Triple Chocolate Blondies

I'm in a blogging lull.  I'm cooking.  We're eating.  I'm even taking photos of some of my food, I am just not getting from the camera to the computer to the editing to the blogging.  Forgive me if you've been waiting for my next post!  Every day I say "I've got to blog today!" and then laundry, bible study, preschool, volunteering, baseball...and so many other things happen and I don't get to it! Turning over a new leaf today!  

It's hard, if not impossible, to go wrong with an Our Best Bites Recipe. This is no exception, these blondies are yummy!  I am not a big baker.  I don't enjoy it, although I certainly do enjoy eating baked goods so it's probably a good thing that I don't bake my own very often.  My husband loves butterscotch anything so when I saw this recipe I made it right away. The original recipe calls for white chocolate chips, chocolate chips and butterscotch or peanut butter chips.  I just used chocolate and butterscotch chips and drizzled the top with white chocolate so it's still triple chocolate blondies!  When you make them, use any combination of chocolate chips that you like.

Triple Chocolate Blondies

recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

2 sticks butter

2 cups light brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 cups chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate or peanut butter chips in any combination.  (I used 1 c. chocolate and 1 c. butterscotch chips)

2 cubes vanilla almond bark or 2/3 c. white chocolate candy melts or 1/3 c. white chocolate chips

1-2 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Melt the butter and combine in a mixing bowl with the brown sugar.  Add the vanilla and eggs and beat with a hand mixer until creamed together.  Add in the flour and mix on medium speed until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips and spread the batter in the pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  Once cool melt your white chocolate (bark, candy melts or chips) in the microwave according to package directions.  Stir in the vegetable oil and carefully pour the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag.  Snip the tip off of the bag and drizzle the bars with chocolate.  Allow the chocolate to cool and harden before cutting into bars.  

Peanut Butter Frosting

This frosting.  Oh this frosting.  I kind of wish I didn't know about this.  Pretty sure I ruined my healthy-vegan-January with these brownies. (Actually, never mind.  I ruined it way before this.) It is so good.  I take no credit for this recipe, we just followed someone else's recipe completely but I had to share it with you!  If you're still looking for that quick, delicious, life-changing, fattening dessert to scarf down while you watch talk to your friends as the Super Bowl is on tomorrow---make this! I think this frosting would be super on some chocolate cupcakes as well.

Peanut Butter Frosting
recipe from allrecipes.com

1/2 c. butter, softened to room temperature
1 c. creamy peanut butter (I'd probably not go with all natural pb)
2 c. powdered sugar
3 Tb. milk

Cream together butter and peanut butter with a mixer until well blended.  Beat in powdered sugar 1 c. at a time.  Add in milk one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is at a consistency you like.  Spread on cooled brownies or cupcakes.

*For these brownies I used one box of Betty Crocker dark chocolate brownie mix, mixed according to the directions and baked in a 9x13'' pan.  Let them cool all the way before icing or else the frosting will melt.

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Last Minute Christmas Food Gifts!

Not that I'm suggesting that anyone has been procrastinating on your Christmas baking....but just in case, here are some great last-minute Christmas food gifts or they would also make a great hostess gift if you're going to someone else's home for the Holidays.

Double Chocolate Peanut Caramel Corn

Cake Pops

Dark Chocolate Mint Cake Mix Cookies

My personal favorites require very few ingredients and no actual "baking":

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix  

This is so yummy stirred into coffee!

Saltine Toffee Bars

Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzel Bark

Oreo Truffles

OR

Peppermint Oreo Truffles

 

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Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzel Bark

My mom was visiting a few weekends ago and she ran into Trader Joe's for a couple things and came out with a bag of white chocolate peppermint covered pretzels.  They were SO good.  I wanted to make some but I really, really didn't like the idea of individually dipping small pretzels. Honestly I'm kind of lazy and don't do complicated stuff very often.  And, my family can blow through a whole  bag of these in no time flat so it seems like a lot of work to see them disappear so fast.  This way took 10 minutes to do two cookie sheets full and it is so good!  I just layered the pretzels and liberally drizzled the chocolate over. 

We like the sweet/salty combo and this way is a little more salty than sweet.  I will be packaging them up for my first grader's specials teachers to get them out of my house! I used Pretzel Crisps but regular pretzels would work just great. I got a huge bag of the thins at Sam's Club really cheap.  I probably used half a bag, which is equivalent to almost two small bags you'd buy at the grocery store.

Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzel Bark

12-14 oz Pretzel Crisps, or use regular pretzels

1/2 block of white almond bark or candy coat

1/3-1/2 c. crushed starlight mints or candy canes

parchment paper

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Spread a thin layer of pretzels over the cookie sheet.  They can be overlapping a little bit.  Follow the directions on your bark to melt.  Using a butter knife generously drizzle the pretzels with the melted chocolate, making sure to overlap.  How heavily/lightly you drizzle the chocolate will depend on how much you like.  Before letting it set sprinkle crushed peppermints over the top.  Let set and break apart.  Enjoy.  (These will stay fresh in a ziploc or airtight container up to a week.)



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Dark Chocolate Mint Truffle Cake Mix Cookies

We had a Christmas party to go to and there was a cookie exchange...so I needed to make 8 dozen cookies.  I don't enjoy baking.  I can bake, but I'm not that great at it and I really don't love it.  I think what I dislike is the mess.  Every time I bake I have to vacuum and clean up a fine flour dusting from everything...and I don't like messes.  So anyway, I wanted to try out a cake mix cookie because I loved the pumpkin cookies so much.  I found this recipe which looked really Christmas-y so I adapted it and it was great!  These cookies are really yummy and I love the gooey mint.  I used the Hershey's mint truffle kisses and chopped them up, but Andes chips would be great.  You can definitely play with this recipe.

I will definitely make these over and over again! AND I baked 8 dozen of them in only a couple hours which is a plus. These cookies would be a great little gift for your neighbors or a teacher.

Dark Chocolate Mint Cake Mix Cookies

recipe adapted from rubyreduction.com

makes 2 dozen cookies

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge)

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil (I used a little bit less than that)

1 c. chopped Hershey's kisses, your favorite flavor will be great.  I used mint truffle.

The best way to chop the kisses is to unwrap them all and refrigerate at least an hour.  Then chop them up and measure out 1 generous cup. Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl mix together cake mix, eggs & oil with a hand mixer until everything is blended well, no clumps in the mix.  Stir in the chopped kisses.  Roll into balls, about 1-1 1/2 inches, and bake 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.

 

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Peanut Butter Cookie Oreo Brownie Bars

I am kind of obsessed with this recipe.  I found it on Pinterest (shocking) and it is SO good. You actually "need" the ice cream because it's pretty sweet!  The original recipe was for chocolate chip cookie dough on the bottom, but I decided to change it up and do peanut butter cookie dough and we all loved it.  Don't judge, but I used a package of Betty Crocker cookie dough mix for the peanut butter cookie dough and it worked out just perfectly without having to measure out a hundred ingredients...you do whatever you want!  One tube of peanut butter cookie dough or a half batch of your favorite peanut butter cookie mix would work great if you aren't a lazy baker like me.  This would be a great addition to any Christmas party!  I used dark chocolate hot fudge from the store to drizzle on top because I ran out of time to make my own, but this hot fudge from Our Best Bites would be fantastic on top!

Peanut Butter Cookie Oreo Brownie Bars
recipe adapted from kevinandamanda.com

cooking spray or butter for dish
1 package Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix, prepared according to directions (oil & eggs needed)
1 package Double Stuff Oreos
1 box brownie mix, prepared according to directions (eggs & oil needed for this also)
1/4 c. hot fudge sauce
vanilla ice cream
additional hot fudge for serving

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray or butter a 9x13'' pan.  Press the peanut butter cookie dough down into the pan evenly.  Layer on the Oreos.  Stir the 1/4 c. hot fudge sauce into the brownie batter and pour the brownie batter over the top. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes, it will still be a little bit gooey in the middle when done but not seem raw.  Let cool before cutting.  Top with vanilla ice cream and additional hot fudge, if desired.  Enjoy!!

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Skinny Pumpkin Cookies, Two Ways

I am in love with these cookies.  So is our small group it turns out.  It's actually kind of a problem, because even if the cookies are "skinny" compared to other cookies, if someone were to eat half a batch it would become the equivalent of eating an entire row of double stuff Oreos...not that I've done either one of those scenarios.  Whats almost as cool as how delicious these cookies are is how simple they are to make.  I don't necessarily enjoy baking but these come together with very little time/mess.

