I had seen Mega M&M’s on sale a short while ago. Now the sale wasn’t a huge savings but the lure of Mega M&M’s was too strong, so I bought them. Of course, I wasn’t going to open the package until I was ready to bake with them because they would disappear. Hence, these yummy Mega M&M Blondies were born. The hubby, family and friends loved these chocolaty bars.
Mega M and M Blondies | Bakewell Junction
We had a family get together about a week and a half ago for my Mom’s 81st Birthday. I love to try out new things at these gatherings but I don’t leave out the tried and true. I made a sluttier version of the Slutty Brownies everyone has seen on the internet. I topped them with whipped ganache and they were a hit with the family. The co-workers loved them too when the hubby and I took them to work.
Sluttier Slutty Brownies | Bakewell Junction
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. March and April seen to have flown by with tons of work deadlines. I’m taking a little latitude in calling these brookies but these Chocolate Overload Brookies Surprise are so fudgy and chocolaty I couldn’t really call them cookies. Plus they’re made with a brownie mix.
Chocolate Overload Brookie Surprise | Bakewell Junction
So what do you make with Meyer Lemon Curd? Why Meyer Lemon Curd Bars, of course!
Meyer Lemon Curd Bars | Bakewell Junction
My hubby had been bugging me about the curd. What are you going to do with the curd? When are you going to do something with the curd? And, so on.
I had seen recipes with lemon curd bars using a short bread crust and I have a shortbread recipe that I already like so, I paired that with the curd. I loved the results. The hubby still thought the curd was too tart. I don’t really understand since he adds lemon juice to his fish – oh well.
On another note… Has anyone had warmer weather lately? Last week gave us the coldest day yet. Tuesday started at -13 outside my house and -16 at the park and ride. Yes, those are minus signs in front of those numbers. I find that I always feel colder if it’s windy even if the wind chill isn’t as cold as those actual temp numbers above. We’re getting another few inches of snow today but the weather man says it will be getting warmer this coming week, so hopefully there will be some melting.
Enjoy!
Meyer Lemon Curd Bars
Yield: 16 bars Cook Time: 17 minutes
Ingredients:
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix with an electric mixer. Add vanilla to the butter mixture. In another bowl, combine flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low until dough begins to form.
Step 2: Line an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil (some of the foil should overlap the rim; you’ll use it to remove the bars) and spray with cooking spray. Transfer the dough into the baking pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 17 to 22 minutes. The shortbread is done when it’s golden brown around the edges and lightly golden in the middle.
Step 3: Remove the pan from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. Use the aluminum foil to lift the bars out of the pan. As the bars cool spread the Meyer Lemon Curd evenly across the shortbread. Let cool completely.
Step 4: Slice into 2 by 2 inch squares. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Try not to eat them all at once.
Tips: Keeps in a sealed plastic container for a week.
Enjoy!!!
Shortbread adapted from Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook recipe on Food Network. A variation of Eli Zabar’s shortbread cookies.
This post may also be entered in these linky parties. Click the here to visit the other great posts in the blog hops. Entered here also: savvysouthernstyle.net
How was everyone’s New Year’s?
I hope you’ll indulge one more Christmas cookie recipe. Cucidati is a Sicilian cookie that I’ve only had once or twice. I’ve also seen these called Italian Fig Cookies or Buccellati. This cookie isn’t one of our traditions but it’s definitely worthy of anyone’s traditions or any special occasion. My friend Chris makes these every year for her family and she advised that the recipe is from Gourmet and can be found on Epicurius.com.
Cucidati or Italian Fig Cookies | Bakewell Junction
Want an easy Christmas cookie recipe? Try this Colorful Candy Bar Cookie recipe. These are sweet and have a candy surprise in the center. I’m not generally a fan of Snickers bars but they worked well in the cookie. I’m sure this would work with any candy bar.
