Things that make you go MMMM.....

Growing up I always liked to lick the beaters when my mom was baking. Icing....good! Cake batter....better! Cookie dough....the best! Of course we always got the lecture of how there were raw eggs in the batter and the dough, but we didn't care. That sugary goodness was all we could think about. In fact, my profile picture is of one such instance. Erin (my sister) and I were thoroughly enjoying whatever my mom was making that day.

When I came across a recipe (on several cooking blogs) for chocolate chip cookie dough dip, my heart skipped a beat. Could it really be? Everyone who made it raved about it. I decided to store the recipe away for a time when I could make it and not eat the entire bowl myself. Such a time presented itself last Thursday night when a group of girls from my Sunday school class came over. Needless to say it was a hit. It was super easy to make and I highly recommend it! I made it the night before and stuck it in the fridge until about 30 minutes before the girls got there.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
Source: Recipezaar and the blog Sugar&Spice

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves. (You can also do this in the microwave but watch it closely. The butter/sugar mixture will boil over fast. Stir every 30 seconds or so.)
2. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla extract and set aside to cool.
3. Beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar for 1 minute.
4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate.
7. Garnish with additional chips, if you choose.

Serve with Nilla wafers or graham crackers.

**Note: after refrigerating the dip it will be pretty solid and un-dippable so make sure to remove it from the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before you plan on serving it, so it has time to soften up.