Chewy Chocolate Chip Snickers Cookies

I have a love for chocolate chip cookies, if you haven't noticed. So, whenever I am suffering a severe sweet craving (which is typically every single day) I look for a quick cookie recipe I can consume right out of the oven.

This week, I went for these chewy chocolate chip snickers cookies...YUM. Snickers and chocolate chip cookies work very well together, let me tell you. These cookies use brown butter, which gives them a bit of a toffee flavor which is simply divine. The snickers stuffed in the middle is a nice, hidden surprise in the center of all that chewy cookie goodness.

I'm starting to think you can't go wrong with these cookie mashups.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Snickers Cookies (makes 24-30 cookies)
Recipe from Bakers Royale

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sliced Snickers, (approximately 4 king size candy bars or one bag of mini size snickers)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place flour and baking soda together in a bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
3. Place 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about two minutes. Continue cooking and using the handle of pan to swirl the butter around in the skillet. Swirl butter constantly until it becomes a dark golden brown in color and gives off a nutty aroma, around 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Stir in remaining 6 tablespoons of butter into hot butter until completely melted.
4. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to brown butter mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Add eggs and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Rest the mixture for 3 minutes, then whisk for another 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
5. Using a cookie scoop, small ice cream scoop, or small spoon, scoop out approximately two heaping tablespoons of dough and flatten it into a round disc and place a Snickers slice on top. Fold edges over Snickers to seal it in. (*Optional: For added richness press in chopped Snickers on top...I didn't end up doing this!). Place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets.
6. Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, about 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool cookies.

Yes, there's a Snickers wrapped up in all that deliciousness.

Blueberry-Buttermilk Breakfast Cake

                           

It's healthy because it's stuffed full of blueberries, am I right??!

I have no doubt that my dad is the greatest (and cutest) man to have ever walked the planet. As a married man AND the father of 3 daughters, he is truly a saint. He gives so much of himself for us, works hard to provide our family a wonderful life, and helps around the house A LOT! I will eternally be indebted to him for all he has done for me and I am so lucky to have him as a father. Love you, Dad!!!

In order to properly honor my dad on Father's Day, I decided to make him breakfast :). Nothing says love like waking up to an amazing meal!

My dad loves cobblers and fruity desserts, so when I came across this Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake recipe, I knew he'd absolutely love it! And lucky for me, we had about 2 tons of blueberries sitting in our fridge (LOVE summer berries!).

What's best about this dessert? It's clearly a health food. It's packed with blueberries which are packed with antioxidants which in turn means that eating half of the pan by yourself in one sitting is actually a good idea. Really. You're doing yourself a favor.

The cake was the perfect breakfast sweet (healthy sweet, y'all...remember?). It was light, fluffy, and slightly flaky. It had a buttery taste as any good (healthy) breakfast cake should, while the lemon zest was a refreshing complement to the blueberries. We ate our cake the day after I made it, so we heated it up in the microwave before consuming and it was so tasty when served warm. Pair it with a cup of coffee and your morning will promise to be a little slice of summery heaven.

Blueberry-Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
Recipe from Alexandra's Kitchen

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp. lemon zest or more - zest from one large lemon
• 7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

*7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
**This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top of the cake.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter with lemon zest and the 7/8 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with 1/4 cup of flour in a small bowl, then whisk together the remaining flour (1 3/4 cup), baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar, like I used) with butter or non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 more minutes might me necessary. I had to leave mine in for 12 more minutes.) Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Had to proudly show off this beauty. 

Fresh blueberries. Yum, yum, yum!

Batter...covered in sugar, delish!

And it's pretty!

Miniature Peanut Butter Cheesecakes

Look at that Reese's poking through! Yum!

Although Father's Day just passed, I'd like to share with you all some of the treats I made for the occasion!

The boys I babysit decided they wanted to do something special for their dad. Aside from making cards and pencil holders, we decided to bake their father a special treat! The boys mentioned their dad loves cheesecake and he loves peanut butter. My first thought: find a recipe to combine the two!

