Lovin' From the Oven

Dark Chocolate Peeps Cookie Sandwiches

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Have you bought your Halloween candy yet? It’s less than two weeks away! Before you know it, you’ll have to start pulling out your pumpkins and leaf decorations for Thanksgiving.

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If you still have to do your candy shopping, don’t fret. Peeps has a wonderful line of individually wrapped marshmallow chicks, easy for giving away to trick or treaters.

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See? I know what I’m giving away to kids! I don’t get any trick or treaters in my apartment complex because it’s a little difficult to get into, but I’ll be giving these away at work.

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They’re quite cute and the perfect size for snacking. Plus, they come in bright and festive Halloween colors!

But today, I’m focusing on the regular Peeps-sized ghosts. The sugar glistening on top always draws me in. Sugar’s a magical thing, I tell ya.

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That middle row of ghosts look much friendlier than the bottom. I especially love the Elvis hairdo in the center.

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All I did was bake dark chocolate cookies, stick a ghost on top of an upside down cookie, microwaved it for a couple of seconds to get the marshmallow mushy, and then twist another cookie on top. Voi-la! You just made a cookie sandwich.

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The deep chocolate brown color of the cookies would look great on a Halloween themed plate, don’t you think?

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I played with the microwaving time to see what would result in the best marshmallow consistency. Ten seconds is far too long, but five seconds is not enough. See the cookie on the bottom left? That was ten seconds.

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It’s not a bad thing, it just wasn’t perfect. I wanted the marshmallow to stay in between the cookies, not ooze out.

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No matter, I’ll eat them all.

Print
Dark Chocolate Peeps Cookie Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2/3 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • Marshmallow Peeps

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 330 degrees F.
  2. Cream together the butter and both sugars. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
  3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate chips. With the mixer on low, beat the melted chocolate into the butter/sugar batter until smooth.
  4. Gradually add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
  5. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Roll the dough into large golf sized balls and drop onto a baking sheet. Bake for 16 minutes.
  7. To assemble the sandwiches, make sure your cookies have completely cooled. Then take one and flip it upside down so that the the flat end is facing up. Put a Peep on top and place in microwave for 6-7 seconds (10 seconds is too long!). Remove from the microwave and use another cookie to smash the marshmallow in between.
https://lovintheoven.com/dark-chocolate-peeps-cookie-sandwiches/

Chewy M&M Cookie Bars

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I feel complete now that I have my DSLR with me back down in Southern California. Taking pictures on a point and shoot is just not the same. Although, now with this heat wave, I don’t want to do anything since I’ve become so lethargic. It takes a lot more effort to do something when it’s 100 degrees outside vs when it’s a cool and breezy 65 degrees. This is about the only time I’d prefer to be in SF than LA.

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I thought it was impossible to find mini M&M’s anywhere now and days, but then I stumbled across some at Target. Were they always there and I somehow overlooked them?

I have a love/hate relationship with Target (but really, it’s mostly love). Every time that I go shopping there with the intention of buying one item, I somehow wind up juggling six-seven things in my two hands and end up searching for a shopping cart nearby that I can throw everything into. You can never walk into Target and only buy one thing. It’s impossible.

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I mean, have you seen all their new items recently? Cotton candy is my achilles heel, along with churros.

It’s kind of like the Costco disease. Who goes to Costco and spends under $50? No one. Buy five items and you’re already over your limit.

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Oh, back to mini M&M’s. They’re the best… better than any regular sized M&M’s (except for Crispy, but those have sadly been discontinued). They’re much better for baking, too. Just take my word on it.

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Some days, I just want a bit of something sweet, not an entire bar. I cut these into little strips so that there was plenty to share and just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.

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This recipe comes from Fantastic Family Favorites and are perfect for traveling. I’d throw them into a ziploc bag and take them on a trip with me for easy eating. The bars were sturdy, soft, colorful, and not at all greasy. Would I make them again? Definitely.

Print
Chewy M&M Cookie Bars

Ingredients

  • 2 1/8 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 12 TBSPs butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 1 12oz bag mini M&M's, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil, with the foil overhanging on the sides.
  2. Mix together the butter and sugars until combined. Stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
  3. Fold the flour salt, and baking soda into the wet mixture until just combined.
  4. Stir in 1 cup of M&M's and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
  5. Sprinkle remaining M&M's on top and press in slightly.
  6. Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 25-28 minutes. Let cool before cutting into bars.
https://lovintheoven.com/chewy-mm-cookie-bars/

Chocolate Mint Oreo Cookies

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Is it bad that I’m already thinking about vacation again when I just got back to work? Maybe it’s because of our failed attempt at going to Ireland. An unsuccessful trip doesn’t count as a vacation. It just gave me a lot of added stress and sadness! I’m trying to plan another vacation at the end of July with no international standby involved.

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I’m leaning more towards the tropical/beach kind of trip and my DB wants more of a tourist/walking around a lot kind of trip. Any suggestions for summer travel that somehow falls between the two?

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My favorite kind of Oreos are the chocolate mint ones. They’re better than the Golden, the Double Stuffed, and even the Birthday Oreos! My DB actually took these photos since I was out of town and was unable to do so when there was the appropriate lighting. Can you tell a difference from the other photos?

This cookie is very dense and has a harder outer texture than most of my cookies, but the inside remains soft. Feel free to swap out the Oreos for your favorite kind! Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.

Print
Chocolate Mint Oreo Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups mint green chips (I used Guitard)
  • 1 cup chopped Cool Mint Oreo cookies

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.
  3. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
  4. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix until flour disappears. Stir in chocolate chips, mint green chips, and chopped Cool Mint Oreos.
  5. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
  6. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Don't over bake.
  7. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.
https://lovintheoven.com/chocolate-mint-oreo-cookies/

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