Easy Christmas Cookies II

second installment of
Easy Christmas Cookies....
and they aren't cookies...
they're bon bons...
but hey,
they only have 3 ingredients...
and are amazingly simple and YUMMY
AND you don't bake them...
and you can change them up SO many different ways...love them!

Oreo Bon Bons
1 package Oreo's*
1- 8 oz package cream cheese
1-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate, because it's what I always use...but you can use any sort of chip you want, the mint ones, peanut butter, cinnamon chips...have fun with flavor combos)

now you don't NEED a food processor for this recipe but I would highly recommend it...I made the first 2 steps in less than 3 minutes....
1.  dump entire package of Oreo's into food processor and grind into fine crumbs

2.  add block of cream cheese until fully incorporated into Oreo crumbs and creates a glooby gooey ball

3.  using a small cookie scoop (pampered chef) scoop onto wax paper lined cookie sheet

4.  place in freezer until hard (or you remember that you put them there)
5.  melt chocolate in microwave (have no idea the length...I have a 'melt chocolate' button on mine...and that's the button I push!
6.  roll, dip, somehow coat frozen oreo bon bons with melted chocolate...you will have to lick your fingers...so just wait until the last one is done and you can clean the chocolate all off!

7.  stick back in freezer to harden...serve these to impress people...but to properly impress them you should probably wipe the chocolate off your chin (thankful the girl child told me I had some on my chin...and neck!)

*(I used the Mint Creme Oreo's on this batch, I have also used the Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joe's before...AMAZING!)

 

The boy child (on the right...looking hopped up on chocolate) and his good friend, Isaac, enjoying the bon bons...and various other goodies...after their music recital on Monday night!

Easy Christmas Cookies I

I am going to try to post an easy Christmas cookie recipe each day this week...

and by 'easy Christmas cookie' I mean

*under 5 ingredients
*the kids can help...if you want them too
*they are fast
*they 'taste' like Christmas without loads of work
*they fall close to the 'cookie' classification...I might have a gray line....

and what's the point of an easy recipe if no one loves it,
so my family has put themselves out there and tried everyone of these recipes...

the first recipe I just found on a recipe exchange just this past week

Dark Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars (so this is a 'bar' but it's also a cookie)
2 cups butter* (4 sticks) softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 cups flour
1-2 cups dark chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350
cut butter into powdered sugar slowly adding flour a little at a time.  just work at it slowly, it will eventually incorporate all the flour (and you just might have made a flour/butter mess all over yourself and the floor!)...it will mix together nicely after all the flour is in and about 2 minutes of mixing.
add the chocolate chips...(and nuts if your family likes)
spray a cookie sheet and spread the dough evenly into the pan, poke with a fork very generously so that the dough will not rise.
bake for 18-30 minutes (yeah, crazy difference, I put mine in for 20 and it was just a bit too long, but the recipe I had called for 30-35 minutes....so just keep an eye on yours), until slightly turning brown, (not burned like mine!)...
cut bars while still warm on cookie sheet using a pizza cutter.  let cool completely on sheet before you remove.

made these last night...so yummy...and these may...or may not be the only ones left!!!

*yes, 2 cups of butter...yikes...but ignore how bad this is for you, and enjoy that you make them once a year!
    

a marriage of taste

there is almost no better marriage than that of chocolate and peanut butter...
and to combine that in the form of brownies...
well, pure heaven...

I made these and took them to a dinner last week...I did over bake them (very common thing for my oven), so my husband decided to make them again yesterday...
the timer was going off when I walked in the door from picking the kids up from school...what a wonderful way to come home from school...

so we had no company yesterday,
just the 4 of us in our house all day...
and these were taken out of the oven at 2 pm...
this picture was taken at 8pm...

hmmm...I think the twilight family walk/run we all took last night was HIGHLY needed!
and the kids both only had 2 brownies...one when they got home from school and one right after dinner...seems like Beau and I ate 1/2 a pan of these by ourselves....

this is a slightly tweaked version out of  "The Cake Mix Doctor Returns"....

Peanut Butter Brownies
1 package (20 oz) brownie mix
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
8 tbl (1 stick) butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
3 tsp vanilla

1.  preheat over to 350, set aside an ungreased 9x13 metal baking pan (I used metal when I made them, Beau did not, mine were overdone, his were not!)

2.  mix brownie mis, peanut butter, melted butter, and eggs in large mixing bowl and beat on low speed for 1 minute.  Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the dough for topping.  Place the remaining brownie dough into pan, pressing it over the bottom using your hand/fingers so that it reaches the side.  Set pan aside.

