12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 2 - Chocolate Rolo Cookies

The best part of this cookie recipe is that you can make two different cookies using the same chocolate dough recipe. The first recipe is Day 2's recipe for Chocolate Rolo cookies and the second recipe will follow soon ...stay tuned!

This recipe was definately a very rich, sweet and chocolatey cookie. I myself could only handle eating 2 at the most. And another benefit to this cookie was that it was very easy to make and was again perfect for kids to help with. The recipe calls for rolling the dough balls in granulated sugar, but I wondered how the cookie would look if they were rolled in powdered sugar instead. I think it would look very similar to a chocolate crackle cookie. If any of you decide to try it, please comment and let me know how they turn out. I would love to hear about the results.

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Devil's food cake mix (must use this brand-no substitutes!)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 pkgs. of Rolo caramel candies
Granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. In a large mixer bowl combine; cake mix, oil, eggs and flour. Mix well until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Take teaspoonfuls of dough and roll into a ball, place 1 Rolo candy in the center and make sure that the dough completely covers the Rolo. Place some granulated sugar in a small bowl and roll cookie ball into the sugar to completely cover. Place cookie ball onto baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and the let the cookies cool completely before eating. Makes approx. 2-3 dozen cookies depending on size of the cookie ball.

NOTE: these cookies are by far better the second day. They firm up, yet the caramel in the Rolo is still soft. YUM!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Since it's zucchini season, I decided that this would be the perfect time to pull out our favorite chocolate recipe that hides this yummy veggie and makes this cake very moist. My friend Rick loves this recipe and couldn't seem to quit with just one piece when I recently brought it to a potluck. He has no problems with veggies being mixed into his favorite desserts. He only wished he had a glass of milk to go with it. LOL! So for those of you who might have an abundance of zucchini in your gardens this season, this would be the perfect recipe to help use some of them up. Go ahead...give it a try...you won't regret it!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teas. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teas. baking soda
1 teas. salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 egg
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13" baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Fold in zucchini, egg and water. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before adding frosting. Slice and serve.

Oatmeal Toffee Graham bars

It would appear by the amount of bar cookie-type recipes I have on this blog, that I really love to make bar cookies. Which is really not the case, but I have found lately that I really like the amount of different layers and flavors you get when you eat a bar cookie. And I must say that this recipe really fits in that category. I think this recipe is definately going to get rave reviews from all of you and those who get to savor it's every layer. Although I can't take the credit for the recipe, I will kindly say that BHG.com has a winner of a treat.

Oatmeal Toffee Graham Bars

8-12 whole graham crackers (rectangles)
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbls. flour
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 teas. vanilla
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped or silvered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9 x 13" baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond edges of pan. Arrange whole graham crackers in a single layer in prepared pan. Cut grahams into smaller pieces to fit into smaller areas.

In a large bowl combine the oats, sugars, and flour. Stir in melted butter, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Spoon over graham crackers and spread evenly to edges of pan to cover graham crackers.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until oat mixture bubbles and is lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Return to oven for 1 minute. Remove from oven. Spread melted chocolate over top to cover. Evenly sprinkle with almonds. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use foil to lift from pan. Cut or break into bars.

Notes: You may change the chocolate chips to milk chocolate or bittersweet depending your liking. And you may also change the almonds to pecans or for the real extreme...coconut!

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake

I discovered this recipe just recently on one of my favorite websites ever. It's a homemade from scratch chocolate sheet cake that is too die for. The recipe does call for almost a full pound of butter (no subs) so if you can get over that, you'll enjoy every bite of the cake. I brought this cake to a potluck picnic we attended this past weekend and let's just say there was very little of it leftover. If mine had been the only dessert, I'm sure there would have only been crumbs left behind. The recipe was pretty easy, but done in steps...so hang in there! It's worth it in the end.

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
(set aside)

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter and add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a glass measuring cup:
1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add: 2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.

Add 6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar, stir together. Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you just made the best chocolate sheet cake. EVER.

Oatmeal & Peanut Butter Swirl Bars

Yes, this recipe does have chocolate in it, but the dominating flavors in these scrumptous bars are oatmeal and peanut butter. Two of my most favorite flavors in a cookie or bar recipe. When I came across this recipe on the back of a 10 lb. bag of flour and saw it's list of ingredients, I knew I had to make them. My curiousity always gets the best of me when it comes to recipes.

Oatmeal & Peanut Butter Swirl Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbls. peanut butter
2 tbls. milk
(Mix together in a small bowl while bars are baking and set aside.)

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and peanut butter and mix well. Stir in soda, salt, flour and oatmeal. Press into a 9 x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with icing. Spread the icing into the melted chocolate chips to create a swirl or marbled look. Cool completely. Cut into squares and... devour!

Note: the consistency of this mixture is a thicker cookie dough. It should be a little hard to spread into the baking dish. Just be patient and it will cover the entire dish.

Soft Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

This is a recipe I found in the latest edition of the Food & Family magazine from Kraft. If you have never received this FREE magazine before you need to go to http://www.kraftfoods.com/ and sign up for it. It is mailed out at least 4 times a year. I highly recommend it! What company mails out a magazine filled with tons of recipes for free to it's customers? No one but Kraft!

Soft Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

1 pkg. devil's food cake mix
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (1/2 a block)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer or mix using a stand mixer on low for 2 mins. Beat on medium for additional 2 minutes.

Shape into 1 inch balls or use small cookie scoop. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten each ball using the tines of a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle tops with sugar.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire cooling racks. Then cool completely before serving. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

NOTE: try using the chuncky style peanut butter for more texture and color.