Chocolate Chip Rolo Cookies

Monday nights are my favorite. I LOVE watching The Bachelor. Do you watch? I know it hardly ever works out. But I still look forward to watching. I must have a treat when I curl up on the couch to watch the show. These are my new favorite cookie. I love caramel...so that must be why. So next time you are curling up to watch your "guilty pleasure" make these!

Source: Key Ingredient

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs

3 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Rolos (frozen)

Beat together butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until fluff. Add in dry ingredients. Then add chocolate chips and nuts. Use cookie scoop to bake cookie dough balls. Then flatten with your hand. Place unwrapped Rolo into the center and roll back into ball. Once all cookies dough balls are made, put in fridge for about 15 minutes. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Then add cookie dough balls. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes until lightly brown. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

When someone brings me dinner, I feel like I need to do something for them in return. Am I the only one? I feel a little empty handed bringing back their dishes...so I always try to bring a treat or something. I have been the lucky recipient of some amazing meals the past few weeks. I am so lucky to live in this great neighborhood, with the most amazing friends.
I kind of get sick of making the same cookies over and over, so I was excited to try out this recipe. These cookies were so chewy and perfect. I think I ate these one night instead of dinner. Yum!

Source: The Idea Room

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, soft

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2  to 1 tablespoon milk

1/2 to 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix together butter and peanut butter until creamy. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well. Add vanilla, eggs and flour. Once combined, add milk. Just a little bit to make dough creamy. Then add chocolate chips. If necessary chill dough for an hour. Then use cookie scoop (or spoon) and scoop into small balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes. Cool on wire rack. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

We all know that I am a fan of pumpkin treats. Since there is only a few months of the year that I feel it is "seasonally" acceptable...I sure do consume a lot of pumpkin cookies. If you are as a big of a fan as I am...try these out!

Source: Sweet Treats and More

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, soft

1 egg

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 3/4 cup oats

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix together flours, sugars, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter. Stir in egg and pumpkin. Once incorporated add oats and chocolate chips. Mix well. Grease cookie sheet and drop spoon fulls (I use an ice cream scoop to get the perfect cookie shape). Bake at 375 for 11-12 minutes.

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with my friend Hillary. She told me she had just made the most amazing chocolate chip cookies. She got the recipe from My Baking Addiction. Now keep in mind, these are not meant to make dozens. These are for pretty large cookies. I personally think they would go perfect with a big ol' scoop of ice cream,  or for you milk lovers (which I am not), a big glass of milk.



Source: www.mybakingaddiction.com

Makes appx 1 dozen 5 inch cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon table or sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 3/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups good quality semi sweet chocolate chips, or chunks

1 cup walnuts (optional)

Cream together butter and sugars until blended. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Then add chocolate chips and nuts. Gently roll into balls, larger than a golf ball (smaller than a baseball). Place on a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. I did mine for about 17 and they were nice and gooey. If not eaten immediately, store in air tight container.

Brickle Drop Cookies

Last week at our girls night, my friend Lindsey made the yummiest cookies. I am pretty sure I ate 10 of them. She told me the recipe was right on the Heath Bits package...I love when companies share good recipes like this. So considering that I have been craving cookies lately, I made them right away...and I think I might have eaten this whole batch too!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened 

1 cup sugar 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt 

3 eggs 

3 1/2 cups flour 

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

1-1/3 cups Heath bits 'o brickle toffe bits 

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter, both sugars, vanilla and salt. 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.
Bake 8-10 min or until lightly browned.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Balls

This recipe comes from our neighborhood cookbook. I get tired of always making the same old rice crispy treats...and this is such a fun change. The kids LOVED them...and so did Brooks (he is a huge peanut butter fan). These make a bunch, so be sure to share them with your neighbors. They will thank you for it!

Ingredients:

4 cups rice crispy cereal
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 bag Reese's Pieces mini baking chips
1 cup roasted peanuts (optional...I left them out because my kids don't like nuts)
2 bags white chocolate chips

Place cereal, peanut butter, marshmallows and Reece's chips into a large bowl. Gently mix until peanut butter is incorporated. In the microwave, melt the white chocolate chips. I usually start with a minute at a time, stirring after each minute. Once smooth, pour over cereal, and mix well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop make into balls and line on parchment. Let harden, it usually takes about 30 minutes or so. Enjoy!

Rocky Ledge Bars

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart! Let me just tell you, the smell that comes from your oven is just heavenly. I had some friends come over to shop through etsy store, and they were dying over the smell! They even taste better once they are out of the oven. This recipe is sure to impress!

