Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

A friend of mine hired me to make cupcakes for her daughter's 7th birthday party.  Her daughter requested chocolate mint cupcakes, which I'd never made before, so I turned to One Sweet Cupcake.

I pretty much followed the recipe, except I used bittersweet chocolate and didn't measure it, reduced the vanilla, and I had to guess how long to bake them.  For some reason, there aren't a lot of baking times in the recipes.

These turned out so great, I ended up making 2 batches, that's right, 48 freaking cupcakes, because I wanted some for my family too!  I frosted them with Vanilla Mint Buttercream, and garnished with half an Andes Creme de Menthe Thin (my friend's idea) and a sprig of fresh mint (my idea) and they turned out FABULOUS and DELICIOUS.  See for yourself.  And then make some for yourself!
 

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
Adapted from One Sweet Cupcake
Makes 24 cupcakes

4 oz. high-quality bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Pour boiling water over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.  Using the whisk attachment, mix until smooth.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add sour cream, applesauce, oil, eggs, vanilla, and peppermint.  Mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.  Turn the stand mixer on low, add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated and smooth.

Line two standard muffin tins with paper baking cups.  Fill each cup two-thirds full with batter.  Bake about 20 minutes, until the tops spring back at the touch of your finger and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Remove from tins and cool completely on wire rack before icing.

Frost with Vanilla Mint Buttercream and garnish with halved Andes Creme de Menthe Thins and fresh peppermint leaves, as shown.

Double Chocolate Cookies

These are my favorite cookies at the moment. They are easy to make, quick to make, and delicious. Not only that, but they keep—and thus ship—well. However, don't even think about compromising on the quality of chocolate you use. That specified is my favorite eating chocolate, and it's perfect for this recipe.



DOUBLE  CHOCOLATE  DROPS  

Makes 32

¾ cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup or more for rolling 
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
¼ teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
½ cup cocoa 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
3.5-oz. bar Lindt 70% Cocoa Excellence, roughly chopped into ¼- to ½-inch pieces 

In a medium, microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt butter. 

Stir in 1 cup sugar. 

Beat in eggs, one at a time. 

Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and stir well. 

Stir in cocoa. 

Add flour and chopped chocolate and stir until flour no longer shows and chocolate is distributed evenly. 

Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes but not too much longer. 

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls so that each ball has at least one chocolate chunk, which should be covered with dough. 

Put the remaining sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll each ball in sugar to coat. 

Place the balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 350°F. oven for 8 minutes. 

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet until firm, about 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack. 

NOTE: Even on an insulated baking sheet, these take only 8 minutes to bake.

S'mores Brownies

This month, the blog I was assigned for Secret Recipe Club was:

Smells Like Brownies

Originally I was planning to make Melissa's Peach Ice Cream, but I was going to make it with apricots since my tree was producing a ton and my peach tree wasn't ripe yet.  I didn't get around to it quickly enough, and before I knew it my apricots were no longer in season.  Peaches still aren't in season around here.

So I decided to search for a brownie recipe.  For obvious reasons.  ;-)

I didn't get past the very first brownie recipe in the category before my mind was made up:

S'mores Brownies.

The bottom brownie recipe is a bit fussy, but goes together quickly and turns out delicious!  Easier if you have all your ingredients ready to whisk in ahead of time.  Next time, I will sprinkle the chocolate chips on brownies before adding the marshmallows and graham crackers so they melt a bit more.

The brownies were a hit!  Everyone loved them!

S’mores Brownies

originally adapted from The Science of Good Cooking
makes 24

Brownie Ingredients:
⅓ cup cocoa powder
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 oz. unsweetened Baker’s chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons. vanilla extract
2½ cups sugar
1¾ cups flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Topping Ingredients:
3 cups mini marshmallows
5 graham crackers, broken
½ cup milk chocolate chips

Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13ʺx9ʺ pan with foil and grease the foil.

 Whisk cocoa and boiling water together in a large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk unto chocolate is melted. Whisk in oil and melted butter (mixture may look curdled).

Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Continue to whisk until smooth and homogenous. Whisk in the sugar until fully incorporated.

With a rubber spatula, stir in the flour and salt. Fold in the milk chocolate chips and marshmallows, if using.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

Meanwhile, combine the marshmallows and the graham crackers in a medium bowl.

