PB Choc Chip Cheesecake Bars

I just started getting the daily newspaper because it's just as cheap as getting just the Sunday paper (for coupons!), and I discovered the recipes section. I'm in love! These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars are great. I don't like cheesecake but these only have a small amount so they taste great. Let me know what you think!

Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

7 tablespoons butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

5 tablespoons butter at room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup flour

1 cup peanut butter and chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:

8oz cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a 9x9 baking sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove pan and set aside. Leave the oven on.

Prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. Mix all ingredients except flour and chips with electric mixer. Beat in flour, slowly. Add in peanut butter and chocolate chips. Set aside.

Use electric mixer and blend together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla and egg. Pour cheesecake batter onto prepared crust. Drop cookie dough by the spoonful on top of the cheesecake batter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cookie dough is firm. Chill before cutting and serving.

Copy Cat Red Velvet Hostess (Filled) Cupcakes

I have to warn you ahead of time that I did this on a whim at 10:30 at night and the picture quality is not that great. However, the cupcakes are divine! You have to try this. It's super easy, and will impress your family. Promise.

You will just need a skewer, a box cake mix,  a ziploc bag, and some icing.


Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease cupcake/muffin pan. Fill each half full with the cake mix. Bake as directed on package (20 minutes for mine). Let cupcakes cool for about 10 minutes.

Put your icing in a ziploc baggie and cut a very small hole in the bottom corner. (This part can get a little messy.) Use a skewer to poke a hole in the top of each cupcake. Fill the middle with icing, then ice the top of the cupcake as you normally would. You can use a little filling (like I did) or a lot, like the Hostess folks do.

 The possibilities here are endless!! I'm thinking peanut butter filled double chocolate cupcakes next... what about you?

Earthquake Oreo Brownies

This is not technically my recipe. My close friend served it at her daughter's birthday party and I begged her for the details. She finally gave me the recipe, and I couldn't wait to post it (with her permission of course!). Going to try something new with posting pictures. I thought this little set-up was cute. What do you think?

You will need:

1 bag chocolate chips

Oreos

brownie mix (and everything listed on the box)

1/2 c hot fudge

2 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
2 sticks (1 cup) of butter (softened but not melted)
3/4 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 1/2 c flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Grab a 9x13 baking dish and line it with wax paper. Use nonstick spray to coat the wax paper (this is important!).

Mix together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and continue mixing until creamy.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, and baking soda. Pour this mixture into the other and blend with mixer. Stir in the chocolate chips and spread the cookie dough on the bottom of your baking dish.

In another bowl, mix together the brownie mix and all ingredients that it calls for on the box. Add in 1/2 cup hot fudge (melt it a little so it mixes easily). Set aside.

Top the cookie mixture with Oreos. Pour the brownie batter over the Oreos.

Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes.

I baked these last night, waited about 30 minutes for them to "cool", and then tried them. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. I started to wonder if I followed the recipe correctly, but I knew I had! So I waited until this morning and tried them again... WOW! World of difference! They are delicious (though very rich). When my friend served these, they were in very tiny portions - and for good reason. Let me know what you think of them!

Mouth Watering Wednesday: Strawberry Coconut Pie

Need a super simple super fast dessert? This is definitely it!

You will need:

One package vanilla pudding, graham cracker pie, shredded coconut, a few strawberries, and a whisk.

Mix pudding according to directions. Add 1 cup shredded coconut.

Pour into graham cracker crust.

Slice strawberries and place on top.

Top with whip cream, refrigerate for 2 hours, and enjoy!

Check out my other great recipes here.

Reesedoodles - Dessert in 15 minutes

I went grocery shopping today and made it out in less than an hour. Amazing, right!? So here I am, picking out the groceries... broccoli, artichokes, fat free sour cream, I'm doing so well picking out healthy foods! Oh, ohhhhhh snickerdoodles... ahhhhh mini Reese's cups.... and there goes my calorie intake for the week. Misery loves company, so I'm sharing my "recipe" for Reesedoodles! Considering I didn't make either item, I don't think I can really call it that lol but here it is anyway. :)

You will need: Reese's minatures, mini cupcake tin, cookie dough of your choice (or if you're feeling frisky, make your own).

Break apart the mini cookies (or if you have the dough that only makes 12, break them apart and then break them in half). 

This package said to bake the cookies for 14-18 minutes. I baked them for 10. You want the cookies to be not quite done when you take them out, so subtract 4-5 minutes off the baking time. While they are baking, peel 24 Reese's cups. 

As soon as you get the cookies out of the oven, press the Reese's into them. 

Let them cool off before you take them out, or they will fall apart. You can refrigerate them to speed up the process a bit. The end result, Reesedoodles!!