Oatmeal Moon Pies + Solar Eclipse Party

The last time there was a solar eclipse, my little brother Bryce and I thought we  were going to be blind. Someone (who?) had struck so much fear in us, that we were certain that if we looked upon the sun just once with our naked eyes we'd be blind by the next day. Our curious eyes could not help but dart a few quick glances up towards the sun that day. So by the end of it we thought we were goners. Dead serious.

18 years later and our vision is still intact and guess what?! we got another opp to burn our retinas....or is it corneas?

We had a little eclipse party yesterday with our little family of four and big brother Jason. It was a good ol' silly time. Jason had the totally brill idea to bring moon pies, but the night before I told him to skip a grocery run and I'd make homemade instead. And I'm so glad I did! These moon pies I'm about to share with you are legit. Like the kind of legit that makes you want to do a little dance and make yummy sounds all the while. But before I share the recipe, here are some pics of us Eclipsin':

Playing some Solar smash-ball. It's just like regular smash-ball if you are dying to play Solar smash-ball. (No children were harmed during this smashing session)

Special eyewear wearing.

Moon pie consuming.

And Eclipse viewing. That just about sums it up! Now, it's recipe time.

Oatmeal-Pecan Cookie Moon Pies (makes about 36ish cookies and 18ish sandwich cookies):

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup finely chopped pecans

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 7 ounce jars marshmallow creme

Chocolate drizzling sauce:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk

Melt chocolate and milk over a double broiler or in your microwave. Stirring often to prevent burning and to promote the chocolate chips to melt. You can add a little honey in to thin out the chocolate as well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small-medium bowl.

Combine oats and pecans in another separate bowl. 

Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat to blend. Scrap down bowl. While machine runs at low speed gradually add flour mixture. Beat until just blended. Stir in oat mixture with a wooden spoon until combined. 

Using a tablespoonful cookie scoop, roll dough into balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flatten balls into 1/2 in thick discs. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Do not over bake. Let cookies cool on baking sheets before removing to brown paper.

Drop 1 tablespoon of marshmallow creme onto cookie (use two spoons). Twist and push another cookie on top. Using a spoon, drizzle choclate over the top of moon pies with quick back and forth motions of the wrist. 

*Some of them I drizzled and some I left plain. I went back and forth all night as to which I liked more. They are equally delicious in my opinion- chewy and gooey. The chocolate drizzled ones were less messy which is good for kids.

So, did you see the Eclipse? How was your weekend in general? Thanks for letting me share our silly party!

images by Briana, bottom pic from my instagram, cookie recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Spice & Vanilla Cream Sandwich Cookies

Well Mother's Day is over and it's back to the grind stone!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, celebrating with loved ones!  I've been on a serious baking rampage as of late!  I can't seem to get enough of being in my kitchen, whipping up something fun for my little fam!  One evening, last week, after dinner was no exception!  So once the dinner mess was cleaned up, I went to work making a baking mess!  I assessed my pantry and baking cupboard and came up with these!

Spicy, warm, vanilla, comfort!


For the spice cookies:
1 box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe spice cake (18.75 oz)
10 oz salted butter, melted
2 large eggs
Mix ingredients together until a thick dough forms.  Roll into 1-1 1/2 in balls and place on cookie sheets.  Into a 350 degree oven for 11 minutes.  Makes roughly 25 (3 inch) cookies.


For the buttery, creamy, vanilla filling:
1 stick salted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk for consistency
Cream butter and powdered sugar a cup at a time until well combined, creamy and smooth.  Add the vanilla and mix well.  If the consistency needs to be a bit more spreadable, add the tablespoon milk and mix well.  Put heaping tablespoonfuls of the buttery, sweet filling in between two spice cookies.  Makes 12 sandwich cookies.


Recipe & images by Kara


  

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Hey guys!  Here is a recipe that I adapted about 10 years ago from a Mrs. Fields oatmeal cookie recipe.  This cookie actually became a staple when I worked as a corporate chef.  I always made them with big creamy milk chocolate chips and they were about 3 times the size of the ones pictured here.  They were a novelty where I worked for sure!  They are slightly crisp on the outside and oh so chewy on the inside!  

