Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)

Over the years I've gotten requests from clients for gluten free baked goods.  I always feel really bad that I have to answer no but the truth is, I don't like to sell anything that I feel isn't my best.  All of those rice flours, quinoa flours, and oat flours scare me because I don't know if I can make them taste as good the wheat flour.

Well, I'm tired of being scared so I've decided to try out some gluten free recipes and see how I do.  Ok, ok , ok.....these cookies don't have any type of flour in them at all but I'm starting with the known before I move into the unknown!  Baby steps people!  I did my gluten free research and found a few recipes without any flour and decided to start with those.  So far I've made these cookies and a flourless chocolate cake (to die for).  Next I'll buy some rice flour and start playing around with new recipes.  I think everyone deserves the right to eat my delicious baked treats, so I better start making them accessible to everyone!

My son's reaction when he tasted them..."I don't know what the big deal is Mom, they taste like really good Peanut Butter Cookies....not like you left out the flour".  Honestly, that's what I thought too!  The only problem with them is that I kept telling myself they were healthier without the flour and couldn't stop myself from eating a bunch of them!  Good luck!  :)

Peanut Butter Cookies (gluten free) adapted from Real Simple

2 cups peanut butter (not the all-natural variety) 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
(can add a handful of chocolate chips, toffee bits, or peanut butter chips for fun)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350° F.

Using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in the eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.

Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. With a fork, press the dough, making a crisscross pattern on top of each cookie.

Bake until the edges are set, approximately 10 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe shared on:
Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

Dark Chocolate Milano Cookies

I don't think my children have any clue that I am not your average Mom.  They seem to think that all kids go to their Mom's and say "hey, can you make homemade poptarts?" "Mom, can we have homemade twinkies?" "can you pleeeeeease make homemade cinnamon rolls?" Really....do all kids do this?  And if they do....do all Mom's say "sure, let me drop everything and do that for you".  Oh wait....that may be why they do it....hmmmmm.....

Ok...yes....I spoil my children with baked goods (and lots of love) but I enjoy doing it.  I also see it as a way to trap them into spending time with me (bwaaaahaaahaaahaaaha) (evil laugh....hard to convey via typing).  I can usually get them to help me because they really want to eat these baked yummies.  It doesn't matter that I go to school full time, have homework, have a job and occasionally need to sleep (let's face it....I don't sleep).....I always make time to bake for my boys.

What was my point?  Uh oh...senior moment....  Oh yes....so....today Max came to me and asked if I could make homemade golden oreos or milano cookies.  I decided these were the easiest to master in a day....I'm not sure what the heck a golden oreo is.

The dough is easy to make and easy to pipe.  Make them any size you like but they really spread and flatten so I would just make a little 1 1/2 inch long log.  You don't need to flatten it or do anything to it, these spread on their own in the oven.

Watch them closely so they don't brown too much around the edges.  Then allow them to cool completely before you make little sandwiches with your delicious ganache.  These were for my kids but if they were for an adult get together, I would have added a liqueur to the ganache....maybe a tablespoon of grand marnier. YUM!

Dark Chocolate Milano Cookies adapted from Gale Gand
Makes 3 dozen cookies

Cookies:
12 tablespoons butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 egg whites
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
Cookie filling, recipe follows

Chocolate Ganache Filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

Cream the butter with a paddle attachment then mix in the sugar. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1 1/2-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.

Ganache: In a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl. Whisk to melt chocolate. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools). Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.

Enjoy!

Shared on:
Wine'd Down Wednesday
Freedom Fridays
Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party
Wednesday's Adorned From Above
Hearth & Soul Blog Hop

Almond Orange Shortbread

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hope you all had a safe and happy New Year's celebration!  I went into the city (San Francisco) with friends to watch the fireworks over the bay....sooooo much fun!  I couldn't believe how many people were cram packed into the city.

Today I plan on relaxing and staying home with my kids and my Mom (and the dog, of course).  For those of you who are going out or having guests over, this is a super easy and delicious dessert.  I love these almond orange shortbread!  The dough is formed into logs and then stuck in the freezer for an hour before being sliced and baked.  

