Tag Archives: chocolate

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on by

4

cookie1

These cookies are so good and easily in my top five! They’re cakey, fudgy, rich and chocolaty. I’m not usually a fan of softer cookies, but these are so perfect. I am really glad that I made two batches – not all for my family of course!  Once every few weeks, my husband serves as assistant director and I always send goodies for the production crew. I know they appreciate the baked goods, and I love hearing about it 😉 Eight people polished off nearly three dozen cookies! Thanks for reading, enjoy 🙂

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-processed baking cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 1/2 cups mini peanut butter cups

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

3) In another bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

4) Beat in the vanilla, egg, and water, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

5) Stir in the mini peanut butter cups.

6) Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie to about 1/2″ thick.

7) Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Chocolate Cobbler

Posted on by

6

cake1

Chocolate – okay. Cobbler – what?? Never heard of you!  This recipe seems to be a favorite among Tasty Kitchen members, and since I have this brand new bag of King Arthur Self-Rising flour waiting to be used, I figured this was a good place to start. What makes KAF Self-Rising flour (besides the quality), is that it is unbleached and the baking powder is aluminum free. I know my local grocery store does not carry a similar product, and now I’m hoping that it will stock this soon!

I thought about making a fruit cobbler, but I know the hubbs appreciates a good chocolate dessert. This one is so simple and because I’m so darn lazy and didn’t feel like making a special trip to the store for fruit, I went with it. The batter is different from most desserts, especially because you don’t stir the whole batter together before pouring in the baking dish. It’s super simple and requires pantry and kitchen staples, but it takes 40 long minutes to bake! Hopefully it’s worth the wait! 🙂

Verdict: Chocolatey, gooey goodness! Make sure to top it off with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

cake

Chocolate Cobbler – adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.

Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. I prefer my 2 quart casserole from Princess House.

In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.

Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.

Let stand for a few minutes if you can hold yourself back. Serve with homemade ice cream using the gooey sauce to spoon over all.

Tried and True Family Favorites

Posted on by

2

I have nothing new to share…sorry! But these are some of the meals we enjoyed during these past couple of weeks. All the pictures have links to previous posts, thanks for stopping by!

IMG_20130220_173552 (1)

It was my son’s 10th birthday over a week ago and he requested this cake. It really is perfect 🙂

IMG_20130228_184311 (1)

Fish tacos with homemade tortillas and pico de gallo. This is my second time making them and the DH can’t get enough.

IMG_20130227_174936 (1)

The kids love these pretzel dogs almost as much as I do! 😉

IMG_20130226_180449 (1)

Buffalo chicken sandwiches! I have been making these for years and they’re a big hit every time!

IMG_20130303_095914 (1)

Sky high buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy are my husband’s favorite for breakfast.

Dulce de Leche

Posted on by

3

IMG_20130212_165135

Would you believe that before today I had never even tasted dulce de leche? I have read rave reviews, and have seen countless recipes all over the place; but had yet to experience the sweet stuff. This was so easy to make, and probably the safest and cleanest method I have found. The directions told me that this would take 10 hours on low, but my two jars were caramelized to perfection in less than 6 hours. I’m sure I could have taken them out sooner, had I the nerve to do so. I’m happy to report that this wasn’t a waste of time or ingredient to make, because it does taste really good 🙂 I’m surprising my husband with a decadent dessert for Valentine’s Day that is right up his alley, and this dulce de leche is a pretty important to the final product. I hope he loves it!

Crock Pot Dulce de Leche – adapted from Your Homebased Mom

  • 1 – 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 half pint sized jars
  • crock pot (mine is 6 quarts)
  • enough water to cover the tops of the jars

Directions –

Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and divide evenly into the half pint jars. Put on lids and rings. Place jars in the crock pot and fill the crock pot with enough water to completely cover the top of the jars. Set your crock pot to low and cook until caramelized, about 6 hours. Carefully remove the jars and set aside, and once the jars are cool enough to handle; carefully open, stir and taste! Refrigerate leftovers.

**Also, if you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing goody for Valentine’s Day, make these and everyone will want the recipe!**

IMG_20130212_172049

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites – adapted from Savory Sweet Life

  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (40 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 40 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (or hearts), unwrapped

DIRECTIONS –

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray mini cupcake pan with non stick spray.  In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, sugars and vanilla.  Beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually add flour, cocoa, and salt and mix until combined.  Fill each cupcake slot slightly more than halfway but not more than 2/3 full.  Place a peanut butter cup in each slot pressing it down until it is almost level with the batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until done.  Allow the brownie bites to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the cupcake tin.  Enjoy!

*Notes: Be sure to remove brownie bites 5 – 10 minutes after coming out of the oven.  Otherwise they might cool and stick to the sides making it difficult to get out.  If baking these in a pan, your baking time will increase to 25-30 minutes.  You can be sure they are close to being done when you can smell them from your oven.

 

 

Hot Chocolate for One

Posted on by

0

Sorry it’s been so long since my last post…I made this several weeks ago to remedy a craving for some real hot chocolate. I didn’t want to make a huge batch so late at night, so this was perfect. I tripled it so my kids could enjoy it too – they loved it! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Hot Chocolate – adapted Jeyashri’s Kitchen

  • 1 TBSP good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 TBSP vanilla sugar
  • 1 TBSP hot water
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • a pinch of salt

Directions – 

1. Place all the dry ingredients in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and pour the hot water over all. Twist lid on and shake vigorously.

2. Pour contents into a small sauce pot over medium-low heat. Pour in the dairy and stir until combined. Heat gently until the desired temperature is reached. Pour into your favorite mug and top with marshmallows or whipped cream.

