Ooey, gooey caramel brownies!

Well, I realize this is a cookie blog, but every so often I get the hankerin' for a yummy brownie! I just happened to be looking through my family recipe cook book and came across this little gem, that I actually have never even baked before. What, you say?! I know! But, I thought today was as good a day as any. I also had everything I needed for this recipe, so it worked out nicely, cause Mama was not in the mood to visit the store with children in tow today! Especially ornery, runny nosed children! So, we stayed at home and baked today! First I tried a homemade gluten free granola bar for Jackson, more about that later. Then I decided to bake these luscious little beauts and finally I finished up with some gluten free biscuits.

Caramel Brownies
1 German chocolate cake mix
½ c melted butter
½ c. canned milk
½ c. nuts

Mix the above ingredients. Pour half into a heavily greased pan. Pat down, Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.
In a double boiler melt 50 caramels with 1/3 c. canned milk. (or just use the left over caramel dip that you used for apples last month, like me) Stir well. Remove Baked cake mix from oven and cover with 1 ½ c. chocolate chips. Pour melted caramel over Chocolate chips. Spread remainder of mix on top. Bake 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting.

These were delicious and so easy especially since I didn't have to unwrap 50 caramels. Yeah! I would show you a picture of the finished product but I completely forgot to take a picture before I sent them out the door to my sisters! I had a few for myself, but since I have been hitting the gym at the early hour of 6 o'clock I don't want my work to go for nothing, so I had a few and sent the rest to someone else! I just love to bake, get on my good side and you will reap the rewards! Enjoy these delicious brownies! Yum! Yum!

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free Peanut Butter Cookies

Well, some of you might know that I am experimenting with a gluten-free diet for the next 30 days with Jackson and of course I can't go without some sort of cookie, so my first try is the simple little beauties!

It has only 3 ingredients!

Gluten-free, Dairy-free,Egg-free Peanut Butter Cookies
1 c. Peanut Butter
1 c. granulated Sugar
1 egg (or in this case egg replacer)

Mix all ingredients, scoop into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar and flatten with a fork.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Enjoy!



They were pretty good for my first effort. However I will get even better! Stay tuned!

Oscar worthy Chocolate Mud Cookies!

I saw these cookies years ago on Good Things Utah. They are from one of the chefs at the Grand America. These are the absolute most decadent cookies I have ever had. They are pretty much pure chocolate! I am not kidding checkout the recipe. It only calls for 1/4 c flour or something absurd like that. They are D-vine and we have them every year at our annual Oscar night celebration! Make these you will not be sorry! And as a side note, I haven't tried this yet, but for all of you gluten free lovers out there, I bet this recipe would work with an alternative flour. I will see what I can come up with! And the Academy Award goes to.........Chocolate Mud cookies!

Executive Pastry Chef: Kurtis Baguley

Ingredients:

1lb Semisweet Chocolate
2oz Un-salted Butter
4ea Whole eggs
12oz Granulated Sugar
1Tbl Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp salt
2oz All Purpose Flour
½tsp Baking powder
14oz Chocolate Chips, white or dark
4oz Walnut Pieces

In the bowl of mixer, whip together the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla to very light and fluffy, maybe 3 to 4 times the volume.
While eggs are whipping, melt together the chocolate and butter.
Combine the flour and baking powder.
When eggs are at the desired volume, fold in the chocolate mixture then the dry ingredients.
Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
Shape dough into logs by rolling into parchment or wax paper and chill
When cold, remove from paper and slice into desired size.

Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 350 for approximately 10 minutes.
Cool and eat!

The original Chococlate Chip Cookie

My frozen cookie dough started with the following recipe. It was a recipe I got from my Mom and it has become my favorite! I do a few different things to it, but it is the only cookie I need!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups Butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
5 cups ground oatmeal
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag of milk chocolate chips
Optional
2 bags of toffee bits
2 cups coconut
Butterscotch Chips
Peanut Butter Chips
Any way you make these cookies they always turn out delicious!
Lately I have been having them like this!

Happy Cookie Baking!

The Scoop

Mixing, stirring, measuring, egg cracking, baking and for me scooping! Usually when I make my batches there is only a slight amount of baking when they are finished then the rest are scooped out and frozen away to delight me on another day! Oh the joys of freezing cookie dough! My children rarely eat an actual baked cookie, it is usually right out of the freezer bag and it is now affectionately called Cook Dough! Well, if you want to scoop quickly and have your cookies be even then this is the scoop for you! I have used several brands and my favorite one is the $7 Chefmate that I got at Target! Of course they have all different sizes, but my favorite is the 1 inch scoop! So here's to happy scooping!