I personally like to make a couple of batches and store them in the freezer for those times when people show up unannounced or last minute.  Just pull the logs out of the freezer, let it defrost a bit, until it slices easily, then bake and serve.  

I LOVE how pretty the orange zest looks in these cookies!  However, you can change these cookies and make different combinations....lime zest and chopped macadamia nuts, lemon zest and almond, dried cranberry and almond, you could even add dried lavender!
These are sweet enough for me but you could also drizzle a flavored glaze over the top of them!

Ok...now back to couch for lazy time!  Enjoy your day!

Almond Orange Shortbread Martha Stewart


1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Grated zest of 1 orange
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Make the dough: In a mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt until smooth. With mixer on low speed, add flour and orange zest; mix just until a dough forms. With a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or your hands, gently mix in almonds.

Freeze the dough: On a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, form dough into a rectangular log, 12 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick. Wrap log in the paper, and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 months. If freezing longer than 1 day, wrap log again, in plastic wrap.

Bake the shortbread: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from freezer. (If dough has been in freezer a long time and is frozen solid, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes so it slices without crumbling.)

With a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until edges just begin to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe Shared On:
Hearth and Soul Blog Hop
Freedom Fridays
Adorned From Above Blog Hop
Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday

Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm sure that all of you know that "Friends" was the greatest show on television....EVER!  If you didn't know that before, now you do!  You also may not have known that they had a "Friends" cookbook, filled with recipes from dishes made on the show (they also have books, clothing and a trivia game that no one has been able to beat me at yet).  Yes, there was food on the show....Monica was a chef afterall and much of the show takes place in a cafe with cookies and other baked goods.  There are several good recipes but my favorite is the Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies....really it's just a chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips.  Super yummy, super easy to make and.....it's from "Friends", so it's pretty much the coolest cookie around!  

Just a couple of weeks ago I took the boys to LA and we did the Warner Brother's Studio tour and I got to see the re-creation of the "Friends" set....I even got to sit on the couch from Central Perk!  Pretty cool stuff for a fan of the show (not an obsessed stalker, just a regular old fan....I promise).

Anyways....even if you didn't watch the show (who didn't watch "Friends"?), you will love these cookies!  I make them all the time because they are so quick and easy.  

The recipe makes really large cookies, which I love, but you can also make them smaller.  I have also made these with peanut butter chips instead of the white chocolate!

Make a batch of these cookies to enjoy while you are watching the old "Friends" re-runs!

Enjoy!  :)

Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies via Friends
Cookbook

1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375.  Stir the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl and set it aside.  Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.  Slowly beat in the dry intredients.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop a little less than 1/4 cup batter onto baking sheet, flatten slightly.  Bake until edges and tops of cookies are set, 15-18 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool briefly.

Makes 12 oversized cookies

Recipe Shared On:

Foodie Friends Friday
Chocolate Chocolate and More - Thursday's Treasures

Brown Butter Cookies with Rolos and Toffee

  
I'm still here!!!  I was so busy with school and working that I haven't completed any of my half written posts (I have about 5 of them).  School is out for the summer and I miss it already. I am part of the ASL and Deaf Studies department at Ohlone College.  My first college experience (500 years ago) was nothing like this.  The students here are like family to me (even with me being so much older than most of them), we all go to classes together, eat lunch together, get together away from school, etc.  Don't get me started on the teachers.....encouraging, sympathetic, loving, supportive....I could go on and on but then you would all want to transfer to my school and I would have to share all of these wonderful people with you!!!

I am very blessed to be part of this department and even more blessed that I was accepted into their Interpreter Preparation Program (one of ten students accepted each year).  I will spend the next two years following my dreams and studying to become a Sign Language Interpreter!  :)  :)  :)  

So....on to baking!  I actually baked these cookies for one of our lunchtime gatherings at school.  They are brown butter cookies with chopped up rolos and toffee and chocolate chips!

I have seen tons of recipes for brown butter this and brown butter that and I finally decided I needed to see what all of the fuss was all about.  They were all correct....brown butter ROCKS!!!!  

I am a big fan of all things caramel and nutty and rich; and browning your butter helps achieve those flavors.  The other plus, besides the fabulous flavor, is that it is very easy to brown butter and you can make this change to pretty much any recipe!

