M&M Blondie Bars

I wanted something really easy to make for a meeting a couple weeks back. I didn’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen that day but I really wanted to bring something exciting to this meeting. So I looked through my archived recipes and found this exciting, classic recipe. I had even just purchased a bag of M&M baking pieces at the store recently so I was all set to make these.These were actually extremely yummy! I took the extras to rehearsal after my meeting and everyone who tried them loved them. One person even commented that they were “heavenly”. I really didn’t think since a simple and easy recipe would get such rave reviews. This is the perfect recipe for entertaining since it makes such a large batch. This summer when you have guests over for a cookout this is one recipe you should try out.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:211]Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine: September 2015

Chocolate and Caramel Cookies

I wanted to make a special treat for my Mother in Law so knowing how much she loves a caramel and chocolate combination I decided a chocolate caramel cookie was in order. I had found some Kraft Caramel bits at Aldi around Christmas and I thought this would be the ideal recipe to use them in.I created this chocolate cookie recipe a few years back and make it whenever I need an easy recipe. I decided to use it as a base, along with the Caramel bits in order to create a new, very yummy cookie. White you certainly do not have to include chocolate chips in this recipe I suggest you do so. It gives the cookies more substance than just using caramel. I would also suggest using white chocolate chips instead, I just didn’t have any of those on hand when I was making these.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:173]

Ginger-Cardamom Shortbread Cookies

Cardamom is pretty much my new favorite spice. I haven’t baked with it much before this summer, but when I finally tried it, I absolutely love it! It really provides a warm spicy taste and pairs well with lots of other different flavors. These cookies capture fall flavor spectacularly. They are a must try this year!This is a quick and easy treat. When you’re in a time crunch this is a sure way to impress each and every one of your guests without trying very hard. The cardamom and ginger pair excellently together. The cardamom/sugar sprinkle on top lends a lovely extra pop of flavor to these cookies.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:132]

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

I absolutely LOVED my other gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They are incredibly tasty and just knew I had to try a chocolate version of them. This recipe is a lighly chocolate version, but it still contains all the amazing pumpkin, spices, chocolate chips and pecans.  It is a can’t miss autumnal treat!When you make this recipe with canned pumpkin puree, you may want to consider lowering the amount of flour you add. I found the batter to be slightly dry when made with canned pumpkin resulting in more “cookie mound” type cookies. The flavor was in no way compromised, they just didn’t flatten out as much as the others did. This is due to the difference in water content of the canned vs fresh puree.The use of chocolate chips and pecans are highly suggested for this recipe. The cookies will work without, but I think they add that little extra bit to really push the cookies over the top. For a little yummy alternative using butterscotch chips would really add a unique flavor to the finished product.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:109]

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

In honor of the first official day of Fall, here is an incredible (and gluten free) cookie recipe you will want to try! Comment below if you try these out, I’d love to hear what you think!I love these, they are amazing! Last week I made a regular version of these and I decided that I absolutely had to make a gluten free version so I could eat these to my hearts content without upsetting my tummy. These are totally worth making and you will really love the seasonal flavor. These are soft cookies yet when you add the pecans you get a fantastic bit of crunch. The whole thing is just absolutely incredible. I will definitely be making more of these as the fall goes along.For this recipe I’ve used Better Batter Gluten Free Flour. Since each type of gf flour blend is different I really can’t say how these cookies will turn out if you use a different one. If you are worried about the pumpkin pie spice and possible gluten contamination you can simply make your own blend. This will help insure you have a clean blend to use.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:105]

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I LOVE these cookies. They are absolutely incredible. I need to get a gluten free version made ASAP so that I can eat them to my hearts content rather than just sampling a piece. So be on the lookout next week for a GF version of these!My Mom gave me this recipe and suggested I try it. I thought it sounded very good and seasonal so I went ahead and made it. Oh man! These are fantastic cookies. They are both completely soft and moist, yet full of over the top flavor and a slight bit of crunch. I’ve taken these several places already and people just raved about them. They a little piece of heaven in a cookie.Since I used fresh pumpkin puree in the cookies they spread a bit more than they would if you used canned pumpkin. If you’d prefer thicker cookies you can simply add a little bit more flour and baking soda to thicken them up. However, if you are using canned pumpkin, DO NOT change the ratios. If you do, you will end up with dense cookies. Canned pumpkin doesn’t have the same moisture content that fresh puree does. Either way, this recipe is great as is, and easy to double or change if you like.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:103]Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Easy Chocolate, Banana, Nut Butter Cookies

