When December comes around, you're pretty much obligated to add peppermint into at least a few desserts. It'd be strange to bring peppermint treats to a party in the summer, but in the winter, people expect them somewhere on the dessert table.

Sometimes I feel like my blog is an ode to pudding cookies and chocolate, so it's only natural that I incorporate peppermint into my winter baking in the form of delicious white chocolate peppermint pudding cookies. They're sweet and sugary, which is to be expected with white chocolate and peppermint. It's a good thing because I could eat a million chocolate chip cookies, but I find myself satisfied with just one of these (and then maybe going back for another in an hour or so). They also have the soft inside with slightly crisp edges that you get by adding a box of pudding to the mix and allowing the dough to chill.

I've talked about my love for pudding cookies countless times, so it seems pointless to write much more since the only thing different about these are the mix-ins. Regardless, you should all put these on your holiday baking list because they are a perfect winter cookie!

Peppermint White Chocolate Pudding Cookies
Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks (idea adapted from The Baker Mama!)
Yield: 15 large cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: about 3+ hours, for dough chilling

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free and not 'cook & serve'), OR use 2 teaspoons cornstarch in place of pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
 3/4 cup white chocolate chips (1/2 cup in the dough and 1/4 cup for placing on top of the dough mounds)
3/4 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch (1/2  and 1/4 cup for placing on top of dough mounds)

Directions:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, pudding mix (or cornstarch), baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup of the peppermint crunch. Beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form 15 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
5. Add about a few white chocolate chips and peppermint crunch pieces to the top of each dough mound. This will make them look even better when they come out of the oven!
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (8-10 cookies per sheet depending on the size of your cookie sheet) and bake for 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Crisp edges + soft inside = the perfect cookie.

I've been on an ice cream binge recently. It is National Ice Cream Month, after all. I have seven more days before I can no longer justify my consumption based on the need to celebrate such a worthy occasion. The other day, my mom asked if I was planning on making ice cream during our family beach trip at the beginning of August. Since my ice cream maker is just an attachment to my stand mixer, I informed her that sadly lugging all of it down to South Carolina was not an option.

That was 45 minutes before the ice cream gods presented me with a more portable Cuisinart ice cream/sorbet maker for only $21 on Gilt. How could I not? So, now I own two ice cream makers, which means this binge isn't going to die down any time soon.

I won’t run through my perceived benefits of having two ice cream makers (trust me, I've thought of plenty) because I realize for any normal person one should do it. That said, if you don’t even have one, find a deal like that and buy it. We all waste $21 on things a lot less useful than an ice cream maker....and I also feel bad for posting so many recipes that are useless to anyone who doesn’t have one.

This recipe, in particular, is one you need in your life. My favorite flavor of all time is Ben & Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk, which sadly they discontinued a few years back. I don't understand why on earth they did this because it was the best flavor ever, but no one consults with me on these decisions. Alas, I took matters into my own hands, and I now have this incredible mock version. The base is a creamy, flavorful cinnamon that’s filled with chocolate chips and chunks of the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies I posted last week. It will leave you speechless. It will also make you question why you’ve never considered cinnamon ice cream one of your favorite flavors.

The cookies don’t harden inside the ice cream. They taste more like little chunks of cookie dough. The cinnamon base on its own was already a knockout, so with the addition of these cookies (which are my new favorites) and chocolate chips it’s a whole new level of good. If you want to use a different oatmeal cookie recipe you're more than welcome to, but no raisins!!

Cinnamon Ice Cream
Base recipe adapted from Susi's Kochen

Ingredients:

Base
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
1/3 cup (70 g) packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add-ins
3 cups Best Ever Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, crumbled into medium and small sized chunks*
1/2 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions
To make the ice cream, warm the milk, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk the cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon together into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as your stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (3+ hours or overnight). Once chilled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Three minutes before mixture is finished, add in chocolate chips and 2 cups of the cookie pieces.

