Batches 394 and 395 featured in this movie.  Both recipes scored a 3 out of 5.  However batch #395 is an excellent batch to do with kids - so easy for them to help and do pretty much the whole thing themselves.

Caramel Cereal Treats
8 cups Sugar Smacks cereal (I found them at Aldi - called Honey Smacks)
1- 3/4 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 pkg (14 oz) caramels
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tbs butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled

In a large bowl, combine cereal and peanuts; set aside.  In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels, milk and butter.  Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-2 minutes or until caramels are melted, stirring every 30 seconds.

Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat.  With greased hands, pat mixture into a greased 15in x 10 in x 1-in. pan.  Drizzle with chocolate.  Let stand until set.  Cut into bars.

Baking with kids is not easy

I needed to make a final video for my class, an instructional video.  My plan was to make a sweet little video about how to bake with kids. It is every bit the video of how to bake with kids, including all the mess ups and stress of baking with kids.  Maybe due to me taking video of the process, I was distracted and doing too many things, the first batch did not turn out well. 

Check it out:

 https://youtu.be/_9MFNCRFvkE

Another Case

I had to make a genre specific film for my videography class.  It came to me to make a movie centered around the "who stole a cookie from the cookie jar" chant.  So I made batch #391 for the movie (and for my 3rd graders next week.

Batch #391 Sour Cream Cutout Cookies

Cookies for a friend

Batch #390 for a friend of mine who needed it - and it happened to coincide with May Day

A whole new look

I've always loved making these cookies for this cookie project, but I have not loved blogging about them.  I one time thought about making this more of a vlog, but didn't know how to go about doing that.  Now I'm in a digital video class, and I'm having fun making movies.  So maybe that's what I'll do.  So here's my movie of the 3 batches I made this week.

P.S. I'll still write the recipes on here if it's a recipe worth sharing.

Chill for 2 hours

Chill for 2 hours; my downfall every time - both in cookie baking and my life in general.  I don't think I know how to chill.  The other night a mom friend suggested after I told her I was panicking a little because I didn't get all that I wanted to get done when the kids were with the nanny - that maybe I let a few things slide.  Hmm - that is a novel idea.  Something I'm still working on.

Which brings me to the latest batches - two batches that I made for church while also preparing 3 meals for a friend in need while also preparing breakfast muffins for the fam.  I may have gone overboard that day.  It's now the last day of spring break and despite my best intentions, I haven't had a chill day yet; all my days are filled with projects that need to get done and oh yeah - my master's level course started this week too.

Going backwards this post:

#386 Mocha Crackle Cookies -
Chocolate crinkle cookies that my husband said - you made these before.  No, I made ones exactly like it, except these have coffee in them.  There's a few recipes like that in this book - almost the same thing.

I was rolling along with my 3 meal preparation and my multiple batch of cookies - and as I mixed all the ingredients - there I read it - chill for 2 hours or until the dough is easy to work with.  You'd think after 7 years of doing this - I'd read ahead when I'm planning.  I swear I do, yet I always seem to miss the chill part.

#385 Anise Cutout Cookies
There's a few recipes in the book that call for the spice anise (ahh nis).  After looking in stores I finally just ordered it from Amazon. I had never heard of this spice before  - it's smells like black licorice.  It's not well used in this cookie - I thought this cookie was rather dull and maybe a little dry.
Plus - I found a mistake in this recipe - first mistake I've found in this book. This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups sugar - divided .  However, it says to pour the sugar in, but it doesn't tell how much of the 1 1/2 cups to pour in.  Later it says to use the remaining sugar and mix it with cinnamon to roll the cookies in.  Hmm.  I guessed.

#384 Blueberry Squares
So I did get a weekend to chill.  One whole weekend up at the cabin with my sisters and mom watching movies.  Except, in preparation for this weekend, I got up at 5 am to get all that I needed to get done, done.  Including making these cheesecake like bars with blueberries on top.
They were only so so to me.  My husband says they'd be a five (out of five) if was topped with strawberries - he hates blueberries.  My sisters and mom seemed to mostly like these.  It's a fancy dessert type bar.

