Reese's Pieces Cookies

Here, in lovely little Victoria, it gets wet. In the fall, winter, and spring, I mean. Literally speaking, I own sandals and boots. No need for in-between footwear.

If we ever catch a glimpse of clear sky, we run with our children to the park as fast as we can before the clouds come back.

Maybe to you it sounds dreary, but I was born here. I love it. It's cozy and crisp. And beautiful. And, since we have a lot of time to kill indoors, I get a whole lot of baking done.

We had a Halloween party last weekend and were therefore stuck with a bunch of leftover Reese's Pieces. Pretty much an awesome leftover. Know what makes them more awesome? Put them in cookies. Trust.


These are ridiculous. I'm serious, people. I thought it would be just like a regular chocolate chip cookie, but it's so, so much more. For some reason, the reese's pieces turn the dough into an amazing, chewy but soft but crispy cookie all at the same time. They get all golden and flat (and if you ask me, flat cookies are the bomb). Betcha can't eat just one  five.


Reese's Pieces Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cups reese's pieces

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees ferenhiet
• Combine sugars, butter (use the real deal, folks) and egg in your mixer using cookie paddles
• Add vanilla
• Add flour and baking soda until combined
• Add reese's pieces 
• Drop by rounded spoonfulls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (it really makes all the difference) 
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until very lightly browned on top
• Remove from oven and cool on wire rack

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Jessica

 

 

 

Rocky Road Cookies

Canada-ism number 54: In Canada, "Rocky Road" ice cream is sometimes called "Heavenly Hash".

The only explanation I can come up with for this radical change in name is the fact that Heavenly Hash is a pretty fitting name. Hash, (although usually for breakfast and containing potatoes) refers to a mashed up combination of yumminess. In this case, its heavenly. Just go with it.

Actually, I prefer the name Rocky Road. I feel like it just kind of sells itself- chocolate (the road) with pecans and marshmallows (the rocks). Self explanatory, really.

Okay, so you know those yummy little marshmallows that are sitting on top of all the powder when you buy hot chocolate "with marshmallows"? Kraft had a wave of genius and decided to sell the marshmallows all by themself. They're so good. Like SO good. I love 'em. They were the perfect inspiration for these cookies.

Rocky Road Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
2  1/4 cup all purpouse flour
1  1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like dark)
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup Kraft mini marshmallow bits

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees ferenhiet
• Combine sugars, butter and egg in your mixer using cookie paddles
• Add vanilla
• Add flour and baking soda until combined
• Add chocolate chips, pecans, and marshmallows
• Drop by rounded spoonfulls onto a cookie sheet and flatten a little with your palm
• Bake for 8 minutes, or until very lightly browned on top
• Remove from oven and cool on wire rack



-Jessica

Birthday Cake Oreo Mini Cheescakes

Oreo is 100 years old. This is my view: If something as delicious and calorie-laden as oreos can live to be 100, then eating them probably won't kill me. Right? I know you're with me on this.

Anyway, to commemorate the birthday, some genius at Nabisco came up with birthday cake oreos. Seriously, one whiff of these birthday cake cookies and I knew it was going to be a problem. They're good. CRAZY good. Between the 5 of us in my fam (let's just say 5, even though we all know the baby wasn't having any), the box was gone in 2 days. I should be embarrased to admit it, but they're so tasty I don't even care. I went to the store and grabbed 3 more boxes, in fear of them flying off the sheld. They're all gone now, but I am going to hope and pray that I can still get them when I shop today.

I found this deelish recipe, and figured that with the birthday cake oreos, they would be deadly. I think I want to try it with goldens too. And maye the mint ones at Christmas? Peanut butter? I've never seen them, but come on, oreo. Get on it. Or I will.

Birthday Cake Oreo Mini Cheesecakes
recipe can be found here.

