Gluten-Free Sugar Christmas Cookies

June 25, 2018 by Stephanie Kirkos

Hello, and Happy Holidays! This is Stephanie from Steph in Thyme, and today I’m sharing a classic Christmas cookie recipe my family has been baking since I can remember…but modified gluten-free.

This recipe is barely adapted from the Super Spritz Cookie recipe that came with my mom’s Super Spritz electronic cookie press she’s had as long as I can remember (we’re talking 20+ years).

Simple, buttery sugar cookies pressed into a flower design, the centers filled with raspberry jam (with the seeds!). Such a lovely and festive addition to a holiday cookie tray or gift plate. My sisters and I had the job of carefully placing a bit of jam in the center of each cookie, cautious not to overfill as the jam will spill over and fill the cracks of the petals.

My sisters and I had the job of carefully placing a bit of jam in the center of each cookie, cautious not to overfill as the jam will spill over and fill the cracks of the petals.

In place of regular flour, I used King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour is another great gluten-free baking mix. When I use these gluten-free flour mixes in my Christmas cookies, I can’t notice the difference.

I used a cookie press by OXO Good Grips to create the little flower designs. Simple to assemble, use, and clean. A great find at Bed Bath & Beyond.

These gluten-free Christmas sugar cookies are a fun wintery activity with kids. Have fun, and Happy Holidays!

Print Recipe

Gluten-Free Sugar Christmas Cookies

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time8 mins

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla bean extract or vanilla bean paste, if you have it
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups gluten-free baking flour I prefer King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi Purpose Flour or Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour
1 cup raspberry jam

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Cream the butter with an electric stand mixer or hand mixer. Add the sugar a little bit at a time as you continue to run the mixer, beating until creamed, fluffy, and light.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the vanilla and salt. Mix well to combine.
Add the flour 1/3 at a time, mixing well in between until a stiff dough forms.
Assemble and fill the cookie press. Press floral design cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Using a chopstick or something similar, create a small hole in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with about 1/8 tsp raspberry jam.
Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes until very lightly golden brown. They overbake and turn brown quickly, so keep a close eye at the 7 minute mark!
Remove cookies from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 1, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of General Mills. The opinions and text are all mine. #SnackandSmile

Although my family absolutely LOVES pumpkin things year-round, fall is when certain special things come out that bring recipes to a whole new level – like the secret ingredient in these amazing Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies! They’re super fluffy and light, no butter so they’re on the healthier side, and just the right amount of yummy pumpkin flavor to make these the perfect fall treat!

So what is this tasty secret ingredient? Yoplait light Pumpkin Pie yogurt, of course! They have some great seasonal flavors out right now – I’m making a variety of cookies with the different kinds – but this is our favorite so far. The recipe calls for just 2 of them….but I always grab more while I’m at Walmart because I love snacking on them by themselves, too!

One of my favorite things about these cookies is how soft they are – the yogurt really gives them just the right texture! Plus the pumpkin pie flavoring in the yogurt makes these cookies the delish snack that they are – hubby can’t wait until I whip up another batch (or two)!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 containers Yoplait light Pumpkin Pie
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1-2 tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup Chocolate Chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line two cookie sheets, set aside.
Combine all of the ingredients until smooth. Scoop the cookie dough, about 2-3 tbsp. in size each, onto the prepared sheets. Bake for 8-12 minutes.

Totally easy, right? I love simple recipes, and these cookies are about as simple as you can get! Feel free to add more or less pumpkin pie spice as you prefer. I like the smooth and mild flavor the yogurt gives, so stick to about 1 tbsp. of it.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of General Mills. The opinions and text are all mine.

Sugar Cookies!

January 9, 2016 by Nikki Cole

Nikki here to tell you a little bit about me. I love sugar, along with like everyone else, but the one thing I have never really liked is sugar cookies. Well four years ago I got married and can you guess what his favorite cookie is? Right, sugar cookies. I never wanted to make them for him because they were awful and even store bought ones I thought were bad and being the wonderful husband that he is we would always get the kind that I liked. I had tried different store bought ones, recipes with milk, or cream cheese, or whatever else and nothing was good. Now I am glad to tell you that that has all changed! I found a different recipe and it is amazing! I love these sugar cookies so much that I will gladly make them for my husband anytime he wants because I love them too!

