By the Batch – Strawberry Napoleons

I’m finding fresh produce to be very expensive this winter. With a one year old who loves his fruits and veggies we’re spending a fortune at the grocery store every week so I’ve started basing my purchases on what’s on sale. A few weeks ago our local store had three cartons of strawberries on for $5 so I jumped all over that. I sliced up a bunch and froze them and I made a huge batch of Toddler Smoothies but I still had a ton of strawberries leftover. Chris loves strawberry desserts so I did a quick Pinterest search and found an Easy Strawberry Napoleon Recipe from Six Sisters’ Stuff. We had puffed pastry in the freezer leftover from when Chris made Beef Wellington so I gave it a try. Turns out it actually was really easy and Chris loved them! I’ve altered the directions mostly based on the fact that my pastry was the type you roll out.

Ingredients

• 1 roll (half of a 450 gram package) frozen puff pastry
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup Cool Whip
• 2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries
• Icing sugar, for garnish

Directions

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw pastry according to directions on the box - I left mine in the refrigerator over night. Roll out pastry until you have a rectangle that’s about 1/8 of an inch thick. Make two cuts across the long part of the rectangle so you have three equally sized strips. Then cut each of those strips in half on the short part. Space the 6 resulting pieces on a baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes or until golden. Place on a rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk pudding mix, milk, and extract for 2 minutes; fold in Cool Whip and blend thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate.
• Carefully split each piece of pastry in half horizontally. Cover bottom halves with pudding mixture and then sliced strawberries, dividing equally. Cover with pastry tops. Dust with icing sugar.

I don’t like strawberries – weird I know – but Chris loved these. I loved that they were incredibly easy to make and the only thing I had to buy was almond extract. I would definitely make these again but will wait until we’re having people over for dinner as the pastry got very soggy before Chris could get through the whole batch on his own.

Crafty Christmas – Treat Containers from Formula Cans

I like to give away baking at Christmas. It’s an affordable way to spread some cheer to neighbours and friends who you wouldn’t normally buy presents for. But it can be tricky determining what to put my homemade sweets in for gifting as pretty containers end up being more expensive than the baking but a Ziploc bag really won’t do.  Yesterday, Chris needed cookies for a charity bake sale at his office. I knew the chances were high that if I sent them in one of my containers I’d never see it again so I had to come up with something quickly that still looked cute. Enter the formula can!

I’ve been saving them since Nathan started on formula 3 months ago so I have a LOT of them – he goes through about a can a week! I just knew they’d come in handy some day. I took a clean, empty formula can, measured a piece of glittery Christmas scrapbook paper to fit and then wrapped it around the can and hot glued it on. Done! Isn’t it pretty? The lid is plain so I don’t think anyone would even know it was a formula can (unless they have a baby of their own at home!). This was a 900g container and it fit two dozen Hot Chocolate Cookies perfectly – great for Christmas gifting! And since the tin is air tight it’ll keep the cookies fresh too :)

If you wanted to get even more creative you could add extra embellishments like ribbon or stickers but I think I like how pretty and simple this one is. I'll definitely be making more of these before December 25th!

Easy Pumpkin Shaped Cake – Great for Thanksgiving!

Here in Canada, Thanksgiving is long over but my American friends are gearing up for their turkey day next week. For those of you on dessert duty this year, I’ve got you covered! If you’re in Pinterest then you’ve probably seen this idea done a bunch of times but here’s my take on the pumpkin shaped cake.

This really could not be easier. Simply bake two bundt cakes and then stack them together like a two layer cake (with the bottom one upside down, of course). For my cake I used boxed mix and, though I admitted it, if you don’t want to tell anyone then no one will know the difference ;). Cover the whole cake in orange frosting and then add stem and leaves. For a stem I just rolled a brown paper bag. I’ve seen these made with an ice cream cone stem and that looks great too but I didn’t want to buy a whole box of cones that would just go stale in order to use one for this cake. The last step was to pipe on some leaves. If you’ve got icing tips then go for it, if not you could make your leaves out of paper or, if you prefer edible, cut them out of green fruit leather.

Such a simple idea that makes a really big impact!

By the Batch – Cookies & Cream Cookies

Well we’re a week into November and I find myself at a bit of a loss. Halloween is over and it’s really too early to pull out Christmas decorations. Americans are gearing up for Thanksgiving but that’s long over here in Canada. So with no holidays to decorate or prepare for, what’s a girl to do? Bake! And that’s just what I’ve been doing. I’ve actually started selling my cookies locally and am really pleased at the response I’ve received so far. For more information visit my Facebook page. In the meantime, here’s my take on a crazy good recipe for Cookies & Cream Cookies I found on Cookies & Cups.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups coarsely chopped cookies & cream chocolate (I bought mine in large pieces at the Bulk Barn)

Directions

Preheat to 350. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in eggs and vanilla. On low, slowly beat in cocoa powder until well incorporated. On low, mix in your remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Fold in both kinds of chocolate until evenly incorporated. Drop by large tablespoonful on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for approx 12 minutes or until edges are set. When done baking let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling.

According to Sarah

Seriously so good! The cookies & cream chocolate doesn’t come cheap so these are definitely not a cookie I’d have in the house all the time but for a special treat or for the holidays these are sure to please!

By the Batch – Three Minute Fudge (Seriously!)

The other night while watching tv, Chris and I had a mutual craving for fudge. It was really too late to start baking until I remembered that I had previously pinned a recipe for Three Minute Fudge.  I definitely had three minutes to spare – that’s just a commercial break! And even better, the fudge is made with just three ingredients! Seem to good to be true? Read on :)

Ingredients

• 3 cups chocolate chips
• 300 ml of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons of butter

Note - I altered the ingredient amounts since cans of condensed milk are a different size here in Canada than they are in the US. If you’re in the US click here for your measurements.

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and then microwave for three minutes. Be careful removing the bowl from the microwave – it’s hot! Stir everything until well combined. Pour mixture into a 9x9 pan and refrigerate until set. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Seriously, could not be easier and it was really good. To add a little extra flavour I sprinkled on some toffee pieces before my fudge set and just pressed them down a bit with a piece of waxed paper. They officially used up the last can of condensed milk in my stash so clearly a trip to the grocery store is in order!

Pinned It – Did It Count: 3 

By the Batch – Homemade Butterfingers

I pinned this recipe almost a year ago and then promptly forgot all about it. This happens with a lot of my pins, I think “oh what a great idea – I have to try that!” and then I move on to the next great idea and the one after that. It’s sad to say that sometimes I think I spend more time collecting great ideas than I do actually making some of them. Please tell me I’m not alone! In an effort to change that I’m going to start a “Pinned It – Did It” count to keep track of the things I pin and then actually make.

I started with these Homemade Butterfingers because the main ingredient is candy corn so it’s the perfect time of year to find it. And boy am I glad I did because these things are ridiculously good! I don’t really know how it’s possible but somehow melted candy corn and peanut butter combine to make a pretty incredible Butterfinger replica, right down to the flaky texture. Chris and I are gobbling these things up like there’s no tomorrow and I’m already planning my next trip to the Bulk Barn for more supplies ;)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb candy corn (approx 130-150 pieces)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Put the candy corn in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and then continue microwaving in 15 seconds intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Once melted, combine with peanut butter. Working quickly, because it sets up fast, take the mixture and press it into a pan (I used half of an 8x8 but the size you use just depends on how thick you want your squares). Place it in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely. The original recipe suggests lining your pan with parchment but I didn’t and the candy popped out fine.

Once your candy is set (approx 20 minutes in the fridge) cut it into squares or bars. Bonus: You’ll get a lot of crumbs when you cut which are delicious when you save them and put them on ice cream! Melt your chocolate chips using a double boiler and then dip your squares in the chocolate to cover completely. Lay your chocolate covered squares on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the fridge until the chocolate has hardened (approx 30 minutes). Then eat and enjoy!

Easy, right? I will definitely make these again – I’m thinking my family will love me just a little bit extra if I bring some of these to Thanksgiving dinner this year :)

Pinned It – Did It count: 1

Fresh Homemade Challah

I’ll admit it – up to now, challah has intimidated me. I’ve long wanted to make it myself but was pretty sure that I’d never be able to figure out the braid or get the consistency right. I once made bread machine challah but it was a poor imitation of the real thing. Enter The Shiksa in the Kitchen, Tori Avey. Tori manages to make traditional Jewish foods incredibly accessible with her simple, straightforward recipes and instructions. I followed her recipe for challah and her braiding instructions and baked up some truly delicious bread!

What I learned is that anyone can make challah as long as you have patience. You need to let the dough rise multiple times and the whole process takes several hours but it’s well worth it. I followed Tori’s instructions to the letter and I’m so glad I did because I impressed myself with both the taste of the bread and my braid. This is just the simple three strand braid (much like what you’d use to braid your hair) but starting off this way has given me the confidence to try with additional strands next time. And there will be a next time because this challah was just that good!

Be sure to visit The Shiksa in the Kitchen for tons more delicious recipes and inspiration!

P.S. No, this hasn’t turned into a Jewish food blog – Chris and I just made a lot of really great dishes for Rosh Hashanah. Later this week I’ll have Homemade Butterfingers and a new DIY Birthday Card so stay tuned!

By the Batch – Honey Apple Bundt Cake

I hope everyone celebrating has had a lovely Rosh Hashanah! If you follow Sugar and Shimmer on Facebook you’ll know that I was busy in the kitchen this weekend baking up a storm. Today I want to share with you a recipe for an incredible Honey Apple Bundt Cake courtesy of the Shiksa in the Kitchen (love her!). I made some slight modifications but all credit to Tori – check out her original recipe here.

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored, and shredded

Icing

• 1 cup + 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

• 1-2 tbsp milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they are frothy. Whisk in the honey, white sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and spices.

Incorporate the flour mixture into the liquid, stir to blend. Fold in the shredded apples.

Spray your Bundt pan with cooking spray, making sure to evenly coat the entire inner surface. Pour your batter into the pan, no more than 3/4 full. Use a spatula to gently push the batter to the outside of the pan, pushing slightly up the walls. Smooth the batter on the top so it is flat and even all the way around the pan.

Bake cake in preheated oven for 75-90 minutes. When the edges darken and pull fully away from the sides of the pan, and the cake browns all the way across the surface, it should be done. You should be able to insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the cake and have it come out clean.

Let the cake cool for exactly 10 minutes, then invert it onto a flat plate. Tap the Bundt pan gently to release the cake. If your cake sticks, use a plastic knife to carefully loosen the cake around the center tube and sides. Allow cake to cool completely.

To decorate sift 3 tbsp icing sugar on to cake. Next, make your drizzle icing. Sift 1 cup of powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Add ¼ tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tbsp milk to the bowl and stir. Add additional milk by teaspoonfuls, mixing constantly, until the mixture has the texture of thick honey. Drizzle over the cake. Allow icing to dry completely before serving, about 30 minutes.

According to Sarah

This cake came out beautifully! Mine baked for 80 minutes and was perfect. It released from the Bundt pan very easily and I love the suggestion for decorating. The cake itself was moist but not mushy – it had the perfect amount of springiness to it. One suggestion, make it on the day you intend to eat it because it does get soggy after sitting for a couple of days. Though that shouldn’t be a problem because it’s so good it’ll get eaten up quickly! Even my very picky mom – who normally doesn’t eat dessert with fruit in it – thought this was delicious :)

By the Batch – Mini Pecan Pies

I watched an episode of Street Eats recently that featured a food cart called The Pie Spot. Their menu consists of  mini pies that you eat with your hands – sounds delicious, right? So delicious that I wanted one, really wanted one. But since The Pie Spot is in Portland I had to make my own. So I adapted this crust recipe and this filling recipe and whipped up a batch of mini pecan pies.

 

Ingredients

For Crust

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons milk

For Filling

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup pecan halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix with a fork until pea sized balls form. Loosely fill the holes of a muffin tin with the dough mixture. You’ll have dough left over as this recipe yields 18 mini pies. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of each hole. 

For the filling begin by beating the eggs lightly in a medium bowl. Add corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt; stir until well blended. Pour your mixture into the dough filled muffin pan holes, about 3/4 full. Again, you’ll have leftover filling enough to make 6 additional pies.

Arrange two pecan halves on top of each pie and then place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 25-30 minutes. Because muffin tin sizes vary so will your cooking time so check frequently – the pies are done when they are browned and puffed up on top.

Let cool completely before removing pies from tin. If they stick you  can gently run a knife around the edges to loosen them.  I recommend warming them slightly and serving with whipped cream!

By the Batch – Creamy Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bark

You may have seen me mention on the Facebook page last week that I had an impromptu chocolate and peanut butter craving one afternoon that had to be satisfied. I didn’t have any flour in the house which seriously limited what I could bake and the baby was asleep upstairs so I couldn’t go out. So I went with the most literal translation of the craving and combined peanut butter and chocolate chips into a super delicious bark. I debated sharing because what I made is so simple you could hardly call it a recipe but I’ve decided to post about it because it was just so darn good and it looks quite pretty too.

Ingredients

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp margarine
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter

Directions

It doesn’t get much easier than this. Melt the chocolate chips and the margarine in a double boiler (or just put a bowl on top of a pot with a little bowling water in it like I do). Once it’s melted smooth let it cool for a minute and then spread it out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. How thin you spread it depends on how thin you want your bark to be. While the chocolate sets up a bit pop your peanut butter into the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it up. You want it to be a bit runny so feel free to heat a bit longer until it gets to the right consistency. Once you’ve got it right simply spoon it over your chocolate and then take a butter knife and swirl the peanut butter into the top of the chocolate. You want to make sure to leave a layer of chocolate at the bottom so it will harden. Once it’s all swirly and pretty stick it in the fridge until it’s set (about an hour). Break it into pieces and enjoy.

The chocolate will harden but the sections of peanut butter will stay a bit soft and creamy recreating the wonderful texture of a peanut butter cup. Because I was embarrassed by how simple this “recipe” is, I tried to complicate it but doing some variations but I promise you that nothing made it better. Straight chocolate and peanut butter are where it’s at!

By the Batch – Peach Cobbler

Recently we were given a bunch of peaches and I needed to come up with a way to use them. I’m not really much for fruit (I know, it’s weird – I’m told that fruit is delicious) but Chris loves fruity desserts so I thought I’d try my hand at cobbler. This recipe from Sing For Your Supper was intriguing because it calls for a biscuit topping instead of the traditional pie crust topping I’m used to so I thought I’d give it a try. And you know, it was so good that even I loved it!

Ingredients

4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar
squirt fresh lemon juice

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

For Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the sliced peaches in a large pot and add just enough water to cover. Stir in the 1 cup sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until peaches are soft and most of the water has cooked down; about 20 minutes. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and reserve 1/2 cup juice. Place peaches and reserved juice in a greased 9×9 baking dish.

To make the topping: In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until texture resembles oatmeal or small peas. Stir in water until just combined.

Drop spoonfuls of topping over the peaches and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Serves 6.

According to Sarah

I didn’t even think I was going to try this dessert but the peaches smelled so good while they were cooking that I thought I’d taste it just in case and it was delicious! Best eaten fresh from the oven, the biscuit crust was crisp on top but soft and buttery underneath. The peaches cooked down with just the sugar and lemon juice were sweet and fresh tasting.

One word of caution, I thought this recipe looked quite simple but it actually took me almost two hours to make. Nothing was too complicated but there were a lot of steps when you factor in preparing the peaches. Blanching them for 60 seconds made taking the skins off much easier but it was still a time consuming process to peel and slice 6 peaches. Though that’s not to say it wasn’t worth the effort!

 
P.S. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway! We’re giving away four 5x7 prints of your choice courtesy of Marianne LoMonaco. Only a couple of days left to enter!

By the Batch – No Bake Cookie Dough Bites

Last week I wrote about how hot it’s been here and how no bake desserts like Chocolate & Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are the way to go when you don’t want to turn the oven on. Today I’ve got another great no bake treat, Cookie Dough Bites from Disney Family.com. The best part about this recipe? None of the 5 ingredients (count ‘em, just 5!) is raw eggs so there’s no need to worry that these are unsafe.

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter, softened
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions

Cream butter and sugar together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well -- use your hands to get it together the best. Roll into 1-inch balls.

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Dip in chocolate, drizzle with chocolate or eat as is. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Super simple and so good! I didn’t have miniature chocolate chips so I used full size. There’s nothing wrong with the full size ones but the balls are a little harder to make stick together so next time I’ll use miniature or smash up some regular ones and save myself a trip to the grocery store. Just one word of caution – these things are addictive!

 

By the Batch - No Bake Chocolate & Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

The heat wave continues here in Ontario – with temps feeling like 44 with the humidex it is officially HOT! If you’re like me then the last thing you want to do in heat like this is turn your oven on. But that doesn’t mean that you need to deny your sweet tooth. Nope, in summer time I turn to no bake baking like these delicious No Bake Chocolate & Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars I saw on Gingerbread Bagels.

 

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add in the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix to combine. Add in the quick cooking oats and stir. Cook the oat mixture over medium low heat for 4 minutes.

While the oat mixture is cooking, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwavable bowl. Then set aside.

Lightly grease an 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Press 3/4 of the oat mixture in the bottom of the pan. Pour the melted chocolate and peanut butter over the oats.

Take the remaining oat mixture and crumble it over the chocolate/peanut butter. Refrigerate the bars for at least 3 hours. Then cut into squares and serve.

These bars came together really easily and with few ingredients and they’re sweet without being too sweet. I did find that a lot of my oat mixture crumbled off into the pan when I was lifting my squares out. This may have been because I cheated and took the bars out of the fridge after only 90 minutes but I think next time I would cut back on the amount of oats used – Chris said he thought the bars were “too oat-y”. The one good thing about all those lost oats though is that they taste great mixed into yogurt!

So the next time your sweet tooth needs silencing give these bars a try or search through Pinterest for a million other no bake recipes. Next week I’ll be sharing delicious No Bake Cookie Dough Bites!

 

By the Batch – Chocolate Spritz Cookies

For Mother’s Day this year I received a cookie press as part of my gift. For those who don’t know, a cookie press is made up of a cylinder with a plunger on one end that you use to push dough through one of many interchangeable plates on the other end. The shape of the holes in each plate creates a unique shape of cookie. Cookie presses are super easy to use and give you cookies in different shapes without the hassle of rolling out dough and using cookie cutters. I used my brand new cookie press to make Chocolate Spritz Cookies.

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups butter

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 2/3 cup cocoa

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars at medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture gradually and beat well. Shape dough into small log and place in cookie press. Press cookie onto cool ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool.

According to Sarah

These cookies were fun and easy to make with one caveat – the recipe yielded SO MUCH dough that it took me nearly two hours to make these cookies from start to finish. Most cookies presses don’t hold a ton of dough so you’ll need to refill multiple times. The good news is that the cookies don’t really spread or expand much so you can put them pretty close together on the cookie sheets. As for taste, these are a basic spritz cookie with just a hint of chocolate taste and a great crunch. I would definitely make them again and I can’t wait for the holidays so I can use my pumpkin and Christmas tree plates!

 

By the Batch – Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think when it comes to baking that often the simplest recipes are the most delicious. I love a recipe that calls for only ingredients that are already in my cupboards and that yields something wonderful.  That is definitely the case with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies from chef Michael Smith. We love Michael Smith around here. His show, Chef at Home, and his cookbooks are full of recipes that inspire even the most amateur of cooks and I knew his cookie recipe wouldn’t disappoint!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

Using a stand mixer or a food processor, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. If you don’t have a stand mixer, beat vigorously by hand in a large mixing bowl. Add the corn syrup, egg and vanilla and continue beating until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a spoon, scoop out a ball of the dough, roll it for a moment in your hands and then drop it onto a lightly greased cookie tray. Slightly flatten the balls but leave lots of room in between to allow the cookies room to expand.

For a soft, chewy cookie, bake for exactly 12 minutes. For a cookie with a bit of crispy crunch, bake for exactly 15 minutes.

Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove and cool further.

According to Sarah

As I mentioned above, these cookies are wonderful! Since I had them on hand I added an extra half cup of dark chocolate chips and a quarter cup of toffee pieces to inject some additional flavours. I wanted my cookies chewy so I took them out at 12 minutes as instructed. They didn’t look finished to me but I’m glad I followed the directions because, once they cooled, the consistency was perfect. These cookies turned out so good that we ate the entire first batch in a matter of days and I had to make a second one to get us through the rest of the week! Simple, quick to bake and really yummy – these cookies are now a family favourite.

 

By the Batch – Cream Cheese Filled Snicker Doodles

I love Pinterest. I had a 8oz of cream cheese sitting in my fridge, nearing its expiration date and no idea what to make with it. A quick Pinterest search for “cream cheese” and I had tons of recipe ideas to choose from. While it was hard to pick just one I decided to go with these Cream Cheese Filled Snicker Doodles from Cookies & Cups.  I was not disappointed!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup room temp butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Filling
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Make the cream cheese filling by mixing the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. I used my hand mixer for this. Cover the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. Cream butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until combined. On low speed mix in your flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set dough to the side.

