Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

The only thing I know about football is that once a year there is a Super Bowl which means loads of good food. I tried this recipe this year, and they were a hit! Also, I did a good enough job arranging them on the plate that my guests from didn't know I'd already eaten half the pan before game time. Win win!

Ingredients:

3/4 C butter melted and cooled (I just stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes)

1 C brown sugar

1/2 C sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C + 2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 C chocolate chips

11 oz caramels 

3 Tbsp milk or cream

1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Combine butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, blend. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Press half of the cookie dough into a Pammed 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips on top of dough.

In a microwave safe bowl, cook caramel as and milk on high for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave in 20 second intervals until caramel is melted. Pour caramel over dough. Sprinkle with half of the sea salt.

Stir the rest of the chocolate chips into the cookie dough, and drop by spoonful onto caramel as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt.

Bake at 325* for 25 minutes (edges should be slightly golden brown).

Remove from oven and let cool before cutting.

I think these would be even more awesome if served with some vanilla ice cream. Yuum!

These were super easy and extremely delicious. Let is know what you think!

best EVER chocolate chip cookie

it seems like we're all always on the search for THE perfect chocolate chip cookie. am i right? i have looked high and low for years, and although i've found plenty i like, i've never had one that i absolutely-can't-live-without-gotta-have-more love. you know what i mean? until this. this recipe is the recipe. now, i'm sure everyone has their own IT recipe because we have different tastes, right? like, apparently some people like their cookies crunchy?? i'm not sure such a person exists; i know i've never met them! but i also know plenty of people who love a good, gooey, soft-on-the-inside cookie, and this is it!

recipe found here.

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 c. brown sugar 

1/4 c. granulated sugar 

1 egg 

2 tsp. vanilla extract (pure mexican vanilla will make these extra delicious! i use this brand as my secret weapon)

2 c. all purpose flour 

2 tsp. cornstarch (pretty sure this is the key ingredient!)

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt (i always think it seems like too much, but it's not! trust it!)

1 c. milk chocolate chips

• preheat oven to 350*

• cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color (very important step! i tried just mixing until combined and my cookies were f l a t and not delicious. take the 2 minutes to get that stuff fluffy!) add egg and vanilla and blend in.

• next add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. mix until combined. stir in chocolate chips.

• using cookie scoop or spoon, drop golf-ball sized dough balls onto a pammed cookie sheet.

• bake for 7-9 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.  mine are perfect at 7 minutes. they won't look done, but if the edges are golden, they are! i promise!

• let cool

i promise you. you will not be disappointed!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies

If you are a fan of pumpkin this fall season, and/or a fan of our Pumpkin Cake Roll, you will probably love this yummy little treat! This was another one of those Facebook recipes that my friends were sharing so it would be pinned to their walls. I must say, these did not disappoint!

     
Cookies:

•  3 cups flour 
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 - 15 oz. can of pumpkin 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

 **Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

**Beat together brown sugar, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla. 

**In a separate bowl, shift together the dry ingredients. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

**Drop by teaspoon onto a Pammed baking sheet

** Bake for 11 minutes and cool on a rack. 

  

Cream Cheese Filling 

• 1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened 1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1 - 16 oz. package of powdered sugar 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of cinnamon--to taste

**Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Frost flat side of half the pies and top with another piece!

YUM!!!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

"Howe" in the world did I ever forget about these delectable little morsels? Our cute secretary, Linda, brought them to school the other day and I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of them in so long! If you have never tried these, do it.....NOW!!!

(Don't mind my photo skills, I know they are crap!)

Ingredients:

1/2 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. sugar

1 egg

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C. flour

1 pkg. Miniature Reese's PB Cups

**Mix all ingredients together (except BP cups)

**Roll into 1 inch balls

**Drop into Pammed mini muffin tins

**Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes.

**Let cool 1-2 minutes, then press PB cups into center and let cool.

**Run a small knife around the edge and they should pop right out of the pan!

homemade oreos

this recipe came along when our sister-in-law, tif, came into the fam. at that point i was in high school, and i hadn't even heard of things as heavenly as homemade oreos. she introduced me, and whenever she'd come over to hang out with our brother (we're still not sure how he lucked out with her), she'd whip some up with me. isn't she dreamy?

i know there are a few versions of this, but here's the one i use. i've made these quite frequently this summer because the guys my husband works with request them regularly.

cookie:

2 devil's food cake mixes 

4 eggs

1 cup oil

1/2 cup flour

blend ingredients together and bake at 350* for 8-9 minutes. don't overcook! you don't want them to be crunchy. bleh.when cookies are cooled, pair each cookie with another one its same size.

frosting:

1 pkg. cream cheese

1 cube butter--softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

blend together and put between 2 cookies. the frosting makes a ton, so be generous with each sandwich/oreo.

yum-stinking-o. i made these last night and am pretty sure they'll be gone by tonight. i brought one to school with me for lunch, and i'm seriously regretting it. i am currently daydreaming about when i get home to have another. seriously. they might be my favorite treat. i can't stop thinking about them! ha. they're super healthy, though. so no guilt :)