Well, there was a BYU game on and I decided to whip up these cookies after a several year hiatus.  Instead of milk chocolate chips, I loaded them with butterscotch morsels, shredded coconut and dried cranberries.  They were a hit with my little fam and the neighbors as well!  But if you are a purist, by all means, make them with chocolate chips!;)  

Here's your line up:
Cream together:
1 cup butter crisco
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Add and mix in:
2 extra large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add and mix in:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add and mix in:
2 cups whole rolled oats(I just use Quaker Old fashioned)
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 of a 12 oz bag butterscotch morsels
Add and mix in:
2 cups flour


Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet.  Slightly flatten balls like image below.  Then into a preheated 350 degree oven for 11-12 minutes.  They should only be slightly golden around the edges.

Images by Kara(sorry about the harsh lighting. They were made after dark:)     

Easter Sugar Cookies

Okay, here's my confession.  "I haven't worked with royal icing since culinary school.  And I am not very good at working with it either!"  Glad I got that off my chest!  It's not that royal icing is particularly hard to work with, I'm just better at plain old buttercream.  Plus, I will take a sugar cookie topped with almond, vanilla or lemon scented buttercream over royal icing any day!  So, you are probably wondering why I chose royal icing for these cookies in the first place.  Well, it's because I think royal icing can be really cute when done right and I wanted to practice and the kids and I were planning on bagging the cookies up(a mess with buttercream) to give their little friends an Easter treat.  Plus, I thought it would be genius to put a layer of lemon scented buttercream in between two cookies because let's be honest, although royal icing can look purty(the above cookies being an exception;) it will NEVER EVER taste as good as buttercream!

Here are the links to the sugar cookie and royal icing recipes I used.  And might I add that the tutorial for royal icing is brilliant!
Sugar Cookie recipe from Joy of Baking
Royal Icing recipe and tutorial from Browneyedbaker
Lemon Scented Buttercream by Kara
3/4 cup salted butter, room temp
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of half a lemon
1-2 tablespoons milk for spreading consistency
Cream butter.  Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla and lemon zest.  Add milk(if needed) to get to smooth spreading consistency.

images by Kara


   

Devil's Food Whoopie Pies w/ Creamy Mint Filling

In honor of St. Patricks Day, I decided to make mint chocolate chip ice cream whoopie pies.  The only problem?  The mint chocolate chip ice cream was completely gone before I had a chance to take pictures in good lighting!  So I will be posting that recipe real soon!  I had a few of the cakes/cookies leftover the next day, so keeping with the green theme, I made a light and creamy mint filling to layer between the cakes.  They were a hit!  And so incredibly fast and easy because the cakes are made from a box cake mix!

For the cakes:
1 devil's food cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup canola oil
Mix together and drop by teaspoonfuls on greased or parchment lined cookie sheets.  400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.  They will spread and rise a lot while baking.  I was able to get roughly 30 individual cakes which equals 15 whoopie pies at 5-6 inches in diameter.  Allow to cool on racks completely.  Then store in airtight containers until ready to use.


For the creamy mint filling:
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup crisco shortening
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3-4 drops green food coloring
4-5 tablespoons milk for creamy spreading consistency
First whip the butter and shortening together until light and creamy.  Then add powdered sugar a cup at a time to make sure it mixes in well.  Beat on high after each cup added, because the key with this recipe, is to incorporate as much air as possible to give it that dreamy and light quality.  Add your extracts and food coloring and beat some more to mix well.  Now add your milk a little at a time until the filling is at the perfect spreading consistency but not runny.  Be patient.  To get the proper fluffiness it could take about 10 minutes!:)

Assemble the whoopie pies by putting a generous amount of filling between two cakes.  Cover tightly at room temp until ready to eat!


