Chocolate Chocolate Cake with Brownie Batter Frosting

Chocolate Chocolate Cake with Brownie Batter Frosting


Serves 16?
A rich, chocolaty cake perfect for a birthday, special occasion, or just because.  A brownie layer is sandwiched between two layers of chocolate cake, and it's all wrapped in a delicious brownie batter frosting.  And who doesn't love extra chocolate chips on the outside?
Inspired by: Baby Gizmo and Beyond Frosting

Cake:
Chocolate cake mix, any chocolate flavor
Brownie mix (13x9 family size)
5 eggs (to be used for the cake and brownie mix)
Vegetable oil
One 12-oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Two (or three) 8" round pans

Frosting:
2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp  Unsweetened dark cocoa powder (I used Hersey’s Special Dark)
1 cup powdered brownie mix (from a box)
2 tsp Milk
3 heaping cups Powdered sugar

Garnish:

8 oz. dark chocolate chips

 

• 
• Cake Layers:
• Make the chocolate cake according to the box. Pour batter evenly into two lightly greased 9″ round pans and bake at 350 degrees for 32-37 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a plate to cool completely.

• Brownie Layer:
  Make the brownie mix according to the package. Pour entire brownie batter into one (1) lightly greased 9″ round pan. Make sure the brownie pan is the same size as the cake pans that you used!  Bake the brownie at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Watch the brownies carefully as not to overcook them but make sure they aren’t completely doughy in the center.Cool in pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a plate to cool completely. I found it was easiest to remove the brownie carefully using a wide spatula underneath.
  
  Frosting:
  Using a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and vanilla extract, beating on a medium speed until smooth.
  In a separate bowl, sift cocoa powder and brownie mix together. Yes, you must sift this! The fine powder ensures it will properly mix into your batter. I prefer to use the special dark cocoa powder because I love how the dark chocolate flavor enhances the brownie taste. Add your butter and mix on medium speed until well combined.
  Next, add 2 tsp of milk and beat into the frosting. I added the milk because it adds a real creaminess to the frosting. The frosting will be a little grainy, which is very reminiscent of actual brownie batter. I tested this frosting will several different amounts of milk, the more milk you add, the creamier the frosting will be, but it will dilute the taste of the brownie batter.
  Continue to slowly add your powdered sugar while beating on a medium speed. Your batter will be come very thick. Once you have added all of your powdered sugar, quickly add your corn syrup and continue to beat until well combined.
  Lastly, add 2 tsp hot water and increase speed to medium-high for 30 seconds until well mixed. I like to increase the speed at the end to help make the frosting a little bit lighter.
  Frost the top of the brownie layer with about 1/6 of the frosting. Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips on that layer. Carefully place the 2nd cake layer on top of the brownie layer. Carefully frost the top and sides of the cake with the remainder of the frosting.
• 
  BEFORE THE FROSTING SETS, you need to apply the chocolate chips to the outside. Take a handful of chocolate chips at a time and firmly press against the side of the cake until most of the chips stick. Some chips will fall to the plate and you will use those to fill in the holes.
  Repeat this process around the entire cake. Take the fallen chips and the chips that you have left and fill in the holes and sprinkle on top.

Assembly:
Pick the plate you want the cake to be displayed on and start with one (1) cake layer. Frost the top of the cake layer with about 1/6 of the frosting . Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips on that layer. (Note: Any chopped up candy – Reese’s, M&Ms, Heath Bits etc can be substituted for the chocolate chips to add another flavor!) Carefully place the brownie layer on top of the cake layer.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars

Makes 8x8 pan.

Oh boy.  Sinfully yummy.  Excuse the poor photo and just trust me on this one.
Source: Inside BruCrew Life

For the Cookie Dough:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup Reese's peanut butter chips

1 cup Hershey's baking melts

For the Cheesecake:

1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup peanut butter

For the topping:

1/4 cup Reese's peanut butter chips

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon shortening

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and cream again. Sift together the baking soda and flour. Slowly add to the butter mixture until incorporated. Stir in the peanut butter chips and baking melts by hand. Press half the dough into the bottom of an 8" pan. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and peanut butter and beat until smooth. Pour on top of the cookie dough.

