Cookie Dough Brownies

 I really do love brownies and these are one of my favorite ways to dress a brownie up. It is rich and delicious and pretty much a perfect way to indulge after dinner. The gal from Cookies and Cups is always posting creative and delicious treats. This is a great one! She made her brownies from scratch, which I would suggest if you have the time and the ingredients, but we were in a pinch and used our favorite box mix. It worked out great, but definitely follow her advice of letting the brownies cool overnight or refrigerate them until completely cool! You can try just plain ol' chocolate chip cookie dough, or jazz it up with some Reese's Pieces! The taste of peanut butter was a nice touch. :) 

Cookie Dough Brownies

Recipe from Cookies and Cups 

Brownie layer:

(You can use a box mix or follow the recipe below from her website)

1 c. butter

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (She used Hershey's Special Dark)

2 1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line 9x13 baking pan with foil, so the bottom and sides are covered. Spray with cooking spray. Melt 2 sticks of butter in a medium saucepan; add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla; beat with a spoon until combined. Add flour and baking powder; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

*Good tip for brownies is remove from oven when toothpick inserted 1-2 inches from edge comes out clean.

Allow brownies to cool completely before moving on to the next step.

Cookie dough layer:

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (and/or Reese's Pieces)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and cream together. Add flour and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in an even layer on top of cooled brownies. Chill for at least 15 minutes in fridge before adding the chocolate topping.

Chocolate topping layer:

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tbsp. Crisco shortening

Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave for 1 minute, stirring until smooth. Spread over the cookie dough layer and chill until topping is set. Keep refrigerated until serving.

This dessert is best served cold!!! Enjoy!

Cheryl's Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My mom would make these bars a lot when I was a little girl and I LOVED them. She got the recipe from her good friend Cheryl. I had forgotten about this recipe until I went home for a visit this last month and my sister made them for our lunch. They were so good, even better than I remembered. I went home and made them the next day! I guess you could say these are basically Blondies, but around these parts we call them chocolate chip cookie bars! 

Cheryl's Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

from Cheryl Betenson

*double recipe for jelly roll pan size

2 eggs, beat til foamy

1 ½ c brown sugar

2/3 c oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

1 c chocolate chips

1 c caramel bits *optional

Beat together eggs, brown sugar and oil. Then add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together then add to wet mixture. Finally add chocolate chips, *and caramel bits. Place in 9x13 and cook @ 350 for 20-25 min.


These are linked up at Sweet as Sugar Cookies. So go check them out and all the other Saturday Sweets!!!

Sugar Cookie Bars

Wouldn't these make the most perfect dessert for you family or sweetheart tonight? Well that is what my sister Aimee did for her family. She said, "The best part about these bars, besides their simplicity, is that every bite is like eating the center of a sugar cookie which happens to be my favorite bite." I think we can all agree that that is THE best bite of the sugar cookie! And you don't have to mess around with rolling them out and shaping them. Just make the dough and through it in your pan and you are good to go! So simple! Try this delicious recipe today!

 Makes a ton!

 So perfect for Valentine's Day, love the tri-colors! We used a buttercream frosting instead of the cream cheese frosting, but use whichever you like!

 Mmmmm!

Sugar Cookie Bars
recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything, original source BreeAnn Fankhauser


Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test). Cool completely and frost.


Buttercream Frosting
1/3 c butter, softened
4 1/2 cups sifted, powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla


Beat butter until very fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered, sifted sugar. Beat well. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar. If desired, tint with food coloring.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz block) softened 
1 tsp vanilla (I used almond extract for half of the frosting)
¼ tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

For frosting combine butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk a little at a time and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. You may not need all the milk! Spread over cooled cookie bars.

Cakey Fudge Bars

Super easy and yummy! My kind of treat. 

Cakey Fudge Bars
adapted from One Crazy Cookie


1 package yellow or white cake mix (*I used yellow)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter


Combine cake mix, eggs and oil. Press 2/3 mix into a 13 x 9 greased pan.                                                           

Place the butter, milk and chocolate chips in a bowl.  Microwave until everything is melted and smooth. Stir after each 30 seconds. (Approximately  2 1/2 minutes.) (*However I only did it for about 2 minutes and I loved the occasional crunch I would get from the unmelted bits). Pour over top of cake mixture. Drop the rest of the cake mixture on top of the chocolate. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool before cutting. 

*Best served when completely cooled.