Cookies/Brownies

Pecan-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean that you can’t have dessert. I’ve always loved to bake so I generally always have baking basics on hand like flour, sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda. Since I have a sweet tooth that sometimes sneaks up on me like a sneeze, I need to have the ability to whip up a bowl of cookie dough at any given time. Having these ingredients on hand also helps out when I’m on a budget and trying to keep my grocery list to a minimum. I’ve had this recipe for Pecan-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake tucked away for over ten years and keep passing it by. The small, unassuming recipe was taped to the corner of a page with a large vibrant picture and recipe for banana cream pie which always drew my gaze, leaving this snack cake to disappear under my very eyes. But after finally taking a good look at this recipe, I realized I had every single ingredient, chocolate chips and pecans included, in my cabinet. And what’s even better – there isn’t a lick of butter or oil in sight keeping the calories on this dessert very, very low.

Beaten egg whites and brown sugar are mixed with dry ingredients, helping to create a smooth batter which is then mixed with chocolate chips and chopped pecans. The result is more like a light (in texture, not flavor) chocolate chip bar cookie than a snack cake and I’m not sure if I made it wrong or if that is how it’s supposed to be. Regardless, I think I’d take a bar cookie over a piece of cake any day so I’m not complaining. And the fact that the flavor of a chocolate chip cookie can be replicated so near-perfectly without one bit of butter just makes this dessert even better. Now I know that next time that cookie craving sneaks up on me, this will be the quiet, unassuming recipe I’ll remember to reach for.

The ingredients:

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside.

Beat brown sugar, vanilla, and egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer at high speed for 1 minute.

Add flour mixture, beating just until combined.

Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.

Spread batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake bars in a 350°F oven for 18 minutes or until golden and crusty on top. Cool in pan 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Funfetti Cookies

I work for a company that likes to show employee appreciation by celebrating certain sports events so from time to time, the company will buy us lunch and we get to wear our favorite sports apparel. Not long ago, we celebrated MLB opening day and shortly thereafter celebrated the NHL and NBA playoffs. Because they happened about a week apart, the powers that be decided not to have a second lunch but to surprise us with a sundae bar with tons of ice cream and all kinds of fun toppings. Since then, each time I go into the kitchen cabinet for a bowl or plate at lunch, I see a little plastic container holding the leftover rainbow sprinkles from that ice cream party. I finally asked one day if I could take them home so I could make Funfetti Cookies which I would share with people at work. The answer was “Um…cookies?! YES!!”

The result are these colorful, chewy, perfect little cookies. A basic sugar cookie dough with both vanilla and almond highlights is made fantastic with the addition of both rainbow sprinkles and nonpareils. These cookies didn’t last long at the office and it was everything I could do to keep my paws off of them before I set them out for everyone to enjoy. You don’t have to be a kid to like funfetti, ask my co-workers. It looks like I’m going to have to make these again.

And again.

Good thing there are more sprinkles left.

The ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add the vanilla, almond extract, and egg. Beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and continue on low speed until it’s all added and combined. (The dough will be thick).

Mix in the sprinkles until just combined.

Roll the dough into equal sized balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes in a 375ºF oven.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: TastyKitchen.com

Irish Cream Brownies

Every party, even if it’s for the big game, needs to have something sweet. Most everyone loves brownies and not only are they easy to make, they are easy to grab as you run back to the couch to catch the next play. And since we usually are slurping down a few cocktails, it seems appropriate the brownies are a little tipsy too. These Irish Cream Brownies have the slightest hint of Bailey’s Irish Cream and are slightly addictive. The top of these bad boys are light and crispy while the inside is cakey and gooey, just the way I want my brownies to be. And they have not one, but two different kinds of chocolate – cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate…yum! After hours of salty appetizers, spicy munchies, and whatever else you’ve injested while watching the big game (and those million-dollar commercials), a little something sweet might be just what you need.