Cinnamon Chip Cookies

I love cinnamon. I still have some bags of cinnamon chips left in the freezer since our local grocery store decided to clearance them all out. I don't know what I'll do once they are gone! I based this cookie off of a recipe found on Technicolor Kitchen. I found it by looking on Google Images for cinnamon cookies. I changed her recipe by leaving out the pecans and adding cinnamon chips instead. I thought they were very good, but you definitely need to like cinnamon!

I baked mine at 375 for about 14 minutes. The sheet that was on the bottom for the second half of the cooking time got a little too done. I think next time I will try baking them at 350. Or else I will bake one sheet at a time and start it on the bottom so it finishes on the top.


Cinnamon Chip Cookies

10 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted (I might try a little more flour next time)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups cinnamon chips

Preheat the oven to 375. (I might try 350 next time) Line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper. Place the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well.

Fold through the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and chips – dough will be very stiff. Scoop the mixture, using an ice-cream scoop, onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart – cookies won’t spread much.

Place one baking sheet low in the oven. Place the other high in the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes. Then rotate and switch the baking sheets and bake for another 7 minutes or until golden. This gives the cookies less of a chance to spread. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer cookies to wire racks.

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

Diet or not, I just had to try this recipe when I saw it on Dozen Flours. I love snickerdoodles, and I love pumpkin so these were perfect.


Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars
(from Dozen Flours)

Snickerdoodle Layer
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I just realized that I used a whole tsp! Oops!)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly. The parchment paper is an optional step, but it will make it easier to get the bars out later

To make snickerdoodle layer:
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be thick and cookiebatter-ish.)

In a mixer bowl (you can use the same one you used to make the snickerdoodle batter) with a paddle attachment, mix together all ingredients until well combined. This layer will be less thick and more pourable. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.

Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake for 33-40 minutes (maybe more depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the *center* of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely (about an hour). They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm, but are still equally as yummy.

After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it's completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.

Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into bars. Store in a covered container.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

I may not have too many posts for the next few weeks. My coworkers and I are starting a Biggest Loser type contest. It's just not as fun to bring baked goods to work when no one wants to eat them! Or maybe I could try to find recipes that are better for you.

Anyway- here is our last hurrah before the weigh in Wednesday morning!


Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
(I think this recipe may have originated from The Cake Mix Doctor, but my recipe had a slight change)

1 package plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1 stick of butter, melted
3 extra large eggs
1 small box instant white chocolate pudding (I couldn't find it this time- had to use french vanilla)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
~
Frosting:
1 stick butter
3 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3-4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, pudding, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend for three minutes (stop to scrape once).

Pour into paper lined cupcake tins and bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Beat butter until fluffy for frosting. Add all other ingredients. Frost using a piping bag and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Just Like Starbucks Coffee Cake

When I saw this recipe on Picky Palate, I just knew I had to try it. I've actually made it already twice before, but I never took a picture or posted it here. It has a thick layer of topping which makes it very sweet.

Beth's Starbuck's Coffee Cake

(courtesy of Picky Palate)

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix (plus ingredients on back of box)

2 Sticks cold salted butter

2 1/4 Cups flour

1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1 ¾ Cups sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla

Powdered sugar (for dusting)

PREHEAT oven to 350.

PREPARE cake mixe in large bowl according to directions on box. Spray 9X13 pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until center is just barely set.

WHILE cakes are baking, prepare crumb topping. In large bowl of electric mixer combine, butter, flour, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla until all crumbly.

IMMEDIATELY after cake is removed from oven, break crumb topping into marble size pieces with fingers, sprinkling over top. Put back in oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (topping will begin to look a little less wet/raw). Let cool fully then dust with powdered sugar, using a sieve.

CUT into squares and serve.

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirled Blondies

Today's recipe is courtesy of Baking Blonde. I'm a huge blondie fan, and these do not disappoint. If you like cinnamon, you'll love these. They are super moist and so delicious!

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirled Blondies

6 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup Hershey’s Brand Cinnamon Chips (optional, white chocolate chips or walnuts would be good as well)

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirl
5 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon (more or less to taste)
2 TBS flour
1 tsp pure Vanilla
1 egg yolk

In bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, flour and vanilla beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and beat just until combined. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8×8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.
In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues.

Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour baking powder and cinnamon.
Mix in Cinnamon Chips and/or nuts or other chips (if using)

Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Dollup cinnamon cream cheese mixture over blondie batter in pan.
Run a knife through the blondie and cheesecake layers to create a pattern or swirls.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting.