Day 13: Chocolate Chip Cookies

It may seem like I took the easy road for my Favorite Christmas Cookie and chose Chocolate Chip Cookies, but these are absolutely the best chocolate chip cookies you will ever make. For real. My mom makes TONS of cookies every Christmas and last year was the first time she made these. I ate these for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

They have a special ingredient of instant vanilla pudding and it adds something amazing to the cookie dough. They're super easy and the original recipe makes 72 cookies, so they're perfect if you want to send some to family and still get to keep some for yourself. :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: My cousin, Suzy. (Not sure of the original source)

4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups softened butter (4 sticks)
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 (3.4 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding - You can use whatever flavor you like
4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional - I leave them out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour and baking soda. Set aside. In large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the pudding mix until blended. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Yields: 72 cookies, but can easily be halved

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

My dad and Caitlin's dad take tailgating at Razorback games seriously. They even have a name for their tailgating--A.R. Grillers. And no, the A.R. is not for Arkansas. It's for Anal Retentive. They have to have everything in a particular manner. Everything has a spot in the back of Caitlin's dad's truck. I mean, everything.

My dad starts planning his menus for games in July. For the first game, we had "The Classics" which were hamburgers and hot dogs. He also did the "Big Mike" which was a hamburger sandwiched in between two grilled cheese sandwiches.

For the big Arkansas/Alabama game tomorrow, the menu contains Korean Beef Tacos and Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwiches. For dessert, we've decided that I'd do a feature cupcake. For the first game, I made the Chocolate Malt Cupcakes from Food Network Magazine.

Oh my.

Oh my stars.

These cupcakes sing from the heavens. They are amazing. It made a lot, so we had ton to pass around. The general consensus of the tailgaters was that these were the best cupcakes they had ever had.

The icing. Oh, the icing. It's fabulous. The cake is fabulous. You must try these. The holidays are coming up soon. :)

Crunchy Chocolate Malt Cupcakes
Source: Food Network Magazine, January/February Issue

Ingredients
For the Frosting:
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
7 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup malted milk powder (such as Carnation)
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal

Directions
Make the frosting: Sprinkle the sugar evenly in a large skillet and add the corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Continue to boil, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the caramel is amber. Carefully pour in the heavy cream (it can splatter) and add the butter. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the caramel is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Combine both chocolates and the salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the hot caramel over the chocolate and let stand until melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth and shiny, then cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight. (The frosting can be made up to 2 days ahead.)

Make the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift the malted milk and cocoa powders into another bowl.

Beat the sugar and butter in a third bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add the malted milk powder mixture and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the half-and-half in two parts, beginning and ending with flour.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to racks to cool completely.

Beat the chilled frosting with a mixer or whisk until thick, about 2 minutes, but don't overwhip. Spread on the cupcakes or transfer to a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then sprinkle with the cereal.


Printable Version

Be sure to follow A.R. Grillers to stay up to date with menus on game days!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

There are a few things in life that you just need. I believe these cupcakes should be on your list. Unless you don't like booze, then I just can't help you. These definitely aren't for kids, but adults need some cupcakes of their own every once and a while.

At Christmas, Caitlin gave me an awesome set of cupcake paraphernalia from Bake it Pretty and I've been trying to find a good cupcake recipe to use the awesome cupcake liners. I saw these green liners in the box and knew to save them for St. Patrick's Day. My intention was to bring these to the office, but I went for it and put all 4 Tbsp of Bailey's into the frosting, so they're a little too booze-y for the office. Thankfully, I only had about enough of the buttercream for half of the cupcakes, so I'm going to try and half the Bailey's with milk for the office's cupcakes.

If you shy away from this recipe because it has Guinness in it, trust me, you shouldn't. I don't like Guinness at all, but the beer cooks off and it gives the chocolate a very complex flavor.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream
Source: Le Petit Pierogi as adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (I used light)

Bailey's Irish Buttercream:
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add Guinness. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sour cream until thoroughly combined. On low speed, drizzle in Guinness-chocolate mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix briefly on slow speed just until the mixture comes together. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17-19 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

To make the buttercream, whip the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for several minutes until the butter is very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn't, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes.

