempt at making Levain bakery cookies. 

Now, I've never been to Levain bakery but I have seen many different "clone" recipes and the cookies all look great!  So, I decided to try the out.  They were really good.  I did mostly small cookies but did try two big ones.  D wondered why I made so many "bite sized" cookies!  :-) 

They weren't really cakey but not chewy either.  K had a hard time waiting on them to cook but eventually got her cookie and enjoyed a great bedtime snack...in cookie pajamas because "they match the cookies!"

Levain Cookies adapted from Plain Chicken
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, optional
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add  eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. Gradually add the flour, mixing just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans (if using).





If making small cookies, scoop by tablespoons and place on baking pan.  Cooke for 12-13 minutes.  OR to make large cookies, divide the cookie dough into 12 equal parts.  Roll into balls.  Place cookie dough balls in the freezer for 10 minutes.  Remove from freezer and place 6 cookies on each cookie sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool 5 to 7 minutes on the cookie sheets. Enjoy!

The freezing, I think, really made a difference in the large cookies...may try this method again with other cookies.