My sister found this recipe and sent it to me. I was very surprised with the deliciousness and the easy of everything. With only five ingredients it is a very quick and easy thing to make. Everyone I served these to simply loved them! Since they are gluten free it is a wonderful way to get a dessert without a huge time commitment.I found the key to making this recipe extra delicious is using a VERY ripe banana. I found this enhanced the flavor and sweetness of the cookies. Since there is no added sugar in the recipe you need to rely on the banana to really make it taste great. If you find the recipe isn’t sweet enough for your taste you can add sugar or sugar substitute into the recipe. However I found it was quite sweet enough on its own with the banana and chocolate chips.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:102]Source:  Adapted from Spoon University

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Pumpkin Spice is everywhere now that we are entering into the fall season. While I’m not a huge coffee drinker I do enjoy the flavors of fall and can readily jump on the pumpkin spice train when it comes to baked goods.  Hopefully this is just one of many fall spice flavored recipes I’ll post this year!I created this recipe last fall and everyone who tried them, loved them! When I decided to make cookies to send to my sister I decided it was high time I made these again. While I don’t normally add nuts to cookies, since I really can’t stand nuts, this recipe absolutely needs nuts to complete the flavor. Since pecans pair so well with fall spices and chocolate I prefer to use them to any other nut when making these.You can use either homemade or store bought pumpkin pie spice. It is very easy to make at home and there are countless recipes on the internet you can replicate.  If I have time I like to make my own, but I typically keep some at the back of my cupboard for when I don’t have time to make my own.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:94]

Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies

 Ever since I mademy traditional version of these a couple of months ago I knew I had to figure out a gluten free version. I love these cookies! They are soft, delicious and full of chocolaty goodness.  It is definitely hard to just have one of these.This recipe will make approximately two dozen cookies. I find this is the perfect amount since you can have a few, share a few and freeze a few for later. If you need to feed a crowd, it is very easy to double or even triple the recipe. I’ve used a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cookies before baking. If you have a cookie scoop feel free to use it, but if not a spoon works just as well.These cookies would work wonderfully for homemade gluten free ice cream sandwiches once they have completely cooled. Simply put a scoop of ice cream between two of the cookies to make a sandwich. If you prep them ahead of time make sure to put them back in the freezer to set up.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:90]

Monster Cookies

Alex doesn’t often ask for a specific dessert, so when he does I try to jump right on it. These are a prime example of that. He had been working overtime and decided that he really wanted to take cookies to work to share. With everything going on the last few months (the play and traveling to Illinois) I hadn’t really made any treats for Alex’s work recently so I decided it was the perfect time to make something for them.Alex and I discussed what he wanted in the cookies rather than just look up a monster cookie recipe. So these are a little different than you might have had in the past. The combination of chocolate chips really gives a great variation of flavors. I also used chopped dry-roasted peanuts to really amp up the peanut butter taste.You can either make these normal sized cookies, or you could do giant ones. It is up to you. Since I was baking for an office I chose to make normal sized cookies. I got 4 dozen out of this recipe. If you do giant cookies you would get closer to 2 dozen. Make sure you adjust the baking time for larger cookies if you choose to go that route.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:81]

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies were a creation of mine several years ago. I wanted a chocolate chip cookie that was also completely chocolate. However, anytime I made double chocolate recipes they always turned out like cookie mounds rather than actual cookies. I then decided to take several different cookie recipes and combine what I loved from each one. The resulting cookies are perfect chocolate chip cookies that have a fantastic chocolaty base.You can use any type of chocolate chips you prefer. I simply enjoy the traditional semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe. If you wanted to spice it up you could substitute a milk chocolate or white chocolate chip instead. This would cut back on the “darkness” of these cookies. If you substitute a sweeter chip though you will want to add less so they don’t overpower the other flavors.You may decide you’d like to skip the refrigeration step, however, this is a bad idea. When you refrigerate the cookies you end up getting a better finished product. The cookies spread better and they are chewier. While this step does take time it is key to getting the best possible cookie you can.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:69]

