Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites

We all know chocolate and peanut butter were made for each other. So naturally when I saw this recipe with it's bite-size cuteness and delicious peanut butter chip and chocolate chip topping made all the better by using an easy boxed brownie mix, well I just had to make it. These would make a fun addition to any dessert buffet: enticing, mini-sized for more eating pleasure, and again--peanut butter and chocolate...need I say more?

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites

{Recipe source: bakedperfection.com via pinterest}

1 box of your favorite brownie mix (and ingredients to make it)

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 heaping T powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray or grease 40 mini-muffin cups.

Prepare boxed brownie mix as directed. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups (3/4 full-slightly less than 1 T I found). Bake 11-13 minutes until top is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly wet. Once removed if centers don't naturally fall (and chances are even if they do) gently press the back of a teaspoon into center of each brownie to create an indentation for all that peanut butter goodness.

Place peanut butter and powdered sugar into microwave safe bowl. Melt on high for 45 seconds and stir until smooth. While brownies are still warm spoon a teaspoons worth of melted peanut butter into each brownie indentation. Stop with a few each of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Cool completely in pan.

Note: I had a smidge of brownie batter left over and baked it off in a super thin layer in an 8x8 pan. Cooking time was minimal 12 minutes or so. If you find yourself with leftover batter you could either do what I did or make a few more minis I suppose.

Grasshopper Cake Mix Cookies

Oh My Lanta were these goooood. Mint and chocolate were just made for each other. As much as I've tried to be good in the treat department, I could not say no to these addicting little bites. A chewy cake mix cookie base (oh the ease!), followed by fluffy refreshingly minty frosting, and topped off with milk chocolate ganache and I'm sold. Be sure to check your will power at the door and give yourself permission to enjoy every single bite down to the last crumb. A true winner and keeper of a recipe.

Grasshopper Cake Mix Cookies

{Recipe from Six Sisters Stuff . com}

Cookie Base:

1 devil's food cake mix

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

Mix all ingredients in mixer. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 6-9 minutes (I found mine to be right around the 7 1/2 min. range). Do not overcook, you want them to be chewy once cooled, so take them out when you still think they're underdone. They will continue to cook on the cookie sheet and firm up as they cool.

Peppermint Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 T milk

2+ cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 t peppermint extract

Green food coloring

Whip together butter, sugar, milk, and peppermint extract. Add more sugar or milk depending on desired consistency. Mix in about 8 drops of green food coloring and generously frost tops of each cooled cookie.

Chocolate Ganache: (My version)

Milk chocolate chips (about a cup?)

Couple tablespoons of heavy cream

Melt chips and cream together in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time until chocolate is fully melted and blended with cream. Spread a spoonful of ganache on top of each mint frosted cookie and ideally (read: if you can actually make yourself wait that long) let chocolate set-up before eating.

OR Chocolate Topping: (from Original Recipe)

2 1/4 cups semi sweet chips

3/4 cups butter

Melt together chips and butter in microwave, stir until smooth. Top each frosted cookie with some of the melted chocolate.

Yields: 2 dozen more or less

CREAM PUFFS!!!

I'm posting my last 2 sweet recipes today just in time for Christmas! Savory and breakfast holiday fare to come after the holiday...(won't help for Christmas this year, but maybe New Years or next year?!)

I cannot adequately sing the praises that these pastries deserve. Cream puffs and eclairs (as far as I'm concerned they're pretty much the same thing, just in different shapes and maybe true cream puffs don't have icing?) are my all-time favorite pastry delight. Let's just sum it up with: light and creamy custard filling that is to die for-you'll want to just pull up a chair and spoon and dig in, easier than you think choux paste, CHOCOLATE icing, and fancy show stopping dessert, k? K.

You can make these as 12 LARGE cream puffs or any number of smaller sizes. A large soup spoon size blob of pastry dough makes a couple dozen or so 2-3 inch (2-bite) puffs. Or a regular spoon size blob of dough makes upwards of 3 dozen or more 1 1/2 inch (bite-size) puffs. And the pastry cream can be any flavor you want. This recipe is measurements for either almond or vanilla cream. It's the best pastry cream recipe I've found. Use it for fruit pizza or tarts, anything that calls for pastry cream and you'll be one happy camper.

LOVE.

