Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Life is crazy right now. There's Christmas shopping, 6 dozen cookie making, 200 cupcake making, and a million little things in between. I've clearly been baking but haven't had time to get creative in the kitchen.
So I made you banana bread.
Not just any banana bread.
This loaf gives the usual plain banana bread a special kick.
So enjoy this banana bread and I promise I'll be back with something brilliant soon.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Adapted from How Sweet It Is

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky 
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until smooth. Add egg whites, vanilla, and bananas. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon alternating with the milk. Add in the chocolate chips.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 65-75 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool and enjoy!

Mint Chip Coconut Cookies

Yes, I realize it's only mid November but all that's in my mind is the holidays. On this particular day, Christmas is all I can think about. The decorations have come out and I'm just waiting for the tree.
If you're not so ready for Christmas, just make these cookies and I'm sure you will be.
You're probably thinking "Coconut and mint?!" Trust me when I say that it's a combination straight from the heavens. Delicious.
Mint Chip Coconut Cookies
Adapted from Sweet Anna's

• 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup Guittard Smooth and Melty Mint Chips
• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat melted butter and sugars. Add egg, egg white, and vanilla. Mix in flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the coconut and chips. Chill dough for 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool and enjoy!

Cookie Dough Brownies

You know those days where you just make cookies to eat the cookie dough? Or brownies just to lick the spatula? It happens. It's real life. For those days, you just need a baked good like this. The best of both worlds. Cookie dough, brownies, and you still get to lick the spatula.
These are made.... with a boxed brownie mix. I know, I know, I know. I'm supposed to be this baker who makes everything from scratch but sometimes you just have to take the easy route. The trick when going for boxed brownies is to splurge a little. Ghirardelli is the way to go.

Go treat yourself. Make these. Lick the bowl clean. Watch a good movie. You'll feel better in no time.
Cookie Dough Brownies
Adapted from Haute Apple Pie

• 9x9 Pan of prepared boxed brownies, cooled
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugars. Add vanilla. Mix in flour and salt until dough forms. Add chocolate chips.
Spread cookie dough over cooled brownies and freeze for about 20 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

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!