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!

Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes

This is the perfect recipe for buttermilk pancakes, made from scratch! This recipe is quick and easy. It gives me a reason to use up the extra buttermilk I have in the fridge so it doesn't spoil.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups buttermilk
3 tbsp. Sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda

Instructions:
Mix all dry ingredients in medium sized mixing bowl. Separately, mix butter, buttermilk, and the egg in a bowl. Whisk together until thoroughly mixed.

Now, pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients slowly. Stir together until it forms a thick batter.

Ladel onto the griddle and cook as usual. Serve with extra butter and syrup!

Enjoy!

*yields 10 pancakes

Special Easter Cake

Easter is here, and this year I decided to make a cute Easter-themed cake for the occasion.

I found the idea for this cake on Pinterest and adapted it a little to make it my own.  There is nothing difficult about the actual cake recipe,  but the fun is in the decorating!

Ingredients:

Store-bought cake mix to make a 2-layer cake (I chose to make a Funfetti cake)
1 container of white frosting
Green food coloring
1 cup of shredded coconut
6-8 "Robin's Egg" malted milk balls (alternately, you could use large colored jelly beans)
Small-medium sized chocolate bunny

Instructions:

Bake the cake according the to recipe and instructions included on the packaging, if using a store-bought cake mix.  Be sure to divide the cake batter into two, and use circular baking pans so that you will end up with the "cakes" to be layered.

When the cake is baked and then fully cooked, you are going to mix a few drops of the green food coloring into the white frosting and stir until fully mixed. Now, frost the cake as usual, stacking the two layers.

In a small bowl, add the shredded coconut and a few more drops of the food coloring.  When the coconut absorbs the green color, gently press the coconut pieces around the whole cake and on top of it.  Now for the final touches - place the chocolate bunny on top of the cake, in the center, and around the bunny, place the "Robin's eggs" or jelly beans on top of the cake.

This cute cake will impress your guests - enjoy!

Extra Creamy Mac and Cheese

I love all types of Mac and cheese, but this recipe really tops them all in my opinion.  This extra creamy, extra cheesy Mac and cheese will leave you wanting second and third helpings (at least, I did when I tried it!)

Ingredients:
1/2 stick of butter
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1/2 block of Velveeta cheese
2 lb. Box of macaroni
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Splash of olive oil

Instructions:
Add a splash of olive oil to a saucepan, and then melt the butter in the pan. When melted, add the flour slowly, whisking continuously. When it has all dissolved, add the milk and continue whisking. Now, cube the Velveeta, add the cubes, and allow it to melt.

Separately, boil the macaroni. Now, once the cheese mixture is fully melted, add the shredded cheddar and stir. Strain the macaroni and then pour the cheese mixture into it. Give it a stir, and serve!

This recipe makes for some great leftovers, too, so you can keep enjoying it until it's gone.  Enjoy!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

With the warmer weather approaching, I've been looking at spring and summer time recipes.  It is never too early to try a new recipe!

My Mom and I recently got the ice cream maker attachment for our KitchenAid mixer. We decided to try peanut butter cup ice cream today, and more flavors to come!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup chopped mini peanut butter cups

Instructions:

In a regular KitchenAid mixer, mix the peanut butter and sugar.  Cream it together on a medium speed for a few minutes until it is smooth and well mixed.  Now, turn off the mixer  add in the whole milk.  Mix on low for about 2 more minutes.  When it is all stirred together, add the heavy cream.  Now, mix on low for about 30 seconds. 

Now, set up your ice cream attachment onto the KitchenAid, or use an ice cream machine if that's what you are using.  Pour all of the liquid mixture into the ice cream bowl and let it churn for about 25 minutes on low.

When it is done churning, fold in the chopped peanut butter cups. Put all of the ice cream into a container, to be put into the freezer for about 20 minutes. 

You can use this recipe and adapt it for any flavor or topping that you want to try.

Enjoy!

Mini Blueberry Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I experimented with a recipe today to see how I could incorporate homemade jam that I made this past summer, and these mini cakes were the result!

The base for these mini cakes is actually the same dough that I use to make cinnamon rolls, and then I used blueberry jam as the filling. You can substitute any type of fruit preserves or jam in this recipe.

Here's how I made these:

Ingredients:

For the cakes:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 tbsp. Butter
Dash of vanilla
3/4 tsp. Salt
2/3 cup milk
4 tsp. Baking powder

For the filling:
1/2 cup of fruit jam/preserves
1 tbsp. Butter, melted

For the frosting:
3 oz. Cream cheese, room temp
2 tbsp. Butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients for the cakes. Cut the butter into pats and add them. Now, start mixing it on a low setting and while it is mixing, add the milk and the vanilla. Mix this until it forms a stiff batter.

Now, sprinkle flour onto the counter or a cutting board, and roll out the dough until it is evenly flat and about a half inch thick. 

For the filling, melt the butter and brush it onto the dough. Now, spread around the fruit jam, covering the dough.

Roll this away from you in jelly roll fashion, and when it completely rolled, cut the roll into twelve pieces, each about an inch wide.

In a muffin tin, spray nonstick cooking spray, and then place the pieces of the roll into the tin (swirl side up.) 

Bake for 18 minutes at 350 degrees. 
Let them cool for a few minutes when they come out of the oven.

Now, in your mixer you are going to add the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and softened butter. Mix on a high setting for a few minutes so that it really creams the ingredients together. When it is thoroughly mixed, and the mini cakes are cooled, spread a bit of the frosting onto each one.

Enjoy!