Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Hello everyone! Happy Monday and a very happy Memorial Day to you! I'm going to go out and watch the parade in a few minutes, so I'll make this short and sweet! I've seen this Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie on a few different blogs lately, so I decided to try it out! I mean, I love chocolate chip cookies, so one big giant one must be pretty good, right? It definitely is! It took just a few minutes, one bowl, one spoon and a cast iron skillet to throw this together. It was definitely a simple and delicious treat that I will be making again soon! The cookie is chewy and soft throughout and so, so yummy! This would be a different and interesting option to bring to a Memorial Day cookout or picnic. Try it out soon and let me know what you think!!

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie (Source: Cookie and Cups)

3/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, combine butter and sugars. Stir until there are no more lumps.
Add in vanilla, egg and yolk. Stir until mixture is smooth and egg is fully incorporated.
Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips. Press evenly into a 10" cast iron skillet. Bake 15-20 minutes until edges start to brown. Don't overcook. The center will appear slightly loose. Let cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Scoop onto plates or bowls. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. YIELD: 12-15 servings

Have a wonderful holiday!! Come back soon. :) 

Chocolate Mallow Pie

 I've been sick the past few days, but I'm feeling a little bit better today! I hate complaining here on my blog, but I'm a normal person. I mean, I do sometimes have bad days. Very rarely though, because my life is pretty awesome. I love what I do (the baking & blogging), I'm starting college in the fall and I'll be studying things that I love, and I've got the best family anyone could ask for! Oh, and it's the weekend. And! It's almost summer! Can you believe that Memorial Day is on Monday!?!!? Wow, where has this year gone? Anyway, sometimes I just get in this weird mood where I feel the need to be thankful about everything. But, that's not weird. I mean, people should be thankful for everything they have. That's what makes a person truly happy. Well, I'm rambling now, so let's move on!

I don't really like pie. Like traditional pies with crusts and fillings, I'm just not a fan. I don't like crust. At all! Unless, it's a graham cracker crumb crust. Or better yet, an Oreo crumb crust! That's why I'm love this Chocolate Mallow Pie so so much! It is the best. Hands down. My family prefers this pie over it, but I could eat this pie everyday. It's rich. Really, really rich. It's filled with whipped topping, chocolate chips, cream cheese, marshmallows - what's not to love!? It's fudgy and chocolatey and oh-so-good. I didn't have time to make a crust, so I used store-bought, but I highly recommend making it at home. It's so much better. The filling makes enough to fill two store-bought crusts, or make one really high pie. You could go either way I guess. Whatever you do, just make it soon. It's one of my favorites!!

Chocolate Mallow Pie (Source: Taste of Home)

1-1/4 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (about 14 cookies)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1-1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cup mini marshmallows
Chocolate curls, if desired

 In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter and sugar. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until set; cool completely on a wire rack.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and chocolate syrup until blended. Beat in melted chips. Set aside 1/4 cup whipped topping. Fold marshmallows and remaining whipped topping into chocolate mixture.
Spoon into crust. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight. Top with reserved whipped topping. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired. YIELD: 8-10 servings

What are you thankful for?
Have a great weekend!! :)

Desserts for a Weekend Party

My uncle hosted a little party on Saturday. It was a ton of fun and you can read all about what we did right here. He asked that I bring desserts and I was more than happy too! This is what I made:

1. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Classic - always a crowd-pleaser!

2. Blueberry Crisp. So tasty! 

3. Brownies. This is the best recipe I've ever made! 

4. Mini Cheesecakes. Who doesn't love cheesecake?? 

Have a wonderful week. Come back soon! 

Blueberry Crisp

 Well, I've been baking up a storm all weekend preparing for a little get together my uncle hosted on Saturday. I'll give you a round up of everything I made on Wednesday, but today I'll share this Blueberry Crisp. I don't normally make fruity desserts - I'm more of a chocolate/peanut butter lover, but I'm really trying to step outside of my comfort zone. Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits so this seemed like a good recipe to start with. First of all, it is super easy! And so delicious! It really is the perfect summer dessert - warm, fruity and crisp. I liked it a lot, and I'll definitely be trying it again sometime soon. Maybe I'll even experiment with different types of fruits. Blackberries, raspberries, maybe even strawberries? Enjoy!

Blueberry Crisp (Source: Brown Eyed Baker)

1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, gently toss blueberries and sugar; set aside. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture into an 8"x8" baking pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over berries. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until berries are bubbly and topping is golden brown. YIELD: 6-8 servings.

Happy Monday! Come back soon :)

New York Style Crumb Cake

With all the craziness this week (my brother crashing his truck), I totally forgot to mention this odd little incident. Last Friday, my sister-in-law took my sister and me to the mall. After shopping for a little while, we hit the food court to get a little snack. I have an obsession with soft pretzels (especially with caramel dip, that may sound weird, but it's actually amazing!) so I bought a pretzel. After I paid, the guy was like "Happy Mother's Day! .......if you're a mother? Maybe you're not, but that's okay too!" My sister-in-law was behind me with my nephew, so maybe he thought my nephew was my kid? But do I actually look old enough to have kids!?!? Kind of weird. But the pretzel was tasty! And my nephew got the entire table sticky. Hahahaha.

