Tag Archives: cookies

Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Ruthanne

What could be better than oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips? This. This could be better, because we baked them in bars and added caramel. And we all know that caramel makes everything better.

Think “gooey”. Think “rich”. Think “this has oatmeal in it which makes it almost healthy”. Emphasis on almost.

Healthy these are not. But delicious? Yes!

Here’s how we made them: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. margarine
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3 cups uncooked old-fashioned oatmeal (plain, and not instant!)
2 cups of chocolate chips
32 Kraft caramels (unwrapped)
1 can (14oz) of sweetened condensed milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Spray a 9×13 cake pan with non-stick spray
Beat margarine and sugars together in a large mixing bowl until creamy- and yes, I use margarine here- not butter.
Blend in eggs and vanilla
Add flour, soda and salt to cream mixture and beat well
Stir in oats and chocolate chips
Mix until well combined and press a little less than 1/2 of batter into pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
While this bakes, combine caramels, condensed milk and butter in a saucepan and heat (stirring constantly) until caramels are completely melted.
Remove cake from oven and pour caramel over the top. Try to keep it away from the edges of the pan. You won’t be able to do this perfectly, but it is the caramel that sticks to the pan when you go to cut it later.
Spoon remaining batter over the top of the caramel and bake for an additional 25- 30 minutes- until browned on the top and not “jiggly” in the middle when the pan is moved.
Cool completely before cutting. It is easiest to cut after it is even chilled a little bit, and I kept these refrigerated until serving.
Enjoy!

My thoughts: These are RICH, gooey, happy cookie bars. Cut them small, as they will fill you up fast! I hope you get a chance to try them! ~r

Other cookie and brownie bars here on easybaked:

5 Comments

Cookie Monster Oreos!!!!!

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Ruthanne

Turn your cookies into Cookie Monsters with these adorable Oreo treats!

So, Valentine’s Day happened last month, and I have started a tradition of making my Oreo Prince Charming Frogs as little Valentines for friends and family. As I was popping little red M&Ms into like 100 little frog “mouths”, it suddenly occurred to me that they looked a little like Cookie Monster. I brainstormed for a cute little cookie, got myself some blue candy melts, and had so much fun making these little guys this week!!!!!

Ah….so cute and fun! I gave them as gifts to as many kids as I could… and the smiles…. 🙂 You need to try these…!!!!!!

Here’s how we put them together (I took pictures as I went!)

INGREDIENTS: (makes 24-28 cookies)

One package of Double Stuff Oreos (you need that wide opening to fit a mini-cookie!)
One bag of Wilton’s Candy Melts in royal blue
Candy eyes
Royal Blue decorating sugar (I had such a time finding this- I wanted blue jimmies, but settled on these sugar crystals from CK Products.)
A box of Cookie Crisp cereal.
Several drinking straws.

DIRECTIONS:

Place Candy eyes, and about 24-28 pieces of cookie cereal into two small bowls.
Place parchment paper over flat working surface.
Melt Candy Melts in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between until melted and smooth.
Dip Oreo in melts and use a fork to lift out. Tap firmly against side of bowl to remove excess candy and slide along bowl edge as you remove it.
Gently slide covered Oreo onto parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle with sugar, and place eyes (a tweezer helps with this).

Place a piece of cookie cereal in “mouth”. You may need to wait a little bit until the melts harden up a bit and get sticky. I found that a drinking straw placed in front of each one helped hold the cookie in place until it hardened.

Allow little monsters to harden and then share them with anyone who needs a smile 🙂

My thoughts: SO. FUN. I really loved making these and sharing them. I packaged them up in little cello bags that I got at Michaels, and I made stickers for the back using Avery square labels (#22806). I will attach the pdf for these here. Be sure when you print them on these labels to print them as “actual size”. Sometimes printers will automatically shrink an image to fit a page better, and if you let it do that they won’t line up with the stickers. I also tied up a few bags of just cookie cereal to go along with them. It was really fun.

The perfect finishing touch! Enjoy these dear readers!!!!!! ~r

Other desserts for the Cookie Monster in you! (Click on a photo to see the recipe)

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Posted in Candy, Cookies and tagged candy melts, chocolate, chocolate chip cookie, Cookie Crisp cereal, Cookie monster Oreos, Cookie Monster treats, cookies, creative cookies, kids cookies, kids party, kids party ideas, Oreos, sesame street cookies, sesame street dessert. Bookmark the permalink.

Spiderweb Cookies

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Ruthanne

Delicious sugar cookies covered in chocolate spiders and webs. Too cute to be scary!

I’m on a spider kick for Halloween. I’ve had some decently horrifying experiences with spiders at my house this fall, so when I think scary- this is it! My last post featured them on cupcakes and this week it’s cookies. These are delicious, easy, and so much fun to put together!

Here’s how I made them: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 24 cookies)

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of butter flavoring
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bags of Wilton’s Candy Melts in whatever colors you choose (I used orange and purple)
1 bag of Wilton’s Candy Melts in dark chocolate
Vanilla Wafers
Candy eyes

DIRECTIONS:

Make spider “faces” first so they have time to harden up. Melt chocolate candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until melted and smooth.
Dip vanilla wafers entirely in the melted chocolate until coated. Remove using a fork, tap against side of bowl and slide bottom along edge.
Place on parchment paper and place 2 eyes on each. Allow these to harden completely. Save excess chocolate to use for web on cookies.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Add eggs, vanilla and butter flavoring and mix well.
Add all dry ingredients and mix until able to knead into a firm ball of dough (add additional flour if necessary).
Roll out on a floured counter with a flour coated rolling pin to desired thickness.
Cut into spider webs with a cookie cutter (I used this one– totally got it at Wal Mart)
Place cookies on cookie sheets covered in parchment paper and bake at 350F degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Slide baked cookies and parchment paper together onto a counter to cool completely.
Re-melt the chocolate candy melts and spoon them into a small zip-top bag.
Melt colored candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until melted and smooth.
Place cookie on a baking rack that has been set over a plate and spoon melted candy over the top of the cookie, spreading it to the edges and over. Use a fork to lift cookie, tap excess off and slide onto parchment paper.
Take bag of melted dark chocolate and clip a corner off. Pipe a swirl of chocolate onto the still- melted candy on the cookie and immediately pull line through this from the center out using a toothpick or skewer.
Set a spider “face” in the center of the cookie and allow everything to harden up.
Enjoy!

Aren’t they cute?????

My thoughts: These really are fun and delicious. It takes a little time and patience to cover the basic cookie in the candy melts- but I love how the color goes all the way over the edge! Since these harden up, they are perfect to make ahead and tie up in cello bags for fall parties. Enjoy!!!! ~r

Other fun fall recipes to try: (click on a photo to be taken to a recipe)

12 Comments

Posted in Candy, Cookies and tagged candy melts, cookies, cut-out cookies, Halloween, halloween cookies, kids recipe, recipe, spider cookies, spider eye cookies, spider web cookies, suagr cut-out cookies, sugar cookies. Bookmark the permalink.

The BEST Chocolate Cut-out Cookies Ever!!

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Ruthanne

They taste…like rich chocolate brownies. They cut…perfectly, no refrigeration needed. The recipe…is so simple to make! Absolutely perfect cookies!

Well. Here we are. It has been over a month since I have posted a recipe here, and I miss you all! It’s funny how blogging creates community, isn’t it? I’ve really missed hearing from you all, and reading many of your blogs!

So, what have I been doing? These cookies are more than just a recipe- they tell the story of summer in Eastern and Central Europe, and they tell the story of new chapter in my life.

For those of you who have followed Easybaked for years, you know I spent most of my life working in the field of medicine. You also know that I spent most of last year in Arizona, working with a small church on the Navajo Nation~ a journey and experience I absolutely LOVED.

