baking Archives | Mama Harris' Kitchen

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread with French Vanilla Glaze

April 18, 2017 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplashofDelight #CollectiveBias

Every year this season is a busy one, this year has been no exception. Spring is always my favorite season, with more sunshine and pretty flowers, less wind and rain. It’s also when we celebrate often, between two of our kids’ birthdays, my birthday and Mr. Harris’ birthday, Easter, Mother’s Day – it’s a busy time for us! It’s also a time when we’re looking back at old memories and creating new ones, but sometimes this mama can get tired. Planning all of these events and dealing with all that comes when the school year is winding down means that I often need a pick-me-up. You all know my love for coffee runs deep, but the coffee isn’t the only important part of my cup. The creamer can make or break a good cup of coffee.

Now, I prefer a bit of variety in my creamers. Sometimes I might want a more traditional rich and creamy French Vanilla flavor that sweet and mellow. Others I might want to indulge a bit with Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream flavor that’s a more sweet indulgence reminiscent of rich, fresh homemade ice cream. I’ve even been known to splash both International Delight® creamers in the same cup!

Not only do I practically run on coffee, I also love to bake. No matter how busy life might get, there’s something soothing and calming to me about baking. Every single time it amazes me how just a few simple ingredients can combine to create such delicious little treats, and quick breads are one of my favorites. Since the Spring season can get so busy and we always have something going on, it’s great to have something you can slice and serve to unexpected company, or to sit down with during a quick moment alone to savor with your favorite cup of coffee.

This cinnamon swirl quick bread is a special one, because it combines those two favorite International Delight® creamer flavors that I love, the Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream is added to a simple bread batter and really enhances the taste. No extracts are needed! Add it the bread batter to a loaf pan, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans to create a streusel swirl in the middle of the bread, and then top the bread with the rest of the cinnamon brown sugar mixture.

I created a glaze with powdered sugar and French Vanilla flavor to pour all over the top of the bread. Once the bread is cooled the glaze hardens just a bit and the bread is a dream. It’s like a coffee cake and a cinnamon roll combined into a glorious slice of bread. It’s the perfect pairing to an afternoon cup of coffee over ice and great conversation with a good friend.

This particular cup of coffee was made over ice and I used a frother for the creamer to make it thick like whipped cream. Add just a bit of sweetener and some cinnamon sprinkles, served with a couple slices of cinnamon swirl quick bread and a few orange slices and we have a scrumptious start to the day.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread with French Vanilla Glaze

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

Get a boost on Spring Baking with this cinnamon swirl quick bread topped with a French vanilla glaze and some sweet surprise ingredients!

Author: Mama Harris' Kitchen

Recipe type: Bread

Ingredients

Cinnamon Streusel

⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
⅓ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup International Delight® Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream
½ cup milk
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

French Vanilla Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons International Delight® French Vanilla

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon streusel and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, sugars, baking powder, salt), then stir them together until well combined.
In another mixing bowl, add the International Delight® Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream, milk, oil and egg. Whisk together until smooth, then slowly add to the dry ingredients while mixing together.
Prepare a medium loaf pan (about 8.5 x 4.5) by spraying with non-stick spray and add about half of the bread batter to the pan. Spoon half of the streusel into the pan, then top with the remaining bread batter. Use a butter knife to spread the streusel and create a slight marble effect. Sprinkle the remaining streusel ingredients on top of the bread, then bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. Once a toothpick inserted comes out clean, it's done.
Remove the bread from the oven, and as it cools, prepare the French Vanilla Glaze.
Once cooled, remove the bread from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
Once cooled (but still warm to touch) pour the glaze over the top of the bread, letting it drip a bit down the sides. Let bread cool completely before cutting into it.
Serve with coffee (cold or hot) and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1-2 slices

What’s your favorite creamer flavor?

Be sure to share in a comment, and you can find the flavors I’ve shared here and more at your local Walmart in the dairy aisle.

Don’t forget to save for later by pinning the image below. Just hover over the photo and click “pin it” to save to your favorite Pinterest board.

Light and Fluffy Blueberry Muffins

February 3, 2017 by MamaHarris 11 Comments

Blueberry muffins are quite the classic. When I think of muffins, they’re usually one of the top three flavors I envision. The only problem is that, until now, I could never get just the right recipe figured out for them. They can be a bit tricky, what with those luscious berries that are known to sink to the bottom. So many recipes thicken the batter, but then the muffin itself is a bit dense. One time I tried fixing that by adding brown sugar to the mixture, but when the blue color ran through the batter it ended up turning a bit greenish. They tasted good, but not pretty for photos. After more than a few tries, I’ve finally gotten my recipe for these light and fluffy blueberry muffins just right.

The muffin is light… and fluffy… and the blueberries give just the right texture and color. With the addition of orange zest, vanilla extract and cardamom and nutmeg, they’re flavorful and far from boring. I might even venture to say that you could even add another 1/2 cup of blueberries if you really like them bursting with berries.

I actually whipped these up recently because I’ve been having a hard time these past few months. I was in a pretty bad car accident last October and the healing has been slower than I’d anticipated. Residual trauma and pain, coupled with the busy holidays and the stress of this election season left me stress baking earlier this week. There’s nothing more soothing to my soul than baking up something delicious, and I happened to have just enough blueberries that I’d stored away in the freezer to make these little treats.

