Category: Desserts

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

Recipe Repeat: Pillow Cookies

Sarah

From the outside, Bakerella‘s Pillow Cookies look like your average chocolate chip cookies.

But one bite reveals something really special. In each soft, sweet, chocolatey bite you get a taste of both…

Cookies? Brownies? Both in one delicious package? Sign me up please! I was recently reminded of this tasty treat when I had signed up to bring snacks to our small group and a guy in the group requested Pillow Cookies. I previously had only made these once, so I was thrilled to have a chance to make these again.

They were even better than I remembered–the only change I made to the original was to make them half the size, so as to increase the yield and feed more hungry folks! The first time I made them I could only eat half at a time anyway because they were so rich. Anyways, no matter what size you make ’em, you won’t regret it, because these extraordinary and over the top cookies look impressive and taste even better. Plus, you don’t have to tell anyone how easy they are to make!

What has been the most over the top dessert you’ve made lately?

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Sarah

In my mind, the epitome of summer is a tall, refreshing glass of lemonade. There’s just something about that sweet/tart taste that never lets you down. It’s so constant, so familiar, so good. If I could, I’d stay home all day long and squeeze lemon after lemon for neverending glasses of joy.

But I can’t, sadly enough.

So I make these:

When I saw this recipe on Jenna’s blog [and this is the Jenna of PB/chocolate treat fame, mind you], I knew they had to be good. And oh, they are.

They’re tangy, fresh, and sweet, reminiscent of my summertime beverage of choice, albeit with much less work [because powdered mixes just don’t cut it in my book]. These cookies are light enough for even the hottest summer day, which in this 114 degree [via the heat index] heat wave, is of utmost importance. Plus… they’re just so darn cute, with their crinkly tops that form as the cookies cool on the hot baking sheet and their crispy yet soft centers.

I just can’t get over how good these are, and how much joy they add to my life. My existence. My destiny…

Okay, maybe that’s getting a little too carried away but the point is clear:

These cookies are the center of my adulation, and I bet if you make them right now, they’ll be the center of yours too.

Just you wait. 🙂

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

  • Servings: 24 cookies
  • Print

Lemon Crinkle Cookies | thepajamachef.comfrom Jenna’s Everything Blog

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1-3 teaspoons lemon zest [use 3 teaspoons for some punch, like I did]
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two baking sheets.

Next, in a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in vanilla, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest and whip until completely mixed, scraping the bowl in the process.

Then, stir together all dry ingredients [minus the powdered sugar] and fold into the wet ingredients.

Shape the dough into rounded teaspoon-size balls and roll in powdered sugar to coat.

Bake for 7-9 minutes [dark baking sheets] or 9-11 minutes [lighter baking sheets] or until cookie tops are matte in color [not shiny/glossy] and bottoms are just golden. Allow to cool for about 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet before placing on cooling rack.

Desserts, Other, Recipes

Linda’s Caramel Ritz Bits Crackers

Sarah

So, I don’t know who  this Linda character is, but I sure love her Caramel Ritz Bits Crackers.

Linda's Caramel Ritz Bits Crackers | thepajamachef.comWell, wait. I lied. I suppose Linda is likely one of the authors of The Potluck Club Cookbook, is the source for this tasty treat. Found at my local library, this cookbook was a fun little book to peruse. I definitely photocopied more than a few recipes to try and this was the first gem of the bunch.

I have to admit though, when I first pulled these treats out of the oven, I had my doubts. It kind of looked like gloppy cereal. But a few minutes to cool and a quick bite popped in my mouth a minute later, I swiftly apologized to Linda because I was fully convinced that these. are. awesome. Just as she said in her book.

Of course, why wouldn’t they be??!

Crunchy crackers, flavorful nuts, and a thick, rich caramel glaze… what’s not to love?

Linda's Caramel Ritz Bits Crackers | thepajamachef.com

I made these for a church event and they were gone fast–much to my relief. I guess others were not swayed by their looks but embraced their sweet, crunchy, crispy flavor. These are the perfect easy dessert for a potluck or a road trip/lunch box snack. Just a warning though: they are addicting!

Linda's Caramel Ritz Bits Crackers

  • Servings: 10-15
  • Print

from The Potluck Club Cookbook
Linda's Caramel Ritz Bits Crackers | thepajamachef.com #easy #addictive #snack
Ingredients:

  • 2 – 9 ounce boxes of Ritz Bits Crackers [either filled or the Buttery Pretzel Rounds Munchables, which I used]
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts [or dry roasted peanuts]
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a large, shallow, greased baking pan, mix crackers and nuts. Then, in a saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar and syrup and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda.

Immediately pour mixture over crackers and stir well. Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon out onto wax paper to cool. Break apart and store in air tight container.

Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes

Margarita Cupcakes

Sarah

Ahh, summertime! As of this weekend, it finally has started to feel like summer to me. My summer classes are over and my only responsibilities this summer are my part-time job and my internship. Freeeeeedom!

And what better way to celebrate freedom than a baked version of a classic cocktail? I actually made these Margarita Cupcakes for a Cinco de Mayo party but am just now getting around to sharing the recipe here. These cupcakes were a hit in both taste and appearance. It’s a fun treat to bite into the “salted” rim and experience an explosion of lime flavor, thanks to real lime juice and margarita mix.

My version was non-alcoholic but you could easily make an adult version if you are so inclined. I’ve actually never [!] tried a real margarita–I’ve only had the virgin version, but after this tasty treat, I think that is going to have to change ASAP.

I must admit, before making these Margarita Cupcakes I was a tiny bit skeptical about all the lime flavoring and considered subbing lemon juice for the lime juice and using strawberry margarita mix instead of lime. But I am so glad that I didn’t, because of the use of lime is what really makes these cupcakes stand out. It has been my observation that limes seem to be one of the most under-rated and negleted citrus fruits, at least for baking purposes. Why is that? Perhaps they are just seen as the smaller, tarted cousin of the lemon, best used for garnish or a hint of flavor in Mexican cuisine. But no! Do not buy into the propaganda! I won’t anymore. Rest assured, these cupcakes have moved limes front and center in my radar and I’m sure you will be seeing their presence again soon. Enjoy!

Margarita Cupcakes [from The Brunette Foodie]
printable version

Ingredients:

for the cake:

  • 1 – 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons super fine sugar [can be purchased or you can just pulse regular sugar in the food processor/blender to achieve the same result]
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 can of frozen lime margarita mix [thawed for about 15 minutes before using]
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

for the icing:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 4- 1/2 to 5- 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • green food coloring
  • white or green sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake pan with 18-20 liners or grease with Crisco/butter, as desired.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together egg whites, margarita mix, canola oil, and lime juice. Then, fold in dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Batter will be quite thin and runny.

Spoon mixture into prepared pans, filling liners about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before icing.

When cupcakes are cooled, make icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter on medium until well blended. Add powdered sugar in 1/3-1/2 cup increments, blending fully in between additions. Ways to decide how much powdered sugar to add depends on the desired level of sweetness as well as level of thickness. Add a little bit of green food coloring to dye the icing pale green. [Note: my food coloring was more of a yellow-green, not green-green.]

Then, pipe icing around the outer edge of the cupcake and sprinkle the sprinkles [ha!] over the icing. Then fill in the center. I used a Wilton 32 tip to ice these cupcakes but feel free to use whatever tip you like. Serve and enjoy!

Candy, Desserts, Recipes

A Dear Friend

Sarah

Chocolate and peanut butter. Can there be anything better? I submit that there cannot.

Want proof?

In case that picture didn’t whet your appetite in the same way it does mine, allow me to elaborate for just a moment about my dear friend No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars. I haven’t gotten them out of my mind since Jenna shared the recipe about a month ago. Last weekend, I invited them into my home and my heart for the first time and life has never been better. See, my friend brings along a thick layer of peanut butter… sweet, smooth, textured. Add onto that a generous coating of chocolatey wonder, and this is a houseguest you’ll never want to leave.

I literally can’t stop eating them. It’s like a magnetic field exists between my mouth and the freezer. I haven’t been this obsessed about a dessert since I don’t know when.

Fortunately for me, Ben is just as big of a fan as I am. What’s the fortunate part about that, you ask. Well, his tolerance of rich foods is significantly lower than mine is… So, yup, he doesn’t mind quite so much when I “volunteer” to fetch him dessert and then it arrives with a bite or three missing. It was like that in the freezer, I promise. And speaking of that freezer… I think I’m a little hungry.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars [from Jenna’s Everything Blog]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs [for me, this was about 1/3 of a box]
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 cups creamy peanut butter [about 2/3 of a 24 ounce jar]
  • 1 cup butter, softened and divided
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Crush graham crackers in a ziploc bag or a food processor until crumbs are small [and if you’re like me, until the crumbs are all over your kitchen floor, sticking to your feet].

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup butter, and 2 cups peanut butter. Mix on low to combine. Add powdered sugar slowly in small increments, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until all powdered sugar is fully incorporated. You might want to do that step extra slowly with caution so you don’t wind up [again] like me, with powdered sugar all over your floor, because it likes to spew everywhere.

Spoon out mixture into an [ungreased] 9×13 pan. Use a spatula and/or your [clean!] fingers to pat mixture down. It will be a little sticky, but be patient and work slowly and it’ll be fine.

Then, combine chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until melted. I like to heat for about 45 seconds on 50% power, remove and stir, then repeat for 20 seconds. If it’s not fully melted by then, continue process until it is. Then remove quickly, stir in cinnamon, and spread immediately over peanut butter layer. Don’t worry, your chocolate will not taste super cinnamon-y. The cinnamon just enhances the chocolate flavor to make it even better, I promise! I used a combination of a table knife and a spatula to spread the chocolate and that worked pretty well.

Then [this is the hard part], cover and place in the freezer or refrigerator for at least an hour to cool and harden. Cut into small squares and serve. I cooled the whole thing in the freezer and then let it sit out for about 15 minutes before cutting into squares and that worked perfectly. Store [and consume] the leftovers in the freezer. They are perfect when eaten at this temperature. Enjoy!