Browse Tag by Christmas
Cookies

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Chocolate Truffle Cookies are a rich and fudge-y cookie that taste just like a truffle, but in cookie form!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Guys, these cookies! I do not even know where to begin. These are one of those recipes that is the perfect fix for when you are needing something ultra chocolate-y. I found these beauties on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. At first, I don’t know why, but I just didn’t know what to think of them. They looked super tasty, which is why I tried them, but I just didn’t know how it was possible that a cookie could taste like a truffle. Mel’s recipe proved my doubts entirely wrong.

This is one of those recipes that I tried and realized how much I would be missing out on if I had never tried something new. Do you have any recipes like that? The kind that you don’t know where you would be without? These cookies are one of those recipes for me. Chocolate Truffle Cookies have earned an official spot on my Christmas cookie plate for the years to come. If you like chocolate, these are definitely for you. My sister and I were talking the other day and I mentioned this rad cookie recipe I found. She asked me if they were really chocolate-y, because if they were she needed them to curb her chocolate craving and would be making them STAT.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Another great thing about Chocolate Truffle Cookies is they really do taste like a truffle. Of course they are a little different, because they are cookies, but they still have that truffle texture.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Christmas is right around the corner, just a week away! I can hardly believe it. As I look back on our year at this season, I am feeling extremely blessed. This season and the opportunity it gives us to focus on the things that matter most is so refreshing and renewing for me. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies are rich, fudge-y, and taste just like a truffle, in cookie form.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 cups butter, soft
  2. 2 cups powdered sugar
  3. 2 teaspoons vanilla
  4. 1/4 cup sour cream
  5. 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  6. 2 1/4 cups flour
  7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  8. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  9. 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  10. extra powdered sugar, for coating cookies
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Turn mixer or beaters on slowly so you do not create a powdered sugar mess and cream butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes. Add sour cream and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Slowly mix until combined. Mix in chocolate chips. Roll dough into 1- 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake cookies 9-10 minutes. Do not over bake. They shouldn't spread much.
  2. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool five minutes on the pan and then place on a wire wrack to finish cooling. Once cooled, dip the tops in powdered sugar. We enjoy these room temperature or chilled. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
  1. Yields: About 2 dozen
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
No-Bake

Oreo Crack Squares

Oreo Crack Squares are a dreamy mixture of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter. Oh my! Oreo’s chunks are also incorporated into the candy, adding a satisfying crunch and complimentary flavor. 

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

One of the best confectionery parts of the Christmas season is homemade candy. Making it, giving it, and receiving it, I love it all! Each December I only wish there were more time to test out recipes, but I try out as many as I can with the time I am allotted.

Oreo Crack Squares were one of the treats I was able to test out this year. They just may be a new favorite! You can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter, but add white chocolate and Oreo’s to the mix and you have yourself candy perfection. 

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

Christmas is well on it’s way! Every December, I find myself wondering where the month has gone. I am definitely thinking the same thing today. Time is something that can be difficult to find this time of year. There is always a Christmas party, shopping, family gathering or other commitments that tend to load up the month. 

I love all of these festivities special to this time of year, but also believe we can easily spread ourselves so thin we forget to enjoy the season and reflect on it’s true significance and meaning. With that in mind, as I search for recipe ideas, I usually revert to the ones that are simple and take the least amount of time. Oreo Crack Squares are just that. They are easy as can be and ready in a time crunch. 

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

Last Friday, as I prepared some Christmas goodies, including these bad boys, I teetered back and forth on which candy to make. Oreo Crack Squares won out, because I thought they would be delicious and especially because I knew they would be quick to whip up!

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

I sincerely hope you all have the Merriest of Christmases. Find the time to do what matters most to you. You won’t regret it. I love this season and all that it means for each and every one of us.

