Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

I love to bake cookies and am always looking for new recipes or ways to change up my current recipes.  My hubby is a chocolate and peanut butter freak so these cookies are a frequent visitor to our house....and lucky for me he eats most of them so I don't have to =) The kids love them too!!  If you aren't a fan of peanut butter, you can sub in regular chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and even mint chips.  They are even good if you add some peanuts or cashews to them.  (I told you I like to change things up with my recipes and see how many variations I can do)

 Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose Gold Medal Flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a large baking sheet with non stick spray
2. Place butter and sugars into a stand or electric mixer and beat until light and creamy, a good 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla mixing until well combined. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, mixing to combine. Add chips and mix to combine. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto baking sheet 1 inch apart and bake for 10-12 minutes, until baked through.

Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve and enjoy.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Chicken Roll-ups

These are some of my favorite things!  They are pretty easy to make and everyone in my family loves them! (always a plus when everyone will eat what you make, right?)  I originally got this recipe years ago, from who knows where and have been making it ever since.  I don't always do it the same each time, depends on my mood but here's my basic recipe:

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (if they are small, use 3, if they are big, use 2)

8 oz. cream cheese

2-3 pgks. crescent rolls (I make my homemade ones but if you are short on time, Pillsbury will help you out)

2-3 cans of chicken gravy (once again, I make my own, but if you want to use canned stuff, it works)

1 can mushrooms, optional

2 tbs. melted butter

garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, other seasonings you prefer, just use to taste.

1/2 c. butter, melted (may need more)

1 c. bread crumbs, plain or Italian (may need more)

Here's a quick tip before you cook your chicken:  add a cube of boullion while you are cooking it and it adds lots of extra flavor.

In a bowl, combine your chicken, cream cheese, mushrooms, 2 tbsp. melted butter and seasonings.  Mix until there are no cream cheese lumps.

Spread out your crescent rolls (or roll out and cut into triangles if making your own). Place a heaping tablespoon onto the crescent rolls.

Roll up to form a bundle, starting from big end.

Roll the bundle in the melted butter, then roll in the bread crumbs.

Place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 14 minutes at 375, or until golden brown.

While those are cooking, either heat or make your gravy.  If you are using the canned stuff, add some onion and pepper to it to give it a bit more flavor.

Once the bundles are finished, pour some gravy over before serving.  Have a yummy dinner!!

These freeze great too so don't worry about making extras =)

Gravy Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon (let it dissolve in teh water before you add it to the pan)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• seasonings to taste: pepper, garlic, poultry seasoning, etc

Melt half the butter in a sauce pan, saute onions.  Add the flour to make a roux (kind of like a paste). Add the other half of the butter, water, and bouillon.  Add other seasonings to taste Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until thickened.

S'More Cookies

Yes, I know I have done s'more cookies before, but this is a different version.  And my husband's new favorite.  I recently made these and took them to the job I am working during the holidays...trying to bribe my way into making everyone like me.  It worked =)  Well...until they ate more and more and ruined their diets and now they don't like me for that =) These are super good and you should go make them right now!!

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Hershey Bar chunks (I crunched up a king sized bar) you can use chocolate chips instead
1/2 cup Jet Puffed Mallow Bits (the min marshmallows you find in hot chocolate packets), they are found in the hot chocolate isle at Walmart and Target

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

 In a separate bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Add the chocolate and marshmallows and stir to combine.

Place tablespoon sized scoops of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Dinner Rolls

I love homemade rolls!    There really isn't anything that tastes as wonderful as a roll still warm from the oven with some butter melting on it....except chocolate.....that beats everything.  Since most the time I cook dinner spur of the moment (I have tried planning my meals and I am never in the mood for what I planned) I usually don't want to run to the store to grab rolls.  It is much easier for me to make my own....and cheaper because I can never just go in and grab 1 thing....  So here is my go to recipe: (It can be made in the bread maker or  by hand)

Ingredients:

2 3/4 c. bread flour (if by hand you can use regular flour)

2 tsp. yeast

1tsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

3/4- 7/8 c. milk

1/4c. warm water

1 egg

1/4 c. butter

Bread machine instructions:  Have all ingredients room temperature.  Put liquid ingredients in first, and the do the dry, making a little well in the flour for the yeast.  Select the "dough" setting on the machine and let it do it's thing.  when it is done, shape the dough into balls and let rise until double and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  When they are finished, brush the tops with butter.  This will make about 12-18 rolls depending on how big you make them.

By hand: (the way I prefer)  Warm your milk to between 110-115 degrees and add 1 tbsp. sugar and the yeast (stir to combine) and let it foam up.  While that is foaming, combine all the dry ingredients, then mix in egg, butter and water.  I use my Kitchenaid with the dough attachment   Then add in your yeast mixture and let it knead until well-combined.  If you need more flour, add more.  If the dough is too dry, add more milk.  The dough should be slightly stick but not sticking to the bowl while mixing.  The amount of flour can vary each time you make it.  Sometimes I have to add more milk, sometimes more flour....it depends on the weather.  Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.  Then spray a bowl with non-stick spray (can use the same bowl you mixed it in) and cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.  I like to set my oven on warm, place a hand towel on a cookie sheet, and put the bowl on the sheet in the oven.  It cuts rising time in half.  Once it has risen, shape into balls and let rise until double and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.  I like to use my Pampered Chef brownie pan or a muffin tin to cook them so I don't have to worry about tearing rolls apart.

