Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of the many dangers for me is Nutella.  I try and avoid buying it at all costs...mostly because I will eat the whole jar.  It is very hard for me not to.  But then I walk into Smith's and see the Kroger brand of Nutella and it is much les $$$ that I cannot resist.  And then Picky Palate posts about these cookies...

...and I HAVE TO make them.  Simple.  Chocolate Chip Cookies and Nutella...and they are soooo good!  They are soft and the perfect...ooey...gooey...and one is enough unless you are a crazy Nutella person...then two or three will do.

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar

1 Cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10 oz bag chocolate chips

1 jar Nutella 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  Flatten the top of the dough and make a little depression and spoon in some Nutella. However much you want...a lot of a little. :) 
Take another scoop of dough and place on top. Seal edges together by pressing until Nutella is enclosed with dough. Bake cookies for 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!!!

Make Caramel using ?

I found this recipe for some no bake Twix Bars and the most awesome thing (I think) is how you make the caramel.  Graham Crackers...yep...you heard me right you use sugar, butter and graham crackers.  It is amazing and tastes good too.  And because we are low sodium in my house, I used Unsalted Tops Saltine Crackers instead of Club crackers, and Unsalted Butter instead of margarine.  They are so easy, and surprise they do taste like a Twix candy bar.  If you decide to try the low sodium I don't think you would even notice. :)

Twix Bars

2 pkgs Unsalted Top Saltines {or cracker of choice}

Caramel Filling

1 cup Graham Crackers, crushed

3/4 cup Brown Sugar,packed

1/3 cup White Sugar

1/3 cup Milk

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

Icing

2/3 cup Peanut Butter

1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Bars

Begin my putting a layer of Unsalted Tops Saltine Crackers in a pan.

In a saucepan on the stove, combine the caramel filling ingredients.

Bring to a boil, continue to stir and boil for approximately 5 minutes.  

The mixture will be caramel like and pull away from the sides of the pan.

Pour over the crackers, being very careful, the mixture is extremely hot.

Immediately top with another layer of crackers, pressing down slightly

Place in fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Combine peanut butter and chocolate chips in small bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir well and frost crackers.

Gooey S'mores Cookies

I am not taking credit for this recipe, so I am going to direct you over to kevinandamanda.com to get it - but HOLY COW!!! These are possibly the best cookies EVER!

Amanda posted this just the other day and so I made them because I was bored and needed to make something.  They are so good and my husband who hates cookies sat down and ate like six of them.  

They are impossible to stay away from - and the dough was probably better than the baked cookie.  Mmmmmm...

For the recipe click here

Girl Scout Cookie Madness

What to do with all those pesky Girl Scout Cookies hanging around your house. 

 Ummm...other than eating them all in one sitting. (Yum!)

 Can you believe that there is something that you can do to these masterful cookies - you can make cookie bars. Thanks to kevinandamanda.com you can. I follow her site and she always has yummies on her recipe page. She posted this (click here) the other day and I just had to make them and share.
Her pictures look tons better than mine - but my oh my they are heavenly.

One yellow cake mix, butter and egg, mixed to form soft dough.  Press into foil lined baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover with chocolate chips.

Pour peanut butter/sweetened condensed milk mixture over top of chocolate chips.

Your lovely Girl Scout Tagalong Cookies :)

Chop those babies up and cover your pan....as best as you can.

Looks yummy...not even cooked yet. :)

Fresh out of the oven and looking mighty tasty.

I had to slap hands and fingers away from the pan long enough to grab a bar so I could take a picture. :)

They are very very good!

Girl Scout Cookie Tagalong Cake Bars 
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
10-12 Girl Scout Tagalong cookies, coarsely chopped  (or the whole box...)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with foil and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.
Place cake mix, butter and egg into a large bowl, mix until dough forms. Press dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Top with chocolate chips.
Stir sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter until well combined and pour over dough.
Top with chopped Tagalong cookies.
Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes. Let cool completely, cut into squares, and serve. Enjoy!!

Famous Cookies

I know it. I am famous for my cookies. Well...at least in my family.  

I have been making chocolate chip cookies ever since my wonderful mother taught me how.  

I love them.  I cannot stay away from them (which is very hard when you are on a diet).

