COOKIE Butter (or Biscoff) Cookies

Cookie butter or Biscoff is pretty popular.  I always hear others rave about it on other blogs or on Instagram.  So a few months back while at Trader Joes I had to pick up a jar.  But when I tried a spoonful I didn't really care for it.  I am a Jif Reduced Fat kind of girl.

 

Last weekend I stumbled across a recipe for Cookie Butter Cookies and figured it was a great use of the cookie butter or Speculoos (the name on the Trader Joe's jar) that was still in my cabinet.

 

 

 

 

I got the recipe from The Coterie Blog and tweaked it a tiny bit.

 

Let me just say... these were a big hit.  My husband brought the leftovers to work and the guys at work also enjoyed them.  My husband may have also requested I make him a cookiewich after dinner tonight with vanilla and a bit of chocolate ice cream smashed in between two of these great cookies.

 

 

 

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Cookie Butter Cookies -

 

3/4 c. cookie butter/Trader Joe's Speculoos
1/2 c. butter - softened
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

 

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and cookie butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add in 1/2 cup of the flour, the sugars, the egg, the baking soda, baking powder, and the vanilla.  Beat until thoroughly combined.  Beat in the remaining flour until well incorporated.

 

And if you like to eat raw cookie dough... have a nibble.  This dough is fabulous.
 

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. I placed mine on a pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake 9 minutes until lightly browned, then cool on a wire rack.

 

This recipe makes about 2 dozen. 

I am linking up this post here -

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Oreo Poke Cake ~ A Pinterest Fail For Me

Yesterday I talked about our meal plan for the week which included this dessert -

Source: thecountrycook.net via Sarah on Pinterest

I made it this afternoon... and I wasn't impressed.  It tasted like pudding on top of cake.  That is it.  I also think that I let the pudding sit for too long before pouring it over the cake because even though I made a ton of holes... the pudding didn't seem to fill in the holes.



Add this one to my Pinterest fails.

Glazed Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake

Here is a super easy recipe you can make for breakfast or as a dessert.  My recipe it below but essentially I took this cinnamon roll cake recipe, added apples to it, and baked it in a bundt pan.  My brother-in-law went apple picking yesterday and brought a bunch of apples over so I had been looking for something to make with them.  My husband suggested an apple cake and that's where I came up with this recipe.

Ingredients -

-1 box of yellow cake mix + the ingredients it calls for {mine called for 3 eggs, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 c. oil}

-1 cup of light brown sugar

-4 T of cinnamon

-3 large apples - peeled and chopped
-2 cups confectioners sugar
-warm water

Directions -

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease your pan.

-Mix up your cake batter.

-Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl.

-Make sure your apples are peeled and finely chopped.

-Pour 1/2 of the cake batter into the pan.

-Cover with the apples.

-Cover the apples with about 3/4 of the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture.

-Cover with the remaining cake batter.

-Sprinkle the top with the remaining cinnamon/brown sugar mixture.

-Bake as directed on the back of the box until a knife inserted come out clean.

-Let the cake cool for 10 minutes and then turn it over onto a plate.

-Gradually add teaspoons of warm water to the confectioner's sugar until you get a smooth/thick glaze (probably 4-5T).

-Pour over the cake.

-Slice and serve.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fluff Bars

I love the Picky Palate blog...Jenny is always creating such fun and easy desserts.  When I saw this tasty recipe pop up in my Facebook news feed I knew I had to try it...especially since I knew I had all of the ingredients at my house. 

The bottom is a cake layer, then there is a peanut butter marshmallow layer, topped with an entire bag of white chocolate chips.  This is a great combination!  It was quick and easy to make and would make a perfect dessert to bring to a summer cookout.

Ingredients -

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

1 large egg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
12 ounce bag white chocolate chips
Directions -
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9×13 inch baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Place cake mix, egg, and butter into a large bowl. Mix until well combined, will be the consistency of thick cookie dough. I used my hands towards the ends. Press dough into prepared baking pan.
3. Place peanut butter, marshmallow creme and condensed milk into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Pour over crust then top with white chips. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until cooked through. Center will seem somewhat jiggly, but will set up while cools.

4. Let cool completely, cut into squares and serve.

{This recipe is from Jenny over at the Picky Palate blog}

Recipe - Peanut Butter Blondies with Chocolate Chips

I made these last weekend...and impressed myself.  They were so easy to make and tasted amazing.  I cannot wait to make them again.

Ingredients -

•  1   1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup of peanut butter (regular or crunchy)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions - 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, peanut butter, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
• In a seperate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spread into an ungreased 9x13 pan.
• Bake for about 35 minutes.
• They will be cracking and brown around the edges when done.
• Cool, cut, and serve slightly warm.

