S'more Cookies

I'm heading to the lake with my family later today and I was tasked with bringing the "treats." Do I go with the classic Perfect CCC's? I could. Do I take the easy way out and just buy s'more ingredients? No, because it's 100+ in Oklahoma right now and the last thing I want to do is stand around a fire. 

So instead, I will combine the two. As if my Perfect CCC's and a s'more had a baby, I give you S’mores Cookies. The ultimate summer lake trip treat.

They are everything you love in a Perfect CCC (hello flaky Maldon Salt) mixed with graham crackers, marshmallows, and a Hershey's chocolate bar. I can think of nothing better right now. I will also take this moment to profess my love affair with Graham Crackers. The most underrated cookie/cracker. They are the perfect after dinner snack. Shmear on a little Cookie Butter or almond butter and you are golden. Graham Crackers I love you. S’more Cookies, I love you too!

S’more Cookies
yields 32-36 cookies

Ingredients:
1  cup unsalted butter, melted
3 cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed*
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped
1 Hershey’s Chocolate Bar, chopped
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 sleeve Graham Crackers (9 crackers total)
Maldon Salt

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

Divide your graham crackers into stacks of 4 and 5. Take the 5 graham crackers and place in a large ziplock bag. Using a rolling pin crush the crackers into fine crumbs. This mixture will be added to the dry ingredients, so you want them to be very fine. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Then, take the 4 graham crackers and break them up into small pieces. Small enough to be mixed into the dough, but still in chunks. *see photo above for reference.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, fine graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl mix both sugars. *You can use light or dark brown sugar. I like a dark cookie so I prefer dark brown sugar, but I switch off depending on what I have on hand. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the sugars and whisk until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine. Stir in the vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture. I found a wooden spoon to be the easiest for this job. Once the dough has almost come together, add the chocolate chips, marshmallows, graham cracker chunks and 3/4 of the chopped Hershey's bar.
Reserve a few marshmallows, graham cracker chunks and 1/4 of the chopped Hershey bar for topping the balls of cookie dough.

Form 2-3 tablespoon size balls. I used a standard size cookie scoop, but overload the scoop getting a larger ball of dough. Place them on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Do not overcrowd the pans. I got 10 balls of dough on a pan. Take your reserved chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows and top each ball of dough with a little of each. Then sprinkle the top of each cookie with flaky Maldon salt. 

Bake for 9-11 minutes, rotating the pan around halfway through. Bake until just slightly golden. 

Don't fear, the marshmallows will ooze out and go all over the pan.  For a prettier cookie, take the cookies while they are still warm and using either you fingers or a knife, pull off and trim away the oozy marshmallow. You are simply just cleaning up your cookies. 

Annie

Bites of My Life

I took a week off of instagram last week and it felt gooooood. Does anyone else ever do that? I made a mental resolution with myself to take 1 week off, every month for (hopefully) the rest of the year. It was such a mind clearer. Similar to a body detox where you rid your insides of toxins, this was a mind detox. For one week, the comparison game was over, the feeling of having/wanting to document my every moment was gone, the mindless hours spent staring at my phone were minimized. I challenge you to try a week off here and there. 

I logged off instagram last Monday through Saturday. I then sat in church Sunday morning to hear our pastor touch on the effects of social media. How it can lead to depression due to the over comparison, how it can lead to us losing sight of our values. How important it is to know God, know his stories, and walk with him, in order to keep our values in line. Especially in this ever changing world and comparison game we live in. #FoodForThought going into the new week! ...already looking forward to my next insta detox!

-Green salad on repeat again last week! Added a soft boiled egg for extra protein after an amazing lunch class at Union with Chelsea! My favorite way to break up the day. 
-Blueberry coconut cucumber protein shake is my fave right now! The combo may seem strange but it's weirdly refreshing. The recipe is on my instagram highlights!
-Posted these insane brownies last week. I'm just going to make you go read the post because like I said, they are insane. And borderline healthy! 
-Almond milk capp at TJA while grinding through some work. I love having a built in coffee shop right at my fingertips!
-Addicted to this breakfast. Protein, fiber and probiotics coming from soft scrambled eggs on GG crackers topped with kimchi!
-Dinner with my Stacey girl but really celebrating that Trin has moved back from Florida!
-Batch of steel cut oats for me and for Sarah Beth! SB texted me last week looking for some breakfast inspo. She loves oatmeal but has to be at work super early, so oatmeal is just microwaved from a packet (which honestly I love), but it's nice to indulge in thick and creamy homemade steel cut oats sometimes! I made a big batch of McCann's with cinnamon for her to re-heat at work! I suggest topping with more cinnamon, some blueberries and a spoonful of almond butter! If you need it sweeter add some brown sugar!
-I was trying to re-create these for sunday night dinner, but the frozen shrimp I pulled out of my freezer was more than questionable. Luckily I had some leftover shredded chicken aslo in the freezer so I adapted and ended up with a really delish dinner. 
-Did you read yesterday's post? I'm doing somethin' and celebratin' with healthy protein cake balls!  

Annie

P.S. I updated my OKC City Guide last week! Catch the new new here. 

Bites of My Life

It's wedding week!!!!! We are headed to Brooklyn later this week as we prepare for Claire and Mike to tie the knot. We have been waiting for this day for years! From previous experience, Tucker weddings are a little too fun, I'm sure this will be no different. Last week's bites are below, but stay tuned for a wedding week bites post coming next Monday!