-Jessica

Nutella Cookies

Summer 1997. I can't even believe how long ago that was. My fantastic friend Rachel and I were going to visit some of her family for a weekend, and we were getting reading for the "road trip". It was only an hour, but when you're 11, that's a big deal. Rach's mom took us to the grocery store to get some car snacks, and we pooled our money and got a honkin' jar of nutella. That was a pretty great hour, just us in the back seat with two spoons and the perfect snack. (Do you remember this Rachel?)

I think that's the day my love affair with nutella really started. I owe you big, Rachel. Big.

Lineup of ingredients. I didn't realize until now that my baking powder was on the French side. For future reference, "Poudre a pate magic" means "Magic baking powder".

Don't you just love brown sugar? If Candyland was a real place, there would be a beach with brown sugar sand. People could float around in giant life savers in a sea of blueberry punch.

 

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If you happen to have a bucket of neapolitan ice cream in your freezer because it was on sale, you can do this. It will be worth it. Spread between two cookies and freeze for 5 minutes.

If you just have vanilla, it still works. In fact, I think the vanilla was the best one.

Nutella Cookies

from Two peas and their pod

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup dutch-process cocoa (I used regular high-quality cocoa)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (couldn't find it, I just doubled the vanilla)
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup milk

• Mix together your flour and cocoa. Set aside.
• Dump the beautiful sugars and butter in your kitchen aid and mix until smooth.
• Add the extracts, and beat again. Then the nutella.
• Keep the mixer running and add half the flour mixture.
• Add the milk.
• Add the second half of flour mix.
• Mix it completely and refridgerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 325.
• Roll dough into balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
• Using a glass, press lightly on each cookie to flatten slightly.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly crackly on top. Cook on wire rack.

-Jessica

The Pioneer Woman’s Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was a kid, we lived about 3 blocks away from the 7-11. I would do chore after chore, just so I could save up enough money to get something worthwhile. Often, it would be a bag of 5 cent candies, sometimes a Slurpee. But my favourite was a frosted malt. Have you ever had one of those? You know, they come out of the freezer, right beside the ice cream drumsticks and the frozen lemonade. Frosted malts were the best on hot days, and they came with a little wooden spoon, which for some reason made it taste better. I swear, it did.

I have never had a real chocolate malt, like one you might order from Pop's Chocolate Shop if you were friends with Archie and Betty and Veronica and lived in Riverdale. I think the frosted malt is the closest I've come. I was reading Jenny's blog over at Picky Palate and she blogged about these fabulous chocolate malt cookies from Ree at  The Pioneer Woman. I love both bloggers, so I figured a recipe from both of them was probably worth making.

Let me tell you, I don't believe I will ever make another chocolate chip cookie recipe for as long as I live. That's how good these were. I'm not a cookie dough fan, I'd rather wait until they're all baked up and warm, thank you very much, but even the dough was incredible. I couldn't keep my fingers out. They are slightly cripsy, chewy, melt in your mouth delicious.

The Pioneer Woman’s Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

   You can find this recipe here.

-Jessica







Creamsicle Cookies

Remember my citrus problem? I have an unhealthy obsession with all things citrus. Lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit. I guess my obsession isn't really that unhealthy. It's better than, say, a chocolate obsession (because I definitely don't have one of those) or a chips and salsa obsession (we'll leave that to my husband).

I found the recipe for these cookies and they pretty much consumed my mind until I broke down and made them. We are moving in about a week, and I was trying really hard not to use my oven. I already cleaned it, and although I do enjoy cleaning most things, an oven is definitely not one of them. I wanted it to stay shiny, thank you very much. But in all seriousness, I could not stop thinking about these.

Yesterday after dinner I seized the moment, the boys were playing Wii Sports (their new obsession- at least it doesn't involve food) and Matt was playing with the baby. These were super quick and easy to throw together, and the house smelled deliciously orangey for the rest of the night.

As a Valentine's day gift to myself  my scale, I sent most of them to work with Matt. But not after having a few. And then a few more.

Creamsicle Cookies

    from this blog.

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 1 3/4 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually beat in flour mixture, being careful not to over-mix. Lastly, mix in orange zest and white chocolate chips.

