Banana Oat Cookie Bread Bar

If I have ever had a Vegas travel recommendation, it is this: go to thunder from down under. In case you don't know what it is and don't have access to google, let me give you a brief overview. It is a show held in a small, intimate venue where there are men who strip. Yes, it is just like Magic Mike. And yes, it was amazing. It turned out to be my best night in Vegas. Partially because my friend got pulled on stage. So did a grandma named Carol. You go girl.

Just to clarify, I was totally skeptical of this show. I am a very socially awkward and uncomfortable gal who says words like vagine the lagoon and perenus and bobz. I've said it before and I'll say it again, maturity has not hit yet. It was totally out of my 'comfort zone' but I screamed and blushed and sweat the whole time. Thank God my friends are awesome enough to make me to crazy, weird things. 

Being the skeptic that I am, these bars did not seem majorly appealing to me. They seemed too healthy with the whole all oats and no butter thing. But they were good, the kind of good that's a kick in the pants as an 'I told you so.' They were cakey but also slightly chewy with a crisp top. They were also great bait. My friend's brother had a new girlfriend so we asked him if he wanted some baked goods for late night studying. When we dropped it off we just barged into his quarters in the school to get 'cover from the rain' AKA bombard his girlfriend. She complimented my baking so I love her. Done.

Banana Oat Cookie Bread Bars

Adapted from Eat Live Run

I didn't know what to call these so they have a too long, weirdly arranged name. Sorry.

1/2 cup very ripe banana mashed (about 1 large banana)
1/3 cup grapeseed or canola oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats*
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray or butter an 8 x 8 inch pan, set aside. In a big bowl, mix together the banana, oil and brown sugar until it is smooth. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, quick and old-fashioned oats until combined. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the edges are golden. Makes 16 squares. 

* I ran out of quick oats but I preferred the texture of the two oats. The original recipe calls for 2 cups of quick oats. 

Date and Nut Cookies

Do you ever have a day when every single thing is just freaking agitating and it all just explodes into a meltdown? Today was one of those days. It was a long day of silent treatment and death glares at work. I rounded up the day by inexplicable and hysterical sobbing to the Glee finale. Then I sprawled on the basement floor and attempting to eat popcorn. Heads up, it's difficult.

To try to get rid of my nasty post-crying face, which is red and blotchy and disfigured, I made cookies. The cure to unreasonable mood swings and my family's uncomfortable attempts to understand why I'm crying on the floor. Cookies means a happy family. That should be in parenting books if it isn't already. 

Date and Nut Cookies

Adapted from Food Magazine

These are healthy cookies. It's a contradiction and I feel like a tool saying it but they are nonetheless. Perfect for attempting to slim down and look like Brooklyn Decker in a bikini! 

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 pound dates, pitted and roughly chopped (This came out to a scant 3 cups but I would recommend using 2 cups or a half pound) 

1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and then roughly chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper third and middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or butter them. In a bigger bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Throw in your dates and pecans and stir them around so they are coated in the flour mixture. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, lemon juice, salt and vanilla until combined. Then beat in 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until it is all nice and combined. Create a well in the flour mixture and add the sugar mixture. Mix it up until it is fully combined. In a tiny bowl, mix together the cinnamon and remaining two tablespoons of brown sugar. Scoop out heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, about an inch apart. Sprinkle them with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, switching the sheets halfway through, until they have golden edges. Move to a wire rack to cool completely. Chow down. Makes 4 dozen cookies. 

* I totally published this as Date and Nute Cookies. 

Coconut Nutella Bird's Nests

I've tried several times to write this post and nothing seems to work. Anything that's come across the screen seems superficial or just too simple to capture what I want to say. It's hard to handle huge waves emotion and most people deal with them differently. I don't know how to handle, talk about or even think about grief and it seems that the only thing I could do was hurt someone else.

But as soon I walked away, all the emotions I'd tried so hard to lock away overflowed. And for the first time in four years, my heart hurt. This immeasurable weight was pressing on my chest and it felt like I was sinking. It's funny, in that way, how sadness can be forced and self-inflicted. It turns out the stories are true, I really didn't know what I had until it was gone.

