Milky Way Blondies

These Blondies are.... Decadent. Divine. and Dangerous. ;) You won't want just one. And, as her recipe states, they're flexible with what you can put into them. I make a great caramelita. These kind of remind me of them except without the oatmeal. I also thought they'd be good using leftover Halloween candybars like in Heidi's candybar cookies. SO many possibilities with this blondie recipe. I had to include it on my blog for that reason. The purpose of my blog has *always* been to have it be an external recipe box of nearly all my favorite recipes.... whether they are tried-and-true recipes passed down within our own family, ones I've received from others and made my own, ones I tweaked to my preferences from other websites, or even recipes from other bloggers. I so appreciate good food and the time that goes into making a recipe. I always link back to the original recipe and indicate any changes made. With that in mind, here is the recipe for Milky Way Blondies!

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1/2 cup Caramel Bits (or chop caramel squares into fourths)

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

15 Fun Size Milky Way Candy Bars, chopped 

I used my Bosch for this recipe with the paddles. If using an electric mixer, use a large bowl!

Cream brown sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine and then sift in flour, baking powder, and salt. I mix the flour in only until incorporated. You'll be mixing it more when you add the caramel bits, chocolate chips, and candy bars. I prefer not to overmix. Add in your bits, chips, and bars! 

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking sprain over anyone... especially someone who LOVES chocolate and caramel! y. If desired, line the pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray. The original recipe calls for foil. Myself, I do not prefer foil when baking these kinds of things. I'm kind of a parchment gal. When using parchment, use one section going long ways in the pan and another section going the width of the pan. Leave some hanging over the edge on all sides. Just be sure to use spray! ;) Spread the blondie mixture into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 22-24 minutes.  Err on the side of looking not done-ish on these. You don't want hard, dry blondies on the outer edge. Mine took about 23 minutes. But every oven is different. They will continue to cook and set up as they cool. Cool completely before cutting. I did these bars the night before like I do for my caramelitas and they were perfect to cut with a good, sharp knife. I cut them to get 15 bars. 

The result is a delectable dessert that will win over anyone.... especially someone that loves chocolate and caramel! ;)

Refer to original recipe for other mix in ideas.

Ridiculously Delicious Lemon Butter Cookies

I found this recipe while looking for a different recipe. Naturally, I love new recipes and simply could not resist a cookie recipe with cream cheese in the batter. And, as an added bonus, it came from a recipe blog with the name "wicked good kitchen." How could it not be amazing!? haha.... These cookies are RIDICULOUSLY delicious. So soft. So delicate. Full of lemon flavor but not over the top. I'm totally in love with them. I prefer to double this recipe. It makes about 40 cookies when doubled.

2¼ cups flour (can also be gluten free, see original recipe for how)
2 tsp baking powder
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened (I like Philadelphia best)
½ cup butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest, from 2-3 large lemons
1½ Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract (or 1/8 tsp lemon oil or, if using essential oils, one drop for a double batch)
1/8 tsp natural yellow gel based food coloring -I chose to omit this and it was okay
3/4 tsp salt 
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 cup powdered sugar for rolling & dusting cookies

I used my Bosch for this recipe with the paddles. If using an electric mixer, use a large bowl.

Cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar, zest, lemon juice, vanilla, lemon extract or oil, food coloring -if desired, and salt. Mix until light and fluffy, scraping sides as you go. Add egg and egg yolk and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. At this point, the batter will look very light and creamy and airy. YUM! Sift in flour and baking powder gradually, on low speed. Mixing only until incorporated. You don't want to over mix this batter.

At this point, I like to scrape all the batter into a glass bowl and put a lid on it rather than just covering my Bosch and placing it in the fridge. The batter must refrigerate at least 2 hours but is best if left in the fridge overnight. 

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in the lower third of your oven. I like to use a cookie scoop that is about a 1 Tbsp size. This helps immensely for getting similar sized cookies. The batter will still be pretty sticky. I prefer to put the powdered sugar on a plate to roll my cookies. I've done the ziploc method. I feel the plate does a better job getting the cookies coated to my liking. Using a Tbsp measuring spoon, or a cookie scoop of the same size, scoop a generous 1 tbsp size dollop of dough and place it on the powdered sugar plate. Using your hand, make the dough into a round ball coating it well in powdered sugar as you go around. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. You'll want to keep the spacing about 2 inches apart for optimal baking.
Bake for 14 minutes. These cookies should not be golden brown. If they are browned, they'll be over cooked. They will have slightly soft centers. This is okay! Remove from oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet while the next batch is baking. I like to use a fine sifter and very lightly dust the top of the cookies with additional powdered sugar to give it a more finished look. Not too much. Just a little dusting. ;)

Transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. When I am doing a double batch, I am always sure to use fresh parchment each time I put another pan in the oven. Also be sure your pan is cool before you put another round of dough balls on it.

These cookies are so delicious. Not sure if I mentioned that! haha. They're a light cookie and always very well received when I make them for someone.