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into balls, and bake for 8 minutes or until just golden around the edges. Let cool on wire rack.

pre-made frozen sugar cookies

I happened to have some sugar cookie dough sitting in my fridge today that I needed to either use, or throw away.  I was really not in the mood to decorate cookies, or really put much effort in them at all.  I thought my kids might want to bake them after school though.  So, I decided to try making my own version of the ones you buy at the store. 

I started by rolling out the dough, and cutting it into circles.  Then I used a small heart cutter in the center of the cookie.  

  I saved 1/3 of the dough, and colored it pink. Then I used the same heart cutter to cut out little pink hearts.

I placed the pink heart into the center of the circle and put in on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.  I stuck the cookies in the freezer for about 20 minutes. 

After they were frozen hard, I stacked them with waxed paper in between each one.  Then I put them in a ziplock bag and back in the freezer until someone wants to make them.

To bake, set your oven to 325, and bake about 12 minutes.

These could not have been easier, and my kids are going to love baking them!

-Leah

Triple Chip Cookies

Here in Victoria, we have a Christmas tradition. My family, along with our church, put on an outdoor Christmas Nativity Pageant for the community. We bundle up (and I mean bundle- it can be cold!) and dress up in costumes to put on  the story of Jesus' birth. This year marks the 25th anniversary, and I can say that I have been in it for at least 20 of those 25. My favourite year was when the hubs and I were Mary and Joseph and our middle son was the baby Jesus. Check it out at www.christmasnativity.ca

This year I was asked to make cookies for the performers. There are 4 shows a night, so in between shows, there is a little tent with hot chocolate and cookies for the cast and crew. My favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe is the one we grew up on, from good old Betty Crocker. But Leah had a brainwave to add butterscotch and white morsels to it, just to punch it up a bit. It is genius, really. Leah has made these a ton, so really it's her recipe and I'm just the one posting it. Team effort, right? I like them best right out of the oven, but cookies are cookies, so they're good anytime. Even at 11:30 at night, when you should be in bed, but your husband asks you to stay up and watch him play Zelda.

Triple Chip Chip Cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar                                      

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
2  1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I ommitted)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
                                                                                                                          
    
- Heat oven to 375ºF.

-  Mix sugars, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.

- Stir in nuts (if using) and chocolate chips.

- Drop  by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

- Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft).

- Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet.

- Cool on wire rack.

-Jessica

Skor Shortbread Meltaways

Last week was my middle son's preschool Christmas party. I think you would be hard pressed to be in a more adorable, more Christmassy place. 15 three year olds, dressed in their favourite Christmas clothes, who want nothing more than to sing "Frosty the Snowman" to their parents. When we (the parents) walked in the door, they were all properly seated at the snack table just waiting foir us. 15 little voices cheering, "Mommy!" or "Daddy!".  Heart melting, really. We ate special Christmas snacks , made crafts and sang Christmas songs. It was a perfect morning.

When I have 3 teenage sons who will be embarrased at the very thought of me trying to give a hug, or (gasp!) even a kiss, I will remember this morning. Remember the little 3 year old arms wrapped around me, so proud to introduce me to his friends and teachers.

This little get-together was a potluck, so naturally, there were way too many cookies. People tend to bring cookies to things like this. But there was one cookie that took the cake, if you will. It was amazing. Melt-in-your-mouth, knock-your-socks-off amazing. I needed the recipe, and I needed it now. One of the moms got the recipe from a co-worker, and was nice enough to pass it on it me. Well, random co-worker, thank you. You made my Christmas a little tastier.

Skor Shortbread Meltaways

  1 cup butter, softened

  ½ cup icing sugar

  1 1/3 cup flour

  2 tsp vanilla

  ½ cup corn starch

  1/4 tsp salt

  1 cup Chipits Skor Toffee Bits

  ¾ tsp baking powder

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (the cookies sick!)

- Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla until light and creamy.

- In a separate bowl, combine flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt and toffee bits.

- Stir this mixture into butter mixture. Combine well.

- Roll heaping Tbsp. of dough into balls.

- Leave as is or pat down for flatter cookie.

