Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Box Red Velvet Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 Large Eggs

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

½ Cup Icing Sugar

Yields: Approximately 20 Cookies

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silicone baking mat)

2.       In a large bowl mix together the cake mix and the baking powder

3.       In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla

4.       Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir to form the dough. You will need to fold the dough with your hands in order to get rid of all the dry “pockets” of cake mix. The dough will be oily

5.       Fold in ¾ cups of the white chocolate chips

6.       Roll into 1 ½” balls and put about 10 on the baking sheet

7.       Put 4-5 chocolate chips on top for looks – if you want. (NOTE – See mine aren’t very "pretty" and have browned tops… I’d suggest waiting until the cookies are half way cooked and then putting the chocolate chips on the top)

8.       Bake each batch for 10-12 minutes

9.       Remove from oven and top with a sprinkle of icing sugar

10.   Allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet and then fully cool on a wire rack

Unfortunately - mine didn't turn out the nice bright red that I've seen on Pinterest... but they tasted great !

ENJOY & let me know if you try them and anything you did differently to make them better !!!

pumpkin cheesecake

Well, thanksgiving has long since come and gone - but I'm still thinking about the pumpkin cheesecake I made for dessert. I got the recipe off of pinterest (of course) and here is the link for it : http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/pumpkin-cheesecake/

I'm usually extremely lazy about recipes and if there are a ton of ingredients or numerous steps I don't even attempt it. However the picture looked so delicious and the thought of two amazing things like cheesecake and pumpkin being mixed into one made me feel obligated to give it a try.

Miss Adele, who was 3 weeks old at the time, blessed me by napping for the evening while I made this. :)

Already looking forward to next fall so I can make this again !!!

the recipe says to soak the pumpkin in paper towels to remove excess water - the puree I bought didn't need it, so check out your puree and decide if you need to do that step or not.

pressing down the crust mixture... not sure if my finger should be bending like that or not ?

using the mixer my mother-in-law bought me last Christmas

mmm first part out of the oven

second level of deliciousness

yummy topping = crushed ginger snap cookies and caramel sauce

all done.

(Also note - not the best idea to take home the leftovers when you are trying to lose baby weight and your husband doesn't eat anything with pumpkin in it... or cheesecake for that matter. Oops haha.