3.  In microwave safe bowl place chocolate chips and condensed milk and microwave on high for 1 minute, remove and stir until the chips are all mixed into the milk, stir in vanilla and continue to stir.  Pour over the brownie dough in pan, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula so it reaches the sides.

4.  crumble the reserved brownie dough over the top of chocolate.

5.  Bake the brownies until the edges have set and the top crust springs back when lightly pressed...25-30 minutes.  Cool for 20 minutes before serving....

NOTE...you may eat all of these by yourself, I highly recommend only making these if you are taking them somewhere or you have company coming, or you have way more will power than Beau and I!

could i feed them cookies for breakfast?

YES...
Yes...
yes I can...

I NEEDED to make some cookies for a meeting at my house...
a meeting of triathletes...
and I was thinking just regular ol' cookies aren't the best thing to serve triathletes...
hmmm...so I got to thinking...
I have a few bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer (like a few 100 bags)
and then thought some more...
what if I added oatmeal to it?
...hmmm this is sounding healthier and healthier and more like something that should be served to triathletes!
so I hopped onto the world wide web and goggled "zucchini oatmeal cookies"
and thru the magic of the internet I found a few 1000 different recipes for zucchini oatmeal cookies

they turned out so very yummy and even better than serving them at my triathletes meeting was giving them to the kids for breakfast the next morning...
hey don't judge me...they had both oatmeal (a morning food) and zucchini (a veggie) in them...that is totally a breakfast cookie!


Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (whole wheat or white)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups zucchini, grated
3 1/2 c. oatmeal
2 cups dark chocolate chips (optional raisins would also be good)

Beat shortening, butter and sugar together well. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together and add creamed mixture. Stir in zucchini, oatmeal, raisins and nuts. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

blog edit...
just FYI...these cookies are so thick that they hardly change shape when you bake them....I'm totally okay with that, makes them nice and chewy...but you can squash them down if you'd like!

I made these again and served them at book club...I also put in dried cranberries, along with dark chocolate chips and raisins...they were loaded and YUMMY!

So Good it Might Not be Real

Made this cookies 2 weeks ago when I was in need of some chocolate...
my kids started calling them the Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies...pretty much sums them up.
BLOG WARNING
if you make these you may eat the entire batch all by yourself and then feel slightly nauseous!
not that I would have done that, I totally have will power...


Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies
1 package chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
2 eggs
2 Tbs milk
1 cup mix ins (choose one or a mixture of any of theses, semi sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, Reese's peanut butter pieces, peanut butter chips, chopped peanuts)

Preheat over to 350, grease cookie sheet.
Combine cake mix, peanut butter, eggs, & milk in large mixing bowl, beat on low until blended, stir in mix ins.
Drop  by rounded spoonful onto baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes.
Serve with milk...

so, um, I have no picture of these cookies because we ate them all REALLY fast!..
I made mine with Devil's Food Cake mix, dark chocolate chips as the mix in and creamy peanut butter....

Oh, Canada

I was trying to figure out a way to celebrate the Olympics...

I thought making something that was Canadian would be good...
So, after visiting a few other blogs (yes, it's true, there are other blogs out there, I'm not the only one...crazy...oh, and guess what, my blog isn't a secret so you can share ChambersMade with all your friends)
okay blog tangent over...
I found these Canadian treats out there in blog land...

Nanaimo Bars...not sure how to pronounce them...
we're calling them Nan-eye-mo Bars here at ChambersMade
...anyone know how bad we're butchering it???

There are a few different stories out on the world wide web about the origins of the NB (oh, and that's their nickname in Canada)...but something like a house wife named Mable entered this recipe into a baking contest around 1950 and named the bars after the town she was from...Nanaimo...and thus the rest was history...

These no-bake, three layered bars are delicious; they start with a crumb base, followed by a layer of light custard buttercream, topped with a smooth layer of chocolate.  Really, what's not to love?  Well, coconut if you don't like coconut (but I love it), and pecans (but I love those also)...and well, there's just a tiny bit of butter in these...but it's the Olympics...so don't we burn calories just watching all the exercise on TV?

So, back to 2010 USA...I wanted to celebrate the Olympics (that we haven't watched any of, which is weird because I love the Olympics, but I've been getting all my updates online and haven't sat down and watched any...like ZERO...), so I found this recipe and here is my attempt, had to adapt it so this is the

ChambersMade version of Nanaimo Bars...

Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup  granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups graham cracker crumbs, about 1 1/2 sleeves
1 cup coconut (either sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

FILLING:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 - 3 tablespoons milk or cream
3 tablespoons vanilla pudding powder (this is were I made the biggest change, the authentic recipe calls for 'Bird's vanilla custard powder', something that you can't find in little ol' Redding CA... )
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar (fyi, those Canadians call it Icing Sugar...)

TOPPING:
3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

lightly grease a 9 x 9 inch pan.

BOTTOM LAYER:  In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and then gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (1 - 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

FILLING:  In your electric mixer cream the butter.  Beat in the remaining ingredients. If the mixture is too thick to spread, add a little more milk. Spread the filling over the bottom layer, cover, and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

TOP LAYER:  In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the filling and refrigerate.

TO SERVE: To prevent the chocolate from cracking score the top layer of chocolate when it's cooled but not hard yet...

Yield: Makes about 25 squares..really, you will want to cut them into the normal 3x3=9 bars out of a 9x9 pan, but this are REALLY rich and you can cut 5x5 getting you 25 squares out of the 9x9 pan...

the children in the ChambersMade household loved these little squares of heaven...

I will be honest, I thought the middle layer tasted not so good when I was constructing the bars, but in the finished product I LOVE it...the combination of all 3 layers are just the best thing ever...
and I will also be honest, Beau did not like them...but he's weird and we know that...he also does not like cheesecake...oh and a friend that will remain nameless (but is a fellow blogger) also didn't care for them, but she doesn't count because she doesn't like coconut, but her husband, Mr. Smith did like them...

Oh, and there is just one more left in my fridge and I can't have the children in the ChambersMade household fighting tomorrow over that last one, so I will have to go take one for the team and eat it all gone!  That's what kind of mom I am!

blog edit

forgot to mention that we had friends over the night I made these and the NB's...they were so good that they made one fall off her diet wagon and then when I sent them home with 3 their marriage came to a really rocky moment in deciding who would get the last one!...Sorry Kim and Brad if the NB's might have done to your marriage!  I think we are all in agreement that we can just blame Canada!

end of blog edit

Almost Magic

Madison was star of the week this week in her class...
So, that means on Friday (today) she gets to bring in a treat to share with the whole class,
EVERYONE brings in Rice Krispie Treats (the pre-made store ones)
...Madison wanted that but, "a little different" she said...
After some brainstorming we decided to make the Fruit Loops Rice Krispie Treats...and since I never have Rice Krispie's, Fruit Loops, or Marshmallows in my house it meant a trip to the store after school yesterday ...any mother will tell you that this is
the WORST time of the day to take a child to the store!
...so I'm dreading the trip, knowing that it's going to be filled with Madison whining asking if she can get everything she sees...
 and then asking about dinner tonight...
deciding that she doesn't want that and trying to change my mind!
The whole time I'm trying to fight the crowd of other mothers that had to bring their school aged kids to the store who are also whining like crazy...
I'm repeating my favorite little ditti to myself,
"I will not yell, 
     I will have a nice mommy voice, 
          I will not let the whining get to me."
over and over again when it happened...

Magic happened... YES, Magic!

right there in WinCo...
Madison was in a great mood after school...I was in a great mood...all the other mothers at WinCo were in a great mood...
We walked casually to the baking aisle to pick up the marshmallows, we had a few choices, regular, strawberry or chocolate marshmallows (yes, they now make chocolate marshmallows!).  Madison, of course, chose the strawberry (pink) ones, then a nice casual walk to the cereal aisle.  My plan was to go "healthy" on the treats and use the new Fruit Cheerios...healthy plan foiled when they were more than twice the price of the generic Fruit Loops (Fruity O's, or something really creative like that)...
And this is when the real honest to goodness magic happened...I saw Chocolate Cheerios (ON MAJOR SALE) right next to Chocolate Chex (ON MAJOR SALE) and remembered the Chocolate Marshmallows....so we bought the Fruity O's, some Rice Krispie's and BOTH Chocolate Cereals and went back to grab the chocolate marshmallows...
mommy's got a plan....a magic plan!

Madison and I came home and made the Strawberry-Fruit Loops-Rice Krispie Treats.  Okay this is were the magic gets a little sticky.  Everyone always says how EASY Rice Krispie Treats are to make...I have a problem with this statement.  Okay, yes there might be just a few ingredients and yes the steps might be few...but the whole process is VERY sticky...
I HATE sticky!
I think this is why I never make these sticky treats, they're sticky to make, they're sticky to eat, and then you have sticky kids to clean up afterwards, not to mention the sticky that has now found itself onto every surface of your kitchen!
Anyways, I powered thru, braved the sticky and conquered these "easy" treats...

