Homemade Pizookies

Mmmmm, pizookies are AMAZING! They are SOO good that they do not even require an intro... A slightly undercooked cookie topped with ice cream and hot fudge. My mouth is watering more than the Bellagio fountains! ENJOY!!!

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate chip cookie dough (I made my own 'recipe to follow soon', but you can easily use your favorite store bought brand...try other flavors too, yum)
Vanilla Bean Ice cream
Hot fudge
Whipped Cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Lightly grease a round pie dish (may have enough dough to make two pie pans)
Press dough in dish and bake for about 10-15 minutes. The trick is to underbake it by a minute or so. I check on mine at 6 minutes and every minute after that.
Take out of oven and top with a large scoop of ice cream and drizzle with hot fudge and whipped cream.
Serve immediately with spoons and eat right out of the dish...WARNING: this may create a feud over the last bite. :)

Everything But The... Brownies

Okay, so I must say that these are the most RIDICULOUS brownies I have ever made and tasted!!!! I take back ever saying that brownies from a box were disappointing, especially after making theses babies. I was searching around for some yummy brownies and when I came across these I couldn't resist. These brownies incorporate EVERYTHING in the recipe that I want in a dessert- brownies, chocolate, ice cream, hot fudge and, yes there's more, Oreos! Hence the reason why I like to call them Everything But The... Brownies.

I had my son help me make these and he thought I was the coolest mom because I let him add the chocolate chips, hot fudge and, this part made him REALLY excited, ice cream to the batter. Once we whipped up the batter I layered the first half of the mixture in the pan and had him layer on the Oreo cookies. Then we took the rest of the brownie mixture, covered the Oreos and popped them into the oven. We had them for dessert that night and topped them off with a scoop of ice cream (as if they needed more!). Seriously, can it get any better than this? I just look at it this way, I'm doing my gym a favor for making and eating these because I, and my behind, are just giving them more business:)! So not looking forward to my workout...

Ingredients:

1 pkg brownie mix (I used the family size)

2 eggs

1/2 c oil

1 1/2 c chocolate chips

1 heaping 1/2 c ice cream (whatever flavor you have on hand)

1/4 c hot fudge topping

Oreo cookies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a 9x13 foil lined baking dish with cooking spray. Combine brownie mix, eggs and oil in a bowl. Then add chocolate chips, ice cream and hot fudge to the batter and mix. Pour half of the brownie mixture into the pan, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Caramel Brownies

It's been a HECK of a long time since I have been able to post some recipes. Having a baby really throws things off a bit, especially when they are a preemie and have to be in the hospital for 4 months, but I am hoping I will be able to post more often now that our sweet little baby is home and things are starting to settle down a bit.

Now before I begin, can I just say how AMAZING these brownies are!?! A couple of weekends ago I tried making the old brownies from a box and I was TOTALLY disappointed!!!! Is it me, or are they really not as good as they used to be? Anyways, even though you still have to use boxed cake mix for these brownies they are SUPER good. They are currently one of my new favorite desserts to make lately. They are so chocolaty, rich and I just love the whole chocolate and caramel combo. If you are in need of a chocolate fix.... these will do the trick!

Ingredients:

1 (12oz) pkg chocolate chips

1 German chocolate cake mix

1/2 c butter, softened

2/3 c evaporated milk, divided

50 caramels, unwrapped and ready to go

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cake mix, butter and 1/3 c evaporated milk. Press 1/2 of the cake mixture into a 9x13 dish. Bake 6 minutes (make sure you do not over bake).

Meanwhile, melt caramels with 1/3 c evaporated milk in a saucepan over low heat. Remove dough from oven and sprinkle the partially baked dough with 1/2 of the chocolate chips. Then pour melted caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Press the remaining dough on top of the caramel layer and bake for about 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, until melted, then spread evenly over the brownies. Cool completely before cutting.

Side Note: (I really like my brownies soft and on the gooier side. If you are like me, depending on the way your oven cooks, you make want to reduce the baking time from anywhere between 20-23 minutes or so.)

My Favorite No Bake Cookies

This is my FAVORITE no bake cookie recipe! It has the perfect amount of peanut butter and I LOVE the fact that the recipe calls for ingredients that most everybody has on hand. My family and I ENJOY these most when they are frozen! These are super YUMMY, super EASY and I love the fact that there is no baking required.... especially on those HOT summer days that are just around the corner!