Press small pieces of cookie dough onto the top of the cream cheese layer. Continue until all the dough has been used and the cheesecake has been covered. Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Cut into 16 bars.

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter chips and 1/2 teaspoon shortening. Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir until melted and smooth. Spoon into a plastic bag that has one corner cut off. Drizzle over bars. Repeat with chocolate chips. Keep refrigerated. Makes 16 bars.

Chocolate M&M Cookie Cups

Chocolate M&M Cookie Cups

Makes about 30.

Rich and chocolaty, with extra chocolate bursts from the M&Ms.
Adapted from: The Daily Dish

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1 t. baking soda
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 12-oz. pkg. M&M’s 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl, combine the baking soda, flour and cocoa. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet, stirring until combined. Stir in the M&M’s.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls into a mini muffin pan. Place baking sheet on the middle rack in oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let cool in pan for about 10 more minutes. Remove cookies from sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Caramel Crackers AKA "Shingles"

Chocolate Caramel Crackers AKA "Shingles"

Makes 1 cookie sheet.

A classic Christmas candy, and a traditional favorite of my husband's side of the family.  They call these "shingles," and they are addicting and delicious!
Source: The Mr.'s grandmother

~40 saltine crackers
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 11x17 baking sheet completely with foil and then line the base of the foil with parchment paper; cut to fit.

Line the bottom of the baking sheet with crackers, covering all parts.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together.  Stir over medium heat until it begins to boil.  Once it has begun boiling, let it boil for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  It will thicken a bit as it cooks.  Remove from the heat and add vanilla.  Quickly pour over crackers and spread it around to completely cover the crackers.

Bake for 15 minutes, watching carefully so that it does not burn.

Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips.  Let stand for 5 minutes and then spread the chocolate chips over the crackers.  Once completely cool -- speed the process up by putting the pan in the freezer -- break into pieces and store in a container.  We enjoy keeping these in the freezer and eating them straight from there!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Bars

Oatmeal Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Bars

Serves 24.

Just delicious.
Adapted from: Kroger brand Old Fashioned oats container

1 c. butter (2 sticks)

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 c. flour

3 c. old fashioned oats

1 bag peanut butter and chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients (salt, baking soda, and flour).  Stir in oats and chips.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 20-24 minutes or until just starting to set in the middle and turn golden brown.

Seven Layer Bars with Pumpkin

Seven Layer Bars with Pumpkin

Serves 16-24, depending on how you cut them.

This recipe is as delicious as the original, but the pumpkin layer makes it perfectly autumnal.
Slightly adapted from: Vanilla Sugar

Pumpkin layer:

1 egg

8 ounces of plain pumpkin puree

½ ts pure vanilla extract

a few dashes of cinnamon

a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice

1 ½ - 2 cups crushed graham crackers (depending on how thick you like the crust)

12 tbsp. unsalted butter

¾ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, I omitted the nuts entirely)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup butterscotch chips (I didn't have these, so I chopped up caramels to use instead)

¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (optional to toast, I did not)

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Heavily spray with nonstick or line a 9 or 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  If using parchment or aluminum make sure to spray that too with nonstick cooking spray. 

Melt the butter over medium heat; add in the graham crumbs, and mix well.

Using your fingers or a spatula spread crumbs into pan, making sure to get all the edges. If you want to prebake this for 10 minutes to help it get crisp then go ahead. 

In a small bowl mix the pumpkin puree with the egg; add in the vanilla extract and as much spice as you want. I did about 4 shakes of cinnamon and 2 shakes of pumpkin spice.  Then place a layer of the pumpkin mixture on top of the graham.  Do not spread the pumpkin mixture to the edges —you don’t want it to seep out.

Then add the layer of pecans, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and toasted coconut.  Next pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish. 

Bake until the top is golden brown and mixture is set in the middle (no jiggly), about 25-28 minutes. 

Cool on a wire rack for a couple hours.  I then put mine in the fridge to help it firm up to make the slicing much easier. Remove the bars from the pan.  Then using a very sharp knife, cut into bars.  If the slicing is sticky, it helps to wet the knife with warm water.

It’s best to store this in the fridge. Keeps about 2 days then it gets soggy. 

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars

Makes 16 bars.

These were absolutely, positively delicious.  From now on, I will make a double batch and bake them in a 13x9 because one 8x8 pan is not enough!
Source: Averie Cooks

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt, optional and to taste
• 1 heaping cup mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (or diced full-size cups; or substitute with another type of diced candy bar such as Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfinger, Heath, Rolos)
• about 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (just slightly more than half of one standard 14-ounce can)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute. Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don't scramble the egg. Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and stir or whisk vigorously to combine, for about 1 minute. Add the flour, baking soda, optional salt and stir until just incorporated. Batter will be quite thick and dense.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup batter; set aside. Turn remaining batter out into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula. Evenly sprinkle the peanut butter cups over the batter. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top (just eyeball slightly over half of the can as you're slowly pouring). Using your fingers, lightly crumble the reserved cookie dough over the top in irregular, marble-sized chunks.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without cookie dough batter clinging; it may not be clean because you're going through other layers and you may have to peck around to find a testing place). Edges will be firm, raised, and golden. The sweetened condensed milk should nearly be set in all places, and possibly only a little jiggly in the very center of the pan. Bars will firm up more in pan as they cool.
5. Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. Lift out using the foil overhang. I recommend cooling for 1 hour on the counter, and at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight. This ensures clean, pretty cut marks. If you don't care about that, bars may be consumed as soon as they are cool enough to eat; grab a spoon and dig in. Extra bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Brownies

Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Brownies

Makes a 13x9 pan of brownies.

Sinfully delicious.
Source: Tina

1 box (19.5 oz) Pillsbury® Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix 1/2 cup Pure Vegetable Oil 1/4 cup water 2 Eggs 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter 1 bag (8 oz) Heath® milk chocolate toffee bits 1 cup milk chocolate baking chips 3 tablespoons whipping cream 

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water and eggs 50 strokes with spoon. Spread batter in pan; set aside.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add milk and peanut butter; beat until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the toffee bits. Spoon mixture over batter; spread evenly.Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set and edges are light golden brown. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate 40 minutes.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and cream uncovered on High 40 to 60 seconds or until chips are melted; stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Store covered in refrigerator.

Chewy and Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy and Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen.

Cornstarch is the "secret ingredient" in this recipe, and I must say, it really does make a difference!  These cookies came out tall and fluffy (but still moist, dense, and chewy) just like the blogger said they would.
Source: Apple a Day

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 c. brown sugar 

1/4 c. granulated sugar 

1 egg 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

2 c. all purpose flour 

2 tsp. cornstarch 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.  (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)

Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely. 

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Makes about 20 bars.

Delicious and gooey and rich and dense.  It's hard to stop eating these!  The original recipe calls for 100% chocolate chunks, but I opted to use white chocolate chips for half.
Slightly adapted from: Ina Garten

2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I used 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white)
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1-1/2 c. chopped walnuts, optional
1-1/4 lbs. semisweet chocolate chunks (or a combo of white and dark)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 13x9 baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  With the mixer on low, add the vanilla.  Then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour mixture.  Do not beat.  Fold in walnuts and chocolate.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Do not overbake!  A toothpick may not come out clean; that's okay.  Cool completely in the pan and then cut into bars.

Ultimate Pretzel-Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bars

Ultimate Pretzel-Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bars

Makes 24-30 squares, depending how you cut them.

