Monster Cookies

My daughter has started to become more adventurous in the kitchen, so this is actually one of the recipes that *she* made and not me! Her brother (my son) loves monster cookies, and these were a big hit! Feel free to change up the mix-ins to use whichever ingredients you have on hand... this recipe is great for finishing up those last odds and ends that may be sitting in your pantry.

Monster Cookies
Yield: 19 large cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini M&M’s candies

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add vanilla, peanut butter, and eggs, and mix well.
3. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the oats, mini chocolate chips, and mini M&M'S.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Let the cookie dough rest for 10 minutes before scooping.
5. Scoop the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop. Line 6 cookie dough balls per cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
6. Cool for 4 minutes on the hot sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from Stephanie's Sweet Treats.

Pretzel M&M Kisses

My daughter's Christmas party for gymnastics was yesterday, so I made these simple, festive treats for her to share with her teammates! Unfortunately, instead of attending the party, she and I made a trip to urgent care where she was diagnosed with strep throat. Not the way either of us envisioned the weekend going, but now she and her siblings have all these sweet and salty snacks to enjoy themselves. (Just because *I* have to eat dairy/gluten free doesn't mean that my kids have to suffer, too!)

Pretzel M&M Kisses
Yield: as many/few as you like!

Ingredients

• twist pretzels
• milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses
• milk chocolate M&Ms

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°F.
2. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
3. Place pretzels on lined baking sheet and top each with Hershey's Kiss.
4. Cook for 3 minutes, until chocolate looks shiny.
5. Press M&M into center of each Hershey's Kiss.
6. Cool on pan until chocolate sets back up.
7. Store in airtight container at room temperature (if there are any left!).

Recipe adapted from Shell's Kitchen.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This recipe has become somewhat of a tradition at our house because my son is not a big fan of classic birthday cake (blasphemy, I know!). If it weren't for our uncanny resemblance to each other, I might question whether or not, in fact, he is actually related to me because cake is my favorite food! But he is the birthday boy this weekend, and I am happy to make whichever sweet treat is requested. :)

For decoration, I like to make my buttercream frosting (cut the recipe in half and make it on the stiff side) and pipe it around the edges with a star tip. Then top the cake with additional mini M&M's or sprinkles to make it even more colorful! I haven't frosted the cake above quite yet (my son's birthday is on Sunday), but here is the cake I made for him two years ago:

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Yield: 9" springform pan

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup + 2 Tbsp M&M’S Minis milk chocolate baking bits, divided

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9" springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, cream softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; stir until completely combined.
3. Pour in flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt; stir just until incorporated (don't overmix!).
4. Fold in 1 cup mini baking bits by hand until evenly distributed.
5. Press dough into prepared pan until even and level. Sprinkle reserved 2 Tbsp mini baking bits on top of cookie cake and press down lightly with hand. Bake 16-20 minutes, or until top/center just starts to golden slightly. Cookie cake may look underdone in middle, but it will set up as it cools and stay extra soft.
6. Allow cookie cake to cool completely in pan on wire rack before removing sides of pan. Frost and decorate, if desired, then enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Sprinkle Some Sugar.

M&M Rolo Cookie Cups

Earlier this month, I tried this recipe for the first time. My husband and son were huge fans of the creamy caramel hidden inside the chocolate cookie. Then about a week later, I tried this recipe and loved how I could bake 4 dozen cookies in under 10 minutes. That's when I had an "Aha!" moment to combine the best aspects of both recipes into this new creation!

M&M Rolo Cookie Cups
Yield: 3-4 dozen

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
36-48 Rolos candies, unwrapped
36-48 M&M’s milk chocolate candies (I used Valentine colors here)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large mixing bowl, cream granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well blended.
3. Add flour, cocoa, and baking soda; mix well.
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes. (Cookies will puff up like a muffin as they cook.)
5. When cookies are done, remove from oven and immediately press Rolo into each cookie. After Rolos have softened (chocolate will appear shiny), carefully press one M&M into each Rolo. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan to wire rack.

Note
Adapt this recipe throughout the year by choosing holiday-colored M&M's:
  • Valentine's Day: red, pink, white
  • Spring/Easter: pink, yellow, green, blue, purple (pastels)
  • Fall/Autumn: red, maroon, yellow, brown
  • Halloween: orange, brown
  • Christmas: red, green
  • Birthday: red, orange, yellow, green, blue (traditional colors)

{Christmas} Puppy Chow

Put a holiday spin on an old favorite by adding red and green candies to the pillows of white snow!

{Christmas} Puppy Chow
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 cup Christmas M&M’s milk chocolate candies

Directions
1. In large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir and heat 30 seconds longer on HIGH, or until melted when stirred. (I usually have to do two 30-second intervals.) Stir in peanut butter until smooth.
2. Fold in cereal until evenly coated.
3. Place 1 cup powdered sugar in gallon Ziploc bag. Spoon coated cereal into bag. Top with remaining 1 cup powdered sugar. Close bag.
4. Gently toss cereal mixture until evenly coated.
5. Transfer to storage container. (This step is vital... don't leave it in the bag!) Leave open to cool, gently shaking container every so often to release heat.
6. Once completely cooled, pour M&M's on cereal mix and cover with lid. Shake the container gently to evenly distribute the candies.

Notes
* I doubled the recipe, using an entire 12 oz box of Rice Chex cereal and a full 11.4 oz bag of milk chocolate M&M's, although I made the recipe in two smaller batches as outlined above.
* A different flavor of Christmas M&M's could be used in place of milk chocolate (such as peanut or peanut butter)... the choice is yours!
* This recipe could be adapted for any holiday year-round with seasonal-colored M&M's:
   • Valentine's Day: red, pink, white
   • Spring/Easter: pink, yellow, green, blue, purple (pastels)
   • Fall/Autumn: red, maroon, yellow, brown
   • Halloween: orange, brown
   • Christmas: red, green
   • Birthday: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, brown (traditional colors)

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have spent many years looking for the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie recipe, when one day it dawned on me to create my own! So after countless batches of trial and error, I discovered the right balance of ingredients to achieve a slightly soft and chewy cookie that keeps you reaching for just one more.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Beat in flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoon on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (This allows for easier removal from pan after cooling. You can reuse the same parchment between batches to cut down on waste!)
7. Bake 9 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
8. For best results, bake one pan at a time in center of oven.

Notes

• For cookies bars, lightly grease 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, evenly spread cookie dough in pan, and bake for 25 minutes, until edges are set and center is firm to the touch.
• For colorful cookies, substitute M&M's for some/all of the chocolate chips. These make great gifts when you use the holiday-colored candies!