Of course, I love to do things a bit differently, so I thought adding some orange zest would liven up the flavor a bit for these traditional muffins. Tossing them in with the sugar before adding the other ingredients is a great way to get a citrus-sweet base. Instead of using room temperature butter, I also melted it and let it cool just a bit before adding it to the sugar. This helps to switch up the consistency of the muffins.

This is also the part where you add the milk. Any percent of milk is fine, you could even use buttermilk if you like. I used good ol’ 2% because that’s what’s in my fridge. You also want to separate your eggs. This is what helps make this recipe nice and fluffy. Add the yolks after the milk with the vanilla extract and save the whites for a few steps down.

In addition to the usual ingredients, you know, flour, baking powder and salt, I also added some ground cardamom and nutmeg for some depth. Trust me on this. You’re going to mix these together and then mix them up with the wet ingredients (don’t overmix!).

Now it’s time for those egg whites! Mix them on high speed until they get really thick and frothy, usually about 2 minutes or so. This will be what makes the muffins super fluffy and not so dense. Now fold it into the batter and add a little bit of the batter to each muffin cavity in your muffin pan. This helps prevent the blueberries from sinking too far.

Now we’re ready for the star of the show, those delicious, beautiful blueberries! I often like to buy fresh fruit like berries and bananas and freeze them for later use. They’re perfect for smoothies when they’re frozen, because you don’t have to add any ice, just toss them in and add some liquid. For these muffins I kept the berries frozen, but I did rinse them just a bit before adding them to the batter so the color wouldn’t run too much into the batter. Fold them in and fill up that pan, then sprinkle the tops with some raw sugar!

Once done the berries will burst inside the muffins and you’re left with these beautiful and surprisingly fluffy berry-full muffin. Cut them open when they’re still warm and slather a bit of butter to take it over the top! These are the type of muffins you can throw together when a friend pops in for coffee or when you need something to grab on the go for breakfast that week. They’re also great for stress baking, just saying!

5.0 from 4 reviews

Light and Fluffy Blueberry Muffins

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

These light and fluffy blueberry muffins are just what you need for those mornings on the go and are so easy to whip up in a flash!

Author: Mama Harris' Kitchen

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: American English

Serves: 12 muffins

Ingredients

¾ cup granulated sugar
zest of one orange
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, separate the yolks from the whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1½ cup (fresh or frozen) blueberries
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar with the orange zest.
Add melted butter, then whisk together until smooth. Add milk and do the same.
Separate the eggs (yolk from whites) and put the egg whites aside for now. Whisk the yolks in with the sugar and butter mixture, add the vanilla extract.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom and nutmeg.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking until just combined.
Take the egg whites that you had set aside, and beat them on high with a stand or hand mixer until stiff peaks appear. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
Prep your muffin pan by spraying with non stick baking spray (or use muffin liners) and add about a tablespoon of the batter to each muffin cup.
Carefully fold the blueberries into the batter, then divide evenly into the pan.
Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with coarse sugar (turbinado sugar) before baking.
Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 and continue to bake for about 20-25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow a few minutes to cool, then remove each muffin from the pan and place on cooling racks.
When ready to serve these muffins are delicious sliced in half and spread with a bit of butter. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 muffin

Do you stress bake too? What’s your favorite thing to bake when stressed?

Also, don’t forget to PIN this recipe! (Hover over the picture below and click the “Pin it”)

Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Bean Glaze

December 23, 2016 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

A few weeks ago I was on a roll with the cookie recipes. I made these delicious chewy chocolate cookies with coffee glaze as a part of a 25 days of cookies countdown. When I made those I also made these Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Bean Glaze and I didn’t know which one I would include in that cookie post. I ended up sharing the chocolate ones because they were ready first, which left me extra time to photograph these pretty babies. On a sidenote, I’m obviously into creating a glaze for all my baked goods this season, don’t mind me – I’m just on a sugar high for the holidays.

Seriously though, these cookies are like a grown up version of everyone’s favorite cookie. The sugar cookie is a classic year round, and adding this chai spice flavoring really takes these over the edge. One of my favorite teas is Vanilla Chai, and these cookies really are the essence of that flavor. I love all of the flecks of vanilla bean in the glaze and the spices that show in the actual cookie too. The pepper and cardamom bring out that chai flavor in addition to the use of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. This recipe uses the same sugar cookie base as my Bing Bong Cookies from my Inside Out Party, I just added the extra spices for that warm vanilla chai flavor.

These are the absolute perfect cookie to enjoy with your favorite coffee or tea!

(Scroll down for recipe measurements and print options)

We’re going to start by combining all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and combining them. Set that bowl aside and cream the butter and sugar in another bowl, then add the eggs and extract. Mix in the dry ingredients, then refrigerate.

Once the dough has been chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a cookie dropper, form the cookies the dip them in sugar.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then add the formed cookie dough and flatten sith the bottom of a glass or a flat spatula.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. We want the edges golden and the centers soft. Next, remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the sheet for a few minutes until they’re slightly cooled, then place on cooling racks until completely cool.

Now it’s time to make the glaze! Add all of the ingredients for the glaze into a small bowl and mix until the glaze is smooth.

Get creative by piping or drizzling the glaze, then add some festive fun using your favorite choice of sprinkles.

Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Enjoy!

Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Bean Glaze

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These chai spiced sugar cookies with vanilla bean glaze are the grown up version of everyone's favorite cookie! They're perfect served with tea or coffee.

