Jell-O Cookies {Just Helen}

image from Just Helen (click for source)

(Review by Denise)

This pin was so cute I couldn’t help but check it out. Turns out: cute and simple! Just Helen  has a smart thing going with these colorful cookies. Check out her recipe here.

I would have loved to make all four flavors like she did–or at least two different flavors–but this desert heat is just too much for extended baking.  (I got lucky today because it was overcast and slightly cooler!) I used a pack of strawberry Jell-O we had on hand. I did not add any food coloring as the dough, but had I wanted a brighter pink I certainly could have. I used bright pink sprinkles on one tray, and red sprinkles on another. Both look good, but the pink blends in more. (My photo from my phone is below.)

Verdict? Great! They turned out perfectly–not crispy and not doughy. The strawberry flavor is noticeable; I wasn’t sure if it would be. (One more reason to try the other Jell-O flavors!) My girls, of course, would gobble any pretty pink dessert, but I had my doubts when it came to my 5th grade son. I thought the lack of chocolate chips alone would be a disappointment. He loves them! These would be great for a colorful birthday party or if your child’s school allows home-baked treats, don’t you think?

Salted Caramel Butter Bars {Eat at Allie’s}

(Review by Marci)

I am not much of a dessert person. I would rather snack on some potato chips than a cookie. If I do crave something sweet it has to involve chocolate or caramel. Enter: Salted Caramel Butter Bars from Eat at Allie’s. There is no word to describe these bars, so I am forced to make one up: Scrumtrulescent! (Thanks to Will Ferrell and his hilarious portrayal of James Lipton from “Inside the Actors Studio” on SNL for creating that fabulous word!) Apparently this recipe has made the rounds on several food blogs but originally came from a cook book called Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. You can link back through the different blogs and see the variations, but I think they are all basically the same. Here is the recipe I followed from Eat at Allie’s.

There is a whole pound of butter in these bad boys. (1 lb. = 4 sticks.) I never claimed to pick the healthiest recipes! As it turned out, however, this was great news for my brother-in-law who had gone the whole week without butter and was suffering a mild case of the butter DT’s. Being impatient (me and my sister) and needing a butter fix (my brother-in-law) as we were, we could not wait for the bars to cool completely before cutting as suggested in the recipe. Instead we just scooped some out with a spoon and threw some ice cream on top for good measure. It was like a buttery, caramel-y, buttery pizookie. No one finished theirs. It was just too rich and buttery (but still excellent in small portions!) I covered the rest with saran wrap and walked away, disappointed. The next morning I cut them into squares and tried one. I think there may have been fireworks. The overwhelming butter taste was gone and I was just left with a thick, crumbly crust. The salt really brings out the flavor in the caramel without being sickly sweet. I guess there is something to be said for following directions. I dare YOU to try to resist spooning it out hot from the oven! Overall, I thought these bars were excellent.

Cookie Monster Dessert

(Review by Denise)

Remember The Country Cook‘s recipe on Oreo Puddin’ Poke Cake? Well she’s back with this yummy pin. I think when I pinned the photo above, I got more repins than any other dessert. Check out Brandie’s recipe right here.

We made plans to eat lunch at a friend’s house after church, so this seemed the perfect thing to bring. Her recipe calls for a 13×9 pan, but I divided it into two brownie pans so we could eat one right away and save the other for Sunday. Brandie recommends using “a trusty helper” and it just so happens that I have a handy preschooler who loves nothing more than helping in the kitchen. (I must say, she did a fantastic job using the handheld mixer all by herself.) The cookie dough was a challenge to spread evenly, but the recipe warned me ahead of time. I thought for sure it would burn in certain spots. Nope! All is well.

Verdict? Pass. The only thing I might change in the future would be to add a bit of vanilla to the tub of Cool Whip. It just tasted a little too “Cool Whippy.” (I get to invent words here. I make my own perks.) The kids and our friends all liked it. I think The Country Cook has officially developed a yummy dessert reputation around Pin Eat Review.

What’s your opinion?

S’mores Cookie Bars

(Review by Denise)

I think this was the first pinned recipe I ever made. I mean doesn’t that picture look so good? Check out the recipe here on Lovin’ from the Oven.

The recipe is very simple conceptually–not much to it. But practically I had snafus. For one, do you have any idea what a stinking son-of-a-buzzard marshmallow creme is to work with? It had been a while since I’d bought the stuff, so I was not prepared for its unmanagibility. I also had a hard time fitting the chocolate bars in neatly, so they went in cattywampus-style. (I’m sorry I don’t have a photo to capture that very technical term.)  By the time I got to the last layer of ingredients, I had given up hope of a beautiful dessert and just blobbed it on haphazardly.

Verdict? Pass. Surprised? They were good. But even more so, my man ate them and talked me into a more positive opinion. (He loved them.)  And this isn’t Baked Alaska or Thanksgiving turkey. Next time I will just say the Serenity Prayer when I get to the blasted marshmallow creme. What about you?

“Pretzel Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips”

(Review by Denise)

Oh yes, you heard me right. Cookies with pretzels in them. I pinned this one ages ago and decided soon after making them, all cookies should have pretzels in them. It should be a rule. When someone eats a cookie without pretzels, they should cock their eyebrow and ask, “What are these? Because I know they aren’t cookies.”

And that is why I think Sarah at Sugar Cooking should win a Golden Hug for posting this. (I just made up the Golden Hug award, for anyone not catching on.) Check out her recipe here. 

One thing I had trouble with: the salt on top. You couldn’t even tell it was there, whereas her photo above is glistening with the savory opaque flecks. So don’t be a goofball like me and use margarita salt when she tells you to use pretzel salt or sea salt. She even gave options and I was like, “Sarah, nobody tells me what to do.” And see where that got me? BUT…..they were still delicious.

Verdict? Pass.

Have you made these sweet and salty cookies from Sugar Cooking? Would you also give Sarah a Golden Hug, or just a Bronze Shoulder Shrug. Please share!