These sugar cookies are amazing and simple to make, perfect for all the upcoming holidays. This recipe is simple to double if you need and these cookies keep fresh very well.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour, plus another 1-2 cups extra for rolling dough out.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a stand mixer cream butter and sugar together until smooth.
Beat in the extracts and egg till combined.
Add in the baking powder.
One cup at a time add in the flour making sure its mixed in well before adding in another.
Sprinkle flour on a work surface. Make sure there is plenty of flour so the dough doesn’t stick.
Dump dough out onto the flour, sprinkle top with more flour and roll to about ¼ inch thick and use whatever cookie cutter shape you prefer.
Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. These don’t turn brown till they’re almost too done, mine are usually in the oven for about 8:45.
let completely cool before frosting.
Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies depending on the size, thickness, and how much cookie dough you eat.

Frosting!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature, NOT melted.
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2-3 tablespoons milk (can add more for desired consistency)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

Directions:

In a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar.
Add in extracts.
Very slowly add in the milk until desired consistency is reached.
Add in desired food coloring till color is reached.
Spread onto cooled cookies and decorate!

Cookie Salad

June 25, 2018 by Kathleen Clegg

Hi there! Kathleen here from Fearlessly Creative Mammas. Summer is almost over, which means the holidays will be fast approaching. Do you enjoy the holidays? Do you make a lot of big meals or go to a lot of pot lucks? If so, I have a dish that you can make over and over again and your friends and family will never get sick of it. My kids and grandkids really love it! It’s a salad of sort, but not your typical salad. It is called Cookie Salad, so you can tell by the title that it is not typical. It is unbelieveably good though. Believe me.

[Read more…]

Pumpkin Almond Cookies

February 26, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

You know those times when you have a snack item that’s completely delicious, then you have an amazing idea to include it in a recipe? I love it when that happens, especially when it ends up being something as tasty as these Pumpkin Almond Cookies!

It was actually pretty funny, because Hubby and I were sitting there at our computers (shared desk) when the idea came. He was snacking on some pumpkin flavored almonds, saying how great they were, when we suddenly look at each other and in unison ‘they’d be great in those almond cookies!’ Thus, these yummy treats were born!

Ingredients

1 cup Butter, softened
2/3 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Almond Extract
1 cup Pumpkin Almonds, ground
2 cups All-purpose Flour
Pumpkin Marshmallows, if desired

Note: For the almonds, just toss them in a good blender and grind them up. Super easy!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line two baking sheets, then set aside.
In a mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Switch to the paddle attachment and add in the ground almonds and flour until everything’s well-combined.
Roll into 1″ balls and put on the prepared baking sheets, pressing down slightly on each ball. Bake for 10 minutes, then add a pumpkin marshmallow on the top center of each cookie and press it in just barely. Continue cooking about 5 more minutes. If you want, you can also dust the finished cookies with powdered sugar!

I prefer them WITH the marshmallows, because it adds that perfect gooey-ness to them that complete the whole cookie! Hubby’s been enjoying them either way, just glad we made a double batch so he has more!

Cocoa Almond Cookies & Winter Spice Holiday Mix

December 6, 2014 by Kelly Dedeaux

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GoNutsForNuts #CollectiveBias

Guys, it’s been quite the week baking up some delicious treats to include for neighbor gifts…plus the normal tastiness I like whipping up for ourselves. Today I’ve got not one, but TWO amazing recipes that are now some of our favorites! You can make these Cocoa Almond Cookies & Winter Spice Holiday Mix in a jiffy!

Do many of you worry about neighbor gifts this time of the month? I feel like I’m way behind, but there’s still 3 weeks until Christmas! I just want to get things done, so I can really ENJOY the season with my family, not be stressing about ‘did we get a plate of goodies to so-and-so?’ Luckily, these quick recipes require little effort, yet are seriously wonderful! Just swing by Walmart and grab the Cocoa Almonds and Limited Edition Winter Spiced Mix from the Planters fun Sleigh display (my store’s display was totally blocked, so I just went to the snack aisle for the other Planters Display).

Cocoa Almond Cookies

Since there’s plenty of people (believe it or not) that don’t like chocolate, I wanted a special cookie that had fabulous flavor without being overwhelming. I absolutely LOVE how these turned out, and the entire family (include no-chocolate Hubby) were happy with them!

Ingredients

1 cup Butter, soft
2/3 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Almond Extract
1 cup Ground Planter’s Cocoa Almonds
2 cups All-purpose Flour

To get the Cocoa Almonds ground, just put them in your blender and ‘grind’ them up really quick!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line two baking sheets, then set aside.
In a mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Switch to the paddle attachment and add in the ground almonds and flour until everything’s well-combined.
Roll into 1″ balls and put on the prepared baking sheets, pressing down slightly on each ball. Bake for 10 minutes, then add a single Cocoa Almond on the top center of each cookie and press it in just barely. Continue cooking about 5 more minutes. If you want, you can also dust the finished cookies with powdered sugar!

