well...ain't t that a 'sumbitch!

"You should try making some 'Sumbitches..."

I remember agreeing with my husband when we watched the train episode of How I met Your Mother. Since then, I've made a mental note in the back of my brain to try and re-create those little suckers.

Fast forward to now. We've recently been deployed back to the states and living in Georgia means getting ingredients much more easier and much more cheaper. Huzzah! But first things first...I wanted to find a good base for my cookies. In came google search...

I knew that I wanted my base to be a peanut butter cookie. But I also wanted them to be soft and chewy so that it would go along the texture of the caramel. Also, I wanted them to stay soft and chewy for days. Enter this recipe! I loved that it promised all those things that I was looking for AND the fact that I didn't need to flatten them out! These were perfect for just a scoop and drop method that I was looking for!

The next thing to consider was the chocolate and caramel. I rewatched the episode online and, wanting to be close as possible, knew that I didn't want to go the Rolos route. While that may have been easier, I wanted the chocolate and caramel to be evenly distributed and not centralized. So, I opted for tossing in some caramel bits and some semi-sweet chips.

The result?

Oh, my god, the chewiest, nut butteriest, chocolate and caramel cookies in the world! Adapting the recipe, I love that these have two types of nut butters in them: crunchy peanut butter and almond butter. The almond butter is from Costco and was an impulse add-in. Since the only ingredients are roasted almonds, I think it really toned down the sweetness of these cookies (not to mention add to the amazing chew). The caramels were perfectly spread out and every mouthful had that caramelly goodness along with a bite of chocolate. PERFECT!

And guess what? I must have done something right, because I've already made these twice and each time they've disappeared in just a few days. And there's only two of us here, lol. These, by far, are the hubby's newest favorite cookies! Huzzah!

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'Sumbitches
(adapted from Alaska From Scratch)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup almond butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 cup caramel bits

 
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, and almond butter together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugars until combined, then incorporate the egg, followed by the milk and vanilla. Add in the flour mixture, chocolate chips, and caramel bits until thoroughly combined.

Using a medium cookie scoop or one rounded tablespoon, place dough on baking sheet allowing room for cookies to spread out while baking.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, being careful not to overbake. The cookies will look slightly underdone in the center. Let stand 5 minutes to set on baking sheet before transferring on a sheet of wax paper to cool completely.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

taste it and make it: cookies!

When I was back in San Diego, I used to work for this resort. At the resort, they had a little coffee shop that sold some fancy pastries and coffee drinks. I remember, I would stop by there every other day and get this big ass bakery cookie that they sold. It was a German chocolate flavored cookie that was just awesome!

What I liked about the cookie was that it had coconut flakes, pecans, and chocolate chips baked into the cookie itself. It sweet, compact, and had the taste of German chocolate cake but in cookie form. So, rather than buying the cookie at $3.50 every other day and the fact that I'm now living in Guam, I decided to look in the internet to see if I could recreate those delicious cookies.

The problem that I kept coming across was the fact that the cookies I found were either, filled, topped, had the wrong base, or had ingredients that I really didn't want in them (namely corn syrup). The closest recipe that I could find was this, which had a nice short ingredients list. Still...not what I wanted in the recipe. So I decided to do some experimenting.

Taking some pointers from this site, I decided to change the flour amounts. Since I definitely wanted a chewy cookie, I added an extra yolk to the recipe. I also took out the corn syrup as I didn't think that it needed it and bumped up the vanilla. While I normally love coconut, I thought that 2 1/4 cups seemed a bit excessive so that got cut too. Needless to say, this recipe got dissected, pulled apart, and brought back together again.

So what did I end up with? A fantastic cookie that was amazingly identical to the cookie I had from the resort's cafe! It was nice and chewy, nutty from the pecans, caramelly from the toasted coconut, and oh so chocolatey from the semi-sweet chocolate!

I packed a batch of this for my hubby to take to work and it was gone within minutes. Poor hubbs, he didn't even get to taste any. Luckily for him, there was a batch waiting for him when he got home. Now, whenever he wants to be a popular kid at work, his number one request is a batch of these German chocolate chip cookies. Please and thank you! ;D

German Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from FabFood and Cook The TV!)

2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup bread flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 tsp or so kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg plus extra egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate disks, chunks, or chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Toast the coconut and pecans on a large skillet, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 9 minutes, or until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn. Let stand until cool. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the sugars and butter until very well blended and light (do not over beat or else the cookie will not spread properly). Beat in the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla until well blended. Beat or stir in the flour mixture, then the pecans, coconut and chocolate, until evenly incorporated.

Drop the dough onto the baking sheets by heaping measuring tablespoons, spacing about 3 inches apart. Using the tip of a table knife (or your palm), spread out the cookies to about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 6 to 9 minutes, or until lightly browned all over and slightly darker at the edges. Leave cookies on baking sheet until completely cooled. Makes about 45 cookies.

a fabulous idea.

This started as trying out a cookie recipe that promised fudgy cookies that were chewy and ultra chocolatey. Not only that, but these babies weren't made with any flour so I was looking forward to something decadent and rich. I switched out the chocolate chips for white and added walnuts for some crunch. And, oh! Were these good!

So of course I had to save some for the hubby to try. But then, a couple of days passed by and the cookies started to go from fudgy to stale and crumbly...and he hadn't even gotten a chance to try them yet! So after day five hit, I tried them and they just weren't the same. But then a thought came into my head....what if I used them for something else? Parfaits? Ice box cake of some sort? Hmm....

Ding! Ice cream sandwiches!!

