Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

It is really ironic that I am posting these today, because Adam and I started a month of no sugar yesterday.  I feel a little crazy doing it right before Christmas, but it was time.

I had just been feeling kinda yucky pretty often.  Headachy, wasn't sleeping great, and definitely had been eating an overload of sugar (so fun, but so unhealthy), so Adam and I decided to take the plunge.  I have heard great things about reducing sugar, and also that sugar is basically trying to kill me.

I am getting a little nervous about the sugar cravings, but hopefully I am prepared to handle them and will conquer!

Anyway, if I was not on a no-sugar challenge, I would be eating these cookies.  They are incredible.

When we were in Utah this summer, there was a bakery that I tried out that had these fabulous peanut butter double chocolate cookies.  I really wanted to replicate them, but kept forgetting to purchase peanut butter chips, so I finally tried my hand at them just last week, and was thrilled with the result.  

Anyway, they were just about perfect, and sadly, Adam and I basically ate all of them by ourselves over the course of 3-4 days (remember how I said I have a sugar problem?  I am admitting to it right here...).

You should go make them for all your friends and family!  Trust me, you will not be disappointed!

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted slightly from Joy the Baker

8 Tbs butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

In a stand mixer, combine your soft butter and sugar and mix for a minute or so.  Once they are fluffy, add the egg and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Add the chocolate chips and briefly mix again.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry mixture to the wet one and mix until just combined.  Add the peanut butter chips, and mix briefly again.

Form 12 ping-pong sized balls on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.

Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, until the cookies are just set (the insides can be gooey still, they will  continue cooking as they cool, and will be just perfectly fudgy).  Don't overtake them.

Remove from the oven, and let cool for 2 or 3 minutes, then move them to the baking sheet, and sprinkle them each with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Read More

Salted Caramel Coconut Popcorn

I have been a longtime fan of white chocolate popcorn.  I distinctly remember going to a housewarming party of some family friends when I was 10 or 11, and tasting my first bite or two.  I was obsessed and would have eaten the whole bowl if we hadn't left shortly thereafter.

I am less interested in white chocolate popcorn than I used to be, thanks to ever changing tastebuds and a weakening sugar tolerance.  A few months ago, I was trying to think of what a good alternative to white chocolate would be.

Thus was born the salted caramel coconut popcorn post.  Honestly, it probably isn't that much better for you than white chocolate popcorn, but it is incredibly delicious and not too difficult.

Coconut butter is something you can make in a  food processor, or you can buy it.  I would make it at home, if I were you, because it is kind of expensive, and it isn't too tough to make.

Salted Caramel Coconut Popcorn:
serves 4- 6

1/2 cup popcorn kernels (8 cups popped popcorn)
1/2 cup coconut butter (see directions for how to make it below)
1/2 cup caramel sauce (recipe below)
1/2 tsp ground sea salt

Coconut Butter:

1 bag unsweetened, shredded coconut

Begin by making your coconut butter.  If you have purchased it, soften it into a liquid by warming slightly (in the microwave, keep it under 15 seconds to avoid burning it).  If you are making your own, take a bag of shredded unsweetened coconut and pour it in a food processor or blender.  Blend for 5-8 minutes until smooth (it will still have some graininess to it, but should be a liquid).  Set aside your 1/2 cup for the recipe, and store any remaining in a airtight container at room temperature for up to two months.

Caramel Sauce:
4 Tbs unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1 1/2 Tbs white flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup water

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  A little at a time, add the flour, and mix it in, smoothing out any lumps with the a rubber spatula.  Add the sugars and the water, stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the temperature to a simmer and let it simmer about 5 minutes. While it is simmering, pop your popcorn.

Popcorn:

Place your popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch sack.  Fold the top over twice, and place it in the microwave for 2 minutes.  Add 30 seconds if the kernels are still popping.  Once the kernels are popping with more than 2 seconds between them, remove the popcorn from the microwave.  Pour it into a large bowl and place a cooling rack one the top of it.  Tip the bowl upside down over the sink while holding the cooling rack and shake the bowl.  Unpopped kernels should fall out, and keep you from breaking a tooth.

Remove the cooling rack, and pour the popcorn on a greased piece of wax paper or a silicone mat (not greased).  Spread it out popcorn into an even layer, and drizzle the caramel, back and forth across it.  Next drizzle the coconut butter on top.  To finish, sprinkle with sea salt.

Enjoy!

Read More

My Favorite Dessert Recipes

A few weeks ago, I posted about our favorite dinner recipes.  In addition to cooking dinner almost every night, I also make a few desserts a week.  I have a terrible sweet tooth and love making and eating dessert.  Thankfully Adam also loves dessert and he is steady and supportive of my dessert-making habits. 

Speaking of sweet teeth, one time, when I was a little kid, we were visiting my grandparents.  My Grannie had made a delicious dessert and remarked that she serves dessert every night because of my Grandad's sweet tooth.  In my innocence, I turned to my Grandad and asked which tooth was his sweet tooth.  I think he pointed out one of his canines and said, "This is my sweet tooth, right here, Landen."  I can't tell you which of my teeth is the culprit, but I definitely have inherited my Grandad's sweet tooth.  

If you are also a possessor of a sweet tooth, look no further!  One of these tasty treats is sure to satisfy, particularly as we enter the time of year where goodies and sweets are everywhere!  Cook up some tasty homemade treats for your family this fall!  Trust me, they will taste better than a Snicker's bar.  

top: Brownies, bottom left: Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies; bottom right: Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Brownies - We have been making these for years.  They are gooey, fudgy and incredibly delicious! They are best eaten straight from the pan.  No cutting required.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookies - I love a good chocolate chip cookie.  These are fantastic!  When  Janssen lived around the corner, she would make these when we came over in the evenings a few times a week... Sadly she lives 14 hours away, or I would invite her over tonight to eat some... Dessert is always better when you share it with friends.

3. Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - If you are looking for a slightly healthier cookie option, these are delicious and definitely worth eating!

4. Caramel Apple Pie - Perfect for all your fall apple needs.  This is a truly spectacular apple pie recipe.  It is sure to become a family favorite.

5. Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake - I typically don't love cake, because it is too dry.  This cake is gooey and chocolatey!  So perfect for a night in!  Top it with ice cream for best results.

6. Chocolate Melting Cakes - These are a perfect treat for a special occasion!  They taste a lot like the molten lava cakes from Carnival Cruise line.  We have made these a few times to celebrate anniversaries, and they are always a big hit.

7. Oatmeal Cinnamon Crispies - I got this recipe when I was 9 or 10 from one of my mom's friends.  I have been making it ever since, and they are always welcomed with open arms.  They are delicious!

8. Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies - I LOVE Nutella, and stuffing it into chocolate chip cookies is always a good idea.

9. Lemon Anything cake - This was the first recipe I ever made from Smitten Kitchen.  I have since become a convert, but this is a delicious and versatile cake.  If you close your eyes, you can pretend it is a breakfast food :)

10. Blackberry bars - We used to make these all the time (I was wondering why we don't anymore, until I saw this huge list of desserts).  They are so good.  Adam and I have eaten the whole pan in less than 24-hours on more than one occasion!

11. Homemade Ice Cream (See two of my favorites here, here and here) - I know you have to have an ice cream maker for these, but borrow one from a friend, or see if you can find one at a thrift store, because homemade ice cream is incredible!

Hopefully you are now inspired to make some tasty treats this weekend!  I would also love to hear about desserts that your family loves!  I am always trying new recipes, and would love to add a few to this list!

If you are looking for more meal inspiration, I did a soup round up over on Creative Green Living that has some fantastic fall soups!  

Thanks for reading along!  Have a great weekend!

Read More

My favorite brownies

I think everyone needs a go-to brownie recipe.  Boxed brownies are fantastic, but brownies from scratch just don't take very long to make, and they are so delicious! Nice and crispy on the top, soft and gooey on the inside.  Plus, they use ingredients that most people have on hand all the time, so I can make them whenever I get a craving :) 

Fudgy Brownies
from hint of honey (one of my favorite food blogs)

1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 Tbs. vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
(optional, but recommended) 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine melted butter, brown and white sugars and vanilla in a stand mixer until mixture is smooth.  Add eggs and mix.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder and salt all together and mix until combined, then add to the butter/sugar mixture and stir in.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Grease an 8"x8" pan and spread the brownie batter into the bottom smoothing with a rubber spatula to even the mixture.  Lick the spatula and put the brownies in the oven for 30-35 minutes.  Check brownies with a toothpick to see that they have cooked all the way through, and then pull them out to cool.  Enjoy!  Please feel free to email me with comments or questions!

*The original recipe makes double the amount I have given you, and fills a 9x13 pan, and might be better for larger families. We would probably be sick if the two of us had a 9x13 pan of brownies at our disposal.  Happy and sick, but still sick.

*Word to the wise:  These brownies are best eaten straight out of the pan. Seriously.  Don't cut the brownie up until you have to, because it will dry out some if you cut it up and put it on a plate.

Read More