Cookie Monster Cupcakes

C is for cookie… that’s good enough for me. In fact, it’s good enough for most people, but for those who love cupcakes as well, take a look here.

These adorable cookie monster cupcakes capture the lovable Sesame Street sweets lover at his most vulnerable hour—with a cookie right in his mouth!

These creative cupcakes are great for a child’s birthday or other special occasion. I especially like these cookie monster Sesame Street cupcakes because I used to love Cookie Monster.

Nowadays, there is talk of Cookie Monster eating healthy and such monstrosities like that, so it’s good to see that Cookie Monster still likes to enjoy an enormous cookie every now and then. But then again, don’t we all? [singlepic=94,320,240,,right]

Ingredients:

Premade Cupcakes
Blue Sprinkles
White Royal Icing
Miniature Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chips or Black Icing

Directions:

1) Frost your cupcakes with your white icing. If you want Cookie Monster to look “extra” blue, tint some of the white frosting with blue food coloring. Be sure to keep the frosting as smooth as you can.

2) Grab a handful of blue sprinkles and lightly press them to the cupcake, being sure to cover all portions where icing is visible.

3) For the eyes, take a dollop of white icing and place them in the appropriate places. For pupils, you can use many different techniques. I’ve found that just a tiny dot of black icing works well, but feel free to use chocolate chips, raisins, etc. in order to give Cookie Monster some depth and personality. Have fun!

4) As a finishing touch, cut a small chocolate chip cookie into halves and press a half into the spot on the cupcake when a mouth would usually be. If you find the cookies too hard to cut, just shove the whole cookie into the cupcake. After all, that’s how Cookie Monster would do it!

After your Sesame Street cupcakes are complete, there is not much left to do, but enjoy. The only problem is, with Cookie Monster looking so cute, it may be hard to bite into the little guy, but you’re just going to have to try your best because he sure is tasty!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Recipe

I love chocolate chip cookies. I also love cheesecake. What would you say if I said you could have both? Believe it because it’s true—you absolutely can with this delicious chocolate chip cheesecake recipe.

This recipe is perfect and I make it a lot at my home, for parties, gatherings, or just because. This chocolate chip cheesecake recipe has just enough chocolate to satisfy, but not so much that the creaminess of the cake is overwhelmed.

In addition, the extra chocolate on top of the cake is a nice little something extra. This chocolate chip cheesecake, a large glass of milk and I’m set! You will be too; just give it a try. [singlepic=89,320,240,,right]

Yield: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1) Combine chocolate cookie crumbs and butter, stirring well. Firmly press mixture evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes.

2) Beat cream cheese at high speed of an electric hand-held mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

3) Stir in vanilla and 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Pour mixture into crust. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes; turn oven off and leave oven door ajar.

4) Leave cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool a on a wire rack. Cover cheesecake, refrigerate, and chill 8 hours.

5) Melt remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips in top of double boiler; gradually stir in whipping cream. Stir over low heat until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and spread over cheesecake. Chill thoroughly.

Yum! Making the cheesecake is almost as fun as eating it and adding in the chocolate chips is a fun way to let kids help with this recipe. The fun is unlimited, but the slices aren’t. Luckily, you can make this recipe more than once! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Lowers Cholesterol

Believe it folks, I speculated too. The reality is that now on the market there is a new cookie! These “Right Direction Cookies” have been proven to lower cholesterol and improve lipid subfraction profile, decreasing the risk of heart disease, according to a published study in The Journal of Nutrition (October).

The chocolate chip cookies, made with a combination of psyllium and plant sterols, are a tasty all-natural approach to reducing cardiovascular risk associated with cholesterol. [singlepic=48,320,240,,right]

Here, check it out!

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/53430.php

Who would have guessed that there was a healthy alternative to my love for cookies! It certainly won’t replace our favorite cookie recipes, but it is a step in the “Right Direction” towards better health and wellness.

Woman Bakes Cookies on Dashboard

In Bedford, New Hampshire, it’s hot, but for one woman (and her co-workers), that’s not always a bad thing! In her small SUV, the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies lingers in the toasty air. They’re almost done. These cookies sit atop the dashboard of Sandi Fontaine’s Rav4 and when the days get hot, she get’s to baking!

“My husband wanted me to run some errands this morning,” said Fontaine. “I said, ‘I can’t. I’m baking cookies.’”

Over three years ago, Fontaine first tried out her car-cookie baking idea. She soon learned that the temperature outside needed to be at least 95 degrees which causes the temperature in the car to rise to a blistering 200 degrees. [singlepic=43,320,240,,right]

When the temperature begins to rise, so do the cookies! “Mrs. Fields has nothing on Sandi,” co-worker Brian Champigny said of the cookie coinsurer. The deliciously warm cookies are a great addition to any work day, and with all the talk of energy conservation, what better way than to use solar energy.

When Fontaine’s cookies were finally ready to come out, she headed back outside from her work. “When you open the door to that car,” she said, “it’s like, oh, my God. It’s a wonderful smell.”

This just goes to show you that cookies really are right anytime. It further supports the idea that when life gives you sweltering heat, make chocolate chip cookies!

History of Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the mid 1930s a woman by the name of Ruth Wakefield accidentally stumbled upon Americas favorite cookie and so began the history of the chocolate chip cookie.

The chocolate chip cookie was originally discovered when Mrs. Wakefield substituted her usual melted bakers chocolate for Nestlse semisweet chocolate bar. When the bar didn’t melt completely it left little bits of chocolate, known today as chocolate chips, in the cookies.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe can sometimes be hard to come by but my recipe follows the tips discussed in How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies just the way you want them.