Strawberry-Fruit Loops-Rice Krispie Treats
1 bag Strawberry Marshmallows
1/4 bag of regular Large Marshmallows (this was a very rough est)
1 stick (8 Tbl) butter
1 tsp vanilla
5 1/2 cups Fruit Loops (or Fruity O's, or Fruit Cheerios, or any other Fruit type cereal)
5 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

In VERY large microwave safe bowl melt the marshmallows and butter together (high for 1 minute, stir, high for 1 min stir, continue until melted), stir in vanilla and then slowly add cereals...(you will now have sticky up to your elbows, some in your hair, and just a little behind your left knee) .  Spread onto a grease cookie sheet and let cool.

Time for mommy's Chocolate Magic!

Chocolate Cereal Marshmallow Treats

1 bag Chocolate Marshmallows (think they may be Chocolate/Vanilla swirl)

1/4 bag of regular Large Marshmallows (this was a very rough est)

1 stick (8 Tbl) butter

1 tsp vanilla

5 1/2 cups Chocolate Cheerios (or another Chocolate cereal)

5 1/2 cups Chocolate Chex (or another Chocolate cereal)

2 cups Chocolate Chips, or M&M's or other chocolate treat (optional)

In VERY large microwave safe bowl melt the marshmallows and butter together (high for 1 minute, stir, high for 1 min stir, continue until melted), stir in vanilla and then slowly add cereals...gently fold in optional Chocolate Chips or M&M's.  Spread onto a grease cookie sheet and let cool.

So, I overcame my fear of sticky (by the way, this is genetic, passed down from my father who has a fear of sticky, I have a fear of sticky and my daughter has a fear of sticky!), and now have some wonderfully magic treats on my kitchen table...

Celebrate What?

Okay...so I finally got going today, took awhile...
but I actually got OUT of my jammies and even left my house, twice...

I promised the kids that if they napped I'd take them swimming at the Y...
yeah...swimming when it's raining?
turn's out...it's actually a fun thing to do...
if the pool's indoors and heated...
but it also has a retractable roof,
which was open, so swimming in a heated pool with rain falling...
supper cool for the kids...and mommy...

okay anyways...
we decided to go swimming on this "no school" Monday...
(and so did half of Redding...)
and then as we're swimming Madison asks,
"How are we going to celebrate?"
...
"Celebrate What?"...I respond
"Dr. King's birthday..."
....
oh, yeah...so this isn't just a no-school Monday...
this is a holiday to honor a very amazing man...
Then I thought it was kinda cool that we were swimming in a public pool with many different nationalities of people swimming around us...so maybe that's one way of celebrating Dr. King...go swimming in a public pool...
but that wasn't enough for my family...
we also must celebrate with dessert...
and Beau decided that the best way to honor Martin Luther King Jr. was to make a yellow cake with chocolate chips...
Two flavors coming together to make one amazing cake...

...So, from now on we will call this the...

Dr. King Cake
1 yellow cake mix
1 vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
frost with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting recipe on previous post

1. Preheat oven to350 and grease two 9-inch round cakes.
2.  Place cake mix, pudding mix, milk, eggs, butter, & vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix on low for 1 minute.  Scrape down sides, then mix on high for 2-3 minutes. Fold in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.  Pour into cake pans.
3.  Bake for 33-37 minutes.  Remove from oven, cool in cake pans for 10 min.  Remove from cake pans and allow to cool completely.
4.  Frost with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting and top with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

...sure hope Martin Luther King Jr. liked cake...if he did I'm sure he would have liked this cake...
Thanks for your dream Dr, King!

Cake Mixes Can do That???

a really fast recipe...just made some tonight with the kids...

I think similar versions are in the Cake Mix Doctor and all over the internet...but this recipe was given to me by my friend Heather Jordan...

Have to LOVE a recipe that has 3 ingredients, one step, and uses one bowl and one spoon!

Cake Mix Cookies
1 box cake mix any flavor (we like Devils Food*, Funfetti, or Lemon**)
2 eggs
1/2 oil

1.  Mix together and place spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Preheat oven @ 350, bake for 6-9 minutes...

*If using any chocolate cake mix stir in chocolate chips, or m&m's, or 1/2 tsp mint extract, or peanut butter chips...or anything that's good with chocolate!

**Roll the Lemon cookies in sugar before baking for a very decadent treat!  or dust with powder sugar when they come out and are still warm.

Options...make the cookies a little larger than normal and place a popsicle stick into the bottom of dough before baking, then dip in melted chocolate when the "pop-cookies" have cooled...great treat for a kids party!