I used my regular chocolate chip cookies recipe and browned the butter, then I added some chopped up candy to make it even more special.  Seriously, who doesn't LOVE toffee?  The rolos were my whimsical addition, mostly because I haven't had a rolo in years and I really wanted to eat them!

This is a really easy recipe, but watch your butter closely!  It takes a while to brown but once it starts turning colors, it goes fast and if you aren't watching it can burn.

Enjoy!!!

Brown Butter Cookies with Rolos and Toffee

2 sticks butter (16 tablespoons)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped rolos candies
1/2 cup chopped toffee candy bar

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Melt two stick butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter starts foaming, whisk vigorously, and continue whisking until the butter turns brown and there are little bits on the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the butter from heat and pour it into a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool completely.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

To the cooled brown butter, add in the sugars. Mix for several minutes until the butter and sugars are well combined.  Add in the eggs and vanilla, and mix well.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until combined. Fold in the chopped candies.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough for each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are just starting to brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before transfering the cookies to wire cooling racks.

Recipe shared on:
Tumbleweed Contessa - What'd You Do This Weekend
Food Frenzy
Chocolate, Chocolate and More - Thursday's Treasures
My Turn For Us - Freedom Fridays

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Even though I am famous for my cupcakes....cookies are really my favorite.  I love them all.  Chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles......ALL of them!  It's funny that I am so experimental with cupcakes but more of a purist with cookies, so I figured it was time for me to branch out and make a cookie with a little more oompf!  This recipe comes straight to you from Better Homes and Gardens.  I followed it exactly as written for this post.

The cookie base is very chocolatey, I used Dutch process cocoa which made for a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.  Very much like a brownie!  The cookie dough is rolled into balls, dipped in egg white and rolled in the chopped pecans.  At this point a normal person would use their thumb to make the thumbprint in the cookie, but I'm not normal!  Plus, we all know I have dozens of wine corks laying around!  So if you don't want to use your thumb, you can use a wine cork, or the back of a measuring spoon, to make the indention in the cookies.

The baked cookies are filled with gooey caramel filling!  My tip to you would be to melt your caramels in cream and leave the pan on the stove with the burner turned off.  This will help keep the caramel pourable so that you don't have to keep re-heating it after each batch is baked.

I finished off my cookies by drizzling melted chocolate over the top!  So pretty and so yummy!

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies via Better Homes and Garden
Makes 36 cookies

1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon shortening

Separate egg; place yolk and white in separate bowls. Cover and chill egg white until needed. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat well. Beat in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.

In another bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until well combined. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a small saucepan heat and stir caramels and whipping cream over low heat until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Slightly beat reserved egg white. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in egg white, then roll in the chopped pecans.  Place on cookie sheet and using your thumb (or a wine cork), make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are firm. If cookie centers puff during baking, repress with your thumb. Spoon melted caramel mixture into indentations of cookies. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. (If necessary, reheat caramel mixture to keep it spoonable.)

In another saucepan heat and stir chocolate pieces and shortening over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over tops of cookies. Let stand until chocolate is set.

Recipe shared on:
Food Frenzy
The 21st Century Housewife - Hearth & Soul Blog Hop
Kristina & Kayle's Christmas Cookie Exchange - The Cooking Actress
Kristina & Kayle's Christmas Cookie Exchange - Whipped
Chocolate, Chocolate & More - Thursdays Treasures

My Turn For Us - Freedom Fridays
Foodie Friends Friday
Adorned From Above - Linky Party

Brownie Cookies with Caramel Creme Filling

Everyone deals with stress differently.  Some people eat, some people drink, some people go shopping, some people hide away listening to music.....I bake!  Sometimes I go crazy and clean the house and sometimes I want to sit in my jammies and eat all day but baking is the thing that helps me the most.  I don't necessarily want to eat if after I've baked it, I just need to do it for the therapy.  It's pretty cheap therapy, actually! 

Last week was not my best week.  I got some very stressful news and I am not sure how I will fix things.  I know everything will be fine, but right now I am overwhelmed.  So to help me cope, I've been baking.  Ok, ok, ok.....I've been baking AND drinking red wine.  If it makes it any better, I've been baking a lot more than I've been drinking wine.....honest!