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

I first had these cookies when they were made by my sister. She did a fantastic job and I just knew I had to have the recipe so I could make them too! They are gluten free and so amazingly rich and chocolaty. If you need a chocolate fix these are the cookies you want.My sister always makes these cookies with Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, however you can make these with any chocolate chips you have on hand if you don’t have additional dietary restrictions to take into consideration.  I prefer to add some vanilla extract to the batter. I think it make the flavor a little more complex. However if you have trouble with extracts you can simply leave this out.You will want to make sure the batter is stiff before you go to roll it. If the batter is runny in the slightest your cookies will not turn out the way you want. Make sure that the egg whites form a soft peak before you add any additional ingredients. Once everything has been added simply make sure there is no liquid left in the bowl at all.

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Flourless Chocolate Cookies:1 Cup Chocolate Chips (melted and cooled)3 Egg Whites2 Cups Powdered Sugar½ Cup Cocoa Powder1 Tablespoon Corn Starch¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract½ Cup Chocolate ChipsPowdered Sugar (for rolling)Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form.Gradually beat in 1 cup of the powdered sugar.Whisk together the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar, cocoa powder, corn starch and kosher salt.

With the mixer on low blend the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture.Gradually beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract, once everything is in beat on high until the mixture is stiff.With a spatula fold in the remaining chocolate chips.

Roll scoopfuls of dough into a ball, then roll in the powdered sugar until it is completely covered.Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a least 10 more minutes.

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Source: Adapted from Recipe Lion

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Soft Frosted Cookies

These are amazing. They are just like the soft frosted cookies you purchase at the store. However they are WAY better than those store bought cookies. I got so many compliments on these because they are truly incredible. Unfortunately these are made with white flour so they aren’t gluten free. I’m working on a gluten free adaptation of these but unfortunately it’s not perfect yet! I will definitely post it when I get it finished though. These cookies are way too good not have in your life!

I never like plain sugar cookies. So whenever I make them I always add some almond extract to give them a richer flavor. This really sends any sugar cookies over the top and these are no exception. The almond flavoring in the frosting really ties the cookie and frosting together and makes an awesome flavor explosion in your mouth.

These cookies are fairly easy to make. The real trick though is keeping them soft through the baking. This is achieved by baking them at a slightly higher temp for a short period of time. The cookies are fully cooked, but they maintain their soft interior and exterior. Don’t change the cooking time or temp on these. Any changes have the potential to burn the cookies.

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Soft Frosted Cookies:For Cookies:½ Cup Butter½ Cup Sugar1 Egg1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract1 Teaspoon Almond Extract1 ½ Cup Flour1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda¼ Teaspoon SaltFor Frosting:4 Tablespoons Butter (soft)2 Cups Powdered Sugar1 Teaspoon Almond Extract2 Tablespoons MilkWilton Lemon Yellow Gel Food ColoringSprinkles or Nonpareils (optional)To make the cookies:

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.Add the egg and extracts beat well.Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until well combined.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour until slightly firm to the touch.Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into twelve portions.

Shape the portions into balls using your hands, flatten them slightly so they form a disk.Bake for 8-10 minutes. DO NOT over bake these, make sure you remove them just before they start browning.Let cool completely before frosting.To make the frosting:

Beat the butter until fluffy.Beat in the powdered sugar and almond extract.

Add the milk and food coloring. Use as much food coloring as you need to achieve a yellow you like.Beat the frosting on high until very light and fluffy.Using an offset spatula or frosting knife frost the cookies generously.

Generously cover with sprinkles or nonpareils if desired.

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Source: Cookies Adapted from Hostess with the Mostess

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Chocolate Seafoam Cookies

These are incredible cookies. They are light, fluffy and filled with chocolaty goodness. These bad boys are also gluten free! You will want to make these in a stand mixer. If you don’t have one you can still make them, but it will take much longer and be more difficult if you do it by hand or even with a hand mixer.

I instruct you to use Baker’s sugar in this recipe. However, regular sugar will work but you will have to beat it longer to get it to dissolve. Baker’s sugar is a super fine sugar that dissolves easier in baked goods and provides you with a smoother finished product. I highly suggest using it in recipes like this, you will taste the difference in the finished cookies.

