Cutler's Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies

It's January 15. Are you ready to break your New Years resolution? Read on.
Back in November, Curt Cutler taught a class on one of his best sellers: Frosted Peanut Butter cookies. The class was packed, and everyone left with little tricks and tips on how to make the perfect chocopeanutbutter treat. You've never had one of these delightful goodies? Think of chocolate chip cookie dough, only with peanut butter chips instead of chocolate. Add a thin layer of peanut butter frosting, topped with chocolate butter cream frosting.
Oh my.
Forget the diet.
Get out the mixer.
BTW - If you live in the area and want to learn how to make Cutler's famous Sugar cookies  Curt's teaching a class on Wednesday, January 30.  Two classes:
10 am  and 2 pm  (update-both filled as of 1/24). Ten dollars buys you: instruction, recipes, a sample and lunch. Pre-registration required. Hurry classes are filling up fast.
Where else can you get a deal like that?
Btown.
Love it.






Cutler's Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies
Curt Cutler
print recipe

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 1/4 cups cake flour ( he uses cake flour in all of Cutler's cookies)
1- 12 oz bag Reese's Peanut Butter chips (no substitutions)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
Cream together butter, sugars, salt, baking soda and powder.  Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
Add flour and peanut butter chips. Mix just until flour and chips are blended together.
Using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, or just a large spoon, scoop into 2 inch balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 4 inches apart.  I bake about 8 cookies per sheet.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until set.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, soft-room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (not natural)
milk to thin to proper consistency (whole milk is best)

Cream together room-temperature butter and powdered sugar. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add milk a tablespoon at time, just until frosting is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Chocolate Frosting
1 cup butter or 1/2 and 1/2 blend butter/margarine
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (or less if you like a lighter cocoa frosting)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk

Cream butter and 5 cups powdered sugar. Add cocoa and vanilla. Add milk a tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more powdered sugar.

After cookies are cooled, frost with peanut butter frosting. Then frost on top of the peanut butter frosting with the chocolate frosting. When spreading the chocolate frosting on top of the peanut butter frosting, be very gentle and leave a small space between the edge of the peanut butter frosting and the chocolate frosting for a layered frosting look (see photos).

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Chewy Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Question of the day. What could possibly make a simple Coconut Cookie recipe better?
One word. Chocolate.
I fiddled with Martha's basic cookie recipe (which I found on this site) and came up with this chewy, chocolaty nugget of goodness yesterday afternoon. If you love chocolate and coconut together...
Merry Christmas to you.



























Chewy Chocolate Coconut Cookies
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon coconut emulsion
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (add an additional 1/4 cup if you are high altitude)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
11/2 cup sweetened coconut, divided (1/2 for batter, 1 cup for rolling and topping)
1-2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack on center of oven.
Cream butter and sugar together in large bowl or mixing bowl fitted with paddle. Add egg and mix until smooth. Add coconut emulsion and vanilla, mix. Add flour, salt, soda and cocoa powder. Mix just until flour disappears and all ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix.
Fold in 1/2 cup coconut. Mixture may be dry and not form together well. If this is the case, add one to two tablespoons of milk and gently mix, just until dough comes together. I used one tablespoon.
Scoop the dough out using a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop or a spoon, form into balls.
Roll balls of dough into coconut on one side. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet or parchment paper.
Slightly flatten the dough. Bake at 350 degrees, for about 10 minutes.
When set, remove from oven and top with additional coconut while cookies are still hot. Lightly press the coconut into the top of the cookie.
Makes about 18 cookies.

Tips:

-Check out Cake Central for questions about emulsion vs extract.

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ABK's Butterscotch Hello Dolly! Bars

These bars have been around forever. We  baked a variation of these and served them at our wedding reception back in 1982. I know, 1982? Yes, we had ovens back then. 

