Brownie Pillow Cookies

Labels: , , | at 10:51 PM

It's been a really long time since I've posted anything, and that's because my poor little oven broke! Gardner Boy and I now have a new one which we found on sale and hastily (maybe too hastily) bought because I was so desperate to have an oven again! It was definitely on sale for a reason, but its ok cuz I wont be using it for long... Just until Gardner Boy and I move to a bigger place (with a bigger oven!), which will be happening soon!
Anyway, to the Brownie Pillow Cookie.
Imagine a soft cuddly puppy, flopping around on towels and pillows, and think of warmth and comfort. That's the feeling you get when biting into this cookie. Need I say more?


You Will Need:
1 package brownie mix
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 oz. bag miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownie:
Bake the package of brownies according to package instructions and let cool. If you can figure out the measurements, I would suggest making only half of the package. I had a lot of extra. Then again, some wouldn't mind having extra brownies lying around. :)
Cut about ten 1 inch (about 3 cm) squares. 
Chocolate Chip Cookie:  
Beat the butter with a mixer until its creamy.
Add the brown sugar and beat until smooth.
Add the eggs, yolk, and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
Combine the flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.
Add the flour to the butter mixture and beat until combined, and stir in the chips.
Let the dough chill covered in the fridge for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 176°C (350°F).
Use a 1/3 cup to scoop the batter. Since it’s chilled, you may need to pack it with a spoon. Then use the spoon to remove the dough from the cup and place it on parchment paper. Work quickly so that the dough remains chilled. You can prepare one cookie at a time so the rest of the dough remains cold.
After the dough is on the parchment paper, make an indentation and place a brownie square in the middle. Press the brownie down gently and work the remaining dough around the brownie. Shape the dough into a ball. The cookie comes out pretty large, so leave a nice about of space between each one.
The brownie square nestled in the indented cookie dough. 

Prepare 4-6 cookies at a time, and bake for about 16-18 minutes. Put the rest of the dough to the fridge until its time to bake the second batch.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes about 10 cookies.

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Doughnut Muffins

Labels: , | at 8:11 PM

I've always wanted to make traditional doughnuts but when I saw these I just couldn't resist!




These muffins really taste like real doughnuts... I think maybe its because of the nutmeg, which gives the muffin a surprising dunkin'-doughnut-like flavor.
I've always enjoyed doughnuts, especially dunkin's Boston Cream (yum!). But what I really LOVE are munchkins.
You get the awesome flavor of doughnuts but in a tiny package of explosive deliciousness... I can't really get through a whole doughnut, because towards the end I begin to feel the sugar overload, but for some reason I don't feel that way when eating munchkins! I can eat a dozen of those babies...I really cant help myself :)
When I bit into one of these, that feeling cam flooding back. I just wanted more!
These are super easy, but read through the directions completely before beginning because the topping needs to be made while the muffins are in the oven, and you'll need to prepare that ahead of time.




You Will Need:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used cake flour for lack of anything else and it came out amazing)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk or soy milk
Jam

Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Preheat the oven to 176°C (350°F).
Using a whisk, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl. 
In another bowl, combine the sugar, oil, egg, and milk. I used soy milk since I'm sadly lactose intolerant. Although substituting soy milk for milk in cooking can sometimes ruin a dish, for the most part, I've found that its okay in baking. And it was more than okay in this goody.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined.
Spray a muffin or cupcake tin with cooking spray, and fill the cups halfway with batter.
Place one teaspoon of jam onto the batter, and then cover the jam with another layer of batter. Pretty much, your making a sandwich... the cups should be 3/4 of the way full.
Bake the muffins for 20-25 mins.
While the muffins are in the oven prepare the topping. Melt the butter in a bowl. 
Then, in a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. 
Right after the muffins come out of the oven, dip the tops into the butter and then into the sugar-cinnamon mixture. My mouth was salivating at this point.






Serve warm or room temp.
Enjoy these for all they're worth!



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The Ultimate Layered Cookie Bar

Labels: , , , , , , | at 11:18 AM

This past weekend I went home to celebrate two family occasions. And what better way to celebrate than to make every cookie possible... Or, every cookie possible in one bite!
This recipe took some time and effort, but as in all things, it was worth it! Every layer of this cookie bar is infused with sugary sweetness, balancing the four different flavors of everyone's favorite cookies: sugar, chocolate, peanut butter, and classic chocolate chip.



My family looooved this bar... and my aunt even called it sinful. Sinful or sublime, a bite of this cookie bar makes you sigh in happiness :)


Since this bar has four layers there are four different ingredient lists. Read through them carefully to make sure you have all the ingredients you need. I'll be giving you the instructions for each sections along with the ingredients. A little tip I would have liked to know when making these: the dough is kind if hard to deal with because of its stickiness, making it difficult to smoothly spread each layer. I had to use my fingers to spread the layers in pieces so that they wouldn't ruin the layers bellow. So, if you make the batters ahead of time and refrigerate them, they might be be easier to handle.
I also cut everything down to half.

You will need:

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie
  • 1/2 cup and 2.5 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • heaping 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 egg
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Or, 1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
Prepare a baking dish by lining it with foil and spraying it with cooking spray (I forgot to line the dish with foil and realized later that it would have made my life much easier because it enables you to pull out the bars in order to cut them when there done, as opposed to wrestling with the pan like I did). 
Preheat the oven to 176°C (350°F). 
If you're using the roll of Pillsbury, press the dough into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. 
If not, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Then beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
Press the dough into the lined and sprayed pan and set aside, or put in the fridge to harden.
Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie
1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar
heaping 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 and heaping 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup and 2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips which looked really cute peeping out of the bars).


In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients, and then stir in the chips. Layer the dough over the sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.
Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie
1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 egg
This layer isn't so much of a cookie as it is a spread. I doubled this part of the recipe because I didn't think it was enough, but it turned out to be too much. so stick with this amount.
Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Press over the chocolate cookie dough.
Layer 4:  Chocolate Chip Cookie
113 grams (1 stick) softened butter

heaping 1/3 sup white sugar
heaping 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 a bag chocolate chips

Make sure oven is preheated to 176°C (350°F).  In a mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt.
Slowly add dry mixture to the wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips. 
Spoon the dough evenly over the peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven.  
Bake covered for 20-30 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through (check with a knife or toothpick). Uncover and bake for another 15 mins or until the edges begin to brown. 
Let cookies cool completely, and then, using the edges of the foil, lift out of the pan. 
To add a nice visual element, drizzle the top with 1/2 a cup of melted chocolate chips.
Enjoy!!


My cutie niece was sooo excited to help make and eat the cookies!




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