I am linking up with Little Brick Ranch for Foodie Friday -

FIRST ever Brownies from Scratch {Recipe}

I made Chocolate Buttercream Frosted Brownies. Who doesn't love a quick and easy boxed brownie mix? It is my go to dessert.  They are affordable and easy to doctor up.  Well, this afternoon I picked up some cocoa powder at the store and attemped to make brownies from scratch.  They were very rich...yet tasty.

Here is the recipe I used -

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons water

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

COMBINE granulated sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture.  Spread into prepared baking pan.

BAKE for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top with chocolate buttercream frosting. Cut into bars.

Source : The Very Best Baking

So I Made the Peanut Butter Brownies

I made the peanut butter brownies I blogged about the other day.  Amazing.  Run to the store.  Get the ingredients.  Make them right away.  It tastes like a brownie and a peanut butter cup all rolled up in one.  F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.  Look at that fabulous layer of peanut butter goodness.

I got the recipe HERE.  This will definitely be a recipe I will making again.  I sent my husband off to a friend's house tonight with a plate of these to share.

Recipe - Pecan Pumpkin Butter Bars

Back in October my mom came to visit and brought me this lovely jar of pumpkin pecan butter from Williams-Sonoma.  I had no idea what I was going to do with it. Then one day at work I was looking at recipes online and found myself scrolling through the Bakerella blog.  She had a recipe that called for this jar of pumpkin fabulousness.  I immediately printed it out and planned on making it for Thanksgiving.

So tonight I made them.  I made the Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter BARS.  When they came out of the oven...I let them cool for a bit and then proceeded to devour probably something close to a 4 x 4 inch square of these bars.  They were AMAZING.  I cannot wait to share them tomorrow at Thanksgiving dinner.  These are not cheap to make.  The pecan pumpkin butter the recipe calls for is usually $9.95 but is now on sale for $6.99.  I urge you to pick up a jar or two when you are out shopping this weekend to make a tray or two of these bars.  You will not be disappointed.  Here are some other recipes you can make with the pecan pumpkin butter too.

Here are my bars -

Here is the recipe -

Ingredients-

18.25 oz. package yellow cake mix, set aside one cup

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 large eggs

13.5 oz. jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions -
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan.

Divide cake mix, placing all but one cup in a mixing bowl.

Stir the melted butter and one egg into the cake mix until combined.

Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.

In another bowl, mix pumpkin butter with two eggs and milk until combined.

Spread pumpkin mixture over pressed cake mix.

Stir the reserved 1 cup of cake mix with the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.

Then add the softened butter and mix together until crumbly.

Sprinkle over the top of the pumpkin layer.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool and cut into 2 ” squares. Serves 24.

Another Easy Dessert - Chocolatey Bits O Brickle Bars

One of my favorite blogs to read is Kelly's Korner. I do not remember when or even how I stumbled across her blog...but I have been reading it for awhile now.  Kelly also has a recipe blog and her most recent recipe is for these Bits O Brickle bars.  I love a quick and easy dessert bar that requires just a few ingredients and this fits the bill.  The baking bits this recipe calls for were on sale this today when I did my weekly grocery shopping + I had a coupon...which is a win-win for me.

So this afternoon while Madison was working on 1 of 3 school projects she has to complete before November ends and my husband is watching his beloved football...I decided to make a batch of these.  I did add a slight variation to the recipe.

Chocolatey Bits O Brickle Bars

Ingredients-

-1 yellow cake mix box
-1 egg

-1/3 c. butter
-1 (14 oz.) Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
-1 c. chopped pecans
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 egg
-1/2 c. Heath Bits O' Brickle or toffee chips
-1/2 c. mini chocolate chips **the original recipe doesn't call for this - but I omitted the nuts because my husband doesn't like them and added the chocolate chips

*I also just sprinkled the crust mixture with the toffee an chocolate chips.  I did not measure them out.

Directions-


Mix the first 3 ingredients until crumbly. Pat into a greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle the cake crust with the nuts and the chips (toffee and chocolate). Mix the egg, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk together and pour over the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

These were amazing.  I will definitely be making them again.  Try them and let me know what you think.

Recipe - Baked French Toast Casserole

This is a fabulous make ahead dish that is perfect for weekend breakfasts.  I loved it.  Chris thought it was too 'eggy'.  Madison refused to eat it.  Trust me - it was fabulous and tasted like dessert.

Ingredients-

-6 whole Eggs

-1 cup Whole Milk
-½ cup Whipping (heavy) Cream
-¾ cups Sugar
-2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract


Topping-

-½ cups All-purpose Flour

-3/4 cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
-2 teaspoons Cinnamon
-¼ teaspoons Salt
-1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces

-1 container cream cheese frosting

Directions -

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Add butter pieces and mix into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with warm cream cheese frosting.