fudgy chocolate chip cookie dough brownies

08/24/2011 by · 2 Comments
Fudgy, chocolate-y mocha brownies, topped with an amazingly rich (egg-free) raw chocolate chip cookie dough and a beautiful chocolate glaze! Need I say more?

I am excited to join this year’s Holiday Recipe Swap over at My Baking Addiction, because really… who doesn’t like sharing and discovering new favorite recipes, especially with the busy holiday-baking season approaching?!

I saw the idea for these brownies over on the brown eyed baker‘s blog, and I knew I had to try it! I used my Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies recipe (altered a bit because I didn’t have cocoa powder on hand, wanted to add some coffee… and I wanted a smaller batch) but I did use her cookie dough topping (doubled!)!

These bars are yummy and impressive… Let them chill completely before cutting and serving for the best (prettiest!) results!

Fudgy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Ingredients:
for the brownies:
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup very hot coffee
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (dusted with 1 teaspoon flour)
for the cookie dough:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
for the brownies:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8″ square baking dish with foil and generously butter or spray the foil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted chocolate and baking soda. Whisk in about half of the melted butter until smooth. Then whisk in the hot coffee until thick and smooth.

Whisk in the sugar, egg, and remaining butter until smooth. Stir in the flour, vanilla and salt until combined. Gently fold in the flour-dusted chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the brownies are just set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

for the cookie dough:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the milk and vanilla until smooth. Mix in the flour until just combined and gently stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the cookie dough over the completely cooled brownies in the pan, smoothing the top. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour, or until the cookie dough is firm.

Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting the foil and cut into small bars to serve. Store in tupperware in the fridge or freeze!

optional glaze:
Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips in the microwave. Place into a ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle over the cooled brownies, or spread on the tops.

recipe adapted loosely from the brown eyed baker

“Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Scharffen Berger.”

Filed Under: holiday recipe exchange, recipes, recipes - desserts, recipes - make ahead ·

mexican hot chocolate brownies

07/12/2012 by · 2 Comments

Do you ever just want to skip dinner all together and go straight for the dessert?

That’s hard to get away with when you’ve got little kids around, but my boys were both asleep before 6:30 last night so I decided to just go for it.

We had warm-out-of-the-oven brownies topped with delicious, creamy ice cream and I have to say it was one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long time!

Of course I couldn’t make just plain old everyday chocolate brownies. Since I was splurging anyways, I really wanted to try something new and fun.

Well, actually - I am always looking for fun, new ways to spice up my brownies, but this time I decided to very literally spice them up!

I took the flavors of a Mexican hot chocolate: Rich, dark chocolate… warm, comforting cinnamon… with a little spice hiding in the background… and mixed them into my favorite fudgey, gooey brownies.

Print
mexican hot chocolate brownies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 2/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line a 9x13" glass baking dish with foil and generously grease the foil.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Stir in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth. Stir in the boiling water until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Stir in the sugar and eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup melted butter.

Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the flour, tossing to coat.

Into the chocolate mixture, stir in the remaining flour, extract, salt & spices until just smooth. Stir in the flour-coated chocolate chips and spread the mixture evenly into your prepared baking dish.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the pan. (It's always better to under-bake brownies than to over-bake them!)

Cool completely in the pan before cutting for the prettiest results... or dig right in to the warm gooey brownies if you don't care! :o)

http://sweetannas.com/2012/07/mexican-hot-chocolate-brownies.html

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - cookies and bars, recipes - desserts, recipes - freezer, recipes - make ahead ·

peanut butter swirled dark chocolate fudge brownies

12/21/2012 by · 3 Comments

Brownies, brownies, brownies.

Rich, fudgy dark chocolate brownies studded with chocolate chips and swirled with creamy, delicious peanut butter, to be exact.

Add a glass of ice cold milk and you’ve got a snack made in heaven!

 

I have got a serious brownie addiction these days.

Serious. I can’t even count how many pans of brownies I have made in the last few weeks.

The funniest thing is… I don’t even really care about chocolate all that much!

I think that’s partly why I love making brownies. They are so quick and easy to make, incredibly delicious and crowd-pleasing, easily altered, and… I’m not tempted to eat the whole pan in one sitting.

 

I didn’t say I won’t eat brownies. I definitely will, especially for breakfast with a big mug of hot black coffee!

I’m just happy to share when it comes to my chocolate. Come on over! ;o)

Print
peanut butter swirled dark chocolate fudge brownies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 2 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x13" baking dish or a 12" cast iron skillet and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and baking soda until combined. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth. Then whisk in the boiling water until thick.

Whisk in the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and remaining 1/3 cup melted butter until smooth.

Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until just well combined.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan, dollop all over with spoonfuls of peanut butter and gently swirl them with a butter knife.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is set and the edges just start to pull away from the pan.

http://sweetannas.com/2012/12/peanut-butter-swirled-dark-chocolate-fudge-brownies.html

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - dessert, recipes - desserts, recipes - freezer, recipes - gifts ·

pumpkin pie coconut macaroons

09/28/2012 by · 1 Comment

As if the name doesn’t tell you enough… these are a chewy, moist, delicious little coconutty bite of pumpkin pie bliss in a macaroon form!