Repeat the title over and over again.  You won't ever get frustrated at how long the name of this dessert is, because, well, let's be honest... everything in the name is pretty much awesome.  And when you put them together, things get even better.  I made the horrid mistake of purchasing too few Reese's peanut butter cups.  The package I bought had, what looked like, quite a few, but I was short, which is why I ended up chopping them into pieces and scattering them on top of the dough instead of placing them down whole as instructed in the recipe.  My way didn't take too much away from the ultimate goal, but I think I'll try the "right" way when making these again in the future.  
Source: Baby Gizmo

2 ½ cups crushed butter pretzels
1 cup melted butter
5 tbsp sugar
Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix and all the ingredients the mix calls for
Family size Brownie Mix and all the ingredients the mix calls for
Snack Size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (2 – 10.5oz bags) ***Buy exactly this to have enough.  If you skimp on peanut butter cups, you'll be forced to face the tragedy I did: cutting them to make ends meet.  Avoid this, is possible.

Crush the pretzels in a food processor or however you like to crush pretzels. Any kind of pretzels will do but I recommend using crushed butter pretzels (you find them next to the regular pretzels and they are literally called “Synder Butter Pretzels”) for the recipe. I also recommend not crushing the pretzels to dust but keep some small pieces to keep the crust crunchy. Mix the melted butter (melt in microwave), sugar and pretzel crumbs. Press into lightly greased 13×9 pan. Set aside pretzel crust and make the cookie dough.

Make the cookie dough according to the package. Lightly press the cookie dough evenly on top of the pretzel crust.

Unwrap 24 snack-size Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and cover the cookie dough with the candy.

Whip up your brownie mix and pour evenly over the Peanut Butter Cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes and then enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars with Pretzel Marshmallow Topping

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars with Pretzel Marshmallow Topping

Serves 24.

I made a lot of changes from the original recipe, in case you are curious to compare.  Mainly, I only wanted one dough (I'm lazy), omitted espresso and cocoa powders, and altered some of the measurements. 
Adapted from: Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Dough:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Toppings:
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups coarsely chopped chocolate covered pretzels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  To make dough, place butter and sugars in a large bowl and mix until creamed. Mix in eggs and vanilla, then peanut butter and chocolate chips.  Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt.

Drop large spoonfuls dough into a greased 13×9-inch pan and smooth to make an even surface. Top evenly with pretzels, then mini marshmallows; press into the dough. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and marshmallows are golden brown. Cool completely and cut into 24 bars.

M&M Cookies

M&M Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

Delish!  And so fun and colorful.
Source: Smashed Peas and Carrots blog

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/2 c. butter flavored shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 1/2 c. flour
2 c. M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter, shortening, both sugars and vanilla together with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Slowly add in each egg one at a time and mix together.

Then mix in the baking soda, salt and flour.

Add in the M&Ms and mix by hand until incorporated well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Reeses Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Reeses Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf.

Pinterest: Making banana bread that much better.  This won't replace my go-to banana breads: my long-time recipe and my "healthy" recipe, but it will definitely find its place in the rotation.
The original recipe calls for Mini Reese's Cups -- the ones you find near the chocolate chips in the baking aisle.  If you use my method, use the small foil-wrapped ones and cut each into four pieces.
Also, next time, I might reduce the oven to 325 halfway through and just extend the baking time if necessary.
Source: Cookies and Cups blog

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup oil

1 egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz bag of Reese’s Mini cups (Instead, I used 1 cup of quartered mini Reeses - the ones in the foil wrapping.  It's about 16 cut into fourths)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease your 8x4 loaf pan with butter or shortening.
In a medium bowl whisk together your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
In a large bowl stir together your bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg and sugars.
Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Batter will be lumpy.
Fold in your Reese’s Mini cups and spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake for approx 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and remove from loaf pan, transferring bread to a cooling rack.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen.

I must've been in a Thanksgiving coma last week.  Sorry for the lack of posts!

