Brownie Cookies

Brownie cookies are so great - the yum of brownies, with the convenience of a cookie.  A favorite twist is to place andes mint chips on the cookies fresh out of the oven, then spread them as frosting once they've melted. 

I got the recipe here:  Ghiradelli Brownie Mix Cookies

Ingredients

• 18 ounces brownie mix (you can't beat the Ghiradelli triple chocolate mix)
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• 3-4 tablespoons whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour , (1/3 cup for high altitude)
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• 2 large eggs, room temperature (mine are always straight from the refrigerator)
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• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (I just use canola oil)
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• 1 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, mint chips, or nuts can be mixed-in (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a mixer, stir flour into brownie mix until well incorporated. 
2. In a separate bowl, slightly beat eggs with the coconut oil and add to the mix along with any add-ins. Mix on low speed until the flour is moistened. The dough should be stiff like cookie dough.
3. Place the dough in heaping tablespoons (about .80 ounces each) in on a parchment-lined baking sheet; this amount will spread to 2 1/2-inches when baked.
4. Bake for 10 minutes and allow the cookies rest on the pan for 2 minutes after removing from the oven. Remove from the pan and cool on baking racks.

Notes

Recipe TIPS:

• If you're a fan of the chewy edge pieces lining a pan of brownies, you'll want to follow the cooking time of the recipe just as it's written.
• If you're more of the gooey middle brownie lover, reduce the baking time by 1 minute and see if that is closer to the brownie cookie you dream about.
• Any 18 ounce brownie mix should work for this recipe, though I highly recommend Ghirardelli.
• One 18 ounce mix will make 3 1/2 dozen, 2 1/2-inch cookies based on .80 ounces of dough per cookie.
• High altitude baking: add 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour (about 1/3 cup)
• Make ahead tip: Bake as directed and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Ghirardelli Brownie Cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 95Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 9mg3%

Sodium 41mg2%

Potassium 5mg0%

Total Carbohydrates 12g4%

Sugars 8g

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A0.4%

Calcium0.6%

Iron2.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Hootenanies (aka German Pancakes)

The kids love these.  They DEVOUR them.  We double the recipe, no questions asked.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 Tbs butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. As oven preheats, place the butter in 9x13'' baking dish and put in oven for the butter to melt.
2. Place the eggs, milk, flour, salt and vanilla in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour batter into the baking dish with the melted butter. Bake, for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
3. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with syrup and powdered sugar or fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Hana's Sugar Cookies

My friend Hana is an amazing cook.  Recently, she's added "cookier" to her list of culinary and artistic accomplishments.  She makes the most amazing sugar cookies - works of art, really - that she sells under high demand.  I'm not a fan of sugar cookies, but this recipe is delicious.  She decorates the cookies using the flooding technique, resulting in absolutely amazing creations.  She was gracious enough to share the recipe :).

Ingredients

(I usually 4 times recipe. 2 batches, two times.)

Cookies:

• 1 c. butter (must be real butter)
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 T. milk
• 1½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups flour

Frosting:

       Melt in a small saucepan (heat, but do not boil):

• 1/2 c butter
• 1/4 c. evaporated milk

      Take off cook top and add:

• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 lb. powdered sugar, about 4 cups

      (These ratios are great for icing cookies with a butter knife.  For flooding see direction below.)

Directions

Cream butter, sugar, and egg. Add the dry ingredients and the milk and vanilla. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour for easier handling if you have time. Roll out thick. Cut dough with favorite cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for about 7-9 minutes. Watch the cookies for doneness. They are done when they no longer look wet, but before they've browned any on the edges.

Flooding icing:

Start with your floor consistency.  Add a few cups of powdered sugar to a bowl and then add some of the condensed milk/butter/vanilla mixture.  Use a hand mixer to combine.  Add more powdered sugar or more liquid mix until you get to the flooding consistency.  This should be a 3-4 second drag with a butter knife.  Meaning when you drag a butter knife through the icing the indent should settle to even (completely disappear) in 3-4 seconds.  Once to the correct consistency add your food coloring of choice and put almost all of the icing into piping bags.  Then use the little left in the bowl to add powdered sugar to until your icing is thicker for the outline.  Too thick and it's hard to squeeze out.  Too thin and it flows too fast and can roll off your cookies.  While working if any of your icing bags become too solid, take of metal tip and microwave for 4-6 seconds.

 

Caramel Popcorn

We love this soft, chewy caramel popcorn recipe.  We found it here:  http://katiesfavefoods.blogspot.com/2012/06/carmel-popcorn.html?m=1


7 bags microwave popcorn, popped (I use air popped or bagged skinny pop)
1 cup karo syrup
2 cups brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, combine karo syrup and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat.  Pour in condensed milk and stir to combine.  Add butter and stir until melted.  Add salt and vanilla.

Turn heat back on and bring to a boil again for 1 and 1/2 minutes.  Pour over popped popcorn and stir to evenly coat.

Crepes

This recipe is from my friend Janae.  She is the master of crepes.

1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Blend until smooth. 

Makes about 15 crepes.

Cornbread Casserole

This recipe is an oldie but goodie from Stephanie.

Preheat oven to 400.

1 lb ground beef (I use ground turkey)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 can corn - drained (I use frozen)
1/2 c green pepper - chopped (I often use the frozen red/yellow/orange bell pepper mix from Trader Joe's, chopped in my Ninja)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 8.5 oz. pkg corn bread mix (and ingredients to make it)
1 2.8 oz French fried onions (if I don't have these, I just add some dried minced onion)
cheddar cheese

Brown meat, and add everything else - except the cornbread, cheese, and 1/2 of the onions.

Put mixture in casserole dish.

Spoon cornbread mix* on top.

Bake uncovered 20 minutes.

Top with cheese and remaining onions.

Bake until cheese melts.


*I have struggled to get the cornbread to cook through, even after baking for 1 hour.  Any tips?  Maybe just cook them separately but serve them together?  The flavor of this dish is great - it's just better with cooked cornbread :).