Saturday, February 21, 2009

Andes Mint Chip Cookies and Heavenly Peanut Butter Blondies

I made a couple of REALLY good goodies recently.  First up, Andes Mint Chip Cookies.  I found these little gems on Stephanie's blog, Confessions of a City Eater.  She was the brilliant gal who picked the Devil's Food White Out Cake for our Tuesday's With Dorie recipe last week.  As I was snooping around her blog, I found these Andes Mint Cookies and 1-thought they look really good, 2-I have a couple bags of Andes Mint Pieces that were on sale after the holidays, 3-I was making some cookies for the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby.

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I think these were great--if you like mint.  The cookie dough is perfect and worth trying with any chip additions.  The cookies are crisp on the outside and perfectly soft, chewy on the inside  I followed the recipe Stephanie used that she got from Tootsie Roll Industries, except the recipe called for salted butter and no added salt and I only had unsalted butter, so I added some salt.  No biggie.  Check out Steph's blog, lots of good stuff there!

Andes Mint Chip Cookies--from Tootsie Roll Industries, adapted slightly

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I only used 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, omit the salt)

2  2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 pkg. (10 oz.) Andes Mint Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Cream together butter and sugars for a few minutes, until fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs and beat until well mixed.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour and mix just until combined.  Stir in Andes Mints. 

Place cookies on sheets using a small cookie scoop or about a tablespoonful each.  (The original recipes says to flatten slightly, I did some both ways and like the ones I didn't flatten better.)  Bake for 8-10 minutes.   Cool on sheets for two minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool.   Makes about 3 dz.  (I got about 40.)

DELICIOUS and REFRESHING!

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Next--

I also had six fun size Butterfingers, a bunch of mini Reese's PB Cups and Reese's peanut butter chips to use up, so I made Dorie's Chewy, Chunky Blondies and filled them up with lots of peanut butter goodness.  This blondie recipe from Dorie's Baking From My Home to Yours book is definitely the best go-to blondie recipe I've found.  I've made these blondies before, more than once, I've even used the dough to make some great cookies.

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Chewy, Chunky Heavenly Peanut Butter Blondies, adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Chewy, Chunky Blondies

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1  1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Reese's peanut butter chips

about 14 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

1 cup milk chocolate chips

6 Fun Size Butterfinger Candy Bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 9x13 baking pan with a non-release foil or parchment paper (Really, just spraying the pan with cooking spray works, but I love using the foil or parchment as the edges hang over the sides and are used for releasing the bars or cake from the pan with ease.)  I do spray the foil or parchment very lightly with cooking spray also.

Cream together the butter and sugars for a few minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating one minute between each addition.  Mix in vanilla.  After sifting together with a wire whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, add to creamed ingredients and mix just until combined.  Stir in chips and candy with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined.  Spread in pan and bake for forty minutes.  Begin testing with toothpick inserted in center after 30 minutes and remove from oven when toothpick comes out clean.  Mine baked 35 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Remove from pan using excess foil or parchment and cut into desired sized bars.

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18 comments:

Megan said...

Oh. my. goodness. It's all good. Seriously. It's all good.

Anonymous said...

OMG I'm in dessert heaven...wow, absolutely amazing.

sweet delight said...

Your cookies always look so perfect!!

Leslie said...

oh yum..both look delish!

Pamela said...

Oh, man! Those blondies look so freaking good!

Sara said...

I love Dorie's blondie recipe, your variation looks even better than the original!

Stephanie said...

Yay for making the cookies! You are making me want to make them again. And the blondies...heavenly!

Anonymous said...

The cookies sound like something I'd really like. I just wish the Andes mints didn't have that green in them. That always looks a bit unappetizing to me in a baked good.

The blondies look wonderful and like something I'd have a hard time staying out of!

Sue

Elle said...

Two great cookie recipes! Love Dorie's blondies, so will have to try your suggestion of the Andes Mint choc chip ones. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

That's a boatload of treats. As I recall, sharing is caring!

Amanda said...

I've made those mint cookies before and they are AWESOME!! I will have to try these blondies. I love blondies and PB!

Hey BTW :) i've started a new blog event called Thrifty Thursdays if you are interested in blogging along! http://amandascookin.blogspot.com/2009/02/gauging-interest-thrifty-thursday.html :)

Elyse said...

I've been out of town all weekend and sadly away from the blogging world, but imagine my giddiness when I get to log on this morning and see two glorious treats on your blog!! Both the cookies and the blondies look divine and right up my alley. I love, love, love Andes mintes...they are so deliciously creamy without the overpowering flavor of mint. I can't wait to try these cookies! They look so darn good (and thick)! And, as for those blondies, you know chocolate nad peanut butter hold a special place in my heart...can't wait to try those, too!

Maria said...

Dorie's blondies are my favorite!! I love the add ins you used! I will have to try the Andes cookies, I have some leftover from the holidays!

Anonymous said...

Both look wonderfully delicious!

Clumbsy Cookie said...

Yhose are my kind of treats! The cookies almost look like baby Levains. And the peanut butter blondies, no words for those!

Olivia said...

Oh my goodness those peanut butter blondies look so good. I feel myself getting fatter just looking at them.

Judy said...

I'm not sure which looks better, the blondies or the mint cookies. I think I'll take them both! I've got them bookmarked for a future bake.
BTW, I have an award for you on my blog.

andieclark said...
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