Cakes recipe by jennysteffens.blogspot.com
Filling recipe by Kara
images by Kara  

Double Chocolate Gems

Last week my lil guy{& gal} wanted a treat!  It's actually rare that they will speak up and say they want something sweet!  So I set out to make something quick, easy and chocolatey!  I grabbed a few ingredients from my pantry and went to work!  Initially I was going to pat the finished dough into a baking dish for brownies.  Well, right before I was about to do so, I heard my Ace man yell, "NOOOOOO!  I wanted you to make cookies!"  So truthfully, we have him to thank for these irresistible little gems{cookies} of joy!:)  They come out of the oven with a yummy, slightly gooey chocolate center so by all means, eat them that way if you'd prefer!  But upon cooling, the center turns dense and almost fudge-like, and just as yummy in my opinion!  They were a big time hit with my little ones too!  Ace, after finishing one gem, came back to the counter and asked for another!  This happened 4 times and yes, he would come asking for another one with his mouth still full from the last!:) 

Here's what you need:

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together:

2 eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

Add and mix in:

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup cocoa powder

Add and slightly combine:

1 1/2 cups flour

Pour and mix in:

1 stick salted butter, melted

Add and mix in:

1/2 a bag of white chocolate chips

On parchment covered cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls.  Then into a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes!  Makes 24-25  2 inch round cookies!

Recipe by Kara

Image By Kara

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Hey everybody!  With Valentine's Day coming up, you are probably thinking about yummy treats to bake.  Whether it's for friends and neighbors or just for your family, these little cookies hit the spot!  They are delicate, buttery and slightly chewy!  The combo of raspberry and almond is perfect!  And you will have a hard time eating just one!  These are a super easy alternative to our traditional frosted sugar cookies!  So if you are pressed for time, make these!

For the cookie:
1 cup salted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam


For the glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon water(I used milk and found I needed to add a little more)


1. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy.  Add flour and mix well.
2. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.  Place on cookie sheet.  Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.  Fill a sandwich baggy with the jam.  Snip a corner of the bag and fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon of the jam.  Make sure you don't overfill them.  Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes.  
3. For glaze, in a small bowl, combine sugar, extract and water or milk.  Drizzle over cooled cookies.


Recipe from Debbie Hatch
images by Kara

Peppermint Meringues

These are my new favorite holiday treat! My friend Alison introduced me to them, who is always making fabulous things in her kitchen. She was kind enough to share the recipe with me that she found in Sunset magazine. These drop cookies have a crunch on the outside and are chewy on the inside. Delightful! I made them for a holiday party this past week and everyone loved them. Give them a whirl and I hope you enjoy the last weekend before Christmas!!!


Recipe (makes 32):
2 large egg whites, at room temperature (very important)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely crushed peppermint candy canes or peppermint candy


Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment (if you don't have one, use your hand mixer), just until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and salt. With motor running and mixer on high speed, pour in 1 tbsp. sugar and beat 10-15 seconds, then repeat until all sugar has been added. Scrape inside of bowl and beat another 15 seconds. Meringue should form straight peaks when beaters are lifted. Fold in chocolate chips and 1/3 cup peppermint candy canes with rubber spatula.


Line baking sheet with parchment. Using two spoons (one to help you scrape) drop by rounded tablespoonful portions onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Keeping them slightly spaced apart. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp crushed candy cane.


Bake until meringues feel dry and set when touched but are still pale, 30-35 minutes, switching pan positions halfway through. Turn off oven, open door and let cookies stand in the oven about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on pans. Best enjoyed that day.

images by Briana

Chocolate Pretzel Buttons

These are a quick holiday treat that is sure to please!  Crunchy, salty, chocolatey and sweet!  This is a favorite at our house right now!  You will not be disappointed!  

 

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.


What you'll need:
Rold Gold Checkers butter flavor pretzels
Hersheys Chocolate Kisses
Hersheys Hugs(my fav)
Plain M&Ms(red and green)


Place the pretzels on a parchment or tinfoil lined cookie sheet.  Put an unwrapped kiss or hug on each pretzel.  Put in the 225 degree oven for 4-5 minutes so the chocolate gets soft but doesn't lose it's shape.  Once out of the oven press an M&M down in the center of each kiss!  Let the chocolate cool and set up for 30 minutes to an hour before eating!  Or if you just can't wait, eat them warm and gooey!


images by Kara    

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Chocochip cookies & milk for breakfast??  Yes, when it's this cookie!  A few weeks ago I was hanging with my kiddos over at my Mom and Dad's.  I noticed a pile of chocochip cookies sitting invitingly on the kitchen counter.  So obviously, I had to try one...and then two...and then three!  They are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted!  I swear!!!!!  My Mom got the recipe from a neighbor, kind enough to share it!  Enjoy!