Pull the brownies out of the oven and sprinkle the marshmallow mixture evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the marshmallows.

Return the brownies to the oven and bake another 10–15 minutes, until the marshmallows are puffed and golden.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil liner. Set them back on the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Cut into squares and serve.

Chocolate Coconut Shell for Ice Cream

This is an incredibly easy and delicious recipe I got from Aunt Becky.  I got the coconut oil from Aunt Gina, who got it at Costco.  

You really won't believe how simple this is.  After it is melted together, you just pack ice cream onto a cone and dip it carefully!  Or you can spoon it over ice cream in a bowl.  Or just eat it with a spoon.  There's no judgement here at all.  You can see I used just the right amount of chocolate, it's pooling at the bottom of my very precariously top-heavy cone.

I made 1 batch, covered 4 ice cream cones with it, ate a couple spoonfuls, and still had almost a whole pint of chocolate leftover!  Don't forget to store this in the refrigerator and reheat as necessary.  

Becky uses a microwave, I used a saucepan, it's all good.  I had some Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips in the cupboard, so that's what I used.  Becky told me she uses fancy chocolate sometimes, but usually semi-sweet or dark chips.  I was dreaming of that 11 pounds of gianduja I had once upon a time...might be time to order that again!  (and follow the link, if only to read my story!  Don't worry, I have an email in to the company, asking how I can get more since it didn't come up on a search)

Chocolate Coconut Shell

1/2 cup coconut oil

1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cup chocolate chips (guess which one I used?) 

Gently melt and stir together in microwave or saucepan.  Cool slightly, then dip solidly formed ice cream cones or spoon over ice cream.

Store in a jar in the refrigerator, if you can make it last that long.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

So you probably know, I joined the The Secret Recipe Club.   It is a secret blog assignment, where you are set off into another foodie's blog alone, and no one else is supposed to know.  Someone else all together gets to peruse your blog.  We'll all find out who had which blog on the same day and time.

Without further ado, my assignment for the Secret Recipe Club this month was:

The Novice Housewife

Shortly after I started looking at Shumaila's blog, it was an clear contest between Toasted Coconut Ice Cream and Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I fully intend on making the Toasted Coconut Ice Cream this week, but between canning and a weekend trip, I decided to make the cookies.  And take them with us on our trip, of course!

They are delicious.  I didn't have patience to brown the butter, but I did melt it for quite a while.  I also used two kinds of chocolate chips.  I can't tell you how many the recipe made, because everyone was eating them straight out of the oven!

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips/chunks (I used a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate)
sea salt, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking trays with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking frequently. Whisk till the butter turns a little light brown. Takes about 5- 8 mins. Let cool to room temperature.

Add melted butter to both sugars in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.  Stir in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Add the dry ingredient to the sugar-butter mix until just combined.  Let cool completely.

Once completely cool, fold chocolate chips in the batter. Scoop 2 tablespoon-size portions onto the tray and flatten slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for 8-10 minutes and remove from the oven. Cool on tray a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

White Chocolate Almond Chunk Cookies

Splurged by buying a $2.99 used cookbook from a thrift store last Saturday. The cookbook is With Love & Butter: Favorite Recipes from Holly B's Bakery on Lopez Island. Tried the first recipe, which confirmed what I thought: No reason for buyer's remorse, since this recipe alone is worth the purchase price. Below is the slightly modified recipe along with a note from me.

WHITE  CHOCOLATE  ALMOND  CHUNK  COOKIES

Makes 5 dozen

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups quick (1-minute) oatmeal

1 1/2 cups whole natural almonds

1 ½ to 2 cups white chocolate chips

½ to 1 cup dried cranberries, optional

1. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.

2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

3. Mix in baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla.

4. Add flour to mixing bowl.

5. In a large food processor fitted with the steel knife blade, powder the oatmeal. Empty oat powder into mixing bowl.

6. Mix in flour and oat powder until barely incorporated.

7. Reassemble the food processor without washing. Add the almonds and pulse until roughly chopped. Empty chopped almonds into mixing bowl.

8. Add white chocolate chips and, if desired, dried cranberries to mixing bowl. Stir by hand until combined.

9. Drop by rounded tablespoon on parchment-covered cookie sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Slightly flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand.