PS...do you need a few last minute gifts? Head over to my etsy shop and enter the code CUCINAFAMIGLIA for 15% off your order!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

18 soft caramels (or 1 cup of the caramel bites)

Mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Then add eggs and vanilla. Combine well. Add salt, baking powder and flour until combined. Fold in half of the marshmallows, and half of the chocolate, butterscotch and white chips. Spread batter on a greased 9x13 baking pan. Layer caramels, and the remaining marshmallows and chips. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Let cool before slicing. 

Peanut Butter Temptations

Dear Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Wrapper:
Thanks for putting this seriously AWESOME recipe on your package. There is nothing better than peanut butter...and this treat proves it. They seriously are temptations. Thanks for adding a few unneeded pounds to my body this holiday season...because I will be making these over and over again.
Love,
Lindsay

Ingredients:
Makes appx 40 mini cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 11 oz package of Reese's Miniatures, unwrapped

Beat together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Then add peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Mix well. Finally add the flour, baking soda and salt. You will need a mini muffin tin (go buy one if you don't have one...they are $3 or $4), spray with cooking spray. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place into muffin tin. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375. Remove and immediately press peanut butter cup into each cookie. Cool and serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know everyone has a favorite cookie recipe. I think I made this pumpkin cookie recipe at least 10 times in the past two months. My friend Heather gave me this new pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe when we did a recipe exchange. These cookies are so soft and moist. You will love these!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin (I like Libby's 100% pure pumpkin)
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Mix together sugar, pumpkin, oil and egg. The add flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Once well incorporated add the rest of the ingredients. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

My sweet friend Hill made this dessert when we went ice blocking a few months ago. It was so gooey and amazing that I had to have the recipe. It is perfect by itself, or add a scoop of ice cream! Delish!

  

Ingredients:

2 cubes of butter
¾ c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs
1 T. vanilla

3 c. flour (if too sticky add 1 T.)
¾ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Then add eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Follow up with the dry ingredients. Pour into a greased pie tin (we didn't have a large one, so we used two pyrex). Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes. Do not over bake-we like ours gooey!

Pizzelle

Our neighbor Jen, served a mission with Brooks in Italy. It was so funny when we moved into this neighborhood and they already knew each other. Jen brought us pizzelle's a few times...and I just loved them. I knew I had to buy a pizzelle maker because these are so darn good. You can make cannoli's with them or just eat them plain, or serve them with ice cream. The possibilities are endless.

Ingredients:

3 eggs (room temperature)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 3/4 cup flour

Remove eggs from fridge for about 30 minutes before making this recipe. Melt butter, and let cool for about 10 minutes. Beat eggs and sugar. Then add butter and vanilla. Then add dry ingredients. Mix will be pretty stiff. Drop 1 tablespoon (or more depending on how big your pizzelle maker is) into pizzelle maker and close. Cook until light brown (or until your light goes off on the maker). Enjoy. 

Sugar Cookie Bars

There is something about sugar cookies that I just love. I have a favorite place that I visit all to frequently that sells the best sugar cookies. I also feel that I can make a mean sugar cookie. A few weeks ago, I was browsing Jamie Cooks It Up (we met a few months back at Rubio's). I found  a great sugar cookie bar recipe on her blog. I tweaked it a bit...and I just love it. I am sure her recipe is just as fab though! I just used what I had on hand. You will LOVE these...its gotta be the cream cheese in the mixture!    

   
Ingredients:


1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour

Cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until nice and creamy. Then add egg and vanilla. Then add all dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool. Then frost the cookies and decorate. Cut and serve!  

Frosting:
3-3/4 cup (l lb. box) Powdered Sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup butter or margarine (2/3 stick), softened

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer or with heavy spoon until smooth and creamy; scrape bowl often. If too stiff to spread easily, beat in a few drops of milk.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I know I say this a million times...but I LOVE cookies. The fresh, hot out of the oven, gooey cookies. I don't remember where I even got this recipe from. But if you love peanut butter cups...you will love these! I made them for a surprise party for my friend, and I am pretty sure Brooks and I ate all of them. Sorry to my friends if you didn't get to try them...now you can make your own!
 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

10 (or more depending on how many you want) small Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (chopped)

Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Then add the egg and vanilla. Once well incoporated,  fold in the dry ingredients. Then add peanut butter cups. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for 10 minutes.     

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Have you ever heard of Soren Lorensen Designs? It is my absolute favorite spot on Etsy. Shari's dresses are absolutely adorable. Bella gets so many compliments every time she wears her dress. Well we were having a conversation one day, and Shari told me she has the best cookie recipe. I am all about cookies, so of course I was excited to make them.  These cookies were gooey, yummy and a definite crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa
2 cups and 2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peanut butter chips

Cream together the butter and sugar. Then add eggs and vanilla. Once mixed well, add the dry ingredients. Fold in peanut butter chips. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 9-11 minutes (depending on how gooey you like them!) at 350.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Back when I was in college, my friend Kristin and I would always go to the grocery store and get treats and cookies. I always got "Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies." They were my favorite. I got this recipe from my friend Hillary for these cookies. They remind me of the cookies I used to get in college. They are so chewy and yummy. Now if only I could get my college body back!

