M&M cookie ice cream sandwiches

   Baking really has become one of my favorite past times this summer. It's just so calming and gives me a little creative outlet. Plus, I feel much more productive when I've created some sort of sugary, calorie-loaded, deliciousness than I do lounging around watching TV.
   This is a recipe I've been wanting to have a go at. It combines three fabulous things; m&m's, ice cream, and sugar cookies, resulting in the perfect hot summer day indulgence.

      I used this recipe for the cookies and added a little over a cup of m&m's. The cookies were so soft and chewy and really just plain perfect. I was a little worried that the ice cream would be too frozen and hard and break the cookies. While the oven was still a little warm from baking I set the ice cream on top to soften it a little then, before I scooped, I ran the spoon under warm water. This helped a lot and I didn't break any of my pretty cookies.
   Now I'm imagining all the different cookie and ice cream combinations I could try...

Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

   Happy Saturday friends! Even though school's out now and every day is weekend-like,  still cherish the weekends because Brandon's home the whole time. There's few things I love more than spending two full days with him every week.
   I've been longing to do some baking so the other day I gave in and whipped up these cute little sandwich cookies. They were ridiculously simple and Brandon was really delighted by them.

Hazelnut Cookies
I box Yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Torani Hazelnut Syprup

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients together. Round each spoonful into a ball and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. When cookies are removed from oven, allow them to cool on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Frosting
1/4 cup of butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons milk

Use an electric mixer to mix all the ingredients together. Add milk to make more spreadable.

I hope you try these all love them and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Easter Cookies

   Yesterday I finally got a chance to make some Easter cookies. I wanted to try something new so I opted for Chocolate Sugar Cookies using this recipe. I used this butter cream frosting to decorate them, though they're also very yummy without frosting.

   I know they're good because Brandon ate three with his cereal this morning. I hope you're al enjoying a relaxing saturday!

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

   Hello one and all! So I know I've been absent for a few days (perhaps a few of you noticed???) but it's been for a delightful reason. Every year my family goes up to Colonial Williamsburg for a few days just before Christmas. Last year was the first time Brandon got to come with us. It's an annual Christmas time tradition that with my gfamily that I have grown to really cherish and look forward to.  I took very few pictures but, you'll have to take my word for it, the decorations were beautiful and the trip was wonderful.
  It's back to reality now though and I'm already back in the kitchen, baking some cookies to take to school tomorrow for something called "Holiday House" (we just bring food, leave it in the auditorium, and everyone snacks). I decided to use one of my ver favorite recipes which combine cranberries, orange, and white chocolate. Ohhhhh yes.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tbs. Brandy (I sub 1/2 tbs orange extract)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup white chocolate chip cookies

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl cream together butter and both sugars until smooth.

Beat in the eggs and Brandy followed by the flour and baking soda.

Mix in cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes.

For best results remove from oven while still a bit doughy.

Allow cookies to cool on cookies sheets one minute before removing to wire racks.

   Don't they look yummy???

Pumpkin Frosting

   Today was such a pretty fall day. My bike's had a flat for a while but my brother fixed it for me yesterday so today, I was back to riding. I went with a fiend of mine and we reveled in the perfect Fall temperature and the leaves that are starting to color!
  We have a staff meeting at work tomorrow so this afternoon and evening I whipped up a cheeseball and some special cookies. I figured it's time to try another fall recipe so for my cookies I made pumpkin frosting. I know, yuuuummmm.

Pumpkin Frosting

Ingredients
1/4 sup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup pumpkin

Directions
Beat all four ingredients together. Add more sugar to make thicker and more milk to make thinner. For the perfect consistency, refrigerate before using.

   I'm a huge frosting fan so, I could have easily devoured this whole bowl (I'm sure I'd feel really great afterwards...). I spread it on spice cake cookies using the same recipe I recently made not so long ago minus the white chocolate chips. Perfect combination.

Pumpkin Coooookies

  Yesterday was a surprising lovely day. The sky was cloudless and blue, school went as smoothly as expected, and I came home to spending some time on our porch with Brandon, baking, grocery shopping, and then we enjoyed our supper by candlelight back on our porch.
  Remember how I bought all that pumpkin the other day and then I promised that I'd be trying out a new pumpkin recipe each week this month? Well, yesterday afternoon I baked up my first pumpkin treat. (I found this fabulous recipe here)

I had to deny myself the taste of cookie dough. If I'd given in I surely would have devoured the entire bowl.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats-uncooked
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and set aside. Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips and drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes until firm and lightly browned.

Pumpkin cookies = Autumn

From my little kitchen: the first of my fall baking

   I've been itching to do some baking all weekend so last night I promised Brandon I'd make him some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately, all the grocery stores around here are totally out of canned pumpkin. When we recovered from our disappointment we wondered through the grocery store as I tried to think of some other kind of Autumn-esq cookie I could make. I decided on using my trusting cake mix cookie recipe to make these...

Spice Cake White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 bok spice cake cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together. Place balls of cookie dough on cookie sheet. Baked in a preheated ven at 350degrees for about 10 minutes.

  These cookies smell absolutely intoxicating while they're baking and in Brandon's words, "These are the best cookies you've made in a while."