Basically, emotions are hard to handle but if the rest of the stories are true, time can heal most hurts. Let's have some cookies and throw some cares away. And hey! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope that didn't sound sarcastic, it was supposed to be sincere. Promise.

Coconut Nutella Bird's Nests
These pups are so easy to make you should make them right now. The cookies are three ingredients. Three. Plus, they are a tasty shortbread that can be rolled in and filled with just about anything. Except cilantro.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 egg whites, beaten until frothy 
3/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 cup nutella

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or butter 'em up. In a bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until nice and fluffy. Beat in the flour just until combined. It won't be the smoothest of doughs, it is more like a shortbread dough. Scoop up heaping tablespoons and roll into balls and flatten slightly between your palms. Roll the flattened ball in the egg whites then roll through the coconut. Place on the prepared baking sheet and press a dent into the center. Hold the sides of the dough with one hand and press the dent with a finger from the other hand. Repeat. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the coconut is golden. Remove from the oven and press on the dents again. Allow to cool. Once cool, plop in a teaspoon of nutella in the dent. Voila! You have yourself some birds nests.. minus the evil birds. Makes 24, on the dot, cookies. 

Nutella Coconut Caramel Pecan Bars

Canada is awesome. The one little problem is Thanksgiving. We get to celebrate way ahead of the States, all the way in early October. This gives us a few months to rest before the Christmas turkey rolls in. 

But the issue is the internet. Before food blogs came into my life, American Thanksgiving slipped by without me even knowing. Now the minute November strikes, I know something bad this way comes. Every food website becomes a turkey/potato/pie palooza.

Americans, this is my plea. Please stop making every-dang-thing you bake and cook look amazing. The drool has ruined my keyboard. Since there is nothing I can do about this, the only option is to give in and bake. And bake I did. This little number is like a pecan pie but one that likes to party with nutella and coconut on a shortbread dance floor. 

Nutella Coconut Caramel Pecan Bars

Adapted from my favourite shortbread and very loosely from beloved Buns in the oven

crust

2/3 cups flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup icing sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

filling

1 egg

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup salted caramel or caramel sauce

2/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cups pecans toasted, some left whole and some halved

3/4 cup nutella

Preheat the oven to 300º. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, icing sugar and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat the butter. Dump in half the flour mix and stir until almost combined. Add the rest of the flour mix and stir until just combined. Press the dough into a ungreased 8 x 8 inch pan*. Bake for 20 minutes, until it starting to look dry on the top but not golden or coloured. Meanwhile this is cooking, beat together the egg, brown sugar and caramel sauce. Fold in the coconut and pecans. Spread the nutella over the hot crust. I let it sit on the crust so it would loosen then I spread it around. Pour the pecan mixture over top of the nutella. Return the pan to the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the pecan mixture looks set. Remove from the oven. Immediately run a knife around the edges. Allow to cool completely then slice into squares and enjoy! Makes 12-16 squares. 

* My pan is boss. It is has a removable bottom. This is a life saver. Instead of having to panic about lifting things out of it or trying to get them from sticking, all I gotz to do it pop it out. If you do not possess this, perhaps line the pan with parchment paper to make your life a little easier. Or be a rebel, and do not do a thing. 

Peanut Butter Bacon Chipped Cookies

I am always hooting and hollering about my Mum, so here is my Dad. My Paps is the kind of guy that strikes fear into young children's hearts. Let me rephrase, he is the type of man who intentionally strikes fear into young children's heart. He was that dad who would threaten to split kids up at a sleepover if they didn't stop shooting the flying ballerina across the room. The kind of dad that waited in the living room to slowly lower the newspaper like the Godfather and nod at my friends with the look that said 'you best be well-behaved.'

But it turns out that while he was 'that dad' to other people, he's the perfect Paps for me. He is the calm before the angry storm that my crazy brothers and mother brews, his love for burnt cookies makes my screw-ups feel like total wins, he has the driest humour known to mankind that causes me to snort publicly, he is now a crazy cat man and he is the reason why I love peanut butter and bacon sandwiches.

 My Paps' cooking skillage stretches from raisin bran, toast and jam, pickle or peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. If my Mum ever was out working one of those was our dinner and I love every single one of those dinners. But it turns out I was flying solo for a long time on the peanut butter bacon front until I started reading blogs when it was everywhere. Right then and there food blogs and I became one. Give this combo, like peace, a chance.

