Chocolate Sugar Cookies

recipe from: browneyedbaker.com

Ingredients:

- 6 cups all purpose flour

- 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

(I used "Premium Cocoa" which is a blend of natural & dutched cocoa. I'll post a photo at the bottom!)

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

- 2 cups granulated sugar

- 1 cup light brown sugar

- 3 eggs

- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat together the butter and both sugars.

3. Add eggs and mix to combine. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

4. Add the vanilla extract, beat to combine.

5. With the speed set on low, slowly add flour mixture. Beat until just combined.

      Mine got pretty thick towards the end and I had to switch to a rubber spatula!

6. Divide this dough in two and shape each half into a 2" high round disk. Wrap each with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.  

7. Take one piece of dough out of the refrigerator and roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll to about 1/4" thickness. Ours weren't totally even.. but they all turned out okay ;)

8. Transfer the parchment paper and dough onto a cookie sheet, we used a cutting board, and place in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

9. During those 15 minutes, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Also line your cookie sheets.

10. Remove the rolled out dough from the fridge and use a cookie cutter to cut your shapes. Place on a prepped cookie sheet. Be sure to leave about 1"-2" between cookies.

11. Gather up any excess dough, re-roll and repeat step 10 until all of the dough has been used.

12. Place the baking sheets with cut out cookies into the freezer for about 15 minutes.

13. Remove from freezer and bake about 15-17 minutes.

14. Repeat the process with the second disk of dough.



Butterfinger Cookies

Ingredients:

- 1 cup packed brown sugar

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)

- 2 eggs

- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 1/2 - 2 cups crushed fun size Butterfingers
(At the Albertson's near us, they have packs of 8 fun size bars, we grabbed two of them)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix sugars, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl.

3. Add salt, baking soda, and slowly add flour. Blend well.

4. Add most of your Butterfinger candy pieces (Or all if you don't want to put pieces on top of dough)

5. Drop Tablespoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Slightly push a few of the candy pieces left on top of each ball of dough. (Optional)

7. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until slightly golden.

Snickers Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes:

(makes about 34 cupcakes)  

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (sifted)

- 2 cups sugar

- 2 1/2 cups flour

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup hot water

- 1 cup buttermilk

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup vegetable oil

- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Line cupcake tins and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. In a small bowl, stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Sift cocoa into a medium size bowl. Pour in the cup of hot water, and whisk until completely dissolved.

4. Add buttermilk, then add sugar, and whisk until combined. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix again.

5. Take flour mixture and whisk into wet mixture. Stir in heavy cream until evenly mixed in. 

6. Pour batter into cupcake tins, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

7. Let cupcakes cool completely.

For the frosting: 
(enough for about 30 cupcakes)

- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cream (we used heavy whipping cream because it's what we had on hand)
- 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 (7 oz) jars of marshmallow cream

1. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to combine butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add cream and vanilla, mix again. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy.
3. Stir in marshmallow cream by hand with a spatula and stir until combined.

To finish cupcakes: 

- about 3/4 cup peanuts, chopped
- caramel sauce (we used caramel sundae syrup)
- chocolate sauce (we used Hershey's chocolate shell topping)
- 15 fun size or bite size Snickers, cut in half 

1. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes.
2. Drizzle caramel sauce and chocolate sauce over frosting.
3. Top with chopped peanuts and one half of a Snickers candy.