Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Leftover Frosting Cookies

by

Got frosting? These Leftover Frosting Cookies are easy to make, perfectly fluffy and sweet, and such a fun way to use up what’s left after you make a cake or cupcakes.

Got frosting? These Leftover Frosting Cookies are easy to make, perfectly fluffy and sweet, and such a fun way to use up what's left after you make a cake or cupcakes.

I don’t often find myself with leftover frosting, and it’s even more rare that I have enough to do anything with (other than eat, of course). But sometimes that happens, and when it does, I’m definitely not interested in using the frosting to make something time-consuming.


Enter these Leftover Frosting Cookies. They’re super easy to whip up and, while they’re definitely a sweet treat, they aren’t cloyingly sweet like frosting can be. Plus, I like to make these cookies small, so they’re just a couple bites of goodness.

Got frosting? These Leftover Frosting Cookies are easy to make, perfectly fluffy and sweet, and such a fun way to use up what's left after you make a cake or cupcakes.

[Read more…]

Chewy Southern Molasses Cookies

by

Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.

Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.

During our nearly ten years of marriage and seven-plus years of parenthood, I’ve spent much more time away from J, and then from J and the kids, than he’s spent away. I’m not gone a lot, but there’s been work training and a few visits home to Oregon. Recently, though, for the first time ever, J left all three kids and me for three days while he chaperoned a school trip.


I’ve never been secretive about the fact that J is a better parent than I am. I don’t think I’m a bad parent, and I think in many ways we complement each other well, but if there was a scorecard, he would come out ahead. He’s the exclusive handler of all bodily fluids that don’t come inside a diaper, and he is the reason our kids always have clean clothes to wear.

Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.

Despite my status as the lesser parent, all four of us survived in J’s absence. We weren’t late getting anywhere, everyone got fed, and I even managed to wash a load of laundry (I literally mean wash; the clothes got moved to the dryer, but not fully dried).

I also found time to whip up a batch of Chewy Southern Molasses Cookies. I was left with a big jar of homemade molasses after my mother-in-law gave it to me to use to make Instant Pot Baked Beans, and I knew I’d use at least some of it for these cookies. A molasses cookie is super similar to a gingersnap, but where gingersnaps are typically crunchy (snappy), molasses cookies are soft and chewy.

Whatever you call them, just be sure to make a batch or two soon. You’ll wonder why scrumptious spice cookies like these aren’t a staple in your kitchen!

Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.

[Read more…]

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

by

Add a whole bunch of chopped berries to a classic dessert recipe and you get these sweet, chewy, tart, and decadent Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Add a whole bunch of chopped berries to a classic dessert recipe and you get these sweet, chewy, tart, and decadent Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.

On Wednesday nights, I cook with the youth group at church. The idea is to teach them some basic kitchen skills while also preparing meals that can be given to church members who need them. It’s often the highlight of my week, partly because I have a ton of fun and partly because the kids are constantly cracking me up with their lack of kitchen common sense.


One night we were making brownies and I noticed one senior student reaching over to plug in the electric hand mixer. “Don’t bother with it,” I told him. “Just mix them by hand.” I stepped out of the kitchen to check on Q and returned a few minutes later to find the student wrists-deep in the bowl of brownie batter. After I caught by breath from laughing so hard, I explained to the group the vital distinction between the phrases, “mix by hand,” and, “mix using your hands.”

What does that have to do with Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies? Nothing, really, but that’s okay. We can take a sec to talk about the recipe. I’m a chocolate-covered strawberry junkie, so making these cookies was a no-brainer. They turned out to be perfectly chewy and sweet, and the berries, after baking, were just a touch sour. The combination is an addictive cookie that I ate way too many of.

Add a whole bunch of chopped berries to a classic dessert recipe and you get these sweet, chewy, tart, and decadent Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.

[Read more…]

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

by

A fun twist on a classic dessert, these German Chocolate Cake Cookies are everything you love about the cake in a rich, gooey, single-serving cookie.

A fun twist on a classic dessert, these German Chocolate Cake Cookies are everything you love about the cake in a rich, gooey, single-serving cookie.

German chocolate cake is my dad’s favorite dessert so, when he and my stepmom came for a visit a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to make a recipe that was a twist on that. Since I’m all about individual servings — have you seen how many cupcake recipes I have? — I decided to transform my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe and my Granny’s German chocolate frosting recipe into German Chocolate Cake Cookies.


Needless to say, these guys were a hit. I served them at a family gathering and was asked several times for the recipe. I sent the leftovers with J to school for his coworkers, and I later received a few texts raving about them. One of my favorite things about these cookies is that the various parts can be made ahead. I made the chocolate cookies a few days before the get-together, and the frosting can sit in the fridge for a couple days, too. Then assembly is pretty much a breeze.