Spread finished ice cream into a freezer safe container, tossing in pieces from the remaining 1 cup of cookie crumbs as you go. Cover, and place in the freezer until firm.

*Think about it like you would cookie dough pieces in cookie dough ice cream. It's always disappointing when you eat it and you don't have any cookie dough in your spoonful. Leave enough quarter-sized chunks that you will get bites of cookie, but don't have them so big that a spoonful would have only cookie.

 

These cookies are excellent in every way. I only baked them to add to a batch of cinnamon ice cream I was making, but they deserve so much more than just being a complementary player. These cookies are a star on their own. Seriously.

Sometimes oatmeal cookies spread too much. Sometimes they dry out. They'd be high up on my favorite cookie list, but until now I've never had a dependable recipe to use. For the ice cream I wanted to make (a homemade version of Ben & Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk - recipe coming soon!), I needed a great oatmeal chocolate chip cookie to add. This one fit the bill.

I like to make recipes based on how people describe them. Mel over at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe posted the recipe in 2009, and at the time she wrote that she’d made them three times in two weeks. She posted an update in 2013 that said 4 years later she was still making this recipe.

I can see why after trying these for myself. We managed to finish off the first batch before they stood a chance at making it into the ice cream. I was happy to make a second batch since it meant a few more days of these cookies. I would eat them every day if that were a viable option (sadly, it's not).

Since it's a fairly large batch they will probably last longer than a few days for most people--in which case, you could keep the extra dough in the fridge for up to two days to make them in multiple batches or pop it in the freezer for fast cookies in the future. I refrigerated the dough overnight before baking them, but this isn't a necessary step with these cookies. Some people (myself included), prefer to always refrigerate the dough if time permits, but it's nice to know you can skip that step if you're in a rush.

Enjoy!

Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Café

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add baking soda, powder, and salt and mix. Add flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix until combined.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

I am fairly certain the day I first tried pudding cookies (and subsequently experienced the sheer bliss that comes from their consumption) falls under the category of a life-changing event for me. Most people save that category for major life milestones, but for me, discovering pudding cookies fits the bill.

Basically, I know I will be making variations of pudding cookies for the rest of my life. I've used the basic recipe a few times, and now these chocolate cookies took things to a whole new level. The cookie game has been changed forever.

Pros to pudding cookies:

• People unanimously rave about them.
• They are simple to throw together.
• They seem to stay good much longer than your average dessert.
• There are as many variations as there are types of pudding mix (and then countless more). 
• You will make friends if you bring them anywhere.
• Your confidence in your baking skills will immediately rise for having made such delicious cookies.
• Etc.

My boyfriend put these in the freezer (why, I do not know) and somehow they were still chewy without being thawed at all. It was kind of like how the cookies on the outside of an ice cream sandwich always stay soft. Amazing. The chocolate variation that Averie came up with is top notch. It's a chocoholic's dream--not one, but FOUR types of chocolate. If you don't like chocolate, I guess these wouldn't be up your alley, but for all the normal people out there you will love these. Averie has made a lot of other variations as well, so if your interest has been piqued, make sure to check out her blog for pudding cookies galore.

Enjoy!

Quadruple Chocolate Soft Fudgy Pudding Cookies
Recipe from Averie Cooks

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 packet instant chocolate pudding mix, about 3.7 to 3.9 ounces (not sugar-free and not 'cook & serve')
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used Trader Joe's 72% Pound Plus Bar)

Directions:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pudding mix, cocoa, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 17 equal-sized mounds of dough. Roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (Averie bakes 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center. Don't overbake which is easy to do with dark cookies. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

As much as I like recipes that don't necessarily fall under the GF umbrella, I realize they are always going to cut out what seems to be an increasingly large number of people who have celiac or a sensitivity towards gluten. My goal is to start posting more gluten free or easily GF adaptable recipes on the blog, and this fantastic flourless cookie recipe is kicking that off!

