OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD-COOKIES!

  

  This recipe is actually inspired by two coupons for buy one get one free Milky Way candy bars.The original Milky Way candy bar is made out of chocolate-malt nougat, caramel and milk chocolate. As I was chopping up (and tasting) these candy bars I thought what would bring it to the next level and so I decided to include sundae toppings. I had gotten Jonathan an ice cream maker for one Christmas and we still have not opened the sundae toppings! They sort of winked at me the other night. So out of this first experiment with making what I have named "Out of This World Cookies" have come out two cookies. That is not bad for a night of baking and experimenting with cookie batter.

  I however feel that the recipe that I made needed more Milky way candy bars. I doubled the recipe then realized I ran out of milk chocolate and there never was enough Milky Way candy bars so the texture was off for the cookie. The cookie currently tastes very good but not the right texture.

   But I do know how to solve the issue and the recipe that I am going to post is for the corrected cookie. The pictures are going to be from the first experiment as I have yet to do the second experiment (that will be a future venture with updated pictures!).  I feel that if I am going to give the moniker "Out of This World Cookie" then it better turn your back pack into a rocket pack to the moon!

  I do not want some poindexter to be in his/her nerd herd and say "it may not be out of this world--but the play on words milky way candy bar/our galaxy the Milky Way is divine." I do not want then a whole controversial Kirk vs. Picard and then riots to epic dorkdom. Oh and if then the Star Trek Fan boy/girls then ran into the Star Wars Fan boy/girl the town would be full of slaps/broken action figurines. I just need this recipe to live up to its name-- not a Nerdpocalypse!

OUT OF THIS WORLD COOKIES

(This recipe makes Makes 2 Giant cookies and at least 12 big cookies or 72+ big cookies)

4 cups of Milky Way Candy Bars ( 8 regular sized Milky Way Candy Bars)
4 cups of Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Chunks
(Tip: if you prefer add another 4 cups of Milky Way Candy bars or another 8 regular sized Milky way Candy bars. You can also use any milk chocolate bar and just rough chop the chocolate. There is no need for any brand loyalty as long as it is quality chocolate)
1 cup Hot fudge sauce
1.5 cups Caramel sauce
1.5 cups packed brown sugar
1.5 granulated sugar
4.5 cups of all-purpose flour
2 eggs
4 sticks (2 cups) of butter softened
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons of salt

1.) Cream butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar in stand mixer with the flat blade.
2.) Beat the eggs with a fork and mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in one egg at a time into the mixture so that the fat emulsion can spread through out the mix.

(Tip: This will help the fat spread throughout the batter and when you bake it will have more of an even taste/texture. The fat will be mixed throughout the cookie making the cookie taste much better )

3.) Mix in the hot fudge sauce at room temperature into the batter until well mixed.

4.) Mix in the caramel sauce into the batter until well mixed.

(Tip: I used William Sonoma's Hot fudge Sauce and William Sonoma's Caramel sauce that was already stored at room temperature. I am not sure the quality of the product if you go crazy in a Ice Cream Shoppe or shop or store if you use straight from the hot fudge warmer. I have not been able to test this product as if I were a fat kid in a Candy Store that also has ice cream sundaes).

5.) In a side large bowl shift together flour and baking powder. Then add the salt but do not shift the salt in the mix.

6.) Gradually mix in the flour mixture into the batter using the mixer hood and at low speed.
7.) Add in the Milky Way candy bars and the Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Chunks. Or if preferred you can just add in the Milky Way Candy bars and omit the Chocolate Chunks.

(Tip: I find in my Artisan KitchenAid Stand Mixer that I need to scrape down with a spatula and gradually mix in my additions (i.e. sprinkles, chocolate, candy bars, etc) to the batter. So what I like to do is scrape down one side add in some of the additions then sometimes I even have to manually mix in the items to make sure that the bottom has just as much additions as the top of the batter. Or even better I might even cut the batter in half mix in the items then put aside then repeat the process. Then I merge them together and do one more mix).

8.) Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until it is firm enough to roll into big cookies or to put in the Wilton Giant cookie baking pan.

I  ended up only making one Giant cookie and then I made about 36 big cookies which I froze.



