Baking My Way: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are wonderful! They are so soft and chewy and just such a great chocolate chip cookie; perfect for a chocolate chip cookie sundae! Next time I wouldn't make them with the sunflower seeds but I had to follow the recipe to truly bake through this book!

With this recipe there are 4 variations so look out for posts on that too! It's going to be all chocolate for a little while!

Ingredients
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 shortening
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chip
1/2 chopped nuts or sunflower seeds

Directions
Heat oven to 375

In a bowl combine sugars, shortening and butter, beat until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla and eggs; beat well.

Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts/seeds.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheets.

I've shared this recipe at:

Joy of Desserts

Mangia Mondays

Made by you Mondays

Make a Food-e-Friend Mondays

A Marvelous Mess Monday

The More The Merrier Mondays
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Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
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What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Whisking Wednesdays 

Baking My Way: Frosted Cashew Cookies

I forgot I bought cashews when I was cleaning out the cupboards and found them. I was wanting to do some baking anyways so I went through the book and found this recipe.

The cookies were really simple and turned out great. Marshall says that they have made it to his favorite baking list (along side Snickerdoodles, Pecan Blonde, Mint Surprise Cookies and, Rocky Road Fudge Bars) so they are definitely worth posting about!

Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda and salt
1-3/4 cups salted cashew halves


Frosting
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons half-and-half cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Additional cashew halves, optional

Directions

In a bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg, sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in the cashews.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
For the frosting, lightly brown butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat; add cream and vanilla. Beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth and thick. Frost cookies. Top each with a cashew half if desired. Yield: about 3 dozen.

(I dipped the cookies right in the icing to give it a nice fully coated look and a wonderfully sweet taste)

I've shared this recipe at: 

Joy of Desserts

Mangia Mondays

Made by you Mondays

 Make a Food-e-Friend Mondays

A Marvelous Mess Monday

Made it on Monday

Made from Scratch Tuesday

Tuesday Time Out
Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tasty Tuesdays
Tutorial Tuesdays
Show me what ya got 
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Tuesdays at the Table
Hand Made Features
Make it Yours Day
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Two Maids A Baking 
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Whatcha Got Weekend

Baking My Way: Rocky Road Fudge Bar

 I don't normally like recipes that have so many steps because when I bake I usually don't have a lot of time or patience but that's another thing I'm trying to work on with this project- take my time, and follow the steps exactly and just relax and bake. It's working out pretty well so far and I enjoyed making this. And wow, do these taste good! I've had rocky road ice cream before and didn't like it but I think that's because it wasn't pieces of the bar in chocolate ice cream (which I'm going to do because I now have an ice cream maker!!!) and I've had other people's rocky road and wasn't a huge fan but I LOVE this recipe and will most defiantly be baking this again!!


This bar gets a 5 out of 5 from me! It's now one of my favorites!

INGREDIENTS

Base

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup Flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 cup chopped nuts

Filling

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened, reserving 2 oz. for frosting

1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped nuts

1 (6-oz.) pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Frosting

1/4 cup margarine or butter

1/4 cup milk

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut up

Reserved cream cheese

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13x9-inch pan. In large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup margarine and 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in 1 cup flour and all remaining base ingredients; mix well. Spread in greased and floured pan.
• In small bowl, combine 6 oz. of the cream cheese, 1/4 cup margarine, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 egg; beat 1 minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Stir in 1/4 cup nuts. Spread over chocolate mixture; sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
• Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven; bake an additional 2 minutes.
• While marshmallows are baking, in large saucepan, combine 1/4 cup margarine, milk, 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate and reserved 2 oz. cream cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Immediately pour frosting over puffed marshmallows and lightly swirl with knife to marble. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Recipe Source

I shared this recipe at:

Made from Scratch Tuesday

Tuesday Time Out
Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tasty Tuesdays
Tutorial Tuesdays
Show me what ya got 
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Take A Look Tuesdays
Tuesdays at the Table
Hand Made Features
Two Maids A Baking
Whatever Goes Wednesdays
Whisking Wednesdays
Sweets for a Saturday
Check Me Out Saturday
Whatcha Got Weekend
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Savory Sunday
Sundae Scoop
A Themed Baker Sundays
Bake with Bizzy 
Not so Baaad Sundays 

Baking My Way: Honey-roasted Peanut Cookies

I wasn't too sure if I would like these cookies because I'm not a huge fan of roasted peanuts but I love peanut butter (I know, that's sort of weird). But I ended up really liking these cookies. I cooked them for 10 minutes and they looked a little too cooked around the edged but they were just the right softness in the middle.

I give these cookies a 4 out of 5. I think they didn't make it to a five simply because it's a bit of a process and I like simple.


Cookies:
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 honey
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
3 3/4 cups flour (I used all whole week and took about 1/4 off the total)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt



Glaze:
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup hot water
1 1/4-1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup chopped honey-roasted peanuts (I ended up using at least 2 cups)

Cookies:

1.	Heat oven to 350. Combine brown sugar, sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy.
2.	Add peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and eggs; beat well.
3.	Add flour, baking soda, and salt; beat well.
4.	Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart (At this part it says to flatten the cookies with a fork and crisscross pattern but that's really not necessary because they flatten out well on their own)
5.	Bake for 9-12 minutes. Cool completely before adding glaze/peanuts

Glaze:

1. Combine peanut butter, honey and hot water; beat well. Blend in enough icing sugar to get desired drizzling consistency.

2. Drizzle glaze over cookies (I made it a little thicker and iced the cookies)

3. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of crushed peanuts over each cookie (I dipped the cookies in the nuts, so I used more)

4. Let stand until set.



(I know you can likely tell by how much of everything is called for in this recipe but it makes a lot of cookies!!)

I shared this recipe at:

Made from Scratch Tuesday

Tuesday Time Out
Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tasty Tuesdays
Tutorial Tuesdays
Show me what ya got 
Dr. Laura’s Tasty Tuesday
Take A Look Tuesdays
Tuesdays at the Table
Hand Made Features
Make it Yours Day
Anything Related
Two Maids A Baking  

Baking My Way: Caramel Frosted Banana Drops

I LOVE THESE COOKIES!

They are most deafeningly a 5 and are now one of my favorites! The icing is pretty much the Sucre a Creme I posted about a little while ago and wow, so good!! I could just keep bragging on how much I like these cookies but I'll just get to the recipe and you can try them for yourself.


Cookies:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup mashed banana
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Frosting:
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 3 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 350.

Cookies:
Combine brown sugar, butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add bananas and vanilla; blend well. Add flour and salt; mix well. Stir in nuts.

Drop dough by round tablespoon fulls about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 9-14 minutes.

Frosting:
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine brown sugar and butter. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk for desired spreading constancy. Frost cooled cookies.

Note: These cookies freeze really well.

I've shared this recipe at:

Sweet Tooth Friday

Friday Potluck

Feature Yourself Friday
Creation Corner Friday Link Party
Frugal Friday
Foodie Friday
Fantabulous Friday
Creative Girl's Blog Hop
Recipe Linky @ Big K, little a
Feasting in Fellowship Friday

Made from Scratch Tuesday

Tuesday Time Out
Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tasty Tuesdays
Tutorial Tuesdays
Show me what ya got 
Dr. Laura’s Tasty Tuesday
Take A Look Tuesdays
Tuesdays at the Table
Hand Made Features 
Two Maids A Baking   
Whatever Goes Wednesdays 
Whisking Wednesdays 
Sweets for a Saturday
Check Me Out Saturday
Whatcha Got Weekend
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Savory Sunday
Sundae Scoop
A Themed Baker Sundays  
Bake with Bizzy 
Not so Baaad Sundays  

Baking My Way: Rasberry-Filled White Chocolate Bar

I'll be honest, I really didn't like this one at all. It turned out pretty close to how it was supposed to (I put too much filling in) and I don't know what it is but I just didn't like the flavor. I thought I used a really good quality white chocolate but it still had that sort of weird taste that cheap white chocolate has.

