Biscoff Sugar Cookie Bars

A simple sugar cookie base, topped with cookie butter and chocolate.  This sweet treat is sure to be a favorite snack!

Mike and I are part of a small group at our church.  There are two other couples in our group and we meet about every other week.  When we meet, the host prepares dinner and the other two couples provide a salad or a dessert.  I typically volunteer to bring the dessert because it's one of my favorite things to make.  I like to try new things with our small group, and I also appreciate having other people eat the desserts so I don't have a whole pan of sweets tempting me at home!

Last week I was searching through my Pinterest account, trying to find a dessert to make.  I wanted something pretty easy since Friday was busy and I didn't have a lot of time to make a dessert.  When I came across the Biscoff Sugar Cookie Bars, I stopped searching.  Mike is still obsessed with Biscoff Spread, so I had a feeling this dessert would be a hit!

When I made this recipe, I apparently didn't read the directions carefully enough, so I used 2 cups of chocolate chips in my chocolate layer.  While it was still delicious, I would recommend using just 1 cup because otherwise the chocolate is quite overpowering.

These bars were the perfect dessert for our small group, but I think next time I'll have to make a pan just for Mike and me!

Biscoff Sugar Cookie Bars

Makes 1 9x13" pan, approximately 20 bars (depending how you cut them)

Ingredients:
1 Sugar Cookie Mix , plus ingredients to make it
2 sticks butter, divided
1 cup Biscoff Cookie Butter Spread
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

1.  In a mixing bowl, prepare the sugar cookie mix according to the package directions.

2.  Press sugar cookie dough into a greased 9x13" pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

3.  Cool the cookie bars on the counter for 10 minutes and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4.  While the cookie bars are cooling, prepare the cookie butter layer:  Soften the butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

5.  Add in the cookie butter and microwave for 30 seconds, until melted.

6.  Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.

7.  Spread the cookie butter evenly over the cooled cookie bars.  Return to the fridge.

8.  Melt the remaining stick of butter with the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.

9.  Spread the chocolate layer over the cookie butter layer.  Return to fridge to cool until the chocolate is set.

10.  Bring the bars to room temperature before cutting so the chocolate layer doesn't crack.  Store covered at room temperature or in the fridge.

Source:  Wine and Glue

This post includes affiliate links.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Apple cider cookies stuffed with caramel, does it get much better?

This fall, I just can't get enough apple cider!  I pick up a gallon every week when I get groceries.  I love hot cider, so I'll typically heat up a mug and take it to work with me each morning.  There's no better way to start my day out than sipping some hot cider while checking my work emails.

When I saw this recipe a couple weeks ago, I knew I had to find the time to make it.  I mean, seriously, what could be better than cookies that taste like apple cider?  As I quickly found out, the answer is very few things.  These cookies are incredible!  I couldn't believe how much flavor they had!

I always keep a box (or two) of the Alpine Spiced Cider Apple Flavor Drink Mix packets in the house, just in case I run out of fresh cider or have a craving during off season. I was happy to be able to put a box of the packets to good use in these cookies. 

I loved the chewy caramel hidden in the center of these cookies.  In the days after making the cookies, I found that if I popped a cookie in the microwave for about 5 seconds, the caramel became perfectly gooey.

All this talk about cider...I'm off to pour a glass!

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 box (10 packets) Alpine Spiced Cider Apple Flavor Drink Mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
1 bag caramels, unwrapped

1.  Cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and apple cider packets until light and fluffy.

2.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3.  Add in the baking soda, baking powder, and flour and mix until combined.

4.  Scoop golf ball sized chunks of dough and flatten slightly in your hand.  Place a caramel in the center** and work the dough around the caramel, shaping into a ball.

5.  Place cookie dough onto a greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.

6.  Bake 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.

7.  Allow the cookies to cool slightly before removing from the cookie sheet and cooling on a cooling rack.

**If you want to have the caramel spread through the cookie rather than just in the center, you can flatten the caramel with the back of a spoon or a rolling pin before placing in the cookie dough.  I tried, but my caramels were too hard!

Source:  Mom's Test Kitchen

This post contains affiliate links.

Patriotic Fruit Pizza

Can you believe that it is already the last week of June?  This year has flown by!

I'm really looking forward to next week, not just because it's a short work week (Mike and I both have Thursday and Friday off--yay!), but also because it's one of my favorite holidays.  I love the 4th of July.  The parades, car shows, chicken lunch in the park, grilling for dinner, craft shows, and fireworks, plus the patriotic attitude of everyone around is just so exciting to me.

Every year my hometown has a huge Independence Day celebration.  When I was in high school, I marched in the parade with the band.  Before then, I often walked in the parade with our church's float.  For the past few years, Mike and I have been able to go to the parade and just watch it.  Then everyone leaves the parade location and drives a couple miles down to the township park.  There are food vendors, crafters, a chain saw artist, and a huge car show.  There is also typically a children's play area set up.  I love how the community all comes together to celebrate--I think that's one of the reasons I love this holiday so much.

