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!

Irish Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins

When you think of cheddar cheese, bacon, and potatoes...what is the first thing you think of?

Maybe a loaded baked potato?? The luck of the Irish?? A hearty breakfast??

I find it pretty smart that the Food Network made this muffin the "muffin of the month" for March. It screams Irish and is a nice hearty, savory bake. It will do the trick to soak up all that green beer you may (or may not) consume. :-)

The best way to describe this muffin is to think of a loaded baked potato, but in a muffin form. It's stuffed with freshly grated Irish cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and shredded potato, plus chives to give it a pop of color and alittle something extra.

If you're looking for a savory bake this is it! It is a very hearty muffin, but the muffin itself is still pretty fluffy, which I love. I baked these muffins for a bake off at my boyfriends work and let's just say we won that week! Now, grab those ingredients and let's get baking!!



For this recipe you will need:

- 1 large Yukon gold potato (about 8oz)
- 1/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches of salt
- 3 slices bacon, chopped and crispy
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
-1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup diced Irish cheddar cheese (about 4oz)
- 1/4/ cup chopped fresh chives
- Freshly ground pepper

Time to Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and spray with non-stick spray.

2. Prick the potato all over with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes, turning the potato after 2 minutes.* When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and grate the potato on the large holes of the box grater. Season with 2 pinches each of salt and pepper.

3. Cook bacon in medium skillet until browned and crispy, flip halfway through; about 8-10 minutes. Remove bacon and place on a paper-towel lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.

4. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center (make a hole in the dough so you can see the bottom of the bowl in the center).

5. Whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in a bowl. Pour this mixture into the well of the flour mixture, stir until combined.

6. Fold in the grated potato, bacon, cheese, and chives.
7. Divide batter among muffins tins, filling them all the way to the top!

8. Bake muffins until tops are slightly golden brown, 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let muffins cool 5 minutes in pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

9. Top with more cheese or butter and enjoy!!

*You could also peel the potato before microwaving it. I did not do that, but I am sure it will work the way. If you do try this, let me know how it works out!