When my time drew to a close with the Navajo, I wondered if I’d return to medicine, but God had other plans, and I was invited to join a mission organization called Josiah Venture as their Intern Coordinator. Josiah Venture’s vision is to be a movement of God among the young people of Eastern and Central Europe, that finds its home in the local church and transforms society. We have missionaries in 14 countries, and this summer there were over 100 college age interns sent to help local churches host camps and outreach events in their cities. My job is to recruit, resource and prepare these interns to go each year.

I’ve spent the 1st part of this year training for this position and raising the financial support I need to be able to do this job full-time. I was able to be in the Czech Republic at the end of May to welcome this year’s interns. It was incredible to see so many young people giving up their summer to serve God overseas. I loved it!

Each year, Josiah Venture has a theme for the summer camps hosted by local churches. This year it was “You are Here”. The logo was a Metro map. They used #urhere on Instagram and Twitter to connect people, and if you visit these hashtags you will see incredible testimonies of God’s faithfulness this summer!

I was invited to a cookout this summer with some missionaries visiting the US from Slovakia. I was asked to bring dessert- because when you have a baking blog, everyone asks you to bring dessert! 😉 I made these cookies for them, and they were SO much fun. I keep saying that I hate royal icing, but there are some times when it is your only option.

So… this is what I’ve been doing. It has been a struggle to keep baking and sharing with you all because it has been such a busy summer with so much travel. I keep telling myself that Easybaked is a HOBBY, and I am allowed to take a break for awhile. But I will be back- I promise! My head is swimming with new ideas 🙂

Before I share this recipe, I want to ask a favor. If you are reading this post, and you are a follower of Christ that wants to see the incredible news of God’s love shared around the world, would you consider becoming a part of my support team? I am slated to begin this position on September 1st and I am not fully funded yet- but I’m SO close! I am looking for people who are able to give toward this ministry on a monthly basis, and to pray.

If you are interested in learning more, here are a few links:

More about Josiah Venture here.

More about how to become a part of this ministry (and how to contact me with questions) here.

More about summer internships for college students interested in missions here.

More about me (my personal/ ministry blog) here.

Thank you dear followers, fellow bloggers, and friends. I have been asking God fervently to provide what I need before September 1, and who knows? Maybe he will answer my prayers through you!!!

Now, that cookie recipe!

It is the best cut-out cookie recipe ever. Plus it’s chocolate, which is bonus in my book!

I’ve shared this recipe many, many times on this blog. I’ve added espresso to the recipe for the delicious cookies posted above, I’ve made them into cookie cups to be filled with all sort of sweet happiness, and I’ve even made them into cookie lollipops. I don’t even feel bad re-sharing this recipe with you because it is one I keep returning to as a staple for so many ideas.

I simply cut this particular batch into squares, and decorated them using royal icing (click here for icing recipe) with the actual camp logo as a guide!

Here’s the cookie recipe (printer friendly recipe -by the way, this says to chill the dough, but you definitely don’t need to. Experimentation has proved otherwise! :))

INGREDIENTS: (makes 30-32 medium square cookies)

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Add butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa together in large mixing bowl.
Blend on medium speed with a mixer until smooth.
Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until smooth (use clean hands at the end, to knead into a soft ball of dough)
Roll out cookie dough on floured counter. I like them fairly thick.
Cut into squares and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes until the edges are firm.
Gently slide parchment paper off of cookie sheet and onto a flat surface.
Frost as desired. A simple powdered sugar glaze would be delicious on these, or if you want to get fancy, use royal icing to create whatever your heart desires!

I hope you enjoy these delicious little cookies! Thank you for letting me share with you a little beyond the recipe today! *hugs* ~r

Here’s a few more of my non-baking stories from the past 2 years!

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Posted in Cookies, Uncategorized and tagged best, chocolate, cookies, cut-out cookies, dessert, Josiah Venture, mission internships, missions, outreach, recipe, royal icing, summer camps. Bookmark the permalink.

