Cookies and Cream Pound Cake

After discovering that both cookies, and brownies are improved with the addition of Oreo cookies, I turned to the final frontier. Cake!
And I knew this delicious loaf cake would be the perfect match.

It's a simple mix of butter, sugar, eggs milk and flour - but the right combination that makes a thick, fluffy cake - that's strong enough to keep the crushed up cookies suspended.
I did toss the pieces with a little flour before mixing them in - but even if you didn't, I don't think they'd sink much.
I don't even have much else to say about this (I know, me, at a loss for words??) except that it was really delicious.
And I wish I could tell you if it was any better or worse the second or third day, but, well, four of us managed to eat the whole loaf in one sitting.
Oops!

Tip of the Day: When removing a cake from a pan, often it's easier to use two wire racks, placing one upside down on the top of the cake, and flipping the whole thing over, eliminating any worry of dropping the cake, like I've done before.

Recipe:
1/2 cup (1/ stick) butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup crushed sandwich cookies - approximately 12 cookies

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions.
Mix in the milk and vanilla, beating well.
Gradually add in the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing until combined.
Toss the crushed cookies with a little flour, and stir in to the batter.
Pour in to a greased 9x5" loaf pan.
Bake on 350F for about an hour, or until set.
Cool in pan for ten minutes, then invert on to wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

What's better than one cookie? Why two cookies, of course. What's better than two cookies? Two cookies and chocolate frosting. Welcome to the sandwich cookie.
The cookies in this sandwich are chocolate oatmeal cookies - a little chewy, a little crispy, a lot delicious. They're not too sweet, which is good because you're going to smother them in chocolate frosting, and, well, maybe there really can be too much of a good thing.
You can use whatever type of frosting you want - store bought or homemade. I used some homemade I had left over for half, and when I ran out went straight for the can. You could even try sandwiching these with vanilla frosting, or peanut butter if you're feeling adventurous.
After I sandwiched the cookies together, I stuck them in the fridge for an hour or so to firm up - since the cookies won't necessarily lie flat, they might slide apart and ruin the delicious sandwich. Refrigerating them helps them stay together, even once they're returned to room temperature.

Tip of the Day: When making sandwich cookies, the most important thing is finding cookies that match up in size. If you pair up the cookies before you begin filling, you'll be able to switch them around so everyone has their best match. And if there's an odd number? More to snack on.

Recipe: (adapted from Food Mayhem)
9 ounces (1 1/3 cups chips) semi-sweet chocolate
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsps instant espresso powder
3/4 cup flour
1/3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups oats

Chocolate Frosting

Melt the butter and chocolate together.
Beat the eggs, sugar and espresso powder together until thick and pale.
Beat in the chocolate mixture.
Gradually stir in the flour, baking powder and salt until just combined.
Stir in the oats.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls on to a greased baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake on 350F for 8 to 10 minutes, until shiny and crackled on top.
Cool on sheets for one minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
When completely cool, spread or pipe frosting on to the bottom of one cookie.
Sandwich a similar-sized cookie on on top.

The Lost Desserts

Sometimes I made a dessert, and it's delicious, and it's pretty and it all get's eaten (very rarely does this not happen), but I don't run to blog about it. Instead, the pictures sit on my hard drive, the recipe wanders around in my browser history, and I never quite get the push to share them with you.

So recently while I was going through my picture files, thinking about what to share next, I figured it was time for a little fall cleaning. Now keep in mind, these weren't bad. The complete disasters in my life I run to share with you. These were good. Just not too exciting.

First up: Apple Pie Bars.
I made these in July. I know, July! Remember that? Weird.
Anyway, these were a variation on these Strawberry Pie Bars. Because I'm lazy and all-around uninterested in hard work, I used a can of apple pie filling for the center. Don't knock it.
They were tasty. After about 36 hours, they started to get a little soggy, when the apple pie filling seeped in the crust and filling. They were still tasty, but they kind of needed a fork to eat, instead of just hands.

Next up: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins.

I made these on September 4th. Ah the good old days. It was the weekend before I started school, and I had no idea what the year would bring.

Well now I know. And it's tough.

I honestly can't even remember what these muffins were like. They probably weren't bad. They probably weren't amazing either, or I doubt I would have forgotten them. I'm pretty sure those are my teeth marks, so I definitely ate one.

And finally: World Peace Cookies.

I know, I know, those of you who have heard of or made Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies, are probably shocked to see them on my list of blah desserts. After all, they are said to cure international disagreements.

Ok, here's the thing. They were delicious. Really. But they weren't all that appetizing looking, and not one person at the meal I brought them to ate one, and the pictures I attempted to take just never turned out right.

So, yeah, maybe I'm a little bitter. Maybe I'll try these again someday. Maybe I should stop whining. But hey, this is my blog. If I can't do it here, where can I do it?

Ok, I'm done complaining. I'll give you all the recipes I've mentioned, for those of you that are so inspired by my description of these items that you can't wait to try them for yourself.

Tip of the Day: Oh, where to start. Practice makes perfect?

Recipes:

Apple Pie Bars: (adapted from the Field Guide to Cookies)
Crust:
6 tbsps butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Filling: 1 can apple pie filling, diced.

Streusel:
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
6 tbsps cold butter

Crust: cream butter and sugar together until well mixed. Add egg and mix to combine.
Gradually mix in flour, baking powder and salt.
Press into the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan, and 1/4 inch up the side.

Spread the filling evenly over the crust, stopping 1/2 inch from the edge.

Streusel: Combine sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter until mix is crumbly.
Sprinkle evenly over the filling.

Bake at 350F for 35 minutes until golden brown.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins: (via Wikibooks)
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together the flour, chocolate chips, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, milk, oil and vanilla.
Stir until all ingredients are moistened.
Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.

World Peace Cookies (Dorie Greenspan)
11 tbsps (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or a generous 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Beat the butter on high until light and fluffy.
Add in the sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until mixed.
Pour in the flour, cocoa and baking soda. Cover the mixer with a damp towel and pulse for a few seconds at a time until integrated.
Continue to mix until flour is fully mixed in. The dough will be crumbly and you'll worry these cookies will never come together. Mix in the chocolate bits.
Turn the dough out on to a surface and divide in two. Form two logs of approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Yes, I used a ruler. No, you don't have to.
Place in fridge (I used the freezer because these were hard to slice) for a couple hours.
Slice in to 1/2 inch rounds, and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake on 325 F for 13 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

Snickerdoodles

I try pretty hard to never repeat recipes here. Ok, sometimes I have bad days, but for the most part, when I get in the kitchen and when I get online, I'm trying something new and exciting.

So yes, I have made snickerdoodles before, but a totally different recipe. The ones I made in the past were a little more crispy and flat, but these were cakey and puffed up - totally delicious. I think cakey is also a little more traditionally snickerdoodle-y.
Anyway for those of you who don't know, a snickerdoodle is just a funny name for a sugar cookie that is rolled in cinnamon and sugar before baking. Why is it called that? I have no idea. But it tastes delicious.
One of the most important parts of a snickerdoodle is the leavening - that's what makes them puff up with that cakiness. Most recipes call for baking soda or power and cream of tartar.

Even when they puff up - here they are immediately out of the oven....
What goes up, must come down!

Tip of the Day: If you let your cookie sheets cool to room temperature between batches, you'll experience much more uniform cookies.

Recipe: (via Smitten Kitchen)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 stick or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/4 cup of sugar, divided
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed
2 large eggs

Beat together the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat to combine.
Gradually mix in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
Let chill in the fridge for one hour.
Combine the 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 tbsp cinnamon in a bowl.
Form balls of dough of approximately 2 tbsp and roll in the mixture.
Bake on parchment paper lined sheets at 400F for 10 minutes. Let cool on pan 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Oreo Brownies

After I made the Oreo Cookie Cookies a couple months ago, and they were fabulous, I started thinking about what else I could put cookies in. Because - let's face it, what recipe can't be improved by the addition of cookies. So after much googling, when I found this Ina Garten recipe for "Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies," I knew these were in my future.
It starts off with a lot of chocolate, and butter. This is a rich recipe. We're talking 1/2 cup of flour, to a whole cup of butter.

This is rich, people.
Of course, as if that couldn't get any better, you then add the cookies. Mmmmmmm, cookies.
The recipe dictates that you toss the crumbled cookies with a little flour, to help them suspend in the batter, but of course I forgot. I think they suspended pretty well anyway.

Anywho, once I got these in the pan, and baked them, I was already salivating from the smells in my kitchen.

But once I pulled them out and let them cool, they started to crack and collapse!
Just look at that crater. I think I could crawl right in. I guess I don't really mind about the collapsing. It gives it that "authentic" look, right? Right?
Collapsed or not, these brownies were sinful. Really, really rich chocolate, crunchy cookies, delicious taste - you might need a glass of milk to get these down.

Tip of the Day: Even when a recipe calls to melt over a double boiler, lazy me can generally accomplish it in the microwave - you just have to be sure to microwave in short spurts - at most 30 seconds - and stir well between sessions.

Recipe:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 eggs
1 1/2 tbsps instant coffee granules
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup flour plus 2 tbsp flour, divided
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped Oreo cookies (about 25)

Melt the butter and the chocolate together and mix. Cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, coffee, vanilla and sugar.
Blend the chocolate mixture in to the egg mixture.
Add 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and salt.
Coat the crushed cookies in the remaining 2 tbsp of flour and stir in to the batter.
Bake in a well greased 9x13" pan for 35 minutes.