Winter Spice Holiday Mix

Ingredients

Planter’s Limited Edition Winter Spiced Mix
White melting chocolate
Add-ins of choice (craisins, chocolate candies, cheerioes, whatever)

Directions

Put your Winter Spiced Mixed Nuts in a bowl, and stir in your desired add-ins. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Melt your white chocolate, and pour it over the nut mixture. Mix well, so everything is covered evenly. Spread the mixture on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and stick in the fridge so the chocolate can set. Once it’s set, remove and break the clumps apart. Store in an airtight container.

Want to throw a little FUN into your holiday baking? Then you’ve gotta check out Planters free Blippar app! All you do is pull it up on your smartphone, hold it up to one of the products, then it pulls up some neat interactive options.

You can browse recipe ideas, or play with their cool Selfie option!

This was my favorite part, and I enjoyed adding it to some of my holiday baking pics!

If you need more inspiration, check out the Cooking Up Good website. They have recipes, sweepstakes, loyalty programs, coupons and more! What’s not to love? If you’re looking for a new dinner idea or a chance to win some awesome prizes, be sure to check it out!

Simple Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 3, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

With the holidays coming, I know there’s going to be TONS of delicious, amazing and unique recipes all over the blogosphere. I’ll be sharing some of those, too! However, sometimes what I really want is Simple Chocolate Chip Cookies!

There’s just something about having a delicious chocolate chip cookie that really hits the spot. Add some milk, and it’s pure heaven! Remember those days after school, having cookies and milk? I sure do, and still love doing that with my kiddos! Don’t worry, though, I don’t let them have cookies everyday….everything in balance, right?

There’s so many cookies to choose from, in so many combinations it’s insane, but I do love soft, chewy, perfectly-flavored Simple Chocolate Chip Cookies! And really, they can’t get much more simple than this! Serve them up warm and they’re even better, at least in my opinion! I will admit, I don’t give them to my kids very warm too often…because all that melted, fabulous chocolate in the cookies? Ya, that’s a total mess with a 3-year-old sometimes! Momma, on the other hand, deserves to enjoy the gooey-ness, am I right?

Ingredients

1 cup Butter, softened
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
3/4 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tbsp. Hot Water
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Salt
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 cups Chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line two baking sheets, then set aside.
Mix the butter, both sugars and eggs together. Add the hot water, vanilla, and salt until well-combined.
Stir in the flour and baking soda until well-mixed, then the chocolate chips. Spoon the dough into 1″ balls and place on baking sheets, gently pressing down to flatten slightly.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just barely turning brown. Let them cool about 5 minutes on the pan, then remove to a cooling rack. Enjoy every moist, chewy and tasty bite!

Budget Saving Giving: Festive Goodie Basket

May 3, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. #TasteTheSeason #CollectiveBias

Less than two months until Christmas, guys. TWO MONTHS! That’s less than 9 weeks to take care of decorating, activities, shrinking bank accounts, parties, gift giving and hopefully quality family time! Now, before we all run around screaming like our hair’s on fire, take a big breath because I’m here to help you with at least some of that! Let’s all take a look on how to pull off Budget Saving Giving with this Festive Goodie Basket! Don’t worry…recipes and printables included!

Though some of my friends think I’m crazy (not denying it, but bare with me) I really like to save money during the holidays. I don’t think that breaking the bank is a smart way to spend the holidays! And really, it shouldn’t be about the money, it should be about family and friends, right? To help me not spend a fortune, I really enjoy making quality, homemade treats to give to our neighbors and friends.

You may be saying ‘life’s even busier during the holidays, there’s no way I have TIME to make delicious treats!’ I said I like to save money….but I also love saving time, and you can get BOTH! I’m going to share with you 3 recipes for tasty treats you can put together in the Festive Goodie Basket really quick, saving your piggy bank AND giving you more time for the holiday fun! First, run over to Walmart and grab the necessary ingredients…. As far as the food is concerned, it’s even a quick trip, just hit the baking aisle and then swing by the refrigerated dairy section, then you’re out in a flash! Please do pay first, though 😉 You may need to pick up a couple things for the basket, unless you can find most on-hand!