Last night, I made this New York Style Crumb Cake. It's so delicious! The cake is super moist and yummy. The crumb topping, which is usually the best part, wasn't so good though. I thought it was a bit salty. Other than that, it was really good and so so easy! Actually, it was much quicker to put together than I though it would be. It makes for a tasty snack with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk! Enjoy!

(Source)

New York Style Crumb Cake (Source: Tracey's Culinary Adventures)


Crumb Topping
1/3 cup (2 2/3 oz) granulated sugar 
1/3 cup (2 2/3 oz) dark brown sugar 
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1 3/4 cups (7 oz) cake flour 
Cake
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) cake flour 
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
confectioners' sugar (optional, to finish)

To make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together both sugars, the cinnamon, salt and melted butter. Add the cake flour and use a rubber spatula to fold it in until cohesive. The mixture will be very thick. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes. 
To make the cake: Preheat oven to 325 F with a rack in the upper third. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides so you can lift the cake out afterward. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low briefly to combine. With the mixer still on low, add the butter, one piece at a time, and continue mixing until the mixture is crumbly, about 1-2 minutes (there shouldn't be any visible chunks of butter left). Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk and increase the mixer to medium-high speed. Beat until the batter is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. 
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and spread into an even layer. Pick up the crumb topping by handfuls, and break off chunks, scattering them over the top of the batter. Use all of the topping - it will be a thick layer. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the pan to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes, before using the foil handles to lift the cake out of the pan. Cut into squares for serving (dusting with confectioners' sugar to finish if desired). YIELD: 16 pieces


Have a wonderful weekend! Come back next week :) 

Thick 'n' Fudgy Brownies

Well, there really never is a dull moment in our house. On Monday, we were babysitting my nephew and niece, and my mom got a call from my brother. Then she ran upstairs, got my dad, rushed back down, told me to take care of my nephew and niece and left! A little while later she called and said that my brother had been in an accident. It was raining that day, and his truck slid going around a curve. He lost control of the truck and slammed into a tree. The truck was nearly totaled, but we are all very grateful that he made it out with just a scratched knee! I think he's leaning toward selling it now, and trying to find a new truck. I'm not really sure though ... we'll see how it goes! We're beyond thankful that he's alright though!

A few days ago, I told my sister-in-law that if I could do anything for one day, I'd lay in bed and eat pizza and brownies all day. I would need some kind of endless stomach though, so that I wouldn't gain weight or get full! Anyway, I then started craving brownies for days, so I baked some! And I found the ultimate recipe. The best I've ever made. The best I've ever had. Just the best, period. The recipe was a little bit different then any other I've tried; it used brown sugar as well as granulated. Maybe that's why it was so good, I really don't know. But these brownies, were thick, chewy, fudgy, and everything a brownie should be! I'll probably never use or try another recipe again! Try these out soon.

Thick 'n' Fudgy Brownies (Source: Cookies and Cups)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 13x9 baking pan with aluminum foil and butter generously.
Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat.
Whisk both sugars into chocolate mixture. Add in eggs one at a time, and then add vanilla. Whisk until combined. Stir in flour and salt until evenly incorporated. and pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 35-40 minutes until center is set and a toothpick placed 2 inches away from edge comes out clean.
Let brownies cool completely before cutting into squares. YIELD: 24 brownies

Have an amazing week!! 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

Hello and happy Monday! Well, we didn't end up taking that road trip on Saturday; instead I spent the day sleeping in (really late ... like, embarrassingly late), doing some chores around the house and baking cookies. And also, my uncle invited us to a barbecue he's having next week. Just a small gathering with family, it should be lots of fun! I'm in charge of desserts, so I know what I'll be doing next week!

Remember that cheesecake fail I told you about on Friday? Turns out, it wasn't really a fail! It actually turned into an incredibly delicious dessert! I made this Chocolate Covered Strawberries Cheesecake this past weekend, but I didn't have eggs. So I substituted milk. It seemed to work, other than the fact that the cheesecake didn't really rise. It was a little on the thin side, but that didn't matter since it had a topping. It starts with a vanilla crumb crust - simple, easy & tasty! Next is a layer of creamy cheesecake. I topped it all off with sliced strawberries and a drizzle of chocolate! Chocolate and strawberries is always an amazing combination, but throw a cheesecake in the mix? You've got yourself one of the best desserts I've ever had! The original recipe tells you to add a vanilla mousse layer on top of the cheesecake, but I opted to leave it off. Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake (Source: Cookies and Cups)

40 Nilla wafers, crushed
3 TBSP butter, melted
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP vanilla
3 eggs
1 pint strawberries, sliced
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine crushed wafers and butter and press into the bottom of an ungreased spring-form pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until combined and smooth. Reduce speed to low, and eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Pour over crust and bake 45-50 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen from sides. Cool completely in pan. When cheesecake is completely chilled, arrange sliced strawberries over top. Melt the chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl. Drizzle over strawberries. Slice and serve! YIELD: 8-10 servings

Have a wonderful week, and come back soon. :)