Strawberry Lemonade Brownines

Do you like Strawberry Lemonade?  These brownies are that...in food form!!  They are super yummy!  They were a nice break from the chocolate recipes I usually do.  Instead of the lemon glaze, I got some of my homemade freezer strawberry jam and poured it over top.  It was fabulous!!

Ingredients

½	cup unsalted butter, softened
¾	cup flour
2	eggs, large
2	tbsp lemon zest
2	tbsp lemon juice
¾	cup granulated sugar
¼	teaspoon sea salt
For the tart lemon glaze (I didn't do the glaze, but if you want it, here's the recipe):
4	tbsp lemon juice
8	tsp lemon zest
1	cup icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.  Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry.. Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.  Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set. Cut into bars and serve. 

Lofthouse Copycat Cookies

Have you ever had Lofthouse cookies?  They are the fabulous sugar cookies that have colored frostings (depending on the season) and sprinkles.  They are super soft and super yummy and super addictive! The only down side is they are usually $4 for 8 cookies.  I'm a bit of cheapster and can't fork out that much money....but luckily I usually don't have to.  Here in Ogden, there is the Lofthouse cookie outlet over on 2nd street in the BDO outlet store (if you want specific instructions to get there and I will give them to you) and they sell them for $1.25 a box.  I love going there when I need treats to take to my daughter's school.  Anywho....now that I have done my advertising speal, back to the post.  As you can tell, I really do like these cookies and have been wanting  to make some that could satisfy my cravings for them and I would have to drive clear out of my way for them (which is probably a good thing they are farther away because I would be in lots of trouble and not fit into  my pants even more than I already don't).  Usually with cookies, I am all about the chocolate....okay....with anything I am all about the chocolate.  But these cookies are some of my favorites, even though they don't have chocolate. =)  So now that I have bored you to death, I guess I should give you the recipe huh?  I got the original recipe here and did a few little tweaks to it.  This recipe makes a lot so feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies

Cookies:
6 cups all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda 
1 t. baking powder 
1 c. butter, at room temperature 
2 c. granulated sugar 
3 eggs 
4 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. sour cream

Frosting:
1 c. butter, room temperature 
1 t. vanilla extract 
1 t. almond extract (optional but I love almond extract in frostings!)
4 c. powdered sugar (you may need more or less, depending on how thick you want the frosting
6 T. heavy cream (you won't need it all, I actually didn't even need any of it and you can use milk too)
Several drops food coloring 
Multi-colored Sprinkles

Directions:
Cream the butter and sugar until it is well incorporated.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat until well combined.  Slowly ad the dry ingredients.  The dough may be a bit sticky,  so don't fret.  Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours. You can either cover the bowl and do it in that or take the dough out and wrap in plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray your cookie sheets with non stick spray.

Roll out your dough to about 1/4 thickness (I actually do mine a little bit thicker)  If the dough is too sticky to roll out, add some flour and sugar.  I usually have a bag of a flour/sugar mix that I keep on hand for my sugar cookie dough.  I just sprinkle some on the counter and incorporate it into the dough as you are rolling it out.  Then take whatever shape cookie dough cutters you want and cut out your cookies.  I use a cup to get the round ones.  Then back your cookies for about 7 minutes.  You don't want them to over cook because then they will be crunchy and not soft (unless you are weird and like your sugar cookies crunchy ;P )  Once the cookies are done baking, let them cool on a cooling rack.  Once completely cooked, frost away!  And don't forget to let your little munchkins help decorate a few.

Root Beer Cookies

Everyone in my family are HUGE fans of root beer.  I have tried several recipes to try and get the root beer flavor in them.  I've done several cupcake versions and a few cookie versions.  I haven't been completely satisfied with them.  It seems like the root beer flavor always bakes out of it.  But then one day, while visiting one of my favorite blogs, Chef in Training, I found her recipe for root beer cookies.  I figured, what they hey, I'll give them a try.  Boy am I glad I did!  They were super yummy!  My hubby doesn't like white chocolate chips and he even really liked these (enough that he requested I make a batch for him to take to work to share, which he only does with the really good ones =)  )

ROOT BEER COOKIES

3/4 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1 small box vanilla instant pudding (dry)

2 eggs

2 tsp. Root beer concentrate

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

white chocolate chips (however much you like, but probably around 1 cup)

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs and root beer.  Beat until incorporated.  Add pudding mix, baking soda, and flour until well mixed.  Stir in white chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded tablespoons (or about 1 in big, or use a cookie dough scoop) onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  They get a big glass of milk and enjoy!!!