“Dump” Cookies

Please pardon the name, but that is just want came to mind when I whipped these up today… These cookies pretty much have every ingredient you can think of chocolate, oats, nuts, and dried fruit! In addition I made a few of these cookies extra special for two close friends of mine, they are celebrating their one year home ownership anniversary today! Congrats Nick and Katie on turning your house into a home over the last year!

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my day than baking for friends 🙂 Also now that I think about it my friends had a large tree take a “dump” on their garage within 4 days of moving in last year so I think these cookies are very fitting! You can read more about that here on their blog 🙂

Ingredients ( Make 3 dozen cookies) Preheat oven to 350

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

• Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.
• Combine flour, soda, oats, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans. Drop  tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 8 to 14 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

To make some of the cookies extra special for my friends I sprinkled shredded coconut on them just before popping them in the oven! Alex isn’t a big coconut fan so I left the rest of the cookies coconut free, but either way they will be delicious!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, 2005

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last week I officially started my first big girl job at a local Milwaukee Hospital. I can’t tell you how excited/ scared I am. So far everything is going great, and I’m ready  to dive right in and start my nursing career! This transition has been going quite well, and I hope I can keep up the energy I seem to have lately! With the half marathon only 2 weeks away, and 40 hours of work each week I still feel like I can do it all. I’m sure that will change very soon, but I’m going to take advantage of every minute that I feel motivated. In addition I now need to make myself a lunch every day. So when I’m packing up my brown bag this week I’ll be having these cookies as desert… you know right before I get ready to pound the hallways saving lives 🙂

(Makes 2 – 2 1/2 Dozen Cookies)

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Butter (Softened)
• 1 Cup Peanut Butter
• 3/4 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2  Cup Sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 3/4 Tablespoons Milk
• 3/4 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/4 Cups Flour
• 3/4 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup  Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions (Preheat Oven to 350)

In a mixing bowl combine the butter and peanut butter, and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Add the brown and white sugars and mix until well combined. Add the egg and mix for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is well combined and light in color. Add the milk and vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix just briefly. While there are still large spots of flour, add the chocolate chips and mix until the flour is completely mixed in and the mixture is well combined. Let the cookie dough sit for 15 minutes before scooping onto the baking sheets.

Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets leaving about 1 to 2 inches in between the cookies to allow for spreading as they bake. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes after baking before removing them to a cooling rack. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Store in an air tight container and enjoy all week long!

Recipe adapted from Melskitchencafe.com

Chocolate Cream Cheese Oreo Brownies

WARNING, THESE ARE NOT HEALTHY! They will make you wish you never laid eyes on them 🙂 This is not normally something I make or eat, but these are for a very special occasion. A good friend of mine just returned from Afghanistan, and I wanted to welcome him home with a guilty pleasure. I asked him what he wanted, and he requested brownies. I love brownies, but I wanted to make something extra decadent! He hosted a welcome home party this past weekend, and I brought these bad boys along to share.

(Makes 12 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
• 1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 Cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/3 + 1/4 cups of Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 3 Large Eggs
• 4 Oz of Cream Cheese
• 1 Bag of Mini Oreo’s

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan by buttering the bottom and then using two pieces of parchment paper criss-crossed over the bottom and up over the sides.
• Place chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Allow to melt, then stir to combine.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients well.
• When the butter and chocolate are melted, remove them from heat and stir in the sugar.
• Lightly beat 2 eggs in a bowl and then mix them into the bowl along with the vanilla extract.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula or spoon mixing just until incorporated.
• Put brownie mixture in your prepared pan
• To prepare the cream cheese mixture, mix softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar. Add the egg and mix well.
• Put dollops of brownie mixture in the pan and follow with spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture. Use a knife, moving it back and forth to swirl the two mixtures.
• Sprinkle the top with mini Oreo’s to your liking.
• Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. It should not be dry.
• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the brownies and let cool completely before cutting.
• Run a large knife under hot water and cut brownies into squares.

If you can imagine these were a total hit 🙂 I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Recipe Adapted from IslandSpice.com

Triple Chocolate Cake Cookies

A few months ago I discovered cake batter cookies, which I must say are such a great invention! The cookies come out soft and chewie, which is a must in my book, and you can whip up a batch in no time flat! Here is the recipe I developed for Triple Chocolate Cake Cookies.

Makes 16-18 cookies ( Preheat oven to 350 degrees)

Ingredients

• 1/2 Box of Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 Cup White Chocolate Chips

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix until well incorporated. The dough will be dryer than your typical cookie dough, but this is normal. Drop spoon-fulls of dough onto a baking sheet, and place into your preheated oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely on a rack.

I think from start to finish you can easily have these cookies done in 20 minutes! Also with the wide variety of cake mixes out there you can create some really fun and tasty combinations!

Holy Cupcake!

I had a massage this morning at The Institute of Beauty and Wellness (IBW)! Let me just say, if you have never had a service done by a student you are totally missing out! I’m there several times a month getting pampered, as I should be! From hair, to skin, and nails you can have a full spa day on a budget! I don’t know about you, but I love me a deal!

Ok, back to what this post is really about Cupcakes! As I was walking out from my appointment The Milwaukee Cupcake Company caught my eye. I have always want to try their creations, and today seemed like the perfect day! I got one for Alex, and one for myself. Lets just say I was very impressed! My cupcake was a pear and ginger cupcake, with glitter pear butter cream frosting, and the most adorable eatable flower on top. Absolute perfection. For Alex, a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup cupcake, with chocolate butter cream a drizzle of chocolate, and half a peanut butter cup on top.

So if you ever happen to be in the Third Ward stop on in and treat your sweet tooth! Happy weekend everyone!