Serves: 24 cookies

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies:

2½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1½ teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
2 vanilla beans, scraped

Instructions

Begin by adding the flour, baking powder, salt and spices to a medium bowl and mix together until combined, then set aside. In a separate mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture and mix until the are combined. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Form the cookie dough with a cookie dropper to keep the sizes uniform, then dip in granulated sugar.
Place on prepared baking sheet and flatten the cookies just a bit with a flat spatula or the bottom of a clean glass.
Bake in the preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, until edges are golden. After the cookies are out of the oven for a few minutes, place on cooling racks until they are completely cooled.
While the cookies are cooling off, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl mix the powdered sugar, milk, cream cheese and vanilla beans until it forms a smooth glaze.
Drizzle or pipe the glaze onto the cookies, adding festive sprinkles in your color of choice.
Once the glaze has set they're ready to serve.
Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1-2 cookies

What’s your favorite holiday cookie?

Mini Whipping Cream Pound Cakes with Butter Rum Glaze

December 19, 2016 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

Special thanks to Clover Stornetta Farms for sponsoring this holiday themed recipe for Mini Whipping Cream Pound Cakes with Butter Rum Glaze. #CloverCooks

Christmas is just around the corner and I’m doing what I do best this time of year, baking up a storm! This time of year is synonymous to me for goodies of all kinds and I love the scent of fresh baked goods wafting through my home. ‘Tis the season! It’s sort of our family tradition to have fresh baked goods on hand for those unexpected guests, as well as gifting to those special people in our lives.

Next to fresh baked cookies, pound cakes are my favorite things to bake and mini pound cakes are ideal for gifting or serving to a crowd. Whipping cream pound cake is an old fashioned recipe that is based on a classic pound cake using whipping cream in the mix. There are other variants that use sour cream, yogurt, or other ingredients that change the texture and density of the cake. I love this particular variation because the taste of the cake is a bit richer, and it uses cake flour for a more delicate crumb. I added a bit of orange zest for a slight zing in flavor and created a butter rum glaze for a bit of festive holiday flair.

This recipe was created using both organic unsalted butter and organic heavy whipping from Clover Stornetta Farms. I always try to use fresh and local ingredients whenever possible, so Clover products are household staples in our home since they are located right here in Northern California. It was a special treat to find their Limited Edition 100th Anniversary Organic Eggnog, which paired perfectly with that butter rum glaze on these adorable little cakes. If you haven’t tried Clover’s Organic Eggnog I would recommend giving it a go, it’s one of the best eggnog’s I’ve ever tasted. It’s not as thick as other brands and has great flavor that’s neither bland or overpowering.

The pairing of Mini Whipping Cream Pound Cakes with Butter Rum Glaze and Clover Organic Farms Limited Edition 100th Anniversary Eggnog is perfect for your next holiday celebration!

Speaking of recipes that are a part of family tradition, you can even contribute your own favorite recipes to the Community Cookbook by sharing your pictures and recipes with the hashtag #CloverCooks on social media. You’ll also be entered to win Clover products and fun prizes (see more details at the end of this post)!

(Scroll down for recipe measurements and print options)

We’re going to start by creaming the butter and sugar together.

Then adding the eggs and extracts.

Next, we alternate adding the flour and whipping cream, then fold in the zest.

Spray the pan with a quality baking spray, then add the mixture evenly to each cavity in the pan.

We’ll be baking these babies for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when it’s inserted into the center of the cakes.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before flipping them over and cooling completely on racks.

As the cakes cool, it’s time to prepare the glaze. Melt the butter and add the rum while cooking in a small saucepan over low heat. After a few minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, milk and water, mixing until smooth.

Drizzle the glaze over the cakes ones they’re cool and top with a few sugared berries.

These are best served with delicious egg nog. Enjoy!

Mini Whipping Cream Pound Cakes with Butter Rum Glaze

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Bring some family traditions to the table this holiday season with these mini whipping cream pound cakes with a butter rum glaze!

Author: Mama Harris' Kitchen

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

Ingredients for Mini Whipping Cream Pound Cakes:

1 stick (1/2 cup) Clover Organic Farms Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1½ cup cake flour
½ cup Clover Organic Farms Heavy Whipping Cream, room temperature
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
zest of one small orange

Ingredients for Butter Rum Glaze:

3 tablespoons Clover Organic Farms Unsalted Butter
1½ tablespoon rum
1¼ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Add the butter to a mixing bowl and beat with a mixer on low until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat together.
Slowly add the eggs, continuing to beat the mixture after adding each egg.
Add the extracts.
Add the flour and whipping cream, alternating a bit at a time of each. Continue to mix on low, just until blended.
Fold in the zest.
Prepare the mini bundt pan by spraying with a quality baking spray.
Add the cake mixture evenly into each cavity of the pan. Allow to bake for about 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
Allow pan to cool for a few minutes, then flip the pan over on top of cooling racks to let the cakes cool.
While the cakes are cooling, prepare the glaze by melting the butter and adding the rum while cooking over low. Let them cook together for a few minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the powdered sugar, the milk and water and mix until smooth.
Gently spoon the glaze over the cooled cakes once the glaze has reached room temperature. Spoon around the tallest part of the cakes in a circular motion, allowing the glaze to drizzle down the cake.
Top with sugared berries, if desired.
Serve with egg nog and enjoy!

What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate this holiday season?

For more recipe inspiration, check out more family traditions here. You can follow along with Clover on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and tag them in your own #clovercooks creations.