Truffles – Ingredients

1 block Kraft Philidelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 regular-sized package chocolate cookies with cream filling
2-3 packs Kraft Baker’s Chocolate, in your choice of flavor (I use semi-sweet & white chocolate)

Truffles – Directions

Crush the cookies in a zip-lock bag. The more ‘smooshed’ the better! Here’s Wonder Woman helping me out with the holiday goodies!
Mix the cookie crumbs with the softened cream cheese until it’s well-combined. Roll into 1″ balls and place on a sprayed baking sheet. If you want them on pop-sticks like I have mine, insert those now. Refrigerate about an hour.
Melt the Baker’s chocolate according to directions, then carefully dip each truffle ball so it’s covered. Once done, refrigerate the truffles at least an hour for the chocolate to harden.

Cookies in a Jar

I’m so in love with jar gifts, and they’re super easy to make! You can really get creative with them, too! These cookies are delicious once baked, with the directions clearly listed on one of the adorable free printables!

Cookie Jar Gift – Ingredients

1 Large Jar with Lid, clean
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 – 1 cup Chocolate Chips
Free Printable Jar Lid Topper with Instructions
Free Printable Jar Label – be sure to add your signature/family name!
Twine or ribbon
Cloth for lid
Scissors & tape/glue

Cookie Jar Gift – Directions

Because jar sizes can be different, start with HALF this recipe to make sure everything will fit. Mix the sugar, baking soda & powder, flour and salt. Carefully pour into jar. Add the cocoa powder, then top with a layer of chocolate chips. If that leaves enough room for more, then do the same again! Put the lid on tightly.
Wrap a piece of twine/ribbon around the jar and secure with tape. Tape the label printable in the center.
Place the cloth over the lid and secure in place with twine or ribbon. Tape or glue the lid topper onto the top, so they know how to bake their yummy cookies!

My favorite part of this gift are the next recipe….super addictive Caramel Marshmallow Cookies!

Caramel Marshmallow Cookies – Ingredients

3/4 cup Butter, softened
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 cups Flour
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 pack Kraft Jet Puffed Marshmallows
1 pack Kraft Caramels

Caramel Marshmallow Cookies – Directions

Melt the caramels according to directions, then dip the marshmallows in so they’re covered. Place in freezer until needed. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line two cookies sheets, set aside.
Cream the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until mixed. Stir in the baking soda, baking powder and corn starch. Slowly mix in the flour until everything’s well-combined.
The cookies are large, but that works nicely for the gift basket. Roll a large piece of dough into a ball, then flatten well. Place one caramel-covered marshmallow inside, then wrap the dough so it’s covered. Make sure it’s covered well by the dough, or it will melt through…still tastes great, but doesn’t look as nice.
Bake for 12-18 minutes, or until dough is slightly browned and mostly cooked. Do not overcook, since the softness is one of the great things about this cookie!

Festive Goodie Basket

Now it’s time to take your fabulous goodies to make your Festive Goodie Baskets, so you can hand them out to your friends, neighbors, even party guests…saving you both time AND money! Since you’re taking these to people, I recommend putting the truffles and made cookies in packaging or wrap, securing it with matching twine or ribbon. Looks pretty, stays clean and safe to eat!

Supplies For Basket

Basket or Bowl
Goodies: Truffles, Cookies in a Jar, Caramel Marshmallow Cookies
Filler, such as fake grass (craft aisle at Walmart)
Green foam (that holds fake flowers, craft aisle at Walmart – to secure truffle sticks)
If desired, a mini jar to hold the foam/truffle sticks (craft aisle, less than $1)
Accent decoration (I found pretty gold leaf accents for less than $1 on clearance)

Assemble Your Basket

Place some filler in your bowl/basket. Place the Jar in securely so it stands nicely. For your truffles, put some of the green foam either directly into your basket, or into a mini jar, then stick in the sticks as such…
Wrap a little ribbon around the base of the truffle sticks to make it pretty. Place in the cookies, your accent piece and VIOLA! You’re done with a beautiful, delicious AND budget-friendly gift ready to take!

Notice my basket is color/style schemed more towards fall the Christmas? I’ve learned that another great way to save time and money during the holidays….plan and give EARLY! I give these all out during early November, which means that during the actual holidays I can really focus on what matters most: my family! Also, people get plenty later during the season, so give them a little something extra early on so it puts their season off to a wonderful start!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

May 3, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

I’m sorry if y’all are getting sick of pumpkin recipes this fall, but this one is just so delicious, I couldn’t pass up sharing it! Not only are these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars super easy to make, but the flavor combo is absolutely amazing!