I believe these were one of Grant's Grandmother's favorites, so we added it to our dessert menu for the reception. We had all kinds of other yummy treats including hundreds of little finger sandwiches that Grandmother Lauder and Great Aunt Mille made the day before the wedding. What a wonderful memory and legacy they left their families of love and service! I still remember those little rolled and layered sandwiches, and the buffet of miniature desserts: Chiffon Nut Bars, Peanut Butter Balls, Shortbread cookies and Hello Dolly Bars.

Most people know this dessert by the name "7 Layer Bars" or Hello Dolly Bars.   I tweaked this recipe over the years to include a thicker layer of the filling, and baked it less to make the treats a little less dry, and a little more chewy.
Every Christmas cookie tray needs a bar cookie.
This is it. Crushed cookies and butter. Two types of chocolate. A little butterscotch. A layer of caramel. Coconut and pecans.  What more could you ask for in a treat?
I've died and gone to heaven.
Not really. Ill be back tomorrow with another Christmas cookie recipe. 

ABK's Butterscotch Hello Dolly!  Bars

A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup Veritable Petit Beurre crackers*,
or crushed shortbread cookies (2 cups total crumbs)
1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cup (11 oz.) butterscotch-flavored chips
1 cup (6 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 small package (7-9 oz)  or about 1 1/2 cups, loosely packed coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans are preferred)

Heat oven 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan lightly with non stick cooking spray.
Pulse crackers in a food processor or finely crush in a bag. Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 tablespoon sugar; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom of prepared pan. 

Top with 2 cups milk chocolate chips.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture and milk chocolate chips.

Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or diamonds. Yield: 2 dozen bars.

Tips:
-*Veritable Petit Buerre crackers are a plain slightly sweet biscuit-type cracker sold in Europe. I had some in my pantry and used them in this recipe. Don't feel like you need to use up your stash of imported crackers or cookies to make this recipe. Any type of dry, sweet cracker or cookie will work. Or you may use all graham crackers instead of combining two types of cookie.
-If you want to make a really thick bar, use a 9x9 pan and bake for an additional 8 minutes on the lower third of the oven.

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Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

Who doesn't love a piece of Texas Sheet Cake? This recipe takes the basic Texas Sheet Cake recipe and converts it into cupcakes. When I finished baking, I had Jake (16) test them out.
He loved them, then almost fell off his chair laughing when I told him what they were called.
Why so funny? Because one of his friends (who will remain nameless)  LOVES to say Sheee-it  (with extra emphasis on the eee). Instead of the S-word.
Jake thought I was saying "Texas Sheee-it Cake Cupcakes".
Hilarious, Jacob.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

adapted from Blue-Eyed Bakers

print recipe


For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/3 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4-6 tablespoons milk to thin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar & salt and set aside.

In a large pan on stove,  melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder & boiling water.  Mix well. 

Remove from heat and add dry ingredients, stir until just combined. I use a large whisk to combine ingredients.
Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda & vanilla. Stir into the chocolate/flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated, using either a hand mixer or large whisk. Fill prepared pan & bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Melt butter in a saucepan.  Remove from heat. Add cocoa powder, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk or use beaters and mix until smooth. Add powdered sugar  and 4 tablespoons milk and beat until smooth again. Add more milk if needed. 

Top with chopped pecans.

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes

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Cutler's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

What's on your list of fun ways to spend a morning? How about hanging out at a bakery?
I spent some time last week at Cutler's bakery where Curt, Troy and Shaun were working their magic- mixing, shaping and baking up dozens of cookies.  They were baking up: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Brownie Marshmallow and Pumpkin Choco Chip Cookies. I may or may not have had a sample.
Or two.
We had deep conversations about - The perfect bran muffin. The best bread for sandwich making. Chocolate chips, what brand is best (Guittard). And how to properly form and frost a cookie. Curt and Shaun have their own special knives they prefer to use while frosting cookies. They still hand frost every cookie they sell. You have to love a local business that still makes all of their cookies from scratch.
October = pumpkin cookie season. You'll love Cutler's recipe. If you can't bring yourself to whip up a batch, go see Curt, he'll sell you a few.