White Chip Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint

December 8, 2015 by MamaHarris 13 Comments

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareTheHoliday #CollectiveBias

I’ve been on a cookie spree lately, but I figure that during this time of year you can never have too many options when it comes to cookies, right? There’s also a lot of seasonal flavors this time of year, and sometimes people can be really opinionated about them. Today it’ll be chocolate and peppermint and I know people either love the combination.. or they don’t.

Of course, these cookies are for the fans.

As for me, I love festive flavors for every season. I’ve been playing with a lot of cookie flavors recently, and was so excited to come up with these white chip chocolate cookies with peppermint. These cookies combine some of my favorite flavors and allows them to weave together deliciously so there’s not just one main star. The entire cookie is the star.

I used unsweetened cocoa powder for the cookie, good quality white chips and a splash of peppermint extract in the mix to go along with the sprinkle of crushed candy canes on top.They are thick, the edges are crispy, and the middle is soft and fudgy. Then the little crunch from the crushed candy canes on top. I just love that wave of peppermint fragrance when you pull them out of the oven, but it’s not overpowering at all. Best of all, they’re made to gift!

I just love to gift homemade cookies to my favorite people, I don’t think anything beats a gift made out of love, and that’s why when I was at my local Walmart getting some baking supplies for these cookies I was so excited to see that these Rubbermaid TakeAlongs come in a various sizes for all of my gifting needs and they also come in a variety of festive holiday colors and prints! They’re not just for cookies either, they come in a plenty of convenient sizes and shapes to fit your needs and help you share and celebrate for the holidays. I love the Quik Clik Seal™ technology that secures foods and prevents spills, and I also love that these are both microwave and dishwasher safe.

In fact, Walmart shoppers can receive $1 off any 2 Rubbermaid TakeAlongs with this rebate offer. I went ahead and bought packages in each color since I always need more food storage, especially this time of year. Whenever I have guests for dinner, we’re left scrambling at the end of the night for something to put their food in so they can take some home, so I think these are also a great option for that as well.

Ingredients for White Chip Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 candy cane, crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars on low in a stand mixer.

Once mixture is thick and creamy, add the egg and extract. Mix well.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

Slowly add the dry mix to the creamed sugars while the stand mixer is set to a medium/low speed. Once Mixture has come together, scrape the sides and let it run a few seconds longer.

Fold in the white chocolate chips, then remove bowl from mixer.

Using a cookie dropper, measure out the cookies and then roll into a ball with your hand. Place about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Bake in the preheated oven for 11-14 minutes, or until cookies aren’t shiny and wet looking.

Sprinkle the tops of cookies immediately with crushed candy canes, don’t wait till they are cooled.

After a few minutes in the cookie sheet, move the cookies to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Store cookies in airtight containers, like these Rubbermaid TakeAlongs.

You can also wrap a pretty bow and attach a note for gift giving!

Enjoy!

White Chip Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Total Time: 24 minutes

Yield: 24 cookies

Serving Size: 1-2 cookies

White Chip Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint

Chocolate cookies bursting full of white chocolate chips and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy canes. These are the perfect cookies for gifting!

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 candy cane, crushed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars on low in a stand mixer.
Once mixture is thick and creamy, add the egg and extract. Mix well.
In a separate bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Slowly add the dry mix to the creamed sugars while the stand mixer is set to a medium/low speed.
Once Mixture has come together, scrape the sides and let it run a few seconds longer.
Fold in the white chocolate chips, then remove bowl from mixer.
Using a cookie dropper, measure out the cookies and then roll into a ball with your hand. Place about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Bake in the preheated oven for 11-14 minutes, or until cookies aren't shiny and wet looking.
Sprinkle the tops of cookies immediately with crushed candy canes, don't wait till they are cooled.
After a few minutes in the cookie sheet, move the cookies to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
Store cookies in airtight containers, like these Rubbermaid TakeAlongs.
You can also wrap a pretty bow and attach a note for gift giving!
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/12/white-chip-chocolate-cookies-with-peppermint/

Do you have any gifting traditions for your favorite foods?

Visit your local Walmart for all of your holiday food storage and transporting needs. You can find Rubbermaid TakeAlongs in the food storage section with the holiday colors and patterns on end cap displays!

Coconut Cookies

November 30, 2015 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BakeMagicMoments #CollectiveBias

I remember one of my first time making cookies from scratch. I’d heard it was super easy, only a few steps more than the mixes you can buy so I found a few recipes to try. I remember reading through them and one of the first things was to “cream” the butter.

Yeah, I had no idea what that meant! I called one of my good friends and asked her what that means, how to do it, etc. She went over some of the basics of baking, and surprisingly my cookies came out pretty good. Ever since then I’ve loved making my own cookies from scratch and have even ventured out and created some of my very own recipes. One of my very first cookies that I created on my own were these coconut cookies. I’m a huge fan of coconut and this is such a fun recipe for something different than your typical sugar or chocolate chip cookie. It’s also easy to dress up, you can add nuts, chips or dried fruit. They’re great dipped in chocolate or even with a pretty pecan pressed right into the middle.

Rather than choose one of those variations, I decided to just share the original coconut cookie recipe as is, how I fell in love with it. You can get fancy with it by adding any of the ingredients I mentioned, or even a few spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or anything else. It’s fun to customize baked treats to your tastes.