Cream Puffs

{I have tripled and quadrupled this recipe with great success. I don't do the same amount of pastry cream though. For a triple batch of dough, I only make a double batch of pastry cream and so on. But if only making one batch, particularly if you plan to make 12 large puffs, I'd still make the full batch of pastry cream.}

Choux Paste:

1/2 cup salted butter

1 cup water

1/4 t salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Oven at 375. Have 2 large cookies sheet with silpat liners or parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray ready. In 2 quart saucepan, over medium-high heat, stir water, butter, and salt until boiling. Remove from heat and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously until ball forms. Place mixture in bowl of mixer. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Using a large spoon, drop batter onto cookie sheets in 12 large mounds. Bake at 375 for 50-75 minutes. You want them really dry, but obviously not burnt! Start checking at 50 minutes. If making smaller puffs 50 minutes it usually spot on. Cool and fill with pastry and ice with chocolate icing. Recipes follow...

Pastry Cream:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

6 egg yolks

either 1 1/2 t vanilla or 1 t almond extract, choose your flavor

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Stir in milk. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly (a flat edged wooden spoon comes in handy here for scraping the bottom as it thickens to prevent burning) until it thickens and boils, about 7-10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk 6 egg yolks together. Add a small amount of hot milk mixture to egg yolk bowl to temper and then using a wire whisk, slowly add tempered egg yolks into remaining hot milk mixture. Cook over medium low (DO NOT BOIL) until thickened and easily coats the back of a spoon. About 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chosen extract. Cover surface with plastic wrap. (You want the plastic wrap to actually touch the custard, this prevents a nasty crust from forming!) Refrigerate and chill well, at least 2 hours. Once custard has chilled, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold the 2 together.

To fill puffs: If making large puffs, just cut a slit in each puff and spoon filling inside. It's OK for it to show, more rustic and appetizing that way. OR you may fill a pastry bag, with a decent size tip, full of the cream and pierce each puff and fill that way. Squeeze bag slowly until a little cream comes out of fill hole, or until the puff gives way a bit.

Chocolate Icing:

2 squares (2 oz) semi-sweet baking chocolate

2 T butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T milk

Melt chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat. Add powdered sugar and milk. Whisk really well, until lumps are gone. Doing this over the heat helps. I keep mine on the heat while I ice, so that the icing stays on the thin side and can easily coat. To ice: Dip filled cream puffs upside down in icing, let excess drip off a bit and then place right side up on cookie sheet or plate. Serve immediately or refrigerate till ready to serve.

NOTE: If I'm making a large batch, I usually make and freeze the puffs either filled or un-filled until I'm ready to do the rest. It can be a labor intensive process, but thankfully lends itself well to being done in stages. And when serving at christmas time I crush up some candy canes and sprinkle on top before the icing sets.

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats

I know rice krispie treats are hardly a recipe. I mean it's really just cereal, marshmallows, and butter. But this festive version deserves recipe status recognition. They are SO yummy and so cute. All the wonderfulness of peppermint bark, but far more simple and kids and adults alike love them. Or at least we did. Personally, I wouldn't mind a plate of these delivered to my front step any time of the year but especially right now. If you're looking for a quick and easy giveaway treat (or eat it yourself treat), these have got you covered!

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats

{Recipe from Our Best Bites}

1 10.5 ounce bag peppermint mini marshmallows*

4 T real butter, plus extra to butter the pan

5-6 cups rice krispie cereal or something comparable (I liked it with less cereal, 5 cup range)

3 T semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 T white chocolate chips

1/2 t veggie oil, divided

a few drops peppermint extract

3 medium candy canes, crushed

*In place of peppermint marshmallows, if you can't find them, use regular than add about a 1/4 t peppermint extract to the melted marshmallow mixture. Possibly more to taste.

Line a 9x13 pan with foil and lightly butter bottom and sides of foil-lined pan.

Melt butter and marshmallows over low hear on the stove (or in the microwave). I added a 1/2 cup of regular marshmallows to mine, because it's yummier that way! Pour over large bowl of rice krispie cereal and quickly stir to coat thoroughly. If you need to add more cereal because it's too goopy, go right ahead. I barely added any more than the 5 cups. With buttered hands, press mixture into prepared pan.

Heat both the white chocolate chips and semi-sweet, each with a 1/4 t oil and a few drops of peppermint extract added to just the semi-sweet, until melted. Drizzle both chocolates on top of treats and sprinkle with crushed candy canes while the chocolate is still wet so they will stick. Let sit until chocolate is set-up or throw in the fridge or freezer to speed it up a bit. Cut into any size square and share!