Fourth of July Dessert Ideas!

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Ruthanne

Bomb Pop Cupcakes!

Oh my, I love the fourth of July! I love the picnics, and pool parties, and cookouts, and fireworks…and the time with family!

My parents have always (like always, for as long as I can remember!) had a giant pool party for the fourth and invited our entire extended family for burgers and brats and volleyball and sunshine….and for a competitive display of our best “at home” fireworks we could find, later in the evening. I have so many fun memories of chasing fireflies and waving sparklers with my cousins (that are all grown with kids of their own now!). This year is different. For starters, mom isn’t here to orchestrate the complexities of the celebration. The house is in boxes and bags- ready to show to whomever might be interested in buying, and the pool and yard are immaculately kept. Pool toys and floats are all deflated and either sold or put away. Sometimes I sit on the back porch and watch the fireflies and remember all the laughter and fun.

I know that these times are not forever over. This year is different, but once dad settles into his new place there will be other celebrations and family times over the fourth. This year though…my heart wasn’t in the “create something new and fun” place. So instead, I thought you might enjoy a collection of some of my previous red-white-and-blue recipes. You can click on the photo or the title, to be taken to the recipe.

American Flag Oreo Pops

Patriotic Polka Dot Cake!!!

Flip Flop Cookies for the Fourth!

Patriotic Tie-Dye Cake!

Stars and Stripes Brownies!

Red White and Blue Bundt Cake!

And if you are grilling out for the Fourth, you might need these…

BBQ Grill Cupcakes!

Grilled Burger Cupcakes!

However you celebrate this summer, I hope you have fun making memories with your friends and family~ and I hope you enjoy trying fun, new recipes that become a part of your family traditions! ~r

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Posted in Brownies, Cake Pops, Cakes, Cookies, Cupcakes, Seasonal dessert and tagged brownies, bundt cake, cake, chocolate, cookies, cupcakes, dessert, dessert collection, Fourth of July cake, fourth of july cookies, fourth of july cupcake, fourth of July recipes, fun, kids, oreo pops, patriotic recipes, recipe collection, red white and blue, red white and blue dessert, stars, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Fire Cracker Cookies!!

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Ruthanne

These fun little fire cracker cookies have a crackling surprise inside– pop rock candy! A perfect treat for your Fourth of July celebrations!!!

I can’t believe it’s almost July already- this summer is passing too fast…! These cookies were a HUGE hit among my friends- the experience of eating a cookie that is popping in your mouth is truly a unique one, and everyone was a huge fan!

I adore sugar cookies…especially in the summer. They are so…expected at Christmas- but the 4th of July? Such a fun treat! These are easy to make and cut just beautifully. The dipping in candy melts takes a little time, but the end result is just so fun!

Here’s how we made these: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 60 circles that end up at 20 completed cookies)

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of butter flavoring
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 bags of Wilton Candy Melts in red, white and blue
Star sprinkles
3 packets of Pop Rocks in any flavor
String licorice (or the pull-apart kind works too)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Add eggs, vanilla and butter flavoring and mix well.
Add all dry ingredients and mix until able to knead into a firm ball of dough (add additional flour if necessary).
Roll out on a floured counter with a flour coated rolling pin to desired thickness (I made them fairly thick)
Cut about 60 circles using a cookie cutter (I used a 1″ cookie cutter)
Use a smaller circle cutter to cut out a center circle from 20 of these cookies.
Place cookies on cookie sheets covered in parchment paper and bake at 350F degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
Slide baked cookies and parchment paper together onto a counter to cool completely.
Melt candy melts in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until smooth.
Dip 1/3 of cookies into blue melts first and allow them to harden slightly before setting a snip of licorice on top. You may need to experiment with this a bit. The melts need to be soft enough to stick the licorice in, and hard enough to hold it upright.
Dip remaining cookies- 1/3 into red and 1/3 into white melts (add star sprinkles on the sides of the white cookies) and allow them to harden completely.
Put the cookies together by piping or spreading a little white candy melt on the bottom of the white piece and setting it on the red. Fill the open spot in the white cookie with pop rocks, pipe or spread a little white candy melt on the top ring of the white cookie and set the blue cookie on the very top. Allow cookies to harden together. Enjoy!!

