12 Days of Christmas: 3rd Annual COOKIE PARTY!

every year i have a little cookie swap party extravaganza where everyone brings a platter of cookies, sccchwaps with everyone else, and then leaves with a platter of different cookies! {of course not before we have a major tasting session. my goal is for everyone to walk out of there five pounds heavier with holiday cheer!} i spent the whole day baking with my friend... pb kiss cookies, puppy chow, oatmeal scotchies, cupcakes.. you name it, we baked it! and after we spent the whole day eating raw dough {which i always promise myself i won't and always end up doing anyway} we had a healthy dinner of cookies galore!

PEANUT BUTTER KISS COOKIES!

1 c. sugar
1 c. butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 (10 oz. pkg.) Hershey Kisses
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. milk
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda

Mix all ingredients above except kisses. Shape in medium size balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, place 1 kiss on each blossom.

whats that crazy eyed girl doing on this blog...
oh wait, thats me!
TOO. MUCH. SUGAR!!!
{also my OHMYGAWWWSH-ITs-CHRISTMAS FACE looks more like a come-here-little-child-i've-got-candy face.}MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES!

OREO BALLS!
NUTELLA COOKIES!
ESPRESSO COOKIES!!

and after we ate ourselves into a sugar coma we went to the midnight premiere of black swan.. because nothing like a pyschological thriller to put you in the holiday spirit!

CUPCAKES, and COOKIES, and SWEET TREATS... OH MY!

hope your holiday eats were wonderfully sweet and shared with delightful friends!

CINNAMON ROLL sugar cookies!

#thingsthatshouldn'tbehappeningbutarehappening

thats the theme whenever virginia and i get together to bake sweet treats. first it was the COOKIE CAKE PIE, now its cinnamon roll cookies. {and next we are thinking brownie cookies!} finding insane desserts that in theory shouldn't be happening but are! and why shouldn't they be?!! combining two delish treats makes for a ridiculously more incredible dessert! and these cookies did not disappoint. enjoyed with a friends marathon and a cup of tea. the smell of cinnamon was in the air and laughs were all around. what can i say is was a delightful summer night!

CINNAMON EXPLOSION!

did anyone else squeal for joy when they saw all that cinnamon??! {no just me? hey... alright the cheese stands alone.}

ROLL ROLL ROLL IT UPPP!

{we are all class here with this aluminum foil.}

a cinnamon sugar log of sweetness.

thats what i want for christmas.

{yeah i'm getting a jump on my christmas list}

i mean this post is just turning into a bad fatal attraction spin off! crazy ladies with knifes!

a perfect cinnamon swirl cookie. no big deal.

{okay lets be honest, this took forever to perfect. after one a gijillion major baking blunder we finally we're able to reach cookie-cinnamon roll hybrid perfection}

CINNAMON ROLL SUGAR COOKIES!

{a la picky palate!}

makes about 6 dozen. we ended up dividing it in half and still having a TON!

2 Cups sugar

1 Cup butter, softened

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Cup sour cream

6 Cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons softened butter

1 1/2 Cups packed light brown sugar

5 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

cream cheese frosting

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 Cup powdered sugar

2-4 Tablespoons milk

In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.

In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.

Once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12 inches X 5 inches. Spread each rolled pieces of dough with 2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Start rolling from the long end closest to you, rolling into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough then placing onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. Frost cookies and enjoy! {also delicious if you stick them in the fridge and serve them chilled!}

hope your day is filled to the brim with explosions of sweet treats galore!

everything but the kitchen sink cookies!

MONSTER COOKIES made two different ways because i'm terribly indecisive. of course after trying both cookies i love them both the same because they ate both insanely packed with deliciousness. i think i left out an old box of cereal dated back to 1998 but beside that yes, i put in about everything in my kitchen! m&ms? sure! butterscotch chips?? why not!? coconut? hello yummness! and a dash of cinnamon of course, for good measure! while these were perfectly ridiculously heavenly for a summer night, i can't imagine the goodness they would be on crisp fall day with a cup of apple cider. {lets face it, i'm ready for fall. the summer heat is getting to me!}

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

5 tbsp. sugar

7 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 chopped walnuts

1/2 sweetened flaked coconut

Heat oven to 350F. In a bowl, whisk first 5 ingredients, set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with a handheld mixer until smooth. Add sugars, beat until fluffy. Add egg, beat until smooth. Add flour mixture, beat to form a dough. Stir in oats, walnuts and coconut.

Then add any other ingredients you want! I went two different ways...so I split the batter in two. After the rest of your ingredients are added, form dough into balls and bake until cooked through, 12 minutes. Let cool.

for the M&M MOSTERMASH cookies just add:

a dollop of peanut butter

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 m&ms

these cookies are the perfect comfort cookie.. abandoning any new cookie trend or the newest foam or the rarest nut from 8 magical worlds away... these cookies bring it back to all your old-school favorite treats. did you just bake these in your 5X5 apartment kitchen, or are you at your grandmother's house and snow is falling and christmas is calling? its hard to tell as soon as you smell these cookies baking. thats the magic of these cookies.

for the RAZATAZ WHITE CHOCO-MANIA cookies just add:

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 white chocolate chips

WARNING: this dough is so utterly wonderful that you might, all the sudden, be left with only 4 cookies to bake. it happens to the best of us! {and maybe to me way too often.}

hope your day is delectably delicious!

little joys this week.

delicious breakfast!

blueberries and oranges GALORE.

&perfectly toasted wheat bread.

served with my favorite green orange tea.

{disclaimer: when i say breakfast, its more like a 2pm brunch. its summer. what can i say}

mellow mushroom with these two hoodlums.

don't let their size fool you. these gals can put away hummus and parmesan pretzels like nobody's business. i accidentally blinked and all the food was gone.

adventures in hillsboro village.

sweet ceces.

and joan rivers: a piece of work documentary at belcourt.

need i say more?

okay, cheesecake fro-yo and laughing till it hurts.

there.

babysitting a family of boys=getting a lesson on building awesome intense race car tracks. i mean it starts from the top of the closet and then wraps around the bed and goes under a tunnel of pillows! i can finally relive my childhood but with BROTHERS!

sporting some patriotic wear.

i can't help it. its the holiday cheermister in me!

#everydayshouldbeaholiday

i love lucy marathons.

because too much of a good thing is AWESOME.

"Well, I'm your Vitavigavegivat Girl. Are you tired, run down, listless? Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? Well, are you? The answer to all your problems is in this little ol' bottle, Vitameatavegamin."

it's the wannaBEATLES!

summer concerts at the park are always the best.

especially when they are funny little men living out their dream by being a Beatles cover band. best part of the show? "and we want all you lovely people to know that we just made a wannaBEATLES cd!" because you know, why buy the real Beatles music when you can listen to the wannaBEATLES!

baking sprees

and lots of treats.

me oh my,

i cannot lie.

give me a cookie or give me cake..

just anything that i can bake!

{so yeah.. now you know i have a not-so love for making rhymes and raps!}

hope your day is a laugh till it hurts, and gloriously splendid!

the greatest oxymoron of them all.. a healthy cookie!

well it FINALLY happened...

i made the worlds tastiest and HEALTHIEST cookie ever. i've been wanting to make these cookies ever since Camilla made them back in february! and then Beth made them and raved about them too! so just a mere two months later i finally gathered all the ingredients and baked a batch! and thats where i ran into trouble.. i only baked a batch.. i should of TRIPLED {maybe even sevenripled. woah, woah i know} the recipe because they are already ALL GONE! and since i'm a thousand percent sure that they have no calories {but really} i don't feel guilty about it at all.

these cookies are simply heavenly and super light. its like gourmet homemade granola clusters! jam packed with tons of goodies, these cookies are quickly becoming my favorite cookie. {possibly beating my peanut butter cookie obsession?} unlike the normal sweet treat, i feel like i could run a marathon after eating it! and instead of dreaming of buble serenading me, i dream of climbing the highest of mountains with a backpack filled with these cookies!

there is no butter {paula dean close your eyes!}, uses just the egg whites, only a HALF CUP of brown sugar {does anyone else think brown sugar is healthier than regular sugar? cause i do!}, and it has fruit!! i might as well be eating celery thats dressed up all fancy for prom.

and the bonus? the DOUGH IS INCREDIBLE {sala.. whaauuut?} double jeopardy? baking with tess equals half of batter gone and not a minute of sleep lost!

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

{plus lots more goodness!}

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

3 egg whites

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

add ins: 1/2 cup flaked coconut, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.

In a large bown, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar, oil, egg whites, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the cranberries and chocolate chips. Add to the flour mixture; stir until just blended.

Drop the batter by scant tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.Cool the cookies on racks. Store in an airtight container.

all i have to do is find a way to transform these cookies into muffins and i'll have the most epically ridiculously delicious treat. {hashtag new life goal}

hope your day is filled with some sweet treats!

{whether they be healthy or not!}

p.s. i am guest posting over at Seasoned with Words.

ta-da.... Chelseaed with Words!

bake fest 2010.

just another random baking spree that ended with a sugar coma.

i used the Magnolia Bakery chocolate cupcake recipe that Beth made! her's were so cute with little hearts for valentines day and looked divine, i knew i wanted to make them! {plus my baking partner in crime Laurin demanded chocolate, i was easily convinced} I just spread the icing on top and then topped it with chocolate shavings! it took everything in me to stop at one! {but the batter was probably the best part. i'm kind of embarrassed how much i dipped and redipped my finger in the bowl. okay i'm not! if you tasted it you would understand! "i could spead this on toast in the morning for breakfast" truth.} and as i indulge in this chocolate goodness i can pretend i'm in new york city on the upper west side outside enjoying the real deal as i wave to sarah jessica parker.