Peppermint Candy Cane Kiss Brownies

Let's have a few posts about holiday goodies shall we?

Oh my word these puppies are gooood! I made them last year for Christmas goodie plates and they instantly attained rock star status (in my mind) and so naturally they will be given this year as well. They are the fudgiest, mintiest, chocolate-y-est, brownies around. All those things are divine, but for me the kicker is the layer of chocolate bars sandwiched in the middle. Hoo boy! That's all I have to say about that.

I've also made these as a non-mint offering (because believe me you'll want to eat them all year round even when candy cane kisses aren't available) and substituted almond extract for peppermint and used chopped toffee almond symphony bars or hershey nuggets for the top layer. Yum.

A word to the wise, they are RICH--so little 1 inch squares are about all you can handle portion-wise and that means they're great for sharing. One pan goes a long ways. Enjoy!

Peppermint Candy Cane Kiss Brownies

{Recipe source: Annie's Eats}

8 oz. UNsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups SALTED butter (original recipe calls for unsalted, I made both and preferred salted-but pick your poison I guess)

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 t peppermint extract (make sure it's peppermint, not just plain mint)

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t salt

2 cups flour

4-5 regular size hershey bars, broken into segments

1 bag hershey candy cane kisses, unwrapped and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Combine unsweeted chocolate and butter in heavy sauce pan and melt over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. In bowl of mixer, mix sugar and eggs until well blended. Add salt, peppermint and vanilla extracts. With mixer running, slowly pour in butter/chocolate mixture. Add flour mixing just until combined. Do not over-mix.

Spread half of batter into the prepared pan. Add layer of hershey bars all over. Spread remaining batter on top evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Leave oven on and remove brownies briefly to sprinkle on chopped candy cane kisses. Return to oven for 2-3 more minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool to room temp. Chill brownies until candy has firmed up. Slice and serve.

**Note: I'm left to wonder if cutting the brownies while at room temp (before chilling) might not be a bad idea. When I've cut them chilled the candy cane topping tends to crack off a bit. Just an idea. And I have been known to let the kisses melt as per the recipe and them spread the chocolate around using an off-set spatula into a smooth "frosting" of sorts once removed from oven. Not as cute, but chocolate does stay on a bit better. Also I find these are best on the cool end of chilled, but not quite room temp. Definitely not a good served-warm candidate, they need to set-up a bit.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

I realize fall and Thanksgiving and Halloween have all come and gone and we're probably all "pumpkin-ed" out, but nevertheless here's my favorite recipe for pumpkin bars. It comes from my friend Shannon and although I had another pumpkin bar recipe once upon a time, when I tried hers I knew this had to be the one. There's just something about it. Everything tastes better when someone else makes it, but even making these myself I was more than happy to devour more than anyone ever should. Save the recipe for next year or make them today-either way your tummy will thank you!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

{Recipe from Shannon R., Hi Shannon!}

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin (I just used a typical can)

1/2 t salt

2 cups flour

2 t baking powder

2 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325. Grease with cooking spray and flour a 11x17 cookie cheese. Mix all ingredients in order. Pour into greased cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 325. After bars have cooled sufficiently (I like them just a tad warm so that the frosting warms a bit and smoothes out nicely), mix together frosting ingredients and frost. Sprinkle with cinnamon if you'd like.

Frosting:

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1 t vanilla

3/4 cup oleo or butter, soft

2-3 cups powdered sugar (depends on your desired consistency, I err on the side of less for a "thinner" frosting)

Splash of milk, as needed.

Cream together and frost.

Indoor Smores {No Bake}

Our family loves s'mores so much. Too much. We eat them all summer long, roasting marshmallows in our backyard if we aren't camping and of course if we are! And then in the winter we've been known to roast them in our fireplace or broil them in the oven or even the microwave and if we're feeling particularly lazy a small bowl of marshmallows, chocolate chips, and a few graham crackers does the trick. And that's just for the traditional s'mores. We've also had s'mores hot chocolate. And I have a s'mores chocolate chip cookie recipe bookmarked to try someday. See it's a bona fide addiction!

And then there are these amazing little bars of no-bake s'more goodness. My friend Carolee was visiting us one summer and slapped these out for us and we could not have loved them more. And in typical Emily fashion I went an indoor s'mores binge and probably overdid it, because it'd been quite awhile since I'd made them. But the other day I all of a sudden had to have them again and promptly made them for our family movie night and was ashamed and maybe a little mad at myself that I'd waited so long ;0)

You are SO gonna love these dangerously delicious treats!

