Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

We've all been there. Wondering why you bought bananas just to let them rippen up to the point of almost rotting. It's unfortunate but we all do it.
Well here's my inspirational quote of the day.
When life hands you rotten bananas, make banana bread.
Or in this case banana cookies. Either is delicious but people get tired of good old banana bread pretty quickly. So these mix it up a bit.
These cookies are not as cakey as the usual recipes you see for banana or pumpkin cookies. They have a bit of a chewy texture to them and are more flat like a usual chocolate chip cookie.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Baking Bites

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup mashed banana (1 banana)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg whites, mashed banana, and both extracts. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in chocolate chips until completely distributed.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool and enjoy!

S'mores Cookie Bars

Let's be honest.
I find any excuse to make these cookies.
I'm obsessed. It might be a bit out of control.
But just make these and you'll understand what I'm talking about. Come be obsessed with me. We'll make each other feel better.
A bonus to these delicious treats is that they mail well. I've made them several times to mail across the States and the feedback has been nothing short of fantastic.
Just do yourself a favor and go make these. Right now.
S'mores Cookie Bars
Adapted from Teacher by Day, Chef by Night

• 11 tablespoons of butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 Hershey's bar, chopped into pieces
• 1 1/2- 2 packages of graham crackers, broken into pieces

Preheat oven to 375.
Beat butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flour until dough forms. Add mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Chill dough for about 20 minutes.
Grease a baking pan. Line with the broken graham cracker pieces, covering the whole pan. Once dough is chilled, scoop tablespoonfuls onto graham cracker pieces.

Bake for about 7 minutes then take the pan out of the oven and place the broken pieces of the chocolate bar evenly over the dough. Place back in oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool completely. Slice and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting

Every year on my birthday, I make my own birthday cake. I honestly enjoy it. It's the one time a year I pull out the fondant and attempt to get creative with my decorating. The only thing is that I spend all year making everyone else's birthday cakes or cupcakes as well. So one of these years, I hope I'll be able to not spend the night making cake in the kitchen but still get to enjoy some cake made by a loved one on my birthday.
A girl can dream.
These cupcakes were made in a hurry one morning when my mom remembered a co-worker's birthday was that day and asked me to whip something up. I've had this recipe bookmarked for a while and decided to give it a try. They were definitely a hit!
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Adapted from How Sweet It Is
Makes 12-16 cupcakes

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt, alternating with the milk. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool, frost, and enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting
Adapted from How Sweet It Is

• 15 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Beat butter. Slowly add powdered sugar. Mix in vanilla followed by the condensed milk. Once well mixed, add chocolate chips.
Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here in Arizona, fall arrives around the end of October. I'm currently living in Phoenix so I can pretty much throw the possibility of fall arriving soon out the window. Every single day the high is somewhere around 110+ degrees. All I really want is to eat/drink pumpkin flavored things and wear tights, cardigans, and boots without risking a heat stroke. Unfortunately, I cannot do the latter but I can go home and bake pumpkin things to my hearts content.
This weekend I went home and bought two cans of canned pumpkin and went away to my lovely kitchen. My first pumpkin treat for the weekend was the classic and ever so delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
These are perfectly spiced, cakey, and bring you right to fall even if the weather won't cooperate.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from My Baking Addiction

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix pumpkin, sugars, oil, egg whites, and vanilla.

Once combined, add dry ingredients and mix until dough forms. Add chocolate chips. Chill dough for 15-20 minutes.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a grease baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes or until set.
Cool and enjoy!

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are my go to baked treat. They're simple, don't take long, and pack so much goodness into such a small thing. Cookies are good. If you can make nothing else, at least try making some cookies. You may surprise yourself. 

You know red velvet cake, right? 

If you haven't had it, you need to. It's like nothing else. It's incredibly delicious when made right. And who could resist a pretty, brightly colored cake? 

These cookies give you that fun without having to make an entire cake with frosting. They are chewy and so delightful. I took a batch to the misters house and came back the next day to find a bag with only three or four cookies left. I asked him what happened to them and he simply replied "They're too good."

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and vanilla.

Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder until well incorporated. 

Add the red food coloring and mix until the color is well dispersed.

Mix in chocolate chips. 

Chill for about 30 minutes. Drop by tablespoonfuls on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Cool and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Oreo cookies are something almost everyone can relate to. I remember growing up, we would almost always have Oreos on hand. My parents would by them in big, bulk packages in order to satisfy my three siblings and I.
These cookies are a mix of two classics that will take you back to your past and leave you with a smile on your face and one happy tummy.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 10 crushed Oreo cookies
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, and baking powder to form a dough. Lastly, add crushed Oreos and chocolate chips. Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes or until slightly browned.
Cool and enjoy!

Confetti Cupcakes

When it came time to meet with the bride for the wedding cake I made about a month ago, she told me that her groom wanted Funfetti cake. I just looked at her with a blank stare. Boxed cake mix for your wedding cake?!
Luckily, we both came to the conclusion that we could do red velvet for the cake and a homemade confetti cake for cupcakes. I found a great recipe for the cupcakes online and was pleased to hear that the groom absolutely loved it.

Confetti Cupcakes
Adapted from How Sweet It Is
Makes about 12 cupcakes

• 7 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup brightly colored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add half the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Then add the milk followed by the rest of the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in the sprinkles just until thoroughly mixed throughout.
Pour batter into cupcake tins and fill about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost with frosting of choice.
(Unfortunately, in the chaos of making my first wedding cake, only one picture was taken of the cupcakes.)