Colorful Candy Bar Cookies | Bakewell Junction
This is my first time joining the Annual Christmas Cookie Recipe Swap hosted by Julie from White Lights on Wednesday. Be sure to visit Julie to see all the other great recipes. You can also find all the other cookies here. Many thanks for hosting, Julie.
I was paired with Laura from Pink Cake Plate. Her blog has great recipes and I’m thrilled to be paired with her. Laura makes these cookies for her Christmas baking and now I’m making them too.
Enjoy!
Colorful Candy Bar Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies Cook Time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
Dough:
Filling:
Garnish:
Step 1: For the dough: If using the scratch cookie dough recipe, in a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter, egg, vanilla and sugar and blend with an electric mixer, since this is a small dough a hand held mixer will do. Stir flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined – this will be more of a folding motion rather than stirring. If using the alternative for the dough, combine the store bought cookie dough and 1/4 cup flour in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Assembly: Place red and green sugars in two separate small bowls. Using about 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough for each cookie, make a flattened circle with the dough, place the candy bar square in the middle and spread the dough around the candy evenly. Roll the dough ball in one of the colored sugars until completely covered. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet two inches apart. Repeat until there are 12 cookies on the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough on another cookie sheet.
Storing: Store at room temperature in a sealed plastic container for a few days until ready to serve.
Enjoy!!!
Sugar cookie recipe adapted from Family Circle magazine, 12/12/2000.
Cookie recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
This post may also be entered in these linky parties. Click the here to visit the other great posts in the blog hops.
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Do you bake for the holidays? Here’s a simple and tasty Glazed Italian Lemon Cookie recipe. You can halve the recipe if you need a smaller amount of cookies but if you’re sharing, definitely make the whole recipe.
Italian Glazed Lemon Cookies | Bakewell Junction
My hubby, brother-in-law and friends loved these cookies. The hubby liked them unglazed too. Because the glaze uses milk instead of water, it dries to a matte finish instead of shiny but using milk gives it a better flavor.
Why don’t you join us for another week of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats.
Brenda from Meal Planning Magic hosts 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats and I hope you’ll join us this year. I’ve participated for the last two and had a great time each year.
Enjoy!
Glazed Italian Lemon Cookies
Yield: 9 dozen cookies Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Dough:
Frosting:
Step 1: For the dough: In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and baking soda together and set aside. In a stand mixer beat together the salt, shortening, eggs, sugar and lemon extract.
Step 2: Beat in the flour mixture and sour cream in alternating increments. Mix until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls on parchment lined baking sheets two inches apart. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely. Repeat for the remaining dough.
Step 3: For the glaze: Add the powdered sugar to a large bowl and then add the lemon extract. Add milk gradually until powdered sugar mixture is slightly thicker than water. I dipped the tops of the cookies in to the glaze and placed them on a plate to dry. If you want a thicker glaze, dip them again.
Storing: Store in a sealed plastic container for a few weeks.
Enjoy!!!
Recipe adapted from my co-worker’s wife’s home recipe.
This post may also be entered in these linky parties. Click the here to visit the other great posts in the blog hops.
You can find out all about the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats by clicking here for more information and details about joining in.
If you’re a blogger, be sure to check the guidelines, join the challenge and then link up your own post each week.
And everyone, don’t forget to check out all the recipes at Meal Planning Magic for even more inspiration!
I’m a small blogger and this milestone may seem small to others but I’m close to 700 twitter followers. I’m excited and want to thank everyone who follows on twitter and other social media – it’s much appreciated.
Grandma’s Biscotti | Bakewell Junction
I’m a big fan of family recipes, they’re great to share from generation to generation. This one isn’t from my family though. Michelle from Brown Eyed Baker shared her Grandmother’s recipe much earlier this year and I knew it would be a great recipe for holiday baking which just around the corner. I also followed some tips I’d seen here. I hope you enjoy this recipe with your family too.