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Cream together:
4 cubes butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add & mix in:
2- 3 oz pkgs instant vanilla pudding
Add & mix in:
4 eggs
Add & mix in:
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch of salt
3-4 cup semi-sweet or milk chocochips


Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Eat hot, warm or cool!  They are so soft and yummy you won't be able to eat just 1!


Note:  I halved this recipe because it makes a ton and I still ended up with about 30 2 1/2 inch cookies.


Recipe from Jeanane Hutchings & LaNea Adams


images by Kara





  

Butter Finger Blondies

Wondering what to do with all of your leftover Halloween candy??  Howabout these beauties?  

These Butter Finger Blondies are sweet, buttery and chewy!  And the great thing about this recipe is it's versatility!  You can easily substitute snickers, twix, milkyway, etc, etc, etc in place of the butter finger!  I found the original recipe here.  And instead of using their buttercream, I drizzled my blondies with a little brown sugar butter frosting found here!  They are so good, my little family went back for seconds!  Enjoy!

Original recipe at sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com


images by Kara

Buttercup Cookies

These have got to be one of my all time favorite cookies!  There is just something about peanut butter and butter together in a recipe that sends my taste buds soaring!  Not to mention the fact there is the added Reese's Peanut Butter Cup sinking in the center of each cookie...LUV!  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Ingredients:
Sift together and set aside:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda


Cream together until fluffy:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed


Beat in:
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk


Add the sifted flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix well.
Roll dough into 24 balls and press into the bottom of two regular sized, paper lined muffin tins.  Put in the oven for 8 to ten minutes.  Unwrap 24 regular sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  Once the cookies are out of the oven press a peanut butter cup down in the center of each!  Eat warm or cooled off!  On the off chance you end up with leftovers, store in an airtight container!


Side note:  You can also make this recipe go further by using mini muffin tins and peanut butter cup miniatures.  You will end up with 40 small cookies doing it this way.


Recipe found at allrecipes.com


images by Kara

Rolo Marvels

I made these because I had seen them around the blogs. Specifically right here (click on it for how-to instructions). I didn't use yogurt dipped pretzels, though because I was fearful of them being too sweet, so I used plain pretzels. They are yummy and quick and the perfect little thank you gift if you drop them in a cello bag (which I did). If you like turtle truffles, you'll love these and if you like the whole salty/sweet thang-a-thang then you will definitely love these. Okie dokie. Love our chats!

all images by Briana

Mini Reese's Cookies

I made these cookies using the new Reese's Mini peanut butter cups they just came out with. I loved how they turned out. Since school is getting back in session most everywhere I thought it would be fun to post a cookie that you all could make to throw in your kids sack lunches or have them for an after school snack. Enjoy!

Recipe (yields 12-16 cookies):

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 1/2 tablespoons white sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 bag Reese's Mini P.B. Cups (found in the candy section)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugars until a smooth mixture. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg and vanilla. Add vanilla-egg mixture to butter mixture and mix until combined. Sift together flour and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until combined and dough comes together. Using a spatula, gently fold in the Reese's Mini Cups. Drop dough on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on rack or brown paper. 

images by Briana

Butterscotch Shortbread

Happy Friday everybody!  I hope you all have fun plans for this weekend, with Father's Day coming up and all!  Here is a super quick and easy shortbread recipe that I found in a cookbook called Five Ingredients Or Less.  This cookbook is pretty much perfect for me, since I'm short on time right now as it is!;)  I haven't spent any real baking or cooking time in my kitchen since Baby Q was born 3 weeks ago.  So I decided to get with it and try this shortbread recipe!  I modified it to my liking, and loved the results.  Traditional shortbread had a "snap" to it when you break it apart.  It's usually dense and on the hard side.  Well, this recipe has the same qualities but with a slight chewiness through the center.  Even better if you ask me!  The slightly sweet and buttery flavor is enhanced with the addition of butterscotch chips!  Another great thing?  I had it put together and ready for the oven in just 5 minutes!