-What's for lunch? Elle!! 
-Another Cookie Pizza recipe because there is really nothing more fun to eat and they are perfect for birthdays. I shared this Triple Chip Cookie Pizza recipe last week with perfect pictures from KGC Photography. 
-A little downward dog action with #GabetheBabe! Catch us on the StudioHop insta. 
-A go-to single girl meal, this time fit for a 5 year old. Trader Joe's Frozen turkey burger cooked up and served salad style and with a smile. 
-Give me Mexican food and a bingo card and I'm sure to have a good time. A successful fiesta raising money for Infant Crisis Services. 
-Love getting to be apart of the restaurant industry and the friends it has brought my way. Congrats Neighborhood Jam, a sure success. Brunch all day starts tomorrow as they open their doors. PSA get the biscuits and apple jam.  
-Snoozin' for the Sooners. After our loss on Saturday I'm feeling the same way as Elle about this season...
-Late night cookies and milk at The Jones Assembly with my sweet treat lover Maddie. 
-This is the snack mix I based my Banana Chip Savory Snack Mix. I don't have time to make a batch of mine before heading out of town, so the original will do and will make the perfect Whole 30 airplane snack! And booch cause it was on sale at Uptown Grocery for $1.99!!

Annie

Triple Chip Cookie Pizza

Back by popular demand...another cookie pizza recipe! This time loaded with THREE different kinds of chocolate chips; semi-sweet, dark, and white!

Cookie Pizzas are becoming my go to party/celebration food. I've made them for a handful of birthdays, watch parties and a housewarming party. The nostalgia of cookie cakes really makes people freak over them. And if you spent 5 minutes at the University of Oklahoma you without a doubt had a taste of a Cookies & Cards "cookie pizza."

A few weeks ago I spent the morning with my girl Katie of KGC photography. You may remember her from this post. We got together for turmeric lattes, photography and baking. Baking a cookie pizza that is. 

Not to toot my own horn, but I can make a mean dessert. But Katie knows how to shoot it to make it even prettier than it tastes! 

This cookie pizza recipe was for a special bestie/roomie's birthday so it got a decoration of multi-colored sprinkles. And since just chocolate chips seemed too boring, white chocolate and dark chocolate got added to the mix. Not that just chocolate chip cookies are bad, because we all know I have a thing for Perfect CCCs. In fact, this pizza recipe is adapted from my CCC recipe!

A cookie bigger than my stomach is the best kind of cookie. Find my other cookie pizza recipes here, here and here. 

Triple Chip Cookie Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
sprinkles (optional)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
splash of milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a large mixing bowl or round object, about 10 inches in diameter, trace a circle on the parchment paper. Flip the parchment paper over so you don't get any pencil or pen marks when you spread out the dough.

Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking powder and salt, and mix on low until the dough comes together. Add your assorted chocolate chips, reserving a few of each kind, you'll understand why in a second. Give it all another stir.

With clean hands spread the dough out on the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the dough out, filling the circle shape you drew. Before baking, press a few of each kind of chocolate chip into the top of the pizza. This ensures for an extra pretty cookie! Bake for 10-12 minutes. Start on the low end. The key to yumminess in this cookie pizza is for it to be slightly underdone! You want to take it out just before it starts to brown. Then let it cool completely.

While the pizza cools, make your glaze. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whisk powdered sugar and vanilla, and a splash of milk until smooth and glossy. Add a touch more milk if you need to. It should be the consistency of Elmers glue. Drizzle the glaze over the top in a swirly whirly pattern of your choice. Top with sprinkles if you prefer. 

Cut with a pizza cutter and store in a pizza box. 

Annie

photos by KGC Photography

White Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Ginger Cookies

National Cookie Day was Monday and I missed it. Sighhh. I'm a sucker for food holidays. The second December hit I got a bug for baking. I wish someone would just pay me to stay home and bake cookies all day leading up to Christmas. Unfortunately that is not my reality, so I saved up some time after work to bake up these cookies and cure my baking bug.  

These cookies are kind of like a gingersnap meets an oatmeal cream pie. They aren't yelling Christmas with red and green sprinkles or peppermint candies adorning them, but the flavor is sure holiday! They have three different spices in them and molasses-my fav. If you have a cookie exchange on your holiday party agenda, you're welcome. These cookies are perfect. They are extremely easy too, so no fret.

White Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Ginger Cookies
yields 20 cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
1½ cup flour
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 cup old-fashioned oats

*8-10 oz vanilla almond bark or 1½ cup white chocolate chips
cinnamon and gold sprinkles, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and molasses for one more minute. Scrape the bowl, making sure to get the molasses completely incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg salt, baking soda, baking powder, and oats. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until almost combined. Remove from mixer and give the bowl a good scrape. 

Scoop about 2 tablespoons or golf ball size pieces of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just beginning to brown around the edges. Let cool completely before dipping in white chocolate.

In a microwave safe bowl melt 3/4 of the chocolate in 30 minute increments. Once completely melted stir in the remaining 1/4 of the chocolate out of the microwave. The hot melted chocolate will melt the additional as you stir it! *I use almond bark because it melts much easier than white chocolate. White chocolate tends to burn easily. Both will work just keep a close eye if using white chocolate. 

Dip the cookies halfway into the bowl of white chocolate, using a spoon or small spatula to help guide it onto the cookie. Place dipped cookies on parchment paper and sprinkle with cinnamon and festive sprinkles. Let the chocolate harden then eat, share and enjoy!

Annie