I couldn’t easily find the butternut flavor but I found LorAnn Professional Kitchen Butter Vanilla Bakery Emulsion at my local Walmart and figured it would work well and it did. The emulsion is used one for one to the extract so there’s no amount adjustment. If you find the LorAnn Oils, use only 1/8 to 1/4 of the required extract amount as the oils are much stronger.
Although this is the first time I made these cookies, I got a few impressions. When I was mixing the dough, it reminded me of my Grandmother’s pizzelle dough. While I was eating a few, I was reminded of Stella D’Oro Breakfast Treats and Roman Egg Biscuits. The cookie just felt familiar.
As the cookies were cooling, my husband swiped one off the racks and said they smelled like Christmas. The cookies are perfect with coffee or tea and I found them to be a bit addicting.
Join us for the third week of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats.
Brenda from Meal Planning Magic hosts 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats and I hope you’ll join us this year. I’ve participated for the last two and had a great time each year.
Enjoy!
Grandma’s Biscotti
Yield: six dozen biscotti Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
Step 1: Mix together flour and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside. Add eggs and sugar to a stand mixer bowl. Beat three minutes until the mixture becomes a light in color. Beat in the oil, milk and flavoring. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure the ingredients are incorporated evenly throughout. Add the flour mixture in small increments with the speed on low until all the flour is just incorporated. Be sure not to over mix. Fold in the nuts with a spatula as needed.
Step 2: Since the dough was pretty sticky, I put it in the refrigerator for 45 minutes before shaping it. Line two cool cookie sheets with parchment paper (I put these in the fridge too while the dough cooled). Divide the chilled dough into four pieces, taking care to keep them as equal as possible. I missed on this one, so my logs weren’t all the same width. Shape each piece of dough into nine by three inch logs. Place the logs on the cookie sheets along the short side, two per sheet. Bake the first sheet in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pans on racks for at least 15 minutes. Repeat with the second sheet.
Step 3: While the second baking sheet is cooling, slice the logs from the first baking sheet diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Use a sharp knife; I used a serrated knife. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Stand up a cooling rack on the first lined baking sheet. Place the cut cookies on their side on the rack. Since the cookies are cut side down, not all of them will fit on the rack. By baking them on the rack, the air circulates around them and you won’t need to flip them during the second baking. Bake the sliced cookies for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on racks. Repeat for remaining cookies and logs. Since the cookies aren’t as sweet as most cookies we’re used to, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving or you can dunk into your coffee.
Storing: Store in a sealed plastic container for a few weeks.
Enjoy!!!
Recipe adapted from Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker.
This post may also be entered in these linky parties. Click the here to visit the other great posts in the blog hops.
You can find out all about the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats by clicking here for more information and details about joining in.
If you’re a blogger, be sure to check the guidelines, join the challenge and then link up your own post each week.
And everyone, don’t forget to check out all the recipes at Meal Planning Magic for even more inspiration!
Root Beer Float Cookies | Bakewell Junction
I have so many recipes pinned from my favorite bloggers that I want to try. I think I’ll be a hundred years old by the time I try them all. I’m sharing this one that I’ve wanted to make for a few months now from Joan at Chocolate, Chocolate and More. My cookies turned out bigger than Joan’s did and I don’t think there was enough of a root beer flavor so the next time I make them I’ll add another teaspoon of flavoring and double the filling. The cookies were delicious otherwise.
I think this would be a great recipe for Christmas cookie sharing and since this is the first week of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, it’s perfect timing.
Brenda from Meal Planning Magic hosts 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats and I hope you’ll join us this year. I’ve participated for the last two and had a great time each year.
Enjoy!
Root Beer Float Cookies
Yield: 20 cookie sandwiches Cook Time: 8 to 12 minutes
Ingredients:
Cookie Dough:
Filling:
Step 1: For the cookie dough: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream butter and root beer concentrate (shake before measuring) for about four minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat another two minutes. Scrape down bowl as needed. Beat in eggs one at time; ensuring that each is completely combined before the next is added.