A fun twist on a classic dessert, these German Chocolate Cake Cookies are everything you love about the cake in a rich, gooey, single-serving cookie.

[Read more…]

Frosted Heath Cookie Bars

by

Skip the bore and the time suck of rolling individual cookies and make these chewy and decadent toffee-studded Frosted Heath Cookie Bars instead.

Skip the bore and the time suck of rolling individual cookies and make these chewy and decadent toffee-studded Frosted Heath Cookie Bars instead.

Frosted cookie bars are one of my favorite easy desserts. I love that, instead of spending a ton of time in the kitchen rolling out and baby-sitting individual cookies, I can plop the dough in a pan, set the timer, and come back to a finished product. These Frosted Heath Cookie Bars are wonderful on their own; they’d be great even without the frosting. Everything is better frosted, though, and this homemade vanilla frosting takes the bars over the top.


Skip the bore and the time suck of rolling individual cookies and make these chewy and decadent toffee-studded Frosted Heath Cookie Bars instead.

I made these a while back for J to take to a party. Over the next few days I got multiple requests to share the recipe and to make them again. It isn’t tough to see why; these Frosted Heath Cookie Bars are thick and chewy, with a moistness and a richness you won’t find in regular cookies. The homemade frosting is fluffy, light, and the perfect complement to the toffee-studded bars.

Skip the bore and the time suck of rolling individual cookies and make these chewy and decadent toffee-studded Frosted Heath Cookie Bars instead.

[Read more…]

Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies

by

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!

[Read more…]

Chewy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies

by

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.

[Read more…]

Caramel-Stuffed Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

by

One bowl, no mixer, and a perfectly sweet and chewy dessert: Caramel-Stuffed Maple Brown Sugar Cookies are indescribably decadent.

One bowl, no mixer, and a perfectly sweet and chewy dessert: Caramel-Stuffed Maple Brown Sugar Cookies are indescribably decadent.

If you’ve read any of my recipe posts– or if you know me in real life- you’ve probably picked up on my love for chocolate. I’ve got a lot of chocolate recipes. My addiction to love for chocolate means, if I’m going to get in the kitchen and bake something sweet that doesn’t contain chocolate, it better be really freaking good.


These Caramel-Stuffed Maple Brown Sugar Cookies more than meet that requirement. The dough is made entirely with brown sugar instead of white, resulting in an unbelievably chewy cookie. Before baking, the cookies are rolled in white sugar. The coating makes the finished product sparkly and adds extra chewiness. As for the caramel center, it gets soft and gooey in the oven, turning an already-dynamite cookies into an over-the-top indulgence.

One bowl, no mixer, and a perfectly sweet and chewy dessert: Caramel-Stuffed Maple Brown Sugar Cookies are indescribably decadent.

[Read more…]

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

by

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.

[Read more…]

Tips for Making Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

by

You don’t have to be a professional baker to make fluffy, chewy, perfect chocolate chip cookies. Follow these tips and your cookies will come out flawless every time.

Chocolate chips cookies are a universally-loved dessert, right? If you’re out of baking ideas- or if you just don’t like to be in the kitchen- you can never go wrong with chocolate chip cookies.

Then why are they so hard to make? They must be because people continue to be satisfied with store-bought logs of dough or place-and-bake imitations. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed both of those varieties on more than one occasion. I’m not known to turn down a chocolate chip cookie, no matter its origins.


You don't have to be a professional baker to make fluffy, chewy, perfect chocolate chip cookies. Follow these tips and your cookies will come out flawless every time.

But the thing is, people think those cookies are as good. Like as-good-as-homemade good, even though they’re far from it. And I’m convinced that cookie lovers everywhere would reject those pre-made impostors and make their cookies from scratch if only they realized how easy it is.

It is. Easy, that is. So easy. Can I tell you a secret? My homemade chocolate chip cookies are ah-mazing, but I don’t have a special recipe. I just follow the instructions on the bag of chocolate chips- whichever brand I happen to be using- and make a few special adjustments. The result is perfect chocolate chip cookies. Every time.

You don't have to be a professional baker to make fluffy, chewy, perfect chocolate chip cookies. Follow these tips and your cookies will come out flawless every time.

Tips for Making Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Use room temperature butter

It’s a rare thing for me to plan to make cookies in advance, which means I usually don’t have to set butter out to soften. Instead, I microwave sticks- straight from the fridge and still in the wrapper- for eight seconds at a time, turning them in between, until they’re soft. No more starting with melted butter.

Cream the butter and sugar

I know it’s in the instructions, bu I used to dump all the ingredients in the bowl and mix. My cookies tasted great, but the texture wasn’t as soft as it could be. One day, on a whim, I decided to cream the sugars with butter. The resulting cookies were fluffy and chewy without the slightest bit of graininess.

[Read more…]