Spring Confetti Cookie Bars

I missed this month's Fill the Cookie Jar, with everything we had going on.  I was going to let it go and jump back in next month. But, when I heard my young foodie friend "Up North" was looking for the cookie of the month, I knew I had to get back to the kitchen!  

These bars are going to be a house favorite here. They are perfect for Easter, or any potluck you want to take a fun dessert bar to. You could change this up seasonally with sprinkles and M & M's for whatever the holiday or season is. 

This is a soft chewy bar topped with the soft layer of puffed marshmallows, your sweet lovers will be asking for one more bar!

Spring Confetti Cookie Bars

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, divided

3 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup M&M's

3-4 tablespoons sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking power, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside. 

In large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix just until combined.  Add dry ingredients, mixing only until combined. Add 1 cup of white chocolate chips, mixing until evenly distributed.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread as needed to have mixture even through pan. Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until edges are just turning golden.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with miniature marshmallows, and then M&M's. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes, or until marshmallows are puffed. Removed from oven and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and sprinkles evenly over top. Let cool completely.  

Cut into bars and store in air tight container. 

Adapted from: Chelsea's Messy Apron

Sharing this at: Weekend Potluck

White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Welcome to the Freaky Friday Virtual Holiday Cookie Exchange! 17 bloggers got together and were secretly assigned another blog to select a Christmas cookie or treat from.  This was sooo much fun! We are all finding out the same time as you, who was assigned to each other, and to ourselves!  Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page, and find what recipes everyone else found for their new holiday treats! They are sure to be tasty and delicious!

I was so excited to get Lisa's Dinnertime Dish. Lisa lives in Minnesota, and reading her blog just takes me back home! Whether she is hunkering down for a cold winter, with some tasty dishes, or getting food ready for the cabin up north, Lisa has some good eats to share! 

While looking through Lisa's blog to see what I was going to make for Freaking Friday, I found her Peppermint Holiday Bark. I am definitely making this for Christmas! And you really need to check out The World's Easiest Fudge. It looks so decadent! I know this isn't a sweet or a treat, but you need to check out Lisa's Favorite Christmas Eve Dinner!

Ok, so what I did decide to make is White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies! Oh my gosh.. I have never made this cookie, and I love them! Due to my limited shopping, I did have to make a substitution in the recipe. Lisa uses crushed candy canes. I could not find a candy cane any where on a shelf here in rural Wisconsin, but I did find Peppermint Crunch Baking bits. I really liked these, since I think it took the peppermint flavor down just a notch, and I loved it!

These are definitely a cookie that you will want to add to your holiday baking, and to have waiting for Santa :)

White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup Andes Peppermint crunch baking bits or crushed candy canes
8 ounces white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.   In small bowl, combine flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt.

In large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add egg, beat to combine. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture mixing until ingredients completely combined. Add candy cane bits and white chocolate chips, stir by hand until evenly distributed.

Using small cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheet three inches apart.  Bake for 8-9 minutes or just until turning golden. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack.

Enjoy :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Eggnog Fudge

Welcome to the Freaky Friday Virtual Holiday Cookie Exchange! 12 bloggers got together, we were secretly assigned another blog to select a Christmas cookie/treat from. This was sooo much fun! We are all finding out the same time as you, who was assigned to each other, and to ourselves! Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page, and find out what recipes everyone else found for their new holiday treats!

I was so excited when I was assigned to An Affair from the Heart. Michaela has so many amazing recipes. Be sure to go over to her blog and check them out. You really will be pinning up a storm once you see all her fantastic recipes!  I was torn between Double Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow, and then I was drooling over the Rainbow Cookies!  But, once I saw her Eggnog Fudge, I knew what I had to do! Eggnog Fudge it was.

I haven't had Eggnog in years. Seriously, years. Not since I used to make it for my dad when I was just a wee little one, and using the recipe in my first ever cookbook.  I have missed this flavor, and am so inspired now to try more recipes with Eggnog.

This Eggnog Fudge, is my new favorite fudge! And, I am kinda surprised at that, because I am not a huge white chocolate fan, but the Eggnog, the white chocolate, the nutmeg.... Everything blends together so beautifully, that you just need to make this fudge for your friends and family!

Eggnog Fudge
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Eggnog
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 cups sugar
10 ounce white chocolate chips
7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff
1/2 tsp nutmeg (plus additional for finishing)
2 tsp vanilla


Line 9 x 9 baking pan with with parchment paper.

In medium saucepan, combine butter, eggnog, cream, and sugar. Over medium heat, bring to boil, stir occasionally. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees. Remove from heat.

Add white chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in marshmallow fluff, nutmeg, and vanilla. Mix until well blended and smooth. Spread into pan, sprinkle top with additional nutmeg.