I love flourless chocolate desserts because you usually end up with a fudgy, decadent end product when you remove flour from the equation. These cookies are rich and flavorful--as one might expect a cookie with cocoa, dark cocoa almonds and mini chocolate chips all mixed in the batter to taste. I don't usually add nuts to cookies, but I made an exception since I couldn't see a reason not to add another chocolate ingredient.

As a note, you should always check the ingredients before attempting to make something gluten free. A lot of things you'd think would be safe sneak gluten in depending on the brand you use. I used Nestle Semisweet Chocolate Chips and Domino Powdered Sugar, which both pass the GF test. My apologies for not having better pictures. I was rushing with some other Easter baking, so you'll have to take my word these are amazing. Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Almond Cookies
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12-13 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Dark Cocoa Almonds (can use regular almonds or walnuts)
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat and set aside.
2. 4. In a medium bowl, combine the chopped almonds, powdered sugar, cocoa, salt, and mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat egg whites until they are white and foamy, but are not stiff peaks. Fold in the vanilla extract.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of beaten egg whites and gently stir with a spatula until combined. The batter will be thick, like brownie batter.
5. Use a 2 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to form cookie dough balls. Place the dough balls about two-inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake cookies for 12-13 minutes, until the cookies are puffed, shiny and cracked. Remove cookies from oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Use a spatula to remove cookies from the baking sheet and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Note-if you don't have cocoa almonds, you can use regular almonds or walnuts. If you need the cookies to be gluten-free, make sure you check the packaging of the chocolate chips and cocoa to make sure they are gluten-free.

Like many people, I spent a few years of my childhood as a Girl Scout. My grandmother had been a troop leader for what seemed like my mom and aunt's entire childhood, so I felt like I was raised with a myriad of arts and crafts ideas and stories of great Girl Scout memories. (For example: with a can of Sterno and an old coffee tin you can make hamburgers on a tin can...this may be the most time consuming way you could possibly make a hamburger, but it can be done.)

Despite all of that, when it came down to it, I hated being a Girl Scout. The only thing I didn't hate was selling Girl Scout cookies. I looked forward to Girl Scout Cookie season every year. It seemed like the easiest thing ever -- you got prizes and badges for selling cookies that everyone already loved. These days all of the cookies have different names, and I have to hunt down the cookie stands. Things get a little desperate. That brings me to these homemade Thin Mints.

Everyone knows the Thin Mint is the queen of all Girl Scout Cookies. I've seen multiple variations of homemade Thin Mints floating around, but for some reason or another I've never gotten around to making them. When I saw that this version only used three ingredients I immediately went to the store to grab the Oreos. This recipe really could not be more simple. The Oreo half is exactly like the cookie part of Thin Mints. I don't know why I had never realized that before. Using Oreos cuts back on the work and takes out the usual issue of having all different sizes and shapes of cookie. The Oreo halves dip perfectly in the chocolate without falling apart, so you're left with a smooth, pretty Thin Mint replica. I always store mine in the freezer, but you can store them however you'd like. Now I just need to find copycat recipes for all of the other Girl Scout cookie recipes and I'll be good to go year-round. Enjoy!

Three Ingredient Thin Mints
Recipe from Deliciously Yum

• 20 Oreos
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (or white chocolate)

Instructions

1. Separate oreos and scrape off the white cream. Line a baking sheet with wax or other nonstick paper.

2. Combine chocolate and peppermint extract in a microwave safe bowl. Heat chocolate until completely melted in 30 second intervals or heat with the help of a double boiler.

3. Place one oreo half at a time into the chocolate and flip over with the help of a fork. Once completely coated, remove cookie half from chocolate with the fork and tap it on the edge of the bowl a couple of times (to get rid of the excess chocolate). Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat. Place in the fridge and let set for 15 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

• *Sprinkle thin mints with crushed oreos or chocolate pieces after dipping.
• Cookies will keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge or up to 8 weeks in an airtight container in the freezer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

I wasn't remotely looking for a new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have a few favorites that I stick to every time. But the other night when a dessert craving hit I decided that I should look for a new recipe to make. After all, making repeat recipes makes it impossible to use my usual justification for baking: "I need to make and eat this because I have to post on the blog."  So, I stumbled on this cookie recipe and since I had everything on hand I made it.

