Candy Bar Cookie Bars and a Creative Idea from My Kitchen Helper

I can hardly believe it is nearing the end of May already!  I barely remember April.  Where does the time go?  I am loving the warmer weather but I don't want to take these days for granted.

Today, after a trip to the store, Ben said he was hungry so I fixed him a plate with some fresh strawberries and blueberries.  Thankfully, he has always been a good fruit and (for the most part) veggie eater.  I had my back turned when I heard him say "Mom, look at my fruit cup!"

I looked a little closer.  Funny little guy - he bit the end off of a strawberry and stuck a blueberry inside.  He is always cracking me up with his ideas :)

Candy Bar Cookie Bars

Sometimes it's nice to bake or create something totally or even partially from scratch.  I always feel like I have really accomplished something big with those kinds of recipes. 

Then there are days when you are running later than you had hoped but you still need to whip up a treat for the meeting you are helping host in just a few hours - and you haven't stocked your pantry with baking ingredients recently.

That was my story this morning.  I came across this recipe in my Cake Mix Doctor cookbook.  5 ingredients.  Bake time of 45 minutes.  It was just what I was looking for.  It turned out great and everyone enjoyed it.  Yay!

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 stick butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2-1 c. candy bar pieces

(I used toffee and mini chocolate chips - I think Reeses would be an awesome addition)

Mix together first four ingredients with mixer for 2 minutes, scraping batter down sides as needed.  Fold in candy pieces and mix well.  Place batter in ungreased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes (Mine were done in 35)

*The batter was very sticky so I used the hint Ingrid of 3 B's has mentioned before - I dampened my hands first and patted the batter down very smoothly.  Worked like a charm - thanks Ingrid!

A little treat for St. Paddy's Day

Happy St. Paddy's Day!  I'm not Irish, but just to be festive I wanted to whip up a little green treat for today.  I had a bag of mint M&M's left from Christmas and I gave my little kitchen helper the choice of cookies or brownies.  He wanted cookies.  So I hopped over to Picky Palate and made Jenny's recipe for Intimint Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Dark chocolate, white chocolate and mint...yummy. 

Sweet Links to Some Sweet Treats

I am working on a new recipe to post - in the mean time I will post a few of the sweets I have been trying out recently.  I made these cookies to give as gifts for Valentine's Day.  I used a simple recipe for Oatmeal Scotchies and used chocolate chips and Valentine M&Ms.  They were a little more runny than usual, but they tasted good.  "Good Dunkers" 

My son decorated a recycled vitamin container and we filled it with cookies to give to a good family friend - his best buddy :)

I have also made the Maple Pumpkin Granola from Emily at Sugar Plum.

It tasted great and was really yummy mixed with some vanilla yogurt!

And ever since I made the Cream Filled Berry Muffins I have fallen in love with my mini-muffin pan.  I love coffee flavored treats so I had to try out the Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins I found at Lick The Bowl Good.

I only used my mini-muffin pan and it made 96!  I still have some in the freezor.  I absolutely LOVE them.  I will definitely be making them again.   And I don't have any pictures of them, but I did try the Baked Corn Dog Muffins I also found at Lick The Bowl Good.  They were a hit with my family.  I also made those mini.  Who knew one muffin pan would make me so happy?!  My sisters just laugh at me!

Cardamom Stars

It is so hard to believe today is Christmas Eve.  My son is so excited...I am too!  We have our first of many family celebrations today.  Yay!  I hope you all have a very happy, healthy and blessed holiday season! 

Merry Christmas!

These cookies have been a tradition in our family for as long as I can remember. 

I remember the first time I made them all by myself I felt like I had really accomplished something big.  The way some people feel when the cook a turkey for the first time (which I still have yet to do!)

Cardamom Stars

2+3/4 c. sifted flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. sour cream

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom onto waxed paper.  In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time alternately with sour cream.  Cover and chill several hours or overnight.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Using cookie cutter, cut into stars.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375 F for 7 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool completely. 

Cover cookies with pink glaze (see below) and decorate with ornamental frosting (also below)

 Pink Glaze

Mix together 1 lb. powdered sugar and 6 T. water.  Stir until smooth.  Tint with red food coloring to make light pink.  If glaze stiffens add water a little at a time to make smooth again.

Dip the cookies into the glaze and let dry on cooling racks.  You could also use a spoon to glaze the cookies.  If the glaze is as smooth and runny as it should be it will drip from the cookies - you may want line the table or counter with wax paper under the cooling racks.