Let cool at room temperature. Once cooled, transfer to refrigerator and chill until firm.  Cut into squares.  Store in refrigerator.

Source: An Affair From the Heart

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Weekend Potluck

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White Chocolate Dipped Cherry Cookies

I didn't have a cookie recipe for you in January, so I wanted an extra special cookie to Fill The Cookie Jar for February, and for Valentine's Day. The kitchen is becoming operational again, but things are still challenging, so I asked Truckin' Man for his help in picking a cookie. I narrowed it down to two, and he picked one, and I ended up making the other one!! Needless to say, he was more than disappointed. BUT, after giving this cookie a sample, and another, he did admit that they were quite a success. And no worries, I will bake up the his choice of cookies by Valentine's Day!

These little cookies are so perfect. Buttery, bits of cherry, and just the right amount of white chocolate. If you don't care for white chocolate, I think these would be amazing with some dark chocolate.

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.
We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

White Chocolate Dipped Cherry Cookies (Slightly adapted from: Taste of Home)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup butter, cold
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained
12 oz white chocolate chips, divided
1/2 tsp almond extract
7-8 drops red food coloring
2 tsp shortening
Sprinkles, decorating sugar, other pretty cookie decor


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In large bowl combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Chop maraschino cherries until they are in very small pieces. Press cherries gently with paper towel, then add to cookie mixture. Add 1/2 cup white chocolate chips to food processor or food chopper, process until in small pieces; add to cookie mixture. Add almond extract and food coloring. Stir gently until all ingredients evenly distributed.  Now, knead with your hands until the dough comes together (use gloves if you are worried about the food coloring).

Roll dough into 3/4" to 1" balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet several inches apart.  Dip the bottom of a glass into a bit of water, then dip glass into remaining sugar. Press glass onto each cookie to flatten. Dip glass in sugar, repeat.  Bake cookies at 325 for 11 to 13 minutes. Cookie is done when edges are just turning golden.  Cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Once cookies are cooled, melt remaining white chocolate and shortening in microwave, following directions on chocolate.  Dip each cookie in white chocolate, and place on wax paper.  Sprinkle with your favorite cookie decorations.  Let set for several hours until dry.

Store in airtight container.

Enjoy :)

Sharing this at:
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Foodie Fridays
Weekend Social
Weekend Potluck

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White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

Sometimes a cookie can take you by surprise. That was the case when my friend had picked out White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies for us to make in our Christmas bake-off. I would never complain about a cookie, but some aren't that exciting to me. Guess what... I can admit when I was wrong.

This cookie is worth getting excited over! They are such a soft chewy cookie, and you just can't go wrong with the white chocolate and dried cranberries! I loved it and have kept the recipe, and now have to share it with you!

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies (Source: Sally's Baking Addiction)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries


In medium bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking sode and salt.  Mix until combined.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl. On low speed, add flour mixture until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips & dried cranberries. Cover and chill dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop drop onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-9 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. Do not bake longer than 9 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy ! ! !

Sharing this recipe at:
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Mango Banana Muffins with White Chocolate Chips

At the office, I have the special treat during the summer months of working with Heather, she is a very dear friend. Working in a place dominated by men, it's always nice to have more female companionship!  Heather has left the office now, and gone back to college.  But, we had lots of fun going over recipes while we had time! It was so much fun sharing my love of baking and inspiring Heather to try new recipes.

One day when we were going over some of my pinterest albums (honest, we really do get lots of work done), the recipe for White Chocolate Chip Mango Banana Bread just jumped out at her, so I made that for her last day at work. It did not disappoint! We both loved it! This past weekend, I did change it up a little bit, and tried them as muffins. Complete hit. Moist. Delicious. Packed with flavor.

Mango Banana Muffins with White Chocolate Chips (adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction)

2 c. white whole wheat flour (I used one cup whole wheat, and 1 cup all-purpose)

3/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. sugar

4 T. unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 c. mashed very ripe banana

1/3 c. Greek Yogurt (I used plain, but if you could find Mango... use that!)

1 t. vanilla extract

2/3 c. white chocolate chips

1 c. chopped mango

2 T. shredded sweetened coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour(s), baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and butter with mixer on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Continue beating until blended.

Slowly stir in the flour mixture by hand, until just combined. Do not overmix (this part is important). Fold in white chocolate chips. Gently fold in chopped mangoes. 

Spoon batter into muffin tins, to about 2/3 full.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove and sprinkle with shredded coconut.  Bake for 5-10 minutes longer or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  

Cool muffins in the pan on a wire rack.  Remove from pan when cooled.

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