Recipes with Julie Van Rosendaal: Kids' snacking recipes

It's the last week of summer, and we're wrapping up our series of kids' recipes with cookies that are perfect for back-to-school (and work) lunches! 

Katelyn shared her recipe for chewy, letter-shaped vanillies — blondies with melted white chocolate stirred into the batter, cut into letters once the baked bars are cooled. 

And Juliette shared her recipe for chai cookies, inspired by Taylor Swift, who famously loves chai cookies and posted a recipe that went viral back in 2009.

Here they are, for your lunchbox and after-school snacking pleasure!

Katelyn's White Chocolate Letter Vanillies

Katelyn Wan says these letter shaped desserts are line brownies but more delicious — she calls them vanillies. She made them for her cousins, who were "dying for a new treat."

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp. (about 1/3 cup) butter
• 1 ½ cups sugar (I used half white, half brown)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup white chocolate chips
• ¾ cup flour
• ¼  tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Melt the butter and pour it into a mixing bowl (or melt it in the mixing bowl) and stir in the sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.

LISTEN | Julie Van Rosendaal talks about kids' sweet treats:

Melt the white chocolate chips and stir it into the butter-sugar mixture. 

Stir in the flour and salt, mixing with a spatula just until combined.

Pour into an 8-inch square pan (I lined mine with parchment, but the batter is buttery enough that it won't stick) and bake for 25-28 minutes, until deep golden and a toothpick stuck inside comes out clean.

Once cooled, cut into letters (or just squares) with a butter knife. Enjoy!

Juliette's Chai Cookies

Inspired by Taylor Swift's chai cookies, which are based on a Joy the Baker sugar cookie recipe, these delicious cookies are seasoned with a chai teabag.

Taylor Swift made hers with eggnog in the frosting, which would be delicious during the winter/holiday season.

Ingredients 

• ½ cup softened butter
• ½ cup oil
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 chai tea bag

Frosting:

• 2 tbsp. milk
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• Cinnamon (add as much as you like)

Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter until smooth and add the oil. It's okay if it doesn't mix fully.

Add powdered sugar, sugar, egg and vanilla extract, and mix well.

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Next add the flour, baking soda and the contents of the tea bag, and mix on low until combined.

It won't be a solid dough, more like a mix between a dough and batter.

Scoop onto the tray and bake for 8-10 minutes. Keep the cookies on the pan until fully cooled.

Mix together the remaining ingredients to make the frosting and add a spoonful to each of the cookies once cooled. Enjoy!