Cutler's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cutler's Cookies, Bountiful, Utah
print recipe

1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
5 cups cake flour*
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and spices. Continue beating for about 2  additional minutes.  Add rest of ingredients to bowl and mix just until flour disappears and all ingredients are combined.
Using a large cookie (or ice cream) scoop, place dough onto parchment lined baking sheets or lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheet before transferring to plate.

Tips:
-*Cutler's uses cake flour in all of their cookie recipes. Cake flour will create a lighter texture and a more cake like cookie, compared to cookies baked with all purpose flour. If you do not have cake flour, all purpose flour will work fine. You will have to add up to one additional cup of flour to the recipe (6 total cups of flour).
-Do not flatten the balls of cookie dough after placing on the baking sheet.
-If using a convection oven, you may lower the baking time to 8-10 minutes.

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Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

I still remember the first time I ate an ice cream cake. I was 16 and it came from Baskin and Robbins in my (then) little hometown of Bremerton, WA. My friend Lance worked at B&R on Wheaton Way.  I loved going in and chatting with him and eating a scoop of Fudge Brownie (dark chocolate with brownie chunks) on a sugar cone. One day, I had a slice of an ice cream cake.
Oh.
My.
Finding two of my favorite treats in one dessert- cake and  ice cream, topped with frosting, this was love.
Several years later, when I had kids, I started making ice cream cakes for them. It was way less expensive than buying a birthday cake and always tasted better. Ice cream cake was (and continues to be) a big hit with kids and adults alike. It's simple and one of those treats you'll get requests for over and over again.
This is my new favorite cake recipe to use when making an ice cream cake. So simple to make, you only need one bowl. It's adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe found here.  I modified it to bake up at our mountain altitude, and added sour cream for an extra moist cake.  Love the texture. It's dense enough to support the ice cream and frosting, and still fairly light, like a cake should be. I used Tillamook's "Udderly Chocolate" ice cream for the filling. YUM.

Are you still reading? Do you want to know who the winner is for our "blogiversary" giveaway? Me too. Okay, here goes.

Winner of 10 gift certificates for Tillamook yogurt; 3 gift certificates for Tillamook ice cream; the Tillamook Cheese Cookbook; and the Vintage Cakes Cookbook by Julie Richardson is...

Comment #9, Mandy B who said:
"My favorite cake is my mom's birthday cake - white or yellow cake with her special birthday cake frosting!"

Thanks everyone for playing and for all of your kind comments about this blog and sharing your fave cakes.  Now here's the recipe. Give it a try, let me know what you think...

Step-by-step assembly for your viewing pleasure :)

After you have made and completely cooled the cake, place it on a plate, or  a 10 inch cake pan lined with wax paper. Scoop the ice cream onto the cake. I use a large spoon, because I don't want the ice cream to come out in large rounded scoops. Start covering the first layer with ice cream.

FYI- this is Tillamook's "Udderly Chocolate" a mixture of milk chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate flakes.  Cover the entire top of the first layer with ice cream.

After you have covered the first layer with ice cream, top it with the second cake layer. Place another piece of parchment or wax paper on top of the cakes and press down to bring the sides of the cake together.

Finished product:

Wowie.

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ice cream, 1.75 quart container of chocolate (I used Tillamook)
Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Place rack in center of oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2-9 inch round cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment, and dust with cocoa.
Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on medium speed, stir in eggs, buttermilk, warm water, sour cream, oil, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely. I place the layers on a cooling rack in the fridge to cool them quickly.

Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3-4 tablespoons milk or cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash of salt

Cream butter, powdered sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. Mix in milk and vanilla, add salt. Beat until smooth add a little more milk if needed.