These cookies came about because I was trying to make the Pumpkin Cupcakes and realized that I didn't have any cupcake liners so then I thought..."hmmm I bet these could be cookies."  Then I had dejavu of  my sister in-law stirring pumpkin and cookie mix together with chocolate chips last Christmas and I figured it would work.  It did.

I love these cookies so much with the caramel icing or with chocolate chips or even just as uncooked batter.

Skinny Pumpkin Cookies, Two Ways

1 box spice cake mix
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips OR
1 batch caramel icing

Preheat the oven to 350.  Beat cake mix and pumpkin puree together on medium speed with a hand mixer until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips, if you're using them. Drop by rounded tablespoon-full onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes.  They will still be quite soft when cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool.  If topping with icing, make the icing and generously drizzle over the cookies. 

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Peppermint Oreo Truffles

Well, I started this post on the 23rd, which is an appropriate day to post about candy cane topped-oreo truffles.  Then I got busy.  Then we went out of town.  Now we're back.  So, here we are with the peppermint oreo truffles.  I would like to state that these are so good you could/should certainly make them anytime of the year!

If you can't find peppermint Oreos, the mint Oreos would be divine I'm sure. OR you could use regular oreos and add 1/2tsp-1 tsp peppermint extract. (The only place I've found peppermint Oreos is in the back of Target by the Christmas candy.)

Peppermint Oreo Truffles
1 package peppermint Oreos (or any Double-Stuff Oreos)
1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 bag semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or white chocolate chips (pictured is milk chocolate but we equally enjoy the white chocolate covered truffles)
2 Tb vegetable oil
2 crushed candy canes
Wax paper

Toss all of the Oreos in the food processor and pulse until they are crushed.  (Or toss them in a gallon size bag and smash them with a rolling pin.) Then add in the cream cheese and mix until incorporated.  Roll the Oreo mixture into balls (I usually get around 30 balls) and set them on a plate.  Unwrap the candy canes and put them in a sandwich bag and crush them with a rolling pin or meat cleaver.  Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave 1 minute at a time, until smoothly melted.  Stir in the vegetable oil.  Roll the balls in the melted chocolate with a spoon and remove them to a wax paper-lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle the truffles with the crushed candy canes and then place them in the freezer for 20 minutes or until chocolate is set.  Enjoy!

S'mores Bars

My friend Wendy made these for a potluck this summer.  Rob ate half the pan and made himself sick on them.  I went to my sister's house in TX and made them there and my brother in-law made himself sick on them too (I did too, to be quite frank).  These bars are ridiculous and super easy.  They are giving the toffee bars a run for their money!

Try it out.  BUT you MUST use REAL butter or the bars won't set up right and you'll be sad!

 

S'mores Bars

12 whole graham crackers

3/4 c butter

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

3 c. mini marshmallows

4 milk chocolate candy bars broken in pieces, or 2 c. chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Line a jelly-roll pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray.  Placce the grahams on the foil so the sides touch.  Then, melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and the mixture just comes to a boil.  Pour over the crackers.  Bake 5-6 minutes or until bubbly.  Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with marshmallows and candy bars or chocolate chips.  Turn on the broiler and put the pan back into the oven and broil until the marshmallows begin to brown, about 2 minutes--keep an eye on it because it won't take long.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into bars and then let cool completely.

Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of these, but I bet you've all seen a peanut butter buckeye and ...they looked like that. These were super easy to put together and then they flew off the plate at my girls get together. I will definitely be making these again!

Peanut Butter Buckeyes
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 Tb butter, melted
2 c. powdered sugar

6 oz chocolate chips plus 1 Tb vegetable oil

Mix together the peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar. Roll the peanut butter mixture into tablespoon-sized balls. Freeze the peanut butter balls on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. In the meantime melt the chocolate in the microwave, making sure not to overheat. Partially dip each ball in the chocolate, return to the baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.

Money Saving Monday: Toffee Bars

One great and simple way to save money is to make homemade gifts for your friends and neighbors. This recipe is super simple and sooo inexpensive. I love it because it's so simple you can probably make it with ingredients that are in your pantry. This is the first time I've made this recipe, but I've heard about it for years and how wonderful it is...but the whole "using saltines to make Christmas cookies" wierded me out. But really, truly this recipe is going to the very top of my list of faves. I also made over 60 bars in less than 45 minutes which is also really great. Baking isn't one of my favorite activities so if you'll notice none of my Christmas goodies involve much baking at all!