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter

2 C sugar

1/2 C milk

3 t cocoa powder

1/2 C peanut butter

3 C oats

1 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix butter, sugar, milk and cocoa in saucepan over medium heat.

2. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.

3. Add peanut butter, oats and vanilla; mix well.

4. Line cookie sheet with wax paper and drop by spoonfuls on baking sheet.

5. Refrigerate for 1 hour and ENJOY!

The Peanut Butter Chick Magnet Cookie

This is a BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF COOKIE! About eight years ago, I started a cookie business: THE COOKIE CHICKS. We named all our cookies "something" chick. We had one called The Chick Magnet. It was the favorite. I recently came up with this new one that I now call the ''Peanut Butter Chick Magnet''. It's like eating a candy bar. In the middle of a moist peanut butter cookie is a peanut butter cup. It is dipped in chocolate, doused with chopped PB cups and mini chocolate chips, then drizzled with white chocolate. AMAZING. You will think you have died and gone to heaven. It is a beautiful cookie! ENJOY!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Crisco
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups white sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
3 T milk
1 tsp vanilla
miniature peanut butter cups
mini chocolate chips
white chocolate

Directions:

Mix all but the last three ingredients together. Unwrap about 4 dozen mini peanut butter cups. Scoop about 2 T of dough, flatten, and place a PB cup in the center. Wrap dough around and shape into a ball. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool. Melt dipping chocolate. (I use Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate. It is the best!) Dip tops of cookies in chocolate and lay on wax paper. Chop up remaining PB cups. Sprinkle tops of cookies with the cups and mini chocolate chips. Allow to set. Drizzle with white chocolate. YUM!

Amazing Cracker Toffee

Okay, this is my FAVORITE thing to make right now! I started making this SWEET-SALTY treat every Sunday and it never disappoints. I LOVE it because it takes a few ingredients and a snap just to whip up and tastes like you actually had to put some time and effort into it. It is supper YUMMY and ADDICTIVE. You can't just have one piece... I DARE you!

Ingredients:

1 sleeve of Saltine crackers

1 C butter

1 C brown sugar

1 C chocolate chips

Handful of chopped nuts (anything that you have on hand will do)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil.

2. Lay crackers on cookie sheet in 6x6 rows.

3. In saucepan melt butter and brown sugar together over medium heat. Bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Pour over crackers.

4. Bake in oven for 5 minutes.

5. Pour chocolate chips over crackers and allow to sit for 2 minutes before spreading. Spread chocolate chips to cover crackers completely.

6. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and refrigerate at least 2 hours before breaking into pieces and serving.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Okay, these are SUPER rich brownies and I LOVE them! I got them from the Betty Crocker website and they TOTALLY will satisfy your chocolate peanut butter craving. The BEST part about them is that they are super EASY but taste like they actually took some EFFORT to make. They would be GREAT take-alongs to a barbeque, picnic or ANY future get together you have planned.

Ingredients:

Brownie Layer

1 box brownie mix (I always use whatever is cheapest)

Water, oil and eggs called for on the brownie mix

Peanut Butter Filling

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C creamy peanut butter

2 C powdered sugar

2 t milk

Top Layer

1 C chocolate chips (semisweet or milk)

1/4 C butter

Directions:

- Make and bake brownie mix according to package. Let cool completely. (I lined the pan with foil, then greased the bottom of the foil for easier cutting and less of a mess)

- Mix peanut butter filling ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread evenly over brownies.

- Microwave the top layer ingredients for 30-60 seconds, stir until smooth. Allow to cool a little (few minutes or so) then spread over filling layer.

-Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer.

All American Flag Cake

This cake recipe is super LIGHT, EASY and REFRESHING.  I love it because it is so SIMPLE to make and you can totally let your kids get involved with the decorating.  Sorry my picture shows only half of the cake!  My friend's birthday is actually on the 4th, and since our family is so small, I decided to make two square cakes, one for her and one for us, instead of one 9X13.

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix

1 (8oz) container of  frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed

Blueberries

Strawberries, cut in half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cake mix according to package directions.

Pour in greased 9x13 pan.

Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Decorate by spreading with whipped topping and making the stars portion with the blueberries and the stripes with the strawberries.... Have a HAPPY 4th!!!!