Buff Bake Cookie Protein Almond Spread

My Review: Buff Bake Cookie Protein Almond Spread

Rating: B+
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, semi-sweet
Food Facts: Gluten Free, 2 tbsp: 200cal, Fat 15g, Carbs 10g, Protein 11g, Sugar 3g

I am so sorry it has been a while since I posted about my recent peanut butter adventures the holidays made time fly by, but I plan on posting a review at least once a month.

SO here we are! A new flavor to chat about! If you couldn't tell from my last few reviews I am on a Buff Bake Brand kick! Mainly because their nut butters are delicious and have good quality ingredients, in my opinion. 

This flavor confused me a little bit because I am not sure where the "cookie" piece came into play. It didn't really taste like a cookie nor did it have chunks of cookies in it or anything of that nature. To me, it tasted like chocolate almond butter, which isn't a bad thing! But again, I didn't really taste/understand the cookie component of this almond butter. 

Also, this almond butter was a little bit thicker than the other flavors I have had. Now that could be because I let it sit in my pantry for a little while before I opened it. I mean I had like 3 other jars of peanut butter open! So once I did open it the oils and almond butter separated (Which says so on their container!) so much that I had to blend it to make it smooth again. I think the texture was fine, not too creamy, but not too rich, so the flavor thing could be my fault that I let it sit too long.

However, I did learn throughout this that a good rule of thumb is if you're having a hard time mixing a jar of nut butter throw it in a blender/nutrabullet/Ninja for a few pulses and it will blend it together for you perfectly!

Like I said this tasted a little more chocolaty to me so it wasn't one of those nut butters I put on everything. Here is what I DID put it on:

• A blob in the center of my oatmeal (So good!)
• A topping on my yogurt
• Banana bread
• Rice Cakes
• Straight from the jar when I had a sweet tooth

This cookie almond butter was REALLY GOOD for curbing any sweet tooth I had. Also, occasionally I would mix 1/2 tbsp of this almond butter with 1/2 tbsp of another kind of peanut butter, like creamy Jiff PB, and the nut butter swirl would be DELICIOUS! If you don't mix your nut butter together I would definitely give it a try!

Have you tried this flavor? If you have, let me know how you like it! Happy Nut Butter Eating!

**These are my own personal food reviews and I am not sponsored or endorsed by any nut butter selling company. I just want to share my love of nut butters with the world! 

Game Day Cookies

Welcome 2019 bring your new year of baking!

I for one am excited about the new Food Network Magazine monthly baking this year! Last year it was ALL about the Muffins (Check out A Muffin a Month 2018 here) and this year it is ALL about the COOKIES!

Cookies are one of those sweet treats that just warm out heart...and your stomach :-) Eating a cookie fresh out of the oven and with the crispy outside and the ooey gooey middle.....and now I am drooling. I need a cookie! Good thing these cookies are super easy to make and hit every flavor note.

I made these cookies for a Super Bowl 2019 party because the name was too perfect to pass up and the sweet salty combination of these cookies is the perfect game day treat! I mean pretzels, kettle chips, chocolate chips, candied bacon, M&Ms?! All the best ingredients in one cookie.

Even though this is the January recipe and most likely created for Super Bowl I will not wait a full year again to bake them. They can pair well for any game day whether it be baseball, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf or even for your kids sporting event! They will be a touchdown (see what I did there?) with anyone who eats them.

Well, let's get baking!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• 5 Slices bacon, chopped 
• 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flower
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda*
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup broken mini pretzels
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup mini candy-coated chocolates (M&Ms)
• 2 cups kettle-cooked potato chips, broken

*I only use baking soda since I didn't have baking powder and the cookies were just fine!

Get Your Bake On:

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat over to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set to the side. Cook chopped bacon (Full fat bacon works best!) in a medium skillet on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, usually about 10 minutes. Pour the pan drippings into a small bowl and set to the side, keep the bacon pieces in the pan.
2. Add 2 teaspoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of water to the skillet with the bacon and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the bacon is crisp, about 1 minute. Pull pan off the burner and let cool.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the slightly softened room temperature butter, 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon drippings, the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and the granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in 1 whole egg, 1 egg yolk, and vanilla until well combined. Reduce the mixer to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined. 
4. Stir in the pretzels, chocolate chips, M&Ms, and bacon until just combined. Stir in the chips with a spatula. I found it was best to crush up the pretzels and chips by hand or you could pour them into a plastic Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. You don't want to crush the pretzels and chips too small because you want the cookie to have texture.
5. Roll the dough into large balls (about 3 tablespoons each). Arrange 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake, switching halfway through, until the cookies are golden and set around the edges, but soft in the middle, about 13-15 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to racks to cool completely. (3 tablespoon made really big cookies, but they kind of have to be because of all the delicious chunks in the cookie. Also, don't expect to have perfectly round balls...again the ingredients make them a little lopsided, but they do cook perfectly!) 

Enjoy January's cookie recipe and keep your eye out for the other 11 months of cookies coming this year!