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers
2 tbs butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
3 cups fresh blueberries, divided
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbs powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

In a small bowl, combine wafers and butter;  Press into a greased 8 inch  square baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Cool.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch.  Gradually whisk in water until smooth.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups blueberries.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in the lemon juice, peel and rest of blueberries.  Cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken.  Add powdered sugar; beat until soft peaks form.  Fold in marshmallows; Spread over crust.  Top with blueberry mixture.  Cover and refrigerate until set; 45 minutes. 

#383 Fudge-filled Dessert strips
More cookies for the movie weekend.  These pie like crust cookies filled with fudge were gone quickly.

1 cup butter, softened
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
2 cups flour
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar, optional

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually add the flour and mix well.  
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Divide dough into fourths; cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle. 

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and milk; stir until smooth.  Stir in the walnuts.  Cool to room temperature.  

Roll out each portion of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet into an 11 in x 6 1/2 in rectangle.  Spread 3/4 cup chocolate filling down the center of each rectangle.  Fold long sides to the center; press to seal all edges.  Turn over so the seam sides are down.

Bake at 350 for 27-32 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  Cut into 1/2 in slides.  Dust with powdered sugar. 

#382 Little Piggy (Mickey Mouse) Sugar Cookies
I saw no reason to buy a pig cutout cookie shape - so I just used Mickey mouse to cut out this rather plain sugar cookie.  My students thought they were great - it takes so little to impress them.  The students and I wrote an acrostic poem about cookies - with these cookies as the inspiration.

Skiing!

I think I've decided one of the best things about parenting is getting to share something you used to love to do (and maybe still do) with your kids.  I rediscovered Lego's a few years back, and most recently, I captured my love of skiing.  (But maybe discovered I don't love the pain and soreness the day after).

I've been wanting to take my now 6 year old boy skiing the past couple of winters, it finally happened.  I was anxious about taking him.  Most things come to him pretty quickly and he gets frustrated easily and gives up rather quickly when he doesn't get things right away (I know, we're working on it).  Two summers ago, biking came to him really quickly, but then he fell one day and I really struggle to get him to get back on the bike. 

So I was anxious about taking him to the ski hill and spending all day there knowing full well that it might not go well and he might refuse.  We talked about it a lot before hand; he wanted to try it.  We watched videos and I took a crash course (via Youtube) in how to teach a kid how to ski.

A perfect deal came up on Groupon - $19 for an afternoon of skiing.  Fortunately my brother had equipment that he and I could use (and my brother - and the cousins) decided to come too. 

The first hour or so seemed to be going the way I feared.  He fell... a lot.  I was exhausted from helping him back up constantly - because that's a separate lesson in itself - learning to stand back up in your ski boots and skis.  But he wanted to go up the chairlift - after no successful runs on the bunny hill - and try another hill.  After getting up the chairlift successfully (big victory there!), we started down a hill.  He was almost in tears, I was sweating - then my nephew comes by and informs us that this is a blue square hill (the middle level difficulty hill) - crap.  Fortunately in the 15 minutes on the hill - we had not gone far at all.  We took off our skis and climbed up the hill. 

The green circle hill wasn't much better.  It took us 30-45 minutes to go down it (normal run would be less than 5 minutes I think). 

At this point, the kid was done.  I, trying to stay positive and keep my own frustration from showing up in my tone, voice, and body - say "let's just go take a break in the chalet.  We'll have our energy drink (my special chocolate Boost drink that he never gets to have but always wants) and we'll get some candy and whatever you want.  He announces as we walk in, "I think I'm done skiing".  Let's just see, let's just take a break.

45 minutes later I suggest, the chalet is boring, let's go out and try again.  He is agreeable but says just the bunny hill.  Fine by me. 

We get out onto the hill, up the ramp, and down he goes.  I don't know what happened, but something clicked - he made it all the way down, and fell at the bottom.  But huge success - as before he never went more than 5-10 feet without falling.  From then on, he just had it.  So much so that he got a little cocky and started to learn to "spray powder" to stop, rather than just snow plowing to stop. 

The kid wants to ski again.  He's decided we should go once a month for every winter month. 
#Momwin

So what does this have to do with cookies.  Nothing really.  Except when my siblings and I were little and we went skiing, my mom was always the "chalet support" and always had cookies.

So I made #381 Butter Wafers
A very buttery crumbly yummy cookie.

1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
Colored sugar - if you want

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Combine flour and cornstarch; add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets.  Sprinkle with colored sugar if you want.  Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and tops are set.  Cool for 2 minutes before carefully removing to wire racks.   

