Cookies

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons

These Easter Bird Nest Macaroons are the perfect dessert to add to your Easter Sunday fare! Not only are they super cute but these cookies come together super easily as well. It just makes my heart happy when easy AND cute are thrown together in the same batch of sweets. 
 

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com
Now, let’s talk macaroons for a minute. Is there anything worse than a dry, crusty macaroon? I can only think of one thing. You guessed it- a dry pan of funeral potatoes! That’s a different story for another time though. This recipe produces a moist and luscious macaroon. I promise! A can of sweetened condensed milk can make about everything moist and that happens to be a large part of what makes up the coconut cookie base. 
 

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com
Now, let’s talk coconut. If there are any coconut-haters reading just sit tight for a second. I have always enjoyed toasted coconut, but until the last year or so, I despised coconut any other way. The first time I ever had these was over ten years ago, way back in my coconut-hating days. My sister Jessie made them for an Easter trip we spent visiting their family.  I had one bite and was a goner. These Easter Bird Nest Macaroons had me hooked!
 

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Plus, they are dipped in a chocolate ganache. Chocolate ganache can make everything better. 

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

 
Lastly, these bad boys are topped with Cadbury Mini’s and drizzled in white chocolate. I simply adore Cadbury Mini’s, but you could use other chocolate candies, like M&M Eggs, Robin’s Eggs, or Hershey Eggs. In my non-negotiable opinion though Cadbury chocolate is the tastiest 🙂 

Happy Easter! 

Like my recipes? Don’t forget to click subscribe and never miss a post!

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons
A moist and luscious macaroon dipped in chocolate ganache, topped with Mini Cadbury Eggs, and drizzled in white chocolate!
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 5 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
  2. 2/3 cup flour
  3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  4. 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the ganache
  1. *2 cups chocolate chips
  2. 1 cup heavy cream
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
  1. 60-65 Mini Cadbury Eggs
  2. 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven @ 350 F. Combine flour, coconut flakes, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
  2. 2. Place sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in separate bowl and mix until combined. Add dry coconut mixture and mix well.
  3. 3. Shape mixture into about twenty balls. Make the "nest" in the middle of each ball by moistening the back of a spoon, by dipping it in water, and shaping the nest with it. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.
  4. 4. Let cool completely on cookie sheet. To make the ganache, pour chocolate chips in a small-medium size bowl. Microwave the cream for one minute then pour over the chocolate chips. Whisk until chocolate chips melt and thoroughly combine. Add vanilla and whisk. Dip each macaroon in the chocolate ganache. Completely cover the entire cookie with the ganache. Place on a greased cookie sheet, or a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Let set until cooled and the ganache has hardened up a bit.
  5. 5. Place three Cadbury Mini Eggs in each nest. Drizzle with melted white chocolate chips if desired.
Notes
  1. *The original recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips. We prefer more of a milk chocolate taste, so I used about 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. Use whatever chocolate chips or mixture of chocolate chips you prefer.
  2. Yields: 20 macaroons
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Ramblings

Spring Dreams

Spring dreams come to us all and for me they started a couple of weeks ago. We had a some really nice weeks in March that teased us with sixty degree days. Those days came before spring officially started, in the beginning of the month. Those weeks played an awful joke on us! Since then our temperatures have dropped a bit, more towards the forties and fifties. Not too bad for early spring right? At least not in our neck of the Idaho woods.

Spring Dreams from butterloveandcowboys.com

The part of the story that made those warm weeks such a teaser are the howling winds that have begun to accompany the forty and fifty degree temperatures. Wind is an abomination. It can easily turn a pleasant day into a bone-chilling nightmare. I believe wind ruins more outdoor plans than any other factor of the weather.

I am no stranger to wind. I grew up in north-central Montana. In Montana, strong winds are a fact of everyday life. My Mom was frequently exclaiming, “The winds are blowing a’ hundred miles an hour!” In fact, I seriously thought the winds often blew “a hundred miles an hour” until about a year ago when my sister pointed out that, while Montana winds blow fast and hard, if the wind is really blowing one hundred miles per hour, there is likely severe damage. She confided in me that she had always been confused by that expression and thought our winds frequently blew “a hundred miles an hour” as well :). I still love that expression though because it reminds me of my Mama and my childhood home!

Spring Dreams from butterloveandcowboys.com

Said winds are pretty much the only complaint you will hear me moan about in regards to Montana. Other than that, my home-state is ideal :). My Cowboy is no fan of Montana winds either. He, like many visitors to the territory will often be heard to express, “No matter when we come here, the wind is always blowing!” However, after moving to our little corner of Idaho for about a year, I have to say, it may have Montana beat. If it does not have her beat, it is a tie or close second place.

