Tastē Tuesday~ Something red, white and blue seems fitting for Election Day, but to be honest, I am feeling a bit more scared than patriotic at the moment. Here are two things to hopefully help us all make it through a day that so obviously shows the dire straits American society has walked itself into.
First, with Halloween falling on a Monday this year, we didn't have nearly as many tricker or treaters, so I had a plethora of candy leftover. In an effort to get rid of a bunch at one time, I made Twix Candy Bar Cookies. In all reality, if you have an absolutely favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, you can substitute the Twix for the chocolate chips. However, if you want to try something new, this cookie dough is quite delish. It didn't turn out as fluffy as I had hoped, but I also got side-tracked...for four days between making the dough and baking the cookies, so I plan to make it again with some other leftover Halloween candy later this week. One quick tip: the caramel from the Twix heats faster than the cookie dough bakes, so if you want to minimize mess and crispy caramel on your baking sheet, try to nestle those Twix chunks into the center of your dough. A little bit chocolate, a little bit caramel and a little bit of cookie crunch will hopefully go far in easing some stress you might be feeling today.
Second, chocolate can only do so much as many of us girls know, so for the rest of that anxiety, a reminder that we can always have peace in the midst of the storm...no matter how large that storm appears.
John 14:27 (NIV) "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 16:33 (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Romans 15:13 (NIV) "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
First, with Halloween falling on a Monday this year, we didn't have nearly as many tricker or treaters, so I had a plethora of candy leftover. In an effort to get rid of a bunch at one time, I made Twix Candy Bar Cookies. In all reality, if you have an absolutely favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, you can substitute the Twix for the chocolate chips. However, if you want to try something new, this cookie dough is quite delish. It didn't turn out as fluffy as I had hoped, but I also got side-tracked...for four days between making the dough and baking the cookies, so I plan to make it again with some other leftover Halloween candy later this week. One quick tip: the caramel from the Twix heats faster than the cookie dough bakes, so if you want to minimize mess and crispy caramel on your baking sheet, try to nestle those Twix chunks into the center of your dough. A little bit chocolate, a little bit caramel and a little bit of cookie crunch will hopefully go far in easing some stress you might be feeling today.
Second, chocolate can only do so much as many of us girls know, so for the rest of that anxiety, a reminder that we can always have peace in the midst of the storm...no matter how large that storm appears.
John 14:27 (NIV) "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 16:33 (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Romans 15:13 (NIV) "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Twix Candy Bar Cookies
Adapted from Averiecooks.com
Yield ~20 cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups Twix, diced small into small chunks*
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix for 5 minutes until light and fluffy (if using a hand held, mix for 7 minutes). Add all of the dry ingredients and stir but hand until just combined. Add the Twix and fold in by hand.
On a large plate covered with parchment paper, scoop 2 tablespoon mounds of cookie dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat** and place mounds onto baking sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until tops are set and beginning to brown. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
*I used mini Twix, cut into 4-8 pieces.
**I finally purchased some silicone baking mats last week. I have used them twice so far, once for biscuits and once for these cookies - awesome! They were especially wonderful with this recipe because unless you are careful to place those caramel Twix morsels on the inside of the cookie and not on the edges, some of the caramel will ooze and bake onto your pan. The baking mats made for easy removal of the cookie and simple clean-up. If you don't have a baking mat, use parchment paper or spray your baking sheet with cooking spray.
Twix Candy Bar Cookies (printable recipe)
Adapted from Averiecooks.com
Yield ~20 cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups Twix, diced small into small chunks*
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix for 5 minutes until light and fluffy (if using a hand held, mix for 7 minutes). Add all of the dry ingredients and stir but hand until just combined. Add the Twix and fold in by hand.
On a large plate covered with parchment paper, scoop 2 tablespoon mounds of cookie dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat** and place mounds onto baking sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until tops are set and beginning to brown. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
*I used mini Twix, cut into 4-8 pieces.
**I finally purchased some silicone baking mats last week. I have used them twice so far, once for biscuits and once for these cookies - awesome! They were especially wonderful with this recipe because unless you are careful to place those caramel Twix morsels on the inside of the cookie and not on the edges, some of the caramel will ooze and bake onto your pan. The baking mats made for easy removal of the cookie and simple clean-up. If you don't have a baking mat, use parchment paper or spray your baking sheet with cooking spray.
Twix Candy Bar Cookies (printable recipe)
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