Butterfinger Cookies

For Father's Day, I gave my dad a dessert of his choosing every month for a year. I've been a little busy lately so tonight I finally got around to making his dessert for August. He asked for cookies, & at first I was going to make chocolate chip or peanut butter but that's just too boring. I decided to go for something different & found this recipe on a blog I follow. We love Butterfinger candy bars, & when I saw that the candy turns into a toffee consistency I knew these were the ones I had to make. I snuck a taste before I delivered them, & they're so tasty!

Butterfinger Cookies

From Sarah's Kitchen Adventures

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups Butterfinger pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until thoroughly incorporated. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt (if using), and baking soda. Add to the butter/egg mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the Butterfinger pieces. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 min.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and drop rounded tablespoons of dough. Bake cookies for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

I think it's high time I dust off this little blog & start posting again. I finally had a chance to cook dinner tonight, so I pulled out an old favorite. My friend gave me this recipe a few years ago, but I've made a few tweaks to it & really love the results.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

1 - 10" Pizza Crust (Homemade or Store-Bought)
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ranch Dressing
Buffalo Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe or package directions. Place on a large cookie sheet or pizza pan.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut chicken breasts into large cuts & saute in skillet until golden brown & cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl & shred (I use two forks). Pour desired amount of buffalo sauce & stir until chicken is covered.

Spread ranch dressing over pizza dough. Then evenly distribute the shredded chicken on the dough. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is golden & bubbly.


Homemade Pizza Dough
(From Pioneer Woman Cooks http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/my-favorite-pizza/ )

Makes 2 Crusts

1 teaspoon Active Dry Or Instant Yeast

4 cups All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.
Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. It's best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.