I was trying to find a cookie recipe that could be made dairy-free, hence the shortening.  I don't typically bake with shortening (besides these amazingly amazing cookies), but these turned out great!  The whole batch was devoured.
Source: AllRecipes

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or 1/2 chocolate chips and 1/2 raisins, as shown in photo)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In a large bowl cream shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.

Combine the baking soda, salt and flour and stir into creamed mixture

Add oatmeal and chocolate chips and stir until well blended.

***If you want 1/2 half the batch to be oatmeal raisin, split dough before adding chocolate chips and add 1 cup raisins to one of the haves, decreasing chips to 1 cup as well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen.

Just when you think you have your go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, you find another one that's wonderfully delicious and gets rave reviews.  Enjoy some cookies, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
Slightly adapted from: Betcha Can't Eat Just One blog

4 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 c, unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 c. plus 3 T. all purpose flour
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla and egg.

Sift together dry ingredients and then add them to the butter mixture.  Beat until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Place a large scoop (about 2 tbsp) on the prepared cookie sheet.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown.

Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

Trail Mix Cookie Cups

Trail Mix Cookie Cups

Makes 3-4 dozen.

Threw these together with ingredients I had around the kitchen.  And they turned out great!  Loved the consistency from baking them in a muffin tin.

2-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 c. butter, softened (2 sticks)
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. trail mix -- I threw together peanuts, raisins, M&Ms, mini semisweet chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium size bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, salt, and soda).  In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until well combined.  Add vanilla and eggs; beat well.

Gradually mix in dry ingredients until combined.  Do not beat.  Stir in trail mix.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls into a mini muffin tin.  If you do not have a non-stick pan, be sure to grease and flour first. 

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown and just set.  Cool completely in pan, or at least until cups can be removed without breaking apart.

Cookie Dough for One

Cookie Dough for One

As if you needed MORE junk to eat on Halloween, feast on this.  It's a personal bad habit of mine.

3 T. flour
1 T. sugar
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. butter, softened or melted
2 t. milk
dash salt
dash vanilla
chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a small bowl.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Eat.  Enjoy.  Repeat, if desired.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Caramel Club Bars

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Caramel Club Bars

Makes about 15 bars

Oh boy.  These are good.  Really good.  And really rich.  Cut them small, because you might only be handle a little bit.  And if not?  Well, if not, then you can also use the size to rationalize going back for a second.  I fall into the second-helping category.
By the way, spend some time browsing the Picky Palate blog.  Your mouth will water constantly. I plan to make a lot more recipes from here...
Source: Picky Palate blog

45 Club crackers
1 c. peanut butter chips, divided
1 c. packed light brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
1-1/2 c. chocolate chips

Place 15 club crackers in the bottom of an 8×8 inch square baking pan that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle 1/2 Cup peanut butter chips on crackers.

Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat stirring constantly for 4 minutes, until bubbly, smooth and creamy caramel forms.  Pour 1/2 Cup or so of caramel over peanut butter chips then add another layer of crackers, peanut butter chips and caramel.  Top with one final layer of crackers then spread with melted chocolate.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Blondies

Coconut Chocolate Chip Blondies

Makes 16 2"-square bars.

Mmm... amazing!  The original recipe recommends a baking time of 25-30 minutes, but after 28 minutes, mine were still very underdone, so I've upped the time to 30-35.  If you have a hot oven, check earlier.  And my "chocolate drizzle" kind of turned into a spread.  Se la vie.
Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Bars:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/8 t. salt
4 oz. unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 c. light brown sugar
1 large egg
1½ t. vanilla extract
1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1 c. chocolate chips or chunks

Topping:
1 c. chocolate chips
1 t. butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine the flour and salt; set aside.  Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla extract until well blended.  Slowly beat in the flour mixture until blended, then stir in the coconut and chocolate chips.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth even with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until set in the center but still soft. Do not overbake. Let the bars cool slightly before drizzling with chocolate, then cool completely before cutting into squares.

For the topping, combine the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle over the bars.