 9.) After 30 minutes two options for the cookie dough:

A.) Big cookies should be baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden.

(Tip: I like to use reusable baking mats but parchment paper also works well. Never grease a cookie pan for a cookie or else it will slide right off of the cookie sheet).

B.) Please refer to my post Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies With A Hint of Peanut Butter or you could refer to the label of Wilton's Giant Cookie pan on how to prepare the Giant Cookie.

The cookies should bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. Let the cookie cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then move onto the cooling rack.

BIRD'S NEST TREATS FOR EASTER

         When I think of Easter I think of: birds, nests, rabbits, tulips, chocolate rabbits, jelly beans, baskets and I think of baking with coconut. I wanted to use the rest of my sweetened shredded coconut before it expired. I had a bag that had not expired but had been opened a while ago. I did not want to use that in my baking but I did use if for under my birds nests for a lovely display on a large rectangular tray. I just wish I took a picture of it!


         This Easter however my back is injured so I could only work at counter level and I needed to rest/ take a break from standing. That is why this time baking took longer. I am quite appreciative of my husband for helping me with my baking projects. He helped get things out of the oven for me and things off of high shelves. He was great and was rewarded this time with some sweets.


        It has been a while, since I work in a hospital, that I have had off a major holiday. I have not really seen my in laws for more than a couple of minutes in a really long time. I have to say the one benefit of injuring my back was being able to spend Easter with them. I felt like I had to make up for lost time and I never go to a person's house empty handed. I made two giant chocolate chip coconut cookies (froze one, brought one whole and I had left over dough that was divided into 12 cookies which I also froze  as well) and I made these new Bird Nest cookies.


       I modified a recipe that I found in "Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook" and the original recipe was "Bird's Nest cookies." But my back is hurting me still and I did not want to make small cookies and I did not have the requested M&M's semi-sweet chocolate mini baking bits. I had this great pan Wilton Brownie cup pan that I thought looked very much like a nest. The pan is designed so you can make a brownie and have a spot for the à la mode.

The bottom of the pan but the top of the "brownie cup" where the ice cream would normally be placed

Top of the pan but the bottom of the "brownie cup." I have used Pam baking spray on it which has flour in it.

       I was also very tired and I doubled the recipe but I did not double the flour-- however it came out really good. It was probably a misstep after all that rest in between chopping the butter and etc for two sets of cookies. I will first include the original recipe and then I will introduce my recipe.




     BIRD'S NEST COOKIES

From page 469 of the book " Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook" copyright 1997 by publication International, LTD. This recipe is doubled and is the sole property of Publications International, LTD).

2 2/3 cups (7 ounces) flaked coconut

2 cups (4 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

3.5 cups M&M's semi sweet chocolate mini baking bits, divided

1.) Preheat Oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit

2.) On an ungreased cookie sheet spread flaked coconut.

3.) Toast in oven, stirring until begins to turn light golden about 25 minutes

(TIP: This happened for me at 6 minutes I stirred and by 8 minutes the shredded sweeten coconut was golden. You need to be actively watching the oven)

4.) Remove coconut from the cookie sheet and set aside

5.) Increase heat from 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

6.) In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

7.) Beat in one egg mixed with the vanilla one at a time.

8.) In another large bowl shift the flour with the salt

9.) Fold the dry ingredients in divided section into the creamed mixture.

10.) Stir in 2 cups of the of the M&M's semi-sweet mini baking bits

11.) Form dough into 1 1/4 inch balls

12.) Roll the dough balls heavily into the toasted coconut

13.) On a lightly greased cookie sheet place the dough balls 2 inches apart.

14.) Make indentations in the center of each cookie with thumb.

15.) Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until coconut is golden.

16.) Remove cookies to wire racks

17.) Immediately fill indentations of the cookies with remaining "M&M's semi-sweet chocolate mini baking bits, using scant amount for each cookie.

18.) Cool completely.

     BIRD'S NEST TREATS

This is a variation of the recipe that  was From page 469 of the book " Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook" copyright 1997 by publication International, LTD. This recipe is doubled and is to be used with 2 Wilton's Brownie Cup pans).

