Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

S’mores Cookie Pie

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This S’mores Cookie Pie is perfectly gooey and rich, and it serves a crowd. Forget the charred marshmallows and the sticky fingers; dig in!

This S'mores Cookie Pie is perfectly gooey and rich, and it serves a crowd. Forget the charred marshmallows and the sticky fingers; dig in!

Every June J’s extended family hosts a reunion, and every June (when we’re home to attend) I take the opportunity to test one of my dessert recipes with the crowd. This year I went with S’mores Cookie Pie, and it just might be the most popular recipe I’ve ever made for the reunion. It might even beat the Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramel Icing, but I think that race is too close to call.

This S'mores Cookie Pie is perfectly gooey and rich, and it serves a crowd. Forget the charred marshmallows and the sticky fingers; dig in!

Regardless, this recipe was insanely popular. It was a hit with even the pickier folks, and it’s not difficult to see why. The base of my S’mores Cookie Pie is just half of my chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I added graham cracker chunks for that classic s’mores flavor. Instead of using marshmallows or marshmallow fluff, I used both for maximum gooey goodness. There are plenty of chocolate chips, of course, and they get wonderfully gooey during baking.

This S'mores Cookie Pie is perfectly gooey and rich, and it serves a crowd. Forget the charred marshmallows and the sticky fingers; dig in!

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Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two

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Made in one bowl and ready in under twenty minutes, this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two recipe is gooey, rich, and irresistibly decadent.

Made in one bowl and ready in under twenty minutes, this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two recipe is gooey, rich, and irresistibly decadent.

 

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t usually keep pre-made desserts in the house. You’ll rarely find a box of cookies in the pantry or a pint of ice cream in the freezer. Mostly, I do this because J and I both have pretty insatiable sweet tooths (teeth?). Those cookies and that ice cream wouldn’t last long at all in our presence. In order to avoid weighing 300 pounds, I just don’t buy the stuff.

The problem lies in my love of baking. I don’t mind heading to the kitchen in the evening, after the kids are in bed, to whip up something sweet. That’s actually the story behind Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Dessert Quesadillas, Mug Brownies, and Chocolate Caramel Lava Cakes. And now, it’s the story behind my Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two.

This recipe is exactly what it sounds like: a perfectly-portioned cookie made for sharing. It’s got all the must-have qualities of a good chocolate chip cookie, plus the delightfully crunchy edges that are courtesy of the adorable mini skillet. J and I prefer to enjoy ours with a glass of cold milk, but it’s also wonderful topped with ice cream, chocolate syrup, or fresh fruit.

Made in one bowl and ready in under twenty minutes, this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two recipe is gooey, rich, and irresistibly decadent.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies

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Not only are these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies a unique and delectable twist on a classic dessert, they’re also prepared on the stove in just one pan!

Not only are these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies a unique and delectable twist on a classic dessert, they're also prepared on the stove in just one pan!

My brother-in-law began his first year of college just a few weeks ago. He’s going to school in New York so, along with mailing Unc Noah her artwork, B began asking if we could send him cookies pretty much as soon as he left. Of course I loved the idea because I’m always looking for an excuse to bake and give away treats, and also because my mom used to mail me cookies when I was in college, too.

One thing or another seemed to come up nearly every day for a couple weeks, and then my mother-in-law decided to make a last-minute trip to visit Noah. Perfect timing! Instead of sending the cookies through USPS, we sent them via Delta right in her carry-on.

Not only are these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies a unique and delectable twist on a classic dessert, they're also prepared on the stove in just one pan!

I took the cookie-making opportunity to make these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies. In addition to the depth of flavor the brown butter provides, this recipe is unique because the whole thing comes together on the stove in a saucepan. Yup, after browning the butter, you add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, mix it all up, and then you’r ready to shape cookies.

B and I had a great time making these cookies together and, of course, we all enjoyed eating them, too. Browning the butter and then melting in brown sugar provides a wonderful toffee flavor that takes these a step beyond traditional chocolate chip cookies. They’re further elevated with three different flavors of chocolate chips, some of which melt in the warm dough to leave sweet swirls throughout. The end result is chewy, tender cookies with plenty of chocolate and toffee flavor in every bite.

Not only are these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies a unique and delectable twist on a classic dessert, they're also prepared on the stove in just one pan!

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Chewy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies

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You won’t miss the flour in these delightfully chewy, perfectly fudgy, beautifully crinkly Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time.

