Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I knew it has been awhile but with my last semester of college drawing to an end things have gotten very busy. Thank you for still checking in and I promise after graduation I will have plenty of time but until then things might continue to be a little spotty. Anyway I had a little free time this past weekend and I decided  I wanted to do a little baking. I found this recipe on Just A Taste. If you are like me and enjoy salty and sweet then this recipe is perfect for you!

Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided
1 cup crushed salted pretzels, divided
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

 

Directions:

1 .Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over two sides. Coat the paper with cooking spray.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the melted butter with the sugar and light brown sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

4. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the flour and salt just until incorporated. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and 1/2 a cup of the crushed pretzels.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of crushed pretzels on top, pressing them lightly into the batter.

6. Bake for about 30 until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. While the cookie bars are baking, melt the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in the microwave.

7. Remove the cookie bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan then remove the cookies using the parchment paper overhang. Drizzle the cookie bars with the melted chocolate and allow them to cool until the chocolate hardens.

8. Cut the cookie bars into 16 squares and serve.

The original recipe can be found here. I topped mine with a little vanilla ice cream to finish off the recipe!

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Chocolate Dipped Coal

If you are looking for a holiday treat that will please the children, then this is the recipe for you! As we all know nice children get toys but if they have been naughty then they get coal. Well, this recipe will allow you to make some coal to give to those children who may have been a little naughty but even those nice children will want some. Along with being holiday themed it is also very quick and easy to make. What more is there to love about this recipe?

Chocolate Dipped Coal:

 

Ingredients:

36 (1 package) Oreo Cookies

1  8oz. brick of Cream Cheese (softened)

16 oz. chocolate candy melts (I used Semi-Sweet Chocolate instead)

 

Directions:

Place Oreo Cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until completely crumbled (see blooper below).

Add cream cheese to bowl and pulse until the cream cheese and cookie crumbs are completely blended together.

Shape into 1-inch balls

Freeze for 10 minutes and if necessary reshape the balls into a round shape, remember they don't have to be perfect since they are supposed to look like coal.

Melt Chocolate in a double boiler then, dip balls in melted chocolate.

Place in single layer in a shallow waxed or parchment paper-lines pan.

Allow the chocolate to set.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

Bloopers:
Sometimes when baking you just have to improvise. Well, I bought all my ingredients and had everything I needed to make this recipe but then a wrench was thrown into my plan.

See what happened was when I went to turn on my food processor to turn the cookies into crumbs it wouldn't turn on. This lead me to crushing the cookies into crumbles using two plastic Ziploc bags, a dish towel, and a hammer. Needless to say this Chocolate Dipped Coal was made with love and a little elbow grease!

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie