cookies & cream brownies.

The last time I was at the store, I grabbed a package of Oreos and I'm so glad I did because I pinned this amazing brownie recipe a few weeks back. I hadn't made an Oreo dessert in forever either so I knew it was time.

It's a quick, easy recipe to begin with and could be made even easier if you only had time to use a box mix. 

Ahh... don't Oreos make everything better? 

~

cookies & cream brownies 

from what's gaby cooking

ingredients

• 10 tablespoons butter, room temp.
• 1 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used salted butter so I omitted salt)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 15 Oreo cookies, crushed and divided

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment OR line with tin foil and spray with non-stick baking spray.
2. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter. OR microwave butter until melted. 
3. Once the butter has melted, add the white sugar and cocoa powder. Stir to combine and remove from the heat if using stovetop.
4. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs, whisking until fully incorporated.
5. Add in the flour and half of the crushed oreo cookies and stir until just combined.
6. Scoop the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining oreo cookies on top.
7. Place the pan into the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool for at least 2 hours. You can also stick them in the fridge for a bit to help cool quickly.
8. Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting the parchment or tin foil out. Place the brownies on the counter, slice and serve.

chocolate donut holes with oreo glaze.

Are you ready to blow to some minds today? 

Yes? Ok good. I'll help you.

These beyond simple donut "holes" are made in mini muffin tins. You can make them in a real donut pan if you have one, just adjust the baking time. 

First, you whip up some plain (but flavorful, I promise) chocolate donut batter and let 'em bake. While they are baking, make the glaze. There is an estimated ratio of milk to powdered sugar given in the recipe. Feel free to add more if you'd like to because you can always double dip those bad boys ;) Just don't forget the chopped up Oreos!

After they are out of the oven and mostly cooled, dunk 'em all the way in to that thick, yummy glaze. If they are being consumed at home, they are ready to eat! If they are going somewhere, I recommend waiting to store them until the glaze is hardened. 

I also recommend lining the cooling rack with foil/wax/parchment. This makes for a super easy clean up.  Also, please read my notes under the recipe to see my substitutions. :)

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 egg**
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned***
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Oreo glaze:
1 and 1/4 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar, sifted
2-4 tablespoons milk****

Finely chopped Oreos (I probably used 6-8 double stuffed)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a mini donut pan (or mini muffin tins) with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar. 
3. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry and slowly, stir together until everything is just combined.
4. Transfer batter to a Ziploc bag or a piping bag (I didn't do this, I just spooned it). and cut the tip off. Squeeze the batter into each mold, filling it about 2/3 full.  Bake for 7 minutes (a little longer if you are using a muffin tin, I left mine in around 10 minutes). Let the donuts rest in the pan for 2-3 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 
5. Repeat process until all the batter has been used.
6. While the donuts are cooling, prepare the glaze. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and chopped Oreos until well-combined. The glaze should be thick, but still pourable. Add milk as needed to get it to the right consistency.
7. Dip the entire donut into the glaze (you won't be sorry) with a spoon or other utensil.  Place on a wire rack. Glaze will harden after some time. 

*I put 1/2 tbsp lemon juice into glass measuring cup and filled the rest of the way up with half and half. Also, you might need 1/4 cup more milk (or half and half, cream, almond milk, etc.). My batter was thick like dough but was perfect after I added more liquid.

**I didn't have an egg so I substituted 1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt.

***I am lazy and therefore, I didn't brown my butter. I melted it.

****I used a combo of half and half and milk. The result? A thick, rich, creamy glaze.

Recipe (slightly tweaked) from Culinary Couture

Enjoy, friends & please let me know what you think!!

red velvet cookies & cream bars.

I don't care if it isn't Valentine's Day, I love red velvet any time of year. :) Red velvet cake and Oreos are the perfect combination in these bars. The red velvet cake is moist, and the Oreos are crunchy and creamy just like always.  The sweetened condensed milk makes the bars bubbly and beautiful. The cookies and cream kisses are an added bonus! I made these for our housewarming party and they were a hit!

Ingredients

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• ½ cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 splash vanilla extract
  
  
• About 15 Oreos, coarsely crushed
• About 20-25 cookies n cream Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk*

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil and grease pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, eggs and vanilla with a rubber spatula until blended. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for approx. 10 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately top with the crushed Oreos, unwrapped Kisses, and sprinkles in an even layer. Drizzle evenly with the sweetened condensed milk. Return the pan to the oven and continue to bake, until golden and bubbly, approx. 10-15 minutes.
4. Allow the bars to come to room temperature before cutting into squares. Store leftovers airtight, at room temperature, for several days.

*Don't have any sweetened condensed milk? Make your own! 

Recipe Credit: http://thedomesticrebel.com/2013/01/31/red-velvet-cookies-n-cream-magic-bars/

cookies & cream cookies.

These cookies, hands down, are the best cookies I've ever made and maybe even tasted. I hardly ever get this excited about the things I bake but these cookies were different. The oreos and the white chocolate chips are a perfect combination. I wouldn't change this cookie recipe one bit. It's too perfect and delicious! I found this recipe two weeks ago and have already made them twice!

Look at that chunky deliciousness.

What you need:

2 1/4 cups flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

1/2 cup white sugar 

1 (4.2 ounce) package Oreo Cookies 'n Creme pudding mix 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 cups white chocolate chips 

15 Oreo cookies, broken or chopped 

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cream butter and sugars, add pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda with a whisk then add it to the butter mixture. 
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and Oreo cookies. 
5. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. 
6. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven until cookies tops barely have a touch of brown. 

The source of these gems: http://cjaneinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/cookies-n-creme-cookies.html

chocolate mint oreo m&m cookies.

[adapted from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/chocolate-mint-oreo-cookies/comment-page-3/#comment-219282]

The reason why I was so excited to make these cookies was because of how pretty they look! I love how the green and dark brown/black(?) contrast.  I also love green. And I love mint. And chocolate. And oreos.  So basically, I like everything about these cookies.  As someone in our life group said "they are like a chewy thin mint girl scout cookie".  Except I think they're way better than girl scout cookies.  These cookies are very tasty so you should give them a try, especially if you like minty chocolat-y combinations.  

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mint M&Ms
1 cup chopped Cool Mint Oreo cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.
3. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix until flour disappears. Stir in chocolate chips, M&Ms, and chopped Cool Mint Oreos. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Don't over bake. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.