Printable version

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

There's a restaurant in town that makes gooey-butter bars for one of their desserts. Brian's practically obsessed with them. One day, he brought home two and I had them eaten by the next morning. Only, I snuck around and ate them so that maybe he wouldn't notice. :) Yesterday, we were watching Paula Deen and she made a gooey-butter cake, so he begged me to try one. I went searching and found this cookie recipe. It worked out perfectly because Bake at 350's Flavor of the Month was chocolate. Perfect!

This recipe is so easy and you can vary it with whatever cake mix you want to use.

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Source: Paula Deen

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
1 (18 ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
1 stick of butter, room temperature

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner’s sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey. Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Printable version

Check out the other entries into the Flavor of the Month:

Cookie Dough Truffles

There are a few things that don't stand a chance of making it long in our house. Cheese is probably top on the list. Pepperoni slices for Jack...he's somewhat addicted. Kraft Singles, which totally make me shudder, but Brian and Jack love them. But cookie dough? Puh-lease. Lasts maybe a day.

You know those packages of the ready to bake cookie dough that's in squares and you can just break it off the big rectangle and bake them off. Those never see the inside of the oven. Ever. The best I've had so far have been sugar cookies with cinnamon chunks in them. I have never seen them again, which is probably a good thing. Also, Brian's favorite ice cream is Cookie Dough, so I usually end up stealing a "cookie dough bite" from his ice cream when he's not looking.

Don't judge, you know you do it too.

These truffles have been on my list to make for a long time, so I figured that Valentine's Day would be a good excuse to make them. And oh my, were they worth the wait. Thankfully they're rich enough to just eat one and be satisfied. Otherwise, I'd be in big trouble.

Cookie Dough Truffles
Adapted from Paula's Best Dishes

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate morsels
2 bags semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add mini chocolate morsels, mixing well. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper; chill in freezer 2 hours.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler. Using 2 forks, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Printable version

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello Fall!!! I've missed you! Although, the temperatures are back to the upper 80's with humidity off the charts (stupid Mother Nature), it's after Labor Day, which means fall!

Fall is, by far, my favorite season. There's a crispness in the air, cooler temperatures, beautiful leaves, college football (Go Hogs!), pumpkins, the holidays coming up...I could go on! In order to welcome fall, I had to bake. After the pumpkin creme brulee I made, I had to make something else with pumpkin. Enter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

YUM.

I ate five without blinking. Brought them to work the next day and they were gone before I knew it. I halved the recipe because my self-control isn't strong enough to protect me from 60 cookies. For those stronger than me, I've posted the full recipe. If you love pumpkin bread, you'll love these cookies.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: The Food Network

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Nutella S'more Bars

Who knew there was a National S'mores Day? I did not know this until yesterday. Apparently it's on August 10, so we're just behind a couple days here. Also, National Marshmallow Toasting Day is August 30.

I aim to educate you on trivial holidays. It's my goal this morning.

I'm also participating in a Nutella Challenge at bell'alimento. So why not marry Nutella and S'mores? It's a match made in heaven! When I first read about the Nutella Challenge, I knew I wanted to do some type of s'more using Nutella as the chocolate. Apparently Betty Crocker and I think along the same wavelength in terms of s'mores bars. Also, yesterday I was looking through Tastespotting and found a picture for the very bars I've been dreaming of making. (Really throwing a lot of links at you today, aren't I?)

These bars are so yummy and so rich. Try hard to let them cool so that they'll be easier getting them out of the pan. I know it will be tough to resist, but try with all your might!

Nutella S'more Bars
Adapted from The Curious Domestic and Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
8 Graham Crackers, bashed or processed in the food processor to make fine crumbs
2 cups Betty Crocker Sugar cookie mix
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
Jar of Nutella
Mini Marshmallows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x9 pan.

Combine graham cracker crumbs with the sugar cookie mix. Mix in butter and vanilla. Press dough into pan and bake for 18 minutes. When cookie crust is done, turn off the oven and preheat the broiler.

While cookie is still warm, slather on Nutella (I used almost the whole jar). Cover with marshmallows and place under the broiler for a few minutes. Watch them closely and take out when they are lightly browned. Let cool before slicing into bars.



Yum....I want one now.

Be sure to check out the other yummy recipes that are part of the Nutella Challenge!