If you’ve followed along my blog for awhile, you probably know how pumpkin is one of Hubby’s absolute favorite things, like our Pumpkin Breakfast Smoothie or this Pumpkin Better Than Disneyland Pie. On the flip side, I’m a total chocolate-aholic (especially brownies!), even though I do enjoy pumpkin. I try to vary up the desserts I make to hit both of our favorites, and this one was a huge hit with him (and me, even if it isn’t chocolate)!

I love snickerdoodle cookies, and their cinnamon-y goodness sounded like a fabulous flavor to mix up with pumpkin. I was sure right, because these are amazing! The cookie bars are moist and smooth, with the top adding just a bit of crunch. These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars are the perfect fall (or anytime) dessert!

Ingredients

1 cup Butter, softened
2 cups Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
3 tsp. Cinnamon
1 cup canned Pumpkin
For topping: 1/4 cup Sugar & 1 tbsp. Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line a 9×13 baking dish, set aside.
Cream the butter, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Add in the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon until smooth. Spread mixture in the baking dish.
Mix the topping (sugar and cinnamon) then sprinkle over the top of the cookie mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Serve warm or cold, with some topping (such as our Homemade Marshmallow Cream) or not. Enjoy!!!

Marshmallow Cookies with Princess Cake Frosting

May 3, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

*I was provided free product by LorAnn Oils to use for this post. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

I love stepping beyond the typical vanilla extract. I do love using it, don’t get me wrong, but there’s just a new excitement when branching out to new flavors and scents. The creative possibilities are endless with LorAnn Oils, such as with these delicious and quick Marshmallow Cookies with Princess Cake Frosting!

When I was asked to choose three items from LorAnn Oils to give a try, it took me forever to narrow it down! Seriously, they have DOZENS of delish sounding oils and emulsions to choose from! They got everything from Green Apple, Bourbon, and Cola flavorings to Horchata, Salt Water Taffy and Sparkling Wine.

Their Bakery Emulsions also come in some pretty neat flavorings, such as Butter Sweet Dough or Pumpkin Spice. The sky is really the limit with what you can create, be it a recipe, scented candle or whatever! Heck, rub some on a card to make it nicely scented. Get your creative juices flowing!

Two of the three flavors I did choose were Marshmallow Flavoring and Princess Cake & Cookie Emulsion. I thought the combination of them would be just the ticket! The cookies turned out so creamy-flavored, with a nice hint of marshmallow making it a nice, smooth taste. Then top it with this Princess Cake & Cookie Frosting to give it a little ‘hit’ of a stronger flavoring to bring one delicious (and super easy to make) cookie!

Note: when using the super strength flavorings, like this Marshmallow, start with a tiny bit. You can always add more if needed!

Marshmallow Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Sugar
8 tbsp. (1 stick) Butter, softened
1 Egg
1/8 – 1/2 tsp. Marshmallow Flavoring from LorAnn (I used about 1/4)
1/8 tsp Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 cups All-Purpose Flour

Directions

Mix the sugar, butter, egg and Marshmallow flavoring until creamy. Add the salt, baking soda and flour until mixed well. Form into cookie balls and place on a greased baking sheet, then chill about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. When ready, bake the cookies about 8-10 minutes. They will be soft, as they’re meant to be, so don’t overcook!

Princess Cake Frosting

Ingredients

2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 tbsp. Butter, softened
3-6 tbsp. Milk
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. Princess Cake & Cookie Bakery Emulsion from LorAnn

Directions

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. Add more or less milk, depending on your desired consistency.

Bonus Recipe!!!

That’s right, this afternoon I’m sharing my third flavoring choice in another delicious recipe creation! So be sure to check back!

Healthier Chocolate White Chip Cookies

May 3, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

I’m one of those people who will happily, and loudly, admit that I have a serious dessert problem, especially when it comes to chocolate. Now I could totally get away with this pre-babies, but not anymore….my waistline is jiggling at me like it’s teasing me. When your muffin-top can tease you, it may be time to pay a little more attention to what you eat. One way to ease into that is to enjoy these Healthier Chocolate White Chip Cookies!

Okay, so I admit I in no way INTENTIONALLY made these healthier. I’d been craving my No Cake Mix Red Velvet Cookies for a long while, and by golly I was going to enjoy them….and then I could watch my nutrition better 🙂 However, I was a total GOOF and forgot to put in a very crucial ingredient…..SUGAR! Uh…ooops?

