The second offering in our Back-to School desserts is Mint Chocolate Cookies. These promise to taste like a version of Girl Scout Thin Mints.  I’ll let you know when I try them!

ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

³⁄₄ cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

¹⁄₂ cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ²⁄₃ cups mint chocolate chips

directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl until creamy.

Add eggs; beat well.

Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture beating until well blended.

Add chocolate chips to batter.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Enjoy!

Since this is Back-to-School month, I’ll be sharing cookies and lunchbox treats recipes! The first is Toffee Crunch Cookies!

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 (10-ounce) bag toffee candy bits

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup sweetened flake coconut

1 cup chopped almonds (I’m going to try walnuts or pecans)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat the eggs slightly; then add to the butter mixture and mix well. Sift flour, salt and baking soda; then add slowly to the moist ingredients and mix thoroughly. Mix in the toffee bits, oatmeal, coconut and nuts.

Drop dough by the teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

ENJOY!

The last entry in our No-Bake Goodies series is Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, cubed

1/2 cup 2% milk

3 tablespoons baking cocoa

Dash salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oats

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the first 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 3 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla until blended. Stir in oats. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until set. Store in airtight containers.

ENJOY!

Today’s entry in the No-Bake Goodies Month is Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars.

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter, melted*

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full sheet graham crackers)*

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter, divided

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners’ sugar together in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup of peanut butter, then press evenly into prepared baking pan.

Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove. Stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter layer.

Chill in the refrigerator until completely firm, at least 2 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve chilled. Setting them out for a few hours at room temperature for serving is OK.

Cover leftover bars tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

ENJOY!

Ingredients:

1 cup pecans

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup honey

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a large bowl, combine pecans with salt. Whisk in honey, eggs, and vanilla. Pour batter in a greased 8-inch springform pan. Bake 25-30 minutes.

ENJOY!

Today’s entry is a no-bake Cookie Bite recipe!

Ingredients

½ cup salted butter room temperature

½ cup brown sugar, packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Start by heat-treating the flour. Add the flour to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir the flour to distribute the heat and microwave for another 60 seconds. Stir again, and let cool. This step is important to kill any bacteria in the flour and make the cookie dough safe to eat. Alternatively, you can spread the flour on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, just be careful it does not become brown.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until smooth and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

Add the flour to the bowl and mix gently on low speed until the flour is just incorporated into the dough. The dough may be soft (not thick), but that’s okay.

Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the mini chocolate chips into the dough until evenly distributed.

Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to scoop the dough into bite-sized balls. Roll each ball in your hands to give it a smooth, round shape, then place it on a tray lined with parchment paper.

For best results, refrigerate the cookie dough bites for 30-60 minutes so they can firm up. This is optional; you can enjoy the bites right away if you prefer. Enjoy!

These are some of the easiest pies to make! All you need are a graham cracker crust (plain or chocolate), a softened half gallon of ice cream and toppings!

Ingredients

half gallon (2 quarts) favorite ice cream or sorbet

1 (9 inch) pre-made cookie or graham cracker crust

Favorite toppings (chocolate chips, chocolate syrup (or Magic Shell), sprinkles, chopped fruit, candy bars, etc.)

Instructions

Let ice cream thaw until slightly soft and scoop-able. Then gently spread a layer in the pie crust, approximately 1″ thick. Add in a light layer of toppings on top. Then add one more 1″ thick layer of ice cream, and add more toppings on top.  Freeze the pie until it is firm again, then slice and serve.  (Top with whipped cream if you’d like.)

Ingredient Combination Ideas:

Mint Chocolate Chip:
Mint chocolate-chip ice cream, Oreo crust, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, chocolate bar shavings

Mocha:
Coffee ice cream, Oreo crust, chocolate syrup, chocolate-covered espresso beans

Strawberry Banana:
Strawberry (or any fruit) ice cream, graham-cracker crust, chopped strawberries and bananas (or other fresh fruits)

Toffee Caramel:
Toffee ice cream, graham-cracker crust, crushed Heath Bar bits, caramel topping, chocolate syrup

Caramel Peach:
Peach or vanilla ice cream, graham-cracker crust, caramel sauce, diced peaches (all the better if caramelized!)

ENJOY!

The second entry in our No-Bake Goodies month, is Cherry Delight!

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (3 cups)

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

Directions

In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 8-in. square pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth; fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust. Spoon pie filling over top. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

ENJOY!

ENJOY!

This month’s recipes will focus on no bake types of desserts.  Today’s offering is Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert.

Ingredients

10 to 12 ice cream sandwiches

1 jar (12 ounces) caramel ice cream topping

1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

1 Symphony candy bar with almonds and toffee (7.37 ounces), chopped

Maraschino cherries, optional

Directions

Arrange ice cream sandwiches in a single layer in an ungreased 13×9-in. dish, cutting sandwiches to fill the dish as needed. Spread with caramel and whipped toppings. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar.

ENJOY!