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.

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.

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.

Chocolate Toffee Shortbread

When I think of shortbread, I think three things. My Mum, my brother B and Christmas. The first because my Mum always makes amazing shortbread. The second because my little brother loves it. And Christmas because that is the time of year when I eat shortbread. Since my Mum makes the shortbread around these parts, I thought I would give it a whirl. 

They turned out as I had hoped. Not at all dry, lovely pockets of melted chocolate and toffee and the smothered chocolate on top only made them that much better.

Chocolate Toffee Shortbread
From the Kitchn

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 cup mini Heath chips

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Mix in the flour until combined, then stir in (or add with the mixer on the slowest speed) 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the Heath chips. Shape spoonfuls of dough into small balls, about one inch wide. Place two inches apart on a cookie sheet that has either been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Press down lightly to give each cookie a slightly flat surface to rest on. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until fairly firm to the touch. Let the cookies cool completely before removing from the pan, as shortbread is very brittle. Melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth. Dip one end of each cookie into the chocolate, then place on waxed paper or parchment paper until set, fridge if in a hurry. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes 85 cookies.*

* Mine were pretty tiny, the original said around 4 dozen. 

Week 2 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

Banana Chipped Muffins

"Anyway you want it, that's the way you need it!"

Journey.. or Glee cast

These muffins really do just take anything. Once again, from the Weekend Baker cookbook, it stayed true to the time standards. I was supposed to be heading out the door for Kelowna in an hour and these babies were done. As in, prepped and baked and cleaned up. The flavour combination is great. Banana tinted with cinnamon, toffee, peanut butter AND chocolate. Sounds like too much? Never.

Banana Chipped Muffins
Adapted from the Weekend Baker 

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 medium very, very ripe bananas (about 14 ounces/397 grams total, including peels), peeled
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup canola or corn oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup mini peanut butter chips
1/4 cup toffee chips

Position an oven rack on the middle shelf of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour or line with paper cups, a muffin tin. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until well blended. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat till well blended. Pour in the dry ingredients and gently stir with a rubber spatula just until blended. Add the chips in when the flour is almost blended and stir to incorporate. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin top pan, dividing batter evenly. They will be 3/4 full. Gently tap the pan on the countertop to settle the batter. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick or a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, and then carefully remove the muffin tops from the pan and set them on the rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 15 muffins.

Fudge Filled Toffee Cookies

I have not given up on these cookies. One thing I can not stand is an unsuccessful recipe. While this recipe was loved by my family, they didn't do anything for me. They had this marvelous name and they just didn't live up to it! The base was not sandy but not chewy. It really lacked in flavour. However, this name deserves a better recipe so never fear, I will come back with a better one. I'm going to try and redo these on the weekend and hopefully I succeed!


Fudge Filled Toffee Cookies

cookies
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup toffee chips, like skor
2/3 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
filling
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate, melted - I used chips
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 cup pecan halves

Mix butter and sugars. Beat in oil, egg and extracts. Combine the flours, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar; slowly add to butter mix. Stir in toffee bits, pecans and coconut. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or till easy to handle. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar. Using wooden sugar handle to make indentation. In bowl melted chocolate, milk and vanilla till smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon into the center of the cookies. Top with a pecan half. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or lightly browned.

Rocky Ledge Bars

These are one of my favourites. They are sweet, chewy, crunchy, perfect, etc. I found them a couple years ago in my beloved Martha Stewart's Cookie book. I don't know what else to say other than you must make these! The great thing about them too is that they literally can have anything thrown in. The original recipe calls for butterscotch chips and cut up caramels but over the years I have just started to throw in what ever I have. Also, I am not that fond of butterscotch.

Rocky Ledge Bars
Martha's recipe here

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup toffee bits like Skor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the longer sides. Brush parchment with butter or cooking spray (not overhang). Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Mix in flour mixture until combined. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chocolates, peanut butter chips, and toffee. Spread batter in prepared pan. Scatter remaining marshmallows, chocolates, peanut butter chips, and toffee on top. Bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes (the original says 35 but that has never worked for me). Let cool on a wire rack. Lift out of pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. Remove parchment, and cut into about 20 or 16 triangles. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week but I prefer to keep them in the fridge.