  






































Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients:
Beat until fluffy:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (do not use margarine)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Add and mix in:
1 egg
Add and mix in:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips


Grease a 9 by 13 in baking pan and spread the prepared dough evenly into the bottom.  Bake for 30 minutes or until slightly golden on top.  Let cool a bit and then cut into bars!


image by Kara

Oreo Truffles

Summer is upon us and it's heating up. Often times, the last thing we want to do on a sweltering day is turn on the oven to make a batch of cookies. These Oreo Truffles require no baking- you actually refrigerate them. So they're like the anti-cookie. See where I'm going with this?

And they are so gosh darn good! These were just one of the many yummy things my sister Britt made for my brother Mack's birthday. And! Wouldn't these be perfect for a bridal shower? It's that time of year where those shin-digs are happening in droves.

Recipe:

1 package Oreos (you can also use Golden Oreos, which are equally as delicious.)

6 oz cream cheese, room temp

Almond Bark, milk chocolate and white chocolate, melted

In a food processor, process Oreo cookies into a fine crumb.

Using a stand mixer, mix together Oreo crumbs and cream cheese.

Form dough into 1/2 tablespoon - 1 tablespoon sized balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Freeze for at least a half hour.

If you are making Golden Oreo truffles as well, do the same: process, mix, and freeze.

Take hardened balls from freezer and dip in melted Almond Bark. You can either melt the Almond Bark in a microwave or over the stove. Make sure not to burn it though, so gently heat the chocolate over medium-low heat. Decorate the truffles with drizzles of contrasting chocolate. Or do whatever your mind thinks up.

Place dipped truffles on parchment covered cookie sheet. Refrigerate to harden the chocolate before serving.

Remove from fridge 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

P.S. I was going to call them Little Marvels, but decided on Oreo Truffles. I'm still secretly wishing I would have stuck with Little Marvels though.

images by Briana

Fellow Blogger Recipe: Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Sorry this post is late. My little girls and I have been outside enjoying the most beautiful day of the year here in Midway, UT! This is the kind of weather I live for. I hope you're all having an equally lovely Friday and that your weekend is going to be a good one. Any fun plans? I'm gonna head to the nursery and busybody around a bit-- maybe get my hanging flower baskets for the front porch. Here's a recipe to take you into the weekend:

Nicole from the blog Me Oh My posted these cookies not too long ago. My jaw dropped when I saw them and I knew I had to make them asap.

These cookies are love at first bite. I ate three and I wanted a fourth, so I quickly plated them up and delivered them to neighbors because I've got saddle bags that I'm trying to attend to.

Make a place for them in your future, k? And eat them with a glass of cold milk. And then send the rest to neighbors who will be texting you for the recipe shortly after you drop them off.

Click right ((HERE)) for the recipe.

image by Briana

Browned Butter Island Cookies

Okay folks for starters, I don't think I EVER want to make another cookie without melting and browning the butter first!!!!  Talk about incredible depth of flavor!  I took another awesome recipe from Picky Palate and modified it by adding butterscotch morsels and coconut!  I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first.  I mean how in the world is a cookie that will already be temperamental because you are using butter even have a chance of holding up when you melt that butter down to liquid right???!  Well I decided to try it anyway and the results equaled perfection!  The combination of the butterscotchy and nutty aroma from the browned butter, butterscotch morsels and sweetened coconut was nothing less than an awesome combination!  Total satisfaction in the mouth!

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
In a saucepan over medium heat add:
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
Allow butter to melt, it will start to pop and crackle.  Watch it closely and with in about 5 minutes you should start to see little brown bits forming accompanied by a warm nutty aroma.  Immediately remove from heat, transfer to a small bowl to cool down for about 5-10 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer add and mix well:
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cooled browned butter
Add and mix well:
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Add and mix just until incorporated:
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Add and mix well:
3/4 of an 11 oz package of butterscotch morsels
1 cup firmly packed sweetened, shredded coconut
A small 1-1 1/2 in ice cream scoop works best to keep cookies uniform and all the same size.  If you don't have one of these don't fret just use a cereal spoon and drop 1-1 1/2 in balls onto your cookie sheet.  Then into the 375 oven for 9-11 minutes.  This recipe makes around 3 dozen cookies!


image by Kara