My thoughts: These take a little time, but they are genuinely fun to make and SO fun to serve! I loved the giggles at those surprise Pop Rocks in the middle!!! I hope you get a chance to try them!!!

Other fun summer cookie recipes: (click on a photo to see the recipe)

1 Comment

Posted in Cookies and tagged cookies, cookies for kids, dessert, firecrackers, fourth of July, fun, independence day, patriotic, pop rocks, recipe, stars and stripes, Wilton candy melts. Bookmark the permalink.

Confetti Sugar Cookies!

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Ruthanne

What better way to celebrate the New Year than with confetti? Especially the edible kind that pours out of the center of a delicious sugar cookie? So. Much. Fun!!!!

These sugar cookies are a fun and festive surprise that are sure to make your guests smile as you ring in 2015! These are easy to put together and a creative addition to any celebration!

Here’s how we made these fun treats: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 24 cookies)

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of butter flavoring
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bags of Wilton Candy Melts in any colors you wish to use
2-3 cups of small confetti sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Add eggs, vanilla and butter flavoring and mix well.
Add all dry ingredients and mix until able to knead into a firm ball of dough (add additional flour if necessary).
Roll out on a floured counter with a flour coated rolling pin to desired thickness.
Cut about 72 circles using a cookie cutter (I used a 2″ cookie cutter)
Use a slightly smaller circle cutter to cut out a center circle from 24 of these cookies.
Place cookies on cookie sheets covered in parchment paper and bake at 350F degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
Slide baked cookies and parchment paper together onto a counter to cool completely.

Melt about 1/4 of a cup of candy melts (I used white, but you can use whatever colors you’ve chosen) in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring between until completely melted and smooth. Place the melted candy in a small zip top bag and cut one corner off.
Pipe around the bottom of the “ring” cookie and place it on a “solid” cookie.
Fill the open center of the “ring” cookie with confetti sprinkles.
Pipe melted candy melts around the top of the “ring” cookie and set another “solid” cookie on top.
Allow these cookies to harden completely (I placed mine in the fridge for about 20 minutes).

Melt remaining candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments until completely melted and smooth.
Dip cookie into melted candy and cover completely, using a spoon. Use a fork to lift out and tap against side of bowl until excess melted candy falls away. Slide bottom of cookie against side of bowl and gently slide onto parchment paper to harden.
Immediately sprinkle with confetti or other decorations before candy melts harden.

Package up in a tightly sealed container or in cello bags.
Wait until midnight and celebrate with the BEST confetti ever– the edible kind!!!

My thoughts: these look complicated to make, but they really went together quickly and it was so fun to see people’s surprise at all that confetti inside. I did warn them to take that 1st bite over a plate- haha- I guess that just depends on how messy you want your floors during that NYE party! Enjoy!!!

Other fun NYE treats:

12/19/14: On a personal note: I blog my recipes ahead, and I prepared this post (and scheduled it to publish) several weeks ago. Since that time, my mom has been diagnosed with very, very aggressive cancer and admitted to Hospice. I just wanted to ask for all of you who have followed this little blog and enjoyed these recipes to keep our family in your prayers as we say good bye to her during this Christmas and New Year season. Because of this, and because I am in the process of starting a new job, I will be taking a few weeks off from publishing recipes here. May this New Year bring great hope and joy to you and your family! God Bless! Back in a few weeks. *Hugs* ~Ruthanne

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Posted in Candy, Cookies and tagged birthday party cookies, chocolate cut-out cookie recipe, confetti, confetti cookies, cookies, dessert, fun cookie recipe, holiday, kids, New Years dessert, New Years eve cookies, party, sugar cookies, sweets, unique cookies. Bookmark the permalink.