Peanut Butter Bacon Chipped Cookies
Adapted from my all time favourite peanut butter cookie recipe

1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar + extra for coating the dough
1/2 brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup bacon, cooked and diced
1/3 cup toffee chips

Preheat the oven to 350º. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, powder and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat together the butter and peanut butter. Beat in the sugars until it is nice and smooth and fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Dump in the flour mixture and mix until it is combined. Stir in the peanut butter chips, bacon and toffee chips. Scoop heaping tablespoons and roll them into balls. Place a couple tablespoons of sugar in a bowl. Roll the balls of dough in sugar. Place on a baking sheet that has been buttered or lined with parchment. Slightly flatten them with a spatula. Bake for 12 minutes, alternating halfway through. They will look underdone but they are not! They will be golden on the edges and a little bit on top. Pull them out and let them sit on the sheets for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack. Makes 24 cookies.

Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like "this time I'm not leaving without you" being stuck in my head all day. I like when it's my turn to leave the wait room so the lady demanding texts "fo' fray" from her cell phone company is shut up. I like free apple juice from nice ladies, in a non-creepy way. I like changing life plans. I like Jeff Bridges. I like cookies.

My awesome Mum got us tickets to see Jeff, first name basis baby, and we manage to fight our way to the front. We really just walked up and sat down but the fight makes it seem as if my love knows no boundaries. It doesn't. Age is but a number and love is blind but in this case it needn't be blind as he is smokin'. 

These cookies may not be smokin' but they are everything (everything related to cookies - not men) that I like: maple, pecan, chocolate, very chewy, little bit of crisp exterior, brown sugar but no Jeff. He is awesome but not in a cookie. That's weird. These aren't, so go eat up some cookies and change some plans. That's all.

Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Everybody Loves Sandwiches

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg
1 tsp maple extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup toasted and roughly chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, extract and maple syrup together. Add in the egg and combine until fluffy. Dump in the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until just blended before adding the chocolate chips and pecans and stirring again. Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart onto a parchment or silpat covered cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 24 cookies.

Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookies

The first week of school has already got me panicking. What does one do when they are panicked? I resorted to baking cookies (lots of cookies), read the Great Gatsby (at least I read something) and organized all my magazines. Turns out that procrastination of school got me to stop procrastinating on cleaning my room. Yay for avoiding!

Sorry for the crap photo. My brother went to Vegas and took the camera with him. Son of a gun. Blackberries do not take the best photos. How could they, they're fruit! Sorry that was not funny.. heh heh. The cookies, on the other hand, are delicious. My Mum loved them but that's because she said her generation was all hopped up on Ovaltine. Whatever floats your boat. 

Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookies
From Martha Stewart Cookies aka my fav cookie book

cookies
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup plain malted milk powder like Ovaltine
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons hot water 
filling
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup plain malted milk powder
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make cookies: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg, vanilla, creme fraiche, and hot water. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture. Space tablespoon-size balls of dough 3 1/2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake until flat and just firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on parchment on wire racks.

Making filling: Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Let cool. With an electric mixer, beat malted milk powder and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually mix in half-and-half, chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, until thick, about 30 minutes. Mix on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Assemble cookies: Spread a heaping tablespoon filling on the bottom of one cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat. Makes 1 1/2 dozen sandwiches

Lemon Raspberry Sandwich Cookies

Have I ever mentioned that Izzie and Denny complete me? That Meredith is my on screen double? How about that when Addison left it broke my heart like how Mark's abs make me melt? Grey's Anatomy, people. This yunk is good minus that horrible third/four season slump. All is forgiven. I'm nearly finished the seventh season and considering I started during our trip, that is damn impressive. Pathetic yet impressive. 

But it is almost unbearably depressing at times. I once was sobbing for a solid hour and a bit over Denny. Post breakdown, I called Bo to tell her what happened. She had already seen it but made me tell her what had happened causing the hysterics to fire up again. That son of a gun.

So if you happen to be as down and out due to fictional problems that you live vicariously through, make some bright and shiny cookies. Talk about a way to soak up your sorrows and fill up your bellay. The tart lemon smell is refreshing and the raspberries add a neon, discotheque mood minus the strobe lights. It's uplifting, promise.  