Oh, and what a crazy great idea it was! The decadent factor went up two-fold after taking the first heavenly bite! And to top it off, I used cookies and cream ice cream, so it was just a double dose of cookie goodness. I made the sandwiches again today and, this time, I let them sit for a day so that they were still chewy. Oh my god, they were even better the second time around!

These icy treats were perfect for the last few days here in Guam. The rain had just let up and the sun was scorching down, lol. So now, there are ten sandwiches in the freezer, lovingly waiting to be devoured. And I can't wait! :D

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Fudge Walnut Chip Cookies
(adapted from Chocolate and Carrots)

3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/4 ts. kosher salt
2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup white or semi-sweet chocolate baking chips
1/2 cup walnuts, crushed

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set aside two baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in the vanilla and egg whites starting with just two.

Beat just until the batter is moistened. You’re looking for a brownie-like, thick and fudgy batter consistency. If it seems too thick, add another egg white, then a 4th one if it still seems too thick.

Stir in the baking chips and walnuts.

Scoop the batter by the tablespoon full onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes roughly about 20 (3 to 4 inch wide) cookies.

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Double Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
(makes 10 sandwiches, 2 servings per sandwich)

20 day-old Fudge Walnut Chip Cookies
1/2 gallon reduced fat cookies and cream ice cream (we like Kemps. :D)

To make sandwiches, pair cookies together so they're about the same size. Working quickly, scoop ice cream on the bottom of one cookie to about 1 inch thickness. Press the matching cookie firmly on top and repeat with remaining cookie pairs. Wrap individual sandwiches with cling wrap or parchment paper and freeze to store.

Note: these make *large* decadent sandwiches! I find that cutting the sandwich in half is more than plenty for an after dinner treat. :)

drunken fruit.

After coming down with a severe allergic reaction to fruitcake, theme-nights got tossed out of the window. That makes me sad as I'm one of those weird people who simply *adores* fruitcake. :'( I found it a little odd that i'd get such a reaction though...I've been eating that fruitcake brand for years! Oh welll....

1 So in an effort to make myself feel better, I decided to make myself some cookies that mimicked fruitcake. Rum? Check! Dried fruit? Check! Everything that I wanted was almost all in this recipe. So, I added some walnuts for texture. Also, for New Years, my mother had sent me some biscotti that was laced with the flavor of anise. I thought they had an awesome flavor profile, so I went ahead and added some anise seed to the mix.

True to the author's word, these cookies aren't that sweet. The rum in the cranberries added the boozy flavor i was looking for and the slight crunch from the walnuts gave them a nice texture. The anise is prominent, which was exactly what I was going for. To me, these buttery cookies came out exactly how I wanted them to. :D

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Rum-Soaked Cranberry and Walnut Shortbread Cookies
(adapted from Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup rum
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp anise seed
1/2 cup walnuts, crushed

In a small saucepan, bring cranberries and rum to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes until the rum is absorbed into the cranberries. Set aside to cool.

Cream butter, vanilla and sugar together. In another bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, anise, and walnuts – add gradually to the creamed mixture. Add the dried cranberries, stirring until just combined.

Shape dough into 2 rolls, about 1 1/2″ each in diameter. Wrap tightly in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Slice each log into cookies about 1/4″ thick and place on a prepared cookie sheet lined with ungreased parchment paper. Cookies don’t spread very much, so you can bake more at once if you like. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

parfaits.

so what happens when you want to make a tiramisu but don't want to actually do the work of whipping and/or cooking the eggs? you make a parfait of course! this one was one of the firsts. since then, i've tweaked the recipe so that i can use pretty much any and all ingredients that i want to throw in there. and the bonus? it's all made of almost fat free or nonfat ingredients! yeah! sometimes i love experiments that fail. :)

Anything-Goes Parfait

ladyfinger cookies
fat free cream cheese
sweetener of choice
add-ins of choice
liquor or drink of choice
fat free whipped cream

1. get fat free cream cheese, sweetener of choice, and/or add-ins and whip together. (for these oreo ones, i used a couple crumbled chocolate oreos and equal just to get it sweet enough to taste). put aside in the fridge for use later.

2. take the whipped cream and add your sweetener of choice (totally optional. i have a sweet tooth so i added just a tad of equal to make it sweeter. for this i just stirred it in, it'll set slightly when everything gets chilled together).

3. take two lady fingers and soak them in the liquor of choice (i used just barely a teaspoon each of pre-mixed mudslide mix watered down with a little bit of fat free chocolate milk). soak cookies just enough to be slightly soft but not soggy.

4. put everything together. start with the lady fingers (broken in half and placed on the bottom of your glass, tumbler, what-have-you...), then put a layer of the cream cheese mixture. add a layer of whipped cream then crumble some oreo on top. repeat until you reach the top of the glass ending with the crumbled oreos. cover with plastic wrap (or lid, if it's a jar) and let chill overnight. unwrap and serve!

cool cookies.

surprisingly, the two bags of toffee chips i had bought a few months back were still in the pantry waiting to be used. i had a grandeur idea that i was going to go on a baking spree and give out cookies like crazy. needless to say i'm just now getting the baking itch and did a batch of chocolate peanut butter cookies...

...and also two tea flavored shortbreads to go along with. earl gray and matcha green tea.

cookies ready to bake. mmmm....

 

Brickle Drop Cookies
(from Hershey's Kitchens)

1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
3 eggs
1-1/3 cups HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl until blended. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in toffee bits. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

 
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
(from Hershey's Kitchens)

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1(10-oz.) package REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat well.

3. Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda; add in peanut butter chips; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

 

baked tea cookies. more buttery than tea...must fix somehow. hmmmm....
Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
(from Food Network)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea, and salt, until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll into a log, about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Tightly twist each end of wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart (2 probably needed depending on size of sheets). Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.