Can you see the way the drips fall into perfect pink little circles on the wax paper?  Its hard to keep little fingers away from them! 

Ornamental Frosting

Beat one egg white with 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar and 1/8 tsp. vanilla until foamy.  Slowly beat in 1+3/4 c. powdered sugar until frosting stands in firm peaks and is stiff enough to hold a sharp line.

And the baking goes on....

"Jetchy, I want cookie"

(My niece, Naomi, came to visit while we decorated our Cardamom Stars.  She helped herself to a taste!)

Over the weekend I put together plates of the cookies I made last week and, along with my husband and son, delivered them to neighbors.  I hadn't done that for a while.  Too long.  It felt so good to knock on their doors and surprise them with a tray full of goodies.  I think it would be fun to do that throughout the year - not just at Christmas!
On the plates of cookies were Turtles, Caramel Chai cookies, Cardamom Stars, Eggnog Thumbprints from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch (which by the way - I have a new favorite frosting. Who knew rum mixed with butter and powdered sugar would be so good?), carmel cashew popcorn and Intimints from Picky Palate.
So as of yesterday I thought I was done with my holiday baking.  I spent the afternoon with my mom and one of my sisters baking candy-cane shaped coffee cakes - another Christmas tradition in our family.  While I was at my parents house my mom brought out an envelope of holiday recipes she has collected through the years.  I found a few recipes I think I'm gonna try between this week and next!
Thanks to everyone who has stopped by to see my blog!  It is fun to read the comments you have left!

Caramel Chai Cookies

So yesterday was my first official day of my Christmas baking.  I had an idea in my head for a Chai sugar cookie with a caramel kiss on top.  I got a little impatient and put the kisses on while they were too warm.  I used a butter knife to "frost" the cookies with the melted chocolate and caramel.  I drizzled melted frosting over the top for an added touch.

And with the help of the cutest four year old boy I know, I made a batch of  turtles. 

There are also cardamom stars in the works - a family tradition.  I will post those pictures after we frost them this weekend!

Caramel Chai Cookies

1 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 packet of  powdered Chai tea drink mix

1 bag of Hersheys caramel kisses

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Mix softened cookie dough with dry tea mix until completely mixed together.  Roll into ball and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes. 

Place kiss on top and let it start to melt.  Using a butter knife, gently smooth it around the top of cookie. 

Drizzle with frosting or melted chocolate if desired.

Christmas Cookie Bake Sale

My son's preschool class is having their annual Christmas Cookie bake sale tomorrow. I think this will be one of the only times I actually get to send something homemade with him to school. I made of few of my favorites - chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter/ritz sandwiches dipped in white chocolate (yummy!)

I also decided to try a new recipe. Now normally I am a chocolately or chewy cookie kinda girl - but I found a recipe for Jam-Filled Cookies and something about there being cream cheese in the dough made me want to try them.
I'm so glad I did! They turned out great. I like that they were a softer shortbread cookie and the warm strawberry jam was delicious. And they look so festive too!

Easy Jam Filled Cookies (Kraft)

1 - 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2-1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/3 c. walnuts (I used pecans) finely chopped

3/4 c. preserves (I used strawberry)

1 tsp. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Separate 1 of the eggs; set egg white aside for later use. Add yolk, second (whole) egg and vanilla to cream cheese mixture; mix well. Gradually add combined flour and baking powder, beating until well blended.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 12x1 inch log; place 2 inches apart, on large ungreased baking sheet. Use fingers to make depression down length of each log. Beat reserved egg white with fork; brush over dough. Sprinkle with walnuts. Fill depressions with preserves, using about 3 T. preserves in each log.

Bake 25-27 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut each log into 12 equal pieces.

My First Attempt

This is my first time ever blogging. I got so excited a few weeks ago when I stumbled into the world of food blogs. I've seen all kinds of blogs, but never any for people who love food and baking as much as I do. So I've decided to give this a whirl! If anyone has any tips or advice please let me know!

I just took the last batch of Vanilla Spice cookies out of the oven - made special for my good friends - and my house smells delicious!

Vanilla Spice Cookies

1 package Spice Cake Mix

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. chopped almond bark or white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Combine cake mix, eggs, oil and vanilla in large bowl. Mix well. Dough will be thick. Add almond bark. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 min.

Let cool. Store in airtight container.