Makes 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients

2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Milk Chocolate Chips

Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Then add eggs and vanilla. Cream together. Then add the flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips. Mix well. Scoop onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. 

Karen's Cookies-Review, Recipe and Giveaway (CLOSED)

We are going to start our weekends by doing product reviews...and a giveaway here or there. So if you have a product that you think is awesome and would like to participate, or if you know of a product that my readers would like...email us at cucinafamiglia@gmail.com and let us know! We are going to be giving our honest opinions of the products and unbiased opinions of the products we review.

This weeks review is from Karen's Cookies . Her website has some great recipes and really great products. She has the best kits-that have EVERYTHING you need to decorate the perfect sugar cookie. Her cookie cutters are really unique and I think you would just love them! Just think-the Olympics are starting this week, and your kids would have fun decorating with these Olympic Rings... 
Or the perfect way to learn your ABC's with these...



Karen at Karen's Cookies  was kind enough to send us this Valentine Hearts Cookie Decorating Kit.



The frosting dye colors are the perfect red and pink...the colors you think of when you think of Valentine's Day. And the meringue powder is really unique for  the frosting-and there is plenty of the powder for more than one batch of cookies. The product seem super professional, but yet perfect for even my 4 and 6 year old to help decorate the cookies. I do love that I can make fancy looking cookies with the step by step tutorials.
These are the recipes I followed from her website to make the cookies.
The Basic Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar, or granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract or emulsion, optional
2 1/2 cups flour
Cream butter, sugar and salt until fluffy. Then add yolk. Beat well. Then add egg, vanilla and optional almond extract until all incorporated. Finally add flour. Refrigerate for at least an hour-and up to 2 days. Roll out dough, cut into shapes, and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for approximately 10 minutes.
Meringue Powder Buttercream
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons powder
1/2 cup shortening
4 1/2 cups powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Place half of the powdered sugar and the meringue powder in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk together well. Turn on mixer  and slowly stream in the water. Mix until incorporated. Turn mixer to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form. Add flavorings and mix well. Add remaining powdered sugar and shortening and whip for about 2-3 minutes.


As for the giveaway...Karen will be providing a gift certificate for one lucky winner to use on something fun from her site. The giveaway will end on 2/12 at midnight, the winner will be chosen through random.org on 2/13 when we announce our new review and giveaway!

Good luck!
2 possible entries
1. head over to Karen's Cookies and tell me your favorite item.
2. become a follower of OUR FAMILY TREAT 

Chocolate Chip Vanilla Pudding Cookies

Don't forget, only two more days to enter our giveaway-here and here!

I have heard so many people talk about how good cookies are with vanilla pudding in them. I have never even seen a recipe that calls for pudding, so I thought it was a little strange, but I am always up for trying something new, especially because I LOVE cookies. It is my weakness. Though, I am weird, and I only like to eat them when they are right out of the oven. I love warm gooeyness, and the melted chocolate chips. Yum...so I searched the internet for a recipe, and there were 100's on http://allrecipes.com/ So I picked one and tried it out. They were pretty darn good and you could for sure taste that there was something different about these cookies!!

1 cup butter (the unsalted kind), softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 (3.5 ounce) box of instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
Semi-sweet chocolate chips (as much as you prefer)

Cream together the butter and the sugars. Then add pudding mix, eggs and vanilla. Once all combined, add the baking soda and flour. Mix well. Then add chocolate chips. Make sure to grease your baking sheets and bake at 375 for 11-12 minutes.  

My Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the Chocolate Chip Cookies I grew up eating. I swear my mom used to make cookies once a week for us when we got home from school. She is such a good mom:)

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cup flour

chocolate chips

Cream the shortening, sugar and brown sugar. Then add the rest of ingredients and mix. Add chocolate ships at the end. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, until lightly brown.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

I love fall...and I am so happy that I can finally make Pumpkin Cookies! This recipe is a family favorite.

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

Cream and then add...

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips

Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

Devilishly Delicious Mint Cookies

Oh my goodness...my sister law Courtney (or her mom...or someone in her family) made these cookies for us, and they were divine. I was in heaven...chocolate and mint together...yum!

1 package devils food cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

milk chocolate chips (recipe calls for 1 cup-but I am not a huge chocolate chip fan, so I probably put 1/2 cup)

Mix ingredients together. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. Do not over bake. while baking, unwrap about 1 1/2 packages of Andes Mints (30 should be fine...but I usually tend to eat a few while unwrapping them). Place one mint on each cookie. Let melt for about 30 seconds to a minute and then spread as frosting.

From my sister-in-laws kitchen, to mine, to yours...Enjoy!