In a small bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon, set that aside as well. Remove the cream cheese mixture from the refrigerator. For each cookie you will need 2 flattened balls of dough, 1 Tbsp each. (The flattened disk will be approx 2″ in diameter). Place 1 tsp of the cream cheese mixture on top of one of the flattened dough disks. Then place the other flattened dough on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together to seal. Carefully form into a ball and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a plate as you finish making each and refrigerate. Before baking the cookies they should chill for 15 minutes.

When the dough is chilled bake on a parchment lined baking sheet 2″ apart for 8 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

According to Sarah:

I’ll admit that I was impatient (as was baby Nathan) so I didn’t do all the chilling that this recipe required. My cream cheese mixture only sat for about 15 minutes in the fridge and the completed cookies didn’t chill at all. I don’t think my cookies were any worse for it so if you’re in a hurry then go ahead and skip those steps. My only complaint about this recipe is that I ended up with a lot of cream cheese mixture left over, even though I measured a tsp for each cookie as directed. Now I need to come up with something delicious to make with the excess. So maybe that isn’t a complaint after all ;)

By the Batch – Cookies & Cream Bark

Well I am now 38 1/2 weeks along in my pregnancy and life has become a bit uncomfortable! Carrying this baby around has officially worn me out so I’ve been looking for activities and recipes that are quick to complete and don’t require a lot of standing. This Cookies & Cream Bark totally fits the bill and is amazingly yummy!

It’s so easy to make this stuff you can hardly call it a recipe. Simply take 10 ounces of white chocolate, chop it up and melt it using a double boiler (or a bowl over a pot with some water simmering in it like I use). Once it’s completely melted and smooth remove it from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes. While you’re waiting, chop up 15 Oreo cookies. Once the chocolate has had a chance to cool stir the cookie pieces in and then spread the whole mixture on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. You can spread it as thick or thin as you like, just remember it’s harder to break apart if you make it too thick. Pop the whole thing in the fridge until it hardens (about 15 minutes) and then break it up into pieces and enjoy!

Some of the recipes I read said to crumble more cookies or nuts over the top to disguise the grey colour created by the crumbs in the chocolate but, since this batch was just for us at home, I didn’t bother. And I don’t think it looks unappetizing at all!

By the Batch - Best Ever Chocolate Toffee Bark

Around Christmas I kept seeing this recipe around Pinterest labelled as "Christmas Crack". Apparently the stuff was so good it was the hard drug equivalent of the chocolate and toffee world. With only 4 ingredients I was a little sceptical but this past weekend I decided to put it to the test. And I am here to say that this stuff is the most delicious and addictive thing I have made in ages!

Don't let the simplicity fool you - this recipe is incredible. My husband and I have not stopped eating it since the moment it was cool enough to break into pieces.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer. Let cool and thenrefrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces.

So easy, right? And chances are you've got the ingredients already. Just don't say I didn't warn you ;)

By the Batch - Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes the simplest recipes can be the most delicious. I think that's definitely the case with these Martha Stewart Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. 

According to Sarah:

These cookies could not be simpler to make and the ingredients are probably ones you already have on hand. I followed the recipe exactly and yielded about 3 dozen cookies that are still soft and chewy a week later. Pair these cookies with a cold glass of milk and you've got a winning pair. I'll be honest and tell you I don't know how we manage to have any left after a week ;)

By the Batch - Triple Chocolate Muffins

This past weekend I told my husband I would bake him whatever he wanted most and he picked these Triple Chocolate Muffins. I copied this recipe out of a book years ago, long before blogging and the need to credit my sources, so if you recognize where it's from please let me know. And if this is your first time seeing this recipe then let me tell you that these are the most chocolatey delicious muffins you will ever eat!

Ingredients:
½ tsp baking soda
1 ¾ cups flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cups sour cream
½ cup brown sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line 11 holes of muffin tin with paper muffin cases. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl, add the chocolate and white chips and stir.

Place the eggs, sour cream, sugar and butter in a separate bowl and mix. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined.

Divide the batter between the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes or until well risen and firm to the touch.

According to Sarah:
I think it's a good thing that the recipe only yields 11 muffins because these things are addictive. Chris calls these "dessert muffins" since they are so packed with chocolate. But it's not just the chocolate that makes them great - the sour cream makes them super moist and just the right consistency. Just be sure not to over bake because they do try out very quickly. With how good these are and how easy they are to make they'll easily become a favourite in your house if you give this recipe a try!