Indoor S'Mores

{Slightly adapted recipe from: Carolee}

3/4 cup light corn syrup

3 T butter

1 pkg (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips

3 cups mini marshmallows, divided

1 t vanilla

1 box golden graham cereal (12 oz or about 9 cups)

Grease 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Heat syrup, butter, choco chips to boiling, stir constantly. Turn down heat and add 2 cups mini marshmallows and stir well until melted and well combined. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Mix cereal and remaining cup of marshmallows in large mixing bowl. Pour chocolate mixture over all and while using sturdy rubber spatula work quickly to thoroughly coat cereal. Press warm mixture into the greased baking dish using hands coated to cooking spray to spread evenly and compress. Let stand at least 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve. Makes about 24 squares. Store at room temp up to two days. I imagine these could be frozen or refrigerated to last longer, but our never stick around that long, so I don't know for certain!

Turtle Brownies

Back when we lived in good old Provo and were getting ready to move to Alaska a kind friend of mine brought in dinner to us. Things were a little hectic, kitchen stuff was packed, and we were feeling so done with fast food. So you can imagine how welcome a homemade meal was at the time. We sat in the living room on boxes eating this delicious meal with an odd assortment of paper products. It was in that somewhat bizarre state that I first tasted this little gem of a dessert and I enjoyed them all the more for it. Almost as soon as we were done eating, I called said friend and told her I must have this recipe even if I had to write it down on a napkin (since the paper was all packed) and stuff it as padding into a box. She was nice enough to remind me that email was still an option even if our computer wasn't available. After we moved, into my inbox the recipe came and we've been enjoying them ever since. What's not love about the ease of a cake mix, gooey caramel, crunchy nuts, and a sprinkling of chocolate chips? Absolutely nothing, that's what!

Turtle Brownies

{Recipe source: Sarah H.}

1 package chocolate cake mix

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix (5.6 oz)

3/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup evaporated milk, divided

1 14 oz package caramels, unwrapped

1 cup chocolate chips (we like milk)

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

In a bowl, stir together cake mix, dry pudding, butter, and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Press 1/2 of mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt caramels and remaining 1/4 cup evap milk, stirring frequently. Spread caramel mixture over baked layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drop remaining cake mix in teaspoonfuls over the brownies. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the top is set. Let cool completely before trying to cut. Tip: run sharp knife blade under hot water periodically while cutting to help make clean cuts through the caramel layer.

Eclair Squares AKA Best Dessert Ever!

If there ever were a dessert to make right this minute, it would be this one for sure. Eclair's and cream puffs are most definitely my all-time favorite pastry of choice. There's just something about that creamy custard filling all enveloped by the chewy sturdy shell and dipped in chocolate that truly can not be beat. Their only downfall is the time-consuming effort it takes to make them. Usually I don't mind that part, it's just that it means they aren't made above twice a year. In steps this dessert. All the amazingness of an eclair with almost zero effort in creating it and yet you still get all the elements. Plus it feeds a crowd easily. Don't delay making this delectable treat a standard in your dessert rotation. You can thank me later!

Eclair Squares

{Recipe source: The Sisters Cafe}

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup hot water

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Dash of salt

Bring water and butter to a boil, until butter is melted. Pour into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add flour all at once and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the others. Spread onto well-greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Crust will bubble up. As soon as it's removed from the oven use a spatula to flatten those bubbles while it's still hot. Allow to cool while making filling.

Filling:

2 large boxes (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding

4 1/2 cups milk

8 oz cream cheese, softened almost to melting stage

2 cups heavy whipping cream

powdered sugar

vanilla

Whip pudding with milk and softened cream cheese until mixture is smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Beat heavy cream with 2 heaping spoonfuls of powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pudding layer.

Chocolate Sauce:

1/2 cup chocolate chips

2 T butter

3 T milk

1 cup powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips over low heat and add all other ingredients. Beat well with wire whisk until smooth. Drizzle over whipped cream layers. Refrigerate dessert before serving.

Rocky Road Cake

All-time favorite ice cream? Definitely Rocky Road. It's chocolate-based and there are things to chew on, 2 musts in my book. So naturally a rocky road cake is going to peak my interest. And while the cake portion seemed a bit dry and crumbly the first day, it softened right up the next day and I could not stop eating the stuff. The thick layer of chewy marshmallows and milk chocolate fudge drizzle were too much for my will-power to control. I'm thinking a sturdy brownie base is a must-try too.