Easy Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are a deli-style sugar cookie. More like what you'd get from subway or someplace like that. They're not a Valentine or Christmas cookie style sugar cookie. These are great when you've got a craving for sugar cookies because they whip up fast and they make about 2 dozen perfectly every time. I can't remember where I got the recipe years ago, but it is quick and easy and they always turn out great and soft!

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, rooom temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. I like to push down just slightly on the top of the dough ball with my palm so they cook flatter for speading frosting later.

3. Bake 8-9. Don't overcook! Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. Cool completely and frost as desired.

Candy Bar Madness Chocolate Chip Cookies

AKA: Halloween Leftover Cookies

Every Halloween we have LOTS of candy that I prefer my kids not eat and rather not drag it out for a long time either... So one year I decided to sneak into their stash and get all the candy bars that I could find and create some cookies to use them up. :) They weren't too happy with me for stealing their candy without asking, but when they tried the cookies all was soon FORGIVEN! ;)
Now they go through and give me as much as they can part with to repeat the cookies every year.

Here is the basic recipe that I follow
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (no margarine)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3-4 cups of cut up candy bar mixture and some chocolate chips too :)

      

       **I put in m&ms, snickers, crunch bars, Hershey's chocolate bars, almond joy (all bars are cut up into small chunks).... the choice of what candy is yours :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine sugars. Add in butter and cream together with the sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix together.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt (I combine all of this in the sifter and then sift them). Add to the creamed mixture.
Mix well (the dough will be stiff). Add the chocolate chip, candy bar mixture. Mix well to make sure enough dough surrounds the added goodness!

Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper. Take a spoon full of dough and put it on the cookie sheet.
You should fit about 12 per sheet. (I roll mine into a ball then sort of squish it down a little but you could probably just put the spoon full directly on parchment)

Bake 10-12 minutes. Be sure not to over cook them or they will end up being hard discs LOL... they should look a little under done and almost getting golden on top  (but they will be golden on the bottoms)
Remove from oven and let set for a minute or two then remove the cookies and place on wire racks to cool . Enjoy!

Applesauce Cookies

from Jean

I got this great recipe from my neighbor. My husband LOVES these cookies. They nearly disappeared before I got a picture! I won't lie, they aren't the prettiest cookies. They're not your typical rolling out or roll-into-balls cookies. But they are flavorful and you won't be disappointed.

Cream together:
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar

Mix together:
2 cups applesauce
1 tsp soda

Add:
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
4 cups flour

Mix all together. If desired, add nuts or raisins or chocolate chips. We prefer not to put anything in it. We just like a light frosting on top. I will say that chocolate frosting on these cookies is best. I thought a regular cream cheese would be best, but the chocolate balances out the flavors and the cloves perfectly. Find the recipe here. The chocolate recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. I haven't needed to grease the cookie sheet. This recipe makes about 4 dozen depending on the size of your spoonfuls. Mine made 3 1/2 dozen but my cookies could have been a little smaller.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. I promise, you don't want longer than 10 minutes. :) Cool and frost lightly with chocolate frosting. These aren't like sugar cookies where you go crazy with the frosting. ;) A little goes a long ways. I didn't thin my frosting down. I think the consistency was fine with the regular recipe.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

I got this recipe from a lady in my community. I had one of these cookies at an open house and couldn't stop eating them! Had to have the recipe! So glad she shared! Here's a link to her recipe blog. She's got great stuff on there. We'll definitely be trying out some of her recipes.

The great thing about these cookies is that they aren't flat like all other snickerdoodle cookies I've had. They "stand up." They're super soft and so good!

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon...

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine:
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar

Beat until light and fluffy.

Add:
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 Tbsp water

Beat until combined.

Add:
6 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well.

Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls. You can do them any size. (I made mine larger sized and baked for 11 minutes. I got 8 cookies to a pan.) Drop dough in cinnamon sugar mixture and roll around to coat the ball of dough. (I prefer to use a ziploc bag and shake!) Place on a cookie sheet. I use parchment paper. Bake 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. If there are any left, store in a tight container.

Cookie Dough Topping

In efforts to find something sweet that didn't contain eggs, I remembered my Carmelita recipe. (I am nursing my baby and for some reason or another, if I eat anything with egg in it, he vomits.) I made a batch of Carmelitas without chocolate and fell in love. I decided to make another batch a few days later but kept eating the "dough." After keeping it in the fridge, it solidified into beautiful little crumbles. It was destined to become cookie dough topping for ice cream! And it was a match made in heaven! The great thing about this cookie dough is that it doesn't contain egg and it can be versatile for what you'd like to add to it. Mini chocolate chips, raisins, dash of cinnamon, and/or nuts.

Full batch (makes quite a bit)

Half batch in italics

1 1/2 cups oatmeal - 3/4 cup

1 1/2 cups flour - 3/4 cup

1 1/4 cups brown sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp

3/4 tsp soda - 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp

1/4 tsp salt - 1/8 tsp

3/4 tsp vanilla - 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp

2 cubes butter (no substitutes) - 1 cube

Add all dry ingredients and mix with spoon. Add vanilla and butter. Mix well. I do this with a pair of plastic gloves (meant for handling food). It just works better. (A half batch is pictured.)Put in a ziploc bag and let it refrigerate for several hours. You can separate this into different bowls and put in the extras (chocolate chips, etc) so that you have different choices. But plain is really good, too.
Crumble it up and put it on your desired flavor of ice cream!Super simple but it adds such great taste to your ice cream. I like it plain or on ice cream or on yogurt. It is loaded with butter (but what great tasting recipe isn't?) but it's not like you're sitting and eating the whole batch. ;) Not that I have done that or anything! ;)

Keep any remaining topping (if there is any!) stored in ziploc bag(s) in the fridge.