2 2/3 cups (7 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut

2 cups (4 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups Nestles Toll House Milk Chocolate Chunks

Pam's Baking Spray with flour

To decorate:

Green Frosting from Betty Crocker (or preferred frosting mine was actually Christmas green frosting I got on sale in January with the expiration date of 12/12).

Decorating pen/gun with grass tip (purchased separately)

Jelly Beans or chocolate eggs (I did not use but wish I had them)

Nonpareils or sprinkles in spring time colors

1.) Preheat Oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit

2.) On an ungreased cookie sheet spread flaked coconut.

3.) Toast in oven, stirring until begins to turn light golden about 25 minutes

(TIP: This happened for me at 6 minutes I stirred and by 8 minutes the shredded sweeten coconut was golden. You need to be actively watching the oven)

4.) Remove coconut from the cookie sheet and set aside

5.) Keep Oven heat at 300 degrees Fahrenheit

6.) In a Stand mixer's bowl with the flat blade cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

7.) Beat in one egg mixed with the vanilla one at a time letting the egg mix well with the creamed butter.

8.) In  large bowl shift the flour with the salt

9.) Fold the dry ingredients in divided section into the wet ingredients letting the dry ingredients mix well.

(Tip: If you do not slowly fold the dry ingredients in sections into the wet ingredients the dry ingredients will explode into your face if you use a stand mixer.  I learned this the hard way. Also you want consistency in the mixture especially before you add the chocolate chunks).

10.) Stir in about two cups of the toasted shredded sweeten coconut



Bird's Nest Treat mix with toasted coconut added to the mixture.



Toasted Coconut and Nestle Toll House Chocolate chunks

11.) Stir in Nestle Toll House chocolate chunks

12.) Spray Pam's baking spray in the two Wilton's Brownie Cup pans

Wilton's Brownie Cup pan that has been sprayed with Pam's baking spray with flour

13.) Divide the left over toasted coconut and place in the bottom of the Wilton brownie cup pans.

14.) Scoop with a regular sized ice cream scoop the dough into the Wilton Brownie cup pans. Then spread/smooth with a small spatula the dough to make sure that it is evenly smoothed out.

15.) Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until top is golden.This recipe yields twelve Bird's Nest Treats

Bird's Nest Treats baking on bottom rack at 300 for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden

Bird's Nest Treats Golden

16.) Cool completely.

I wish I added more toasted coconut to the bottom the the pan so there would be more toasted
coconut on the top of the Bird's Nest Treats. The Bird's Nets are cooling on cooling rack on top
of a jelly roll pan.

17.) When the cups are cooled use green frosting and place into frosting gun with grass tip. Fill the cups with the green frosting.

Bird's Nest Treats showing the frosting and the finished product

Finished Bird's Nest Treats

Tip:  I used what I had which were left over Chocolate chunks as eggs and rainbow nonpareils. I would have loved to scattered some jelly beans and chocolate eggs onto top of the Bird's Nest instead. Use your imagination and your budget!

Tip: This mistake actually ended up working in my favor. With less flour they were less brittle and more cake like than cookie-like. I do however want to have a rematch and try "The Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook" recipe.

Tip: Make sure to bake at 300 instead of 350 because the Wilton brownie cup pan is deep and you want it evenly cooked.

HOW SHOPRITE BECAME SHOP WRONG!

     I have had to let my temper rest for more than a week before posting this blog post. I also reinjuried my back and have not been able to sit down comfortably for more than a couple of minutes as well.

    I have been trying to improve and step up my couponing. Jonathan has been nagging me to start going to ShopRite/Grade A for two and half years. It is out of my way and on the other side of town. But supposedly it has the best deals around. People swear by this store and how much cheaper it is and for the most part they are right. You save a couple of cents at ShopRite but it does not make sense for me to ever return to the West Main Street location ever again.

   I have been feeling like I need to work harder at saving more. I only work part time plus where I work is too far away to make a profit with extreme gas prices to go full time (if I was ever offered that option). Often I feel that my job is a vanity job. It is a vanity job that does not let me be to be vain with ugly ill fitting scrubs, scrub hats, and the fact I see a lot of poop/blood. 