Oreo Crack Squares
Oreo Crack Squares are a dreamy mixture of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter. Oreo's chunks are also incorporated into the candy, adding a satisfying crunch and complimentary flavor. 
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  2. 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  3. 2 cups white chocolate chips
  4. 1 cup peanut butter
  5. 24 Oreo's, coarsely chunked
Instructions
  1. 1. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. Place milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and peanut butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in increments of 60 seconds on a power level of 50-60% until fully melted. Stir in between each increment.
  2. 2. Coarsely crush the Oreo's. Place them in a gallon Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Do not crush too much, the larger chunks add a lot of texture to the squares. Reserve about 1/3 cup of crushed Oreo's for the topping, particularly the finer bits.
  3. 3. Stir Oreo chunks into the chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Pour into the parchment lined pan and refrigerate until firm. To hasten this process, place in the freezer for about thirty minutes. Cut into small squares. Enjoy!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Cookies

Amish Sugar Cookies

Amish Sugar Cookies are the perfect cookie for any Christmas platter! They are soft, chewy, buttery, and so flavorful, the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth kind of cookie. 

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you probably know I love frosting. Before I first tried Amish Sugar Cookies, I just didn’t understand how any sugar cookie could be complete without frosting, but these are. 

Amish Sugar Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Just to ensure they really were fantastic enough on their own, I have experimented. I have tried them with buttercream frosting and have made them dipped in milk chocolate. While my favorite of the two was probably the chocolate coating, I learned I just like them best on their own, with a few Christmas sprinkles of course! Most recipes instruct to treat them as a drop cookie. I have issues with the way drop cookies look, so I still roll them into balls. I think it’s prettier that way, but do whatever suits your fancy!

Amish Sugar Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Aside from how positively delicious they are, Amish Sugar Cookies are close to my heart because of how I learned about them. One of our close family friends brought them over to my older sister Elly after she had had a baby. My sister raved about them to me, telling me all about how buttery and melt-y they were. She also told me they were so good they don’t need frosting. 

Sugar cookies without frosting? How scandalous! Elly collected the recipe from our friend and has continued to make them ever since. She brought a batch to my house the following year during the Christmas break and I was hooked. Anytime either of us make these cookies, we think of that close friend, who has since passed away. It’s sweet to have those reminders of loved ones who have passed, especially during the holidays. 

Amish Sugar Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Amish Sugar Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Amish Sugar Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Amish Sugar Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Amish Sugar Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Amish Sugar Cookies have since become a Christmas favorite of mine. I hope they will become one of yours too. December is going by too fast. I wish I had more time to share recipes for the season, but Christmas celebrations and traditions are important to me, so I am doing as good as I can with the time I have :). Enjoy!

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Amish Sugar Cookies
Amish Sugar Cookies are the perfect cookie for any Christmas platter! They are soft, chewy, buttery, and so flavorful, the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth kind of cookie.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup butter, soft
  2. 1 cup vegetable oil
  3. 1 cup granulated sugar
  4. 1 cup powdered sugar
  5. 2 eggs
  6. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  7. 4 1/2 cups flour
  8. 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  9. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  10. Christmas colored sprinkles, optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Cream the butter, oil, and sugars. Add eggs and mix. Add vanilla and mix. In a large separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Gradually combine with the wet ingredients. Roll dough into 1-1 1/2 inch balls. Place sprinkles (if using) in a small bowl. Dip the top of each cookie ball in the sprinkles and place cookie on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Don't let them turn brown! Let cool about five minutes and place in an airtight container.
Notes
  1. I have had these cookies go hard the next day, so I usually put them in an airtight container while they are still warm and place a piece of bread in with them for extra moisture to avoid this problem.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Ramblings

The Hunt

So there are a lot of hunts this time of year. The hunt I am thinking of is one of my favorites though. It is not just any hunt it is the hunt. This hunt happens at various times throughout November and December for different families, but for us, the hunt happens as soon as possible after the Thanksgiving holiday. I usually count it as part of our Thanksgiving celebration really.

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

Have you guessed what the hunt is that I’m referring to yet? Tromping through the snow, trees, mountains, forest? It’s that time of year for the Christmas tree hunt! We spent Thanksgiving at the ranch this year with My Cowboy’s family so four out of the five couples, including us, went to search out our Christmas trees from a canyon nearby.

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The climbing.

This little cowboy even brought his sled to help carry his tree down the mountain.

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

Of course there were some snowball fights. 

