Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

I struggle with cookies.

I bake them.  I eat twelve-ish with milk.  I feel ashamed.


Not really ashamed.

Mostly full and happy really.


Cookies are the reason I run a mile every morning.

These cookies in particular are totally worth the treadmill tradeoff.  Yes, they look like ordinary cookies but they taste incredible.  These ones are not to be missed.


In case you're wondering the pretzels stay crunchy and they are *delish* in cookies.  I don't really see any reason to ever make a normal chocolate chip cookie again.

Sub your favorite chocolate chip cookie base recipe if you wish, and just add the milk chocolate chip/pb chip/pretzel combo to the dough. It's the mix-ins that really make this cookie magical.

You can omit the sprinkle of salt on top if you don't have it, and they will still be delicious.  I doubled the recipe for you because, welp, you're gonna want that many.

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Dutch Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Shortbread

 

These cookies are crumbly and DARK.  If you follow the measurements exactly they may be too bitter for most people's tastes, so heap the sugar and go easy on the cocoa as I wrote in the recipe.  Don't get me wrong, these are awesome, but these are a dutch cocoa cookie so that's what they're going to taste like!  We are big fans.

This recipe does require some refrigeration before baking and only makes a small batch (12 cookies or so). 

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Double Chocolate Coconut M&M Cookies

Not that I think you stalk me or anything, but if you have been wondering where I've been lately you should know I've been sulking over the closure of Picnik.

Also over Facebook's  new Timeline feature.

And Blogger's new interface.

Maybe sulking isn't the right word.  Maybe a better word is incapacitated.

If you are imagining me hiding in a closet eating chocolate chip cookies and trembling over all the unnecessary change that's going on right now then you have a pretty accurate picture of how I've spent the last 2 months. I did warn you I don't deal well with change.

Also I thought my  kids and yard were needing some attention.

Regardless of what I was actually doing,  I'm back and I have lots of delicious recipes to share with you.  Just in time for summer! You know these cookies will help you fit into your swimsuit, right?

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Chocolate-Dipped Peeps

Yes, I know everyone and their mom posted chocolate-dipped peeps about 2 months ago but with this blog's namesake,  I really have no choice but to put up my version sometime.  

Whenever someone refers to their friends as "peeps" I picture these in my head and wonder if they like to take bites out of their friends.

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Jelly Bean Spoons

For Easter this year the kids and I made jelly bean spoons and wrapped them up in little cello bags with ribbon tied around them.  They are super cute favor and a huge hit with kids although personally I can't stomach the chocolate/fruit combination.  I think a Sixlet version is much more suited for adults although you can really put anything on them you want.  

 

The key is to use a really nice chocolate, especially if you are giving them to adults.  

It's sooo adult-like to eat candy off of spoons.

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Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies (with a Double Chocolate Sprinkle Birthday variation)

I've been making Cadbury mini egg cookies for a few years now, but have never found the "right" chocolate cookie recipe to pair them with.

This is it!

I used a Wilton whoopie pan to bake these in thick uniform circles (this method is an OCD person's dream) and just pressed Cadbury eggs on top of the dough before baking.

I also made a sprinkle version that uses chocolate chips in the dough and is super cute for a birthday or any time you can't find Cadbury eggs at the store.  

*Cough* Dumbest idea ever, corporate America. *Cough*

Yes, apparently I am a seventh grade boy and like to send bullying passive-aggressive messages via coughing.

Anyway, this is a super double chocolate cookie any time of year and with any topping.  Mix and match with M&Ms, sprinkles, anything you like.

Because I wanted the Cadbury eggs to really shine, I omitted the chocolate chips for my Cadbury cookies.  If you want a super chocolatey cookie, and don't care about being a purist, you can add about a cup of the chocolate chips into the dough before pressing into the pans and before adding Cadbury eggs.

These are best within the first few hours after baking, but are fine a few days later.  They tend to dry out a bit, and the chocolate is best melted, so feel free to pop one in the microwave for a few seconds before eating.

Or, of course, I will not judge you if you try to eat them all right out of the oven.

Happy first day of Spring!!

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Caramel Turtle Cheesecake

It's unfortunate that I forgot to take a picture of this cheesecake when I cut it.  The inside is really the impressive part.  Just imagine gooey caramel spilling out of the shortbread crust and little dots of pecans above that.  Pretend I photographed it.  Then make this. 

No  need for Cheesecake Factory really.

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S'mores Cupcakes

The bad news is I live in one of those school districts that doesn't allow "homemade treats" for class birthday and holiday parties.  Just pretend I don't complain about this every other day.  Who the frikk am I supposed to bake for if not a bunch of sugar-loving little kids?? 

The good news is I have a husband who is basically a big kid and who lets me bake him treats to take to work.

Yes, I realize how backwards this is.

I made these for him to take to work on his birthday.  They were pretty good.  Not my favorite marshmallow frosting ever but I have aversions to eggs and now that I realize marshmallow is made of eggs I may never eat it again. 

Sometimes it's blissful to be ignorant.

I chopped up some nice bittersweet chocolate for the inside, which makes a nice grown-up version of S'mores cupcakes, but if you want it to taste like an authentic campfire s'more you will probably want to use a little chunk of a Hershey's bar or kiss in each liner instead.

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Strawberry Cheesecake

Some days you just need a big fat slice of delicious strawberry cheesecake.

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St. Patty's Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Just in case you're wondering, I did not forget pi day.  Girls that like pie as much as I do don't just forget pi day.

Continuing my quest for the perfect coconut cream pie I made two different coconut cream pie recipes for pi day.  Yes, I know this is a little bit ridiculous when there are only four people in your house and two of them are under the age of 4.

Unfortunately neither of them was the pie.

I'm going out of my mind here people!!  If you have a great coconut cream pie recipe please send it my way!  I can't keep making coconut cream pies every other weekend.


Anyway, since pi day got kicked out the window this year I figured at least I'd better post a St Patty's recipe before tomorrow.  You can make these for St Patrick's Day and put a gold coin in them, or you can make them any other day of the year and put a Thin Mint or Keebler Grasshopper in them.  (Crushed Thin Mints in the cake batter certainly wouldn't hurt either.)

Have a very happy St. Patty's!

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