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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

December 23, 2020 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Chocolate and peanut butter lovers will go crazy for these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies made with mini peanut butter cups and a soft chocolate cookie base.

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Well….2020 really sucked. But my holiday baking sure didn’t! I made a lucky 13 assortment of cookies and candy this year and every single batch (okay, maybe except one test batch of cookies) turned out perfect! The grand finale of my holiday baking was these peanut butter cup cookies.

Up until this year, I don’t think I’ve ever made a chocolate cookie to add to my cookie trays and tins. Crazy! I know! So I took inspiration from my Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies and made chocolate cookies with mini peanut butter cups in them. Because what goes better with chocolate than peanut butter?

Here’s what I really love about these cookies. The chocolate cookie base is almost like a soft brownie – and I freaking love brownies! I added chopped mini peanut butter cups into the cookie dough. When the cookies bake, the PB cups melt into the cookie dough and you get this chocolate and peanut butter swirl inside.

And to make these cookies a little extra, I added some chopped PB cups on top. So not only do you get that swirly, chocolate PB mix going on inside, you’re getting slightly melted PB cups on top for a double dose of deliciousness!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies are easy to make and not-as-easy to share. But tis the season and all of that good stuff, so I do plan on sharing these on the cookie trays I’m making for my family. You know, minus a few that I’ve already eaten because they’re just that good!

This cookie recipe starts with a stick of softened butter and sugar. Cream the two together until the mixture is nice and smooth.

Then, you’re going to add an egg and vanilla extract. Mix just until it’s incorporated.

Add in the flour just until it’s combined. Then, mix in the cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.

Now you’re going to add some chopped mini peanut butter cups to that gorgeous chocolate cookie dough. Make sure they’re all stirred in so every cookie has a good amount of chocolate and peanut butter in it!

Add spoonfuls of the cookie dough to parchment paper lined baking sheets. Flatten down the dough just a bit with your fingers and add more chopped PB cups on top.

Bake the cookies in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until they’re done in the middle. Let them cool for a few minutes and transfer them to a wire rack.

Once the cookies are completely cooled (and it’s kind of hard to wait for them to cool completely because yum!), you can store them in cookie tins. Or devour them and act like you never baked them!

Yum

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup mini peanut butter cups, roughly chopped + 1/2 cup for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add the stick of butter and sugar to a mixing bowl. Cream together until the mixture is smooth.
Mix in the egg and vanilla just until combined.
Then, add the flour just until combined and mix in the cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
Stir in 1 cup of mini peanut butter cups.
Add spoonfuls of the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the cookie dough just a bit with your fingers.
Add the remaining chopped peanut butter cups on top and gently press them into the cookie dough.
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are done in the middle.
Let the cookies sit for a few minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store cookies in airtight containers or cookie tins.

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I’ve tried a lot of new cookie recipes this year, but these might be my favorite! Just the simple combination of peanut butter and chocolate have made these soft chocolate cookies so, so good! Merry Cookie-mas! I mean, Christmas!

Did you make this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies

December 21, 2020 by Jessica 1 Comment

These easy Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies look like tiny snowballs and are sweet, but not too sweet, and just lemony enough!

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There are summer people and there are winter people. I am definitely a winter person. So hearing that a big snowstorm was about to dump a possible 6-10 inches (or more) of snow on us made me extremely happy! Even if we don’t end up with a white Christmas, getting snow around Christmas always makes the holiday season seem more special.

I think we all could use some extra special holiday magic this year. I’ve been trying my best to keep up with holiday traditions and have been working on quite the baking list this year. Ahead of this week’s snowstorm, I made my first round of porch drop-offs including vinyl orders I filled, Christmas presents, and cookie packages.

Unfortunately, that batch of cookie recipients is going to miss out on a couple new cookie recipes, including these Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies – a totally appropriate cookie to enjoy during a snowstorm! But this recipe is so easy to make, that they can make their own batch of cookies that they won’t have to share!

Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies

These cookies are similar to Russian Tea Cakes in that they’re both made with a butter, powdered sugar, and flour cookie dough. But that’s where the similarity stops.

Unlike Russian Tea Cakes, these cookies have a bright lemony flavor and get cooled completely before they’re dipped in icing and topped with shredded coconut to make them look like tiny snowballs.

I’ve gone through a lot of butter this Christmas! And like a lot of the cookie recipes I’ve made, these cookies start with two sticks of softened butter. Mix it up until it’s creamy.

Add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it’s fully incorporated into the butter mixture. It should be smooth and creamy.

Then, you can start adding in that lemon flavor. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and mix in the flour and salt.

The dough should start to stick together and once it does, you can stop mixing and start forming your cookies.

Roll the cookie dough into small balls and place them on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are set, but not brown, and the bottom of the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely. Then, you can whip up an easy icing.

The icing is two ingredients – powdered sugar and milk. Most icings have vanilla extract in them, but I really wanted the lemon and coconut flavors to shine through.

When the cookies are completely cool, dip the tops of them into the icing. Then, immediately dip them into a bowl of shredded coconut. Lightly press the coconut into the icing and set the cookies back onto the wire rack to let the icing harden.

Yum

Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 small lemon, juiced
Zest of 1 lemon
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the icing and coconut:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp, milk
1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

For the cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Then, gradually mix in the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Then, gradually add in the flour. Mix just until the dough starts to come together.
Shape the dough into small balls and place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are set on top and golden brown on the bottom.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack and prepare the icing.

For the icing:

Mix the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until a thin icing is achieved.
When the cookies are completely cool, dip the tops of them in the icing.
Add the shredded coconut to another small bowl and dip the iced cookies immediately into the shredded coconut.
Set the cookies aside until the icing hardens. Then, store cookies in a cookie tin.

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These cookies have quickly become a new favorite of mine! Despite the powdered sugar and shredded coconut, they’re not overwhelmingly sweet. Plus, they have a tangy lemon flavor to them that perfectly balances out the sweetness.

Did you make this Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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My 20 Favorite Seasonal Items from Hungryroot

December 17, 2020 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Get your favorite seasonal flavors delivered right to your door! I’m sharing 20 of my favorite seasonal items and recipes from Hungryroot.

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Photo credit: Hungryroot

I can honestly say that my Hungryroot subscription was one of the best things to happen to us this year. Being able to get a variety of easy recipes, fresh produce, pantry staples, our choice of proteins, and more delivered to us has been such a big help! Throughout this year, Hungryroot has continuously offered new grocery items making shopping from home so easy!

Over the past few months, Hungryroot has started offering seasonal items like pumpkin spice, peppermint, and gingerbread flavored goodies and holiday-style meals like roasted turkey plates. So today, I wanted to share 20 of my favorite seasonal items including groceries and some of Hungryroot’s easy recipes!

My 20 Favorite Seasonal Items from Hungryroot

Sweet Clementines

Is it even Christmas if there aren’t clementines in the house? I’ve never received a clementine in the toe of my stocking, but I remember always having them in the house this time of year. These tiny citrus fruits are easy to peel and sweet! You can get a whole bag of seedless clementines to snack on through your Hungryroot subscription!

Butternut Squash Cubes

Hungryroot makes it easy to enjoy butternut squash since all the prep work is already done for you! I’ve become pretty found of these Butternut Squash Cubes this year. They’re great air fried, roasted, added to a vegan chili, or turned into a colorful breakfast hash!

Microwave-Ready Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are a perfect side for meals this time of year. These sweet potatoes can be popped in the microwave and ready in minutes! One of my favorite things I’ve ever made with these potatoes is a vegan broccoli and cashew cheddar stuffed potato!

Roasting Vegetables with Herbs

Not only are the turnips, rutabaga, and sweet potatoes in this Roasted Vegetables with Herbs mix prepped and ready for you, they come with fresh rosemary and thyme! All you need to do is add some olive oil, salt, and pepper and stick them in the oven!