What’s also fun is finding new products for my favorite things (cookies) that also help make my life easier. I recently discovered Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets at my local Target store in the food storage section. The sheets are made out of parchment paper and are pre-cut to 12″ x 16″ and fit perfectly on my favorite cookie sheet. They lay perfectly flat on your baking sheet and are perfect for any of your cookie baking needs, but you can also use it when you dip fruits or cookies in chocolate and need to lay them on something nonstick so the chocolate to dry. I also used these sheets to line a cookie tin to gift a few of these cookies to friends, there’s just so many easy ways to use them!

My cookies came out just how I like them. The parchment sheets helped them to cook evenly and they didn’t stick at all on the bottom. Even better, there’s less of a mess to clean! During this time of the year I like to make a lot of different types of cookies for my family and also to gift to friend and coworkers of my husband and son. The easier the process, the better!

If you love coconut, these cookies provide just the right amount. They are made with brown sugar and sweetened coconut flakes, and I only use a quality, pure vanilla extract. In the past they have had a tendency to flatten, so I refrigerate them for a bit to let the dough cool and I’ve had no problem with flat cookies ever since. These would be great to have the kids help you make and then leave on a plate for Santa!

Ingredients for Coconut Cookies:

1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Begin by combining the flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and whisking together until combined.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter on a medium/low speed with a stand mixer or hand mixer. Once butter is smooth, add the sugar and continue to cream until whipped. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then slowly add in the dry mixture. Mix until just combined.

Add the coconut, mixing on low or by hand. Once coconut is just barely mixed throughout, cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate for about 10-20 minutes.

While the cookie dough is chilling in the refrigerator, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line your cookie sheet with Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets. I love that they are pre-cut to fit my half sheet perfectly.

Once the dough has chilled sufficiently, using a cookie dropper measure out the cookie dough. Carefully roll into a ball and place on the Reynolds Baking Sheets at least 3 inches apart.

Sprinkle the tops with a little bit of extra coconut.

Then bake for 13-15 minutes, until entire cookie is golden. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 or 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks until fully cool.

Serve on a platter to enjoy.

You can also line a cookie tin with the Reynolds Baking Sheets for a pretty presentation when gifting cookies.

Just fold the excess paper over the tops of the cookies before placing the lid on the tin.

Enjoy!

Coconut Cookies

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: about 18 cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Coconut Cookies

It's holiday cookie time, and these coconut cookies provide a tasty cookie as is or a great base to customize with nuts, fruits or chocolate!

Ingredients

1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Begin by combining the flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and whisking together until combined.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter on a medium/low speed with a stand mixer or hand mixer. Once butter is smooth, add the sugar and continue to cream until whipped. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then slowly add in the dry mixture. Mix until just combined.
Add the coconut, mixing on low or by hand. Once coconut is just barely mixed throughout, cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate for about 10-20 minutes.
While the cookie dough is chilling in the refrigerator, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line your cookie sheet with Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets. I love that they are pre-cut to fit my half sheet perfectly.
Once the dough has chilled sufficiently, using a cookie dropper measure out the cookie dough. Carefully roll into a ball and place on the Reynolds Baking Sheets at least 3 inches apart.
Sprinkle the tops with a little bit of extra coconut.
Then bake for 13-15 minutes, until entire cookie is golden. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 or 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks until fully cool.
Serve on a platter to enjoy.
You can also line a cookie tin with the Reynolds Baking Sheets for a pretty presentation when gifting cookies.
Just fold the excess paper over the tops of the cookies before placing the lid on the tin.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/11/coconut-cookies/

What are some of your beginner baking moments?

For more recipe inspiration you can get some recipe inspiration on the Reynolds Pinterest Page or follow along on Facebook or Twitter! I purchased my baking sheets at Target, but they are also available at Walmart as well as many other retailers nationwide.

Butterscotch Snickerdoodle Cookies

November 23, 2015 by MamaHarris 2 Comments

There’s certain smells and tastes that take me back to my childhood, and butterscotch is certainly one of the most vivid. My mother used to make this pudding and serve it in the cutest little pudding cups with long stems on them and I just couldn’t wait to dig in after dinner. Butterscotch was always my favorite flavor pudding, and now I try to incorporate the luscious flavor into as many treats as I possibly can, it’s such a simple but happy memory for me.

Recently I wanted to try my hand at a new butterscotch cookie, so I used my chocolate chip cookie recipe as a base. I’ve made butterscotch cookies before, however I wanted to combine some traditional favorites so I opted to make a butterscotch snickerdoodle cookie.I’ve also made a variation of snickerdoodles before, but it wasn’t a cookie. Viola, the butterscotch snickerdoodle was born, and it is just as amazing as you would imagine.

This recipe combines everything I love in one. The perfect texture of my chocolate chip cookies, chewy and soft in the middle with a delightfully crispy edge, warm butterscotch chips that bring a different flavor to these cookies, and the kicked up spice of nutmeg and cinnamon in the cookie batter. It’s taken to an entirely new level when the cookie dough is rolled in cinnamon sugar, then baked just as snickerdoodle should be.

With flavors like these, this is definitely a recipe for the holiday season. Whip up a batch of your own to add to the cookie tray or gift to your favorite person with a sweet tooth. Although the flavors are decidedly Fall themed, this cookie would be delicious year round!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups butterscotch chips
cinnamon sugar (2 tablespoons sugar PLUS 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugars using a stand mixer* on low speed, continuing to mix until smooth. Add vanilla and egg, beating until combined. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Once mixed together, slowly add to the creamed mixture until just incorporated. With a wooden spoon, carefully fold in the butterscotch chips, leaving a handful of chips aside to add to the tops of the cookies.
Using a cookie dropper*, scoop your cookie, then carefully roll into a ball with your hands before adding to a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Roll generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture until all sides are covered.