Rocky Road Cake

{Recipe source: Baking Bites}

Cake:

1/2 cup butter

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

2 T cocoa powder

1 t vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup coarse-chopped walnuts

optional: chocolate chips

Marshmallow topping and Fudge Glaze:

10 1/2 oz package mini-marshmallows, divided

1/2 cup sugar

2 T milk

2 T butter

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9x13 pan. In microwave safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add cocoa powder and vanilla, stir. Set aside. In bowl of mixer, beat sugar and eggs. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Add chocolate mixture and sour cream to egg/sugar mixture. Slowly add dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips, if using. Spread batter into greased pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle all but about 2/3 cup marshmallows evenly over the top. (Approx. 4 cups) Return cake to oven for 2 minutes, until marshmallows are puffy but not browned. Allow cake to cool several minutes while glaze is prepared.

For the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine sugar, milk, and butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and remaining 2/3 cup marshmallows until smooth. While hot, drizzle over still-warm cake. If it starts to cool and get to thick to drizzle just let it re-warm a bit on the stove.

Allow cake to cool completely before slicing.

TIP: While slicing, run blade of sharp knife under hot water to help cut through sticky marshmallows cleanly.

Creamy Lemon Blueberry Bars

Praise be, I think I may have found the absolute best lemon bar method around! These bars are great if you like the more traditional route, but if you find yourself wanting more creaminess and zero eggy-ness I've got you covered. They have the most phenomenal texture thanks to the sweetened and condensed milk, it's almost custard like and boy do I love all things custard. The addition of blueberries, although not needed, was delightful. It really helped to "sweeten" things up just enough while still leaving that great fresh, tart lemon-y tang. The original recipe called for a graham cracker crust, but I'm not a fan so opted for the sweetened shortbread base and really think it made a great recipe truly fabulous. Although these seem like a perfect summer dessert, we'll be eating them year round. A little shot of sunshine-y goodness in my mouth is always a good thing, especially in the throes of winter. Lemon bars for Thanksgiving AND Christmas ;0)

P.S. I have a real problem with "-y ing" everything don't I?!

Creamy Lemon Blueberry Bars

{Filling adapted from Cook Like a Champion via Two Peas and Their Pod with crust recipe from King Arthur Flour. may half recipe for both crust and filling and bake in 8x8 pan if desired}

Crust:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Filling:

4 large egg yolks

2 (14 ounce cans) sweetened and condensed milk

1 cup fresh lemon juice

2 t lemon zest

1 1/2-2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Cut butter into flour and powdered sugar (I recommend doing this in a food processor, comes together in a jiffy and it's nice and combined, no crumby mess hassle) and press into bottom of 9x13 pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, until just barely starting to color. Set aside to cool a bit while moving onto filling.

For filling:

Whisk together all filling ingredients except blueberries until smooth and well combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour filling onto crust and bake at 350 for 15-20, until just set.

Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least and hour before cutting. Serve chilled or at almost room temp (my preference). Keep leftovers refrigerated, 3-4 days in airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Who doesn't love sticking their finger or spoon into the cookie dough bowl and sneaking a taste for themselves? We've all done it, raw eggs and everything. And I don't know about you, but I never regret it one bit. So naturally when delightful and cute little tidbits like these came into my view I figured there was no way these wouldn't turn out as good as imagined. And they sure did. I took them to a social function and several adults (and of course children) came and told me they loved them. Sign of a good recipe I'd say.

Little balls of delicious "cookie" dough (no raw eggs in sight) are drenched in chocolate and sprinkled with tasty little mini-chips. Serve them straight from the refrigerator with a tall glass of cool milk just like you would a baked chocolate chip cookie. Try to go easy on the intake, they're extremely rich. One goes a long way, but why not go even farther? ;0)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

{Recipe from Annies Eats via Mels Kitchen Cafe with a few suggested changes from moi}

8 T butter at room temp

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 1/4 cup flour

1 (14oz.) can sweetened and condensed milk

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

optional: finely chopped nuts such as walnuts (my suggested addition, followed recipe as is first time will be adding these next time, I think they need the extra something to chew on!)

1 1/2 lbs melting chocolate (i used good quality semi-sweet chips, but will use milk chips next time as they are my preference)

Mini chips for garnish

Combine butter and brown sugar in mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour, sweetened and condensed milk, and vanilla; beat till well incorporated. Stir in mini chocolate chips and optional nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate till mixture is firm enough to easily shape into balls.