These forty-fifty degree days, and the winds have awakened a deep yearning inside of me for warmth and spring! Until the winds let up, I suppose “Spring Dreams” will have to suffice. I have been dying to share ranch photos with you, but this ranch is in that awkward phase of grayish-brownish-almost greenish as it transitions from winter to spring. Now I will finally explain what these pictures are all about. I am sharing some photos from last year when the days were warmer and the grass was greener!

Spring Dreams from butterloveandcowboys.com

Spring Dreams from butterloveandcowboys.com

Spring Dreams from butterloveandcowboys.com

Spring Dreams from butterloveandcowboys.com

Spring Dreams from butterloveandcowboys.com

Spring Dreams from butterloveandcowboys.com

Here’s to sunshine and greener pastures ahead! Happy Spring!

*Like my recipes and ramblings? Then don’t forget to subscribe and never miss an update!

Brownies and Bars

Seven Layer Bars

I have been searching the internet high and low for all sorts of variations on Seven Layer Bars. They are so versatile! The unique combinations and spin-offs of these original bars are endless! Now, before I move onto some of those more unique combinations, let me focus on the original.  Even the original bars can be adapted to suit anyone’s taste.
 
Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com
Seven Layer Bars are a simple, tried-and-true kind of treat. They are super quick and easy to throw together. Most recipes tell you to let the bars cool completely before digging in. Well I will tell you, in the words of ‘Mater, ” to not to.” We only wait as long as is absolutely necessary before serving these up. If you are too impatient, which is the category I tend to fall into, you may serve up a gooey mess. That, in my opinion, isn’t all bad, BUT, for the sake of easy-serve, give them fifteen minutes to cool off.

Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Like what you see? Then don’t forget to subscribe!

 

7 Layer Bars
Yields 9
A deliciously gooey and easy, classic dessert recipe that is ready to throw in the oven in minutes.
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 4.5 full graham cracker sheets, crushed
  2. 4 tablespoon butter, melted
  3. 1 tablespoon sugar
  4. *1/2 cup butterscotch chips
  5. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  6. 1 cup peanut butter chips
  7. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  8. 1/2 cup toffee bits
  9. 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
  10. 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter into a greased 8x8 pan. Combine well, mixing by hand, and press into the pan to form the crust.
  2. 2. Next, layer all of the chips, in the order listed. Layer the toffee bits, then the coconut.
  3. 3. Evenly spread sweetened condensed milk over bars. Bake 25-28 minutes.
  4. 4. Let cool 15 minutes.
Notes
  1. *I'm not a big fan of butterscotch so I usually replace these with peanut butter chips.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Bread Sweets

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Now that it is officially spring, I decided it was time for a fruity dessert this past weekend. Lemon Poppy Seed Bread was the perfect answer to my craving! Moist and light, this bread will help you turn a fresh leaf from winter to spring. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com

It was a great break from all the chocolate-y treats I have been making lately.  During the winter months baked goods like a warm brownie or a fresh cookie comfort the soul.  Now that the sun is shining a little more and the temperatures have started to climb, however, I was ready for something a little lighter.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com

Don’t get me wrong. I adore chocolate and crave it daily. Cookies and brownies have my full adoration as well. Moderation is a great thing though. Trying out new recipes is a great thing too! You wanna know what else is a great thing? Adding extra glaze to each piece of Lemon Poppy Seed Bread- that is truly a great thing.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com

Another note about this bread is that My Cowboy and I like a little lemon in our lives, however we don’t love a really strong lemon flavor. So when I make treats with lemon, I don’t use fresh lemon juice because it is so strong. Now, if lemon flavor IS your thing and you DO love it strong, use fresh lemon juice instead of the bottled stuff. Generally I am a lover of strong flavors of all sorts, just not when it comes to lemon 🙂

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread from butterloveandcowboys.com

Mmm mmm good!

Did you try this recipe or did you like it? Let me know 🙂

Like my other recipes and ramblings? Then don’t forget to subscribe to Butter, Love, and Cowboys!

Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Yields 2
A delicious, moist, and light Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 3 cups flour
  2. 4 teaspoons baking powder
  3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  4. 2 3/4 cups sugar
  5. 4 eggs
  6. 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  7. 1/4 cup lemon juice
  8. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  9. 1/2 cup applesauce
  10. 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt (can use regular yogurt as well)
  11. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Lemon Glaze
  1. 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  2. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  4. 1/3 cup milk or cream (if using cream, will need to add some milk as well)
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 350 F.
  2. 2. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. 3. In a large bowl combine sugar, eggs, poppy seeds, lemon juice, vanilla, applesauce, yogurt, and oil.
  4. 4. Carefully fold dry flour mixture into wet ingredients. Do not over mix.
  5. *5. Pour batter into two greased 8 1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inch pans.
  6. 6. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Flip over onto cooling racks and cool ten minutes.
For the Glaze
  1. Measure powdered sugar into a medium sized bowl. Add the milk or cream and whisk. If you use cream, you will probably need to add milk to thin it out. I used cream for my glaze, and thinned it out a little with milk, but as you can see it is a bit thicker of a glaze. Just add the milk until it is the consistency you want. Add lemon juice and vanilla, then whisk until there are no lumps.
  2. Flip bread loaves onto serving plates and poke holes in the tops of the loaves with a toothpick. Spread half of the glaze evenly over the top of each loaf.
Notes
  1. *I don't have the correct size of loaf pans, so my loaves of bread were not as tall as they should be.
  2. Yields: 2 Loaves
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Ramblings

Cache

Every cowboy needs a good cow-dog. My Cowboy is no exception. We have been wanting to get a puppy for years but it hasn’t really been possibility, because of the rental houses we have lived in. Ten months ago, however, we moved out to My Cowboy’s family’s ranch- the perfect place to have a puppy! In my twenty-four years of experience, I don’t think hardly ANY dogs are as happy and content as ranch dogs. 

Cache from butterloveandcowboys.com

Cows to chase, wide, open spaces to run around and discover, other dog-friends, owners who love animals, what could more could a puppy want?!

Any-who, how cute is my puppy? His name is Cache. I love him.

We are buds.

He still gets in trouble a lot.

Cache from butterloveandcowboys.com

Cache from butterloveandcowboys.com

A couple of months ago, when we were still puppy-shopping, my sister sent me a meme labeling a box full puppies as anti-depressants. I laughed, then told My Cowboy he better get me a puppy. And Soon. And he sort of did- in a “it took two more months kind of way”. That is okay though, I love him too. He even found me my absolute favorite kind of puppy-a fluffy border collie with white on his face!

Cache from butterloveandcowboys.com

Cache from butterloveandcowboys.com

A few weeks ago, I was sick enough I spent a couple of days mostly on the couch resting. During those days, I found “Babe” on Netflix and watched it for the first time in YEARS. It was one of my absolute favorite movies as a kid so it was great to see it again after so long. Does anybody remember the puppies on that show? They are fluffy border collie puppies with white on their faces. You know, they were that ideal puppy I was searching for and they were so cute! So cute that I was even more determined to find one just like them that I texted My Cowboy and reminded him we needed a puppy like those ones on “Babe”- and ASAP.

Side note: this picture cracks me up.

Cache from butterloveandcowboys.com

Now, back to the puppies being like a box of anti-depressants part. We live in the middle of nowhere. While there are many wonderful things that I love about that, I spend a lot of time alone and some days, most days, I get lonely. That is another reason I told My Cowboy he better get me a puppy- I needed a little companion, a little friend. Yes, a friend, because he is my friend and I even talk to him sometimes, or a lot of times. 

Cache from butterloveandcowboys.com

Just look at those puppy-dog eyes!

 

*Enjoy my ramblings and recipes? Then don’t forget to subscribe and never miss an update!

No-Bake

Monster Cookie Dough Dip

Guys- this dip. I love it! Monster Cookie Dough Dip is a fantastic combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Plus we are cookie dough lovers around here. For some reason any cookie dough containing oats is particularly addicting to My Cowboy and myself. There are a lot of dessert dip recipes out there that are super delicious, but this is the favorite of the ones I have tried. 

Monster Cookie Dough Dip from www.butterloveandcowboys.com

The first time I made this was Halloween night. I traded the M&M’s for Reese’s Pieces to give it more of a fall/Halloween twist. Any recipe with the word “Monster” in it is totally Halloween worthy right? 

Monster Cookie Dough Dip from butterloveandcowboys.com

Now the Oreos. Oreos are our favorite thing to lather with Monster Cookie Dough Dip, but graham crackers are tasty as well.  Even fruits, like apples and bananas would be great to dip with. Someday I may even try eating it with homemade cookies!

Monster Cookie Dough Dip from butterloveandcowboys.com 

 Monster Cookie Dough Dip from butterloveandcowboys.com

 

  Monster Cookie Dough Dip from butterloveandcowboys.com

Another great thing is that this recipe is so QUICK and EASY to whip up!