Lemon Raspberry Sandwich Cookies
Roughly adapted from here

cookies
1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest
2/3 cup whole milk
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
filling
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup raspberry jam

cookies Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter (still warmish) with the sugar and lemon zest until fragrant. Whisk in the milk and lemon juice until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain. The dough will be pretty soft so refrigerate for about an hour. Make the filling (below) in the meantime. Or don't if you roll like that. Preheat the oven to 350º. Drop dough in 1/2 tsp balls* onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about one and a half inches between cookies to allow for them to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set around the edges. Cool for 2-3 minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely. 

filling In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the raspberry jam. Cover and cool in the fridge until ready to use.

Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling on one of the cookies and sandwich with another. Makes about 24 small sandwich cookies.

* I had used a larger sandwich scoop, as seen in the photos above, but I highly recommend a small scoop. The cookies will spread and they are much easier to eat when the sandwiches are smaller. It is also easier to eat smaller sandwiches thinking it's healthy. Obvz.

Snickerdoodles

I am currently in Cranbrook. Things are getting nuts no doubt. These cookies are perfect for my situation right now. The first time I heard about these beauties was at the mall in Columbia Falls, Montana. My good ol' cousins informed me that we were out of the loop for never having had a snickerdoodles. It was straight shameful that we hadn't even heard of them.

Those puppies were delicious, they weren't hyping it up. My Mum started making them and then I followed the trend. After trying a few recipes, these are my favourite. But I still want to try the shortening way and see if it makes a big difference. In time amigos.

Snickerdoodles
Adapted from Martha

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
16 tablespoons (2 stick or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed
2 large eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla 

Preheat the oven to 400°, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. You can chill the dough if it is to soft to roll into balls. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about five minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Triple Chocolate Biscotti

Thursday night marks the end of a huge part of my life. We say goodbye to Harry Potter friends. Yeah I am one of them. One of those people who lines up for the book and movie releases, who reads the book in twenty four hours, who mutters "avada kedavra" at those who interrupt her and I'm one of those who cries uncontrollably at the title of an article that said "Farewell Harry."

It is going to be a rough night. I had to distract myself this week by baking. Lots of it. Between work and baking I haven't had much time to dwell on the fact that I will be in a deep dark depression come the end of the week. Cheers to that. These were the first of many distractions. Even when it comes to biscotti, I like them to be slightly chewy. These are crisp and yet I liked them. They taste like oreos minus the filling.. maybe I smear then with some of the oreo filling? Must go try.

Triple Chocolate Biscotti
Adapted from Alice Medrich

1/3 cup (2 ounces) coarsely chopped semisweet of bittersweet chocolate
2 cups flour
1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa powder*
2 tsp baking powder *
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp instant coffee powder
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup milk chocolate, coarsely chopped or chips

Preheat oven to 300º. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Line sheets with parchment. In a food processor, combine the chocolate with four, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and coffee. Pulse until the chocolate is reduced to the size of coarse bread crumbs. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs and egg whites with sugar and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture and the chocolate. The batter will be thick and sticky. Scrape the batter onto the lined or greased pan in 2 skinny strips 16 to 17 inches long and at least 2 1/2 inches apart. Use a spatula to even up the strips. Put the pan on the lower rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the loaves are firm but springy to the touch. Rotate the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking Set the pan on a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes. Leave the oven on. Transfer the loaves carefully to a cutting board. If you used parchment slide a metal spatula under each loaf to detach and remove the liners. Using a sharp serrated knife, ct the loaves on a diagonal into 1/2 inch slices. Stand the slices on unlined baking sheets at least 1/2 inch apart. Toast them for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time. Cool the biscotti completely before stacking or storing. May be kept in an airtight container for several weeks. Makes about 50 small biscotti.

* You can use natural cocoa powder but you must then omit the baking powder and use 1/2 tsp of baking soda instead.  


P.S. My blog wasn't functioning. This was due for July the 12th. So we are on schedule!

Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

For the third time, this post has not saved. That means that it comes up blank or with a single sentence. I am about to drop kick this computer to Abbotsford. The dam world wide web is the devil's craft. There was a teacher at my high school who told us that the internet was demon work. I am starting to see where he was coming from. 

