Livin' the Dream in Lima

It's the final day of my 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Challenge, and I'm going out with a bang!  Ever since moving to the 'Buckeye' state, my love for all things chocolate and peanut butter has only increased. Case in point: Butterfinger cupcakes , peanut blossoms , Reese's cupcakes , homemade Take Five bars , peanut butter cup cake pops , puppy chow cookies . I knew these cookies would be no exception, considering they start out with a a pile of these: Heaven on a plate. This cookie starts with a chocolate-peanut butter dough, and is loaded with chopped peanut butter cups. Perfectly chocolatey and perfectly peanut buttery, these cookies are almost over-the-top. Key word: almost .  They also come together really quickly! I think I had the batch made from start to finish in less than 45 minutes. A perfect last minute treat, as long as you keep a stock of Reese's cups in your pantry. (And who doesn't?) In other (exciting) news... I was feat...

Last year, I made Cookie Dough Truffles during my 25 Days of Christmas Cookies challenge, and they were very well-received by all who ate them. How can you go wrong with chocolate chip cookie dough that has absolutely no possibility of making you sick, enclosed in a layer of chocolate? I thought I'd go with the same idea and try out these Cake Batter Truffles. What is it about cake batter and cookie dough that get people (and by people, I mean myself) so excited? Sometimes I'd almost rather eat the batter or dough than the finished product.  And clearly I'm not the only one, with the abundance of cake batter ice cream , cake batter rice krispy treats , cake batter blondies , and even cake batter pancakes (?!) out there in the world. These truffles are just a little taste of cake batter enclosed in a chocolate (or vanilla) coating. The perfect little sweet treat, all wrapped up in its own little shell. I added my own sprinkles so they would be more Chris...

Oh, fudge. The only time of year I ever really think about fudge is when I'm on vacation. And they're selling it in the touristy candy shops. For like $2391/lb.  And when I'm there, it sounds sooooo good. Like Igottahaveitrightnow . But it never quite lives up to the expectation. Sickeningly sweet, hard as a rock, you know how it goes. I've never made homemade fudge before, but this Cappuccino Fudge is way better than any fudge I've had on vacation. It's very chocolatey, with just a hint of coffee flavor. The texture is spot-on, perfect to sink your teeth into. I found the recipe over at Annie's Eats ... I don't think I've ever found a recipe I didn't like over there. If you haven't checked out her site, you might want to do that soon. Just sayin'. What a wonderful gift for a teacher this would make! (Hehe...) Or anybody else special in your life. Who wouldn't love a tin of homemade fudge? Cappuccino Fudge ...

I don't remember where my mom & I got this recipe... we started baking these about 8 years ago. And haven't stopped since! The name says it all - there is a 'buried cherry' in each cookie. The cookie itself is chewy and chocolatey, and inside there's a surprise cherry! It's all topped with a unique type of frosting; it is poured over the cookie before  it's baked. It's like a cookie version of a chocolate-covered cherry! (Without all that nasty sweet white goo inside...) Here's a step-by-step break-down: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Make an indentation in each ball. Place a cherry in each indentation. Make the frosting. (And don't forget to lick the spoon. And scrape the sides of the pan.) Top with the frosting. Bake! And then wonder what to do with the leftover 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk. (What kind of recipe only calls for 1/2 cup?) I guess I could be like my friend Jen , as she tol...

Ahhh... shortbread. Sounds simple, right? Butter, sugar, and flour combine to create a flaky, buttery rich cookie.  Of course I had to go and un-simplify it. This Turtle Shortbread takes it to another level. Caramel, pecans, and chocolate... oh my. The salty-sweet combination is always one of my favorites. (Turtle Tracks ice cream any one?) The edges of the shortbread triangles are dipped into caramel, and then chopped pecans. The whole cookie is then drizzled with chocolate and topped with a pecan half. A little bit of work, but they turn out beautifully!  I'm taking these to work tomorrow... hopefully they will ease the way back into the school week! (hmmm... only 13 school days until break...) Turtle Shortbread Cookies Servings/Yield 3 dozen cookies For the cookies 2   cups   all-purpose flour ¼   teaspoon   salt 1   cup   unsalted butter, softened ½   cup   powdered sugar 1   teaspoon   vani...

Who says a brownie can't be part of a Christmas cookie collection? These are perfect for the winter season - rich and chocolatey with just a hint of peppermint. They're topped with chopped Hershey Candy Cane Kisses, way better than crushed candy canes or peppermints.  (No sharp edges!)  And a little story... I don't typically bake brownies from scratch. I have before, and the results are always sub-par. As in, they aren't as good box brownies. Somehow Betty Crocker wins every time. But these... are better  than box brownies. Yes, it's true. Not cakey at all, rich and fudgy. I think part of that is because there are four entire Hershey milk chocolate bars stuffed into the center.  I think you should make these sometime before Christmas. And perhaps grab a pint of peppermint ice cream to go with them.  Peppermint Brownies Servings/Yield 20-24 brownies 8-oz.   unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped 1½   cups   unsalt...

These cookies might just be my absolute favorite cookies. EVER. I've mentioned before that I worked at a bakery/cafe (Katie's Cafe) during high school & college. And I absolutely loved it.  Cookies were definitely one of the most popular items at Katie's Cafe - there were always at least a dozen freshly baked varieties up for grabs. And, they were huge!  Think cookies the size of your face. My favorite cookie from Katie's was the Peanut Butter Cup - rich peanut buttery cookie dough, smooshed into a muffin cup and baked, and then filled with chocolate frosting. Like an inside out Reese's cup, in cookie form. I've made some slight adaptations to the cookie, making it even more decadent. Instead of filling it with a powdered sugar chocolate frosting, I've filled it with a deep chocolate ganache. Yum.  Sinking your teeth into the soft chocolate ganache then the chewy peanut butter cookie might just be the best bite ever. However, these...

Last year, about this time, I embarked on my first ever blog challenge. I challenged myself to bake twenty-five different types of Christmas cookies, and blog about them. I called it the "25 Days of Christmas Cookies." I almost  completed the challenge, but slacked off a bit on Days 24 & 25. (aka Christmas Eve & Christmas. I might have been a bit pre-occupied with other things...) This year, I thought about doing the same challenge, but as my students would say, "That's doin' too much." Heh. Honestly, it was a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of ingredients, and a lot of cookies! So this year I've decided to do just "12 Days of Christmas Cookies". Still lots of fun but not as overwhelming. I'll be starting tomorrow, so make sure to check back each day from December 1st through 12th for a fun new holiday treat! If you're interested in seeing what I made last year, here it is! They include some of my family favorites, al...