Chocolate Ginger Roll Out Cookies

I found a new recipe that I just love!

I love chocolate, and I'm on a ginger kick. This recipe combines both flavors into one.

They were super easy to make!

The Ingredients: 

The Directions:

They are versatile. You can use different cutters to give them new innovative looks! If you desire, you can frost them, or pipe them. My family thought they tasted good on their own, so I left them be. 

Today I Made Heart Cupcakes

I took in my 2 nephews a lot this weekend. I wanted to make something Valentines{ish}. Since public schools do not allow homemade treats, I made them for the smaller boy's private preschool.

We decided to make Red Velvet Heart Cupcakes.

We piped in cream cheese frosting. Then we added chocolate frosting with a single chocolate chip. Each boy got to have one for a snack and there are plenty still for preschool. Win, win for everyone!

Want to Win a Valentines Package?

I do! I think this would be a great gift to my kids! What does it include?

• A fun Valentine’s Day heart box
• Iced honey vanilla heart cookies
• A complete assortment of Godiva truffles

How to win? Go to Mommy to the Max to enter!

Superman Cake

I made a chocolate cake in two round pans. Then I made 1/2 a batch of red velvet cake in a square pan. I was planning on having the two circle cakes as a base for the superman logo; cut out of the square cake.

This is where disaster struck! The red velvet cake crumbled to pieces when I tried to get it out of the pan! I was mad! A cuss word or two may have come out of my mouth. By the way I really do not cuss very often! I vow every year that I'm going to stick to cookies! It seems like once a year this happens!

Here's my process: I spray the pan first, sprinkle it lightly with flour before pouring the batter in. The cake is fully done; toothpick comes out clean! Then it's really cool before I decide to pop it out! I even help the edges with a spatula. What am I doing wrong?

I decided to wrap up everything {even the crumbled pieces} and go to bed. In the morning I had a brilliant idea. Why not use the crumbled up velvet cake? One of my worst pet peeves is discarding something that is perfectly edible! I crumbled the cake up even more, added frosting to the cake, and sandwiched the two chocolate cakes together with it. Then instead of using tons of red food coloring for the logo, I used red velvet cake/frosting mixture.

Chocolate Malt Cookies

I found a new cookie recipe I LOVE! I found the recipe here. This is the second time I've made them. They are so yummy!

 

{Cookies}

• • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup plain malted milk powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons hot water
  •  
  • {Cookie Directions}
  •  

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg, heavy wiping cream, and hot water. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture.
  3. Space tablespoon-size balls of dough 3 1/2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. 
  4. Bake until flat and just firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on parchment on wire racks.

  •  

• {Filling}

   

  • 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup plain malted milk powder
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

{Filling Directions}

 

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Stir. Let cool. With an electric mixer, beat malted milk powder and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually mix in half-and-half, chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, until thick, about 30 minutes. Mix on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

  

{Assemble Cookies}

 

1. Spread a heaping tablespoon filling on the bottom of one cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat.

Glee Glum Chocolate

I won a Glee Glum make your own Chocolate Kit.  I thought this would be a perfect teacher gift! I made mini loaves of bread as well.

I set my son Mica up in the kitchen. He separated the chocolate liners with my help.  I gave him things to put in the liners. There was chopped up pretzels, walnuts, cherry chips, Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, Toffee sprinkles, crunched up peppermint and crunched up pistachio's. 


Mica got to sample everything.


When Daddy got home, he made the chocolate with Mica. Mica helped for awhile, but was giddy because he didn't have a nap. 


He's super excited to give these chocolate's to his teachers! 
Glee Glum puts two coco beans in the packaging. Isaak got to try one and Mica the other. Daddy and I were into the history story that came with the kit.

Glee Glum

I think the make your own kits from Glee Glum are so great! I like them because they are something that I could do with my 5 year old. I could see us in the kitchen with apron's on making chocolate for his preschool teachers.

Chubby Cheeks Thinks is giving away a Glee Glum Make Your Own Chocolate Kit!

Hurry up, the giveaway ends today!