We found this recipe for Miniature Peanut Butter Cheesecakes and knew it would be the perfect combo (although we knew we wanted to double it). All three of us put in effort to make these delicious bite-sized cheesecakes. It couldn't have been easier, and it's a fun recipe for kids! 

These were magnificent. For me, though, cheesecake and a Reese's could never yield a negative result, but I think you will all agree that these are delicious as well as a fun and different take on dessert! The Reese's in the middle is a nice "surprise" and I love how cute and adorable these mini treats are.

Naturally, I forgot to bring my camera to take pictures of these delicious goodies. Sorry if the iPhone photos just don't do this dessert justice.

Miniature Peanut Butter Cheesecakes

Recipe form Taste of Home

     Crust:

• 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 5 teaspoons butter, melted

     Cheesecake Filling:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons beaten egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 miniature peanut butter cups

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press onto the bottom of six paper-lined muffin cups; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat on low speed until just combined. 
3. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each muffin cup. Then, fill the muffin cups with the cream cheese mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until center is set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Yields 6 servings.

Neiman Marcus Cake

Birthday Fun!

Cake Mix makes this recipe SUPER easy!

I may not be able to afford anything at Neiman Marcus, but I will certainly eat as decadently as one of their shoppers! (Lolz. Trying to be funny. Is it working???)

During my family's trip to California, we were able to celebrate my wonderful Aunt and Godmother's birthday. Living so far from our extended family, this rarely happens so we were excited to be able to share in the fun! I decided to bake a cake for my Aunt Cathy's birthday just as a token of my love! I needed an easy recipe, though, because I wanted to fully enjoy my vacation time (and not completely destroy my grandmother's kitchen!).

Before my trip, I had looked up recipes that use cake mix because I found about 5 boxes in my family's pantry. I came across this Neiman Marcus Cake recipe and knew that I had to make it at some point. Despite it's simplicity (it was so easy to make), it was completely delicious. Made with some of life's most decadent ingredients, it was an absolute treat. It was gooey, buttery, and rich, and when topped with cool whip and fresh berries it was the perfect dessert for a summer party! Enjoy!

Neiman Marcus Cake

Recipe from All Recipes

• 1 (18.25 oz.) package yellow cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese (I used 1/3 the fat)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. Combine the yellow cake mix, 2 of the eggs, and the butter or margarine and mix well. The batter should be stiff. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and the remaining 2 eggs. Mix well and pour over the top of the cake batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Look at my Nana's old school mixer!

Cake Batter

Cream Cheese Mixture

Yumz!

"Use What You Have" Mini Quiches

WHOA. Sorry about that major hiatus from the blogging world. I was merely soaking up the sun in beautiful Southern California with my family. It was a wonderful time and I was currently not ready to head home and get back to reality. I am terrible at saying goodbye and it never gets any easier!

Before we left for our vacation, my mom and I whipped together some of her favorite mini quiches. These are so easy to make, freeze, and heat for breakfast/lunch/dinner - you name it! The best part is, this recipe gives you the freedom to take what veggies or meats that you have around and throw them in to be baked. Eggs are versatile and I appreciate that.

In this last batch of quiches, we used a whole bag of Trader Joe's of organic frozen, chopped spinach; half of a chopped red bell pepper; half of a chopped orange bell pepper; one small, diced yellow squash; one medium, diced zucchini; a quarter of a minced onion; one carton of egg beaters; and some grated swiss cheese. After combining all the veggies, you just heat them in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Using the egg beaters makes these super healthy and light and a perfect poppable meal. We throw them in a freezer bag and heat them in the microwave on HIGH for about 1 minute and 45 seconds and they are absolutely fabulous! Couldn't be easier to whip together!

"Use What You Have" Mini Quiches**
Recipe from My Mama!

• 1 bag frozen, chopped spinach
• 1/2 chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 chopped orange bell pepper
• 1 small, diced yellow squash
• 1 medium, diced zucchini
• 1/4 minced onion
• 1 carton egg beaters
• Grated swiss cheese (about 6 oz.)