During one of my Pinterest drooling sessions, I found these cookies made by Naomi at Baker's Royale.  I LOVE her blog and all of her over-the-top desserts!  Anyways, when you are upset you really need chocolate.  Well, YOU really need chocolate....I need caramel (and red wine, but I think we've covered that).  This recipe sort of combines the best of both worlds.  The original recipe came from Donna Hay who filled her cookies with a peanut butter frosting. Sounds yummy but I followed Naomi's lead and made this fabulous caramel creme filling using my homemade caramel (from my Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Caramel Filling).  You can use store bought if you  prefer, it will still taste fabulous!

Don't wait until you've had a bad day to try this recipe.  In fact, make these babies and maybe you won't have a bad day! 

Enjoy!

Brownie Cookies with Caramel Creme Filling via Bakers Royale

Makes 24 cookie sandwiches

Brownie Cookie:

12 oz. chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

⅔ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place 7oz. of the chocolate and the butter in a saucepan over low heat and gently stir until melted and smooth. Set aside.

Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 15 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add in flour, baking powder, melted chocolate mixture, remaining 5 oz. of chocolate and mix to combine. Set aside to to stand for 10 minutes. 

Spoon 2 tablespoonful of the mixture, onto parchment lined bake sheet. Bake for about 8–10 minutes or until puffed and cracked. Allow to cool completely on trays.

Caramel Creme Filling:

1 cup butter

2 cups confectioner sugar

1/3 cup caramel

Place butter in a bowl and beat until creamed. Add in confectioner sugar and beat until light combined. Add in caramel and beat until combined.

Assemble:

Spread a teaspoon and a half of caramel creme on underside of one brownie cookie and place a second brownie cookie bottom side down on top frosting

Recipe Shared on:

Chocolate, Chocolate, and More Chocolate - Thursdays Treasures

My Turn For Us - Freedom Fridays

Magic Bars

That's right....you heard me....Magic Bars!  

These bars have many names - Magic Bars, Seven Layer Bars, Hello Dolly Bars, the list goes on!  Call them whatever you like as long as remember two things; 1. these bars are INCREDIBLY addictive 2. they are NOT low fat or low sugar!

I love these bars for so many reasons.  They are delicious and dreamy and everyone loves them!  They are easy to make, easy to cut, and easy to travel with!  But the reason I love them the most is that they are whatever you would like them to be!  You can add any flavor of chocolate chips or even butterscotch chips, any variety of nuts you like, coconut, toffee, peanut butter, etc. etc. etc.

The first layer is graham cracker crumbs and butter but could easily be changed to ground ginger snaps or chocolate cookies.  The layer of sweetened condensed milk can be altered by adding other flavors to it such as caramel, chocolate sauce, or pumpkin.  I used a mixture of semi-sweet and white chocolate chips and used macadamia nuts but other times I have added butterscotch chips and pecans.  All variations equally delicious!

This is the magic of these bars, they can become anything you want them to.  Ok, they won't make you skinny or bring Tyler Florence knocking on your door, but they are still magical!  Make them soon and find out for yourself!  :)


Magic Bars via Eagle Brand


1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts


Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or diamonds.

For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up with edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into bars.


This recipe shared on:
My Turn For Us Linky Party - Freedom Fridays
Chocolate, Chocolate, and more Chocolate - Thursdays Treasures
The 21st Century Housewife - Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

Hot Cocoa Cookies!

I'm just back from a short-but-sweet trip to one of my favorite places...Carmel!  I was in need of a quick de-compression from school, work, etc. and Carmel has everything I love....beaches, wineries, romance, shopping, great restaurants, and hiking!  Weekend over  :(   time to get back to work and prepare for my last two mid-terms....ugh!

Before I do, I had to share these fabulous cookies with you.....Hot Cocoa Cookies!!!  YUM!  This is a Rachel Ray recipe, and I don't know why she always says she doesn't much care for baking....when she created this fabulous recipe!

The cookies are a rich, chocolatey cookie that is baked until just done....

Then topped with half a large marshmallow into which a small chunk of chocolate has been stuck.  I chose to use milk chocolate because I had some hersheys bars in the house but you should feel free to use milk or dark chocolate.

