Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm ALWAYS searching for recipes, especially desserts. I use cook books, magazines, the internet and family. I really think that so many dessert recipes are just different combinations of the same ingredients. I found an interesting recipe on Pinterest and while I was looking it over I decided to click back to see where the recipe came from...


It all started with this recipe that I saw on Pinterest. for Salted chocolate bark, which I have not made.
I saw on the bottom of the page "you might like this" and that is where I saw the recipe for cream cheese chocolate chip cookies. here.
Then I saw where that recipe came from and that was here.
Then I saw where that recipe came from and that was here.
Then I saw where that recipe came from and that was here.

The cookies are really wonderful. They are soft and thick and have just the right amount of chocolate in every bite. The recipe is also egg free. I was thinking of tossing in at least one egg, but the recipe doesn't even need it. Great for egg allergies. 

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips combined

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325F. and line baking sheets with parchment. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, melted butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until mostly combined and no dry streaks remain.

Scoop or roll dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12-16 minutes until the edges are just barely golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen.

(the original recipe calls for you to just flatten the cookies slightly with the palm of your hand, do not flatten it all the way.) I did not do that this time and the cookies came out just fine. You can find the recipe that I followed here.

Happy Baking
~Michelle

Lemon Cookies

I seem to always choose to make recipes that include chocolate.. That is probably because I LOVE chocolate. I decided to make something lemony. I found this nice recipe for lemon cookies.  

I thought the dough was a little sticky and I had to cook the cookies for 11-13 minutes instead of the 9-11 that the recipe calls for.  They came out crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  The flavor was delicious.  My son really loved them.  He was very upset when I took the cookies to work and didn't bring any home for him.  I think I may try a recipe for Lemon Coolers soon.

recipe from Lauren's Latest

The cookies get rolled in powder sugar before baking so you get the crackle effect.

Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated suger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray set aside.  I use air-bake sheet so I do not have to grease them.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powder sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the bottoms to barely brown. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

I got about 2 dozen cookies. :)

~Michelle

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies - Make and Freeze Recipe

I needed something for the cub scout family picnic and I chose these and two other cookie recipes that I did not photograph and of course the cookies are all gone.  They were a peanut butter Snickers cookie and a mascarpone Oreo cookie. All of which were a big hit.  It seems that I'm always rushing to get things baked and get everyone ready to go places. I thought that this make and freeze recipe will help the busy baker and really make "whipping up some cookies" a real breeze.

The title from the original recipe is 'Award Winning' and boy they sure live up to that title.  I love baking and trying new recipes so when I saw this recipe and it said freeze the cookie balls, I thought why haven't I been doing this all along.  

recipe from that winsome girl blog

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies - Make and Freeze Recipe


Ingredients
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups unsalted butter (I used cold butter cut into pieces)
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 (3.4oz) packages vanilla instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips ( I used 3 cups semisweet and 1 cup white chips)


Directions
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.


In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla pudding mix until well blended, followed by the eggs and vanilla extract.  Blend in the flour mixture slowly, just until incorporated  Finally, by hand, stir in the chocolate chips until everything is evenly combined and no flour remains at the bottom of the bowl.


Using a cookie scoop (I suggest a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop) for even portions, scoop the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.


At this point you can freeze the cookies until solid, then store them in a plastic freezer bag for later use.  To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350F.  Bake 10-12 minutes if fresh or 12-14 minutes if frozen, just until edges are golden brown.


~Michelle

Thursday Night Cake

Sunday Night Cake, recipe by: Baked Explorations

Here is another recipe from my Baked Explorations cook book. I called this recipe Thursday Night Cake because I work on Sunday nights so we don't have a Sunday night dinner at our home.
So, I made the cake on a Thursday night instead. I am the only in the house that had a slice. Hubby on a diet and the kids would rather eat Hershey kisses or some other valentine candy. I made the and took most of it to work last week. I, of course, had a piece and the remainder was devoured by my co-workers.

I only took the one picture of the cake and here it is. The recipe called for a 9x9 pan and I only had an 8x8 pan so I used that. I should have left some of the batter out because I had to bake it a little longer and the edges became a bit to brown. Now, my co-workers really don't mind that is for sure.
The frosting, on the other hand came out beautifully and tasted just divine. It has a wonderfully pudding like texture and is so delicious that it made up for the bit of dryness in the cake. The cake actually reminded me of this other recipe that I made. It contains cinnamon and sour cream, two ingredients that are great together in a cake batter. I always say that I love a cake recipe that has sour cream.

Ingredients:

for the cake:
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
10 tablespoons (1 1/4sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream


for the chocolate frosting:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona) honestly I just used Hershey
3 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature


Make the Cake
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square cake pan with parchment paper and butter the sides and bottom of the parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for a few seconds. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the four mixture. Scrape down the bowl and beat for a few more seconds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan then turn the cake our onto the rack. Remove the parchment and flip the cake right side up. Let the cake completely cool.

Make the Chocolate Frosting

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder. Add the chopped chocolate. Pour 1 cup boiling water into the pan, wait 30 seconds, then whisk until the mixture is combined and the chocolate is melted.

Turn the heat to medium-high and whisk continuously for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken. (Once pudding begins to thicken, it will come together very quickly.)

Remove the pan from the heat and put the mixture into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high until the steam escapes and the mixture is room temperature. Add the butter and mix for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the frosting is light and pudding-like. If you prefer a fluffier, more spreadable frosting, continue to mix for a few minutes longer.

Frost the top of the cake, allowing a little of the frosting to drip down the edges. Chill for 5 minutes to set the frosting. serve immediately.

The cake can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring it back to room temperature before serving.
~Michelle