...And then I made it again not even a full day later because they were just that good.

I had a good feeling about the pudding mix in the recipe because I've tried cookie recipes with cornstarch and liked the results. Averie points out that you can use cornstarch instead of the instant pudding mix for similar, though not identical/as good results. I would stick with the pudding mix. I know this isn't quite a typical thing to have in the pantry, but I always stock up on a few boxes when it's on sale for $1 a box at the grocery store. It's in more recipes than you'd think.

I like a soft, chewy cookie that almost seems like it's underbaked. It needs to have a slight crunch on the outside, but the inside should be gooey when it comes out of the oven. I realize there are a lot of people out there who like overdone cookies. My stepdad is one of those people and that's perfectly fine. If I had the choice of overdone cookie or no cookie at all I'd enjoy the overdone cookie in a heartbeat. But for people who would choose overdone over underdone, this is not the cookie recipe for you.

These cookies are perfect--big, buttery, soft, moist, slightly crisp on the outsides... I've eaten way too many in the past 24 hours so I'm going to stop with the adjectives before I have to get up to get another. I added M&Ms and chocolate chips like Averie, but you could use this base and throw in any number of add-ins. They also come together SO easily. You may have already sworn yourself to another cookie recipe, but cookie commitment is meant to be broken. These are fantastic.

Soft M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Averie Cooks

Yield: 15 large cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: about 3+ hours, for dough chilling

Ingredients 

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free and not 'cook & serve'), OR use 2 teaspoons cornstarch in place of pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate M&M's mixed into the dough + about 1/2 cup for placing on top of dough mounds

 Directions:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, pudding mix (or cornstarch), baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, 3/4 cup M&Ms, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form 15 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
5. Add about 1 tablespoon M&Ms to the top of each dough mound.
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

I'm sorry to put up two peanut butter recipes in a row, but the proportion of peanut butter recipes I make to other recipes is so high that this sort of thing is inevitable...and these cookies are amazing, so you need them in your life sooner rather than later.

Back when my metabolism was still going strong, I used to love Lofthouse cookies. I realize I haven't really cut back on my cookie consumption since then, but somehow making homemade cookies instead of store bought helps me justify eating a cookie or two a day (I wish I was lying). The amazing thing about Lofthouse cookies is the incredible, inexplicably soft cookie paired with the overly sweet and amazing frosting. If you can't think of what they look like, here's the website for reference. If you've never them, go to your grocery store immediately and buy the ingredients for this recipe as well as a box of the real deal. It's not excessive. It's just necessary.

Anywho - I've never had a bad batch. They literally melt in your mouth. I'm not sure if it's some sort of preservative that we've never heard of, or just plain magic makes the cookies so soft, but I wouldn't want the Lofthouse elves (or equivalent) to change a thing.

Averie, being the queen of all things delicious, came up with this copycat recipe to try to achieve that same combination of soft (not underdone) cookie and sweet, creamy frosting. As she acknowledges, they aren't exactly like Lofthouse cookies, but they are still incredible. I prefer everything cooked no more than the amount of time called for in the recipe, and usually a little less depending on the recipe. Cooking time is essential with this recipe. Some people like crispy cookies. I get that. This is not the recipe to tweak to make them crispy. Because of the ingredients they will not get crispy. Instead they will just be dry, and no one wants that. I cooked mine about nine minutes for a full cookie sheet. I also love the idea to freeze this cookie dough for quick baking at a later date. Enjoy!