I make them A LOT!

I have my own recipe, and they are good.  But my favorite cookies to make are Neiman-Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Can I say YUM!!!  The dough is to die for, I have to stop myself from eating just the dough so I can actually make some cookies.  So I am going to share this wonderful recipe with you all.

Enjoy!

Neiman-Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 Cup Butter
2 Cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 Cups Oatmeal, blended
Chocolate Chips
Hershey Bar, grated
Nuts (optional)

Measure the oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.  Cream the butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda.  Add the chocolate chips, chocolate bar and nuts.  Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

-Kelli

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Two of the best things in the world: Peanut Butter and Chocolate and they make an awesome cookie!
They are very soft like a peanut butter cookie should be, and then chocolate chips too.
They are the best right out of the oven, so hot and gooey....mmm!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
3/4 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 package Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Measure peanut butter, shortening and brown sugar. Add sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to peanut butter mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop cookies onto cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes and move to cooling rack.

NO chocolate chips...

anywhere in my house!  What am I supposed to make as a treat for the next couple of days.

Hmmm...thinking...going through the cookbook...thinking!

Aha!  I found Tom Thumb Cookies.  I don't know where the name came from but these are AMAZING cookies (my husband ate half the pan in one sitting) and VERY yummy!

 First make your crust and press it out into pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 7 minutes.

Next...mix together the rest of the ingredients and spread over your crust.  Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cut into ooey gooey bars and ENJOY!

Tom Thumb Cookies

Crust:

1 Cup Shortening

1 tsp Salt

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Cups Flour

Topping:

2 tsp Vanilla

4 Eggs, beaten

2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

3 Cups Coconut

Cream the first three ingredients together and blend in the flour.  Press into a cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 degrees for 7 minutes.  Mix together the ingredients for the topping while the crust is baking and then spread over top of the crust.  Bake at 325 degrees for another 20 minutes.

Shorthand Sugar Cookies

Alright, who hasn't fallen victim to the demure yet enticing call of the sugar cookie this time of year?
That's right.
No one can resist.
I am no exception. The only issue I take with these sweet yet subtle cookies is the recipes I own. They are complicated and time consuming. (That possibly sounds like a seriously lame excuse for someone who writes on a cooking blog, I understand.)
Truth be told...baking and me; not such wonderful friends. I am a novice at best when it comes to baking. My sisters got that genome, not me.
My solution? This awesome recipe I ganked and modified from KraftFoods.com.
Seriously. Easy. Sugar cookies.

The Players:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

The Directions:
beat softened cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add baking soda and flour slowly. Mix well.

If doing cookie-cutter cookies, chill dough until firm-ish. Take half the dough and roll on floured surface to desired thickness.
If doing rolled cookies, ball dough and flatten slightly before baking.

Bake 12-19 minutes depending on thickness or until slightly browned on edges. Cool 2-5 minutes before removing from pan.
Frost, decorate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, do what you want with these lovely, simple cookies!
Happy Holidays!

Kelli's Peanut Butter Bars

I put this recipe on my family blog not too long ago...but I thought I would share with all of you. These are AMAZING!!! If you have ever been to Terrel's Bakery in Mt. Pleasant, Utah they taste just like them (maybe better)!

Peanut Butter Bars
Cookie Recipe:
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
3/4 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Measure peanut butter, shortening and brown sugar. Add sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to peanut butter mixture;, mix well. Press the dough onto baking sheet with your hands, it is very soft dough, until it covers the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Frosting:
2 Cups Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter

In a saucepan place ingredients and melt on medium heat until blended. layer over cooled cookies.

Kelli's Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was about 12 years old I decided to make my very own chocolate chip cookies recipe.

I have become the master cookie maker, ask my siblings...they will vouch for me. :)

I wrote it down and history...Kelli's Chocolate chip Cookies. I have learned some things about cooking the last couple of years, so the recipe has improved some over the years.

Mmmm...they are might tasty!

The best part...cookie dough :)

Kelli Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
4 Cups Flour, plus more
Chocolate Chips

Cream the sugars, butter and eggs. Mix in the vanilla, dry ingredients and chocolate chips. When adding flour, do it a little at a time. Mix it until the dough is workable with fingers. Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees