Chocolate Chip Cookies

Despite the many different recipes that I've tried for chocolate chip cookies, which were all good, I looked today for a different recipe that would make the ultimate cookies. I think I've found just the recipe.

Here it is...

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 stick butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips, semi sweet

Instructions:

Mix together dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients. Stir together until cookie dough is formed. Form balls out of the dough and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

*yields 2 dozen*

Now tell me these aren't the best chocolate chip cookies you've ever had!

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Mother's Day is this weekend so I have decided to make my Mom a special dessert.  This peanut butter chocolate cheesecake seemed like the right way to celebrate!

If you've tried my recipe for a regular  "New York style" cheesecake, this one isn't too different.  It just incorporates many more toppings.  I've seen this same recipe made with Snickers instead of Reese's peanut butter cups, so feel free to experiment with your cheesecake flavors!

Ingredients:

Crust:
30 Oreo cookies (1 pkg.)
6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:
32 oz. cream cheese, at room temp.
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz. mini Reese's peanut butter cups

Instructions:

Several hours before you start making this, you will need to take the cream cheese out of the fridge and let it get to room temperature. If you don't do this, you will have a lumpy cheesecake rather than a smooth, creamy one.

First, you will make the crust of the cheesecake. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, mix up all of the Oreo cookies until they are finely ground into crumbs. Now, add the melted butter and mix again. Press this mixture into the bottom of a springform pan.  Bake for ten minutes.

Now, in an electric mixer, mix all the cream cheese together on a low speed until it is all creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, letting the mixer stir the entire time, and then add the brown sugar, peanut butter, and heavy cream.  Add in the splash of vanilla extract. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined and creamy.

Pour this mixture into the springform pan which has the crust in it. Bake this at 450 degrees for ten minutes, and then turn the heat down to 250 degrees and bake for one more hour. The edges should look fully cooked, while the center may still look a bit wobbly - this is normal.

Let this cool in the fridge for at least four hours.

Once cooled, we will put the toppings on. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for about 1 minute - you want it hot, but not boiling!  Stir the chocolate chips into the heavy cream, and allow them to melt. Keep stirring this for a few minutes until it thickens. Now, drizzle this over the top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle the mini Reese's on top of this.

Now that is a Mother's Day gift!  Enjoy!