This should have been posted years ago. Not because the internet hasn't been working for years or that I made them years ago but because this combination is what my body runs on. Maple and pecans were born together. (This is an assumption, not a fact.) Thus they were reborn together in these cookies. Holla.

Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Martha

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon pure maple extract
2 3/4 ounces (1 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready 2 baking sheets lined with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk the oatmeal, coconut, flour, salt, and sugar. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and maple syrup. Heat until the butter is melted. Remove from heat, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda with the boiling water. Immediately stir this mixture into the melted butter until combined. Add the maple extract; stir into the oat mixture. Fold in pecans. Form heaping tablespoon sized balls. Place about an inch and a half apart. They don't really spread. Flatten each of the balls slightly. Bake until golden brown and set, about 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week. Makes about 2 dozen.

Oatmeal Bars

"I'll be bawk." Annnnnnd I'm back. Sorry for leaving you high and dry but I was out of the country. The continent for the matter. For the past six weeks I was in Europe. You probably couldn't tell because of the frequent posts and because of my high level of stealthness. But near the end of the trip things were winding down and then coming home was a hassle so blogging fell to the side lines. But I'm bawk and with oatmeal bars to top it off. 

I will tell you all about my trip next time but for now there are more pressing matters. These bars. These were on my mind before I left but due to time constraints they weren't made until I returned. It's the stuff dreams (mine anyways) are made of. Were talking caramel, chocolate and peanut butter. Ho baby. Welcome home.

Oatmeal Bars

A near twin of Martha's recipe

48 soft caramel-candy cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup milk chocolate chocolate chips 

1 cup peanut butter chips

 

Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9-by-13- inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line with a 9-by-21-inch sheet of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each short side. Put caramels and cream in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and the salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with a fork or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal; press half of mixture onto bottom of lined pan. Bake until just set and starting to color around edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Sprinkle crust with chocolate chips; drizzle with caramel mixture. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake until pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan before cutting into squares. Makes 24 squares.

Recycling

In my last post, I mentioned that the scones could be frozen. Well they are one of many things I love to have in the freezer. The one thing that is always in my freezer are these oatmeal cookies. See that pan below there? That is one of two. I double the recipe, freeze them and then throw them in a freezer bag and it's good to go. I also quite like freezing banana bread or muffins so that I can just turn the oven on and reheat them when I please. 

The main point of my speech here is that you should make these cookies. I mean if I am making them weekly then it has to be good! And they honestly taste better after they have been frozen and then baked so that the center of the cookies remain amazingly chewy and the outside has a nice crunch. And if you look carefully in the third row up, third from the right that is in fact an entire pecan. No need to chop in my books.

Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

The minute I saw this creation from Picky Palate, I knew I would make them. She started with an Oreo cookie and then progressed to s'mores, peanut butter cups, you name it. So not only did I see it once but continued to have it put in my face for a few weeks. How can you deny it then? You can't. Here is some more reinforcement on her behalf.

Let me start by saying I loved them all. After all, it is simply chocolate chip cookie dough stuffed with more goodness. So I am putting them in order of which I liked best but let it be known even the last on the list was still liked! Now that the air is cleared, let's start. Skor was tied for last simply because the toffee doesn't melt and just become pretty hard to chew.

The pink marshmallow bunny is just a pink marshmallow. It was good but compared to the others out there it just didn't compare.

This is shocking. The fact that peanut butter cups are lower on the list is for one simple reason, and it is my fault, is because I used a mini peanut butter cup and not a large one. Therefore it did not compared to the others size wise. It is always number one in my heart.

This was pretty dang good. I think it was because of the cookie crunchy bits in the chocolate. This must only mean that an Oreo one is ridiculous.

The s'more one was just crazy. It was huge. The marshmallow, chocolate and graham just form together and it is like a rocky road cookie.

Symphony beat out s'more because I think the s'more taste didn't come through enough. I was expecting a s'more on chocolate chip cookie dough roids. This one was like Tom Arnold in True Lies. While everyone goes to see Arnold, it turns out the witty side kick steals the show. Great movie. 