Now, feed each kid one cookie and send them off to bed so you can finish the rest by yourself because you have worked-out great all week long...
And No, eating all the cookies wouldn't make your trips to the Y pointless...
just the opposite in fact
...it would have made them VERY useful...
because without the trips to the Y there is no way you could justify eating 2 dozen chocolate cookies all by yourself...
and is it really all by myself if Agatha Christie is in bed with me and my cookies???

It's a Chocolate Kind of Holiday

a favorite recipe around holidays at our house is the Chocolate Pie recipe...

This is more of a Thanksgiving tradition, we always had it at our Thanksgiving gatherings as a child, and I usually make it every Thanksgiving, and it has become a favorite with my father-in-law! I always forget every year how incredibly easy this pie is to make for such a yummy dessert, and so many different ways to change it up! I hope you enjoy it also.
it's a very simple...fast...sinfully good pie...Think I'll make one for Christmas this year...

Hershey Bar Pie
1 Oreo Cookie Pie crust (store bought or homemade)
1 ex large Hershey Bar (I think it's around 7 oz)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
20 large Marshmallows
1 pint whipping cream

Break up Hershey Bar and place into large microwave safe bowl, add evaporated milk and marshmallows. Heat for 40 seconds and stir, continue until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth, about 2 1/2 minutes total, , (this can also be done on the stove top using a double boiler, but why?). While mixture is cooling whip up the whipping cream until still peaks form (using an electric mixer), fold into chocolate mixture, pour into crust, refrigerate 2 hours before serving, top with sweeten whipped cream.

Options:
*Use Hershey bar with almonds, or dark chocolate, or another type of chocolate bar...
*stir in 1/2 tea of mint extract
*omit evap. milk and use 1/8 cup coffee and 1-2 teaspoon instant coffee whipped into whipped cream
*add 1/4 cup peanut butter to the chocolate mixture and melt

Oh Darn, Chocolate Cake Again

I was "raised" making pies, I loved making pies, my dad loved eating pies.

I learned the art of pie crusts...

I perfected the apple pie...

The berry pie...

The chocolate pie...

The pumpkin pie...

....

and then I married a cake man...

I tired to make cake from scratch for a few years...and it can be done...

the flour must be perfect...

the milk must be the right temperature...

the eggs must look just right...

and if the wind is blowing north...

the cake will turn out just...just okay...

Then I discovered a wonderful book...I saw it on Good Morning America and told my mom I wanted it for a birthday or Christmas or something...

The Cake Mix Doctor, by Ann Bryn...it's the best book ever written (aside from the Bible)

http://www.cakemixdoctor.com

So, yes...I now make...

Cakes out of a box!  (gasp)

But they've been doctored....

This is a recipe that originally came from The Cake Mix Doctor, but I have since doctored it a little myself so I feel it's okay to share one of Ann's recipes since I've modified it some...

~~~~~~

Darn Good Chocolate Cake

1 box Devils Food Chocolate Cake Mix

1 box instant chocolate pudding mix (I get the sugar free)

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream (I use low fat)

2 Tbs Cocoa powder

1/2 cup warm coffee (or warm water)

1/2 cup melted butter (or oil)

2 cups semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and spray cake pans*.

2.  Mix everything but the chocolate chips together for 1 minute, scrap down sides of  bowl, mix on med speed for another 2-3 minutes (I set my timer, 3 minutes is a lot longer than you'd think), then fold in the chocolate chips, and pour into cake pan(s).

3.  Follow baking directions off of back of box according to the cake pan size you are using.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan(s), then remove from pan and continue to cool before frosting.

*when I'm using 8" or 9" rounds I also cut a circle of wax/parchment paper the same size as the bottom of the pan and line the pan with it, spraying the pan after I put the wax paper in.

frost with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), at room temp.

1/4 cup baking cocoa

3-4 cups powder sugar

2 tea vanilla

1/4-1/2 cup milk

Cream butter and cocoa together, add vanilla, slowly add sugar and milk alternating back in forth, until you've reached the desired consistency.

~~~

Changes you can make...

if you want a Grasshopper Cake omit coffee and use 2 tea of mint extract added to a 1/2 cup of warm water, chop up Andies mints and use those instead of chocolate chips and use the mint extract in the frosting rather than vanilla, and top the cake with a few Andies mints for decoration...

for a Mocha Cake, add 2 Tbl of instant coffee granules to the cake mix and for a crazy kick omit chocolate chips and use chocolate covered espresso beans...for frosting omit the vanilla and mix together 2 tea of instant coffee with 2 tea of warm water and add to frosting, decorate the top with chocolate covered espresso beans (maybe in the shape of a coffee mug)...

~~~~~~~