Lofthouse-Style Soft Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting
Recipe from Averie Cooks 
Yield: about 13 medium cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: about 8 minutes
Total Time: 3+ hours, for dough chilling

Ingredients:

Cookies

1 large egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cake flour (no substitutions)
2 teaspoons cornstach
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4  teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
one 10-ounce bag Reese's Peanut Butter Chips (about 1 2/3 cups)

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (use Peter Pan, Jif, Skippy, etc. -- Not homemade or natural PB because they'll separate and so will the frosting)
1/4 cup unsalted butter (half of 1 stick), softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
pinch salt, optional and to taste
splash cream or milk, if needed to achieve proper consistency
chocolate sprinkles, optional for garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Cookies - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer), cream together the first 5 ingredients (through vanilla) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the next 5 ingredients (through optional salt), and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute; don't overmix.
3. Add the peanut butter chips and mix until just incorporated. Dough will be on the sticky and tacky side.
4. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two-tablespoon mounds (I made 13). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
5. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not overbake because cookies will firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet  for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooking. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
6. For the Peanut Butter Frosting - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer), combine the peanut butter and butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
7. Slowly add the sugar, optional salt, and mix until frosting comes together.
8. Add a splash of cream or milk as necessary to achieve desired consistency.
9. Add a generous dollop (about 2 tablespoons) to each cookie, and smooth it as desired with a knife or spatula.
10. Optionally garnish with sprinkles or chocolate chips. Serve immediately.

Note from Averie: Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I'm okay with leaving buttercream frosting at room temperature for a couple days; if you aren't, refrigerate the cookies, knowing they'll dry out more. Unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

I have a really bad habit of making food to post on my blog and then accidentally eating it all before taking pictures. This is especially true when I make something that I love...like this ice cream, which is my favorite ice cream of all time. The base comes from Jeni's Ice Cream, so of course you know it's good. The Oreos take it up a notch. First, a few Oreos are infused into the ice cream base to add to the flavor while it's cooling over an ice bath. Then, so that you get swirls of crunchy Oreo pieces in the scoops, you layer the freshly made Oreo ice cream with layers of crushed Oreos. It's perfect. 

Now, here's the bad part. I've made this ice cream five times, and I've never posted it. Sorry for holding out on everyone. The good news is that now you have it, and it can quickly become your favorite ice cream recipe as well! My favorite time to try ice cream is right when it comes out of the ice cream maker. I always make myself a big bowl of it at this point because it tastes like soft serve. The great thing about this recipe is that it stays relatively soft and easy to scoop. If you don't have an ice cream maker I highly recommend investing in one. Homemade ice cream is a game-changer.  Enjoy!

Also, I finally, after three and a half years, made a Facebook page for my blog. I'll be populating it with all of my new posts, as well as any fun food articles or thoughts I have. I'd love it if you all would share things with me on my wall as well! Check it out: www.facebook.com/chocolatetherapyblog

Double Oreo Ice Cream

Recipe from Scoop Adventures, made using ice cream base technique from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

2 cups whole milk

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 ½ oz. cream cheese softened

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

2/3 cup cane sugar

1/8 cup light corn syrup

12 to 14 Oreo Cookies

Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. In another large bowl, whisk together cream cheese and salt.  Set a fine mesh sieve over the bowl and set aside.

Combine the remaining milk with heavy cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a large saucepan.  Bring milk mixture to a boil.  Cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, 4 minutes. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Gradually pour the hot milk mixture through the sieve into the cream cheese. Whisk until smooth. Break up 6 Oreos and put in the bowl with the hot milk mixture.  Steep for 30 minutes to dissolve cookies and impart flavor.  Whisk to incorporate cookies.  Set the bowl in the ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cool.

Chill the mixture thoroughly (at least 4 hours or overnight). Once chilled, whisk ice cream base to break up any remaining cookie pieces.  Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Break up remaining cookies and sprinkle a layer of cookies into a plastic container (or other container for ice cream) and lightly spoon a layer of ice cream on top.  Continue to alternate layers of cookies and ice cream until the container is full, topping with a sprinkle of cookie pieces.