You won't miss the flour in these delightfully chewy, perfectly fudgy, beautifully crinkly Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time.

I first made these Chewy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies about six years ago. We were living in Oregon and I baked frequently for my coworkers, one of whom had celiac disease. I often tried to bake something gluten-free (like Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Bars) along with something gluten-full. At the time, I didn’t know it was possible to make good tasting cookies without flour and I figured, if it was, they wouldn’t be as mind-blowing as these cookies are.

You won't miss the flour in these delightfully chewy, perfectly fudgy, beautifully crinkly Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time.

These cookies are the perfect example of gluten-free not being deprivative (confession: I had to google “what’s the adjective for deprive” for that one). Even those who regularly eat gluten will go crazy for them. The cookies bake into chewy, crinkly bites of paradise, with fudge-like centers. They’re awesome at room temperature, but they’re indescribable when warm. Either way, you’ll want to have a glass of milk handy.

You won't miss the flour in these delightfully chewy, perfectly fudgy, beautifully crinkly Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time.

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Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites

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With just the right amount of good-for-you sweetness, Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy treat for breakfast or for on-the-go snacking.

With just the right amount of good-for-you sweetness, Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy treat for breakfast or for on-the-go snacking.

My kids had a lemonade stand a few days ago. It was all their idea (I have no idea where they see or hear about half the things they come up with), so I made a batch of homemade lemonade, set up a table and two chairs in the carport, and helped them sound out “l-e-m-o-n-a-d-e” for construction paper signs.

They had it in their heads we needed to offer snacks, too, and since I’d been meaning to make a batch of Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites to photograph for the blog, I obliged. I stirred the protein bites ingredients together, mixed up the lemonade (with their assistance, of course), and then shaped the bites into balls.
With just the right amount of good-for-you sweetness, Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy treat for breakfast or for on-the-go snacking.

The only problem? We live in the country. Like, we have one neighbor and that’s my husband’s parents. So I texted grandma and she drove over, and then our sweet mail-lady came by a few hours later. They were so excited! I see another lemonade stand or two in our future.

Know what else I see in our future? More Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites. The whole family loved these, and there’s no obvious indication that they’re a healthier version of the classic cookies. These guys are perfect for keeping in the freezer for school lunches, quick snacks, and easy breakfasts. They’re simple to make, too, so you can easily double or triple the batch.

With just the right amount of good-for-you sweetness, Double Chocolate No-Bake Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy treat for breakfast or for on-the-go snacking.

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S’mores Cheesecake Bars

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What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s’mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S’mores Cheesecake Bars.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

Am I the only one whose greatest culinary creations are borne out of the simple need to use up ingredients in the kitchen? It’s the motivation behind my Crushed Oreo Triangles and Glazed Strawberry Lime Scones.

Now, it’s also the motivation behind these S’mores Cheesecake Bars. As I was mulling over ideas for a sweet treat to take to a staff party at school, I discovered we had two bricks of cream cheese chilling in the fridge. They needed to be used. J is a huge cheesecake junkie–when he isn’t requesting Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Bars–so I knew he’d be pleased if I went that route.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

Well, I love s’mores as much as J loves cheesecake, and I knew I could marry those two obsessions. Because I love being able to develop a recipe using just what I have on hand, I knew it was fate that I had a stray Hershey bar in my drawer of baking supplies.

Making these S’mores Cheesecake Bars was a solid decision. They’re surprisingly easy to make and, since they’re topped with s’mores ingredients, there’s no need to stress over getting that perfect crack-less top. People will be too blinded by the gooey marshmallows and melted chocolate to notice the fault lines.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

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Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are the much-loved classic treat with the added bonus of being packed full of chewy chocolate-covered toffee bits. 

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are the much-loved classic treat with the added bonus of being packed full of chewy chocolate-covered toffee bits.

I’m teaching English for the first time this year. Have I mentioned that on the blog yet? Though my degree is in business, I’m doing my best to teach my freshmen the ins and outs of symbolism, grammar, and whatever else I’m supposed to be covering.

One of the best parts about this semester is that I get to teach To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s one of my all-time favorite books so, as you can imagine, I’m having a blast reading it with my English I Accelerated students. Many of my students are loving it, too. They’re loving it so much they rocked our first test and, as promised, I baked them a treat to celebrate.

I debated what to make them. A lot of the teenagers I know don’t have the most adventurous palates, so I settled on these toffee chocolate chip cookies. You can’t go wrong with a good chocolate chip cookie, especially if you know the right tricks. I did want to make them a little more special, though. I tossed in a bag of toffee bits and the end result was a cookie loaded with semi-sweet chocolate and chewy chocolate-covered toffee bits.