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Chocolate Seafoam Cookies:4 Eggwhites (at room temperature)1 Teaspoon Cream of TartarDash of Salt1 Cup Baker’s Sugar2 Teaspoons Vanilla2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder½ Cup Chopped Pecans1 Cup White Chocolate ChipsPreheat the oven to 300, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue to beat until the mixture forms soft peaks.

Add the sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder a little at a time and continue beating until the mixture holds stiff peaks and the sugar is dissolved.

Gently fold in the pecans and white chocolate with a spatula.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.Bake for 25 minutes.

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Source: Adapted from The Cookie Party Cookbook – Robin L Olson

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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the most amazing Chocolate Chip cookies you will ever taste. Alex actually prefers them to regular chocolate chip cookies when they are fresh out of the oven. They don’t have that heavy feel you normally get after eating a cookie too! These are from my favorite gluten free cookbook – Gluten Free on a Shoestring by Nicole Hunn. I absolutely love her book and suggest you go pick up a copy if you eat gluten free.I’ve made these cookies several times and each time they just seem to get better and better. The key to these cookies is refrigerating them for about 10 minutes before you cook them. If you do this they spread out like regular chocolate chippers. I’ve also refrigerated the batter overnight. I don’t prefer to do this though. The cookies tend to hold their mounded shape if you do this and don’t spread as much.

I’ve baked these both as written and as a half batch. They both turn out equally as well. Just make sure that you let them sit for 10 minutes before baking so that the gluten free flour has time to absorb the liquid in the batter.

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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies:8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter¾ Cup Sugar¾ Cup Brown Sugar2 Eggs1 Tablespoon Vanilla2 ¼ Cup Gluten Free Flour1 ¼ Teaspoon Xanthan Gum½ Teaspoon Salt1 Teaspoon Baking SodaChocolate ChipsPreheat the oven to 350, and line two baking sheets with Silpat liners or parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.Add the eggs, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Stir until combined.Stir in the xanthan gum and gluten free flour, stir until well combined and slightly elastic. Add the chocolate chips

Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.Drop scoopfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared sheet. Stick the sheets in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown slightly. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before moving the cookies to a cooling rack.

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Source: Gluten Free on a Shoestring – Nicole Hunn

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Dulce De Leche Cookie Bars

I ran across these bars in the March edition of the the Food Network Magazine. I just knew I had to try making them. Alex really loves caramel and pecans together so I thought he’d really enjoy these cookie bars.We had friends over for dinner one night and I thought that would be the perfect excuse to make these bars. They were a hit! Everyone who tried them thought they were the perfect combination of caramel, chocolate and pecan.

This recipe will also work if you have a 9x9 pan. I do not so I’ve adapted everything to work in my 8x8. If you have the larger pan simply adjust your baking times down by a few minutes. If you are really worried about it make sure to pay attention the last 10ish minutes of baking and take them out when they look done.Originally I thought I had a can of dulce de leche on hand, but I remembered that I’d used it on a previous recipe.  I then chose to make my own for the recipe. I’ve posted instructions if you would like to make your own. You can find the recipe HERE.

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Dulce De Leche Cookie Bars:2 Cups + 1 Tablespoon Flour12 Tablespoons Butter (diced)1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar1 Tablespoon Vanilla½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt1 Cup Dulce De Leche¼ Cup Heavy Cream2 Egg Yolks¾ Cup Chocolate Chips¾ Cup Pecans (chopped)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8x8 baking dish with tin foil leaving a few inches of overhang on each side. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

Pulse 2 cups flour, the butter, sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the salt in a food processor until it begins to clump together.

Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, and ¼ inch up the sides. Bake until firm and lightly brown about 30-35 minutes.

While the crust is baking combine the dulce de leche, cream, egg yolks, remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and 2 teaspoons of vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.

When the crust has finished baking pour the mixture over the top of the crust and sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans.

Return to the oven and bake until slightly jiggly, about 25-30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Once the bars are completely cool, remove from the pan using the tin foil overhang. Remove the foil and cut into pieces.

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Source: adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2015

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Chocolate Malt Cookies

I ran across these cookies on the internet and knew I just had to make them. They had rave reviews from Alex and his friends that ate them. These cookies are super easy to make. However they do require you to have a kitchen scale.These cookies require one unique ingredient, Horlicks. It is a malt extract powder from the UK. I did a little bit of research and apparently you can substitute Ovaltine instead. I ended up ordering Horlicks from Amazon in order to make these cookies.

