Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Last, but certainly not least, my favorite product from this weekend's baking extravaganza...the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies!  Another winner from my good friend MrsD!

Her recipe includes the from-scratch versions, I cheated a little and made the brownies from my favorite boxed mix, but I did make the cookie dough from scratch.  I have no pictures of my finished product - I cut them up and put them away before I remembered the camera, so I'm borrowing MrsD's image

I also didn't make the ganache for the top - I'm not really a fan of chocolate frostings, and I didn't want to ruin these for myself!

Ingredients

For the brownie part:
1 box of your favorite brownie mix + whatever you need to make the mix as directed

For the cookie part:
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels (I used mini-morsels)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9x13 inch pan.

2. Prepare brownie batter as directed on box.  Pour batter into greased pan.

3. For the cookies, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl and set aside.  In separate large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Add egg and mix well.  Gradually add in flour mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips by hand.

4. Drop by spoonfuls into brownie batter, pressing down lightly on the dough.

5. Bake 35-40 minutes.  Let cool in pan for about 1 hour.


And even though I didn't use it, I wanted to include the recipe for the chocolate ganache in case you want it:

For the ganache:1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 Tbsp. butter
In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage. Pour over the chocolate morsels. Let stand for about 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Pour over the brownies, and smooth to cover completely. Let set before cutting. (This takes a crazy long time, but make sure to wait before cutting into them. I usually let them sit overnight, then cut them in the morning.) Cut into small pieces and enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I had been talking to one of my friends at work about how I was planning on baking all weekend and his request was "oatmeal!".  I wanted to try some new stuff, so I went in search of another cookie that has oatmeal, but something different than your usual oatmeal raisin cookies.  I found this recipe and couldn't wait to try it.

Ingredients
3/4 C shortening
1 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ C mashed ripe bananas (~2 bananas)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
3 C oats (I used old-fashioned)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets

2. In large bowl, cream together shortening and brown sugar.  Beat in egg, banana, and vanilla

3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.  Gradually mix into banana mixture.  Fold in oats by hand.

4. Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes (add 3-5 minutes if using insulated baking sheets).  Cool on pan for ~5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool comletely.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.


Adapted from AllRecipes

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sticking with the pumpkin theme, I found this recipe online and made a couple of changes to it.  I made the same cream cheese frosting that I had for the Banana Cupcakes.

I'll admit that I have no idea how these taste - my coworkers are my taste-testers when it comes to pumpkin recipes.  But they came out exactly as I'd hoped texture-wise and they smell amazing, so I'm guessing they're good.

Ingredients
3 eggs
2/3 C vegetable oil
3/4 C white granulated sugar
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
2 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large bowl, mix eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin.  In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.

3. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture until combined.

4. Spread batter evenly into ungreased 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.

5. Bake 25-30 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting.

Makes 2 dozen bars.


Adapted from AllRecipes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been a slacker with blogging lately, but I have 4 new recipes to make it up to you.
After the success of my pumpkin bread, I started gathering more pumpkin recipes to try out.  I came across this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on my friend, MrsD's blog and it could not have been more perfect!  I've made 3 batches in the last 2 weeks - they're so easy and everyone l.o.v.e.s. them.  I've actually had coworkers ask me if I put drugs in them (but no worries, these cookies are drug free!).  The only addition I made was a teaspoon of ground cloves.

Ingredients
1 C canned pumpkin puree
1 C white granulated sugar
½ C vegetable oil
1 egg
2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 C chocolate chips (1 12oz pkg)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves. In a separate, large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg.

3. Dissolve baking soda with milk and add to pumpkin mixture.

4. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture.  Mix well.  Then add in vanilla and chocolate chips

5. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 minutes or until light brown and firm (add 3-5 minutes for insulated cookie sheets).  Let cool on pan for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen cookies