**Like I said, use what you have! We have added mushrooms to these, feta cheese, ham, turkey bacon, whatever you please!***

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Grease 12-18 muffin tins by spraying with Pam.
3. If using spinach, cook it on high in the microwave for 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and press out all liquid using paper towels.
4. Combine your eggs, veggies, meats, and cheeses into a large bowl.
5. Pour egg mixture into muffin tins (12-18 depending on how big you'd like them).
6. Bake quiches for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly on edges.
7. Serve hot or freeze them and microwave when hungry!

Banana Crumb Muffins

Do you know the muffin man? The muffin man? The muffin man. Yes...I know the muffin man. Who lives on Drury Lane? Well, she's married to the muffin man! (Never gets old.)

I have been repeating these lines from the award-winning motion picture, Shrek, for days much to my family's dismay, but these muffins just make me so happy.

I secretly love when bananas are too ripe to be eaten "normally." In a family that hates waste, overripe bananas usually mean some delicious banana concoction will be whipped up. At my house, we are always ready for banana chocolate chip bread, but this weekend I decided that we (I) wanted muffins.

These have the perfect banana flavor, and the crumb topping absolutely makes them. I couldn't wait to pull them out of the oven. When baked, they smell exactly like an Auntie Anne's cinnamon sugar pretzel and by that I mean they smell like heaven. And of course, they taste just as good as they smell. The crumble topping adds a bit of texture to the soft muffins. I am drooling thinking about them and while I will not explicitly say how many of these muffins I have consumed in the past 24 hours (I have to maintain some shred of dignity!), let's just say I am definitely adding them to my list of favorite banana treats. They are great when served warm, with a touch of butter. Nom away, my friends.

Banana Crumb Muffins
Recipe from Pip and Ebby

     Muffin:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large ripened bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

     Crumb Topping:

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions (see pictures below)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin papers, or you can grease the muffin cups and forgo the papers. I prefer to use muffin papers, though, because I think it keeps the muffins more fresh.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour for the muffins, the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate medium bowl, combine the mashed bananas, sugar, egg, and (1/3 cup) melted butter.
4. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened. 
5. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups.
6. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, (4 tablespoons) flour, and ground cinnamon for the crumb topping. Cut in the 2 tablespoons of melted butter until the mixture is moist.
7. Sprinkle topping over the muffin batter inside prepared muffin cups.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Flour Mixture

Banana Mixture                                     

Banana and Flour

Crumb Topping. Yum!

Ready for the oven!

Weight Watchers Cheesecake Squares

(Sorry for these not so great pictures, they don't do justice to the flavor!)

I had no idea this recipe was from Weight Watchers (five points, in case you are wondering) when I originally found it BUT who doesn't love a a more guilt free dessert?!?!

I made these M&M Cheesecake Squares for my good friend, Alexandra, who just returned from her semester abroad in Ecuador. We met for lunch and it was great to hear about all of her adventures. She lived with a host family in Quito, did a lot of hiking, and took a sculpting class! She is so adventurous! She hope to be an advocate for women's health in the Latina community and is extremely driven. Overall,  I am so amazed by people who study abroad. They have the most incredible experiences and are brave enough to experience it all in a foreign country. I had many friends study abroad this past semester and am looking forward to reuniting with them to hear all their stories!

When I asked Alexandra what I should bake for her, she mentioned her love for M&M's and we both knew this bars would be delish. The crumble topping is incredible and the walnuts add a little extra flavor. These did not fail to deliver. Like I said, you can't go wrong with cheesecake.

Weight Watchers Cheesecake Squares
Recipe from Weight Watchers Recipes

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup M&M (or Smarties) candy - I used M&M's!
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat the margarine and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the walnuts and flour; mix well.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture you've just made; press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch square pan.
5. Bake the crumb mixture at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
6. Combine the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla; using an electric mixer, mix at medium speed until well blended.
7. Add the egg; mix well.
8. Layer 1/2 cup of the M&M's (or Smarties) candies over the crust; top with the cream cheese mixture.
9. Combine the remaining candy and reserved crumb mixture; mix well.
10. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the cream cheese mixture. 
11. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
12. Let cool completely before serving.