O My Heavens...oatmeal cream pies!

There are no words...well almost no words...I found this recipe at An 'A' for Effort. they. are. divine! I will never buy store bought again. Unless I run out of oatmeal. Seriously. I won't even expound anymore. Go make them...after you read the recipe and look at the pretty pictures ofcourse...

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

Source: Big Mama's Home Kitchen

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1 C flour
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted (I used regular salted butter)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 C Old Fashioned Oats

Cream Filling:
1 C vegetable shortening
1 C + 4 tbsp powdered sugar
3 tsp vanilla
7.5 oz jar marshmallow cream

Directions:

Make the cookies.
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. *Don't skip this step! The cookies will need to cool on the baking sheet and you don't want them to stick!
2. Combine all the dry ingredients except oats in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixer, cream the brown sugar, melted butter, egg and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the oats.
5. Using a tablespoon size scoop, place evenly size dough balls on parchment paper. Allow room for the cookies to spread.
6. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet.

While the cookies cool, make the cream filling.
1. In a large stand mixer, cream the shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
2. Add the marshmallow cream and mix until well combined.
3. Place cream mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large tip...a few notes: as a general rule I don't fill the piping bag more than half way (if the bag is too full icing will ooze out the opposite end as you squeeze the bag).  Also, if you don't have piping bags, you can use a ziplock bag, fill with icing, twist the top then snip off a corner, or just skip the piping altogether and use an icecream scoop for the cream filling.

Fill the cookies.
1. Turn half of the cookies over. On the inside of the cookie, pipe the cream filling starting on the outside edge, and pipe in a circular pattern until you reach the middle.
2. Place another cookie on top and press slightly.
3. Repeat for all cookies.

I used a regular sized cookie scoop for these and it made 14 Oatmeal Cream Pies, and I have enough cream leftover to fill another batch (ran out of oatmeal, so I am freezing that for another day)!




Linked up to Sweets for a Saturday!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies - Magically Delicious

We got the flu. All of us. So I haven't baked much these last few weeks...at first because I was taking care of Mr.Sweetshack...then because I was taking care of my sick little ones, and then because I couldn't taste (due to the flu junk). I didn't want to try a new recipe and not know if it was good or if my judegement was thrown due to the whole "no-taste" factor.
Flu or not, we needed dessert...so I took the easy way out and made something that I knew would be good...plus I thought I should jump on the St. Paddy's Day bandwagon before it's too late ("bandwagon" - is that a real word? sounds funny when I say it...bandwagon...). Anyway, we love these Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies around the holidays, and it only took a little green food coloring (ok alot of green food coloring...not that I'm a fan of food coloring in mass quantities or for no apparent reason, but I thought it necessary to enhance the St. Patrick's-y-ness)...


Andes Creme De Menthe Cookies:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter - softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package (10 oz.) Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
2-2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed.

Stir in Andes Baking Chips (note: the actual recipe calls for a whole package, but to me that's too minty - so I always just use 1/2 of a package) and then flour...add lots of green foodcoloring in honor of St. Patrick's Day...

Chill approximately one hour in the refrigerator

Scoop dough onto cookie sheets...decide if you're a smoosher or not...maybe I should explain...Ok - depending on what recipe I am making, sometimes it is necessary to "smoosh" the dough slightly with your palm (you heard it here first folks, "smoosh" is now an official baking term), so like instead of baking a cookie dough ball shaped like a scoop of icecream, you are baking a level disc of cookie dough. In this picture, the cookie on the left was smooshed, the cookie on the right was not, the left one bakes more level, the one on the right is more domed...but I took this picture with a pink camera, so you may not be able to see what I mean, but that's ok because I have a cute pink camera, right?



Bake at 350° F for approximately 8 - 10 minutes.

Now you can say fun Irish phrases like "top 'o the mornin' to ya" and "wee lassies" and "magically delicious" (ok that last one technically is not irish...as far as I know).



I feel compelled to tell you that your eyes are not playing tricks on you, these cookies ARE different sizes...I couldn't decide which size scoop to use, so I used 3 graduated sizes :) Also, if you are new to food coloring - do not be alarmed if "the luck of the Irish" follows you into the next diaper change...just sayin'.


Happy Baking!

Julie

Linked to:

Sweet Tooth Friday

Cheesecake Cookie Cups

I've always loved bite-sized cheesecakes (like the ones my grandma used to get us at Sam's Club) but they cost a small fortune! I've had them in cupcake form at parties and celebrations, and always wanted to make them; so when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try it - they had me at cookie dough!

