Tag Archives: dessert

Puffy Vanilla and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

When it comes to sweets, I tend to make desserts in waves.  When I’m craving brownies, I’ll make brownies non-stop for months.  My cupcake period lasted about 2 years.  But I’m going back to my roots and I’m falling in love with making cookies all over again.  I don’t know what it is about cookies but watching the dough come together, dipping a finger or two into the dough to make sure it’s just right, and dropping the scoops onto the baking sheet and waiting, waiting, waiting impatiently for them to bake…it’s bliss for me.  I bake cookies one sheet at a time so for a dough that makes a lot of cookies, this means I might be baking cookies all night.  But that’s okay with me.  I dare say I like a cookie-scented kitchen just as much (if not more) than a bread-scented kitchen.  Although that’s a really tough call.  Anyway, I made some cookies a few weeks ago and they were such a hit at work that I decided to make another batch of cookies I found on Pinterest: Puffy Vanilla and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies.  Vanilla and peanut butter?  Yum and yum.  I’m sold.

These cookies are made with vegetable shortening (à la Crisco) instead of butter which helps to make these cookies puffy.  And a healthy 2 teaspoons of vanilla really keep the vanilla from getting lost behind the peanut butter chips.  It’s rare that I don’t like a cookie, especially one with any kind of peanut butter, and this is no exception.  Although, I’ve become pretty particular and I’ve decided I like good ol’ butter in my cookies.  There is that flavor that butter has that just cannot be captured with vegetable shortening.  These cookies are great and if you are willing to sacrifice a little bit of puff for a little bit of flavor, make these with butter.  You won’t be disappointed.  Of course this is coming from someone who could eat peanut butter chips by the spoonful.

The ingredients:

In a large mixing bowl, combine vegetable shortening, sugars, egg, water, and vanilla until batter is creamy.

Add the cinnamon, salt, baking soda, flour and mix until just combined.

Fold in peanut butter chips by hand. Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper.

 Bake in a preheated 375ºF oven for 8-10 minutes.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Averie Cooks

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

I’m obsessed with Pinterest.  I look at it for an hour each day during my lunch break (when I really should be walking around the city for exercise).  I use my phone to look at it every morning and every evening on the train to/from work.  I look at it at night (because I didn’t ruin my eyesight enough staring at the computer for 9 daylight hours already).  I look at it when I wake up at 4am because I can’t sleep (thanks to violent scenes from Sons of Anarchy and a preview of the horror movie Sinister).  And as if I don’t already have a stack of recipes that I still have yet to make, I just keep adding more recipes that I find on Pinterest.  These Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies are one of those glorious finds that had me at hello and call my name each and every time I see them.  Salty and sweet?  Umm…okay!

Milk chocolate chip and peanut butter chips are mixed into cookie dough with broken pieces of pretzels and baked to salty and sweet perfection.  These cookies were easy to make and could be made with any variety of chips.  I took the whole batch to the office (since I can’t trust myself to have cookies in the house) and they were a big hit.  A couple people in my department kept coming over for one more, and one more, and two more.  And the next day after the cookies were all gone, they still wanted more.  So I guess I’ll have to make them again.  Oh, darn.

The ingredients:

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract.  Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour.

Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and preztels.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and sprinkle with sea salt (optional).  Bake for 10 minutes.   Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.

Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Sea salt

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Sugar Cooking Blog

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

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