Shape chilled cookie dough into 3/4-1 inch balls, I recommend erring on the small side as they are very rich. Place formed balls onto cookie sheet lined with wax paper, cover loosely, and freeze until firm. 1-2 hours.

When ready to finish truffles, melt 1 1/2 pounds (1 bag of choco chips is good) using in a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water, the double boiler method. Dip each dough ball in melted chocolate, removing excess and place back on wax paper lined cookie sheet. Quickly sprinkle each truffle with mini-chips before chocolate sets. Store finished truffles in fridge until ready to serve. Could also make in advance and freeze for longer term storage.

Tip: Use a bamboo skewer to dip. Spear each dough ball with skewer, stir around in chocolate to coat and use another skewer to gently "shave" off excess chocolate (especially around the bottom) before placing on cookie sheet.

Caramel Iced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oh fall, how we love the food you bring into our lives! Pumpkin, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and caramel icing=fall in wonderful cookie form. These are less cake-y then other pumpkin cookies I've made and I find I like both ways. If your pumpkin cookie recipe is the thick, cake-y kind, give these a try just to mix it up a bit. And then go and pair them with your favorite autumnal soup and you're set in both the fall meal department and the happy family at dinnertime department.

Caramel Iced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

{The icing adds a nice fancy touch, but is not necessary. The cookies were fabulous plain too. Recipe source: The Sisters Cafe}

Cream together:

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

Then add:

1 cup pumpkin

1 t vanilla

1 egg

Sift together dry ingredients then add to above wet mixture:

2 cups flour

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1 t pumpkin pie spice (i just added a little nutmeg to the already called for cinnamon)

1/4 t salt

Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips and chopped walnuts to taste if desired.

Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Allow to cool then ice:

Icing:

In saucepan, heat 3 T butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar over medium heat until bubbling. Stir in 1/4 cup milk and 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth. While still warm drizzle over cooled cookies. If it gets too thick to easily drizzle just re-warm over low heat and try again.

Chocolate Chip Magic Cookies

Everyone has their most favorite chocolate chip cookie and I have several favorites that change often depending on my mood. Sometimes I'm in a ground oatmeal, refrigerated dough thick cookie mood, other times it's a toasted nut thinner cookie mood, and still other times I want a good old back of the nestle toll house package recipe special.

Right now my favorite are these "magic" cookies. I don't know why they're called magic, other than the fact that when I take a bite it's magic! Somehow these seem like a good every day chocolate chip cookie, like they're easier and quicker to throw together and bake off or something. I don't know if they really take any less time than my other recipes, but I do know that they are chewy and chocolate-y and some of the best cookie-dough eating yumminess I've had in a while. Just be sure than you actually bake some, it's gonna be hard though-believe me. Oh and don't forget the milk!

Chocolate Chip Magic Cookies

{Feel free to mix it up some with your add-ins, this is a great basic dough recipe. We like a combination of milk and semi-sweet chips with chopped walnuts. I've also thrown in some peanut butter chips with the regular chocolate chips and left out the nuts and hoo-boy that was a treat. M&M's would be delicious, I'm always sad when I never have any on hand. And of course the ever popular white chocolate chips with macadamia nut combo would work really well too. As they say "whatever floats your boat".}

2 cups + 2 T flour

1/2 t baking soda

1 1/2 sticks (12 T) melted and slightly cooled salted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg + 1 yolk, at room temp

2 t vanilla

1 1/2 cups add-ins i.e. chocolate chips, nuts, m&m's...

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pour melted butter and sugars in bowl of mixer and beat until well-combined (2 minutes-ish). Add the egg, yolk, vanilla, and salt and stir until mixed. Gradually add the flour and baking soda. It may look crumbly, but just keep mixing. Stir in chocolate chips, etc.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on sil-pat lined cookie sheet a good 2 inches apart. Bake for about anywhere between 12-15 minutes. The centers should be soft and puffy. You want them seem a little underdone when removed from oven. They'll continue cooking on the cookie sheet. Let stay cool on sheets for 2-3 minutes before removing to wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 18-20 largish cookies.

Cookies 'N Cream Brownies

MmmmmMMMMMmmmmmmm Chocolate-y cream-filled Oreos and chewy, dense, fudge-y brownies? Yes please! I have nothing more to say, just make them OK?