A few notes:

1. I doubled the recipe, with a family of 7, 12 just didn't sound like enough ;)
2. I didn't use the brand specified in the recipe, I used Pilsbury refridgerated cookie dough roll, (that's what I had on hand) and a cookie scoop and pressed down the dough w/thumb.

3.Next time I think I'll use a smaller size scoop, b/c I ended up with more cookie than filling per cup.
4. I did not measure the filling, because the cookies baked up so high, I just used a scooper and filled to the top of the muffin cup.
5. I didn't have pie filling on hand, so I pureed a defrosted 16oz. bag of frozen strawberries
with 1/4 cup of sugar and used as topping.

Cheesecake Cookie Cups (as copied from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
12 pieces NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup NESTLE® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions
1.PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees F. Paper-line 12 muffin cups.
2.PLACE one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

3.BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup.
4.BEAT cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup.

5.BAKE for additional 15 to 18 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top with pie filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

* These were really yummy, hubby and kids could not get enough of them, and I ate more than I should have for the sake of science (er...blogging)...

Enjoy!

PS - I linked this post to a fun bloggy party called "Sweets for a Saturday (#3)" - stop by her blog and check out some of the amazing goodies other bloggers have baked this week!

The BEST Chocolate chip cookies - EVER!

I heart cookies, but have never been a chocolate chip cookie fan (I was always the oatmeal cookie girl). So growing up whenever my sisters and I would bake chocolate chip cookies, I would either pass on them altogether or make myself a few out of the naked dough (before chocolate chips were added)...I never "got" what was so great about chocolate chip cookies, but when I started baking seriously I knew it was a cookie I would have to master because who doesn't love them? (Ok besides me).
So I "took one for the team" and tried every chocolate chip cookie recipe I could get my hands on, but none were what I was looking for. If I had to make CCC's, I atleast wanted a pretty one that looked all gourmet. Even the original recipe left my cookies looking like flat puddles with bumpy rocks in them. Then in a moment of weakness (and hunger) I ate a CCC at Target ya'll (back when they used to sell Otis Spunkemeyer cookies in their deli/snack area) - and I was hooked. Instantly I knew what everyone was raving about, and I would not stop until I could make one that tasted as good. So it began, and I have been on the chocolate chip cookie recipe quest for (seriously) 8 years now.
I thought I had tried them all - ones that start with a cake mix, some that have jello pudding in them, recipes that called for softened butter, melted butter or shortening (!). I used semi-sweet chips, milk chocolate chips, baking powder, baking soda...soooo many recipes, but it always ended badly.
I had almost given up hope on finding the utopian chocolate chip cookie recipe, but thankfully I stumbled across a blog post that changed my cookie life :) So I started at Bakeat350 who linked to Orangette, who found the recipe in an article in The New York Times. It. Is. Divine. They are so good that you really should not make them unless you are surrounded by people to share them with (um because you will eat them all)! They are THE most beautiful CCC I have ever seen! And THE yummiest!
So, with no further ado, here it is, the WORST *best* chocolate chip cookie recipe ever (yeah you'll be gaining 10 lbs)... Follow the links above for actual recipe and tips - I followed the adaptation by Orangette, and the tips from Bakeat350, and I used Semi-sweet chocolate chips from Ghiradelli which were awesome :)

1. I like the Martha version of sifting:



2. Here's the yummy dough ready for a long rest in the refridgerator:



3. Used muh ginormous Farberware cookie scoop from wal-mart for these babies (LOVE IT)!





4. See, they really ARE beautiful!



Happy Baking!
Juie

Forgotten Cookies?

Today I am making a recipe blindly...and by that I mean that I have never tasted this recipe or even seen the results, it was passed on to me by my Mother-in-law a few years back when she was cleaning out her recipes (someone had made them at a party she had been to). I had to wonder if a recipe she cleaned out of her recipe box was worth the effort, but curiosity got the best of me (and the leftover eggwhites from the lemon icebox pie). I have to say I was pleased with the results.
These are called Forgotten Cookies, but really they're more like a candy to me, definitely in the divinity family, and very easy and yummy!
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Beat 2 egg whites with 2/3 cup granulated sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form (about 10 minutes).
Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips and 1 cup pecans.

Drop by spoonful onto foil covered cookie sheet.

Place in the oven, turn oven OFF. Set timer for 2 hours.
These come out slightly crunchy on the outside but light and airy on the inside - the chocolate and pecans totally make this "cookie." This recipe made 30 cookies for me using a medium sized scoop - don't ask how many are left...I had to test them, you know - quality control.

In search of the perfect sugar cookie

I have a "Go-To" recipe for sugar cookies, and love to make them and decorate them...but lately I've just been thinking, maybe my recipe isn't THE BEST...everybody LOVES them, customers, family, friends...me? I'm a little bored with them, so I thought I'd experiment with a few different sugar cookie recipes that have been on my "TO DO" list for awhile now...it's been a crazy busy week (life!) but I managed to find time on Friday to bake! Yay!

