Already Missing Summer...and My Niece

I know, it has been months. But let's move past that. School has officially taken over (once again!) but I vow to start blogging on a more regular basis.

And with school starting, I'm already beginning to miss summer. Badly. Very badly. You'd be in the same boat as me if this was your view for the entire month of July.


Feel my pain? Good. Slightly jealous? You and I. Above beach. Next summer.

And I'm missing my redheaded niece more than ever! Must get home. Must play with niece. Must make these cookies with her again.

Just the best cookie helpers out there!

Can't turn my back for two seconds...

Peanut Butter Blossoms
adapted from Jif

1/2 c. butter flavored shortening
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter (I add more, duh.)
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Sugar (for rolling)
48 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Heat over to 375 degrees. Cream together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until stiff dough forms. Roll into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Top each cookie, immediately, with unwrapped Kiss, pressing down firmly so that the cookie cracks around edge. Remove from cookie sheet. Eat immediately with tall glass of milk.

Can Ya Dig It?

A few things, I'm totally digging right now...

This dinnerware.

Birds. Adorable. Enough said.

This ridiculously, cute dress.

Throw this baby on with some heels and I'm ready to whip up a batch of cupcakes. Or brownies. Heck, both, cause I'm gonna look dang cute doing so.

This, awesome record player.

So tempted, so, so tempted.

This cake stand.

It just looks like it belongs in my kitchen, you know?



These cookies.
Peanut butter and butterscotch are my new favorite combo. So good they are giving ol' peanut butter and chocolate a run for their money.
You NEED to make these cookies. Sooo good.

Peanut Butter Butterscotch Chip Chippers
adapted from Picky Palate

1 stick softened butter

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 Cups smooth peanut butter

1 Cup melted butterscotch chips

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Melt butterscotch chips over a double boiler until melted. Add melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter to beaten butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Place flour, baking soda and salt in bowl; mix to combine. Add to wet ingredients until just combined then pour in butterscotch chips. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough, roll in sugar then place onto baking sheet. Press tops with tines of a fork if desired. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook

Story time...

I deactivated my Facebook account last week. Mainly because I needed a break from it and slightly because I watched "The Social Network" and it sucked and I was pissed. Sorry if you're a fan and don't let my opinion of it sway you, if you haven't seen it. It's just that it was about Facebook, FACEBOOK people. And though he's probably a swell guy in real life, Zuckerberg was not depicted in a positive light. I totally should have rented "Waiting for Superman" instead. Oh well, lesson learned.

Anyways, I have come to the realization that I cannot, for the life of me, remember life before having Facebook. I sit and ask myself, "What on earth did I do with my time? Did I really communicate with my friends in other ways? Such as text messages, phone calls, face to face convos?" (MIND-BLOWING)

What cracks me up about this whole Facebook deactivation is the numerous comments from friends...

"Are you not on Facebook anymore? What happened??"

"You're no longer my friend. What's the deal?"

"I miss you on Facebook." (As opposed to in real life???)

Friends, once again, let me reassure you, it's a temporary break. I will be back and in your Facebook lives shortly. I have to or no one else will read this thing!


Now here are some cookies which my cousin, word for word, described in a text as, "Allison, made some BOMB cookies." They are pretty bomb. Peanut butter, marshmallows, chocolate pudding. Oh yes.


Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Marshmallow Cookies
adapted from Picky Palate
makes about 3 dozen

2 sticks softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix

10 oz bag peanut butter chips

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate pudding mix, peanut butter chips and marshmallows. Mix until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, place onto baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring.

Doctored Up Brownies

I woke up today hoping to make a couple of cakes. First wall->we have no cake flour. A trip to the store will easily solve that. Grab car keys, throw on coat, shoes and run...into second wall->It snowed. A lot. I dare not try to drive in this weather. With my luck, it would end badly. Cake mixes from a box would do just fine, I'm wanting to focus on homemade frosting and icing, anyways. Go to kitchen, yank open cupboard, dig through boxes and boxes and boxes of brownies. Ladies and gentlemen we have hit our third and final wall->no cake mix. Not a single one. But let me tell you, we've got enough brownie mixes to last us to next Christmas. No cake today, brownies will have to do. But not just your typical, boxed brownie. Let us jazz this up a bit...

See where this is going?

And more chocolate never hurt anyone.

I would gladly eat the brownies at this stage, but lets keep going...

with some peanut butter filling. Oh, yes.

This filling is just dang delicious. I wonder what this would taste on a PB&J sandwich? Hmm...

Drizzle with a bit more chocolate.

I'm in trouble. Deep, delicious trouble.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies a.k.a. Whatev's Left in the Cupboard
adapted by Betty Crocker

Brownie
1 brownie mix
Vegetable oil, water, eggs (whatever the box calls for to prepare brownies
Any add-ins you have handy (chocolate chips, mini candy bars, etc...)

