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!!!

Nutella Blondies

Mmmmm...these are so good! 

 I love kevinandamanda.com, she has the most amazing recipes and her blog is just fun.

 Follow her and you won't be sorry.  

She had this recipe, and I just got around to making them.

Nutella Blondies.

The reason I decided to make them...I found this lovely little bottle at Smith's.  In case you cannot see what it says.  That would be Kroger brand CRUNCHY Hazelnut Spread.  I am not usually one who likes crunchy anything...but I thought I would try this.  Crunchy Nutella...it is HEAVEN!

Spoon dipping helped remove half of the contents of the jar...I needed to save the rest for making a yummy treat.  It was worth it.

After swirling in the Nutella I wanted to just eat the batter...but I resisted and baked the blondies.  

They turned out so awesome and very tasty.

For the recipe, click here.

Enjoy!

-Kelli

Bordeaux Candy

See's Candy... do I need to say anything else! :)

Yup...Bordeaux bar.  For as long as I can remember we have always gotten one of these lovely little chocolate bars for Christmas.  They are so good.  But now the price of them is just a little crazy so I decided I wanted to try making them.  Searching the internet and Pinterest and this is the best recipe I could find.

Since it is Christmas time and we all love candy, why not try making some.  

I had good intentions of making them for neighbors...but they didn't get that far. :)

                                        

The first step is to melt your butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and let it boil.

Add cream, coffee and salt, boil again and then let it cool.  Add powdered sugar.

You can just stick it in the fridge to let it firm up.  

I went ahead and made my truffle balls and then stuck them in the fridge to get firm.

Then dip them in melted chocolate and let them firm again in the fridge.

You have just made a magnificent truffle.  They are good.  The next time I make them I am going to cut back on the coffee because that flavor was too strong for me.  But otherwise, they are pretty close.

Bordeaux Candy

1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4-1/2 tsp Instant Coffee
Pinch of Salt
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
12 oz Chocolate

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan.  Bring it to a boil and let it roll for 2 minutes.  Stir in the cream, coffee and salt.  Let it boil again for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and let it cook for 10 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar and stir well.  Chill until it holds shape.  Roll into small balls or bars.  Melt your chocolate according to package directions.  Dip you balls into the chocolate and let set in the fridge.

Kelli

Box Brownie Mix: DIY

Don't you just hate it when you want to make a yummy dessert, you open your cupboard to grab that box mix of brownies...and...it is not there!  Such a bummer.

Well...thanks to Pinterest (my friend for life) I found a way for you to make your own brownie mix (click here) to store in your pantry or freezer.  I can guarantee that you have all of the ingredients in your pantry.

I love you Pinterest.  

I just made two batches of these brownies and I must say that they are super good and super easy, and cost cents on the dollar instead of the $1-2 per box you would buy them for in the store.

Your welcome!

Box Brownie Mix: DIY

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Flour

1/3 Cup Cocoa

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Mix the ingredients together, dump into a bag.  Store in a bag in your pantry for at least 6 months, to add life to it you can store it in your freezer.

To make the brownies:

Dump bag into bowl and add:

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Oil (or melted margarine)

1 tsp Vanilla

Mix well and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Yummy!

Chocolate Chip & Marshmallow Ice Cream

My sweet sister told me about this recipe from Kraft Food & Family magaizine. So I decided to try it. It is so easy and so tasty!  Really simple ice cream recipe without having an ice cream machine.  You could definitely try this with any flavor pudding and different ingredients.

See this awesome ice cream tub.  I bought this a couple years ago through Amazon.com.

It isn't very big, but it is great for freezing homemade ice cream.  

It is from Zak Designs and you can buy them here.

Chocolate Chip & Marshmallow Ice Cream

2 pkgs (3.9 oz. each) Chocolate Instant Pudding 

2 cups cold Milk 

1tub (8 oz.) Whipped Topping, thawed 

1cup Miniature Marshmallows 

1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl. 

Stir in whipped topping, marshmallows and chocolate chips. 

Spoon into 2-qt. freezer-safe container; cover. 

Freeze for 4 hours or until firm.

-Kelli

Frozen S'Mores

It is me, Kelli, back with another great Pinterest find.  Bet you couldn't see that one coming. :)

I had a work party and needed to make a dessert and found this great recipe to try.  I made two batches of these using my Pampered Chef Mini Muffin Pan, so it made 48 of these little devils.  

They lasted about ten minutes at my work party.  They are that GOOD!  Enjoy! :)

Mix the graham crackers with the butter and press into your pan with tart shaper.

Melt your chocolate chips with heavy whipping cream and pour into cups.

Divide marshmallows on top of the chocolate.

Pipe the pudding over top and freeze!

Frozen S'Mores
9 Sheets Graham Crackers
1/3 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Cup Mini Marshmallows
1 1/2 Cup Milk
1 box (3.9 oz) Instant Chocolate Pudding
1 (8 oz) Cool Whip (thawed in fridge)
Mini Chocolate Chips

Crush or blend graham crackers into fine crumbs. Melt butter and add to graham crackers, mixing until well combined to make crust. Prepare mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Evenly divide crust mixture into all cups, I used a Mini Tart Shaper to press crumbs firmly into the bottom of each cup. Place milk chocolate chips and whipping cream into a small bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Spoon chocolate into center of each cup, on top of the crust.
Divide Marshmallows among cups. Mix the milk with pudding on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip container (the rest will be used as topping). Spoon filling into each cup evenly. You can try to pipe it with in a ziploc bag so that the whole cup is filled. I didn't level off the tops because there wouldn't have been that much pudding, but you can use a knife to smooth the tops level with the top of the pan. Freeze for at least a couple of hours. Allow the pan to warm just a bit before popping each dessert cup out.  For topping pipe a little bit of the left over Cool Whip on each dessert then sprinkled the remaining crust and mini chocolate chips on top. Serve cold right away– or put them in a sealed container and freeze until you are ready to serve.