Magnolia Bakery Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

To melt the chocolate, place in a double broiler over simmering water on low heat for 5-10 minutes (about; stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces remain). Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes or until lukewarm. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers; set aside. In a bowl, sift the flour and baking soda together; set aside. In a big mixing bowl, cream the butter, using an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for about 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beat well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overmix. Scrape down the batter from the sides of the bowl, using a rubber spatula, to make sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Carefully spoon batter into cupcake liners; fill 3/4 full. Bake in 350 F oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in tins 10 minutes. Remove from tins and cool completely on wire rack. Ice when cool.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

6-8 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add in 4 cups sugar, then the milk and vanilla. On medium speed of an electric mixer, beat about 3-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well (about 2 minutes) after each addition, until the icing is thick enough for good spreading consistency (you may not need all of the sugar).

its no secret that i've been slightly obsessed with peanut butter cookies. {yes, i know i need to branch out. but these are just so good. and so simple!} and Amber at the social butterfly made these!! obviously had to make them right away! verdict- peanut butter heaven. what paper? that speeding ticket?! the gym... nope. i'm in a place where there are peanut butter mountains, a sea of chocolate and peanut butter lollipops popping up from the ground like flowers.

Peanut Butter Cup cookies

2 cups peanut butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
36 peanut butter cup candies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine the peanut butter, sugar and eggs. Form a spoonful into a ball. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press peanut butter cup candy into the center.

i have to admit, last night i was on every blog searching recipes to try! i found so many delectable treats, and i obviously had to bookmark them all {oh hello 1000 new bookmarks.} so if you have a tasty treat, i guarantee you i saved it! and i've got some flour, an apron, and i'm ready to keep baking.

baking sweet treats galore.

epic baking spree.

i put the veggies away this weekend and dove head first into my baking cabinet! i maybe made 3 {0r 4} batches of cookies. {for some reason i was on a cookies kick.} but to balance it out i had to make my favorite muffins!

so, as promised, here are the recipes from this weekend!

so i had gotten some butterscotch morsels on sale. and i realized i never use them enough in my cookies! {even though i love them!} i was craving peanut butter so i knew i wanted to combine the two. maybe something you wouldn't think to put together at first but ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. and only 5 ingredients?! i literally had fresh baked cookies {that i had never made before} in less than 12 minutes. {are you one of those people that can't even boil water? then these cookies are for YOU!} plus the dough = incredible. {and no butter so healthy right?!}

Peanut Butter Butterscotch COOKIES!

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Nestles Butterscotch morsels
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Form dough into balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Press with a fork to flatten. Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 9 minutes. {they get too dry if you leave them in too long}

i love a rustic looking cookie!

after i made those i started thinking how good they would be with CHOCOLATE CHIPS for the classic PB&CHOCOLATE craving. {so i told myself next time i'll try that!} low and behold, i couldn't even wait a week. i made them the next day!! so i swapped butterscotch for chocolate AND regular creamy peanut butter for crunchy peanut butter!

SUCCESS!

they were absolutely delicious.

and totally different from the first.

{my suggestion divide the recipe in two- make half with butterscotch and half with chocolate chips} you'll be in cookie heaven with where rain drops are milk drops, chocolate chips grow from trees, and dough is calorie free!

THESE are my ALL TIME FAVORITE muffins. so dense and rich. i wish i could package them up and send a muffin to each and every one of you! believe me when i say, if you like muffins at all then you should make them now because you will not be disappointed! to the cinnamon goodness on top and the melt in your mouth middle make these muffins one hellofva indulgence. {sorry new year resolution dieters.}

CINNAMON MUFFINS

2 eggs

3 cups of flour.

1 cup of milk

1 cup of sugar

5 tbsp. butter

5 tbsp. shortening

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp cinnamon

TOPPING:

1 cup melted butter

1 cup of sugar blended with 3 tbsp cinnamon

Grease 12 three-inch muffin pan cups. Cream together the butter, the shortening and the sugar. Beat in the eggs, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir in the flour and milk alternately until mixture is just combined. Fill muffin cups to the top. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes. With each muffin, dip in the melted butter then roll in the cinnamon sugar blend. Enjoy and experience muffin bliss.

{i know, you probably thought i was done. but nope. i thought why not make some more?} ever since Olivia made the classic tollhouse chocolate chip cookies, i realized how long it had been since i made them too! i'm always trying out fancy cookies and i forget about the oldies but goodies! these cookies remind me of making cookies with my grandmother. {oh memories!} she always made them extra big and a little crispy. i was determined to recreate the cookie from my childhood. i was so excited. maybe a little too excited because i made a rookie mistake and squished too many on the pan. still delicious, just not the prettiest. {woops! don't worry though they still got eaten!}

BAKING BLUNDER

i was DETERMINED to redeem myself and make them like grandma! {my self-esteem was a little shot. i wasn't sure if i could pull off this giant feat!} but after i sang a little smash mouth- i get knocked down {yeah, about that...} i whipped up another batch and i guess the cookie fairies smiled upon me because i made the perfect chocolate chip cookie! {crispy golden on the outside, gooey on the inside and extra big!}

click the picture to enlarge, your mouth will seriously water.

i like to take my weekends with a ton of baking, a dollop of dancing in the kitchen and a side order of indulging in all the goodness.

needless to say i'm ready to hit the gym. {hard core}. just right after this last cookie...