Step 2: Add flour mixture in small batches until incorporated. Portion the dough into 40 equally sized portions. Drop onto a parchment lined baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten the tops of the cookie slightly. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes. I needed to bake for 12 minutes to cook completely. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Repeat for the remaining dough portions.
Step 3: For the filling: You can double the amounts if you want a thicker filling. As the cookies cool, beat butter and shortening (if using) in a medium bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract. Mix in the powder sugar slowly so as not to have it flying all over the place. Add 1 tablespoon of the milk or cream before completely adding the powdered sugar if the mixture becomes too dry. Based on desired consistency, add up to 1 additional tablespoon of milk or cream. Since I wanted a thick filling, I used the least amount of milk possible – about 1/3 tablespoon.
Step 4: Pair similar sized and shaped cookies. Divide the filling into 20 portions. Spread a portion on the bottom of one cookie pair and top with the other cookie of the pair. Repeat for all the cookie pairs.
Storing: Store in a sealed plastic container for a few days.
Enjoy!!!
Recipe adapted from Joan at Chocolate, Chocolate and More.
This post may also be entered in these linky parties. Click the here to visit the other great posts in the blog hops.
You can find out all about the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats by clicking here for more information and details about joining in.
If you’re a blogger, be sure to check the guidelines, join the challenge and then link up your own post each week.
And everyone, don’t forget to check out all the recipes at Meal Planning Magic for even more inspiration!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookie | Bakewell Junction
I had heard that there was a new chocolate chip cookie dough filled version of the original Oreo. I hadn’t been able to find any in the local stores until finally a couple of weeks ago the A&P had them on sale. I bought two packages and brought them home thinking I would just devour them. I waited until my hubby was home, so we could try them together. Well, we were so disappointed. I wasn’t thrilled and the hubby didn’t like them. I put them in the fridge and the hubby thought they tasted a little better but he still wouldn’t buy them again. I set out to find a homemade replacement and failed but still found a really great cookie. The cookies weren’t crisp enough to replace Oreos.
This cookie is chocolatey and you get to make the filling as thick as you want it. I made them for my cousins’ visit over Labor Day Weekend and they loved them. I promise you will too. I barely had a chance to take a picture before they were gone.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Yield: 20 cookie sandwiches Cook Time: 8 minutes
Ingredients:
Dough:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling:
Step 1: Line a cookie sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another large bowl, beat butter on high for a minute. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sugars on medium to incorporate. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix in on low until incorporated. Cover dough and transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Divide dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. For the dough that is out of the fridge, divide it into twenty equal pieces (about 2 teaspoons apiece). Roll each piece into a ball and place on the cookie sheet in 4 by 5 rows. Flatten each ball of dough and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Cool on racks. Repeat for the remaining dough in the refrigerator.
Step 4: Since my cookies weren’t crisp enough after they were completely cool (probably due to the extreme humidity), I pre-heated the oven to 200 degrees and transferred the cookies on the racks into the oven and baked for 20 minutes and let them sit in the oven with the door open until it cooled. This made the cookies a bit crisp for a short time until the humidity took over.
Step 5: For the filling: Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan on low heat. Using a wooden spoon stir the sugars into the melted butter until the butter begins to melt. Continue stirring until the sugars are mostly melted. You will be able to tell when that is by tapping the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon – the crunching sound will be diminished. Transfer the butter mixture to a bowl and with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar mixture for about five minutes. Mix in vanilla and then flour in small batches. Stir in milk until desired consistency is attained. Stir in chocolate chips. Let cool completely.
Step 6: Divide dough into twenty equal pieces. Match up cookies based on size. Place cookie dough between two match cookies and compress so the dough squeezes towards the edges of the cookie. Repeat for remaining cookies. Serve chilled.
Enjoy!
Chocolate chip cookie dough filling recipe adapted from Food Network, courtesy of George Duran. Cookie adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Tips: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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