Brownie Cookies

1/4 cup butter

1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1.  Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate and 3/4 cup chocolate chips in a saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate melt.  Let cool.

2.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.

3.  Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer.  Gradually add dry ingredients to egg mixture, beating well.  Add the chocolate mixture and beat well.  Stir in remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips.

4.  Scoop dough onto baking sheets 2 inches apart.  *They will spread!!*

Bake at 350* for 10 min.  Cool slightly on baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.



These cookies were super delicious!  My only recommendation would be to use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, like I used.

This was my new KitchenAid mixer's maiden voyage.  It was so fun!  :)

Banana Split Pie

Banana Split Pie

2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup EggBeaters (these are homogenized eggs, or you could just use 2 eggs)
1 tsp. vanilla
5 bananas
8 oz. Cool Whip
Toppings of your choice

1.  Combine graham cracker crumbs wiht melted butter and toss until fully coated.  Press into a 9x13 pan (or two smaller pans).
2.  Beat the room temperature butter and sugar with electric mixer until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat at least 6 minutes, until thick and smooth.
3.  Gently spread the buttercream mixture over the graham cracker crust.
4.  Slice bananas long-ways and press into butter cream.
5.  Top with Cool Whip, then add toppings.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours, until ready to serve.

You can use any toppings you would like!  I used chopped peanuts, marshmallows, chocolate sundae sauce and caramel sundae sauce.  It would be yummy to add chopped candy bars, too!

Creamy Coconut Cupcakes

If you haven't noticed by the design on this page, I am slightly obsessed with cupcakes.  This is by far the best cupcake recipe I've ever tried!!!  I made these for my cousin's baby shower and they were a big hit.

Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 & 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded coconut

Frosting
1 stick of soft butter
16 oz. cream cheese
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 oz. coconut cream instant Jell-O pudding

Cupcakes:  Cream butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.  Add vanilla.  Mix.
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add half of that mixture to your first mixture. Stir.  Add milk and cream.  Add remaining dry mixture.  Fold shredded coconut in.  Bake 20-25 minutes at 350*.  Cool.

Frosting:  Cream the butter and cream cheese.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  Mix.  Add pudding mix.  Frost cupcakes and top with toasted coconut.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup finely chopped salted pretzels
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

Combine peanut butter and pretzels.  Chill in freezer for 15 minutes.
Roll into small balls.  Freeze until very firm {about an hour}.
Roll in melted chocolate.  Sprinkle with pretzel pieces.
Refrigerate 45 minutes to keep chocolate from melting.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello, my name is Kayla, and I am a cookie-aholic.

I wear the title very proudly. I can easily say this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever tried! I make it a couple times a month.

{That stays between us.}

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups shortening
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. salt
5 cups flour
24 oz. chocolate chips

Cream sugars and shortening. Add eggs, vanilla and almond. Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake on greased cookie sheet 8-10 minutes at 350*. Do not overbake. This recipe makes about 5-6 dozen, so I usually half it.

Another great recipe from Heather!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

I had my friends over last night to watch The Bachelorette and I served these cookies. The girls loved them! These cookies are a fun twist and I'm sure you've never had them before! Before I added the mint, I tried the cookie and it tasted like the chocolate cookies they used to serve at school lunch in middle school and high school! Mmmm. I actually think next time I might make these without the mint. Either way, you can't go wrong with these cookies. Thanks for the creative and delicious recipe, Heather!

3/4 cup butter
1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 T. water
12 oz. chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 & 3/4 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1 & 1/4 t. baking soda
1 lb. Andes mints

Melt the butter, brown sugar and water in a bowl. Add chocolate chips and stir until completely melted. Let stand about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the mints. {Save those until the very end.} Place the dough in the fridge and chill for at least an hour. This helps make the dough less sticky so you can roll it with your hands. Roll the dough into balls and place 3" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Warning: They spread out! Bake 350* for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately put a mint on each cookie. Let it the mint melt for a couple minutes, then swirl with a knife. Makes 3 & 1/2 dozen.

I got this recipe from my friend Heather, who I met at Bunco!

S'mores Brownies

Beware: These brownies will be your new addiction. They are mine :) I can't stop thinking about how amazingly delicious these are. Perhaps my diet will have to end early...

1 box brownie mix
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 sticks butter
16 jumbo marshmallows

Melt the butter in a 9x9 in the oven under really high heat {450* or so}. Add crumbs and press together to form a crust. Make brownie mix, then pour over crust. Bake according to the directions on the brownie box. They may need an additional 15-25 minutes because of the crust. Just keep checking them with a toothpick about 2"-3" from the edge until the toothpick comes out clean. Once they're done, add marshmallows. Set under broiler for 1-2 min. Let cool 2-3 hours before cutting and serving.

Thanks, How Sweet!

Amazing Fruit Pizza

This dish didn't last long in our kitchen. Between me and two grown men, we had two thirds of it devoured in 15 minutes. Take caution. Too much fruit will make your tummy ache. I know from experience.



1 Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tub cool whip
1 cup sliced strawberries*
1 cup sliced kiwi*
1 cup sliced bananas*
2 TBSP. vanilla

Let dough come to room temp., then press into lightly greased jelly roll pan {rimmed cookie sheet}. Make sure it is thin because it will rise as it bakes. Bake 10 min. then rotate pan and bake for 5 more min. Be careful not to overbake it.

Once cookie has cooled, beat cream cheese, vanilla and cool whip. Spread evenly on cookie. Top with fruit, except bananas. {We save those for last so they don't go brown.} Refrigerate while making glaze.

Glaze:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 TBSP. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until it thickens. Let cool for about 10 minutes or so. Add bananas to the pizza, then drizzle glaze over the top. Refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

This recipe was altered, but originally came from How Sweet.

Tie-Dye Cupcakes

Some people call these cupcakes Tie-Dye cupcakes, Rainbow Cupcakes or even Dr. Seuss Cupcakes. They are so fun to make & such a big hit at parties! I made these last month for my little buddy's 3rd birthday. Everyone loved them. There isn't a real recipe, but I will tell you how I made them.

Tie-Dye Cupcakes:

1 White Cake Mix {must be white, not yellow}
Your favorite frosting
Food Coloring
Cupcake Liners
Sprinkles {optional}

Make the cake batter as directed on the box. Next, divide the batter evenly into as many bowls as you would like. I did six.

Next, use your food coloring to dye each bowl of batter a different color. ***I recommend not doing purple. Once it bakes it looks more like a brownish color. Not very flattering. :)

Scoop a spoonful of one color of batter and put it in the cupcake liner, to one side {if that makes sense?}. Scoop up another color of batter and place it next to the last color in the same cupcake liner. Don't stir the batters together, otherwise you won't achieve the tie-dye effect. Your cupcakes should look a little something like this:Bake cupcakes as directed on cake box. Once they have cooled, frost them with your favorite frosting, then top with sprinkles if you choose. Voila! Take these to a party and you'll be the talk of the town!