With Sprinkles on Top

Merry Christmastime! December is always a rough month because of final exams. But this will be the last December that is ruined by law school! Because of my exam schedule and other holiday obligations, I won’t be posting much until January. I have a few posts lined up between now and Christmas though – so be sure to check back!

These cookies are a total, shameless repeat of what I have previously posted. But hey, they are Christmas-ified!

Christmas Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe source: picky-palate.com
Print Recipe

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips [I used Christmas baking chips; found them at Target!]
1 bag Oreo Cookies [I used Christmas Oreos]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.
3. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough.
4. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Makes about 20-24 REALLY BIG cookies.

I live on the east side of Milwaukee and have always wanted to try Sciortino’s Bakery because from the outside, it’s total adorableness. I walked up to Brady Street one day and gave it a try — and much to my delight, they had my favorite cookie ever in stock: the 7 layer cookie! Here are my thoughts on this cute little bakery:

• Their 7 layer cookies were alright. They could have been amaaaazing if filled with apricot instead of raspberry! But aside from my raspberry filling aversion, the cookies were fresh and moist and I enjoyed them.
• I also tried chocolate and vanilla bon bons. I had never had a bon bon prior to this experience. But you always hear people yelling, “what are you gonna do?! Sit on the couch and eat bon bons all day long?!” Well now I know what they’re talking about. The bon bons were really good — basically just a round cookie covered in chocolate or white chocolate.
• Sciortino’s sells cookies, donuts, pastries, breads, cakes, you name it.
• My biggest complaint? Both times I’ve visited I was stunned at how rude the staff was. A bunch of cranky hipsters. Guys, you’re working in a bakery, no need to be such a pill.
• If you’re in Milwaukee, give this place a try — 1101 E. Brady!

Note: I am not being paid to review this bakery, nor am I affiliated with it. I just really like trying local bakeries and treats.

Happy Thanksgiving Week, everyone! I am getting ready to head home for a holiday break, but wanted to share these cute and EASY little turkeys with you. They would be perfect if you want to make something for the kids at your holiday table :)

I hope you all have a safe, happy, and healthy Thanksgiving.

Yield: 12 turkeys

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Turkeys

Print

Gobble gobble! dA fun and easy treat for the kids to make!

Prep Time 45 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 full size Reese’s peanut butter cups
• 12 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
• 1 cup candy corn, I used regular candy corn and Indian corn
• 24 candy eyeballs (Target sells them!)
• 1 tub store-bought chocolate frosting
• A pastry bag and small round tip (you can also snip the end off of a Ziploc bag)

Instructions

1. Unwrap the full-size and mini Reese’s cups. Fill the pastry bag with the chocolate frosting.

2. Pipe a bit of chocolate frosting onto each full-size peanut butter cup, then place the mini peanut butter cup on top.

3. Cut the white tips off of the candy corn pieces. Use the chocolate icing to “glue” the candy corn pieces (without the white tips) onto each peanut butter cup.

4. Use the chocolate icing as to “glue” the candy eyeballs onto each mini peanut butter cup.

5. Cut the yellow ends off of a few more candy corn pieces. Use the yellow end as the turkey’s nose — and again, use the chocolate icing to attach it.

Gobble gobble!

About six months ago, The Milwaukee Cupcake Company closed its doors and Holey Moley moved in to replace it. What a glorious turn of events. Cupcakes are alright, but they can’t even touch the joy that is a DONUT! I went to a Packers game with some of my friends and before we hit the road to Green Bay, we picked up a box of Holey Moley donuts and devoured them. It wasn’t pretty — fighting, bickering, and yelling over who was going to get the s’mores donut… who was going to get the maple bacon donut… etc. OK, so we didn’t exactly fight — but we all LOVED these donuts.

• My favorite was the maple bacon: a donut covered in maple-flavored frosting topped with bits of bacon. Oh. My. God.
• The pink-ish donut in the photo above was blood orange flavored. *raise your hand if you just thought about that episode of Project Runway…*
• The s’mores donut was another favorite of ours, as was the peanut butter-filled donut.
• Other flavors we tried: espresso, coconut, chocolate glazed, pumpkin, and vanilla.
• The staff was friendly and cheerful (even at 7 am on a Sunday!)
• My only complaint is that their location is a little strange — in the lobby of a building in the Third Ward. Hopefully their business keeps booming and they can expand to have their own storefront.
• Holey Moley is located at 316 N. Milwaukee Street in the Third Ward

Note: I am not being paid to review this bakery, nor am I affiliated with it. I just really like trying local bakeries and treats.

If you were a child of the 80s or 90s, you remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, Splinter, Shredder… all those names should ring the bells of nostalgia! I saw these decorations and knew I had to make some TMNT cupcakes!

Who was your favorite turtle? The tactical, courageous, and blue mask-wearing Leonardo? The easy-going, free-spirited, and orange mask-wearing Michelangelo? The tough, rough, red mask-wearing Raphael? Or the knowledgeable, science-minded, and purple mask-wearing Donatello? I always liked Donatello — because duh, purple mask… and science-minded!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Cupcakes
Print Recipe

1 box cake mix plus required oil + eggs (any flavor cake mix will work!)
2 batches of buttercream icing (I would recommend the White Buttercream recipe here)
Green, blue, orange, red, and purple food coloring (I used Wilton gel colorings)
Four disposable pastry bags
A large star pastry tip
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cupcake decorations (I’ve seen them at WalMart, Party City, etc)

1. Make the cupcakes according to box directions. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
2. Dye one batch of buttercream green. Split the other batch into four bowls — and dye the icing red, orange, purple, and blue.
3. I decided to swirl the green icing together with the red, orange, purple, or blue. For example, for the blue Leonardo cupcakes — fit a disposable pastry bag with the large star tip. Fill half the bag with green icing and half with blue icing. The colors will swirl together if you do this. If you need a visual, please visit Sally’s lovely tutorial! Pipe the swirled icing onto each cupcake, then top with the corresponding Turtle.
4. Repeat step 3 for the rest of the colors — green + red, green + orange, green + purple.