Fudgy Cookies Two Ways

These cookies are super cool because A) they look cool and B) they are easy & very muy tasty! The cookie itself taste like a really fudgy brownie, which, helloooo, who doesn't love a fudgy brownie? Anywho, the recipe says it makes 60 cookies I leaned a little less than that. I think because I tend to make my cookies a little on the bigger side ;)

I took the batter and split it into two to make two different types of cookies. The first is the Chocolate Candy Cane Cookie made with candy cane flavored Hershey's Kisses & the second is the Chocolate Caramel Cookie made with Hershey's Caramel filled Kisses and the batter is spiked with a little cinnamon wich tastes fantastic with the caramel. If you are worried the cinnamon will be over powering it really isn't, it's just in the background to where you taste it but you're not sure if that's what you're tasting, but it's definately there and definately a great compliment to the caramel.

I got nothing else to say except, enjoy!



Fudgy Cookies Two Ways
Original Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
Mother Batter
1/3 cup butter or margarine
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

Candy Cane Cookies:
24-30 unwrapped candy cane kisses

Chocolate Caramel Cookies:
1/2 tspn cinnamon
24-30 unwrapped caramel kisses


Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter and chocolate on High 1 minute. Stir; microwave on High 1 minute longer or until butter is melted and chocolate can be stirred smooth.

2. Stir condensed milk into chocolate mixture. This will make roughly 2 cups. At this point (if you are making both cookies you want to start splitting your ingredients). Seperate into 1 cup portions and pour each cup into a seperate bowl.

3. Split the Sugar Cookie cookie mix too, it's roughly 3 cups so (1 1/2 cups each).


For the Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies:
1. Stir cookie mix into chocolate mixture until well blended (this will take some elbow grease).

2. Using 1 level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, shape into 30 balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until edges lose their shiny look (do not overbake). Immediately press 1 candy into center of each cookie. Cool cookies on cookie sheet 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. To get candy to spread slightly on top of cookie, tap edge of each cookie lightly. Cool completely. Store covered at room temperature.


For the Chocolate Caramel Kiss Cookies
1. Stir cookie mix and cinnamon into chocolate mixture until well blended (this will take some elbow grease).

2. Using 1 level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, shape into 30 balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until edges lose their shiny look (do not overbake). Immediately press 1 candy into center of each cookie. Cool cookies on cookie sheet 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely. Store covered at room temperature.

Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies w/Pumpkin Buttercream Filling

If you love pumpkin, you'll be in pumpkin heaven with these cookies. The cookie itself taste cake-like and the filling is to die! The recipe for the cookies I got from the Land O Lakes website. And as previously mentioned they are cake-like meaning they are spongy and delicious! The cookies are incredibly tasty on their own and could stand on their own without the filling, if you're looking to cut down on the calories but why would you want to do that? It's the HOLIDAYS for crying outloud! So indulge.

The filling the Land O Lakes recipe calls for sounds absolutely amazing, well anything with cream cheese is absolutely amazing, but that's neither here nor there. I didn't use the filling in the recipe because I was shipping the cookies to another state and some people would frown on the mere suggestion of shipping unrefrigerated cream cheese across state lines. So instead I used a Pumpkin Buttercream filling I found at Ashlees Cooking Blog. And believe me when I say it's Thanksgiving decadence at it's best! These are a must try and disregard my crappy picture. I was going to take another picture today but there was only one cookie left -yep, they're that good!

The cooking time for the cookies is kinda tricky -I blame my oven- but incase it's not my oven I'm warning you they may have to be in the oven for almost twice as long as the recipe states. That is about the only draw back. The filling is enough to do all the cookies plus you'll have some leftover. I rolled the leftover filling in plastic wrap & popped it back in the fridge to solidify. I thought it would make a great compound butter to be served at Thanksgiving with rolls. Anyway, on with the recipe.

Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies with Pumpkin Buttercream Filling
Recipes Courtesy of Land O' Lakes & Ashlee's Cooking Blog

Cookie Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
*If you don't have pumpkin spice substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Filling Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar




Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add pumpkin, milk, egg and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Beat until well mixed.

Drop batter by level measuring tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes (I would eyeball it because again they are "cake-like" mine I timed at 32 min.) or until set and lightly browned around edges. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.

For the Pumpkin Buttercream: Cream butter and pumpkin with a mixer or in a stand mixer. Turn to low, add in cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla. Slowly add sugar 1/2 c. at a time until the buttercream is creamy.
**Note: The pumpkin will make it look grainy if there isn't enough sugar mixed in. (this didn't happen to me but if it does this is why another thing she mentions is seperating due to the pumpkin puree this also didn't happen to me.)

Spread 1 teaspoon or less of filling onto bottom-side of 1 cookie. Top with another cookie, bottom-side down. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Sprinkle filled cookies with powdered sugar.

Lake O' Lakes Recipe Tip:
For perfectly round cookies, pipe batter in 1-inch circle on parchment-lined cookie sheets, using piping bag without a tip

Treats for Abbey

I first made these treats for my little brother in law's dog Simba. And Simba was absolutely bananas over them, so I decided there was another special doggy that would want some of these as well. That doggy is Abbey Jones from Seattle. Abbey is just about the sweetest dog you can imagine and best behaved too -mostly inpart to her owner, or should I say, her Mom Marisa.

These treats are biscuit like but they do not fluff up like a biscuit when you bake them, nor do they spread out like cookies. So when you are scooping the dough keep in mind that, that is the size & shape in which the "biscuit" will end up in. I used a rounded teaspoon the second batch around. I learned my lesson with the first batch that ended up looking like, what can only be described as, dog poo pile biscuits. Not very appealing but Simba didn't mind.

Peanut Butter & Cheese Biscuits

Source: Jill's Mom

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbs peanut butter

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg white

1 Tbs chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400FMix flour and milk until lumpy. Add peanut butter and broth. Mix in parmesan cheese. Add egg white, mix well. Add baking powder. Pour onto greased cookie sheet, making 2" drops (recommend smaller). Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool. Keep in airtight container.

*I keep Simba's in the refrigerator but I think they could probably be stored at room temperature but I don't think they would last as long. Oh and one last picture of Abbey being oh so cute!