I can't say I'll be trying this one again any time soon. (Note: This recipe doesn't work to substitute oil for the butter)

I rate this one a 1 (1 being "I'll never bake them again" and 5 being "They are now one of my favorites")

INGREDIENTS 

1/2 cup butter

2 cups white vanilla chips or 2 (6-oz.) white chocolate baking bars, chopped

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon amaretto or almond extract

1/2 cup raspberry spreadable fruit or jam

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour 9-inch square pan or 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish. Melt margarine in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup of the white vanilla chips (or 1 chopped white chocolate baking bar). LET STAND; DO NOT STIR.
• Beat eggs in large bowl until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at high speed until lemon-colored. Stir in white vanilla chip mixture. Add flour, salt and amaretto; mix at low speed just until combined. Spread half of batter (about 1 cup) in greased and floured pan. Set remaining batter aside.
• Bake at 325°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Meanwhile, stir remaining 1 cup white vanilla chips (or 1 chopped white chocolate baking bar) into remaining half of batter; set aside. Melt spreadable fruit in small saucepan over low heat.
• Remove pan from oven. Spread melted fruit evenly over warm base. Gently spoon teaspoonfuls of remaining batter over fruit. (Some fruit may show through batter.) Sprinkle with almonds.
• Return to oven; bake an additional 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.

Recipe Source

I've shared this recipe at:

Sister Sister Sunday

Baking my Way: Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies

These cookies didn't look to exciting to me in the book but I bought the mint wafers so I thought I would make them and let me tell you I'm glad I did! They turned out so good! I didn't use the walnuts and I made my cookies a lot bigger (not sure how they got that little amount of dough around each wafer...I doubled the amount for each cookie). I also used vegetable oil instead of butter. 


I give these cookies a 4, not a 5 only because mint chocolate isn't my fav, but if I ever want a mint chocolate cookie this will be my first pick! (1 being "I'll never bake them again" and 5 being "They are now one of my favorites")

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
60 walnut halves
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoon water
2 eggs
1 teaspoons baking soda
2 (6 oz.) solid chocolate mint candy wafers

In large bowl blend well sugars, butter, water, vanilla and eggs. In small bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and mix with large bowl ingredients. Blend well. Cover with plastic wrap, chill 2 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Press 1 tablespoon dough around candy to cover completely. Place 2" apart on cookie sheet. Top each with walnut. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 5 dozen.

I shared this recipe at:

Joy of Desserts
Mangia Mondays
Made by you Mondays
Make a Food-e-Friend Mondays
A Marvelous Mess Monday

Baking My Way: Chocolate Raisin Smile Cookies

I really wasn't too sure what these cookies would be like. When I read the recipe they sounded pretty weird and well they turned out sort of weird. Not as in weird they didn't rise they taste weird, it's just a very strange combination. I'm not too sure why you would want to put icing on these cookies and if icing why isn't it chocolate icing? 

I give these cookies a 1 (1 being "I'll never bake them again" and 5 being "They are now one of my favorites")

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 1/2  cups sugar
• 1  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2  cups margarine or butter, softened
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 3  eggs
• 3  cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
• 1  cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 2  cups raisins
 

Frosting

• 1  cup powdered sugar
• 1  drop red food color
• 2  drops yellow food color
• 2  to 4 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat sugar, brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in raisins. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 10 to 14 minutes or until slightly set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
3. In medium bowl, combine all frosting ingredients, adding enough milk for desired decorating consistency. Using decorating bag, decorating bottle, plastic bag or small spoon, make smiling faces on cookies.

Variation: Use 1/4 cup of cookie dough per cookie to make giant smile cookies (above)

Baking My Way: Pillsbury Whole Wheat Zucchini Cookies

I had a zucchini in the fridge that needed to be used, it was on it's last day so I looked up a recipe with zucchini (surprised that there even was on in the book!) and got to work.

I wasn't too sure how they would turn out but they taste amazing! They are super moist, and not too whole wheaty, which is was good. I wanted healthy but I still wanted them to taste like a dessert. It's a nice change from the usual chocolate chip cookie!

I give these a 4 (1 being "I'll never bake them again" and 5 being "They are now one of my favorites")

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 cups shredded zucchini, drained
1(12-oz.) pkg. (2 cups) miniature chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. In large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add lemon peel, vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350°F. for 9 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

Source

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