Chocolate Cherry Heart-Smart Cookies...

These cookies are so yummy. This says a lot coming from the girl that doesn't like to mix chocolate and fruit flavors, for the fear that it will taste like the "oops I picked the wrong orange-coconut-cream Russel Stover" candy - yuck. These my friend, are not in that category at all. They are smart for your heart too! The recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine.

1/3 cup of all-purpose flour



1/3 cup of whole-wheat flour



1 1/2 cups of Oats



Raise your hand if you love my new camera! - I do. Thanks, Tate.

Add the rest of the dry ingredients.



Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; add brown sugar, stirring until smooth.



Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add cherries, vanilla, and egg; beat until combined. Fold in chocolate.



I chopped up the Cherries, it's better that way.



Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Cool on pans 3 minutes or until almost firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.



Look at that Chocolate Chunk... it's calling my name.



Here is the ingredient list:

• 1.5  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)


• 1.5  ounces  whole-wheat flour (about 1/3 cup)


• 1 1/2  cups  old-fashioned rolled oats


• 1  teaspoon  baking soda


• 1/2  teaspoon  salt


• 6  tablespoons  unsalted butter


• 3/4  cup  packed light brown sugar


• 1  cup  dried cherries


• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract


• 1  large egg, lightly beaten


• 3  ounces  bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Source: Cooking Light

Colleen's Cookie Dough Bites...

This week it was my boss's daughter's birthday. Normally for a birthday I resort to Cake Balls in their favorite flavor. The birthday girl is not so much a lover of Cake Balls as she is cookies... My thought - I can make her Cookie Dough Bites! So I did. Her color theme for the party was pink and green. I used pink chocolate melting chips to drizzle and green sugar crystals to sprinkle on top. But this wasn't enough... I had to do this.



Yep, she was turing 18. Gosh you are quick today.

Then, I took it a step further.



Good thing I took this picture. After the flash, I picked up the Cookie Ball to put it in the fridge... and the 'een' broke off. I tried to do surgery with melted chocolate, but there was no hope after I lost all the letters but an 'E'.



Happy Birthday Colleen!!

Cookie Dough Bites...

Oh...My...Gosh... these are Heaven.

I saw these on one of my Favorite new food blogs, Annie's Eats, and immediately had to make them. Who doesn't love cookie dough?... And cookie dough that doesn't have raw eggs, what?! This is also a great birthday cake ball alternative for people who don't like cake, but enjoy cookies!

First you will need butter and brown sugar.



Pour in the river of goodness - Sweetened Condensed Milk.



Until it looks like this.



Now add the mini chocolate chips.



After mixing in the the chips, chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes.

Try not to eat it all...



Now, roll into one-inch balls. Freeze for about 1 hour. After bites are firm, melt the chocolate bark.



After the chocolate has melted, dip into the chocolate and place to dry on wax paper.



While the chocolate is drying, sprinkle a couple mini chocolate chips on top. That way everyone knows what's inside.





The Cookie Dough Bites are best served chilled, just like real cookie dough - right from the fridge. YUM!



Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
2¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 bar of choclate bark for melting
Mini chocolate chips (for garnish)

Directions:
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up enough to form balls.

Shape the chilled cookie dough mixture into 1-1½ inch balls.  Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Cover loosely, transfer the pan to the freezer and chill for 1-2 hours.

When ready to dip the truffles, melt the chocolate bark in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, or in the microwave at 30 second intervals.  Dip each chilled truffle, one at a time, coating in chocolate and shaking gently to remove the excess.  (If at any point during dipping, the cookie dough balls become too soft, return to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.)  Transfer to a wax-paper lined surface.  If using mini chocolate chips for garnish, sprinkle on top quickly after dipping each truffle before the chocolate sets.  Once all the truffles have been dipped, store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Taste of Home

Snowman Chow Mix...

This recipe is normally named 'Reindeer Food', but for this time of year... we will name it the 'Snow-is-still-in-the-forecast, mix'. These are easy ingredients, it's fast to make, and it will be gone in a flash. I'm serious, this stuff is like crack. Once you start, you can't stop... and you have white dust all over your face. Just sayin.

Miniature marshmallows and your favorite kind of M&M.





Now add the pretzels.

Now add the Chex.

Now add the melted white chocolate bark.

YUM.

Wha-laa!! No-bake Snowman Crack Chex mix! Enjoy ;) Let me know if you need the actual ingredients.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie = HEAVENLY !

Try not to drool on your computer keys.

Sugar, Sugar this dessert is de-lish! After seeing this recipe on Bakerella I have been dieing to make it. This past weekend, my sweet sister came into town and we were celebrating our Birthday's so it became the PERFECT time to try it out! This dessert is like a HUGE warm cookie baked perfectfly in a buttery pie crust. What could be better?! Trust me I am a huge cookie critic... If it's slightly too crunchy it needs to be thrown away. For me, I like my cookies so soft.. you might as well just warm the dough in the oven. ;)

The L S stands for Lauren Suzanne Lauren & Sarah...

Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 cup chopped pecansServe with ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high until foamy.
Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter.
Stir in morsels and nuts and spoon into pie shell.
Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.Recipe from Nestle Classic Recipes, 2003* If using frozen pie shell, use deep dish style and thaw completely. Bake on baking sheet and increase baking time slightly.

Here is our illustration.

Two Birds in a Nest, beat to make frothy.
Add all ingredients to look like so.
Pour batter into one unbaked pie shell. Homemade is preferred.. but you can "Sandra Lee" it.. if you need to.

Pitch in the oven and wait! The finished Birthday Pie divided between the two Birthday girls!