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.

Rocky Road Brownies

Yummy!!! These are the BEST brownies ever. I was only introduced to these a couple years ago and my family has enjoyed them ever since.  Made from scratch, no box mix and so gooey and moist.
 Try them...you will love them too.

First, mix all the ingredients together.  Yum...it is really good batter.

Pour your mixture into a cake pan 

(love my Pampered Chef Baking Stone, it works perfect for these brownies)

 

After they have baked in the oven and your toothpick comes out clean, pour the marshmallows over and put them back in the oven for just a couple minutes. DON'T LET THEM GET BROWN!

 

All puffed up! :)

Cover with frosting and they are so perfect!

ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES

Brownies:

1/2 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Margarine

2 Cups Sugar

1/2 Cup Cocoa

4 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

1 2/3 Cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1 bag Mini Marshmallows

Melt the butter and margarine.  Add sugar and cocoa.  Mix in the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla.  Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together in a seperate bowl and add to the egg mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Immediately cover the brownies with marshmallows and put back in the oven until they are all puffed up.  DO NOT LET THEM GET BROWN!

Frosting:

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Water

2 Tbsp Corn Syrup

1 oz Unsweetened Chocolate

1 oz Chocolate Chips

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Bring butter, water and corn syrup to a boil.  When bubbling remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar.  You can add additional powdered sugar if the frosting is too runny.  Spread over the cooled marshmallow brownies.

Caramel and Chocolate Covered Pretzels (A great neighbor gift!)

My newest holiday treat addiction are these delectable little nuggets of sweet and salty deliciousness. The picture above is missing the chocolate and M&M...but still look yummy!

Caramel & Chocolate Covered Pretzels

1 bag Kraft caramels, individually wrapped, about 50 count

(45 after you have snitched a few)

-or if you are ambitious-

your own homemade caramel, probably around two cups?

Around 45-50 mini pretzel twists or Snyder's pretzel squares

About a cup of melting chocolate

-or-

about half a bag of chocolate chips, unmelted

45-50 M&M's

Down to business:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place pretzels about 1 inch apart on the pan. Top each pretzel with unwrapped caramel square. Bake 8-10 minutes at 300 degrees or until caramels are rounding and soft. OVERBAKING will cause caramel to harden! While still warm, using the flat of a butter knife, press down caramel to cover pretzel.

*If you are using homemade caramel, fill pretzel holes and coat surface.

To chocolate your caramel:

If using chocolate chips, drop 3-5 chips onto the warm caramel and pop back into the oven until they are soft. Using your trusty butter knife again, smush the melty chips and cover the top of the pretzel.

If using melted chocolate, drop a healthy dollop on top of the caramel.

Place one lovely little M&M on the top and allow the treats to cool.

YUMMO!

Happy entertaining!

-A.S.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Yummy! So my step-daughter wanted a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for her birthday.

I knew where the perfect recipe was, it was at kevinandamanda.com.

I made my own adjustments, and the recipe I used will be posted at the bottom. But her blog was my inspiration. Since my step-daughter loves stars I decided to make her cake in a Wilton Star cake pan.

I made the chocolate cake, and I added Reese's Peanut Butter chips to it =)

Then I made the frosting...peanut butter buttercream frosting. Oh my goodness this was so sinful that I kept eating it. It tasted just like the Reese's peanut butter. =)

I then cut up some Reese's peanut butter Cups and put them on top. It was devilishly good!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a very large bowl, mix together everything except peanut butter chips. Batter will be thick. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Pour batter into cake pan of choice. For cooking time, I use the cooking times on the back of the cake box as a guide and usually add 10 mins to whatever it says. Then I do the toothpick check, and if it’s not done, I check on it every 5 mins after that. It usually takes around 45 mins for two, 9-inch pie pans.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosing

1 Butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream and then peanut butter. Blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

REALLY REALLY Good Chocolate Cake

So today I decided to make a chocolate cake because I had a ton of leftover frosting from my son's birthday party. I was cruising my friend Google and found this recipe.

It is heavenly...

I mean really really good.

I didn't make the frosting because of all of my leftover buttercream frosting...but I know this is good frosting. Look at the picture! =)

Try it...you will love it!

Chocolate Cake

2 Cups Sugar

1 3/4 Cups Flour

3/4 Cups Cocoa

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

2 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 tsp Vanilla

1 Cup Boiling Water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You can use 2 round pans, cake pans or cupcake pans

(I did cupcakes). Stir the dry ingredients together, then add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir together for 2 minutes and then stir in the boiling water. This will thin your batter, but it's okay.

Pour your batter into preferred pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let cool.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 Cup Butter

2/3 Cup Cocoa

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/3 Cup Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

In a saucepan melt the butter, then stir in the cocoa. Alternately add your powdered sugar and milk until they are mixed in well. stir in the vanilla and mix. Once your cake or cupcakes have cooled frost with this yummy frosting!

-Kelli