BBW's: Bacon, Black, & White Chip Cookies

These are certainly a different variation on the traditional chocolate chip cookie. I LOVE a good basic chocolate chip cookie, but some among us have an unnatural love of bacon (not naming names...). For the holiday party with fellow-bacon fiends this weekend, I made up this variation with bacon, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips. I like to call them BBW's. There were none leftover at the end of the party.

I've tried many basic chocolate chip cookie recipes and always end up coming back to this tweak on the Nestle Tollhouse recipe. From the basic recipe I add in whatever mix-ins I want. :)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract (I like vanilla!)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 white chocolate chips
• 1lb bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips and bacon. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes

I adore these Cherry-Almond Vanilla cupcakes! They really are ALWAYS a crowd pleaser. We served them in place of a regular cake at the babies' birthday party this past year. They were a stand out. I also brought them to the holiday party (hence the red and green sugar sprinkled on them in the big photo). The frosting is really what makes these exceptional, so if you're going to make them you should go all the way and make them with the cherry almond frosting! I love the surprise piece of cherry in the middle of the cake. I've made them with a cherry on top as well, or with the big pile of frosting. Trust me, the pile of frosting is the way to go. :D The recipe makes 2 dozen cupcakes. I make 1.5 times the corresponding frosting recipe in order to have enough for the fluffy plumes of icing. 

Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes

ingredients

• 1/2
  cup butter
• 4
  egg whites
• 2
  cups all-purpose flour
• 1
  teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 1/4
  teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4
  cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/3
  cup maraschino cherry juice
• 1 1/2
  cups sugar
• 1
  teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2
  teaspoon almond extract
• 12
  maraschino cherries, halved
• 1
  recipe Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting
• Maraschino cherries with stems (optional)

 directions

1.Allow butter and egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups (or coat with cooking spray). In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine buttermilk and cherry juice; set aside.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

3.Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups. Press a cherry half into batter in each cup.

4.Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

5.Using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting over tops of cupcakes. If desired, top with cherries. Makes 24 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes.

• Tip: To make 3/4 cup sour milk, place 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 3/4 cup liquid; stir. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using.

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting

ingredients

• 1/2
  cup butter, softened
• 4
  cups powdered sugar
• 3
  tablespoons maraschino cherry juice or milk
• 1/2
  teaspoon almond extract
• Milk

directions

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in maraschino cherry juice and almond extract. Gradually beat in additional powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in additional juice or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting reaches a spreading consistency. Makes 2 cups frosting.

Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs

Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs

These were super easy and quite yummy. They didn't last on this plate for very long. :)

Ingredients

• Rolls
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 16 large marshmallows
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• Glaze
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 to 3 teaspoons milk

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 16 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon.

Separate dough into 16 triangles. For each roll, dip 1 marshmallow in melted butter; roll in sugar mixture. Place marshmallow on shortest side of triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side and rolling to opposite point. Completely cover marshmallow with dough; firmly pinch edges to seal. Dip 1 end in remaining butter; place butter side down in muffin cup.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown (place sheet of foil or cookie sheet on oven rack below muffin cups to guard against spills). Cool rolls in pan 1 minute. Remove from muffin cups; place on cooling racks set over sheet of waxed paper.
In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth, adding enough milk for drizzling consistency; drizzle over warm rolls. Serve warm.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Notes

From Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest Winner Edna M. Walker, Eden Prairie, MN

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Streusel

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Streusel Bars

I found this recipe on the site linked in the title there. Be sure to have people to give it away to, because there's a lot of this to go around! 

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces (about 2 cups) 60% chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (not “natural”)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or spelt flour (can substitute all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour an 11×14-inch cake pan.
2. Bring cream to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl, and pour cream over chocolate. Mash any big pieces with a wooden spoon. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
3. With an electric beater on medium speed, cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until combined.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.
5. Place 2/3 of the dough into the pan. Spread and press over the bottom with your fingers. Spread the ganache evenly over the dough. Form the remaining dough into pea-sized globs (it takes a while, but it ensures that the crumbs stay chunky). Drop the dough evenly over the ganache. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and cut into 1 1/2-inch squares.