Place plastic or parchment over ice cream (to prevent ice crystals) and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

I feel like there are certain foods people expect you to grow out of at some point. In this category I'd place things like Iced Animal Crackers, Fruity Pebbles, Pop Tarts, Totino's Pizza Rolls, all things Little Debbie...you get the picture. What's so wrong with preferring your frozen chicken nuggets be shaped into something somewhat resembling a stegosaurus? (If you're sitting there thinking to yourself that the initial issue is that I'm 23 eating frozen chicken nuggets, that's beside the point.)  I don't buy into that logic.

I'd also say anything with an excessive amount of sprinkles somehow gets placed in that category. Thankfully I have no plans to ever outgrow sprinkles. They remind me of birthday parties. 

So, it's no surprise that when it comes to funfetti I always turn to the funfetti queen, Sally, over at Sally's Baking Addiction. She does funfetti Friday's. That's a girl after my own heart right there. These cookies are a breeze to make. I made mine a bit smaller so I could do my usual 'justify eating four cookies because they're not quite as big' thing. I also like mini desserts. These are perfect. They're slightly crisp around the edges (crisp, not crunch), but chewy in the middles. I'm sure if you make them in regular sized portions you can get even more of the gooey sugar cookie type thing going on. Amazing.

Funfetti away!

 

Soft Baked Funfetti Sugar Cookies

Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature*

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups spoon & leveled all-purpose flour*

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar (can not be omitted)

1/2 cup sprinkles, plus more for sprinkle on top before baking

Instructions

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Get it nice and smooth, then add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. The dough is quite thick and you may have to stir the rest by hand. Once combined, fold in 1/2 cup sprinkles.

Scoop a large sections of dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough each) and roll into balls. Make sure the balls are taller, rather than wide. Add a few more sprinkles on top of each ball dough.

Chill the balls of dough on the cookie sheet for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours in the refrigerator. This step will prevent spreading in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Bake chilled cookie dough for 8 minutes, no more. The cookies will appear undone and very soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes and move to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes from Sally:

If you're in a pinch and need to soften your butter quickly, cut 1 stick of butter into 5 different sections. Microwave for 10 seconds. 

*Room temperature egg is required. To bring the egg to room temperature quickly, place in a warm glass of water for about 10 minutes as you get the other ingredients ready.

 *Recipe retested on 4/29/13 to add 1/4 cup more flour to resolve spreading issues. Use 1 and 1/2 cups total flour, which will aid in the spreading issues.

It's a dangerous thing to have an entire batch of cookies around the house when it's just you and one roommate. First you justify one right out of the oven, ignoring the fact that it's really too hot to enjoy. Then you decide you need to test one out when it's warm, since that's prime cookie eating time. Then you decide you might as well have one that's room temperature because all cookies taste at least decent right out of the oven and you need to test out whether you actually like them. Next thing you know you're at three cookies in a matter of hours. Such is life.

That's why sometimes you just need to make one, giant cookie. That and the fact that who doesn't love a giant, amazing double chocolate cookie. Heaven is full of these cookies (obviously there are multiple giant cookies in heaven...and none of them have calories). It's incredibly rich and the massive amount of chocolate chips mixed with the brownie-like batter makes the cookie super gooey. I might have to make one of these every weekend because I inevitably need a quick chocolate fix every weekend. Apparently you can make four smaller cookies with this recipe as well. Four mini cookies or one giant cookie...it's a win-win.

XXL Death by Chocolate Cookie

Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar (or dark brown)
• 2 Tablespoons beaten egg (crack an egg, beat it, and use 2 Tablespoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 1 Tablespoon, divided
• sprinkles, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix the softened butter and sugars together with a spoon or fork until creamed. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
4. Place the dough in the center of the baking sheet and mold into a tall ball using a spoon. Dot the top of the cookie with 1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips. Add sprinkles on top if desired. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or up to 16 minutes. The cookie will appear very soft, but will firm up as it cools. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.