Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookie Bars

These cookies have been my go-to dessert for some time now. They are so easy, especially when made into bars, and always a hit at get-togethers! I have a serious love for butterscotch, and chocolate...and cookies, so these are definitely one of my favorites. Golden brown and crispy on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside, mmm, so good! These can be stored at room temperature in a airtight container, but I like to heat them up in the microwave for 20 seconds and top with vanilla ice cream or just eat them by themselves. Either way, satisfaction guaranteed.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened


• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed


• 3/4 cup granulated sugar


• 2 eggs, room temperature


• 2 tsp vanilla extract


• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350


2. Butter and flour a 9x13 baking dish


3. Using an electric mixer, whip softened butter in a large bowl for 30 seconds or until creamy.


4. Add sugars and beat until barely combined


5. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly in between each addition


6. Mix in vanilla extract


7. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt


8. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, barely mixting in between each addition (You don't want to over mix the flour because the cookies will not stay soft after baking. Just mix until a few spots of flour remain.)


9. Fold in chocolate & butterscotch chips.


10. Pour dough into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.


11. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting.


12. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk or a large scoop of vanilla ice cream!!!

*If making cookies, place tablespoon-sized dough balls on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown around the edges and on top.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cookie Cups with Reeses Pieces

I've kind of become obsessed with experimenting with cream cheese. Which is weird, because I don't really like cream cheese with food...but with desserts? That's a different story. I made these on a snowy Sunday afternoon, and I was glad. Peanut butter, cream cheese, and Reeses Pieces? Umm, yes please.

Ingredients:

Cookie Cups-

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy (my preference) or creamy
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup Reeses Pieces

Cream Cheese Filling-

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix butter and peanut butter with electric mixer until fluffy (about 2 minutes)
3. Add sugars and mix until combined
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition
5. Add vanilla and mix until fluffy and mixture is lighter in color (about 2 minutes)
6. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt
7. Add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture in thirds, barely mixing (about 5 seconds) in between each addition.
8. Fold in Reeses Pieces
9. In a separate bowl, cream together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
10. Place 12 cupcake liners in a 12-cup cupcake pan (or spray cupcake cups with non-stick spray if not using cupcake liners).
11. Using a cookie dough/ice cream scoop, scoop (about 2 Tbsps per cookie cup) of dough into 12 cupcake cups. Press dough down into cups so that the top of the dough ball is flat.
12. Place 1 Tbsp cream cheese mixture on top of dough.
13. Scoop remaining dough (about 2 Tbsps per cookie cup) on top of cream cheese and gently press down to flatten (it will be like you are making a cookie dough/cream cheese sandwich). It's ok if a little of the cream cheese comes out of the side.
14. Bake for 35 min, of until tops are a light golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.
15. Makes 12 cookie cups. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Chocolate Dream Dessert

This is one recipe that I can not claim as my own. My mom used to make this for us as kids and is my husband and grandmother's favorite dessert! It is REALLY delicious, not too heavy, but still rich and creamy and...4 layers of pure YUMMINESS! It looks pretty too, so impress your guest with this one! You will NOT regret it!

Ingredients:

• 1st layer-
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

• 2nd layer-
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Cool Whip

• 3rd layer-
• 2 cups milk
• 1 small package instant vanilla pudding
• 1 small package instant chocolate pudding

• 4th layer-
• 3 cups Cool Whip
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, M&Ms, chocolate syrup, Reese's pieces (whatever you want for your topping! Go wild!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix together pecans, butter, and flour in medium sized bowl until well combined
3. Evenly press pecan mixture in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking pan
4. Bake pecan crust for 15 min
5. Let crust cool for at least 20 min.
6. While crust is cooling, cream together cream cheese, Cool Whip, and powdered sugar.
7. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and both pudding mixes until thick and smooth.
8. Once crust has cooled, evenly spread cream cheese mixture over crust.
9. Evenly spread the pudding over the cream cheese layer.
10. Evenly spread the Cool Whip over the pudding layer.
11. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving, but the longer it chills, the better.
12. Top with your toppings of choice before serving.
13. Makes 12 servings. Cover top with foil and store in refrigerator.

Crunch Top Blueberry Muffins

These are the best blueberry muffins EVER! The first time I made them, my husband and I ate them for breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack, and then with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert that night. Yes, they are that good. We were completely out of control. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Crunchy Topping Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Sift together 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, and baking powder.
3. Combine vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract, and egg in a small bowl or measuring cup.
4. Mix the oil mixture into the flour mixture until combined. Do not over-beat!
5. Fold in blueberries.
6. Using a cookie dough/ice cream scooper or two spoons, scoop dough into the muffin tins and sprinkle the top with the Crunch Topping.
7. To Make Crunch Topping : Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 2 tsp cinnamon. Using a fork or a food processor, mix together mixture until it forms a coarse meal. Sprinkle over muffins before baking.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 17 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs on it.

Note : The Crunch Topping will seem like a lot once you sprinkle it evenly over the tops of the muffin dough, but USE IT ALL! Once the muffins bake up, it's the perfect amount of crunchy topping!

AMAZING Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies

Ok, so I consider myself a brownie snob, because I have eaten so many and now know their full potential. I thought the best brownie ever was at the Tommy Bahama Cafe in The Woodlands, TX (wow)...until now. Sorry Tommy, yours is good, but this one could quite possibly change your life. Please read, make, then eat, with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just do it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour (I use cocoa powder) a 13X9 glass baking dish.
2. Combine melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.
4. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Add in flour mixture by 3rds into butter mixture until barely combined. (Don't overbeat!)
6. Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 min, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with only a few crumbly delicious morsels on it.
8. Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 min before cutting.

Enjoy!

The Best Apple Pie...Maybe better than Grandma's

I was craving a crusty, warm, delicious apple pie and this one hit the spot! It is so easy and unbelievably good...you just have to make it. It's just..so..good...

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (or use Pillsbury Pet Ritz pre-made pie crust and pre-made pie dough; you will have 1 crust and 1 roll of dough left over).
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 medium Granny Smith Apples-peeled, cored, and sliced into thin slices

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove pie crust from the freezer and 1 roll pie dough from the refrigerator to let thaw.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour and cinnamon to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer for 5 min. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
4. Take bottom crust and poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork.
5. Place apples in a medium sized bowl and stir in 3/4ths of melted butter/sugar mixture until all the apples are coated.
6. Pour apples into pie crust.
7. Cover top of pie with the pre-made pie dough (do a lattice top or use cut-outs with the pie dough if you want to make it fun and decorative!)
8. Roll and pinch the edges together
9. Slowly pour remaining butter/sugar mixture over top of pie dough and spread around to cover the entire top of the pie.
10. Bake at 425 for 15 min, then reduce the heat to 350 and continue baking for 30 min.
11. Remove pie from oven, cover with foil, and continue to bake for another 20 min.
12. Let pie cool for 10 min before serving.
13. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Makes 1 9-inch apple pie. So normally 8 servings, but 4 if you're like me :)