Recipe lightly adapted from: Something Swanky and The Girl Who Ate Everything

Monster Cookie Dough Dip
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 8 oz cream cheese
  2. 1/2 cup butter, softened
  3. 2 cups powdered sugar
  4. 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  5. 1 cup peanut butter
  6. 1/4 cup flour
  7. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  8. 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  9. 2/3 cup M&M's OR Reese's Pieces
  10. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  11. 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
  1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth and soft. Add the peanut butter and butter. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla and mix. Add powdered sugar, brown sugar, and flour. Mix well. Mix in oats. Fold in the M&M's or Reese's Pieces, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips. Serve with Oreo's, graham crackers, pretzels, fruit, or cookies. Keep refrigerated.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Cookies

Reese’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ chocolate chip cookie?! We sure love them around here. Now, a few years ago, stuffing cookies became kind of a big deal, and for good reason. To be honest with you, we rarely don’t stuff our chocolate chip cookies with something. I am happy to share our favorite way to stuff a cookie today. Reese’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies have forever changed the way we look at the original treat. 

Reese's Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

The possibilities of what you can stuff into cookie dough are endless. You can use any candy bar you like, oreo cookies, brownies (which I will blog about later as “Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies” are a favorite of ours),  or even caramel squares. My point is simple-lots of options people. Lots. If you choose to go the the candy/candy bar route, I highly recommend Reese’s. While other candy bars would be delicious as well, the shape and size of a Reese’s fits great. 

Reese's Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

See? I told you! They are perfect. We also choose Reese’s because they are My Cowboy and I’s favorite candy. You will fast learn as you follow this blog we are peanut butter/chocoholics. Big time. So, if chocolate and peanut butter aren’t your thing, go ahead and use whatever YOUR favorite is!

Reese's Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Now, as I come nearer to posting the chocolate chip cookie recipe I use, please understand it is indeed my personal FAVORITE chocolate chip cookie. The credit for this recipe goes directly to my big sister, Jessie. She has taken the classic favorite and perfected it. I will talk more about her cookie recipes and all the tips and tricks she has taught me through the years, plus ones I have learned on my own, to make the ideal, cookie in the future. And I will give her all the due credit she deserves then, as I have done here, but in more detail. 

Reese's Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Reese's Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Reese's Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
A fun and limitless twist on the original classic- chocolate chip cookies.
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups butter, softened (NO SUBSTITUTIONS)
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. 1 cup brown sugar
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 2 teaspoons vanilla
  6. 4-5 cups flour
  7. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  8. 1-2 bags milk chocolate chips (I usually use at least 1 1/2 bags. We like a lot of chocolate.)
  9. *24 Reese's peanut butter cups
Instructions
  1. 1.Grease a standard size cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 325 F. Cream butter and sugars several minutes, until light and fluffy.
  2. 2. Add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla and mix well.
  3. 3. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking soda. I generally start out with about 3 1/2 cups of flour then slowly add more as needed. Gradually mix the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients. The cookie dough should not stick to your fingers. If it does, add some more flour, a little bit at a time. Using too much flour is also a problem so add the flour in fairly small amounts.
  4. 4. Unwrap all the Reese's cups. Flatten out a 1-2 inch size ball of dough in the palm of your hand. Place a Reese's cup in the center and enfold it in the dough. Ensure the Reese's is mostly covered all around by the cookie dough.
  5. 5. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges begin to turn brown. We prefer them a little under-cooked as opposed to over-cooked, because they will get dry and hard.
Notes
  1. *I use a lot of Reese's peanut butter cups in my baking and I have found the most cost-effective way to buy them is to purchase the snack-size Reese's. One package contains 12 snack-size peanut butter cups. Using the regular size of Reese's peanut butter cups is great as they are a little bigger, but if you use candy a lot in baking, the snack-size packages are generally the cheapest way to buy most candy bars.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Ramblings

Howdy and Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! I am so excited to start sharing my life and recipes with you! Starting a blog is something I have been wanting to do for years. Literally. I suppose I have been waiting. First, I was waiting to finish school. Then, I waited while we moved, My Cowboy started a new job, and I completed an internship. Then, I waited while we prepared for a second move, just twenty-five miles away, but still, another move. Then, I waited until summer was over, because summer is crazy, I had a surgery, and then we were gone. A lot. We travel A LOT in the summer. Then, I waited- because. Just because. I didn’t’ really have a good reason, but I waited.

Well, I ain’t waitin’ no longer because I have started! Now that I have explained myself, let me explain a bit ABOUT myself. My name is Hannah and I love to bake. I love to cook. I love photography. I love to photograph. I love to eat. I love my My Cowboy. I love the country. I love cows. I love agriculture. I love to write. I love to run. I love God.  This blog is a place I can combine all of those loves into one and share them with you!

Any who, as I am a newbie to the blogosphere, I hope you will enjoy reading and learning along with me on this journey. I am so excited to start!

xoxo,

Hannah