Kitchen Sink Cookies

 This is going to be one simple post, because I am doing so much this week and the next few don't look to be any simpler. This is a good thing, lots of great things happening, just need to learn how to deal and it will be better before I know it.

 Anyway these are the cookies I made with Pork Chops little friends.  He had these two little sisters over for a play date and we made cookies.  I just made basic chocolate chip cookie dough and they got to put in whatever they wanted.

So here they are, I used this recipe.  And I put out a whole bunch of stuff, they just focused on eating all the rolos and using the heart sprinkles.  Technically this is a kitchen sink cookie, but they just put in those two things.

 One of them asked if my mixer was a kitchen aid and when I told her yes, she told me "that's a good brand. She is 9 I think.  And the younger one ate more cookie dough than she baked, she kept licking her finger and rolling her cookies so hers are the ones up top, all puffy because the dough was worked too much.  She handed me the bowl with some dough still in it, and said I could eat it.  Keep in mind her hand was in her mouth as much as in the dough, so I said thanks and scooped the rest out onto her tray.

It was fun and a nice way to get them into something they may not know about.  Pork chop sulked on the sofa because he wanted to crack the first egg and I said guests first.  I cannot win.

Not too bad, and they went home with the girls, so no need to eat them all and feel badly.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

So firstly I want to say happy Family day to my Canadian readers.  I hope there are a few of you.  Not sure what our plans are today, but I hope it involves lots of sleep.  That would be my kind of family day.  Either way we both have the whole day off, so maybe some skating, or X box connect bowling, or sleeping.  I could do either.  Anyway that is that.

This looks like a small amount of butter, I just have a big mixing bowl.  Just in case you were wondering.

So last week I posted about the Chocolate Cream Cheese I tried, and how it was amazing.   Anyway, I loved it.  I got a few comments from some people who said they loved it, or they had not tried it and even a few saying they were not fans.  I can get that.  I really would have hated it too if I used it as a spread for toast.  Honestly I do think that is what they were going for, but I was having none of it.  Anyway I made some yummy frosting with it, and used it two ways.  This is the first way, and by far the best of the two.

My favorite spatula, it may be for Halloween, but I use it all year round.  I am a rebel that way.

And this picture is just kind of gross, but it's in focus so you have to see it.  Sorry.

I had promised Pork Chop some red velvet cupcakes during the week, and when there were none at the store I said I would make some.  I found a great recipe I love on My Baking Addiction  I first posted it here.  And have since made it many times.  So I set to work, I doubled the recipe I have listed.  I wanted enough for cupcakes and a cake to make cake balls.

I made 48, Pork Chop ate 2 I think.

Pork Chop complained the whole time about wanting one right now, and then when they were all done he said he didn't want one but he said I should frost 10 for him and leave 10 plain for him.  I made mini ones, and he hates frosting, so I compromised and put 7 plain ones in a container.  He ate one after it was all said and done.  Sigh.

Are they not pretty?  I tried to do a rose with the icing, but then I got lazy and just did swirls, but whatever, there are sprinkles so they are totally fancy!

So the frosting, oh my gosh the frosting was awesome!  I know that classically red velvet is meant to be a cream cheese icing combo.  So in that vain I made my frosting with the new chocolate cream cheese.  I have to say, I actually liked it better than plain cream cheese icing.  And my friends loved it, they were sneaking back to the break room every so often to eat another one.  I cannot blame them, I did the same thing.

So this icing was a little different as the cream cheese is a spread and much more watery.  So I just sort of winged it and it was not too hard.

I saved these take out containers they are the perfect size, and they didn't cost me anything.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
based on me tossing stuff in a bowl

(keep in mind this made lots, enough for 40 minis cupcakes and a bunch of cake pops, I still have some left over, I am going to use it soon, don't you worry!)

-1 1/2 tubs chocolate cream cheese spread
-1 cup butter
-1 TBSP vanilla bean paste
-5-8 cups of icing sugar
-milk if you need to thin it out

So start by creaming your butter, you want it smooth with no lumps.  Then beat in the cream cheese spread and beat until it comes together.  At one point it looked like it was just going to be a huge failure, but I kept mixing and it was fine.  Add your icing sugar 1 cup at a time, and mix well to make sure you don't add too much.  Now at this point I tried it and I felt it needed vanilla, so you can add it now, or before the sugar, either way.  I didn't need any milk as I found that I used so much icing sugar, but whatever you have to do, you do it.

So then I just piped a little swirl on my cupcake and sprinkled on heart sprinkles, because I had them out and was way too lazy to get different ones.  Then I ate a few, and then packed them up for work.

I have to say I am really impressed with this picture, try not to think about the fact I really cropped out a lot, focus on the yummy!

It really was a nice frosting, not overly chocolaty and you could tell it was cream cheese but it was not too cheesy if you get what I mean.  So yum, this is going to be a favorite for sure.

I also want to share a funny story about Pork Chop and these cupcakes.  A few days after I made them we were hitting the grocery store after Costco, I suggested sushi and he was all over it.  He likes the veggie ones.  Anyway we are walking in and I ask if he wants a cupcake, he tells me  yes, a red velvet one.  I told him sure, but why won't he eat the ones I made?