Shaved Brussels

I love that Brussels sprouts have gotten some well-deserved respect these days! These Shaved Brussels can be used fresh out of the bag in a salad or cooked in your favorite vegetable medley.

Photo credit: Hungryroot

Trimmed Green Beans

These Trimmed Green Beans find their way into our deliveries a lot! They’re pre-trimmed, pre-washed, and seem to stay crunchy even after cooking! I like to sauté them in olive oil with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon pepper, and a sprinkle Parmesan for a quick side dish.

Roasted Sliced Turkey Breast

I love a big holiday turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce! I especially love that this holiday favorite is made easier with this fully cooked and sliced Roasted Sliced Turkey Breast! Just heat and eat!

Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp

Hungyroot’s Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp has become a favorite in our house. One package is enough for two of us. And since we’re big on easy appetizers this time of year, this quick cooking shellfish would be perfect for your holiday shrimp cocktail!

Photo credit: Hungryroot

Organic Whole Dried Cranberries

Dried cranberries are a staple in our house. We use them in salads, for snacking, and this time of year they’re great in baking! These Organic Whole Dried Cranberries are sweetened by apple juice and would make a delicious addition to holiday recipes!

Peppermint Chocolate Bar

I have to admit that I haven’t tried this yet, but I love peppermint-chocolate combos this time of year and I can only imagine that this Peppermint Chocolate Bar tastes perfectly sweet and minty!

Mini Golden Cornbread Muffins

These mini muffins are full of sweet cornbread flavor! They’re delicious warmed up as an easy holiday side, great toasted with a little butter, and make an easy snack! Plus, they’re vegan!

Ginger Spice Pound Cake

This is another Hungryroot item that’s on my to-try list before the season’s over. I’ve heard that this Ginger Spice Pound Cake is really good toasted with butter. It’s a vegan pound cake loaf made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove spices that’s perfect for this time of year!

Photo credit: Hungryroot

Pumpkin Spice Pancake + Waffle Mix

I am in love with this pumpkin spice mix! I’ve only tried it as pancakes (and it makes perfect, fluffy pumpkin pancakes!), but my sister has even turned this mix into cookies! It’s not too sweet, but has just the right amount of pumpkin spice flavor.

Chicken Flavored Bouillon Cubes

Soup season is in full effect and these bouillon cubes will add chicken flavor to your soup recipes and more! Plus, they have less sodium than your average chicken bouillon cube and an extra boost of flavor thanks to garlic, ginger, and lemongrass!

Dairy-Free Peppermint Mocha Creamer

If you’re like me, then you love having your morning coffee with a splash of seasonal creamer. This peppermint mocha creamer is dairy-free and sugar-free, but still has all of that perfect peppermint holiday flavor!

Gingerbread Oat Bar

I love these Bobo’s Oat Bars to begin with, but when I saw Hungryroot was offering a gingerbread flavor, I had to try one! These oat bars are slightly chewy, sweet, with delicious gingerbread spices!

Please note that some items may not be available in your area.

Try Some of These Seasonal Hungryroot Recipes

Take the stress out of holiday cooking and busy evenings and let Hungryroot do the work for you! Check out of some of these seasonal recipes that would make easy holiday meals for a small family or a quick weeknight dinner.

Photo credit: Hungryroot

Winter Veggie + Curry Bowl

This vegan dish is packed with flavor! It’s made easy with ready-to-eat chickpea curry, butternut squash, a kale veggie mix, and a brown rice blend. This colorful meal isn’t just a feast for your eyes. It’ll warm you up on a cold winter night!

Classic Meat ‘n Potatoes Plate

Sometimes a classic dish can taste so good! And it doesn’t get more classic than meat and potatoes! Turkey slices, baby broccoli, herbed potatoes, and a butternut squash sauce make this a simple, hearty, and delicious meal.