My ultimate favourite. When I was raiding the house for things to throw in these cookies and I saw a bag of chocolate chip cookies. A chocolate chip cookie within a chocolate chip cookie? Oh yeah. (This is me. On top of that, he is voiced by Jason Segel. That just confirms it.)

Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookie recipe adapted from Gourmet and the brilliant beyond brilliant idea is from Picky Palate

cookies
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups milk chocolate chips
stuffing
Symphony chocolate bars, Hershey's cookies and cream bars, marshmallows, peanut butter cups, s'mores, skor bars and bloody chocolate chip cookies

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt and continue to cook until brown bits form at the bottom. Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs *and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips. Chill the cookie dough for at least 4 hours. Scoop out a hunk of dough and flatten it in your hand. Place one of the various stuffings on the dough and cover it with another mound of dough. Press and roll it together to seal in the stuffing.  Place similar sized cookies on one baking sheet at  least 3 inches apart. I used a separate sheet for the s'more and chocolate chip cookie stuffed ones because they were double the size. Form and place remaining cookies on additional sheets. Bake each sheet separately. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets. Makes a 3 dozen depending on the size.

* I just threw in 3 eggs. This was the directions as the original recipe says: Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1 3/4 tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute.

Salted Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies

Will I ever win? 

Only time will tell
You got to suffer to remember how well
that are our ideals never really marched in time
That's the bottom line
Jilted lovers and broken hearts

Is it sad that this song makes me think of baked goods and me? The lyrics do speak to me because I am currently "suffering" from lack of eating baked goods. And "our ideals", baked good's being to made of butter and all things delicious and mine being to devour them and remain petite, don't exactly "march in time." "That's the bottom line." And as a result we are "jilted lovers" left with "broken hearts."

There you have it. Songs do not just refer to people! They are supposed to appeal to everyone and I will interpret it as I may. Truth be told, this South Beach thing is not going to horribly. I've broken a few rules though. The suggested serving for peanut butter is one teaspoon and I went through a thirty two tablespoon jar in eight days. You can do the math. Well if you can't that is an average of a quarter cup a day. Hooooops. It was also my best ol' pal Lee's birthday and I made her some of these and had to test them for poison. Don't want to kill anyone.

Salted Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies

Adapted from Baking Bites

These are so chewy (props butter and buttermilk.) The salt definitely provides an excellent contrast to the sweet chocolate cookie as it always does. I seldom make full chocolate baked goods because my family doesn't go nuts for them but these were the greatest exceptions ever.

1/2 cup butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp instant coffee dissolved into 1 tsp water
2 cups milk chocolate chips
fleur de sel for sprinkling

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the butter, stirring occasionally, until brown bits form at the bottom. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Go make your breakfast, read the paper, hit up some coffee or something of those sorts. Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, combine the browned butter (still warm) with cocoa powder and whisk until very smooth. Whisk in sugars, vanilla extract, buttermilk and coffee. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop dough in 1-inch balls into prepared baking sheet, leaving about two inches between cookies to allow for spread. Sprinkle the cookies with fleur de sel. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set around the edges. Cool for 2-3 minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely. Ho baby, these are amazing hot, warm, you name it.

S'more Cookies

"Less is schmore." This statement proves that idiotic behaviour and humour is genetic. I think I once wrote a psychology paper on that. My broha insists on saying schmore, not a s'more. He started incorporating it into everyday sentences too. Like I said, genetics.

These actually prove that schmore is schmore. Holy Helena, these are good. They have a chewy dough and a chewy component from the marshmallows. And on top of chocolate chips, the symphony bars make it that much more amazing with a crunchy from the almonds and toffee. Sheer brilliancy amigos. It is a schmore in a cookie.

S'more Cookies

Nearly Identical to Lovin' from the Oven

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 cup milk chocolate chips

1 - 1 1/2 cups large marshmallows chopped

2 7 oz. symphony (the large toffee and almond ones), broken into pieces

Preheat the oven to 375º. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, graham crumbs, salt and soda. Set aside. Beat together the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla until fully combined. Add in the flour mixture and stir until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips. Using a 2 tbsp icecream scoop, place rounds on a baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from the oven and place pieces of chocolate and marshmallows on top. Put the cookies back in the oven for another 4 minutes, rotating halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets and then transfer to a wire rack and store in an airtight container. Makes 4 dozen.