P.B. Filling
1/2 p.b. (I used more, what's new...)
1/2 butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar (I used way less)
2 tsp. milk

Chocolate Topping
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter


Prepare brownie mix as directed on box. Add chopped candy, chocolate chips, etc. Bake as directed on box. After baking, set aside to cool.
In bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. In small microwavable, melt chocolate chips and butter on high 30-60 seconds, stir until smooth. Cool for a few minutes, then spread or drizzle over p.b. filling. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Cut into bars, serve, eat, repeat.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies! Day 5

I AM D-O-N-E!!!! My last final was taken this morning! No more class, no more homework, no more reading, no more SCHOOL (for the next 5 weeks)! I'm slightly excited, if you can't tell. ;) To celebrate my "doneness" with school, I got in a nice workout, made some pasta, bought a vintage button up, and made some yummy cookies. Now I won't be posting about those yummy cookies, we will wait till tomorrow, but here are some other cookies that are equal in yumminess.

Peanut Butter Cup Blossoms. Oh, yeeeaahhh. Like those peanut butter cookies with the Kisses, but 10X better, cause it's a Reese's cup. Duh. And for the Christmas song, an all-time fave, Eartha Kitt with Santa Baby. Sing it, lady.

Peanut Butter Cup Blossoms

1 roll of peanut butter cookie dough or your fave p.b. cookie recipe
1 bag of mini Reese's peanut butter cups

I made my own dough.

Cause peanut butter is AWWWWEEEESSSOOMMMEEE.

I am notorious for adding more peanut butter than what the recipe calls for, see...

Those hands in the background? I've got the greatest friends. Ever. They unwrap p.b. cups for me.

And pose. Can you say, "Hand model." Nice nails, Kourt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough into 1 1/2 in. balls and place into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press Reese's cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Nutella Virgin

How is it that I have gone 22 years without ever experiencing the pure deliciousness of Nutella??? This chocolaty gift from the heavens is just...whoa. Just, mmm....

I've enjoyed my Nutella on a pretzel stick, toast, spoon, my finger. You get the idea. I think, nay, I know I could eat an entire jar in one setting (though I advise no one do, let alone attempt).

I spent an afternoon surfing the net, trying to find Nutella recipes and I stumbled on this. That's right, World Nutella Day. Keep February 5th clear, so you can devour and enjoy all things Nutella. We're talking breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The cookie recipe I found is a clear winner. They're like Nutella turnovers. So cute. So good.


And you can make them even more delicious.

Of course I would add peanut butter, because it makes up more than half of my weekly diet, but oh man, with pb their delicious factor is kicked up 10 notches.

Nutella Pocket Cookies
adapted from The Art of Two Tarts
makes about 4 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, softened plus 2 more tablespoons, melted.

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar plus 1\4 cup for sprinkling

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups Nutella

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the 1 cup of butter, cream cheese, and 1 cup sugar until smooth, light, and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Gradually add the flour to the creamed mixture and mix well. Divide the dough into two portions; cover and refrigerate until the dough is firm and easy to handle. An hour should be good enough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove one portion of dough from the refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll out one portion of dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Using a circle cookie cutter that is approximately 3 inches in diameter, cut circles out of the dough and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

Place approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of Nutella on the center of each circle. Fold each circle in half so that the edges meet and lightly press the edges to seal. With a fork, seal the edges more securely. Lightly brush melted butter on the tops and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the cookies for 10 – 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 – 3 minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool.

A Different Kind of Road Trip

Do you ever have days where you feel like dropping everything, getting in your car and just hitting the road? You don't have a destination in mind, you just know you're going to keep driving til you run out of gas or your parents send a search party after you.

I have this thought quite often. Too often. It's not like I'm running away from anything, I just feel like getting away by myself with no distractions or responsibilities on my mind. Something about it is so therapeutic and soothing. Just me, my car, my tunes, no plans and a stretch of highway in front of me, going wherever the road takes me.

I still have yet to go through with this spontaneous road trip, but it'll happen. And I'll make sure to have about 4 dozen of these cookies on hand, cause a girl cannot live on gas station food alone. ;)

So out of all the cookies I've made lately, these have probably been the biggest hit with the friends. Chocolate cookies with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, who wouldn't love them? The original recipe calls for White Chocolate Reese's Cups, but my grocery store apparently doesn't carry them, so I went with the original. Still delicious.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
adapted from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
makes about 3 dozen

1 1/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
20 oz. bag of Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until completely mixed in. Add vanilla and mix until blended.

In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter/sugar mixture and mix on low speed until well blended. Fold in chopped peanut butter cups.

Drop by tablespoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes. Cookies should be done when edges are set. They will continue to bake a bit as they cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then to transfer to cooling rack.