{ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer Cake }

As I've mentioned before, we always celebrate Bean's birthday with the family on Easter. Everyone is already here, so, why not? With the way Easter runs, it could be anywhere from a couple weeks early to a couple weeks late. This year, it's a couple weeks early.

Soon though, my boy will be 19. Nineteen? Isn't that like a real grown up? At least at 19 we thought we were real grown ups, right? At 19 I got married. It's crazy to think that he is now the age I was when I got married! This Is. Not. Real. Life. right???

Last year I made him a Reese's Cake, since Reese's are his favorite things ever.

Reese's Cake

This year I decided to another one of his favorite things, cookie dough. Layers of chocolate cake filled with a yummy cookie dough and topped with a cookie dough buttercream. Yas.

I love the look of cakes with exposed sides, or Naked Cakes as I prefer to call them.This is the perfect recipe for a naked cake. Slather it on if you like, but I think buttercream all over would be too much.

Naked Cakes are simple, pretty, rustic.

When you make this recipe, depending on how thick you go with your cookie dough, you may have some left over. I did, so I threw in some extra flour, rolled it up and dipped it in chocolate to make the Cookie Dough Truffles I have topping and sitting around the cake. They were a huge hit as well. I have a recipe on here just for those as well: Cookie Dough Bites.

While this looks like a big cake, I should note, this is three 6" layers. That equals out to two 8" layers or one basic recipe/box mix. I just like the look of the little 6" cakes, they are sweet and the extra layer makes them look impressive. This will work just as well with two 8" layers though!

Have a cookie dough happy day,

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer Cake

by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

1 recipe chocolate cake-baked and cooled  
Level layers but cutting any dome off the top 

*This is my go to chocolate cake, but a box will work.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling

1  Cup Flour

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Prepare filling:

Beat butter until creamy. Add in sugars and milk. Beat again. Add all other ingredients except chips. Mix until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

Add desired amount between layers. You can also add some to the top, under the buttercream, or use any excess to make cookie dough truffles (see post above).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Buttercream
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Prepare buttercream:

Beat butter until creamy. Add in brown sugar and salt. Beat until fluffy. Mix in flour, then add powdered sugar. Add in milk and vanilla. If needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time until reaching desired creaminess. Fold in chocolate chips. Pipe on top of cake.

Store cake in the fridge, until about 1 hour prior to serving.

{ Lunch Box Treats }

Well, it's that time of year again.

You know this commercial?

Oh. My. Landsies. How it makes me laugh! I used to look forward to seeing it each year, but I don't think they've played it for a few.

However, this is NOT how I feel. I feel more like this:

Sighhhhhhhhhh......... I love having the Bean home in the summer. We run around together, have 'dates' once a week, we have a good time. Of course the last couple years have been eaten alive with his Summer Drama Troupe (takes up all of June), but still, we love the summer. More than anything though, more than the passing of holidays or the coming of birthdays, the start of the new school year always makes me realize how quickly he is growing up. He will be a Sophomore in High School this year. Oh Em WHAT? 15 years old, working on 6 foot tall, wearing a size ELEVEN shoe. Sad Panda Mom. So, school starts here on Wednesday. Crazy cakes, I know, but that's when it starts. On Sundays, during the school year, I always bake up a batch of cookies or cupcakes for his lunch. Today

I'm sharing several cookie recipes that you might have missed.

Here we go:

________________________________________________________________________

Cookie Dough Sandwich Cookies    Chocolate Chip Cookies filled with a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Buttercream

   

Peanut Butter Blossoms   Soft and chewy peanut butter cookie topped with a chocolate kiss (I used chocolate hearts for Valentine's Day here)    

 

Gooey Cookies & Red Velvet Cookies   Moist & delicious cookies that start with cake mix!  
 

 Double Trouble Cookies   Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with a cream filling  
  

 Chocolate Chip Cookies   The all time favorite of most everybody!    
 

 
   Chewy Oatmeal Cookies   Rich & Buttery, these Oatmeal Cookies make fans out of even non-Oatmeal Cookie likers!    
 

Snickerdoodles   Sweet & lightly cinnamon-y, these are *my* favorite cookies. They aren't just for Christmas, folks!  
 

So, there you have it. Some of our favorites. Make some up for your munchkins & pop in their lunchboxes. They'll be the most popular kid at the lunch table. Just ask the Bean! In the meantime, I'll try not to be a Sad Panda. Cheer me up by posting below about your kids heading back to school. Are you excited? Nervous for them? Happy to have time to yourself? Or are you, like me, saddddddddddd pannnnnnnnda?

Tina

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{ Cupcake Crazy & A Thanks }

I just finished up making the cupcakes for my niece's graduation party.

I seriously mean JUST. As in, my kitchen, which looks like a horrific crime scene where the Gingerbread Man did, in fact, NOT run away as fast as he could, is still waiting for me to clean it.

Do not want.

Do NOT want.

DO NOT WANT.

*cries*

However, the cupcakes are done.

I made, per her request,

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Strawberry Filled Cupcakes

Chocolate Cream Filled Cupcakes

Dude. I'm tired.

She's worth it though... I guess. 

LOL jaykay, I mushy heart love you, Emmy!

As for the thank you, I scrolled down to the bottom of my page tonight, and what did I see?

Over 100,000 hits on my lil ole blog.

Aww shucks. Y'all know how to make a girls day!

Thanks!

Now... I must go clean my kitchen. 

*sob*

Tina

{ Cookie Dough Sandwich Cookies }

Now the real name for these should be:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches.

But I thought better of it.

Last Saturday, after returning from the Bean's auditions for the local summer children's theater, I was sitting here, twiddling my thumbs (or something like that), when this evil idea just fell upon me.

I realize now at this point, that me inventing something new is out of the question. The Googlesphere is too, too full of clever, crafty people. What I'm trying to say, is that someone has probably already came up with this.

Whatevs.

This is what *I* did.

I took our favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie, seen here and filled it with Cookie Dough Buttercream, seen here (*note, be sure to use the Cookie Dough Buttercream recipe, there is also a Cookie Dough Filling in the same post. Don't use that.. that.. wouldn't... work.).

I did add chocolate chips to the Buttercream, which is something I do not do when making the icing for cupcakes.

Just use mini chocolate chips for this. The regular sized ones are too large. I was out of minis and I tried to chop some up, which worked OK. However, the minis would work better.

So, bake up some cookies, whip up some Cookie Dough Buttercream, toss about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in, mix a little more, then, when the cookies are completely cooled, (with a LARGE open tip) pipe the icing on one cookie (or spread with a knife), and top with another.

These were EXTREMELY popular when I took them to Sunday School.

Extremely?

Yes.

Enjoy!

Tina

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