Oatmeal Fudge Cookie Cups

          

               With my boyfriend out of town and very little schoolwork to complete, I knew that I was able to put my books, razor, and shaving cream away this weekend and bake.What a change of pace! From the schoolwork side of things that is; I rarely shave my legs. So I grabbed a glass (bowl) of wine and decided to browse my good ol' Pinterest page, which since my last blog post has been "hacked". Who hacks a Pinterest profile? Unless they are dying to see what type of wedding I will eventually never have, or learn the secret to keeping rust, stains, and pesky husbands out of the kitchen- I really see no point. Anyways, amongst the newly pinned "Weight-Loss Miracles" by my oddly motivating hacker, I found this wonderful cookie cup recipe. It was perfect timing because just the other day I rediscovered my tiny muffin tins along with my hatred for cleaning out old cabinets. However, after eating a few of these chocolate filled treats, I wouldn't even mind sorting through the worst hoarder's house. Besides the lie I told last weekend as to why I couldn't join my parents at church, these cookies are the best thing I've made in a long time. If you like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, fudge, and being a hermit in your kitchen, these cookies are for you! But don't just take my word for it, get your cats off your lap and eyes off the computer and go bake these right now.

"Oatmeal Fudge Cookie Cups" 

Ingredients:
      Cookie layer:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups quick cooking oats (you can use normal and just crush them a bit)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini or normal)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

      Fudge layer:

• 14 oz. can sweetened condense milk
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray mini muffin tins with oil or cooking spray. 
2. In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar till fluffy. 
3. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. 
4. In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. Stir this into butter mixture until fully mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside. 
5. For fudge, in medium sauce pan heat sweetened condense milk, butter, chocolate chips, and salt over low heat stirring occasionally.
6. Remove pan from heat and stir in the 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
7. Scoop a small amount of cookie dough into muffin tin (about 1/2 filled) and place a dollop of fudge into pan.
8. Dot each remaining cup with a little extra cookie dough as to create a marbled appearance. 
9. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Let cool completely. If you have a hard time removing from pan, use a knife to loosen edges. 
10. Makes about 48 cookies

    

             Honestly, you cannot go wrong with this recipe. Even though it made enough cookies to feed an all male college dorm, these babies were gone in two days. With the holidays fast approaching, I know many of you will be looking for something delicious to impress your future mother-in-law. Well, this is it! Although I cannot guarantee that you will be able to pry yourself away from them in order to actually package these treats up for others. As always, a huge thanks to Baking with Melissa for showing me the light. Enjoy the holiday spirit and spirits this festive season! Lord knows I will.

                        Number of Pinterest recipes completed: 20
                        I declare this recipe: something that will last as long as the "Harlem Shake" obsession

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Maple-Walnut Glaze

      
                  They say if you repeat the phrase "Pumpkin Spiced Latte" three times, a white girl wearing yoga pants and Ugg boots will appear and tell you her favorite things about Fall. Well, consider myself summoned, and consider this pumpkin cake to be at the top of my list. Moist cake, crunchy walnuts, and a subtle maple flavor taste "lying-on-a-pile-of-clothing-fresh-from-the-dryer" good. Since it's almost Thanksgiving, you're probably looking for something easy and delicious to take to the family gathering. Leave the store-bought pumpkin pie at home, and don't even think about making any of those stupid turkey-shaped desserts using Keebler cookies and Reese's cups. I promise this cake will even keep the mouths of the drunk and senile preoccupied so that no one can argue over what street Uncle Rob lived on in the 70's. So before Christmas prematurely ejaculates all over the place, take some time to revel in the crispness of Fall and the beauty of the changing leaves. That is unless you live somewhere that still has 80 degree weather. In that case, you can just go fucf83dsdk yourself. Sorry, I can't type while wearing mittens...

"Pumpkin Pound Cake with Maple-Nut Glaze"

Ingredients:  

Cake:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. allspice or cloves
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 15 oz. canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Maple-Nut Glaze:

• 4 Tbls. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbls. maple syrup 
• 3 Tbls. heavy cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 Tbls. pecans or walnuts (chopped or not)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 and grease/flour a Bundt pan
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. 
3. With electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until fluffy
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then pumpkin and vanilla
5. Add dry mixture to wet mixture, slowly until all combined
6. Spoon into cake pan and bake for 55-60 minutes
7. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Once cooled invert pan and allow cake to fully cool on racks
8. For maple glaze: In small sauce pan, heat maple syrup, butter, and cream until at a boil. Continue boiling for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar. Let cool 15 minutes, or until slightly stiff, and stir in nuts. Spoon on cooled cake. 

               Don't be surprised if you are tempted to bottle the smell in your kitchen and pass it out on the streets. Someone get Yankee Candle on the phone because this is the biggest hit since Sweet Pea. But don't just take my word, bake it for yourself! This recipe comes from About.com, which is surprising since I usually use that website to figure out how to change a light bulb or spy on a significant other. Hurry up and put this baby in the oven (At what age do I have to stop using this phrase?) and go curl up and watch TLC with your cats. Honestly though, did you have bigger plans for this Saturday night? Well...the McRib is back. Also, if I don't write to you all before Thanksgiving approaches, have a wonderful holiday and may neither your turkey nor you be dry!

             

                               Number of Pinterest recipes completed: 19
                               I declare this recipe a: breakfast alternative. I mean it has maple syrup in it.