Place the rolled cookie dough on a baking sheet* lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat*, then add a few of the extra butterscotch chips to the tops.
It’s not necessary but it makes them pretty.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until golden. The centers will still be soft for a few more minutes, but the edges will be just starting to crisp.

Remove from baking sheet, then place on cooling racks* to cool completely.

Once cooled, serve or store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Butterscotch Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups butterscotch chips
cinnamon sugar (2 tablespoons sugar PLUS 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugars using a stand mixer on low speed, continuing to mix until smooth.
Add vanilla and egg, beating until combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Once mixed together, slowly add to the creamed mixture until just incorporated.
With a wooden spoon, carefully fold in the butterscotch chips, leaving a handful of chips aside to add to the tops of the cookies.
Using a cookie dropper, scoop your cookie, then carefully roll into a ball with your hands before adding to a bowl of cinnamon sugar.
Roll generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture until all sides are covered.
Place the rolled cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then add a few of the extra butterscotch chips to the tops. It's not necessary but it makes them pretty.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until golden. The centers will still be soft for a few more minutes, but the edges will be just starting to crisp.
Remove from baking sheet, then place on cooling racks to cool completely.
Once cooled, serve or store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/11/butterscotch-snickerdoodle-cookies/

Do you have favorite cookie flavors as the seasons change, or do you prefer traditional recipes?

*this contains an affiliate link that I may receive a small percentage of if you make a purchase.

Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

October 20, 2015 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

Isn’t it crazy how much our lives change in such a short amount of time? I remember about 7 or 8 years ago how my mornings would go. My husband, then my fiance, would leave to work in the wee hours of the morning before the kids and I were even awake. I’d rush every morning, throw the kids in their clothes, get presentable and take my makeup with me, drop them off at the bus stop because my commute was too long to be able to take them to school that early, and then I’d brave about an hour to an hour and a half of a commute to get to work only about 25 minutes away. All before 8:00 AM.

Breakfast? Not likely.

My mornings were so rushed, dealing with pre-teen moods, and sluggish elementary age children that wanted to drag their feet. Thankfully their schools had breakfast, but I was left rushing off to work and if I had an available few minutes I’d stop at the corner market near my work and grab some snacks. Maybe a juice and a muffin or breakfast/granola bar, then I’d head promptly to my break room at work to grab some of the coffee they offered to employees.

I often look back at those periods of my life and marvel at how rushed we always were. I’d like to think that now I’d organize our time a bit better. Have a better schedule. But you never know, it’s always easier to look at those things from a different perspective once you are no longer living that life.

Those muffins I would pick up though before work? I always chose the jumbo sized ones that were full of poppy seeds. I would leave it on my desk at work and dig my fingers in, eating a little bit at a time for hours while I worked. I don’t miss those days, but sometimes I do miss those muffins.

So much so, that months ago I attempted to recreate them. The results were disastrous, which is why you never saw them. I attempted a healthier approach, but they ended up tasting like sawdust. Maybe I’ll perfect my healthier muffins, but these… these are scrumptious. I switched up the muffin flavors a bit, they still have poppy seeds sprinkled all over, but they also include fresh raspberries and a delicious sprinkling of lemon. Yum!

What I learned from my muffin disaster months ago is that poppy seeds can tend to dry out the batter or make it dense. So instead of adding whole eggs to the creamed butter, I added just the yolks, then whipped up the whites and added them towards the end to create a lighter crumb. I also used plain yogurt (you can substitute with sour cream or buttermilk as well) and I began by making them at a higher heat for a few minutes, then lowering the temperature for the duration of the baking time. This allowed a bit of a heat shock to make the muffin tops puff quickly so you have a beautiful, round topped muffin to enjoy, just like the ones I used to buy.

Even though my mornings now look a little bit different and our family has grown to now include two more kids and two dogs, I’m still able to enjoy my favorite kind of muffins in the same manner while I work (from home). In fact, I’m digging in now as I type this up. Delish!

Ingredients for Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
zest of 2 lemons
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
raw sugar for muffin tops

Directions:

Begin by creaming the butter on low speed, then slowly add in the sugars. While adding sugars, also add the zest.

Add egg yolks, then vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.

While continuing to mix on a low speed, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. The mixture will be almost crumbly in texture.

Once mixture begins to come together, add the yogurt, then the lemon juice.

Remove mix from mixer, then beat the egg whites in a separate bowl on high until frothy and thick.

Fold egg whites into mix with a spatula.

Then fold in raspberries.

Line your jumbo muffin pan with jumbo sized liners, spray lightly with baking spray. Add muffin mix to each liner, they will be full almost to the top. Sprinkle with raw sugar

Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and set the timer for about 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Once tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then they are done! Remove from oven and let cool just a bit.

You can also remove the muffins from the pan after a few minutes and let cool on muffin racks.

These are delicious served warm, either with a bit of butter spread on or even as is. They also taste just as good all the way cooled down, perfect for grabbing on the go for a snack or quick breakfast!

Enjoy!

Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes

Yield: 6 jumbo muffins

Serving Size: 1 jumbo muffin

Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Big, jumbo size bakery style raspberry lemon poppy seed muffins. It's a classic flavor with a big twist that you're sure to love!