   But to clarify it is not really a vanity job and in these times I am grateful for my job. However, I need to work full time in a closer to home job because I need to work. I am not some Manhattan Upper East Side Lady who lunches and when she is not shopping volunteers at the chic $10,000 a table charities. My husband does not get as much overtime like he used to and I pick up occasional extra shifts. If I picked up 16 more hours the gas price increase to money earned would not make it worth the drive. I also was out of work with a back injury which actually reared it's ugly head recently. That is the reason I have not been blogging or working again. So last week I wanted to see if I could save on the house money and so I could help out with the bare essential bills. Then there would be money left over to save for emergencies, then for a home where we could have a covered fire pit, grill and a yard for Penny to run around.

   I knew that I would not be like the Extreme Coupon women. First of all: I do not want to buy a lot of the highly processed foods and two: location, location people! $0.55 off of an item when they double the coupon and the prices are lower goes further in other states where the item might only be $1.25 but here in Stamford is $2.50.  But I was excited even in high priced land without double couponing.

  I loaded up my coupon arsenal and I went to a store that I have only gone into, including this time, twice. I went once before with my friend Donna but couldn't find my way back and it was easier to go across the street to Stop and Shop. I might have mentioned it but besides the fact that I save a lot in gas money, the Stop and Shop across the street has a better  layout, and it is so convenient-- it also has that personal stop and shop scanner. I love that scanner, you can scan your item, bag your item. Next when you check out you hand over your coupon, get a $0.05 discount for using reusable bags, and then you are out after the credit card goes through. It is just a beautiful thing, is so quick and it helps you keep on budget as well because it keeps a running total of items purchased. reusable bags

   I took my husband on a mutual day off and I warned him to eat before he left because it was going to be a long shop. It was the middle of the day after lunch on a Friday when we did most of the shopping and I figured that people would be at work or someplace else. I guess because this location is near Greenwich I should have though again. At the local stop and shop anytime after 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm is a time you do not go to the store. I have to say I did not notice that ShopRite was busy because the aisles were not full. I had no problems moving around but finding things not so much.

   We had to do some pantry shopping, get cleaning supplies and get some personal hygiene items with some really good coupons. Was I TLC Extreme Couponing good coupons? no because nowhere in the North do they double the coupons and I pay high taxes on my goods. I pay NY city prices without actually getting the NY privileges (except bums going through my trash outside my condo). This shop was just after I started clipping from the Internet, websites of my favorite products and from one Sunday paper.

   The Layout of the West Main Street Stamford Shop Rite is horrible. They have body soap on aisle 3 and on aisle 13 which I did not know going in. I had a coupon that if I bought Olay body wash I would get  an Ivory body wash $1.00 off or free. I was upset! I was scanning up and down the aisles looking for a Ivory body soap. I saw Ivory facial bars and some other Ivory products but no body wash. It was as if they knew I wanted to get it and were trying their best to Aston Kutcher punk me! I looked for over 20 minutes for the Ivory body wash and I had to ask someone to tell me the location of that body wash. The Ivory body wash was 10 aisles over in the hand soap/ hand sanitizer aisle while the rest of the Body washes are in aisle 3.  I could see if it was in aisle 4 but really? The selection also just was not there and no clear reason for product location. It was like some high guy designed it. For an example I would not be surprised if there was an aisle with tuna cans, wonder bread, miracle whip, Doritos, Funions, Oreo cookies, little Debbie snack cakes and a six pack of beer because that is a meal plan for that stoned someone. It makes sense only to that one high person that designed the layout.

  So I was in the Land of Confusion for a total of two hours. I had no idea where anything was and to compound the situation Jonathan was so tired/cranky so we had to go!

   Jon and I split up the coupons and the carts so I was no longer as organized as I wanted. Jonathan did not understand that I was stocking up our pantry while the prices were low and we had coupons. He has yet to learn but he does not run the household so he does not know how much pasta he goes through in a week.


     I had shown from the beginning to the cashier that I had coupons. As we get half way through the running total I get attitude from the cashier because I had coupons. First of all I understood some of the Spanish that she was cursing me at in and I just wish that I was not such a gringa. I wish I could have answered her back and said something witty. But instead I was such a gringa so it did not work out like my fantasy. She REFUSED to even scan the coupons because I had at the most 35. She was like "oh and do you have any free coupons" with a roll in her eye that I thought only teenagers could do. Well I did but when I first presented the neatly organized coupons she did not inform me of her preference. She was not in the mood that I was going to have her give me customer service for more than  three minutes. Apparently her training only allowed bare minimum customer service for all of 4 minutes then she did not know what to do.