Creamy Butternut Mac ‘n Cheese

I love a good mac ‘n cheese! This mac ‘n cheese recipe is better than boxed and made with a creamy, cheesy butternut squash sauce and baby broccoli.

Pesto Ravioli with Harvest Veggies

When it’s cold out, all I seem to want is pasta. This dish combines one of my favorite types of pasta – ravioli – with kale pesto and roasted veggies.

Want to give Hungryroot a try?

Want to give Hungryroot a try, you can use the code 25OFF2HOLOKA at checkout. You’ll get $25 off your first two deliveries!

It’s also not too late to give the gift of Hungryroot to someone on your holiday list. There’s something for everyone whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, or just like to sample wholesome foods from every dietary group!

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Vanilla Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

December 15, 2020 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Vanilla bourbon glazed bacon crumbles give these soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies a salty sweet flavor that’s addictive and delicious!

This post may contain affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.

One of the things I’ve missed most this year is going to food truck festivals. Getting to know some of these small business owners through their amazing food truck creations has been awesome! So when I discovered that one of my favorite food trucks, JD’s House of Bacon, was selling their bacon online, I immediately hopped on their website to place an order!

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I placed a small order for Char Siu Chinese BBQ Lollipops and Vanilla Bourbon Bacon Crumbles (and was surprised with a few extras!). There’s no denying that bacon is pretty amazing on its own. But JD’s House of Bacon takes this meaty experience to a whole ‘nother level by adding flavorful glazes to bacon strips and crumbles.

Since we usually have an appetizer style dinner on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, I figured that the bacon lollipops would work well in our spread. They’re small, appetizer style cuts of bacon with flavored glaze. I wasn’t sure what I was going to make with the Vanilla Bourbon Barbecue crumbles, but that’s one of my favorite flavors from JD’s!

As I was going through my cookie baking list and scrolled passed the whiskey caramels on my list, I had an idea! I was going to use the Vanilla Bourbon Barbecue crumbles in a salty-sweet, chocolate chip cookie recipe! I thought they’d make an amazing addition to a chocolate chip cookie with walnuts. Let me just say that these cookies are on the money! They’re salty, sweet, soft, and delicious!

Vanilla Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

The bacon and the glaze come in separate packages. So the first thing I did was add the bacon crumbles to a pan. I only wanted the bacon to brown around the edges since it would cook more in the oven. Once the bacon was cooked, I added the glaze and set the bacon aside.

To start the cookie dough, I creamed together butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Then, I mixed in two eggs and vanilla extract.

I added flour, salt, and baking soda and mixed. When the dough started to come together, I stirred in chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and the bacon crumbles.

Then, I spooned cookie dough balls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets and added some extra bacon crumbles on top.

The cookies baked in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. Then, I cooled them on wire racks. The result is a soft chocolate chip cookie with chewy bits of vanilla bourbon flavored bacon and some nutty crunch!

Yum

Vanilla Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Vanilla Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup bacon crumbles, cooked and drained, leaving a tbsp. or two aside for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Cream the sugars and butter together in a mixing bowl.
Then, mix in the vanilla extract and two eggs just until combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough starts to come together.
Stir in the walnuts, chocolate chips, and bacon crumbles.
Drop small, round spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each spoonful. Top with extra bacon crumbles, if desired.
Bake cookies for 11 minutes, or until the center is set and edges are golden brown.
Allow cookies to cool on wire racks. Store in the fridge in airtight containers or cookie tins.

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My brother and sister-in-law came to pick up holiday gifts and things I had for them the day I made these. So I sent them home with a variety of the cookies I’ve been baking, including some of these bacon chocolate chip cookies. They hardly made it out of our driveway. My brother later texted me to tell me how good they were!

The bacon lovers in your family are going to love these cookies! In fact, you might want to make them their own tin and grab them some goodies from JD’s House of Bacon!

If you aren’t planning on sharing these cookies right away, store them in an airtight container or tin in the fridge. I totally recommend warming them up for a few seconds before enjoying!

Did you make this Vanilla Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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