Cookies 'N Cream Brownies

{Slightly adapted from bakingbites.com}

1 cup butter

6 oz unsweetened chocolate

3 cups sugar

1/2 t salt

2 t vanilla

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 2/3 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups oreos, coarsely chopped (approx 20-24)

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and grease lightly.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally. Whisk in sugar, salt, and vanilla then turn off heat. (At this point I chose to dump it in my stand mixer and go from there, but you can certainly continue by hand) Whisk in eggs one at time until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Stir in flour and cocoa powder until mixture is uniform. Set aside some of the oreos for sprinkling and fold in remaining chopped oreos and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with set aside oreos and more chocolate chips.

Bake for 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, but not coated in batter.

Cool brownies in pan for 20 minutes, then carefully lift brownies out of the pan using the aluminum foil as a handle and place on wire rack to cool completely before slicing into squares.

(I recommend the cut brownies be on the smaller side as they are very rich-a little goes a long way!)

Chocolate Banana Snack Cake

This here cake is the best of both worlds. Its borderline-healthy with bananas and applesauce on the ingredient list ;0). And super duper tasty with that ever-amazing ingredient chocolate chips, which I of course added of my own accord because I can never leave well-enough alone. I found the original recipe in a Cooking Light magazine years ago and they refer to it as snack cake because it's somewhere between a brownie and a cake in consistency, every moist too. As in it's sturdy enough that you can pick it up and eat it with your hand, no fork necessary. I remember they also suggested using the pieces as individually wrapped bake-sale items, but I say skip the bake sale donation and just eat it all yourself. I know that's what I do!

Chocolate Banana Snack Cake

{Recipe Source: Cooking Light}

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup mashed, ripe bananas

2 large eggs

1 t vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 square baking dish. Combine sugar, applesauce, butter, and eggs in mixing bowl and mix till combined. Add banana and vanilla. In separate bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually combine with wet mixture. Add chocolate chips and stir till evenly distributed. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake in oven for about 40 minutes. Check with toothpick. Cool in pan on rack and then dust with powdered sugar, slice into desired size pieces, anywhere from 8 to 16 small squares or so. Serve at room temperature.

Peaches and Cream Cake w/ Warm Vanilla Sauce

Wow, this. was. yummy! It was pretty much peach cobbler in a cake, doesn't get any better! I was looking for a 4th of July dessert and this one caught my attention. I love peaches and I love cream cheese and this has both. I liked that this used canned peaches, since where I live fresh peaches are pretty much gross and not worth buying. So sad, since I LOVE fresh peaches. But the canned tasted terrific and are something most people probably have on hand all the time. As for the sauce, it actually comes from another recipe but when I realized I had no ice cream or whipped cream I opted to "steal" this and see what became of pairing the two. Pure tastiness, that what came of it! This was an easy, no fuss dessert that I will definitely be making again and again. And you should too.

Peaches and Cream Cake w/ Warm Vanilla Sauce

{Recipe source: Mels Kitchen Cafe-combined 2 recipes}

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 T cornstarch

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup milk

6 T butter, melted

Peaches and Cream Cheese Layer:

29 oz. sliced peaches

2 pkgs (16 oz.) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup sugar

6 T reserved peach juice

cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In bowl of mixer, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cornstarch. Add vanilla, eggs, milk and melted butter. Mix till well combined and spread batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.

Drain peaches, reserving 6 T of peach juice. Set aside. Slice peached into bite sized peaches and scatter over top of batter evenly. In same mixer bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and reserved peach juice until light and creamy. Dollop cream cheese mixture over peaches and batter. Then use spatula to spread as evenly as possible over all. It doesn't have to be perfect. (Mine was so runny that it spread itself over the peaches and batter, but my cream cheese was probably a little on the warm side to begin with) Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until the edges are puffed and golden and the cream cheese layer is bubbled slightly. If the middle is still jiggly, bake until it no longer jiggles. Mine was right around 50 minutes. Serve warm or room temp (we liked room temp with the warm sauce) with ice cream, sweetened whipped cream, or warm vanilla sauce. Recipe follows...

Warm Vanilla Sauce

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 t vanilla extract

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add the sugar and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened (it thickens more as it cools). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spoon over peaches and cream cake.

Better than Anything Cake

This cake actually goes by a much more, shall we say, "colorful" name but I thought I'd keep it "G" rated here. Let's just say it's pretty darn good and much better than lots of things, m'kay?!

Chances are you've had this cake or some version of it, particularly if you live in Utah. But on the off chance you've never tasted of it's deliciousness, you can thank me later.

It consists of a devil's food cake, drizzled with sweetened and condensed milk and caramel (groan) and topped with whipped cream and crushed up toffee bars. Dessert bliss I tell you!

Better than Anything Cake

1 Devil's Food cake mix

Ingredients cake mix calls for less 1/3 cup water (I wanted the cake to be a tad more dense and so did 1 cup instead of 1 1/3 cups water and it was just fine, although I can't say it made a huge difference in the end product but whatever)

Optional, chocolate chips added to cake batter, because you know you want too

1 can sweetened and condensed milk

1 small jar caramel ice cream topping

1 regular size container cool-whip

4 skor or heath bars, smashed to smithereens

Make and bake cake mix (in 9x13 baking pan) according to box directions, leaving out 1/3 cup water if desired and adding in chocolate chips to your liking. Remove from oven and while still hot poke several holes close together all over cake with the non-spoon end of a wooden spoon. Heat up caramel topping in microwave for about 20 seconds and one at a time drizzle milk and warmed caramel over cake making sure to get in each and every hole and all over the rest of the cake top. I tend to not use the entire jar of caramel, but do like the entire can of milk. When mostly cooled, cover and place in fridge to chill. Before serving spread thawed cool-whip over entire cake and sprinkle generously with crushed toffee. Serve cool and refrigerate left-overs, that is if there are any!

(Note: This is a very moist cake that sometimes doesn't cooperate well during cutting and dishing up, forgive it based on yumminess. It's the taste not looks that counts in the end right?)

Glazed Lemon Bars

Putting a glaze on lemon bars? Brilliant! This recipe came up recently on Our Best Bites and given her promise that the weird egginess that oftentimes accompanies this delectible treat is not present in this recipe, I decided they must be tried. I'm delighted to report she was right...no weird egginess here. They are simply shortbread and fresh lemon goodness.

Glazed Lemon Bars

{Recipe Source: Our Best Bites. Although I followed the recipe to a "T", next time I think some lemon zest in both the lemon/egg layer and for sure in the glaze will be the way to go. I also pondered halving the crust recipe as it seems a bit to thick for my liking, but I'm not sure that it would fill the 9x13 sufficiently and perhaps the bar itself wouldn't have the firm foundation it needs if cut down. Something to think about at any rate!}

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 sticks butter, softened

Filling:

4 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 t baking powder

1/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

(*optional lemon zest)

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

(*optional lemon zest)

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray 9X13 pan with cooking spray and set aside. In mixing bowl whisk flour and powdered sugar for crust. Using pastry cutter, cut in butter. (I cheated and used my kitchenaid) Gently press into baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until barely showing some color.

For Filling:

During last few minutes of crust baking time, mix eggs, sugar, lemon juice, baking powder, and flour on high until pale yellow and frothy. About 3 minutes. Pour over hot crust and bake for 18-22 minutes until not super jiggly and it's golden on top, but not too brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Glaze:

Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 T lemon juice (and optional zest) together until smooth and thin but not watery. (Add more powdered sugar if it is too watery). Spread over cooled bars and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Don't let this sub-par picture throw you off, I was so impatient waiting to sink my teeth into this pie that I couldn't try any longer for a better shot! I discovered this recipe not to long ago on Our Best Bites and have made it at least 4 times since. My husband absolutely LOVES chocolate chip cookies. If he could only choose one dessert to eat the rest of his life I guarantee that's what it would be. And yet for some reason I can hardly stand to make them! It's something about the time/batches/painstakingly placing each dough ball on the cookie sheet one at a time. As you can imagine, cookies don't make it into our dessert rotation all that often. Don't get me wrong, I love cookies--just not so much the making of them. In steps this chocolate chip cookie pie and now he's happy with a cookie fix and I'm happy with a quick fix. Please try this STAT! I may just go have some breakfast right now!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

{This is great by itself but AMAZING with vanilla ice cream on top. It's terrific warm or room temp and such a good idea for a take-in, drop-off dessert. Recipe source: Nestle via Our Best Bites}

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought (I go store-bought cause I'm lazy like that)
2 large eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C white granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C real butter, really soft but not melted(1 1/2 sticks)
1 C chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk, we like milk)
1 C chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Vanilla ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream for serving (a must! I prefer ice cream)

optional: chocolate sauce for drizzling

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon and spread into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Mine always take a few minutes longer. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.