Luckily, they turned out just great….not the same cookies, mind you…but still delicious, moist and a great brownie-like chocolate taste to them! Being healthier while still enjoying a delicious dessert without even meaning to? Booyah, baby!

Ingredients

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 sticks Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar, packed
2 Eggs
2 tbsp. Milk
2 tbsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 – 3/4 cup White Chocolate Chips, if desired
1/4-1/2 cup Mini Chocolate chips, if desired

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients (except the chips) in a large bowl until well-mixed. Gently stir in the chips.
Refrigerate your dough for about 2-3 hours, so your cookies won’t spread as much.
When ready to bake, do so at 350 Degrees F for about 10-12 minutes. Do NOT overcook, so they can maintain their moist deliciousness.

This totally reminds me of when I made my Lemon OOPS Cake….totally mistake that ended up tasting fabulous!

Chocolate Monster Cookie Bars

April 15, 2014 by Kelly Dedeaux

This past weekend I hosted a monthly ‘cooking club’, and it took me forever to choose what dish I wanted to try. After much debate, I decided to try my best at these Chocolate Monster Cookie Bars. They were a huge success!

How it works is, a bunch of ladies and I get together once a month for the ‘cooking club’. We take turns hosting it, and the host gets to pick the theme. Such as ‘comfort food’, and ingredient like ‘tomatoes’, or you could get really fun and do ‘red’ themed. Do you wanna take a guess at the theme I picked last week? Yup – CHOCOLATE! Oh. My. Gosh! There were so many delicious foods there with some form of chocolate, it was like Heaven! Plus, a few hours of chatting with a bunch of friends for a ladies night out is a BLAST!

So these Chocolate Monster Cookie Bars were totally an experiment, and I was so nervous giving it a try! I wanted to make something similar to my Chocolate Monster Cake, but in cookie form. Honestly, the individual cookie attempt was a failure, but the cookie BARS were fabulous. Woot Woot!

These actually require a few mini steps, so be sure to read through the entire recipe before beginning!

Ingredients – Malt Crumbs

1/2 cup Nonfat Dry Milk Powder
1/4 cup Flour
1 1/2 tbsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Cornstarch
1/2 tsp. Salt
5 tbsp. Butter, slightly softened
3 tbsp. Ovaltine Chocolate Malt Mix
3 oz. White Chocolate, melted

Directions – Malt Crumbs

Preheat oven to 275 Degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix the Milk Powder, Flour, Sugar, Cornstarch, and Salt. Cut the butter into small bits and use a fork to ‘cut’ it into the mixture. It will be clumpy…this is good!
Spread mixture on the parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the crumbs are very lightly tanned. Remove and allow to cool.
Mix the Malt Crumbs with the Ovaltine.
Drizzle the White Chocolate over the mixture and toss lightly to coat.

Ingredients – Cookie Bars

1/2 cup Butter, softened
2/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Egg, large
5 tbsp. Ovaltine Chocolate Malt Mix
2 tbsp. Water
1 cup Flour
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
Malt Crumbs (made above – you will only use 1 cup)
1-2 cups Mini Marshmallows

Directions – Cookie Bars

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray two cookie sheets, set aside.
In a bowl, use a fork to ‘smoosh’ the Butter, Brown Sugar and regular Sugar together. Mix in the Vanilla and Egg.
Stir in the remaining ingredients (except marshmallows) until well-combined, then gently mix in 1 cup Malt Crumbs.
Spread the batter among the two cookie sheets. Bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until the middle is hardly jiggly. *while cooking, make the sauce recipe below*
Allow to cool about 15 minutes. Spray an 8×8 deep baking pan.
Take half the ‘cookie’ from one of the baking sheets and line the baking pan. Spread 1/4 of the Sauce Mixture over the layer. Add the remaining half ‘cookie’ from that first baking sheet, spread another 1/4 of the Sauce Mixture over the layer. Repeat for a total of FOUR layers. Spread the Mini Marshmallows over the top of the final layer.
Chill in the fridge overnight, then remove about 3-4 hours before serving. Enjoy – warm or cold!

Ingredients – Sauce

2 2/3 cup Ovaltine Chocolate Malt Mix
8 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate Bits
2 tsp. Molasses
Pinch of Salt
2 cups Jet Puffed dried marshmallows (near the ice cream toppings)
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Corn Syrup
1/2 cup Sugar

Directions – Sauce

In a large bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, mix the Heavy Cream, Corn Syrup and Sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
While still hot, pour mixture over the large bowl. Allow to sit one minute (to melt the chocolate), then stir until glossy.