After an afternoon in the park, Mike and I plan to head back to my parents for dinner.  You can't have 4th of July without grilling dinner!  At least not in my family...  This year will be especially fun because (for the second year in a row) my grandma will be visiting from Canada, so we'll be able to spend the whole day with her.  Then, if we can make ourselves stay awake, we'll head out to watch the fireworks.  Yes, it's a full day, but it's one filled with friends, family, and celebrating our freedoms!

On Monday, I shared a recipe for Copy-cat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies and at the end of the post, I left a little teaser about what I made with the giant cookie.  If you haven't guessed it yet, I made this Patriotic Fruit Pizza.  I was inspired by my friend's open house, where she had a mini fruit pizza bar.  I knew that the combination of strawberries and blueberries would be the perfect topping for a fruit pizza, and what better way to design it than with a symbol of our freedom?

Fruit Pizza

Makes 2 large pizzas (approximately 20 servings each) or 5-6 dozen individual cookies

Ingredients:
1 batch Copy-cat Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Dough
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
2 (7 ounce) jars marshmallow cream
1 pint blueberries, washed
2 quarts strawberries, washed and hulled

1.  Prepare cookie dough and bake according to recipe directions for individual cookies.  For 2 large pizzas,  roll each half of the dough into a circle, about 1/2" thick and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned.

2.  Mix the cream cheese and marshmallow cream together until smooth.

3.  Spread frosting onto cookies/pizzas.

4.  Cut strawberries into quarters, lengthwise.

5.  Place blueberries in the upper left corner of each cookie.  Arrange strawberry pieces in horizontal lines, leaving space between each line (to form red and white stripes).

Store decorated cookies in an airtight container in the fridge.

**Just a note:  One batch of the cookie dough makes a lot of cookies.  If you don't want to make them all into fruit pizzas, just make what you want, and then freeze the remaining cookies.  That's what I did and it worked out great.  You can also make one large cookie and a bunch of small ones--the possibilities are endless!

Here's another patriotic snack for your Independence Day Celebration:

Festive Marshmallow Treat Fruit Skewers

Copy-cat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

I must admit, I’m not a big fan of store-bought cookies.  My mom spoiled us growing up and we always had homemade cookies in the house.  In fact, one of my close friends would always come to our house right after school because he knew that my mom would have cookies and tea waiting for us!

There is one kind of store-bought cookies that I do really like though, those pillow-soft Lofthouse sugar cookies, topped with a sweet frosting and sprinkles!  Oh, the temptation every time I see them in the store!  I’m not sure what it is about the cookies, perhaps because they are so soft and flaky that they seem homemade, but I have a hard time resisting them.

I’ve had a recipe for copy-cat Lofthouse cookies pinned for quite some time now, but I finally had time to make them this weekend.  They require a bit of planning ahead as the dough needs to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours prior to rolling it out.  The dough comes together quite easily, and though it is very sticky, a little bit of flour makes it manageable to work with.  I made about 3 dozen regular sized cookies and one giant one, but you’ll have to come back on Wednesday to see what I did with the giant cookie!

Copy-cat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

Makes 5-6 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1-1/2 cups sour cream

6 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until it is incorporated.

3.  Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat until combined.

4.  Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed until combined.  The dough will be sticky.

5.  Divide the dough in half and flatten into 1-1/2 inch thick rectangles.  (It will help if you work on a floured surface and flour your hands.)  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

6.  Remove one of the dough rectangles from the fridge and unwrap it.  Place the dough on a floured surface and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick. 

7.  Use a 2-1/2” cookie cutter (I actually just use a drinking glass, so mine were probably closer to 3") to cut out cookies.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  It is best to work in small batches and keep the dough cold until you’re ready to work with it.

8.  Bake at 425 for 8 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned.

9.  Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting them.  (Frosting recipe is below.)  Decorate as desired.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  You can also freeze unfrosted cookies.

Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

6 Tablespoons heavy cream

Food coloring

1.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla.

2.  Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.

3.  Mix in the heavy cream, one Tablespoon at a time, until the desired frosting consistency is achieved. 

4.  If desired, add in a few drops of food color and beat until evenly colored.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Bring to room temperature before spreading.

Sugar cookies

For probably 2 years now I have been looking for a sugar cookie recipe that tastes like some cookies I made for some friends. The only problem was, the ones I made were really those break and bake cookies, and I wanted something I could make from scratch. I thought I had found the perfect recipe when I had some cookies from the nursing home, but when I made them, the texture just wasn't right. I have tried recipe upon recipe and I just haven't found one that is what I am looking for. Today I was reading blogs and I came across a recipe that looked like it was "the recipe". I couldn't wait, so I made the cookies this afternoon...and, the verdict is in...these are the closest I have come to "the recipe"!!!! I am so happy! Here is the recipe.