Assembly, three basic steps:

1. When cakes are cooled completely, place one of the cakes on a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. I like to place the cake in a 10 inch Spring form pan or 10 inch cake pan, but a plate will work as well. Scoop the ice cream onto the cake. I use about 3/4 of the container. Try to make an even layer of the ice cream, then place the second layer of cake on top of the ice cream. Using another piece of parchment or wax paper, Press down on the top layer of cake. Don't worry the cake will not be ruined, press down evenly, so the ice cream will be compacted and the layers meet up more closely on the sides. Don't cry if part of the cake sticks to the paper, just scrape it off an eat it as an appetizer.
* see additional note below about pressing down on cake.

2. Place the cake in the freezer for at least two hours.

3. When ice cream cake has been frozen for at least two hours, remove from freezer and place on serving plate. Frost top and sides of cake. Place back in freezer and let sit for at least another hour.
If preparing ahead and cake is frozen for several hours, remove about 30 minutes before serving to allow for easier cutting.

Tips:
-Don't let the length of this recipe intimidate you. It's basically cake, ice cream and frosting. Best to start this recipe the day before serving. You can make the cakes, and place in the freezer or fridge for easy handling. Make sure to freeze on a  flat surface.
-I have used lots of different recipes over the years. Boxed, home made, they all work well with ice cream cakes. But home made is always best :)
-You may use any flavor of ice cream. I thought when I picked up this flavor it was plain chocolate. While I loved the flavor and taste of "Udderly Chocolate", I prefer a solid color for the ice cream layer. I just like the way it looks as opposed to the mixed brown and white of this particular carton of ice cream.
-*Pressing down on the second layer of cake: This step is important if you want to be able to frost the sides of the cake and avoid huge gaps between the cakes. Press down evenly. It may be helpful to press down using a cookie sheet to get an even surface.
-This cake keeps well in the freezer for about 2 weeks if covered tightly with plastic wrap.

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Southern Lady Brownies

Last week, my nephew Brandon, and his bride Ashley celebrated their new life together. We hosted a wedding shower and served:  Yogurt with fresh fruit and Peanut Butter and Cashew Granola; Veggie Tea Sandwiches;  Turkey, Irish Cheese and Apples on Pita Triangles with Cranberry Mayo;  Quinoa Salad;  Limeade Slush and for dessert- Southern Lady Brownies.
Sheri gave me this recipe years ago, when she married Scott.  Someone brought them to a dinner before their wedding. I loved the way they looked, kind of like a brownie Petit Four. I'm not sure what the original name was? But after enjoying them in the South, I named them Southern Lady Brownies. They are perfect for a ladies luncheon,when you want to serve something special and a little on the dainty side.
Congratulations Brandon and Ashley! Love you.

This is the "trim around edges to make even" step. I bagged all of the trimmings and placed into the bag above, they lasted till about 9 the same evening. Grant and Jake used them to make hot fudge brownie sundaes.

After trimming, set the brownies on a cooling rack or a tray. 

Frost and top with a pecan.  

Southern Lady Brownies
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

1 1/2 cups butter ( I prefer unsalted)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
Using a double boiler or very low heat on stovetop, melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan. Mix with whisk. Remove from heat and let cool.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add sugar and vanilla and mix until all ingredients are combined. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Mix again until all ingredients are combined.
Pour the flour, soda and salt into the bowl with the other ingredients and mix just until wet and dry ingredients are combined.
Line a 9x13 pan with foil, and spray the foil with non stick cooking spray. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cook just until brownies are done, and a toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Remove from oven.  Use a spatula and press the edges of the brownies down while still warm.
Lifting foil, remove brownies out of pan when cooled. Use a knife or spatula and trim around edges of brownies to make even.
Cut into about 30 small pieces.
Prepare Frosting.

Icing:
1/2 cup butter
2 squares or 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk or half and half
dash of salt
pecan halves for top of brownie

Soften the butter for 30 seconds in the microwave.  Add the melted chocolate and mix. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until smooth. Add milk or cream and salt until the frosting is desired consistency. If you want the icing to cover the brownie and drip down the sides of the brownie, thin the icing with additional milk (about 2 additional tablespoons).
Spoons the icing onto each brownie. Top immediately with pecan half.


Tips:
- I altered the original recipe so the brownies would be a bit thicker and slightly more cake like. The original recipe also called for a beaten egg in the icing, which I omitted and added a bit of milk instead achieve a spreading consistency.
-Use an electric beater to make the icing, it will help eliminate any lumps in the icing, and give a smooth, silky consistency. 

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Cutler's Brownie Marshmallow Cookies

It's no secret that brownies are my favorite (and cookies, cake and pie). When I need a chocolate fix, and want to avoid baking, my car steers itself to Cutler's. These cookies are a little bit of choco-marshmallow heaven on earth.
Curt Cutler, the B-town Cookie King, taught a class at a South Fork recently. He's always willing to share tips and tricks to making perfect cookies. Curt's #1 tip? Using cake flour in all of his cookie recipes. When you are baking at a high altitude (we are at about 4,400 ft in Btown), adding additional flour or using cake flour is essential to produce cookies that look like cookies, and not pancakes. Another tip- Curt used to buy marshmallow creme until a little while back, when the supplier wasn't able to deliver- he checked out a few recipes and started making his own. Oh my. So good. Simple too. Forget about that stuff in the tall glass jar at the grocery. Once you whip up Curt's marshmallow creme,  you'll never look back. Trust me, you'll love these cookies.

Cutler's Brownie  Marshmallow Cookies

Cutler's Cookies, Bountiful, Utah
print recipe

1 cup butter

1 2/3 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 1/3 cups cake flour*

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until blended well. Add dry ingredients and mix.  Cookies can be rolled, formed into drop cookies, or pressed into a 9 x 13 pan (double recipe and bake time).  Roll and form cookies and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Cookies are done when top is slightly cracked and no longer looks wet.

Marshmallow Creme

3 egg whites

2 cups light corn syrup

½ teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine egg whites, corn syrup, and salt.  Beat on high speed for 10 minutes or until thick.  Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until blended.  Add vanilla and blend.  May be frozen for later use.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter

4-5 cups powdered sugar

milk

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat soft butter, cocoa, and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add a splash of milk and vanilla, blend well.

Assembly:

Spread cooled cookies with about 1 tablespoon of marshmallow creme. Top the creme with frosting. 

Try not to eat the whole batch before your kids get home from school. 

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River Road Brownies

This recipe comes from the Baton Rouge Jr. League Cookbook, "Second Helping".
I cut these into 1 1/2 inch squares, and they were some of the best little brownie bites I've eaten.

River Road Brownies
Baton Rouge Jr. League, Baton Rouge, LA
print recipe

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sifted flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts


Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until mixed well with butter and sugar mixture. Add all dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Fold in nuts.
Pour into foil lined, greased 8 inch square pan.
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

Chocolate Butter Frosting

1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate (1 1/2 oz)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons milk or cream

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Combine chocolate mixture with remaining ingredients, beat until thoroughly blended.

Frost cooled brownies, cut when cooled completely. Yields about 2-3 dozen bite sized pieces.

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Super Simple 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm probably the last person on the planet to try this recipe. I saw it the other day on my new found love, Pinterest, and pinned away. My comment was something like "Serious? 5 ingredient cookies?"
I wondered how good they could really be, without flour, and only 5 ingredients. I showed them to Jake and he said, "If these are good, I'm making them every weekend for girls, they'll think I'm a genius".
Hello, Jake, I hate to break it to you but it will take a lot more than this...
So we whipped up a batch. The skeptic in me thought -these will probably be awful.  Guess what? Pleasantly surprised. I followed the directions exactly, and in less than 1/2 hour we were sampling some pretty tasty cookies.
I'm thinking my friends (who will remain nameless)  that have cooking/baking challenges will be able to throw these together in a flash, and succeed in the kitchen! Great for peeps with gluten issues too. And college students. How about those living abroad who have trouble buying ingredients for treats? Everything except the egg can be packaged and sent.
Super simple, pantry-ready, yummy homemade cookies in just a few minutes. Yum.