You may know that I am a busy stay-at-home mom, but may not realize that 5 kids makes for alotta dishes! Most days 2 loads, sometimes as many as 4 loads of dishes in a day...that being said, you can see why I'd appreciate recipes that are "one-bowl..." keeping that in mind, I made three different doughs back to back in the same bowl, deciding it was easier to make the doughs now and chill to be rolled later than to space out the making of doughs (thus creating more dishes). Also, this allowed me to compare them side-by-side and decide the best (rather than trying to go on memory of what one tasted like).

No time to decorate yet, but that's ok because in this case my mission was to taste the cookies, not the icing ;) So, here are my results:

I baked three different recipes but for the sake of time, I only made a half-batch of each, so that I could taste and compare. I did not take pictures of each step of the recipes this time, I found it to be pretty redundant since I'm comparing 3 different recipes here and all have very similar steps...so I just documented pictures of the most important part, the end results!

Cookie Recipe #1 - Penny's Cookies (click link to view recipe)
Seriously? Don't waste your time and ingredients on this one...it was a PAIN! It says you don't have to refridgerate the dough, I chose to anyway only because I didn't have time to roll them out immediately. After chilled, the dough was tough and hard to work with, and would break apart when rolled. After cooling to room temperature, the dough was impossible to roll, very sticky...so I was forced to add flour (which I HATE to do becuase it makes the cookies tougher and drier...) I had to add flour every re-roll, so yeah...does not make for a soft cookie...also this recipe is baked at 325, so I had to bake them longer - about 15 minutes. I rolled the dough to my usual 1/4 inch.
Cookie Recipe #2 - No Fail Sugar Cookie (NFSC)
This cookie was far superior to the Penny's recipe, I followed directions exactly and after chilling the dough was a dream - did not have to add any additional flour, rolled perfectly without sticking. The cookies are slightly crisp, due to the higher baking temp and longer baking time...I had to bake about 14 minutes to ensure they weren't undercooked. I rolled the dough to my usual 1/4 inch. Taste? Decent - like a sugar cookie, but not alot of flavor.
Cookie Recipe #3 - Martha's Sugar Cookies
The above recipes paled in comparison to Martha's. The dough was perfect after chilling, rolled like a dream, no additional flour needed. Hubby loved these because they turned out very crispy, like a shortbread. I also rolled dough to 1/4 inch, baked at 325 - had to bake almost 18 minutes, when I pulled them out of the oven they were slightly crispy on the outside but soft in the center and chewy. Residual baking got me with this one - when I returned to taste them after completely cooled they were very crispy...I am a soft cookie person, so this for me was a turn-off...hubby is a crispy cookie person so he couldn't get enough of them. I've decided they were good enough to be baked again, but next time I'll probably up the baking time to 350 and bake for a shorter period, hoping to achieve ideal texture. These had a higher ratio of sugar to the other ingredients than the NFSC, which gave them more flavor and definitely more taste appeal.

Did I find the Best sugar cookie today? No...but that's ok - the purpose of this blog is to find and try new recipes in search of the perfect. Today I found 3 recipes that definitely were NOT the perfect sugar cookie, so in a way I did eliminate some of the competition ;)

Stay tuned for future posts on the perfect sugar cookie - I plan to try three more recipes this coming week, as well as a new icing recipe soon.

Note: If you try any of these recipes, I recommend rolling between sheets of parchment, to cut down on flour usage...(as mentioned above, you'll still have to add additional flour if using the Penny's recipe). Also bake your cookies on parchment-lined cookie sheets to cut down on dishes!

Happy Baking!!

Julie

Gooey Butter Cookies

Today was a good baking day. Even with 3 out of 5 kiddos home, I managed to sneak in some baking time...2 recipes today! Yay! I'm only posting one for now, the other is an entry for a recipe contest so it cannot be published yet.

I've been wanting to make Gooey Butter Cookies for awhile because I love gooey butter cake, but I have to say that after trying them I like the cake better than the cookies. My kids LOVED them...I just found them a little MEH...and I picked up a "chemical-y" aftertaste...guess I'm just picky ;) All things considered, I'll probably make them again but maybe with a different flavor cake mix.

Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cookies:

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix (I used yellow)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix.


Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. (I skipped the refridgeration step and used a cookie scoop so I didn't have to get so messy).
Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart (I like to use sheets of parchment cut to fit the pan to save on clean-up) .


Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.


Hope you'll try them and leave me a comment if you do - I'd love to try these in other flavors!

Happy Baking!

Julie