Crunchy Peanut Butter and S'mores Cookie Bites

A couple years ago I participated in a cookie exchange. I really wanted to make a cookie that no one had ever had before. After doing a lot of investigating I came across a great recipe. The only trouble was that it took hours to put the cookies together. They were such a hit but I didn't want to go through all that trouble making them again. This year I decided to try the cookie recipe as a bar. They still tasted great and it took a so much less time and effort to make. The original recipe is worth a try if you have the ambition to really impress your friends and family with something different. I will put that recipe at the bottom of this post if you are interested in trying it out. 

Sorry the pictures on this post are so bad. My camera stopped working so I took these pics with my cell phone.

Ingredients:


1 cup crunchy peanut butter
3/4 stick of butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal 
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup coconut flakes
1/2 to 1 cup marshmallow fluff


Yields around 2 dozen bites


Time: 30 minutes prep time and 5 minutes cooking time (in microwave)


Directions:

Pour chocolate chips in small microwave bowl. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds on 50% reduced power. Stir and microwave in 20 second increments until chocolate is melted completely. 

Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Pour melted chocolate on paper and spread an even layer across bottom of pan. 

I would recommend skipping this next step because it stopped the chocolate from sticking to the rest of the bar and it kept falling off. 

But here it is if you were curious... Mix the graham cracker crumbs and coconut together. Evenly spread half the mixture across the chocolate.

In a small microwave bowl melt butter and peanut butter. Mix well.

Pour powdered sugar in medium bowl. Add melted peanut butter and butter mixture to the powdered sugar and mix well. 

Fold in puffed rice cereal.

Place dollops of mixture on top of the chocolate mixture in pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove from fridge and gently spread topping into a smooth, even layer.

Spread marshmallow fluff in a smooth, even layer.

Spread the remaining graham cracker crumb/ coconut mixture on top of the fluff. If you skip the step that I recommend you will have plenty of this mixture, if you don't, you might want to make more to cover the top completely.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.  To cut easily, pour hot water in a coffee mug. Place a sharp knife in the hot water and cut one section at a time. Replace knife when it becomes sticky. 

It's best to cut small bites because this dessert is very rich. It is also recommended to not leave it out on the counter too long because the marshmallow fluff will melt and make a sticky mess (pictured below).

To make the fancy cookie version of this bar double all ingredients. This makes 4 dozen cookies and takes about 2 hours of assembly time and 3 hours of refrigerating time. 

• In a large bowl add peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar. Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Fold in rice cereal. Using a teaspoon scoop mixture into balls, then press into the shape of a quarter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
• To make bites, dip cookies into melted chocolate then toss in the graham cracker crumbs/coconut mixture until coated. Double coat each peanut butter coin. Arrange on wire racks and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Add marshmallow fluff to pastry bag. Add dollops of fluff to one cookie and sandwich with another until all cookies are assembles. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Sugar Cookie Recipe

This post is a little late since Christmas is over but I thought I would share it anyway. This was my first attempt at making sugar cookies and it was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. I was happy when they turned out well. The dough was dry and cracked, making it hard to roll out. After they baked they looked like normal. They were buttery, crunchy and only slightly sweet. They tasted great after we frosted them up. I liked them so much that I ate the majority of them before I took a picture of them. That's why only two are pictured after we frosted them. :)

Ingredients:

2 & 1/4 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Yields about 2 dozen cookies

Time: 45 minutes prep (which includes 30 minutes of chilling) and 20 minutes cook time.

Directions:

Place 3/4 cup of the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Mix with hand mixer to blend ingredients.

Add butter and mix on low until butter is broken in tiny pieces, about 2 to 3 minutes.

 Turn mixer on medium and mix until small clumps are about the size of peas, about 2 to 3 minutes. 

In a small bowl whisk together egg yolks and vanilla.

Add egg mixture to the butter mixture and blend on medium-low until dough comes together in large clumps. Using your hands knead dough until it comes completely together. Divide dough into half. 

Form dough into disks and cover tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

You can chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freeze for up to 2 months before using.

Place one disk of dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll until 1/8 inch thick. If dough cracks it is too cold and needs to warm up a bit (although my dough continued to crack even after it was room temperature). If the parchment paper wrinkles while rolling it out, make sure to smooth out the wrinkles before continuing to roll it out. 

Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into desired shapes and transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet, spacing the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart from one another. Scrapes of dough can be gently kneaded and re-rolled until all the dough is used. Be careful though because the more you work the dough the tougher the cookies will be. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place oven rack in the center. Before putting cookies in oven sprinkle them with the remaining sugar (if desired). Bake one pan at a time, rotating the sheet halfway through cooking. Cook anywhere from 8-13 minutes, or until light golden brown. 

Transfer to wire cooling rack and cool completely. Decorate as desired.

There is no extra sugar on top of these cookies.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. 

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

When I was pregnant with my son I loved eating chocolate chip cookies. My favorite were the Pillsbury ones you get in the refrigerator section at the store. I was sooo sad to find out that they contain trans fats. I tried the natural alternatives but they just didn't taste the same. Thus I began my mission. I must have tried a dozen different combinations to figure out they best chocolate chip cookie recipe to suite my tastes. The one listed below is what I came up with. I figured out that not only are the quality of ingredients and proportions important but a couple other tricks really help make the perfect cookie. You will have to read the rest of the post to find out what those tricks are. :) I have had almost everyone who has tried these cookies ask for the recipe. I have also had someone ask me to bake them for a party they were throwing and another person ask me to bake them for their daughter's bake sale. Give them a try and let me know how they turn out for you.


Ingredients:


2 & 1/4 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup salted butter (good quality), melted
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar (or baker's sugar)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (good quality, like Ghirardelli)

*This recipe makes  soft and chewy cookie (pictured above), if you want more of a crunchy Chips Ahoy type cookie (pictured at the bottom of post), half the butter, reduce the flour to 2 cups and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients!


Yields 2 dozen cookies


Time: 1 hour & 10 minute prep (an hour in chilling in the fridge) and 30 minute cook time


Directions:

Melt butter, set aside. In a medium bowl mix flour, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl mix butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy and even in consistency.

Slowly add eggs, vanilla and milk to the creamed mixture. Mix with mixer for about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and place a generous dollop of cookie dough about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake for 6 minutes, then turn baking sheet to ensure even baking. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies because they can burn easily. You want the sides to be be golden brown and the tops to not appear "wet".

Place cookies with parchment paper on a wire cooling rack. These cookies are best served fresh and slightly warm. 

Tricks I have learned....

• Only use top quality butter (never use margarine) and chocolate chips.
• Make sure the cookie dough is cold when you put it on the pan. It keeps the cookies from becoming flat.
• Always use a silicon baking mat or parchment paper to keep cookies from sticking to baking sheet. 
• Always turn cookie sheet halfway through cooking to make sure they cook evenly.
• Use a small ice cream scoop to place dough on cookie sheet so they will be the same size and shape (I didn't do this to the cookies pictured above).
• If using a baking stone- Place stone in oven while it is preheating. Place cookie dough on parchment paper on the counter and then place that directly on the hot stone. 

If using a stand mixer- Place butter and sugar in mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment mix on medium speed, about 2 minutes.While still mixing add vanilla, eggs and milk. When well incorporated mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Mix until blended then turn the speed down to stir. Add chocolate chips and mix for an additional 15 seconds.