The original recipe calls for you to bake these at 325 for 12 minutes, however I found that I got better results baking them at 350 for approximately 10 minutes. I found they didn’t spread as much at the original temperature and at the new temp they were slightly chewier.I drizzled the cookies with a mixture of chocolate and coconut oil. This makes the chocolate a little easier to drizzle. If you don’t have coconut oil on hand it isn’t completely necessary to add it. Make sure that you put wax paper underneath the cookies before you spread the chocolate on them. It will make clean up much easier.

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Chocolate Malt Cookies:For Cookies:50g Butter200g Dark Chocolate (chopped)14oz Sweetened Condensed Milk25g Ground Almonds2 Heaping Teaspoons Horlicks (or Ovaltine, malt extract powder)200g FlourPinch of Sea Salt100g Robins Eggs (or Malted Milk Balls, crushed)50g White Chocolate ChipsFor Drizzle:¼ Cup Chocolate Chips1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil

Melt the butter and chocolate in a large saucepan, stir until completely combined.

Stir in the milk, almonds and Horlicks. Stir until combined. Sift in the flour and salt, combine thoroughly.

Transfer the batter to a sheet of wax paper and chill for 20-30 minutes, no longer.Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Mix in the crushed Robin’s Eggs and white chocolate.Separate the batter into 24 cookies. Set them on the baking sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before you drizzle.To make the drizzle combine the chocolate and coconut oil in a heat proof bowl.Heat in 30 second increments until completely melted.

Drizzle over the cookies with a spoon. Let them dry before serving.

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Source: Adapted from Jamie Oliver

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How to: Royal Icing

This is pretty much the best way to decorate cutout cookies. The icing looks so professional and put together. If you’ve never done royal icing before it is actually pretty easy, just mostly time intensive.  Because all the ingredients for Royal Icing are gluten free you can use these on GF cutout cookies.List of what you’ll need:One batch of cutout cookiesOne batch of Royal IcingGel Food ColorsPiping bags fitted with connectors and tipsSqueeze bottlesAirtight containers (one for each color you will be using)SpoonsSpatulasToothpicks

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Royal Icing:4 Cups Powdered Sugar2 Tablespoons Merengue Powder5.5 Tablespoons Water

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until the icing has a matte finish. Separate the icing into air tight containers (divide into as many containers as colors you need).

Taking one container at a time, mix an additional tablespoon of water into the icing. This should be a good consistency for piping. If it still seems too thick mix additional water into the icing one half tablespoon at a time. Mix thoroughly before using.

Once you have the icing at a good piping consistency mix the colors into the icing. Using gel colors will get the best results. If you use liquid colors it can change the consistency of the icing and make it unusable. I am partial to the Wilton Gel Food Colors. You can easily mix these into the icing by using a knife to remove a bit of gel coloring from the tub and mixing thoroughly into the icing.

When your icing colors are prepared, take piping bags prepared with connectors and icing tips (I prefer to use a Wilton Circle #3 tip). Using a spatula spoon a good amount of the icing into the prepared piping bag. Squeeze the bag to remove excess air and move the icing down into the tip. Prepare each of the colors in separate icing bags. Cover the extra icing so it does not dry out.

Taking the prepared piping bags, pipe an outline around the entire cookie. Let the outline sit for at least an hour before moving onto the next step.  Once you have outlined all of the cookies take any extra icing out of the bags and put back into the airtight container.

When the outline has set, prepare the rest of your icing. Add approximately an additional two tablespoons of water the icing. The icing should fall off the back of a spoon in a smooth ribbon. If you happen to thin the icing too much you can add powdered sugar to thicken it up. Pour the prepared icing into squeeze bottle. Flood the area inside the outline with the thinned icing.

If the icing does not go all the way to the edges you can use a toothpick to move it around. You also can use the toothpick to pop any bubbles that might appear in the flooded icing. The goal is to have the icing be as smooth as possible. Let the icing dry overnight before serving the cookies.

You can use additional piping icing to decorate the tops of the cookies once the icing has set.

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Source: adapted from Annies-Eats