Rolo Cookies

There are many recipes for these cookies floating around. These are my own version and I think they're the most moist and easy to make. You'll just have to make sure you don't eat all the Rolos before you make the cookies. :)

2 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter/margarine softened
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding
2 eggs
Approximately 36 Rolo pieces, unwrapped

Mix flour with baking soda in separate bowl. In large bowl, combine butter, sugars, vanilla, and pudding. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add eggs. Gradually add flour mixture. Let chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Roll medium to small amount of cookie dough around each Rolo. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350. Let sit on cookie sheet for a couple of minutes to let the caramel set up. Then place on wire rack to cool.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Neiman-Marcus Cookies

with my changes

I realize that most of you may have this recipe already. But I am going to post it anyway for those that don't.

1 cube butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 oz of Hershey bar, grated (1 regular Hershey bar)
1 cup flour
1 1/4 cup oatmeal, blended
6 oz mini chocolate chips OR for chocolate chunk cookies: break up more Hershey bars into little pieces

Blend oatmeal (not quick oats) to a fine powder in a blender. (I usually blend a lot and then keep it in a tightly sealed container. I use it for meatloaf and other recipes as well.) Measure out as much as you need for recipe. Tip: Sometimes I only measure out 1 cup and see how the dough mixes up before I add the additional 1/4 cup. If it dry, I leave it out. If it is a little too sticky, I add the 1/4 cup.

In a bowl, cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Add oatmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and soda. Mix well. Stir in grated Hershey bar, mini chocolate chips or Hershey bar pieces. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen+ depending on size of your dough balls.

These are so good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and then drizzled with a little bit of caramel and/or chocolate syrup. A super simple, yummy dessert.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Betty Crocker -with my changes

2/3 cup shortening (not butter flavored)
2/3 cup real butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup instant vanilla pudding (the dry stuff)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
Mini Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Cream shortening, butter, sugars, pudding, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and soda all at once. Mix with mixer until you can't anymore. Add in as many chocolate chips as you want. Mix with mixing spoon (I use one of those long handled plastic or wooden ones). Roll into balls and cook at 375 for 10 minutes.Let sit on cookie sheet for just a minute when they come out to set up and then let cool on cooling rack.

Note: I love to halve this recipe. Or I make the whole thing and roll all dough into balls and then freeze them in the freezer. I just put them in a freezer bag. This is a great way to have cookies on hand quickly for stuff. And it always seems like you need some for this or that. It is a great recipe and the pudding makes a difference.

Santa's Snickers Surprises

(say that 10 times fast!)
from Snickers packaging

2 cubes softened butter
1 cup cream peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg (13 oz) Snickers miniatures

Combine butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then mix in flour, salt and baking soda.

Cover and chill dough for 2 to 3 hours. Unwrap all the Snickers miniatures.

Remove dough from fridge. Wrap dough around each miniature and make a ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 for 10 to 12 minutes.

Let cookies cool on cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

These cookies are so yummy! I like to add these to my Christmas goody plate for neighbors.

No-Bake Cookies

from mom

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal


Melt butter in pan. Add sugar, milk and cocoa. Boil, then turn to low and boil for 3 minutes. Pre-measure peanut butter and oatmeal so they are ready. Remove pan from stove and add vanilla.

Add peanut butter. Stir until melted. Add oatmeal. Mix until well-coated. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

from Heidi and allrecipes.com

1/2 cup softened butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, slowly. For chocolate frosting, add 1/2 cup cocoa with last cup of powdered sugar and mix well. I often make the whole batch of frosting, and take half out and only add 1/4 cup cocoa so I have plain cream cheese frosting for another recipe.

This is a great recipe and always turns out perfect. It makes quite a bit and is perfect for cookie decorating, cakes, cupcakes, or just for the middle of graham crackers!

Sugar Cookies

from Dana

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup shortening
6 cups flour
1 tsp soda
pinch of salt
3 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl cream sugar, eggs, and shortening. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Alternate adding milk mixture and flour mixture. Mix well. Roll out and cut out as desired.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool and frost as desired. For a great frosting, click here. Makes 3 or 4 dozen.

Sugar Cookies

from Aubrey

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp soda
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix. In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Slowly add sour cream and alternate it and the dry ingredients. Mix well. One bonus to these sugar cookies is that this dough does not need to be refrigerated before rolling out.

Roll out and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 370 for 8 to 9 minutes. Makes approximately 2 or 3 dozen depending on size of cookie shapes.

These are super soft and so yummy! Note: I prefer to have nearly the same amount of frosting as cookie for this recipe. So I usually do one batch plus a half recipe of the cream cheese frosting recipe.