Nutella Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Hello everyone! It's officially Spring! To kick off the season in delicious style, I whipped up a batch of cookie cups. Simple really, just use your favorite cookie recipe, hollow out the middle and fill it up with nutella, white chocolate, peanut butter, or any combination of the three. I made peanut butter cookie cups and chocolate chip cookie cups. I tried a couple different flavor combos, my favorite was the chocolate chip cookie filled with Nutella and white chocolate. Amazing. Next time I want to do white chocolate macadamia cookies filled with nutella. The cookie/filling possibilities are endless.

Nutella PB Cookie Cups

Adapted from Pillsbury

1 batch of your favorite cookie dough

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup nutella

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F), line a muffin tray with muffin liners or coat well with butter. For the cookie cups you can use whatever cookie recipe you like, you may have to adjust the cooking time though.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

Chocolate Chip Dough

Once you've got your dough ready, scoop into the muffin tins (I used an ice cream scoop).

Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Cool in muffin cups on cooling rack 30 minutes. Centers of cookies will sink slightly.

If the cookies don't sink enough to form a "cup" scoop out the middles using a spoon or a melon baller.

Peanut Butter Filling

In small microwavable bowl, microwave white chips on Medium 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Stir peanut butter into melted chips until blended. Spoon about 2 teaspoons peanut butter mixture into each cookie cup.

Nutella Filling

If you prefer nutella filling you can either mix it with the white chocolate or just spoon it as is into the middle of the cookies.

If you're feeling especially adventurous, combine white chocolate chips, peanut butter and nutella. It's delicious, I promise!

Have a sweet day!

Irish Cream Whoopie Pies

Hi All! Happy Monday! I am not a big fan of corned beef and cabbage so I decided to make something a little sweeter in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Irish Cream Filling. I found a highly rated whoopie pie recipe on All Recipes and used that for the cookie part. I used a recipe for Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting from recipegirl (an amazing site that you should all visit!) for the cream filling. I was quite impressed with the whoopie pies, they had a deep chocolate flavor and stayed SO moist! The Bailey's frosting is thick and creamy with just the right amount of Bailey's flavor. A little tip, add the powdered sugar slowly and with a light hand, it helps keep the frosting from being too grainy (a tip my mom taught me).

The green sprinkles are, of course, optional, but I think they lent a nice St. Patty's Day feel to the pies. Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

From this recipe on allrecipes.com

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease or cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. I actually did one batch on cookie sheets and one batch in special whoopie pie pans, both turned out great, proving that I probably didn't need to invest in whoopie pie pans... but live and learn!

Sift together the 2 cups flour, baking soda,1/4 teaspoon salt, cocoa and 1 cup sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl stir together the egg, oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3/4 cup of milk until well blended.

Gradually stir in the sifted dry ingredients.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. I used whoopie pie pans, but these would work just fine on regular cookie trays. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm.

Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Bailey's Irish Cream Filling

From RecipeGirl.com

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

4 Tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place butter, cream and vanilla in a large bowl.

Use an electric mixer to blend together, slowly add powdered sugar until you reach desired consistency (smooth and creamy).

Frost away!

I was verrry generous with the frosting

Have a sweet day!

http://www.getouttamyheadplease.com/2012/03/show-it-off-link-party-14.html

Another fun link up! http://asouthernfairytale.com/2012/03/12/broiled-grapefruit/

Apricot, Caramel, Coconut DOUBLE Crumb Bars

My grandma's favorite Starbucks treat was always their "Signature Coffee Cake." If she was feeling especially indulgent on a Sunday afternoon after church, we would go to Starbucks and she would order a piece. I never quite understood her fascination with it, once you got through the crumbly topping, the cake was kind of a let down. But that crumble on top..... it is kind of amazing. I would nibble on that and let grandma have the cake. Well, in the spirit of a good crumbly topping, I give you Apricot, Caramel, Coconut DOUBLE Crumb Bars. I just love buttery crumbly streusel so when I made these crumble bars I decided to double the streusel and it was a gooood plan. The thick crumble is dotted with butterscotch chips and surrounds a sweet gooey center of caramel, coconut and apricot. The caramel gives a creamy honeyed flavor that perfectly complements the cakey crisp topping. Yum!

Apricot, Caramel, Coconut DOUBLE Crumb Bars

Adapted from Pillsbury.com

4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 package butterscotch chips

2 cups butter, cut up

1 cup apricot preserves

1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

3/4 cup unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut

Heat oven to 350°F.

In food processor bowl with metal blade, put flour, sugar and butter.

Cover; process with on-and-off pulses until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. (Or, in a bowl, mix flour and sugar; cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.) Mix in butterscotch chips.

In bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan, evenly press half of crumb mixture.

In medium bowl, mix preserves, caramel topping and coconut.

Spread over crumb mixture to within 1/2 inch of edges.

Sprinkle remaining crumb mix evenly over apricot mixture to edges of pan.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours before cutting into bars.

Have a sweet day!

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