10. Bake in a 375°F oven on the topmost rack for 4 minutes. Rotate the pan and then continue to bake 3 to 5 minutes. The centers of the cookies should be soft but not gooey. Don’t overbake or even medium-bake. Rather, underbake slightly.

11. Cool completely and then store in an airtight container.

NOTE: Using an insulated baking sheet spread with parchment paper, I put the oven rack on the second position from the top and baked the cookies a bit longer than suggested. 

Chile-Spiced Chocolate Tarts with Crème Pâtissière and Red Wine and Chile-Infused Strawberry Sauce

*The polls are open for the Chile Challenge!
Please hurry and vote for The Bad Girl's Kitchen's fabulous chile chocolate tarts. Voting will close at noon PST on 9/16!*

I was thrilled when I received an email from Kate from Marx Foods, asking me if I'd like to join in their Blogger Chile Recipe Challenge! Of course I said yes, we love chiles! And she shipped me some free samples of six different dried chiles! We received Aji Amarillo Chiles, Cascabels, Habaneros, Japones Chiles, Mulato Chiles and Puya Chiles. What a great-smelling package!

My husband and I started thinking about all the things we could make for the challenge, and ultimately decided on a dessert, which may or may not surprise you. To us, there just aren't enough spicy desserts. It took us several days to figure out the components, but the flavor descriptions on the packages, as well as sniffing them each time we walked by, were very helpful in our decision-making.

The Aji Amarillo Chiles' flavor is described as "Fruity, poblano-esque." Obviously this pushed us toward strawberries. We also considered raspberries, but didn't want to overwhelm the flavor of the chiles.

The Mulato Chiles' flavor description is "Chocolate/Licorice," well you can guess where we used those!

After chocolate and strawberries, it didn't take long to come up with the other components of the dessert. In fact, I brainstormed while taking my 8-year-old to school one morning, and made him write down notes for me:

"Straw 8erry chiLe redUction VineGar? Sugartart crUStChocoLate chiLe vaniLLacream DoLLoP"

You can see we changed it up a bit, and modified the recipes to include the chiles and created techniques for maximum chile flavor extraction, to end up with:

Chile-Spiced Chocolate Tarts with Crème Pâtissière and Red Wine and Chile-Infused Strawberry Sauce

We used a classic French Sugar Tart Crust, intensified a Dark Chocolate Truffle filling, trusted Julia's good old Crème Pâtissière, and spiced up one of Martha's Strawberry Sauces.

We hope you enjoy this fabulous dessert! The strawberry sauce has a hint of je ne sais pas, which you and I know comes from the chiles. The chocolate puts just the right touch of heat on the back of your tongue. These little beauties are a dream! We absolutely love them.


We prepared the chocolate filling and the strawberry sauce first, then the crust. The next day, right before assembly, we prepared the crème pâtissière. To assemble, gently pipe a generous layer of room-temperature chocolate into each tart crust. Top with a lovely dollop of crème pâtissière, and drizzle with strawberry sauce and balance one strawberry sliver on top, just before serving. I decorated the serving plate with a swirl of crème anglaise. Quite honestly, you can make each separate component of this dessert, except the crust, a couple days in advance, and assemble when ready.


Chile-Spiced Dark Chocolate Filling

Adapted from a recipe in Fran Bigelow's Pure Chocolate

1 cup heavy cream
9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 whole dried Mulato Chile

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, heat cream with whole chile until almost boiling. Remove from heat and steep for 7 minutes.

Reheat cream just to boiling, remove from heat, strain and pour all but approximately 1/4 cup cream over the chopped chocolate. Make sure you catch the big chile, you'll need that in the next step.

Remove the chile stem, and place the softened, warm chile in a small food processor or stick blender bowl with processor attachment, along with the 1/4 cup reserved cream. Puree until relatively smooth. Strain the cream and chile mixture into the chocolate and cream, pressing with a spatula to extract all the spicy goodness.

Mix the chocolate, cream and spiced cream mixture with a spatula until smooth and combined. Let sit at room temperature, uncovered, for 4 hours.


Red Wine and Chile-Infused Strawberry Sauce

Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook


2 pints strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 - 2 dried Aji Amarillo Chiles

If strawberries are small, cut in half; if large, cut in quarters. Combine sugar, red wine, cinnamon stick and chiles in a skillet; cook over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Reheat mixture and add the strawberries, cook until berries soften slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Discard cinnamon stick and peppers before serving (but if you're storing for a day or two, leave them in until serving!)