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

We raise self-sufficient cowboys around here. This little cowboy chopped down his own tree for his own room.

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

We found one!

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

This is why we love Katelyn.

The Hunt from butterloveandcowboys.com

One of the best parts of Christmas and other holidays to me is tradition. Traditions bring us together in a special way, especially families. I am grateful for the traditions my family had growing up and for the sweet memories I can look back on from those times. I am also grateful for the traditions My Cowboy and I have and the ways they bond us. My grandpa passed away earlier this month so I have been feeling especially nostalgic. Reminiscing on traditions from my childhood and those that we have formed or carried on into my adulthood, has been a way to keep loved ones close, including those who have passed on.

I have officially finished decking our halls now that the Christmas tree is up. Merry Christmas season to all of you! I feel so blessed each year as we celebrate the Savior’s coming into the world and marvel at His selfless life and sacrifice on behalf of each of us. I sincerely hope your Christmas is merry and that the true Reason we celebrate this season brings peace to your neighborhoods, homes, and families.

Brownies and Bars

Gingerbread Cookie Bars

These bars. I adore them! Gingerbread Cookie Bars are a soft, holiday flavored treat. The milk chocolate and white chocolate chips are a great little compliment to the gingerbread flavor. These bars also paired so wonderfully well with cream cheese frosting! 

Gingerbread Cookie Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

The original recipe comes from the lovely ladies over at Six Sister’s Stuff.  Now, about that cream cheese frosting. Not that I have ever had a tendency to over-frost anything in my life ever, but I may have gone a little bit overboard on the Gingerbread Cookie Bar to cream cheese frosting ratio. Not to worry though, I will adjust my frosting recipe to reflect a little better proportions. The great thing about frosting is you are always welcome to use as much or as little as you want. Personally, I love having a little extra frosting in the fridge to eat with a spoon when occasion requires.

I whipped up these Gingerbread Cookie Bars while I was at my parent’s house last week. During my visit, my sister and I helped my Mom decorate for Christmas. Included in that decorating was picking out which Christmas dish sets to pull out. My mom has many sets of beautiful Christmas dishes, and this gold-tipped poinsettia set these bars are featured on just happens to be my most favorite set.  When I was a kid, my Mom always reminded me we couldn’t put the dishes with the gold tips in the microwave. She explained what would happen if I did, but sometimes you forget. I still remember the day I learned through practical, personal experience I should never EVER place them in the microwave.

Gingerbread Cookie Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Let’s just say my older sister RE-learned why she should never put the gold tipped plates in the microwave last week, in the same way I learned it as a kid. Aren’t older sisters a riot?

Gingerbread Cookie Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Gingerbread Cookie Bars not only taste like Christmas, but are a quick and easy way to feed a crowd. The recipe can be easily doubled for a regular sized cookie sheet.

I can’t believe how quickly Christmas is approaching and wish there was more time to share more recipes for your festivities! I hope you enjoy these bars!

Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Serves 16
A soft, holiday flavored cookie bar, stuffed with chocolate chips, and topped with cream cheese frosting.
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Cookie Bars
  1. 1/2 cup butter, melted
  2. 1/4 cup brown sugar
  3. 3/4 cup sugar
  4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  5. 1/3 cup molasses
  6. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  7. 1 egg
  8. 2 cups flour
  9. 2 teaspoons baking soda
  10. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  11. 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  12. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  13. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  14. 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
  15. 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  2. 1/2 cup butter, softened
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  4. 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  5. Christmas sprinkles, optional
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and molasses. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla and mix. Add egg and mix.
  2. 2. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add to wet ingredients. Combine well. Add milk and white chocolate chips and mix. Place in greased pan and bake 15-18 minutes. Let cool.
  3. 3. To prepare the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth, at least 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and then mix. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all the ingredients are added, I turn the mixer on medium speed and let it beat the frosting for 3-5 minutes, until it turns from the off-white color to more of a stark white color. Beating it this long gives the frosting a much more fluffy, soft, and smooth texture. I always do this for my cream cheese frosting. Frost the bars as generously as you desire. Add Christmas sprinkles if desired! Enjoy!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/