Mom on the Make

Finding fun amidst the chaos of Motherhood

Chocolate Delight Cookies

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One of my most favorite Christmas cookies growing up were the Chocolate Delights that my Mom would whip up every December.

These special cookies were only for Christmas time.

The combination of different textures including corn flakes, candied dates, and pecans create a very unique cookie.

You do not need to turn on the oven for this recipe.  They only require a refrigerator, so they are very convenient to make at the same time as your other Christmas cookies.  There will not be a line for the oven.  🙂

chocolate delight cookies

Mix cornflakes, dates, pecans, and salt.

Add melted chocolate to dry mixture, and mix.

All mixed and ready to drop onto cookie sheets.

Place cookies in refrigerator.

Chocolate Delights

 
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Prep time
Total time
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb sweet milk chocolate (Large hershey bars work great)
  • 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I always use pecans0
  • 1 cup chopped dates (usually found in the produce section on the end displays)
  • ¼ t salt
  • 5 cups cornflakes
  • 3-4 drops of peppermint oil
Instructions
  1. Melt chocolate over warm water.
  2. Add peppermint.
  3. Combine nuts, dates, salt, and cornflakes. Pour chocolate over and stir until well mixed.
  4. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls on waxed paper (I use parchment paper) and chill until firm, for about an hour.

Hope your family enjoys these cookies as much as we do.  🙂

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

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Chocolate chips, peanut butter, cheesecake.  Does it get any better than this?

I know the answer to that one…..No.

As I have discussed before, I love chocolate and peanut butter together in a recipe.

When I saw the ingredients of this recipe, I knew it would be a slam dunk in my house.

I was thrilled to find out that it is actually very easy to throw together.  This recipe had been on my “to make” list for quite some time.  However, with all of the words in the title, I was scared that it would be difficult.

Its not difficult.

And, it is scrumptious beyond words.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

peanut butter chocolate chip cheesecake bars

Blend the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter together until fluffy.

peanut butter chocolate chip cheesecake bars

Stir the chocolate chips and oats into the blended sugar, peanut butter, and butter mix.

 

cream cheese filling

Blend an egg, white sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese block together for the cream cheese filling until soft and fluffy.

layers of dough and cream cheese

Spread cream cheese filling on top of 1/2 of the dough. I used a spatula for the spreading. Then sprinkle the rest of dough on top of the cream cheese.

piece of peanut butter chocolate chip cheesecake bar

peanut butter chocolate chip cheesecake bars

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter, unsalted (1/2 cup), softened
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt (less if you don’t like salty/sweet)
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. Make the cookie dough:
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  3. Cream the butter, sugars, and peanut butter until smooth and fluffy.
  4. Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  6. Slowly add the flour mixture in with the butter and sugar, mixing well after each addition.
  7. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.
  8. Make the cheesecake filling:
  9. Cream the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
  10. Press half to two-thirds of the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish.
  11. Pour the cheesecake filling over the dough.
  12. Crumble the remaining dough and sprinkle over the top, OR roll it into a flat layer and place it over the cheesecake layer. I like the sprinkle option. It makes it pretty and very gooey, which I love.
  13. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until tops is lightly browned and cheesecake layer is set.
  14. Serve warm or cold and store leftover bars in refrigerator.

I found this delightful and sinfully sweet recipe at Pinch of Yum, and I am so glad I did.

Enjoy!

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cake and Frosting Recipe

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About five years ago, when Broadway was going to many preschool birthday parties, there was a cake at one of her friend’s parties that blew me away.  It was so darn good.

I had to ask for the recipe, and she emailed it to me a few days later.  That was five years ago.

Well, I FINALLY made it this week – YAY!

The recipe is from a well known bakery in New York called Magnolia Bakery.  I’ve noticed that the recipe is floating around all over the place online.  It really is unique and absolutely delicious.

The unique ingredients from what I usually use for cake are self rising flour and the addition of whole milk.

Magnolia Bakery Cake and Frosting Recipe
 
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Ingredients
  • Cake Ingredients:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
  • 1 ¼ all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Traditional Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.
  5. Spoon the batter into cups about three-quarters full.
  6. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20-22 minutes. Remove and cool completely before icing.
  7. Icing Instructions
  8. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.
  9. Add 4 cups sugar and then the milk and vanilla extract.
  10. Beat until smooth and creamy.
  11. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the icing is thick enough to be of a good spreading consistency.
  12. Use and store at room temperature, as icing will set if chilled.
  13. Can store for up to 3 days.

I will say that the icing was a bit on the sweet side.  I will try to reduce the sweet factor a touch next time.  The consistency of the cake was perfect.  Its much denser than the boxed cakes that I typically make for birthdays.

Here’s some fun photos of my first attempt at the Magnolia Bakery cake recipe:

Magnolia Bakery Cake Ingredients

Ingredients: self rising flour, all purpose flour, powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, whole mild, unsalted butter

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Frosting Ingredients

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Frosting Ingredients: powdered sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla, whole milk.

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cake

The cake should spring back when you press your finger on it. If it does, you know it is done. After cooled, you can frost it with the decadent vanilla frosting.

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cake and Frosting

Pretty M&M Cake all set for a birthday party. 🙂

Birthday Cake

Aren’t the happy birthday candles adorable? Love them – so festive. 🙂

I love birthday cakes and birthdays in general, and a cake like this can make the day extra memorable.

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Oh, you guys, do I have a good one for you today.  These are soooooo good.

With the perfect blend of peanut butter, chunks of milk chocolate, and oatmeal, these cookies have a unique taste, and are absolutely scrumptious.

 

The chunks of chocolate rather than chocolate chips, I think make a huge difference.

I used large Hershey milk chocolate bars and chopped them into bite size for pieces for these cookies.

Oatmeal was the perfect addition to add more texture to this decadent delight.

The dough for these cookies is probably the best dough I have ever tasted.  And, I’m a bit of a cookie dough expert.  🙂

Ingredients fo PB, Oatmeal, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients for Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Dough for cookies

Blend butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Add vanilla, egg, and mix until smooth.

Dry Ingredients

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Mix Dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until moistened.

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Stir oatmeal into dough mixture.

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chop Milk Chocolate Bars

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Milk chocolate bars are all chopped and ready to go. You will want about 1 1/2 cups of chopped chocolate pieces.

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Mix Chocolate pieces into dough.  The best dough ever!!  Try it.

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ready for the oven!

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cookies fresh from the oven.

peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate chunk cookies

Peanut Butter, oatmeal and chocolate chunk cookies

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate chunk cookie

Love all of the different textures to this cookie.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ⅔ cup unpacked brown sugar
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter (chunky is nice too!)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1½ cup chopped milk chocolate (or just chocolate chips)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
  3. Beat in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended.
  4. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until just moistened.
  5. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
  6. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.
  7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
You can use chocolate chips instead of chopping a chocolate bar. But, I prefer the chunks of chocolate as opposed to the chips. It adds to the great variety of textures in this cookie.

I found this recipe at Pinch of Yum, and am so glad I did!  I made one slight adaptation to their recipe by including only milk chocolate instead of half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate.  Both ways, I’m sure are delicious.

Hope you enjoy these finger licking good cookies!

The Best Rocky Road Brownies Ever

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rocky road browniesThese are my favorite brownies, hands down.

This special rocky road brownie recipe came from my Great Grandmother. My Mom gave me this recipe on a card many years ago, and up at the top, she wrote “Given to me in 1964 from Grandma”.

When you look at the card, you can tell, it has been well used.

The card is a bit wrinkled, has some food stains on it, and some of the ink has smeared.

In other words, this has been a well loved recipe for quite awhile now, and I have made it many, many times.  I think its because these brownies offer such a unique and rich taste, that I haven’t really found in other brownies.

They taste to me like a mixture of a delicious chocolate walnut brownie with rocky road fudge on top.

Yes, they are rich, but so so good.

Rocky Road Brownie Ingredients

Gather ingredients

Rocky Road Brownies

Melt butter, stir in sugar and milk, bring to a boil, remove from heat, add in chocolate chips and vanilla.

rocky road brownies

beat in eggs

Beat in eggs one at a time. I used a very simple hand mixer. No need to get out the big equipment.

rocky road brownies

Stir in flour baking soda and salt

Pour dough in pan and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees

rocky road brownies

Melt remaining chocolate chips and shortening in a pan over hot water (not boiling). It melts fast!

rocky road brownies

Pour delicious melted chocolate on top of cooled marshmallows. Spread with a spatula. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

rocky road brownies

best rocky road brownies

best rocky road brownies

I wanted to note that I used a 13×9 inch pan for the brownies above. I actually doubled the original recipe that you see below. I was making them for a block party, so we needed lots of gooey and delicious brownies this time.

The original recipe below is great for a family of 5-6. The brownies are so rich, they go a long way.

Enjoy!!

5.0 from 1 reviews
The Best Rocky Road Brownies Ever
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • ½ cup margarine
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 T milk
  • 1 pkg (6oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup sifted all purpose flour
  • ¼ t baking soda
  • ½ t salt
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 cups miniature marshamallows
  • Melted Chocolate Topping
  • 1 pkg (6oz) chocolate chips
  • 1 T shortening
Instructions
  1. Melt butter in saucepan.
  2. Stir in sugar and milk.
  3. Bring to a boil.
  4. Remove from heat.
  5. Add chocolate chips and vanilla.
  6. Stir until smooth.
  7. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  8. Sift in flour, baking soda, and salt.
  9. Stir in nuts, mix until well blended.
  10. Pour into greased 9 inch square pan.
  11. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
  12. Immediately cover top with marshmallows.
  13. Cool in pan.
  14. Melt chocolate chips and shortening over hot (not boiling) water; pour over marshmallows, spreading if necessary.
  15. Chill for at least two hours in fridge.
  16. Cut into squares and enjoy!

 

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