Let sit, leaving chile and cinnamon stick in the mixture until ready to serve.


Sugar Tart Crust

From Pure Chocolate, by Fran Bigelow

*Note: I made small tarts with this dough, with a mini muffin pan. I do not have small tart pans with removable bottoms. I do not recommend you attempt this without small tart pans with removable bottoms,perhaps pans like these, or maybe this pan...


3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 cup cake flour
all-purpose flour for dusting

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the egg yolk. Continue mixing on medium-high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until pale yellow in color and completely smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add the cake flour. Mix on low speed just until blended, being careful not to overmix. Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap and gently pat into a ball. Wrap well and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Lightly butter twelve 3-inch round tart pans with removable bottoms. (I used a pan with no removable bottoms; not recommended). Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Let the dough warm on the counter for about 20 minutes, until pliable but still cool to the touch.

On a lightly floured board gently knead the dough a few times. Pat into a ball, then with the palms of your hands flatten into a 5-inch round disc. Roll the dough our into a rectangle, about 9 by 12 inches. With a 4-inch round cookie cutter cut out circles. Transfer the circles of dough to the buttered pans, pressing into the bottom and sides, keeping the sides even and thick. Trim excess dough along the edges. Pierce the bottom with the tines of a fork and place in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 30 minutes or until firm.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chilled tart shell on a baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Dough scraps may be gathered, returned to the refrigerator to chill, and rerolled.

Crème Pâtissière

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
2/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups boiling milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks with a whisk or electric beater and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat in the flour. While beating the yolk mixture, very gradually pour on the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets so that the yolks are slowly warmed.

Pour the mixture into a clean, heavy-bottomed enameled or stainless steel saucepan and set over moderately high heat. Stir with wire whip, reaching all over bottom of pan. As sauce comes to the boil it will get lumpy, but will smooth out as you beat it. When boil is reached, beat over moderately low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to cook the flour. Be careful custard does not scorch in bottom of pan.

Remove from heat and beat in the butter, then the vanilla. If the custard is not used immediately, clean it off the sides of the pan, and dot top of custard with softened butter to prevent as skin from forming over the surface.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

I have a sweet little cookbook called, simply, Hot Chocolate. You might find it surprising that although I've owned this cookbook for years, I just can't remember ever making one of the recipes. I find it surprising too, a definite lapse in judgment.

So without further ado (or excuses), here is the first recipe we've tried. I mistakenly thought that 3/4 cup of milk "wouldn't be enough" for one serving, so I doubled this. Then it was sooooo rich I just couldn't drink it all. So start slow with this creamy delicious drink!


I had mine with Homemade Marshmallows! "Nutty perfume" is right, and I can't wait to try to frozen version!


Nutella Hot Chocolate
Makes 1 serving

The recipe is credited to Chuck Silverston, Paris Creperie, Brookline, Massachusetts. "The nutty perfume is heavenly in hot chocolate." says Chuck, who invented the minimalist delight. "I can't believe someone didn't think of this before. During the summer, the restaurant offers a Nutella Frozen Hot Chocolate, made the same way but with the addition of vanilla ice cream and plain yogurt. (you can be sure I am trying this as well!)

3/4 cup whole milk
2 heaping tablespoons Nutella
whipped cream (or homemade marshmallows)

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the milk to a simmer. Add the Nutella and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Pour into a mug and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream or marshmallows. Serve immediately.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes. Or Cakes

**Updated with Layer Cake and Sheet Cake Variations below!!!**

What do you do when you're craving chocolate cupcakes? You make these! The recipe comes from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.

Deliciously decadent and easy to whip up, you can have cupcakes in an hour. I ended up with 26 regular cupcakes and also 24 mini cupcakes! Frosted with my favorite Buttercream Frosting, this time I used vanilla for the frosting instead of coconut...I also considered almond extract.



One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 2 dozen
This recipe is extremely versatile. We love to use it for cupcakes, but it makes an equally impressive layer or sheet cake; either is a perfect choice for kids' birthday parties.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 batch Buttercream Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Into the bowl of an electric mixer, pour flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Using the paddle attachment, add the eggs and yolk, the milk, oil and vanilla, and warm water. Beat on low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool slightly, then remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on racks. Frost cupcakes generously with Buttercream Frosting, swirling to cover. Cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.



Layer Cake variation: Coat two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; spray parchment. Set aside. Follow instructions for One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes, dividing batter between the prepared pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes, and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the cake layers to make level. Place one layer on a cake plate, and spread 2/3 cup buttercream on top. Place other cake layer on top. Spread entire cake with remaining buttercream, swirling to cover completely.

Sheet Cake Variation: Butter a 13-by-9-inch pan and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Follow instructions for One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes, transferring batter to the prepared pan. Bake, rotating halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Frost as desired.

Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies

Wow is time flying by! I thought I was all set for Taste & Create, having finished my Stracoto with Shiitake Mushrooms a few days early. Then I noticed that I was getting a few hits on my blog from A Whisk & A Prayer...hmmm. The name sounded familiar, and I remembered perusing that blog...OMG! My Stracoto entry was from LAST MONTH!! Ack!

Let's get on with it, the deadline is approaching!

My partner for THIS month's Taste & Create is Liz from A Whisk and A Prayer. Taste & Create is a fabulously fun food blog event, created by the lovely Nicole of For the Love of Food. Participants are randomly paired off to choose and create a dish from their partner's blog. (If you'd like to learn more about T&C, go here!) And here we are. Liz chose to make my Yoghurt Coffee Cake...

I needed a dessert for dinner for cowboys tonight anyway, and had something chocolate in mind. I told Number One about Liz' Black Bean Brownies, but after a lively discussion about how "just" adding beans to something doesn't make that something "healthy" and him saying "Don't make brownies with beans in them"...I decided on a different course.

I noticed Liz' recipe for Mexican Hot Cocoa Dream Cookies, savory chocolate gems filled with...marshmallow fluff! YUM. (and I assume that's where the "Dream" part comes in)

Sadly, I'm almost completely out of marshmallow fluff myself, because someone has been eating it with a spoon. Ahem. So anyway, because we're having cowboys over for dinner, it just wouldn't be right to only have a few with fluff and the rest plain. That is not to say I won't personally sneak a couple cookies filled with fluff before everyone else arrives...I'm just being honest, here, sorry cowboys, maybe next time!

So, this time they're not exactly a "Dream," but I'm sure they'll be good.

Right in the middle of making these cookies, I realized with shock that our Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix is GONE!! We have the Abuelita tablets (very very hard and must be mixed with hot milk), but no powdered mix. I was already committed <>ingredients up to the flour in the bowl<> to making a double batch of cookies, so I powered through it. Some of you may remember that I live 35 miles from the nearest town, so "running to the store" is ALWAYS out.

I added 5 packets (about 1 cup) of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Mix with mini Marshmallows (of course). I also threw in some cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of cloves to make up for my sad lack of Abuelita. (see amounts below) I also substituted bittersweet chocolate chips for the semi-sweet. I have to say that I actually liked the taste of the dough (unlike Liz and the girl she got the recipe from). I am quite hopeful for these at-this-stage-experimental cookies! *After a test pan of 6 cookies, I decided to line the pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Also, these really spread so be sure to space them apart on the parchment. *I am sure the hot chocolate mix, which Liz originally substituted for baking cocoa, messed with the consistency--these might need some adjustments to compensate, but I don't have time right now*

The cookies are mildly spicy and pretty good after they've cooled down, although they do bake up thin. I decided to bake them smaller and turn them into ice cream sandwiches. I think I baked each batch right around 13 minutes, they weren't very golden, and still a bit soft, so that means when cool they are still chewy with just a bit of crunch around the edges.

As ice cream sandwiches, these cookies are AMAZING. Yum. The spices, the bittersweet chocolate, the ice cream, all complement each other perfectly. Not bad for an experimental emergency substitution!

I ran out of time to try one with fluff before everyone arrived, but there's always tomorrow!




Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
Scant 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix OR 5 packets Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Mix with Marshmallows + 1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg + 2 to 4 dashes cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup vanilla or white chocolate chips
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat the oil, butter & sugars until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each one. Beat in vanilla.

Combine the flour, hot chocolate mix, & baking powder. Gradually add to oil mixture & mix well. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until edges barely begin to brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing cookies from pans to wire racks.

S'mores Bars

This recipe comes from Rebecca of Cooking With My Kid, who's actually a friend of a friend of mine, and who is on a mission to make 365 recipes in 365 days, with her kid. Although I like cooking with my kids, I still think it's an ambitious project.