Girl's Weekend

Is there anything better for a Mom of 3 to get away to the cabin sans kids with adult friends?  There might be, but I can't think of anything right now.  Would it have been better if I remembered the batch of cookies I made beforehand for the weekend (that I stuck in the freezer), perhaps, but we seemed to tide ourselves over just fine with the Debbie cakes, 6-7 bags of chips, candy, and Snicker's bars. 


#379 Raspberry nut pinwheels
This rather plain butter slice and bake cookie was fun to make, but Mike and I rated them a 2 and a 1 respectively; maybe it's okay that they were left in the freezer.  The teachers that benefited from the batch did comment on how good they were though.  Maybe they were just being polite. 

Spa day!

#380 Crispy Cereal Meringues
Your typical meringue cookie but with chocolate rice krispies and a drizzle of chocolate on top. 
These were very popular, good thing I didn't forget this batch.

4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 cups chocolate flavored crisp rice cereal
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes.  Fold in cereal.  

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 1 in. apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 300 for 35-40 minutes or until firm to the touch.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  

In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate chips with the shortening.  Transfer to a small resealable bag plastic bag; cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.  Drizzle melted chocolate over meringues.  Place on waxed paper to set.  

Coaches, church and Super Bowl Party

We survived the 2019 Polar Vortex and I was ready to be out of the kitchen after those last batches I posted about.  Then that night I remembered, I need to make a batch for my son's basketball coaches - season ending.  Then someone from church called and asked if I could make a batch for coffee hour for this Sunday.  Lastly, our annual Super Bowl party, I should have some cookies.

So back to the kitchen for 3 more batches.

#375 Chocolate Puddles  and #376 Dipped Spice Cookies

My 5 year old son joined our local basketball league this season.  His volunteer coaches went above and beyond.  Great communication, great team building and great end of the year party ; ).  They brought the kids out to Davanni's and are bringing the team to a Timberwolves game (and got each of the boys a Timberwolves sweatshirt).  Crazy above and beyond.

Chocolate Puddles
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda

Filling:
1 cup vanilla chips (or replace with pb chips)
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup coarsely chopped mixed nuts (or replace with peanuts)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add the eggs, one at a time.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Cover and chill for 2 hours or until dough is stiff.  

Melt chips with milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat; stir constantly.  Stir in nuts.  Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Roll cookie dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets.  Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center; smooth any cracks.  Roll filling into 1/2 in balls; gently push one into each cookie.  Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are set.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

#377 Jeweled Coconut Drops
Cookie dough mixed with coconut and rolled in coconut.  Lots of coconut, with a little dollop of raspberry jam. 

* After making and blogging about these cookies yesterday; I decided we needed another batch for the Super Bowl party.  So 6 batches in 7 days; that's a lot of batches. 

#378 Frosted Chocolate Chip Brownies
Just a quick brownie recipe with yummy yummy chocolate chip/sour cream/powdered sugar frosting.  I'm assuming the brownies will be delish, but I know the frosting is excellent.  No way was I not gonna lick up that bowl after done frosting the brownies. 

Forts, Projects and Cookies

Currently my bedroom has a toddler mattress pulled in there, blankets, I'm sorry, I mean lava, covering my bedroom floor and my couch cushions are not on the couch, instead they are the roof of the kids fort.  We are going on day 3 of arctic blast 2019 - meaning school cancelled for the last three days, and a fourth is well within the possibility.  So the kids have been doing art and science projects and building forts.

Child #1 was supposed to have his science fair Tuesday night.  It's okay school was cancelled, because we didn't start that project until Sunday night and then used the 1st cancelled day to work on the poster.  It's still not done, it'll get done one of these no school days - or more likely the night before the rescheduled science fair.  But because he had so much fun doing his science project (not the writing about it), he has been doing more and more. 

 I've been binge watching the Netflix show "Tidy Up" and the kids rooms are ultra organized despite their best attempts at foiling my plan.   And baking, only 2 batches of cookies (so far), but also have made baked oatmeal and muffins.

#373 Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks
With all the cold weather and snow, we needed something to give us some energy.  No, chocolate chip cookies go with snow days like I don't know, cookies and milk. These are a 5 smiley face cookie, and what's even better - they're so simple; not even needing to prepare cookie sheet after cookie sheet with spoonfuls of dough.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (if you want)

In a bowl, combine the oil, sugars, egg and vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to mixture.  Divide dough in half.