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pinterest
print recipe

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda
½ heaping cup milk chocolate chips ( I like Guittard brand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips. When blended, mix in the chocolate chips. Using a small scoop, form 1 1/2 inch balls (dough will be very wet and sticky) and place onto an un-greased parchment  or Silpat (silicone) lined cookie sheet*. Don't  make them too big because they spread. 

Bake for 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely before removing. 

Tips:

-I also baked one pan without a liner of any type, ungreased on the cookie sheet, they did not stick and turned out just like the other pans. 

-I did not pat the scoops of dough down at all before baking. 

-Yield about 24 cookies. 

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Giant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My friend Eden Bennett gave me this recipe about 100 years ago.
I think it's the best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
Ever.
Oh, make sure you have some milk chilling. You'll need a big, tall glass.













Giant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Eden Bennett
print recipe

2 cups butter, slightly softened, no substitutes
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups quick oats
1 1/2 bags Guittard or other milk chocolate chips

The day before or several hours before baking:
Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until no longer grainy. About 3 minutes.

Combine all dry ingredients in bowl. Mix in a little at a time to wet ingredients. Do not over mix. Blend just until wet and dry ingredients are combined, You may also mix by hand to prevent over-mixing. Fold in chocolate chips.
Scoop dough onto one large jelly roll pan, using a 2-3 inch cookie or ice cream scoop. Place cookie dough onto pan, closely together until all of the dough is scooped out. You should have approximately 36 balls of dough.
Cover pan with Saran wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until dough is chilled completely.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place dough onto cookie sheets, no more than 6 cookies per pan. Slightly flatten top of cookie with spatula or palm of your hand.
Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely on baking sheet.

Tips:
-I like the flavor of Guittard Milk Chocolate Chips. The Guittard chips are also larger than a standard chocolate chip.
-To bring the butter to perfect temperature, remove from refrigerator and microwave 1 cup (2 cubes) at a time for 15-20 seconds.  Or set on counter for about 30 minutes.

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Original Toll House Pie

Want to make a guaranteed home run dessert? Like my baseball talk?  Baseball practice started today, accompanied by a foot of snow. 

I promise if you make this dessert, everyone who eats it, will love it. 

What's not to love? Chocolate chip cookie filling +  homemade pie crust = love.  Yes, homemade pie crust.

Store bought crust? lalalalalalalala. I can't hear you.

Toll House Pie

adapted from Nestle

print recipe

1-9 inch unbaked pie crust

3/4 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour (3/4 cup if omitting nuts)

1 1/2  cups chocolate chips, Nestle semi-sweet are best for this recipe

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and vanilla until blended well. Next, add all of the dry ingredients into the same bowl, mixing all at once, just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.

Pour filling into unbaked pie shell (recipe below).

Bake on center rack of oven for about 50 minutes or until knife inserted about half way from center of pie to crust (outer edge of pie) comes out clean.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Pie Crust

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup solid shortening

1/4 cup cold water

Cut shortening into flour and salt  in medium size bowl, until the mixture resembles small pieces the size of peas. Add cold water all at once. Mix with a fork until dough starts to form into a ball, do not over mix. Add additional flour to the dough just until the dough is not sticky. Sprinkle flour out onto a flat surface. Roll the dough out and place in a 9 inch pie plate. Lightly press into the corners of the plate.  Crimp the edges. Fill and bake as directed above.

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Molten Lava Cakes

What do you do to celebrate Valentine's Day? This year, we're doing something extra special.  Our 15 year old, Jake,  has a church basketball game at- get this, 6:30 PM, February 14.
Uh.
Hello.
Person who set up the church-ball schedule: IT'S VALENTINES DAY, EVENING. WHATEVER.
If you are looking for a special treat to whip up for your sweetheart on Feb 14, try these lava cakes. I've made them twice in the past two weeks. They're quick and easy and absolutely decadent.