They received rave reviews.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are the much-loved classic treat with the added bonus of being packed full of chewy chocolate-covered toffee bits.

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Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #mixinmoments #CollectiveBias

A chewy, flavorful store-bought cookie mix becomes salted caramel cookie bars with the addition of a rich and easy homemade caramel topping.

A chewy, flavorful store-bought cookie mix becomes salted caramel cookie bars with the addition of a rich and easy homemade caramel topping.

A few months ago, I took my decadent double chocolate brownie recipe and, because I could, added a homemade caramel topping. The result was out of this world, but it was a fairly time consuming process; I essentially made two different recipes from scratch. It was worth it, but it wasn’t something I typically have time to reproduce.

That’s why, when I found these Nestle Toll House Baking Mixes at Walmart, I knew immediately what I would create. The bars are awesome on their own. You get the coveted chewiness of a perfect chocolate chip cookie in a fraction of the time it would take you to roll out individual balls of dough, but you also get the option to customize them in a zillion different, but equally delicious, ways.

A chewy, flavorful store-bought cookie mix becomes salted caramel cookie bars with the addition of a rich and easy homemade caramel topping.

Don’t let the homemade caramel part fool you; this recipe is easy. Just add your caramels and your cream to a bowl and microwave until you have a smooth mixture. Spread it over the cooled bars and you’re done. The hardest part about making these salted caramel cookie bars? Waiting for the caramel to set up before you dig in.

A chewy, flavorful store-bought cookie mix becomes salted caramel cookie bars with the addition of a rich and easy homemade caramel topping.

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S’mores Fudge Bars

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It doesn’t get more rich or decadent than these s’mores fudge bars: a gooey layer of fudge sandwiched between graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallows.

I have no idea how many s’mores recipes I’ve pinned since the invite-only days of Pinterest, but it’s been a lot. A lot. The combination of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate is one of my favorites, and I’ll pretty much pin anything that promises to deliver that combo in a new and exciting form.

It doesn't get more rich or decadent than these s'mores fudge bars: a gooey layer of fudge sandwiched between graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallows.

I’ve made a startlingly small number of those recipes, though. I don’t often buy marshmallows- probably because then I’d make all the recipes. Many of the recipes call for marshmallow fluff or milk chocolate, two other ingredients I don’t usually have on hand. My most recent pregnancy craving, in addition to potatoes in any form, has been s’mores, though, so I was super grateful when the stars aligned to bring me this s’mores fudge bars recipe because I actually had the ingredients for it.

Well, I didn’t really have all the ingredients, but I had enough to change it up and create my own version which, if I do say so myself, is really freaking good. The graham cracker crust is really straightforward: graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. The fudge part is where things get interesting: sweetened condensed milk is melted together with semisweet chocolate chips for a rich, smooth layer that’s reminiscent of milk chocolate. The whole thing is topped with marshmallows that get perfectly toasted and gooey in the oven.

It doesn't get more rich or decadent than these s'mores fudge bars: a gooey layer of fudge sandwiched between graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallows.

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Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Dessert Quesadillas

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Warm and gooey chocolate chip cream cheese dessert quesadillas are the perfect rich, indulgent way to end your day! Bonus: they require only four ingredients and they couldn’t be easier to make!

Warm and gooey chocolate chip cream cheese dessert quesadillas are the perfect rich, indulgent way to end your day.

I can’t lie to you. These dessert quesadillas are dangerous. The biggest threat is that you probably always have the ingredients on hand to make them. We don’t buy any packaged desserts at my house, and we rarely have ice cream in the freezer. But chocolate chips, cream cheese, and tortillas? Yeah, we have those.

That’s why J whips these guys up for us at least once a week. They only take minutes to prepare, but the way the chocolate and cream cheese melt together inside the crunchy tortilla will make you want to savor every.single.bite.

Not only is J the primary dessert quesadilla-maker in our house, he’s also the genius behind this recipe. I don’t remember how they first came to be, and I don’t remember exactly when he made them for the first time, but I know they’ve been a staple in our lives since the early years of our marriage.

Did I mention how crazy easy these chocolate chip cream cheese dessert quesadillas are to make?

Warm and gooey chocolate chip cream cheese dessert quesadillas are the perfect rich, indulgent way to end your day.

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