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
zest of 2 lemons
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
raw sugar for muffin tops

Instructions

Begin by creaming the butter on low speed, then slowly add in the sugars.
While adding sugars, also add the zest.
Add egg yolks, then vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.
While continuing to mix on a low speed, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
The mixture will be almost crumbly in texture.
Once mixture begins to come together, add the yogurt, then the lemon juice.
Remove mix from mixer, then beat the egg whites in a separate bowl on high until frothy and thick.
Fold egg whites into mix with a spatula, then fold in raspberries.
Line your jumbo muffin pan with jumbo sized liners, spray lightly with baking spray. Add muffin mix to each liner, they will be full almost to the top.
Sprinkle with raw sugar
Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and set the timer for about 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Once tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then they are done!
Remove from oven and let cool just a bit.
You can also remove the muffins from the pan after a few minutes and let cool on muffin racks.
These are delicious served warm, either with a bit of butter spread on or even as is.
They also taste just as good all the way cooled down, perfect for grabbing on the go for a snack or quick breakfast!
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/10/jumbo-raspberry-lemon-poppy-seed-muffins/

What do your own mornings look like?

Mini Pear Apple Pie

October 6, 2015 by MamaHarris 107 Comments

Well the first day of fall has come and gone so I’m ready to announce the official start of baking season. That’s right: it’s all about cookies, cakes, and we must not forget the pies! I must say, I love a good pie, with a nice flaky crust; and I thought I’d celebrate the kick off to the fall season with some decidedly seasonal fruits that just scream AUTUMN to me. That’s right, pears and apples. I just love these two flavors together, when the pears are just slightly sweeter than the apple, yet not quite as crisp. With a bit of a milder flavor, then combined with the crisp tartness of a beautiful green granny smith apple. It’s a flavor combo I will never tire of, and I decided to switch things up a bit by making a few tweaks to this recipe by making it low calorie. I get a lot of emails asking for healthier desserts; low calorie, reduced sugar but still full of richness and flavor.

I know I had a tough task in front of me with this one, because pies are technically flour, butter, sugar, maybe some fruit or cream and possibly even some shortening. That’s not exactly a low calorie type of indulgence, but I did some homework and found Born Sweet® Zing™ Baking Blend – a combination of stevia leaf extract and cane sugar made with only real ingredients – nothing artificial – that bakes and browns just like sugar, with only 5 calories per serving. Sounds great, right? It’s an easy supplement; just replace the sugar ingredient for half as much of this sweetener. So if a recipe calls for two tablespoons of sugar, you just need one tablespoon of Zing™ Baking Blend. Depending on the ingredients or type of dessert you are baking, sometimes you may need to make minor adjustments to compensate for the difference, but you can find some great baking tips on the ZingStevia.com website!

I love that it comes in this 20 oz. Easy-Pour canister, which makes it so simple to measure out the amount I need and then snap the lid closed for easy storage and no fuss. What’s even better is that one 20 oz. container sweetens just like 2.5 lbs. of sugar! There’s only 5 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving. I knew I was up for a task with pies, but I just couldn’t contain my excitement for the season. I love baking season, I love challenges, I love making people smile. With the low calorie mini pear apple pies I could accomplish all of this. Yay!

Most apple pies call for a mixture of brown and white sugar. I just used the Zing™ Baking Blend along with typical spices and it came out amazing. I loved the flavor and texture of the filling, and it didn’t even have the low calorie taste that some desserts have when you start replacing ingredients. To help keep this a low calorie dessert, I decided to make mini pear apple pie in small ramekins, using a crust only on the top in a rustic lattice pattern. Instead of butter or shortening (or a combination of the two) I discovered a way to make the crust using coconut oil. Since we just need a few strips to cover each ramekin it helped cut down calories and fat, but the texture of the crust is so flaky and tasty you would never know. They end up only being 111 calories per serving, so you even have a little wiggle room to add a small dollop of homemade whipped cream or vanilla frozen yogurt on top!

Since they are mini pies, the baking time is cut down significantly as well. Your kitchen, however, will smell amazing and these little treats will satisfy any sweet craving for sure!

Filling Ingredients for Mini Pear Apple Pie:

1 red pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1.5 tablespoon Zing™ Baking Blend
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Ingredients for Crust:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
dash of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (solid, not melted)
3 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

Begin by adding diced pears and apples to a medium bowl. Add Zing™ Baking Blend, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg to the bowl.

Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

In a separate mixing bowl add flour and salt together. Spoon in the coconut oil, and combine with a pastry blender. Carefully add water one tablespoon at a time, continuing to use the pastry blender until dough becomes just wet enough to come together. Form into a ball, then place on a floured surface.

With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about the size of a 5-6 inch round. Cut into strips using a pastry cutter.

Place four ramekins on a small cookie sheet, and lightly spray the insides of the ramekins with non stick baking spray. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture into each ramekin.

Carefully place the pie crust strips on top of the fruit mixture, forming a weave pattern. Lightly sprinkle with Zing Baking Blend and place in lowest position in oven. Bake at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 22 minutes, until golden.

Allow to cool, then serve while still warm.

Serve with some whipped cream, or even vanilla ice cream. Both are optional as this pie is pretty tasty on its own!

All you need is a dollop.

Enjoy!

Mini Pear Apple Pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 mini pear apple pie

Calories per serving: 111

Fat per serving: 3.2 grams

Mini Pear Apple Pie

Mini pear apple pie made with Zing Baking Blend for a low calorie treat!