   Then there was a woman behind the woman behind me and she had a total of maybe $76.00 worth of groceries while I was making a once a year wise money saving splurge on beauty and etc products that were with some pretty good coupons/sales like buy one get one coupons. She got upset as if I was using welfare checks and they were bouncing and you know what? so what! If you see someone with a big cart or if someone is using welfare coupons that take longer and you got to motor so that your son Zack can go to soccer practice in 15 minutes then you know what? Maybe your Nanny can take over your only motherly duty-- I mean come on! Or maybe go to another line. I had $700.00 worth of items and I paid a little under $490.00 for the items. The Cashier kept being rude. But that is management's fault for hiring rude people. To tell the truth the cashier being rude to me that is something I can handle.

     But no the rudeness did not end with the cashier and the stupid customer that saw big carts and was like I am in a rush let me not go to a different line with my $75.00 worth of groceries. I was still in the middle of a transaction which was putting money into the store while the other woman was not yet in a transaction and her transaction is less. Who in their right mind says hey I have this person spending more money and is in the middle of a transaction-- you know what lets favor the person that is spending less and is being rude?

  The Customers service woman came over and was like "that person is complaining and you know this is not a good time to come." She was extremely rude! She was talking about how a lady was complaining (a good customer service rep would have opened more lines cashier to have that woman go through while the service rep with a nice attitude put my valid coupons through). Then she kept saying that "I should know better than to come into this store at this time." I should know better than come into the store I have never been in? I should know better than be so stupid to buy things from this location.


     I wanted to be rude, I wanted to yell, I wanted to go Clint Eastwood alla Dirty Harry on her and I wanted to get the hell out of there. Perhaps do a little Rushmore where I do juvenile acts to an older [wo]man for payback but I just turned 30. I am a mature woman who has a pearl necklace and pearl earrings that I sometimes like to wear with a short sleeve knit sweater with a matching cardigans. So I did not do any of those things!

  I just played it nice and honey. I killed her with kindness. I said in my sweet just turned 30 voice "Oh I am so sorry I came at this hour. You know this is my only day off with my husband and we have never shopped here before. You know next time I will spend my $500.00 some place else. In fact I will make it easy on you all and I will never come back to this store again. Stop and Shop is actually easier and more convenient."

  I now will never go to that location for Shoprite. My husband went three days ago to the Shippan Ave location which is closer to his job. We killed on coupons and we reused their bags if Jon would have used two coupons we would have saved over $54.00 and we only spent like $48.00 on items. I refused to let Jonathan get anything that was not on sale and that was not with a coupon. We got land o lake butter after coupons for $1.23 (at Stop and shop on sale it was $3), 2 liter Diet coke (my dad is visiting and love diet coke) for $1.00 and some cracker barrel cheese as well. I was so mad I wanted Jonathan when he shopped there to REALLY stick it to them. I was so happy when he went to the location closer to his work than that West Main Street location.

   I know the Shop Rites of Stamford is owned by the same person but I will never go back to the one on West Main Street.  As an adult who paid in full, was polite, using good/valid coupons and was giving good business to a store I have never been so poorly treated. I could understand the poor treatment if I did not have the money to pay for the items, if my coupons were expired/not valid or if I was just rude. But I was just a woman who had rare moment she could shop with her husband for great deals with great coupons. Coupons still are money to the Grocery store especially ones that do not double the coupons. It was not like I was paying with monopoly money or made a scene I just took it and was very adult about it. However I am fuming!

   I had never really shopped there because the first time I went with Donna it was not really for pantry or really for anything but just to check it out. I could have honestly started driving to that location and give them my  weekly main shop purchases. If this trip had gone well it could have been my new grocery store but instead it was just such a nightmare and it was never convenient. I knew it was not going to be as convenient as my Stop and Shop but I was thinking to myself "well as long as I save in the long run it will be worth it because cents add up to dollars add up to a better way of life, blah, blah." But that was not the case. I was honestly so upset for days.

                               That is how ShopRite became Shop Wrong!