August Bakin Friends

We are done with the wonderful month of August and it's time for Bakin' Friends reveal! If you are new here, this group connects bakers (bloggers and non-bloggers alike) and we share our baked goods with one another.  Through our common love for baking, we cultivate friendships across the country via USPS! Each month our leader, Steph of Steph's Bite by Bite, chooses a secret ingredient that we all incorporate into our baked goods. See the past few months here and here.

The secret ingredient for August: PRETZELS! I was lucky to be matched with the wonderful Latane Stacy, a mommy of two beautiful kids. She sent me these butterscotch chocolate chip cookies with pretzels you see below. They are seriously the softest cookies I have ever had and they melt in your mouth. The recipe uses a mixture of cake flour and bread flour and I'm guessing this is responsible for the softness. They are called the BEST cookies by the NY times for a very good reason. So delicious that they only lasted a night; well an our to be exact. That was the saddest part. Thankfully, she included a beautifully handwrittem recipe and I am going to try to replicate her magic cookies. So can you too, I typed it up for you :)

Thank you very much Latane for the AMAZING cookies! They were delicious and a big hit in my house.

If you would like to join this wonderful group (you don't have to be a blogger, you just have to love to bake), you can read all about it here and sign up here.

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pretzels
From: Latane Stacy; adapted from NY Times Best Chocolate Chips Cookies
Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies

Ingredients
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse (kosher) salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
about 11 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips, at least 60% cocoa content (she used Ghiraldelli 60% chips)
6 ounces butterscotch chips
2 cups tiny pretzels, chopped

Directions
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until very light, about 5 minutes on medium.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, 5-10 seconds. Mix in chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until incorporated. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate 24-36 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchemnt paper.
Scoop large golf ball sized mounds of dough onto baking sheet. Press pretzels into each mound of dough. Add extra chocolate or butterscotch chips for a more atttractive cookie.
Bake until golden brown, about 17-20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

July Bakin Friends

It's the last day of July which means 1) it's my birthday in 5 days and 2) summer is almost over and fall is close!!! Fall is my favorite season. I love the weather, the change in foliage and the fashion is perfection in my opinion. I can wear flats, loafers, booties, and oh sweaters and jackets! I am getting way too excited just thinking about all the shopping I have to do. Like these loafers I've been stalking for way too long and waiting for them to go on sale! Oh I can't even get started on my love for pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg and all the great spices of the fall.

But enough about my obsession with the almost end of summer (don't hate), it's Bakin Friends reveal day!!

 
Bakin Friends is celebrating it's first year anniversary this month and our secret ingredient was Sprinkles!! How fitting :). I was matched with Erin, the brains behind the blog, The Spiffy Cookie. I actually found out about the group Bakin Friends through Erin a few months ago when I started blogging and I am so happy she introduced me to this group of amazing bakers! Erin is a PhD student just like me and has been a great blogging big sister; always been there to answer all my questions as I find my way in the blogosphere (Thanks girl!).

If you haven't been to her blog yet, you totally should. She is always creative with her food and desserts and I was very excited to see what she will come up with. When I received her package, I was blown out of my mind. She sent the most beautiful package and it was filled with not one, not two but three great baked goods!! Yes three!! All sprinklefied!!

The first treat I sampled were these no-bake funfettinutter granola bars. They are filled with creamy peanut butter and packed with crispy rice cereal, white chocolate and sprinkles. Sounds amazing right? Yeah, they were AMAZING! They were chewy with lots of crunch! You can find the original recipe here (Erin adapted it slightly).

As if that wasn't enough, she included the best cookies I've ever had! These birthday cake s'mores cookies came at the right time when I was craving some s'mores and they definitely satisfied that craving. The cookies are so soft and moist!! Freaking delicious.

Last but definitely not the least, she included these cake batter chocolate barks. I didn't know you could add cake batter to chocolate bark. What a great idea, right? Well it adds flavor to this chocolate bark and takes it to the next level!

Needless to say, I was extremely SPOILED by Erin and I am so grateful!! I enjoyed every single one of these and it was very hard to share. Thanks Erin for not only setting a good example, but for all the amazing goodies :). I really need to step up my game and make more treats for my bakin friends. 

Would you like to join this fun group? (You totally should, it's fun!). Head over to Steph's Bite by Bite and read all about it here!

Bakin Friends: Caramel Pretzel Delights

It's time for another Bakin Friends reveal! Remember these marshmallow cookies? Bakin Friends connects a group of bakers who love sweets and each month we send each other baked goods with a secret ingredient.

This month's secret ingredient was CARAMEL and I received the most delicious chocolate caramel pretzel delights from Jenifer. The best snack bites ever.

Jenifer sent two packed zip-lock bags and one of them was gone within 2 hours. I kid you not. I totally forgot I had to take pictures, luckily there were a few left the next morning. They are so easy to make too. All you need to do is melt Rolo's on pretzels and top with pecans. A super easy, grab-to-go snack. I love it! And all you chocolate lovers out there will love it too.

I enjoyed them very much, Jenifer. Thank you!!


Caramel Pretzel Delights
Source: Jenifer Mathewson

Ingredients:
Bag of small pretzels
Bag of Rolo's
Pecan halves

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place pretzels on sheet and top with a rolo. Bake 3-5 minutes or until rolo softens but not melted. Remove from oven and press each rolo with a pecan half, Cool in the refrigerator and enjoy!

If you would like to join Bakin Friends, contact Steph here.

Reese's Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookies {May Bakin' Friends}

I found a new way to share my baked goods (like these peanut butter marshmallow cookies) and make new friends. I joined a fun group called Bakin' Friends, created and hosted by Steph of Steph's Bite of Bite. This group brings together bakers, bloggers, foodies or just anyone who loves sweets. Each month, you get matched with a Bakin friend at the beginning of the month and you bake goodies with a secret ingredient and send out to one another by the 16th of the month. Then, on the last day of the month, you post about what you received. What a great idea right?

My Bakin Friend was Maya of Chumpkin Butter. We had a great time emailing back and forth getting to know each other and bonded over our love for spicy Thai food. This is definitely my favorite part of the group. Unfortunately, Maya has had the most incredibly busy month with finals and some silly post office mix ups which lead to delayed shipment and Maya was unable to send her goods to me before today. Poor girl has baked three times already (I am so sorry). I can't wait to receive them this weekend, and I'm sure they will be delicious :)

UPDATE!!

I received my package from Maya today after work! It made my day and put a smile on my face after this not-so good week. She made the most moist cookies I have EVER had in my life. They are almond butter marshmallow cookie-wiches (Grain-free). Yeah, that's right they are super healthy, crunchy and have coconut, cranberries and raisins in them. I am in love.  Thank you very much Maya. I am going to remake these so I can share with my husband...they might not have survived by the time he got home :0

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As an alternative, I'm sharing with you instead what I mailed out. I was matched with Christine of Christine's Kitchen. All I will say is, that girl is my twin from another mother living in California (move closer!!). I baked her these Reese's peanut butter marshmallow cookies since the secret ingredient of the month was marshmallow.

These cookies are moist and chewy with chunks of peanut butter bites. If you are a peanut butter fan, then you need to make these cookies because you will love them. They are delicious to say the least!! And I was very happy to hear that Christine enjoyed them as well.