When she posted this recipe, I knew I had to make these right away. Just Had To. After all, I'd bought all the ingredients for s'mores recently, but before we could make them someone ate all the Hershey's bars. Someone else snuck half a bag of marshmallows. And who knows who ate most of the graham crackers. It's just the way it works around here I guess.

Note: when opening a jar of marshmallow fluff at altitude, just for a "taste," be prepared to immediately make your recipe because it will just keep expanding and you won't be able to "taste" that much without making yourself sick. Just trust me on this.

I didn't do the shopping yesterday, and to be honest my entire grocery list was this:

1 large jar marshmallow fluff
2 king-size Hershey's Special Dark bars
1 box graham crackers
=)

I took Rebecca's advice and planned to use dark chocolate from the start. So Number One brought home 4 bars of Hershey's Special Dark, in two sizes. I'm guessing that the 4.25 ounce bar is the "king size," but I didn't come to that realization until I already had the "giant size" bars unwrapped and discovered they wouldn't fit as neatly as Rebecca's had in the pan. Oh well, we've got some extra dark chocolate to eat!

Now that I'm thinking about it, I can't say I recall ever eating marshmallow fluff. I know that seems like blasphemy for a Midwestern girl like myself to admit, but I just don't remember it in my life. Of course I've seen the jars around, and of course when someone took that little taste, it tasted like heaven, but it didn't ring any bells. I didn't remember the stickiness, or anything. I do love it though, so I think that makes up for my possibly faulty memory.

The verdict: These are very good, but dare I say it, with dark chocolate, I think you need to use MORE fluff. There, I said it. It really needs more fluff!! Next time, I will try it with milk chocolate, which is probably the more classic flavor, and maybe just a little extra fluff.

Let me know which chocolate YOU would use, and how you like them!


S’More Bars
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 to 35 minutes
Makes 16 squares

1 stick of butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (~7 full-sized graham cracker sheets, processed until fine)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 king-sized dark chocolate bars (*note: I believe "king-size" is 4.25 ounces. "giant-size" is too big, but will work if you use a little more than one bar. I know because we used "giant-size.")
1-1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. (I used butter). Use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Set aside.

Meanwhile,whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.

Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side.

Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Be sure to cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

When your husband's birthday is on a weekday, it's still nice to put together a dessert. Not an elaborate dessert, because chances are you're exhausted, but a delicious dessert. For this, I happened to pick up my Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook, where I found a recipe for Molten Chocolate Cakes. Cakes that take only 15 minutes of prep time.

The cakes took about that long to put together, and then baked while we ate dinner. By the time they were out of the oven and had stood for 10 minutes, we were just about ready for dessert. They unmolded easily, and looked great. I forgot to dust them with powdered sugar, but luckily we had some whipped cream in the fridge.

Decadent, molten chocolate, with a surprising slight crunch from the sugar lining the muffin cups. Delicious. Make sure you have whipped cream, and a glass of milk, you'll need it!

Also, you can prepare the batter through step two up to two hours ahead, then cover and refrigerate. Before baking, uncover and bring the batter to room temperature.


Molten Chocolate Cakes
Serves 4 Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 35 minutes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted*
confectioner's sugar, for dusting
whipped cream, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter 4 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar and tap out excess. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Beat in the chocolate (do not overmix). Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. (there is a lot of batter, and it's thick and fluffy. you'll have to pile it in the muffin cups, only 4 of them, even though you'll be tempted to use 5...)

3. Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until the tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is slightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven; let stand for 10 minutes.

4. To serve, turn out the cakes, and place on serving plates, top sides up. Dust with confectioner's sugar, and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

*Melting Chocolate: Place finely chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water; stir until just melted.

OR--Break up the chocolate into small pieces, place in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at half-power (50%) for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melted and smooth.

Crisp and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love Martha Stewart Living magazine. As soon as it arrives in my mailbox each month, I sit down and read it cover to cover, making note of all the recipes I'd like to make someday, and all the good ideas in its pages. Martha and her staff are just so damn perfect, there is always something in there that I just have to make or do or try. Always. (I have tons of ideas, just no staff to make them happen!!)

This month is no exception. Except for the fact that I haven't actually made it past this recipe, on page 68. Number One's been asking for quite a long time when I'd make regular chocolate chip cookies. When I came across this recipe, I knew the time was now. I've had my magazine lying on the counter, open to the Crisp and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies page, since yesterday. So I wouldn't forget to make these cookies. Just waiting on the 2 1/2 sticks of frozen butter to thaw and soften.

After the cookies are baked, I feel like I can get on with my life! (and read the rest of the magazine!)

For practical information, I don't have a set of different sized scoops, so I just used soup spoons (you know, the big ones). I did use parchment paper on the baking sheet, because I'm a firm believer in it. It's a pretty straightforward recipe, no special tricks.

And I have two of my ovens going for this endeavor. I would have three ovens going, but there was an incident with the generator, which affected the water supply this morning, so I haven't gotten around to washing the dishes yet, which includes the rest of my baking sheets. So only two ovens at the moment, but at least it cuts the total baking time in half!

The key to a chewy cookie is to take them out of the oven when they don't "look" done--after 14-15 minutes, mine were light and puffy, with just a hint of golden brown around the edges.

After cooling, the cookies sink down, no longer quite as puffy,

and they will stay chewy in the middle.

A big mistake people make is thinking the cookies need to look completely done right out of the oven. They don't--they should actually look slightly raw/uncooked. With cookies, it's better to underbake than overbake. I learned this lesson years and years and years ago when I was a bakery/deli girl in our local grocery store. (you know, the place I also got that perfect recipe for Classic Baked Beans). I guess I learned a lot in that old store.


These cookies are wonderful, crisp and chewy. (in case you had any doubts) I got 30 cookies out of the batch, so mine must be a bit smaller than suggested, but that's okay. They are a bit different from the Tollhouse recipe, but not so much that I can even explain it. Maybe some day we'll do a taste test, I don't know how else we're going to use up the 4 1/2 pound bags of chocolate chips from Costco!


P.S. The other good news? The recipe on the very next page is for a chocolate layer cake--which I've been craving for some time myself!


Crisp and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 20

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed dark-brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

Using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop (about 3 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden around edges but soft in the middle, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Make Ahead: Dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

I love to bake quick breads, and this summer, my uncle had an overabundance of zucchini, so I started looking for recipes for zucchini bread. I wish I had my grandmother's recipe -- hers was so good. This one isn't exactly like grandma's, but it is darn good. I've modified a Paula Deen recipe (trying to make it semi-healthy). The recipe below is the one I made with various substitutions to try to lower the fat content and to adjust for personal taste (like omitting the pecans -- I hate biting into chunks of nuts in otherwise soft foods). The recipe indicates 15 minutes of prep time, but that can't possible include the grating time for the zucchini. It felt like we spent hours grating zucchini. I used a rotary grater (like the kind often used to grate parmesan cheese directly onto your dish at an Italian restaurant), but about halfway through, my hand was giving out and we switched to the mini food processor to chop it up, and that worked just fine too. I did not peel the zucchini, but if you have an aversion to peels, or seeing little green flecks in your food, you can peel it first.

This recipe yields 2 9x5 inch loaves, or 5 mini loaves.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey (or you can omit the honey and increase the granulated sugar to 2 cups)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce (or you can omit the applesauce and increase the vegetable oil to 1 cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups grated zucchini (original recipe called for 2 cups)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used the mini sized chips and since I didn't add nuts, I used the whole package)
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1 cup chopped pecans (optional -- I did not use them)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9x5-inch loaf pans or (5) mini loaf pans (usually 5x3-inch).

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon & nutmeg

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar and honey and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, applesauce, vanilla, zucchini, pecans (if using), chocolate chips and orange zest. Make sure everything is well mixed. Stir in sifted dry ingredients until just combined. (Don't overmix -- just mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened and no large lumps remain, some small lumps are okay). Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes (mine took closer to a full hour) or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling racks for about 5 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling. (I used glass pans for the large loaves and removed them from the pans to finish cooling. I used the disposable aluminum mini loaf pans and did not remove those from the pans for cooling).

The loaves freeze well -- I had one mini loaf that was in the freezer for 6 months and was still delicious when thawed. This recipe would also make delicious muffins.

I hope you enjoy!
Adrienne

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Frozen Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie

Sweet and Savory Says it All

The first comment I must make, is, in my humble opinion, this pie should not be frozen. We could not wait for it to freeze so we ate when it was creamy and almost like a mousse. It was unbelievable. I do know that it is good frozen because I have had similar pies like this but for a whole different treat, try it both ways.