A Cut-out Cookie Collection!

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Ruthanne

It’s nearly Christmas, and those cute bells, stars and tree cookie cutters are begging to be used! This post is dedicated to our favorite cut-out cookie recipes featured here on Easybaked. We have everything from gingerbread to mocha, simple sugar cookies to international favorites! Make this year’s cookies your best yet!

Let’s start with the family favorite. My mom’s thick and cake-like cutout cookie recipe features a hint of cinnamon flavor and is truly a part of our Christmas (and Easter, and 4th of July, and back-to-school and GO PACKERS!) traditions. These are easy, and freeze well- so you can make them ahead. Go ahead and click on that photo to see the recipe.

Next, is my personal favorite: GINGERBREAD! These, too, have been a part of our family Christmas traditions. This recipe is my grandmother’s, and she faithfully made them every year, cut them as Christmas trees and decorated them with red-hots! Click on the photo to see her oh-so-yummy recipe!

Similar to gingerbread are my Pumpkin Spice Cookies. These are sweeter and bake very flat and easy to decorate.

Chocolate cut-out cookies that taste like the richest brownie but roll out and cut like a dream? Yes, please! I love how the frosting colors really stand out on that dark chocolate! These chocolate cut-outs have been in our family awhile too- but as drop cookies that I tweaked to make cut-outs. Click the photo to see this delicious recipe:

That chocolate cut-out recipe is so yummy that I experimented a little more with it to create a chocolate espresso cut out cookie and…oh my…one of my favorites!

I’ve spent some time overseas and discovered a wonderful dessert in Prague called Medovnic. Then I found these wonderful little honey-filled cut out cookies called Medovniky that are often made at Christmas. I made them for autumn, but they are a delicious flavor for any season!!

Speaking of international cookies, these Alfajores from Peru add a totally unique (and deliciously caramel-filled) flavor to the holidays.

When it comes to cut-out cookies, the cookie cutters make all the difference! I absolutely LOVE the look created by Linzer cookie cutters. Typically they are layered with a fruit filling, but I just used colored frosting and you have beautiful cookies with very little fancy frosting technique!

One other thing you’ll need are some good frosting recipes, which I’ve compiled right here in a post called: Frostings, fillings and fun!

I hope that these recipes inspire fun-filled cookie making times with your family this season.

Merry Christmas!

12/19/14: On a personal note: I blog my recipes ahead, and I prepared this post and my next one (very fun New Years cookies) several weeks ago. Since that time, my mom has been diagnosed with very, very aggressive cancer and admitted to Hospice. I just wanted to ask for all of you who have followed this little blog and enjoyed these recipes to keep our family in your prayers as we say good bye to her this Christmas. After next week’s post (which is already scheduled), I will probably take a little break from sharing recipes here. Many thanks, friends! ~r

(My personal and ministry blog is at: www.thenavajojourney.com, if you want to keep up with me there.)

Caramel Crisp Cookies

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Ruthanne

These crisp, caramel- filled cookies are absolutely delicious, can be decorated for any season and are SO easy!

These cookies have made a bigger impression on people than almost any dessert I’ve made. Everyone LOVES these! I love them too and they really are one of the easiest cookie ideas I’ve ever posted. Plus they are cute, and cute always gets bonus points in my book!