Molten Lava Cakes

adapted from Paula Deen

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6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate
2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, or semi sweet chocolate chips
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter

1 1/2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar

3 large eggs, beaten
3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Generously grease 6-8 (6-ounce) custard cups. 

Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Remove from heat.  Add the sugar to chocolate mixture. Mix until dissolved.  Whisk in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Add the vanilla. Fold in the flour, just until flour is no longer visible. 

Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. 

Place in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be soft. Remove from oven. Let sit on counter for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.

Tips:

-Use good quality chocolate. I like Ghiradelli Bittersweet, sold in the baking aisle. 

-Make sure to generously grease the cups, or you will have a hard time removing the cakes in one piece. 

-I tested this recipe twice, found the following: it yields either 6 large cakes, meaning 6 lava cakes for people who really like a rich, good size portion of dessert. If you are serving this with ice cream and berries, you can get by with a smaller portion, or portioning out the batter into 8 cups. 

Baking time- The original recipe calls for baking at 425, I found this a little too high, and adjusted to 400 the second time. Make sure the outer edges of the cake is done, or springs back when touched, and the center has a crust on top, but is still gooey. 

-If baking ahead, you may bake the cakes for about 10 minutes and let sit for a few minutes, run the knife around the edges and let cool. When ready to serve, invert and microwave for about 15 seconds, or leave in custard cups and cover with foil and warm in the oven at 275 for about 10 minutes. 

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Chocolate Jalapeno Bites

Are you struggling to keep your New year's resolutions to eat healthier? Say yes.

I know I am. Keep reading for inspiration. 

In January, we had Kari Cutler teach a class titled "Everything Counts" at South Fork. This is a philosophy Kari has adopted in her every day life the past few years. In December of 2008, she was 65 pounds heavier, and decided that she needed to make a change in her life. Being a wife, mother and CEO of  Social Marketing Consultants, she knew that her shift toward a healthy lifestyle couldn't be inconvenient or expensive, and it had to work for her family and their tastes. Kari believes that each meal we eat and the ingredients we cook with either adds to, or takes away from the quality of our lives and our overall health. She presented an amazing class, showing us options regarding fresh vs. processed, organic vs. conventionally grown and generally how to make good choices while cooking. We also learned about raw vs. cooked foods and were able to sample a variety of healthy foods that were not only presented beautifully, but also (to my surprise) had great flavors.  Kari's lifestyle change has made all the difference in the way she feels and looks (seriously, she looks fantastic at almost 50!) We had a great time sampling hummus, fresh ground almond butter, purple sweet potato chips, tortilla soup, and  Chocolate-Jalapeno Bites to name a few. 

If you are looking for a treat to make that isn't filled with sugar and fat for your Valentine, this is a great alternative. It's not a box of chocolates, but it's pretty tasty if you or your sweetheart are trying to kick the sugar habit!  I would compare these to a soft granola-fruit-chocolate bar but more appealing to the eye if rolled into a ball and served in a cute mini-cupcake liner. Oh, one last thing, we all wondered at the class if this would be too hot, as in spicy-hot. Not at all. The jalapeno adds to the flavor of the treat, but interestingly, doesn't add heat. 

Chocolate Jalapeno Bites
Kari Cutler
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1 banana

1 jalapeno

¾ cup fresh or soaked dried dates

½ cup hemp protein powder or rice protein powder

½ cup roasted carob powder (you may use cocoa powder, if desired)

¼ cup ground flax seed

¼ cup raw, unsalted macadamia nuts

½ cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

2 tbsp hemp seeds

Sea salt to taste

In a food processor, process dates until they form a paste.  Add all other ingredients and form into 1-inch balls. Using a small scoop works best.  Refrigerate.  May be kept in a tightly covered refrigerator container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. 

Optional: Roll formed balls in a mixture of ½ cup processed macadamia nuts, ¼ cup carob powder and ½ teaspoon powdered or granulated Stevia before serving.

Makes approximately 18 1-inch treats

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