Pop the cookies back in the oven for a few minutes, just until that marshmallow gets a little gooey and the chocolate melts.

After the cookies cool for just a few minutes, you can eat them and enjoy all that melty, gooey goodness!  The cookies were good later after they had cooled but according to my son Max, they are best RIGHT out of the oven!!  :)

I made these for a friend at school who was having a birthday and doesn't mind being my guinea pig for new recipes.  I had never made them before and was so happy to see that the recipe is perfect!  Happy Birthday to Julie and Yay me for finding another great recipe!!

 Hot Cocoa Cookies via Rachel Ray

1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (packed) light brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
30 large marshmallows
7-8 ounces milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate bars cut into 1 inch chunks
Semi-sweet chocolate bar to grate over the top of cookies

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chopped chocolate, stirring frequently, over medium heat. Let cool for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla at low speed until smooth, 2 minutes. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture just until blended. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour. (If making the dough a day ahead, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.)

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees . Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment. Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Arrange about 16 balls 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet, flattening slightly. Bake until the tops of the cookies crack, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, snip marshmallows in half crosswise and stick 1 square of chocolate onto each of the cut sides.
Remove the cookie sheets from the oven; gently press a marshmallow half, chocolate side down, into each cookie. Bake until the marshmallows are just softened, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 5 minutes; grate the remaining chocolate over the hot cookies. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to the racks; let cool. Repeat the process with the remaining dough, marshmallows and chocolate. Bake each batch on a clean sheet of parchment.

This recipe shared on:
Foodie Friends Friday
My Turn For Us Freedom Fridays
Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate "Thursday's Treasures"
21st Century Housewife - Gallery of Favorites

S'mores Cookies

Guess what I made....

S'mores Cookies!!!!  I saw this container filled with mini marshmallow bits at the store and couldn't resist. Once I was home I thought to myself "what the heck am going to make with these"?  Then I remembered seeing a post for these cookies by Jess over at "On Sugar Mountain" and I knew I had to try them! 

So I gathered my ingredients and got my taste testers lined up.  It is so hard to find friends willing to act as my taste testers (she says, dripping with sarcasm) but I was able to find some fellow ASL students who were carpooling with me to the state capitol for an ASL event and were willing to sacrifice themselves to try my cookies!  

I used these mini kisses instead of chocolate chips but I will warn you that it was torture....so hard not to eat the whole bag while the rest of the dough was being prepared!

I was very interested to see that the graham crackers were actually added to the dry ingredients.  Definitely gave the whole cookie that graham flavor that I love!!

Here is where I will give you a VERY serious warning.......this cookie dough is addictive!  Don't take this warning lightly, you will really have to use all of your self control, and make sure you bake all of the cookie dough right away.....because if you don't, I GUARANTEE you will want to eat it ALL!!!

The big surprise for me with this recipe were all of those wonderful little mini marshmallows.  Straight out of the container they are hard and a little crisp.  I was worried that they would be more like marshmallow chips in the cookie.  Once they were baked they held their shape but became soft little gooey marshmallows!  

These were definitely taste tester approved!  They went over so well that I made them a second time that week for a weekend trip to a friends cabin.  I made them with the kids in mind but the other adults at the cabin kept hiding the container of cookies and saying they were just too good to share with the kids!  ;D

I hope you try these cookies!  If you are a s'mores lover like myself you will really want to give them a try.  Make them for the kids AND the adults because I guarantee that no one will be able to resist!  Just remember to pace yourself, these are REALLY addictive and there is no 12 step program for cookies!!  

S'mores Cookies (via On Sugar Mountain)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, finely processed

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup mini Hersey's Kisses (or regular chocolate chips)

1 cup Mallow Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper (I used my lovely Silpats)

Cream butter and both sugar until well incorporated. Beat in egg and vanilla. Meanwhile in a separate bowl sift together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt.

Add dry ingredient mixture to wet ingredient mixture and stir until dough comes together. Stir in chocolate chips and mallow bits.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets and bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: roughly 2 dozen cookies

This recipe shared on:

Chocolate, Chocolate and More "Thursdays Treasures"

Foodie Friends Friday