Trail Mix Cookies

Posted on by

1

Yummy, chewy, sweet, tart, crispy, thin, nutty…there is a lot going on in these cookies. They’re like a cookie version of a granola bar, which makes them a great after school treat for the kids. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Trail Mix Cookies – adapted from Annie’s Eats

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 6 tbsp. granulated sugar (*I used vanilla sugar*)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla (*I used almond extract*)
  • 1¼ cup old-fashioned oats
  • ¼ cup golden raisins
  • ¼ cup dried cherries, chopped
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 3 tbsp. sunflower seeds

Directions –

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon; whisk to blend, and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars and beat on medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  Blend in the egg.  Mix in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, beat in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Stir in the oats until evenly combined.  Use a spatula to fold in the raisins, cherries, walnuts, chocolate and sunflower seeds, mixing just until evenly incorporated.

2. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least a couple of inches apart.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until golden brown and just set, about 10-12 minutes total.  Let cool on the baking sheets about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Small Batch Brownies

Posted on by

3

Quick Post: Light, cakey brownie. Not chewy, but it hit the spot 🙂  Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Brownies – adapted from Just Eat It!

  • 1/2 cup chopped chocolate (about 3 ounces)
  • 6 TBSP butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

Directions –

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three – 6 ounce ramekins or a small baking dish.

Melt the butter and chocolate on low heat, stir and set aside to cool slightly. Whisk together the sugar and the eggs, then stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

Add the flour and cocoa powder. Fold in the nuts. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until set, and the center should be a little underdone.

Homemade Fudge Pops

Posted on by

1

Quick Post: The kids couldn’t wait for these to freeze solid 🙂 They’re a little grainy, but the flavor is nice – not too sweet either. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Homemade Fudge Pops – adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

  • ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2½ cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.

2. Combine the melted chocolate, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and butter, and stir until well combined.

3. Let the mixture cool slightly (it should still be warm but not hot to the touch), and then pour into popsicle molds. Freeze for 30 minutes, and then insert sticks. Freeze completely before serving.

Thousand Layer Cookie

Posted on by

5

I’m not a newlywed anymore, (and honestly, I did not cook like this ten years ago…) but I was intrigued as soon as I found this recipe online. I figured that if this book had awesomeness between its covers like this, it would certainly be worth borrowing from the library 🙂 Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea that this kind of cookies existed. This website has great pictures of step by step of how these amazing cookies are created and they’re worth the extra effort! I love that the chopped chocolate instead of chips because you get chocolate in every single bite – powder,  shards and chunks all in one awesome cookie. They bake up slightly crisp but chewy in the centers; and the flaky fleur de sel leaves a pleasant, salty zing on your tongue. I have never used that salt until today, but I can’t wait to use it in other recipes to see what the fuss is all about. These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. Period. End of story. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Thousand Layer Cookies – adapted from The Newlywed Cookbook

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar (150 g)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
  • 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface (280 g)
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
  • 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, two at a time; add vanilla and mix to combine.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix to combine.
  4. Divide dough into three equal portions. Wrap each portion with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator; let chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, using a serrated knife, coarsely chop chocolate into thin shards. Set aside.
  5. Unwrap one portion of chilled dough and place on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle with half the chocolate and top with a second portion of chilled dough. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate and top with remaining portion of dough.
  6. Lightly dust with flour and gently roll out dough to a 9-by-6-inch rectangle, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a 2-inch-round cutter, cut out 10 rounds of dough. Gather scraps and lightly pat into another 1 1/2-inch-thick rectangle and cut out remaining cookies. Place on prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart and brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, if desired.
  7. Transfer cookies to oven and bake until cookies are set, 12 to 15 minutes, switching baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking. Let cookies cool slightly on baking sheets, about 3 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Browned Butter CCC

Posted on by

1

This is my first time making brown butter, but it seems like a very popular flavor among food bloggers. The browned butter smells nutty and caramely, so it’s pretty safe to assume it will add that to the flavor of these cookies. Plan accordingly if you are going to make these…I read through the instructions after I finished the butter, only to learn that the batter needs to sit in the fridge overnight. Upon discovery of this “minor” detail, I coyly sent a text to the husband who already anticipated cookies for dessert tonight – “you’re not going to like me”. He’s pretty bummed, and honestly I’m not crazy about having to wait longer for these, but in the interest of all things yummy – I will wait! 😉

In case you’ve never browned butter before, here are some helpful tips and instructions. If you have one, it’s best to brown the butter in a stainless pot or pan so you can be sure of the color. Also, it’s fairly easy to go from perfectly brown to burnt, so start slow so you don’t waste your butter. Mine took nearly 20 minutes to get to the color I was comfortable with. Now that I’m pretty confident with this new skill I’ll be sure to search for recipes or I might even try brown butter for dishes we love already.

Verdict: These cookies are slightly chewy, with nice, crispy edges; and flavor of these is buttery, nutty and caramely! I know that last description isn’t a real word, but you know what I mean 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

 

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – adapted from The Curvy Carrot

  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 and 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • One bag semisweet chocolate chip cookies

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is frothy and browned, about 15-20 minutes or so (the browning process goes quickly once it starts so watch it carefully.)

2.  Transfer the butter to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

4. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the browned butter and both types of sugar, until smooth and light, about 7 minutes.

5. Add in the whole egg, the egg yolk, milk, and the vanilla.

6. Decrease the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients.

7. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

8. Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

9. The next day, let the dough come to room temperature.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

10. Using a small cookie dough scoop, place the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

11. Bake each cookie sheet (one at a time) until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom, about 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheets set on wire racks for 3 to 5 minutes or until set. Transfer the cookies to the wire rack to cool. Makes about 36 small cookies.