What is nice about this pie is that you can put it in the freezer and have it ready, if company drops by, or if you want to treat yourselves.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

4 ounces semisweet chocolate squares, chunked

Chocolate crust - my favorite is made from a cream filled chocolate cookies. Regular chocolate cookies work well, also. If you can buy these, you can use the ready-made. This time, I picked the crust up, when I was shopping.

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

3/ cup smooth peanut butter

Method:

In a small bowl, combine a half of the cream and the chocolate.

Microwave this, very carefully, checking every twenty seconds. I would put it on a medium temperature. When, taken it out, it should be gently stirred until is is smooth.

Place chocolate over crust.

Freeze for 40 minutes.

Prepare filling:

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.

Whip 1 cup whipping cream until stiff. Beat half of whipped cream into peanut butter mixture until well mixed.

Add remaining whipped cream.

Spread filling evenly over chocolate mixture in crust.

Freeze for 30 minutes.

Carefully spread remaining chocolate mixture over top and decorate if you would like. You could use chopped peanuts, sprinkles or chips.

Freeze overnight. Remove an hour before using.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Chaya's Recipes

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Makes 16

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted margarine

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate in squares

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with cooking oil, a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Spray with additional cooking oil.

Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl in a microwave, on low temperature, checking every 25 seconds. ( I used setting 2 out of 10)

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer.
Work quickly so batters don't set.With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect.

Sprinkle with nuts. (I skipped this since everyone does not like nuts.

It does make it more attractive)

Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Sweet and Savory Says it All - Chaya

Chocolate Chippers Like No Others

Chocolate Chippers Like No Others

I know that each of us has our own taste in cookies and each of us has read that someone has the best chocolate chip cookie. I have the best chocolate chip cookie for me but I have a gut feeling that others will agree.

It leaves you with this subtle taste that stays but does not irritate.These are for chewy lovers and not the crisp fans. Lots of chocolate chips here but you can determine the amount.This is from King Arthur Flour and I am the biggest fan of this site and his books. I have two of them and I have learned more from them and the website about baking.

If you are a chocolate chip cookie lover, you might want to give these a try. I plan to bake them as often as possible. This goes with my Ultimate recipes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (slightly adapted - is that like being slightly pregnant?

2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed (I used a little more brown sugar than white - take 2 tablespoons away from white and add 2 tablespoons brown sugar.)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup margarine, right from the fridge, or at room temperature

1/2 cup oil1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional (I did not use)

1 teaspoon vinegar, cider or white

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, margarine, oil, salt, vanilla and almond extracts, vinegar, and baking soda, beating until smooth and creamy.

Beat in the egg, again beating till smooth.

Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Mix in the flour, then the chips.

Use a spoon (or a tablespoon cookie scoop) to scoop 1 1/4" balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2" between them on all sides; they'll spread. (I used a smaller scoop and mine did not spread more than a little.

Try your first batch at a two inch spread but I think you will find one inch between them will work.)

Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes, till their edges are chestnut brown and their tops are light golden brown, almost blond.

Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan till they've set enough to move without breaking. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Use a cool pan with new dough.****

Here is the best part. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt atop each ball of cookie dough. This makes a difference. At least, try it on a few, if you have never done this before. Magic.

Enjoy.

Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips

I wanted to make some cookies today, to break up the monotony and hard work of moving the contents of our house into the bunkhouse next door. I just couldn't decide what kind. Something hearty, with oats, but not with raisins. I wanted chocolate. I sort of wanted something like Cowboy Cookies, yet different.

I used the "Choose-a-Chip" variation of Oatmeal Cookies from my trusty Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook, added the "optional" spices, plus coconut when I discovered the last of my walnuts were past their prime. The result is scrumptious and satisfying. Enjoy.

*For traditional oatmeal cookies, omit the chocolate chips and nuts and add 1 cup raisins or currants.


Oatmeal Cookies
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 10 minutes per batch
Makes about 54 cookies

3/4 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (BH&G says "optional" but I disagree)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (ditto)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or coconut

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in the rolled oats. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts or coconut.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. (My dough was quite crumbly, so I pressed it into balls instead). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool cookies on a wire rack.