These are made by pressing melted Rolos between Ritz crackers and then dipping them in chocolate… as easy as that! You almost don’t need a recipe, but for those of you who like having one, here you go: (printable version)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 50 cookies)

One box of Ritz Crackers
One bag of Rolo caramel candies
Two bags of Wilton’s Candy Melts in dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS:

Unwrap all those little Rolos…this is the hardest part of this recipe….booooring!
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Place Ritz Crackers, bottom side up, on a cookie sheet and set one unwrapped Rolo on each one.
Put these into the oven and leave them for one to two minutes until the Rolo is soft enough to press flat with another cracker- I actually just kept checking until they were soft enough.
Remove them from the oven and use another Ritz cracker to make a little sandwich of that soft Rolo.
Allow these to cool completely- I put mine in the fridge for 20 minutes or so until they were nice and firm
Melt Candy Melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until they are completely melted and smooth.
Cover each cookie with melted chocolate and use a fork to lift the cookie up. Tap the fork against the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drain off, slide bottom of cookie along edge of bowl to remove extra off bottom, and tip gently off fork and allow cookie to slide onto parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle/ decorate as desired and allow cookie to harden completely.

If you want to skip the chocolate-dipped part, these are still a fun and yummy treat:

My thoughts: As I said earlier, these are really yummy. I like that you can decorate them any way you want for any season- they are like Oreo pops- and you ALL know how much fun I have decorating those here! Use any color of Candy Melt, use sprinkles or drizzles….sky is the limit! My dad tried them and said, “When you put these on your blog, tell people they are the best cookies I’ve ever had.” So there you go. The best ever. Thanks dad!

Other Christmas cookie recipes you’ll have fun trying~ just click on the photo to see the recipe:

Need a fun and unique gift idea? Easybaked has adorable boxed sets of notecards. They have an Easybaked dessert photo on the front and a recipe on the back! The come in a cute box and the best part? They are ON SALE for Christmas, include free shipping and the site that is hosting them offers $10 off a $50 purchase! Enjoy!!! (Click on photo for more information)

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Posted in Candy, Cookies and tagged best, candy melts, caramel, chocolate, Christmas cookies, cookies, cookies dipped in chocolate, creative, dipped cookies, easy, holidays, kids, melted chocolate, recipe, ritz crackers, Rolo candy, salty and sweet, sprinkles. Bookmark the permalink.

Turtle Cookie Cups

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Ruthanne

Chocolate cookie cups full of creamy caramel, chocolate and pecans. So many fun fall flavors in one little dessert!

There’s something about November that makes me think caramel and pecans. Comfort food, maybe? Thanksgiving? I’m not sure, but these yummy little treats hit the spot! They are fun to make, and a pretty mini dessert for all those November and December get-togethers.

Here’s how they are made: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies:

2 sticks (one cup) butter (softened)
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

Toppings:

1 bag of Wilton’s candy melts in milk chocolate
2 cups of chopped pecans and about 60 whole pecans
32 Kraft caramels (unwrapped)
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

DIRECTIONS:

Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Add butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl
Blend on medium speed with a mixer until smooth
Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until smooth (use clean hands at the end, and knead into a soft ball of dough
Use a small cookie scoop (I used one that holds ½ tablespoon of batter) to portion your dough into mini muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray
Use a tart shaper, or a wooden spoon to press the dough into a cup shape.

Bake at 350F degrees for 7-8 minutes and remove from oven.
Press centers in a second time and allow cups to cool for just a couple of minutes.
Use a small paring knife to pop each cup out and allow them to cool on the counter.

Toppings:

Place caramels, sweetened condensed milk and butter into a medium saucepan and heat on medium over the stove until all of the caramels are melted.
Heat milk chocolate candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.
Place chopped pecans into a small bowl.
To assemble, dip top edge of cup in candy melts and then in chopped nuts.

Place caramel sauce into a sturdy zip top bag and clip a corner.
Pipe caramel into each cup until filled completely and top with a whole almond.
Allow caramel and chocolate to firm up.
Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Enjoy!

My thoughts: These are a little time-consuming to make, but sooooo yummy. They are a perfect mini-dessert for any of the upcoming holidays, and they got RAVE reviews in my little world! That caramel….!!!! Enjoy! ~r

Other fun mini desserts here at Easybaked (click on a photo to see the recipe)