Are all of those claims true? Yes! The cookies I made weren’t really any thicker than usual – but they were definitely more soft and chewy. This is one trend that lives up to the hype.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe source: Sweetest Kitchen
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or regular chocolate chips, either will work)

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla, mix in.
4. Mix in flour mixture on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Using a tablespoon or a cookie scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until barely golden around the edges. Don’t let the cookies brown and do not bake longer than 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Oreo Blondies
Recipe source: pinchofyum.com
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

2/3 cup soft butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cream
16-24 Oreo cookies depending on size of pan
1 bag white chocolate chips (optional) [I did not include these]

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish for thicker bars, or a 9×13 baking dish for thinner bars.
2. Cream the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well mixed.
3. Add the flour and baking powder and mix for less than 1 minute with an electric mixer or stir with a wooden spoon until all flour is incorporated (batter gets tough to work with if you mix it for too long). Add the cream and use electric mixers or wooden spoon to stir until incorporated. Batter should be thick but spreadable.
4. Spread half the batter in the prepared dish; layer Oreos evenly over the batter; top with remaining half of batter.
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes, depending on the size of your pan (less time for a rectangle, more time for a square) and whether or not you like them to still be a little soft and doughy. [I baked mine 50 minutes - it'll depend on your oven]

These cookies are phenomenal. I would even say that they rank in my top ten favorite cookie recipes. Not like my top ten list means anything, but I’ve made and consumed a lot of cookies over the years — and these are so, so delicious.

I changed one little thing from the original recipe. I used Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder instead of plain cocoa powder. This is because I’ll always take dark chocolate over regular. But feel free to use what you’d like! If you use regular cocoa powder, the cookies will be much lighter in appearance.

Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Recipe source: cravingchronicles.com
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
2 ounces (4 Tablespoons) dark chocolate cream cheese [you'll find this in the dairy section of your grocery store - with the other cream cheeses]
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon milk
1 Tablespoon brewed coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, chocolate cream cheese and melted butter in a large bowl and whisk briskly until smooth. Whisk in oil. Add egg, milk, coffee, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture. Fold in with a rubber spatula until all flour is incorporated and a soft dough forms.
4. Measure remaining 1/3 cup sugar into a small bowl. Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out 12 dough balls per baking sheet. Roll each dough ball in your hands, then roll in sugar to coat. Space about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. (If the dough is too soft, set it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.)
5. Bake 1 sheet at time at 350°F for 11-13 minutes, until cookies are set and tops have cracked. (do not over bake!) Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Makes about 24 cookies.

Butterfinger Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Recipe source: bakersroyale.com
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

For the chocolate chip cookie layer:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup mini chocolate chips + 1/2 cup for top
5 Butterfinger bars, king size [I used the mini versions - worked fine!]

For the cheesecake layer:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Create a sling by lining an 8×8 inch pan with foil so that there is a one inch overhang on each side. Cover foil with bake spray. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Make the chocolate chip cookie layer: Melt butter and let cool to warm. Add in brown sugar and mix to combine. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add in flour and fold to combine. Add in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips and fold to combine. Pour mixture into pan; set aside.
3. Make the cheesecake: Add all the above listed cheesecake ingredients in a bowl and beat until blended. Set aside.
4. Assemble: Press 3/4 of cookie mixture into pan. Place Butterfinger bars side-by-side on top of cookie dough. Pour cheesecake mixture on top. Crumble remaining cookie dough sprinkle on top of cheesecake layer along with remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips all over top.
5. Transfer pan to oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees F. Remove from oven set on wire rack to cool.

Note: Keep these bars refrigerated because of the cream cheese content. I think they taste better when cooled anyway!

1. Tuxedo Peeps
2. Bunny Ear Cupcakes
3. Hot Cross Buns
4. Peep Cookies
5. Butterscotch Birds’ Nests
6. Coconut Easter Cupcakes
7. Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes
8. Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs
9. The Best Carrot Cake
10. Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies
11. Peep Cupcakes
12. Carrot Cake Cupcakes
13. Cadbury Mini Egg Blondies
14. Anniversary Peep Brownies
15. White Chocolate Jelly Bean Cupcakes
16. Easter Thumbprint Cookies

PS: The only place I’ve seen the anniversary Peeps is at Target. They come in a special silver package with three Peeps in each.

Anniversary Peep Brownies
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

1 box brownie mix (plus required oil and eggs)
Ingredients for your favorite frosting (I used white buttercream)
Green food coloring
Pastry bag + tip
Peeps

1. Make the brownies according to box directions and allow them to cool entirely. Cut the cooled brownies into squares.
2. Make the buttercream icing and use a few drops of coloring to dye it green. Using a small star tip, pipe a bed of “grass” on the top of each brownie.
3. Place a Peep on each brownie.

Makes about 9 brownies.

Jelly beans seem to be a polarizing candy – you either love or hate them. I’m in the hate them camp. But they’re so cute and they epitomize Easter and springtime. So I decided to make mini cupcakes decorated with jelly beans — which can be easily removed and thrown out if you’re not a fan of the little beans.

White Chocolate Jelly Bean Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from: epicurious.com
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

8 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (do not use low-fat)
3 large egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line mini muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Place white chocolate in metal bowl set over pan of barely simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Add hot white chocolate to sugar mixture; stir to combine. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with coconut milk in 2 additions, beating batter just to combine between additions.
4. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg white mixture into batter in 3 additions.
5. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

I made a batch of my favorite white buttercream icing and topped each cupcake with two jelly beans. I bought the pastel and speckled jelly beans at Target.

Apologies that my posts are not particularly wordy lately. I’m finishing up another semester of school and I try to balance school with my baking hobby. Sometimes I just don’t have time to write much. Which is probably alright because most of you just want the recipe, right?! Hope you’re all having a great spring :)

Easter Thumbprint Cookies
Recipe source: A Bowl of Mush
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
1 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. With an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Beat in the flour slowly until the dough has formed.
3. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. Place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake for 10 mins. Then remove from the oven and press thumb prints into the center of the balls. [I used the end of a large spoon]
4. Place the tray back in the oven for a further 7-9 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool fully on a rack.
5. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler until smooth. Allow to cool slightly, then pour the chocolate into the cookies little thumbprints.
6. Add a chocolate mini egg on top for a cute Easter look.

Cadbury Mini Egg Blondies
Recipe source: Bakeaholic Mama
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups milk chocolate mini eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan.
2. In a medium sizes mixing bowl sift flower, baking soda and salt together.
3. Melt butter over medium heat. Once melted add to the bowl of your electric mixer. Cream together with sugars.
4. Add in vanilla and eggs mix until creamy.
5. Slowly add in flour mixture until it is incorporated. Fold in mini eggs. [I crushed the mini eggs a bit – but you don’t have to)
6. Spread batter into a greased 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a tooth pick is inserted in the center and comes out clean. Let the bars cool for 30 minutes before slicing.