On a greased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 15 inch x 3 inch rectangle about 3 in. apart (or maybe only make 2 - 2 1/2 inches wide).  Both rectangles can go on one large baking sheet.  Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts (nuts, optional) over dough, press lightly.

Bake at 375 for 6-7 minutes for softer cookies, 8-9 minutes for crispier.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Cut with a serrated knife into 1 inch strips; remove to wire rack to cool.

#374 Pecan Sandies Cookie
I made these buttery shortbread like cookie (filled with pecans) for a possible cold weather/no school day get together brunch/lunch that ended up not happening because nobody wanted to leave their warm house.
This recipe specifically says that these "buttery treats are great with a steaming mug of hot chocolate".  So we'll see!
The brunch/lunch may still happen if school is again cancelled for tomorrow.

Annual Holiday Wrap up

This is the time of year where I don't bake for several weeks.  I baked several batches in a short period of time for the holidays, its the holidays and I'm a mom of three, so I'm busy and I've had enough sweets during that short period of time and don't need anything for a while.  And then mid-January comes around, my house is void of all sweets as all the cookies and chocolate has been eaten and suddenly I need to bake something (in this case because a friend was coming over).  That's when I realize, oh, right, I've baked several batches and didn't post anything about it.  So here's the quick wrap up:

(And I'm sorry, I usually am better, wait, let's be honest, I sometimes am better at getting photos of cookies, but I only got one photo of one of the batches).

#365 Candy Cane Cookies
These look like candy cane (imagine red and white striped dough in an upside down J), but taste like blah sugar cookie.  Pretty, but it's not a coincidence that this was one of 2 batches that never was finished and the last dozen or so ended up seeing the bottom of my trash can).

#366 Gingerbread Cookie Wreath
Aww, my one picture!  Happy St. Lucia Day to all those who actually acknowledge that day. My sister does, thank goodness - because that meant we got to go to her house for a yummy dinner and I didn't have to cook dinner.  I brought this instead. 

One of the rare instances when a fancy
decorative cookie is also yummy.

#367 Jeweled Coconut Crips
The second of the 2 batches that didn't get all the way eaten and the last dozen or so ended up in the trash.  My sister in law loved them though, she actually allowed me to leave the leftovers (of the ones I brought) at her house on New Year's Eve.

#368 Mincemeat cookies
The surprise of the season!  What is mincemeat?  No idea, except I don't think there is any meat in it, there does seem to be raisins in it.  I was nervous about this one.  But so yummy!

#369 Holiday Spritz
There seems to be a certain percent of the population that just loves spritz cookies.  I bring them places (give them to my principal) and every year at least one person says "I love these, these are my favorites).  They're small and full of butter, easy to just keep popping them in your mouth.
*In case you don't know what a spritz cookie is, it's a cookie that is made using a cookie press - at least I think that's what it is.  Every time I make a spritz recipe, a cookie press is used.

#370 Sweet Sandwich Cookies
A brown sugar cookie with a browned butter filling.

#371 Mint Meringues
A cookie I struggle with.  These were yummy yes, but totally flat.  A meringue is supposed to be fluffy shaped a bit like a hershey's kiss.  Mine were a puddle.  Tips?


And that brings me to
#372
The batch I made yesterday so that I'd have something when a friend came over and when I realized I needed to post about all the above.

#372 Marble Brownies
What else to say about these.  Yummy brownies with cream cheese cheesecake topping all swirled so it looks marbelized.  The recipe below.  Note, the original recipe calls for these to be put in a microwave safe 8 inch square dish.  I only have an aluminum 8 inch dish, so I didn't put that in microwave (I baked it).  So if you want to microwave it, it says to grease the square dish and (once everything is in) "Microwave uncovered at 70% power for 8-10 minutes (when a toothpick comes out clean).  Cook on high for 1 minute longer - and that's it.

5 tbs butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
Cheesecake Layer 
1 pkg cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large microwave safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate.  Cover and microwave on high for 30-60 seconds; stir until smooth.  Beat in sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to chocolate mixture until blended.  Spread into a greased 8 inch square dish; set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in sugar, egg and vanilla.  Spoon over brownie batter; cut though batter with a knife to swirl.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips. 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool.  Store in refrigerator.