Double Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Cookies

Light and fluffy, soft and chewy... the winning cookie combination!

Double Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Cookies
Yield: 3 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups (11 oz pkg) Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels*

*Can substitute 1 cup milk chocolate chips and 2/3 cup peanut butter chips.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in vanilla and eggs.
4. Gradually stir in flour mixture.
5. Fold in milk chocolate and peanut butter morsels.
6. Drop onto ungreased baking sheets using small cookie dough scoop.
7. Bake 8-9 minutes, or until edges are set but centers are still soft. (Cookies will brown just slightly.)
8. Cool on baking sheets 4 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Very Best Baking by Nestle.

Coconut Flour Brownies

My first foray into baking with coconut flour was a rousing success! These brownies are light and fluffy, yet packed with rich chocolate flavor. You actually can't even taste the coconut! Not only is this dessert gluten free, but it can also be made dairy free. Enjoy!

Coconut Flour Brownies
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add coconut flour, baking soda, and salt to bowl; set aside.
3. In small saucepan over low heat, melt coconut oil and semisweet chocolate chips.
4. Once completely melted, turn off heat. Add maple syrup and vanilla; mix well.
5. Pour melted chocolate mixture into dry ingredients. Stir until well combined.
6. Add eggs to brownie batter and mix thoroughly.
7. Grease 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
8. Pour half of brownie batter into prepared pan.
9. Sprinkle top of batter with 1 cup milk chocolate chips.
10. Pour remaining batter over chocolate chip layer.
11. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup milk chocolate chips over top of brownie layer.
12. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
13. Let brownies cool before slicing and serving.

Notes

• Feel free to use whichever type of chocolate chips you prefer: semisweet, milk, dark, bittersweet, etc. I like using the combination seen here!
• To make the recipe dairy free, simply use a compliant brand of chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life). Easy, peasy!
• For a decadent treat, warm brownie in the microwave and top with a scoop of dairy free ice cream. It's heavenly!

Recipe adapted from The Coconut Mama.

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.

Jodie's Toffee

When I was growing up, my mom was a first grade aid one school year and this recipe was given to her by a fellow teacher. (Of course, the original ingredient list included saltine crackers, so I had to do my research to find an equivalent gluten free replacement!) It is my absolute favorite Christmas treat and makes the best homemade gift... everyone raves about it!

Jodie's Toffee
Yield: depends on how large/small you make the pieces!

Ingredients

• 2 (4.1 oz) packages Schar Gluten Free Snacker Thins or 1 (7.4 oz) package Schar Gluten Free Table Crackers
• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 3 cups milk chocolate chips (or 12 full size Hershey's milk chocolate candy bars)
• 1 cup ground/chopped almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 12x17" rimmed cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Line with foil and spray again.
2. Place crackers side by side on prepared pan. (Break into smaller pieces, if necessary, to cover all the way to the edges.)
3. On stovetop over medium heat, boil butter and sugar for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over crackers. Bake for 5 minutes.
4. Remove pan from oven, sprinkle chocolate (or line up bars) over top. Return to oven for 30-60 seconds to melt chocolate. Remove from oven and spread chocolate with offset spatula. Quickly sprinkle with almonds and pat down to set.
5. Once pan is cool to touch, place in refrigerator to chill overnight. Break into desired-sized pieces. Enjoy!

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.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

My kids love to eat muffins! And I'm happy to make them. :)

Chocolate Banana Muffins
Yield: 16-18 muffins

Ingredients
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup regular semisweet (or milk) chocolate chips
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (can substitute vegetable oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat muffin tin(s) with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. (These muffins stick to paper liners, so it is not recommended to use them.)
2. In small bowl, stir together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and both types of chocolate chips.
3. In another bowl, briskly whisk together egg and sour cream. Stir in melted coconut oil (slightly cooled but measured in its melted state), vanilla extract, brown sugar, and mashed bananas.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients; stir until JUST combined. Over-mixing results in denser muffins.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for 17-23 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool in pans for 5-10 minutes. Then remove muffins from pan(s) to wire rack to cool completely. (Use butter knife to gently lift each muffin out.)
7. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
8. When ready to eat, microwave muffin for 15-20 seconds. Spread with Nutella or peanut butter, if desired, and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron.

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)

Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Bars

This recipe is perfect for an indulgent breakfast, satisfying snack, or after-dinner treat!

At first glance, these remind me of magic cookie bars because of all the coconut, chocolate chips, and pecans on top.

A cross-section of the bars reveals a thick, moist, and chewy base below all that crunchy, nutty topping.

I was skeptical that these bars would be sweet enough from the maple syrup and chocolate chips alone, but I needn't have been! All of the flavors balanced beautifully. The best part is, you can feel good about eating these indulgent bars knowing they are chock-full of oats and other healthy ingredients!

Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Bars
Yield: 8x8 pan

Ingredients
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp milk (I use almond milk)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips plus 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8x8 pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. In large bowl, mash ripe banana. Add flaxseed and peanut butter. Mix until combined.
3. Add vanilla, maple syrup, milk, salt, and baking powder. Mix until combined thoroughly.
4. Stir in oats. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
5. Pour mixture into pan, spread evenly.
6. Top with coconut, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes, until coconut starts to brown.
8. Store in refrigerator for up to 7 days (if they last that long!).

Recipe adapted from Redesigned Recipes.

Chocolate and Caramel Pretzel Bars

This no-bake sweet and salty treat tastes like a homemade candy bar! Perfect for the holidays or just for everyday snacking. Enjoy!

Chocolate and Caramel Pretzel Bars
Yield: variable

Ingredients
2 cups milk chocolate chips, divided
8 oz bag gluten free pretzels*
11 oz bag caramel bits
2 Tbsp milk
1 cup M&M’s minis milk chocolate baking bits

Directions
1. Line large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in microwave (on low heat, stirring every 15 seconds) until smooth. Spread chocolate evenly over parchment. Immediately add pretzel twists over top (it's ok if they overlap!) and gently press pretzels into chocolate.
3. Add caramel bits to microwave safe bowl with milk and melt according to package instructions (on high for 2 minutes). Stir well and drizzle melted caramel over top of pretzels.
4. Melt remaining 1 cup chocolate chips in microwave. Pour over caramel layer and spread with spatula for even distribution. Immediately sprinkle with M&M’s.
5. Refrigerate until hardened. Break or cut into pieces. Store in refrigerator.

*If you have an Aldi nearby, I highly recommend their liveGfree store brand pretzels! Not only do they taste great, but they are far less expensive than the gluten free pretzels I have seen at any other store.

Recipe adapted from Tastes Better from Scratch.

No Bake Reese’s Crispy Cookies

My favorite part about shopping the after-holiday clearance sales is finding tons of great candy at a deeply discounted price! Once I remove the wrapper, nobody will know that I used Christmas candy for my Valentine's Day baking, or Easter candy at the Fourth of July (except you, my readers!). As long as you make sure to check the expiration date on the packages, you will save lots of money!

This week, when I stopped by my local grocery store for a quick in-between shopping run, I found a great deal on mini Reese's peanut butter cups. The best part? The bold lettering on the back stating the candy is gluten free! (It's always important to check for this information since allergen warnings can sometimes differ on seasonal candy.)

No Bake Reese’s Crispy Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients
5 cups crisped rice cereal (I use Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice)
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
20 miniature sized Reese's peanut butter cups, cut into quarters
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Directions
1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is evenly combined and smooth (about 5 minutes).
3. Add cereal to peanut butter mixture and stir to evenly coat.
4. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips.
5. Add Reese's peanut butter cups last to minimize melting.
6. Drop 1/4 cup sized scoops of mixture onto lined baking sheets. Slightly flatten so they look more like a cookie than a ball.
7. Store at room temperature with wax paper between layers so they don't stick together. (Note: Chilling the cookies makes them hard to bite into! If refrigerated, bring cookies to room temperature before eating.)

Note: Use small cookie dough scoop for mini bite-sized cookies.

Recipe adapted from My Incredible Recipes.

Marshmallow Milk Chocolate Fudge

I felt like getting creative in the kitchen today and wanted to figure out a way to use up the rest of the evaporated milk from my Cookies & Cream Fudge recipe that I made a couple days ago. (I bought the larger 12 oz can and didn't want it to go to waste.) And that's how this recipe was born!

I love that this chocolate fudge acts as a complement to the white version. I actually packaged up both varieties and gave them as a gift to some new neighbors as a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift! (I made sure to inquire about food allergies first to ensure they would be safe for the family to eat.)

Marshmallow Milk Chocolate Fudge
Yield: depends on how small/large you cut the pieces!

Ingredients
3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup (5 oz can) evaporated milk
2 cups milk chocolate chips
7 oz jar marshmallow fluff*
3 cups mini marshmallows

*WARNING! Did you know that marshmallow fluff can be a hidden source of gluten? Beware of the generic or off-brands which are often cross-contaminated with wheat. I go with a national name brand like Kraft.

Directions
1. Line cookie sheet with foil.
2. Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in milk chocolate chips and marshmallow fluff until smooth.
4. Fold in mini marshmallows.
5. Pour fudge onto lined cookie sheet.
6. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.
7. Lift from cookie sheet and remove foil. Cut into pieces. Store in refrigerator.

{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!