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients for Mini Pear Apple Pie:

1 red pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1.5 tablespoon ZING baking blend
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Ingredients for Crust:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
dash of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (solid, not melted)
3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Begin by adding diced pears and apples to a medium bowl. Add Zing baking blend, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg to the bowl.
Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
In a separate mixing bowl add flour and salt together. Spoon in the coconut oil, and combine with a pastry blender. Carefully add water one tablespoon at a time, continuing to use the pastry blender until dough becomes just wet enough to come together. Form into a ball, then place on a floured surface.
With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about the size of a 5-6 inch round. Cut into strips using a pastry cutter.
Place four ramekins on a small cookie sheet, and lightly spray the insides of the ramekins with non stick baking spray. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture into each ramekin.
Carefully place the pie crust strips on top of the fruit mixture, forming a weave pattern. Lightly sprinkle with Zing Baking Blend and place in lowest position in oven. Bake at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 22 minutes, until golden.
Allow to cool, then serve while still warm.
Serve with some whipped cream, or even vanilla ice cream. Both are optional as this pie is pretty tasty on its own!
All you need is a dallop.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/10/mini-pear-apple-pie/

Do you have a favorite low calorie dessert?

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Peanut Butter Chip Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

August 24, 2015 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

Every time I get a new cookie idea I go to my old faithful cookie recipe and use that as the base. My no-fail cookie recipe for chocolate chip cookies is seriously the best. I love a good, thick cookie with a slightly crispy edge and a soft middle. That’s perfection for me, and this recipe always delivers that perfect cookie every time. So it’s only natural whenever I’m dreaming up new cookie flavors that this is the base recipe I use. When I created my cherry chip pizookies, this was the recipe I used, and also when I made those yummy cookie cups. Yup, all the same base recipe!

So when my best friend dropped a bag of peanut butter baking chips on my counter a while back when she came back from the grocery store, I immediately knew where to start. Peanut butter chip cookies. I also have an affinity for peanut butter and chocolate (doesn’t everyone) so I thought, why not dip these cookies in chocolate?

The result? A delicious cookie with crispy edges and a soft center bursting with peanut butter flavor coated in luscious milk chocolate. Yes, they’re pretty impressive. My kids (and husband) were literally peering over the counters and tables waiting for a bite as I snapped away for these photos. Once I gave the go-ahead to dig in, there was only crumbs left in a matter of minutes!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups peanut butter baking chips
2 cups melting milk chocolate

Directions:

Begin by creaming the butter at a low speed.

Then add the sugars one at a time. I like to start with the brown sugar first because it’s a bit more moist.

Then add the white sugar and continue to cream the butters.
Next, add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well, then slowly add to the creamed butter while continuing to mix on low.

Once the mixture just comes together, gently fold in the peanut butter baking chips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and using a cookie dough scoop carefully shape the dough into uniform sizes and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges turn golden. The middles will still be soft, so let cool for a few moments before removing and placing on cooling racks.

While the cookies are cooling, melt your chocolate. I actually bought a container of chocolate that you just heat in the microwave, but you can also use melting chocolate chips or bakers chocolate. Heat at short intervals, stirring occasionally, until melted to desired temperature. Dip the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate, then place on wax paper to dry.

This recipe will make about two dozen cookies.

I decided to grab some extra peanut butter chips and melt them, then drizzle over a few of the cookies.

You could also add nuts, or just leave plain with just the dipped chocolate.

These cookies are so pretty and tasty. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chip Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Yield: 24 cookies

Serving Size: 1-2 cookies

Peanut Butter Chip Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

Chocolate dipped peanut butter chip cookies. Is there anything better?

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups peanut butter baking chips
2 cups melting milk chocolate

Instructions

Begin by creaming the butter at a low speed.
Add the sugars one at a time. I like to start with the brown sugar first because it's a bit more moist.
Then add the white sugar and continue to cream the butters.
Next, add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well, then slowly add to the creamed butter while continuing to mix on low.
Once the mixture just comes together, gently fold in the peanut butter baking chips.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and using a cookie dough scoop carefully shape the dough into uniform sizes and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges turn golden. The middles will still be soft, so let cool for a few moments before removing and placing on cooling racks.
While the cookies are cooling, melt your chocolate. I actually bought a container of chocolate that you just heat in the microwave, but you can also use melting chocolate chips or bakers chocolate.
Heat at short intervals, stirring occasionally, until melted to desired temperature.
Dip the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate, then place on wax paper to dry.
This recipe will make about two dozen cookies.
I decided to grab some extra peanut butter chips and melt them, then drizzle over a few of the cookies.
You could also add nuts, or just leave plain with just the dipped chocolate.
These cookies are so pretty and tasty!
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/08/peanut-butter-chip-cookies-dipped-in-chocolate/

What’s your favorite creamer flavor?

Do you stress bake too? What’s your favorite thing to bake when stressed?

What’s your favorite holiday cookie?

What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate this holiday season?

Ingredients for White Chip Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint:

Directions:

Do you have any gifting traditions for your favorite foods?

Ingredients for Coconut Cookies:

Directions:

What are some of your beginner baking moments?

Ingredients:

Directions:

Do you have favorite cookie flavors as the seasons change, or do you prefer traditional recipes?

Ingredients for Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:

Directions:

What do your own mornings look like?

Filling Ingredients for Mini Pear Apple Pie:

Ingredients for Crust:

Directions:

Do you have a favorite low calorie dessert?

Ingredients:

Directions:

Do you also use your own base cookie recipe, then alter it for different cookies too?