Root beer Float Cookies

Now...THESE are big, soft, and worth making.  I would increase the extract as the root beer is a very faint 'at.the.end.of.the.bite' taste.  I will definitely be making these again and they were really enjoyed by the kids and friends! Who doesn't love root beer?

~Recipe~
1 cup butter, softened...Real butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. root beer extract or concentrate *I will increase to about almost 2 tsp* You can play with this.
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Frosting Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar (or icing sugar)
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. root beer extract or concentrate *Again I will increase*

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375º.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in buttermilk and root beer extract. It starts to smell really yummy right about now...don't let the strong smell deter you from adding more flavor. The concentrate is very strong smelling.
Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture. 
Drop by tablespoonfuls*I used an ice cream scoop to make them bigger, I have a teen boy, they like BIG cookies* onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375º for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. 
In a mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth. 
Frost cooled cookies. Easy! Enjoy~

Dr Pepper Cookies

Eh...I am on the fence about the recipes posted on Pinterest.  I think some are just thrown together and a pic put with the 'recipe'....at any rate, I will not make these again.  I am figuring a recipe out in my head that will be good using Dr Pepper. Brenn loves soda so I thought these would be fun....they look better than they taste, in my opinion.

~Recipe~

1 pkg chocolate cake mix
6-8 ounces of Dr Pepper. 

Mix and bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes. 
I used an ice cream scoop to make them, they are big! 
Frost with 2 cups powdered sugar and 2-3 Tbsp Dr Pepper, mix and drizzle....So easy! If you like them, let me know! 
Enjoy~

S'mores cake

Yum! I was looking through recipes to try that I had in my piles and this looked like a great dessert. We were getting things rounded up for school to start today and I did not want to spend all afternoon in the kitchen so I threw this together and it was a hit! Smells good while baking as well.

~Recipe~
1 box chocolate cake mix, all the ingredients on the box as well. I used Devils Food.
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
graham cracker crumbs or whole graham crackers

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.  Make batter as stated on the box and pour into slow cooker.  Cover, cook on high for 2-21/2 hours.  Turn off cooker and put the marshmallows and chocolate chips over the top and cover for 10 minutes. Spoon warm cake and serve with graham crumbs or squares. Easy and yummy! Enjoy~

Blueberry Biscuits with Blueberry Compote

Yummy....That is it in a biscuit!  I found them on Pinterest and they were a hit, which is different as I am having a hard time finding TO DIE FOR RECIPES on Pinterest.  Most are just average.  It is getting a bit frustrating.    I made them yesterday and they were gone in a few minutes. Make them...soon!!

~Recipe~
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cups blueberries

Oven preheated to 425
Whisk together the flour, baking powder sugar salt and nutmeg.  Add 1 cup of the blueberries and toss in the flour until they are completely covered.  Add the cream and stir until lumpy.  Flour your counter well and turn the dough out on the counter and pat into a square.  Turn it about 4-6 times, not too much, you don't want to over work the dough. Use a pizza cutter and cut into 12 pieces taking care not to cut all the way through the dough, it should still be in 1 piece.  Transfer the dough to a parchment lines baking sheet.  Bake for about 23-25 minutes. Top with the compote and sweetened cream.

~Compote~
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp water
1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups blueberries, divided into 1 cup each
1 tsp vanilla

Combine the sugar, water, lemon juice and 1 cup blueberries in a small saucepan.  Stir constantly over med-hi heat and bring to a boil.  Let simmer until thick and add the additional 1 cup berries and vanilla. Serve over the blueberry biscuits.  Enjoy~

Samoa Bars

Our favorite Girl Scout cookie is the Samoa...this comes pretty darn close! It is a process but it is well worth it! I have made them 2 times already this week...the kids and friends devoured them....

~Recipe~

Base...
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9x13 baking pan.

Cream together the sugar and butter, til fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat well.  On low, gradually add the flour and salt until it is crumbly...you will know when. Put the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan and press into an even layer.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set and lightly browned.  Cool COMPLETELY on a wire rack.

Topping...
3 cups shredded coconut
12 ounces caramel*I used the caramel chips...they are my new best friend, so much easier than unwrapping all the caramels*
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp whole milk
10 ounces of semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

Turn oven to 300 degrees, spread the coconut out on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toast until it is lightly browned, stirring every 4-5 minutes so it doesn't burn.  I toasted mine for about 17 minutes and it was perfect! Cool and set aside.

Melt the caramel, milk and salt in a microwave safe bowl on high for 3-4 minutes.  I stopped mine after every minute to stir it so it didn't get burned. When it is smooth fold the coconut in and stir to make sure it is all covered.  Put this mix over the cookie base and carefully spread into an even layer. Let this cool.  When it is completely cooled cut into bars with a pizza cutter, I find this is the best way to always cut evenly and through a tough bottom layer of a bar recipe. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave and watch carefully and stir every 30 seconds or more. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a piece of parchment paper.  Drizzle the rest over the tops of the bars.  Place in fridge so they can set.  Once the chocolate is cooled then it peels easily off the paper and YUMMMY! You have a new favorite cookie! Enjoy~