I made three pans of these: one with chopped walnuts, one with chopped pistacios, and one without nuts. They're all good. I'm pretty sure I've tightened my jeans this week with the sampling of my baked goods.

Toffee Bars

40 saltine crackers

1 cup butter (REAL butter only here folks)

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cups chopped nuts of your choice (optional)

Line a jelly roll pan with foil or parchment paper. Place the saltines on the sheet, covering the bottom of the pan. In a small saucepan bring the butter & brown sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally for three minutes. Pour the butter mixture over the crackers and bake at 350 for five minutes. (The caramel will be bubbling and the saltines will be floating). Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and spread them as they melt. Then sprinkle the nuts over the top of the chocolate. Cut into bars with a pizza cutter before they cool.

I always have a hard time getting melted chocolate chips to harden so I just cut the bars and stuck the whole pan in the freezer and it hardened right up.

Enjoy! (Or don't. Maybe it would be better if you just passed these right out to your unsuspecting neighbors and never tried them yourself. You'd probably save yourself a couple pounds off of your New Year's Resolution.)

Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Again, I can't seem to come up with a name for this that isn't long and drawn out and overly self-explanatory. But--this is what they are. It's surprising how simple these cookies are yet sooo yummy. I've made these for my neighbors every year for five years and one of my neighbors looks forward to it all year and then hides them from the rest of his family.

My sister in-law came over today and we made a zillion of these peanut butter cookies and a whole ton of the ever-fabulous oreo truffles.

Christmas "baking"....check. Now I just need to wrap a gazillion gifts, fold five loads of laundry and clean the bathrooms.

Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

1 regular size jar peanut butter

1 box Ritz crackers

2 packages Almond Bark for dipping (white or chocolate...or both)

candy canes for crushing/sprinkling

Make pb sandwiches with all the crackers. Put as much or as little peanut butter in between the crackers as you like. Melt the bark according to directions. Dip the crackers in the melted bark and set on parchment paper or wax paper to "dry". Sprinkle with crushed candy canes or sprinkles while the chocolate is still "wet".

Oreo Truffles

Oreo Truffles, you had me at hello. I know food doesn't equal love....but this may be as close as it gets.

A friend of mine made these and brought them to a party the other night and I had never tasted anything so amazing. Then I found out they were very simple to make. Once Rob heard about these candies he couldn't take waiting for Thanksgiving or Christmas cookie-making. So being the ever faithful and doting wife that I am I went to the store and got the ingredients. Just for him of course.

Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreo cookies

1 block cream cheese, softened

1 pkg almond bark (found only at Wal-Mart around here)

Crumble up the Oreos with a food chopper or your hands very finely and put them into a large mixing bowl. Drop in the cream cheese and mix with your hands until it is a sticky dough ball. Roll the Oreo mixture into small balls. Melt the almond bark in the microwave as directed. Do not over heat the chocolate or it will lump up. Roll the truffles in chocolate and let cool on wax paper or parchment paper. Let cool and harden.

Either white chocolate or dark chocolate is super yummy with these truffles.

*Note: if you can't find the almond bark you can use 2 packages of chocolate chips and melt them in the microwave. DONT over cook the chocolate or it will lump up. Also, add a little bit of vegetable oil to thin out the chocolate a bit. Then refrigerate to help the chocolate harden.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have I mentioned I really don't enjoy baking at all? When cooking, I love to just make up recipes as I go and throw it all together. Baking requires exact measurements. Following recipes. I'm not into that. BUT, don't get me wrong-- I do love eating baked goods! I usually try to avoid them because of, well you know...the perpetual diet. But I now have a part time job baking cookies. I've gotten the recipe down for greeeaaat puffy chocolate chip cookies thanks to a couple of tips from my mother in law. So, here's my chocolate chip cookie recipe. Try it, I can almost guarantee that you'll love them.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks Blue Bonnet Margarine

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 1/4 c. flour (Yes, I typed that correctly. 3 1/4 cups flour)

2 c. chocolate chips

Cream the margarine. Add in sugars and mix well. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in vanilla, soda, salt until incorporated. Add in flour gradually and then stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 10-12 minutes depending on your oven. Mine is 11 minutes 30 seconds exactly.

It should be noted that although a Kitchen-Aid mixer is not necessary to make great cookies....it sure makes life a lot nicer. I seriously LOVE my Kitchen-Aid mixer.