- Place on cookie sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

- Bake in centre of oven for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden.

- Let cool on pan for 5 minutes to set. Sprinkle with icing sugar

- Will keep in tight container for a week or freeze

-Jessica

 

Snowflake Cookies

What says Christmas more than a snowflake sugar cookie? Well, if you lived on the East Coast, or even somewhere in the middle of North America, this would probably make sense. But for us west-coasters, we need to fake it. Yes, even in Canada. Here, in the lovely city of Victoria, the average snowfall per year is 26 centimetres (which is less than one foot). Vancouver and Seattle are probably around the same. So we make snow in cookies instead. Some may even prefer it this way.

Amanda and I spend the better part of a weekend making these sparkling little flakes, and it was well worth the effort. They are delicious. And pretty. Your friends, co-workers, and families will be happy. I promise.

Sugar Cookies

1  1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

- Cream butter and sugar until smooth
- Beat in your eggs and vanilla
- Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt
- Divide in two and chill in refridgerator for at least one hour
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees ferenheit
- Roll out on a floured surface, and cut out with Christmassy cookie cutters
- Bake for 6- 8 minutes, allow to cool on wire rack

Sugar Cookie Icing

One package of powdered sugar
Water
Food colouring gel
OR
Your favourite royal icing recipe

- Put the powdered sugar in a big bowl and add water until it's thick enough to pipe around the edge of the cookies. You will want it about as thick as royal icing.
- Divide into bowls, one for each colour- save some white to pipe patterns on top
- Put in piping bag (I like a #3 piping tip) or ziplock pag with a small snip in the corner
- Pipe around edges of cookie and allow to dry
- Once all cookies are piped, water down the icing until it's fairly soft, about the consistency of      whipping cream. Make sure to save some thick so you can pipe a pattern on top
- Using a small spoon, fill cookies and allow to dry
- Pipe a pretty pattern on top of the dried snowflakes.

-Jessica

Honeyed Gingerbread

5. The big one. Halfway to double digits. Kindergarten. One whole hand. Whichever way you slice it, 5 years old is a big deal. So of course, my big 5 year old boy started planning his party months ago. After weeks of researching and calling, we decided on a kindergym party. You know, you rent out the whole gym at a rec center and they fill it with bikes, balls, slides, and even a bouncy castle. What 5 year old would not like this? He was so excited, and with a max of 25 kids, he could invite almost his whole class. Perfect. Except not so.

It turned out his best (and I mean very best) friend would be gone. Gone for Christmas. His little heart was crushed. So, rather than just having the party without his bestie along side, he wanted to cancel the whole thing. We have a pretty small house, so his options were to keep the party as is, or to have it at our house with only 9 kids one week earlier. Guess what he chose.

So now, how to keep 9 small children entertained for 2 hours in the middle of December. Well, with candy, of course. And cookies. And icing. Put them all together and you get one hyper, delicious mess. And one happy 5 year old.

Gumdrop Buttons

Goodie bags- Mugs with candy canes, hot chocolate, caramel chocolates and stickers.

What's a cookie without sprinkles?

My big 5 year old!

Little bro.

Meticulous. This boy is a perfectionist.

Happy Birthday Baby!

Now, in theory I like gingerbread, but it's mostly based on the smell of it. Because every time I actually eat some, all I can taste is molasses. Gross. But, I figured that honey is about the same consistency as molasses, but about a billion times tastier. So I combined them.


Honeyed Gingerbread Cookies
5 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp  ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 cup sugar
2 sticks softened butter
2/3 cup fancy molasses
1/2 cup creamed honey
2 egg whites

- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves with a wire whisk.
- Cream butter and sugar until combined in stand mixer.
- Add molasses, honey and egg whites to sugar and butter mixture.
- Change beaters to cookie paddles and slowly add the flour mixture. (If you don't have a mixer, use
   your hands.)
- Divide dough into 3 or 4 balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 or more hours.

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut out with cookie cutters.
- Bake on greased cookie sheet for 7-9 minutes.

-Jessica