"yours aren't very good actually."

Said with a straight face.  My own Pork Chop, said that, to me!  I just laughed because dude has his issues, and if one of them is that my cupcakes are not the best, well I can deal.

Then we are at the bakery and he saw a chocolate mousse cake.

"OMG that is gross, a chocolate mouse cake!!!!"

I told him it was a mousse cake, no one would bake a mouse in a cake.

"That is still gross, moose in a cake is gross."

I just didn't know how to answer that really.  The guy at the bakery was laughing a little, and Pork Chop was looking at him like he was crazy, as we walked away he says "I bet he doesn't like moose in his cake either."

I told him he was probably right.  Things like that make having kids worth while, they are so funny and they don't even know it.

Snicker Doodle Birthday Cake for Hubby

So I made a cake.  And I may have mentioned before I hate making actual cakes.  I am more of a cupcake kind of gal. My theory is that if you make cupcakes, you can mess a few up, and you can also eat like 20 and not feel as badly.  But if you make a cake, you only have once chance to decorate it, and not screw up. And I usually screw up.  And you cannot eat 20 pieces of cake without looking like a pig.  Or so I have been told.  Anyway I was planning on letting Pork Chop do another gummie cake for Hubby.  But he just ends up pulling all the gummies off and not eating it.  So this year I had a plan.  I was so going to make him a super fancy cake.  And one that he would totally eat!

 Well one of those two things turned out to be true.  I'll let you guess which one. But if nothing else I tried a new recipe, and I got a cake stand thingy finally.  I had been using a lazy susan for over 20 years, so there you go, cake for Hubby, baking item for me.  Win win!

See how fancy that is?  I paid $20 at a sale, not sure if that is a good deal, I don't want to know if it's not though.

So to start I googled and pintrested a bunch of things.  I had the idea of a snicker doodle cake. Since that is Hubby's favorite cookie and he really likes the muffins I make.  I was totally thinking, there is no way I can lose.  Just so you know, I lost; big time.

So I found this cake on a blog called Smashed peas and carrots. Best part about it, it is a cake mix based cake.  I love that!  So I got everything I needed and set to work.  Now keep in mind Hubby was in the same area of the house as me, so he just played X Box with Pork Chop while pretending to not have any idea what I was doing.  Good man Hubby, keep it up.

See it actually doesn't look too bad, I swear when I have no one to impress my cakes sort of work out. I mean I was trying to impress Hubby, but I use other methods to impress him.  Cake does nothing for him. Just so you know.

Snicker Doodle Cake
found on Smashed Peas and Carrots

-1 box white cake mix
-eggs called for on box, plus one more
-butter in place of the oil called for on the box
-milk in place of the milk called for on the box
-1 TBSP cinnamon

Mix it all together and pour into your prepared pans.  Bake at 350 until tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow to cool then remove from pan and allow to fully cool on cooling rack.  I placed the cakes in the freezer after they cooled to set up.

Thisis how I frost a cake, I cover the top, then sort of push the extra over the edge, then add to the sides as I go.  

Frosting
Found on Smashed peas and carrots

-2 cups butter
-1 cup brown sugar
-2 TSP cinnamon
-2 TSP vanilla
-6-7 cups icing sugar
-milk if needed

Start with room temperature butter, I just usually cube it up on a large plate before I start measuring out the other stuff, and it is usually good by then.  So cream the butter, add the brown sugar and cream again, add vanilla and cinnamon and mix well.  Mix in your icing sugar and if needed add milk until it is the consistency you want.

This is tiny and it cost over $2, I am in the wrong business.

Once that is done you are ready to assemble.  I started by leveling my cakes, they didn't really need much, but knowing my luck if I didn't there would be trouble.  So I did that then I put a blob of icing on the tray I was going to put my cake on and placed the first layer of cake.  Then I put a layer of icing, then the next layer of cake.  Then I frosted the whole darn thing.  I was going for a rustic look.

 And just in case you were wondering, a rustic cake can be all bumpy and swirly and no where near smooth.  I am good at rustic.

This was the extent of Pork Chops help.  It went in the trash just so you know.

Then I wanted to have Pork Chop write on the cake, you know, to do his part.  He was all, "I'm nervous!"  which is his way of saying he doesn't want to do it.  So I said try it on the scraps of cake, and he drew two lines and said he was done.  I was fine with that, I figure at least he was in the vicinity of the cake when it was made, so that totally counts.

I am really proud of the fact I can blur out his name, not too proud that if you really try you can still read it.

 So I just used one of those tubes of gel you get at the store, because I didn't want to bother making icing or colouring it.  It cost over $2, which is a total rip off, but at the same time, it allowed me to not have to do anything, so it sort of paid off.  And I blurred out Hubbies name to protect him.  And to hide the fact I totally forgot a letter in his name and squished it in later.  He was all "really?"  And I said "shut up, I went snow boarding with you! And made you a cake, your name?  It doesn't matter!"  Or something like that, I may have just given him a dirty look, who knows, I was tired.  

  Anyway we didn't get to eat the cake for like three days, we were doing stuff, like eating diner out and having free birthday deserts, so there was no time for cake.  And when we finally did have it, we thought it was too much.  I think that if I cut the layers in half and made it a four layer cake with thinner icing layers it may have worked.  As it was we tired to eat it, and Pork Chop liked the cake part.  But I ended up sending it to work with Hubby, and then Pork Chop was mad, and said he wanted more.  I will tell you now I ended up making him a tonne of red velvet cupcakes to make up for it, and that he didn't eat more that 2 I think. And not even on the day I made them, like days later.  Sigh.  

  Also I think this as a cupcake would be good, so it is not a loss at all, I really did like it.  Hubby, well here's to another year with a cake he won't eat.

Oh and just to show you how much I love him, look what I did.

If you look at this picture first, I look all cool, like I am totally into boarding.  Truth is, that is the instructor behind me.  He just let me go and I was falling, again.  it was a very painful gift to Hubby.  

I made Hubby take a beginner lesson with me, again.  He knows what he is doing, I have gone once before, and I was scared and didn't want to do it alone.  I have to point out, other than Hubby and me, the other kids were all under 10.  Man I felt old.

 I hate to point it out, but I was so sore for like 4 days I could hardly walk.  Stupid middle age! Oh and Happy Valentines day!

Also I really appreciate those of you that have clicked on my Top Mommy Blog button, it allows you to click once every 24 hours and it moves me up so new people can find me.  Thanks again.

Cake Batter Cookies

So apparently cake batter cookies are a thing. I have been reading about them on line for a while but never got around to them. Which is weird, because I love me some cake mix.  But whatever I never made them.  Then as I was rushing around on December 23, trying to make a yule log and get stuff finished, I realized we needed Santa cookies.  Now this is all my fault, I mean it usually is, but I tend to blame Hubby or more usually Pork Chop.  So take this in, because I probably won't admit fault again for at least another 12 months.

  So my company holds a huge kids party for Christmas every year, although they call it the "Holiday Party"  But Pork Chop knows better, there is a Santa and gifts, and food and fun times.  So whatever you call it, it was happening. And as every other year Pork Chop got to sit on Santa's lap and tell him all the great things he wants and what not.  And Santa is awesome, he looks at you as your kids asks and watches to see if you nod yes or no to the things, then he commits or tries to talk around the issue.  Then this year he asks if Pork Chop is going to put out cookies for him, and in usual Pork Chop style he just nods and says "umm hmmm." And I say, I and I'm telling you this only because I know you guys know I never do the wrong thing, I said "Oh we will for sure, home made cookies too!"  And then I walked away with Pork Chop and thought, "wow, I'm an idiot."  

  Yeah yeah, I know, but it was said and I hoped it was one of those things Pork Chop would forget about, like you know, brushing his teeth.

I think it looked sort of gross actually, it tasted good, just looked like poop with lots of rainbow bits.  Okay now that just made it even grosser, sorry.

 So fast forward a few weeks to the night before, the night before Christmas, the 23 of December if that was too confusing.  Anyway I ask Pork Chop what kind of cookies he wants to leave for Santa, and he says "home made ones"  Well I froze, and I was like "oh yeah, WE promised him those didn't we?"  I was hoping he would have said chocolate chip or even gold fish crackers or something.  But no, that little bugger remembered. I swear if I didn't think he was so cute, I would hurt him.

This was his way of helping, see the mess of chips, yep anyone else would have gotten two broken legs for this.

  So I was all, "I don't want to make any!"  But I said it in my head, what I really said was "great! Lets make some cake cookies!" And I told Pork Chop to wash his hands to he could help.  I googled and found the easiest recipe I could.  And then I grabbed the holiday chocolate chips we had got a month ago and got to work.  Pork Chop helped out by cracking one egg, then declaring he was done.  I was done too, but I still had cookies to make.  So I mixed them up and told him he had to help put some chips on them.  Then he proceeded to cover the cookie tray in them, and I told him "thanks, I can finish" and I ended up scrapping chips off the tray and onto the cookies.  Bless his heart; I wanted to kill him.

Yeah, its fuzzy and unappealing, I aim to please people!

 I cannot remember what recipe I used, but there was an egg and butter so this one would be close. Anyway they were baked and they were really soft, like so soft when I piled them up they sort of stuck together.  And it made a bunch, and I was not going to my part time job for a few days.  So I took some to the neighbor and then we put out some for Santa. Sad to say a bunch also went into the trash.

  This year Pork Chop said his friends told him that their parents eat the cookies. He says "you don't eat them do you?"  I said no way, I can eat cookies whenever I want, and that daddy hated my baking.  He bought it, I think.  Anyway they were good, but too cakey for me, is that even possible?  I don't know, but I should try it again, when I am not stressed out about pleasing the "Big Man in Red."

Cake Cookies
Found on About.com

-1 cake mix
-1/2 cup butter
-1 egg
-any mix ins you would like

Mix it all together and then bake until set in a 350 oven

They don't look as bad this way, and really they were not horrible.  Santa ate them at least.