And to make things even better (for me at least! Ha!), they are dairy-free! (And even gluten-free too, I think!) YAY!

I have been so grumpy lately without my dairy. Baby Girl isn’t showing any great signs of improvement yet, but it’s only been a few days so I guess we’ve still got a ways to go on that.

I am so hoping this helps her feel better, but at the same time I am hoping it doesn’t help at all. :o/ Selfish, huh?

Anyways, these little dairy-free gems (all macaroons are dairy free, so I didn’t do anything sneaky to these, in case you were wondering!) really are delicious. Super simple to throw together and taste like a little bit of autumn-joy in your mouth.

Especially with a big cup of coffee… because we all know coffee makes sweets taste better, right?

Right?!

Pumpkin Pie Coconut Macaroons Recipe
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
makes about 2 1/2 dozen small cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup pumpkin purée

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of your food processor, pulse the coconut for about 1 minute. Add in the sugar, spice & salt and pulse for another minute.

Pour in the egg whites while the food processor is running and continue to process for another minute. Add in the pumpkin and pulse a few seconds to combine.

Drop with a small scoop onto the prepared baking sheets (the cookies won’t spread much). Bake each sheet for 25-32 minutes, until the cookies are light golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheets.

These are one of the very few cookies that, in my opinion, actually store better not in an airtight container… they stay crispier on the outside while still nice and chewy inside that way!

Enjoy!

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - cookies and bars, recipes - dessert, recipes - desserts, recipes - freezer, recipes - gluten free, recipes - healthy ·

fudgy dark chocolate candy cane Oreo brownies

12/14/2012 by · 2 Comments

Rich, fudgy, dark chocolate brownies, with a layer of Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s (any Oreo’s will work… The red-filling holiday ones would be very pretty!) topped with dark chocolate chips and crushed up candy canes. These brownies are about as wintery and festive as they come!

I love peppermint and chocolate together. Something about the combo just makes me happy.

And the cute pink and brown color combo doesn’t hurt either. (Random tidbit: Pink and Brown were my wedding colors. Kinda fond of the combination!)

Brownies are my go-to treat when I need a quick, no-brainer (because we all know I don’t really have one of those lately!) dessert that everyone will love.

There are so many ways to dress up a brownie, I just love trying out new combinations!

This is one of my all-time favorites. The hidden layer of Oreo cookies (or Joe-Joe’s rather, as I love my Trader Joe’s and couldn’t resist the Candy Cane Joe-Joes they have for the holidays!) are just a fun surprise in an already great brownie. You can leave them out, but why would you?

Print
fudgy peppermint candy cane Oreo brownies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 5 regular-sized candy canes, unwrapped and crushed (about 1/2 cup, or so)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13″ glass baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Stir in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth. Stir in the boiling water until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Stir in the sugar and eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup melted butter.

Stir in the flour, extract & salt until just smooth. Spread a little less than half the mixture evenly into your prepared baking dish, just enough to cover the bottom.

Lay out the Oreo cookies (or Joe-Joe's) evenly over the batter in the pan, and then top with the remaining batter, covering the cookies and smoothing the top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the pan. (It’s always better to under-bake brownies than to over-bake them!)

As soon as you take the brownies out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the chocolate chips are all shiny.

Carefully spread the melted chips out over the brownies with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle evenly with the crushed candy canes, press down very gently to make sure they stick, and then let cool completely before cutting.

http://sweetannas.com/2012/12/fudgy-dark-chocolate-candy-cane-oreo-brownies.html

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - desserts, recipes - freezer, recipes - gifts, recipes - holiday, recipes - kids, recipes - make ahead, recipes - natural ·

pumpkin-cheesecake swirled dark chocolate brownies

11/09/2012 by · 1 Comment

Creamy, spiced pumpkin cheesecake… dense, fudgy, rich dark chocolate brownie…

This is a combination of flavors that just screams holidays and winter and “yum”!

I want to call this the perfect ‘compromise’ dessert. It’s hard to explain how perfectly these taste like brownies. And yet like cheesecake. And definitely like fall. And kind of not like any of those things!

It’s almost like, if you don’t know these are pumpkin before you take the first bite, you will be caught off guard and not sure what to think.

But, if you know they are pumpkin, you are immediately transported to a wonderful bliss of pumpkin, cheesecake and brownie all mixed together into one luscious dessert.

Fall. Bliss. New. Try this and let me know what you think! Love it, or hate it??

Print
pumpkin-cheesecake swirled dark chocolate brownies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and grease a 9×13" glass baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Stir in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth and then stir in the boiling water until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Stir in the sugar and eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup butter, vanilla & salt until smooth.

Into the chocolate mixture, stir in the flour until just smooth. Stir in the 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips and spread about 2/3 of the mixture into your prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, pumpkin, 1/2 cup sugar, pumpkin pie spice and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Dollop this mixture by tablespoons all over the brownie batter in the baking dish.

Dollop the rest of the brownie batter all over that and use a butter knife to gently swirl everything together.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the pan. (Always better to under-bake than to over-bake brownies!!)

Cool completely in the pan and store leftovers (if there are any!) in a tupperware in the fridge or freezer!

http://sweetannas.com/2012/11/pumpkin-cheesecake-swirled-dark-chocolate-brownies.html

Recipe inspired by My Baking Addiction

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - cookies and bars, recipes - dessert, recipes - desserts, recipes - freezer, recipes - holiday, recipes - make ahead ·

peanut butter swirled fudge chunk brownies, round 2

01/31/2013 by · Leave a Comment

Sometimes, a great recipe gets even better with a few adjustments.

You have seen this recipe here before, but I updated it recently with a few changes and now I love it even more!

Give it a try sometime you are craving that heavenly combo of rich dark chocolate and salty, sweet peanut butter.

Sometimes there is just nothing better!

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peanut butter swirled dark chocolate fudge brownies, updated

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
  • 1/2 cup very hot, strong black coffee (or boiling water)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 2 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup tiny peanut butter cups (Trader Joe's) or chopped up regular peanut butter cups
  • 1 cup peanut butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x13" baking dish or a 12" cast iron skillet and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and baking soda until combined. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth. Then whisk in the hot coffee until thick.

Whisk in the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and remaining 1/3 cup melted butter until smooth.

Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until just well combined.

Dollop a cup or so of peanut butter into the batter and gently (and NOT thoroughly - you want this to be swirled, not mixed completely in!) fold the peanut butter into the batter with a spatula and spread everything into the pan.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is set and the edges just start to pull away from the pan.

http://sweetannas.com/2013/01/peanut-butter-swirled-fudge-chunk-brownies-round-2.html

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - cookies and bars, recipes - freezer, recipes - gifts ·

fudgy peppermint patty brownies

12/01/2011 by · 2 Comments

This is another version of my favorite fudgy dark chocolate brownies recipe. Fudgy, rich dark chocolate brownies with creamy peppermint patties hiding under a layer of pure chocolate.

Drooling yet?

I know I am!

(Now, please excuse me while I go steal another brownie out of the freezer where I hid them. Maybe I’ll even put a scoop of ice cream on top of it… hmmm…)

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fudgy peppermint patty brownies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cup flour
  • 40 miniature-sized York peppermint patties
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x13" pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and baking soda. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth. Whisk in the boiling water until thick.

Whisk in the sugar, eggs, remaining 1/3 cup melted butter and the peppermint extract until blended and smooth.

Stir in the flour and salt until just thoroughly mixed. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Lay the unwrapped peppermint patties evenly all over the top (you should be able to fit 8 rows by 5 rows). Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the brownies are just set and starting to pull away from the edges a tiny bit.

Immediately sprinkle the 2 cups chocolate chips evenly all over the top of the hot brownies. Let them sit for about 5 minutes, until they are all shiny, and then spread evenly with the back of a spoon.

Cool completely for prettiest results, although I must admit I rarely have the patience for that! :o)

http://sweetannas.com/2011/12/fudgy-peppermint-patty-brownies.html

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - desserts, recipes - gifts, recipes - holiday, recipes - kids, recipes - make ahead ·

homemade whipped coconut oil body butter

11/21/2012 by · 51 Comments

Luxurious.

If I had to describe this stuff in one word, that’s what I’d use.

But fortunately, this is my blog and I can use as many words as I want to! :o)

I’m still trying to figure out how it took me so long to do this to my beloved coconut oil?!

Gone are the days of scraping out a little bit of solid coconut oil in my too-cold bathroom in the mornings to smooth on my arms and legs (and hands, and face, and hair, and babies…).

I am in love.

Love.

Pure, sweet coconutty bliss. My sweet smelling babies smell even sweeter, because I just can’t stop slathering them with this delicious oil!

Try it.

Try it soon. You’ll be glad you did!

Print
whipped coconut oil body butter

Ingredients

  • 2 cups coconut oil (or however much you want to whip up!)

Directions

Dump the firm (not melted) coconut oil into your stand mixer. Turn the mixer on medium and beat for 10 minutes or so until the oil is all thick and fluffy. Transfer to a mason jar or tupperware, seal and store at room temperature.

http://sweetannas.com/2012/11/whipped-coconut-oil-body-butter.html

 

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - gifts, recipes - healthy, recipes - natural, recipes - tips and tricks ·

a few of my favorite things…

08/10/2012 by · Leave a Comment

I was looking through some past recipes yesterday and I realized I definitely have some favorites when it comes to food that I share here and with friends.

Specifically mac & cheese, fruit crisps/crumbles, and brownies!

I have several variations of these in my recipe book, I never get tired of them, and I’m always excited to try new variations!

I decided to do a count for fun, and I have 9 Mac & Cheese recipes…

pasta dogs with cheese sauce
spicy baked mac & cheese
baked buffalo chicken mac & cheese
super-creamy stove top mac & cheese
3-cheese baked mac & cheese
baked quinoa ‘mac & cheese’
creamy stove top mac & cheese for two
baked butternut squash and bacon mac & cheese
& almost Beecher’s famous mac & cheese!

9 fruit crisp/crumble recipes…

raspberry rhubarb crumble
rhubarb crumble & make-ahead crumble topping mix
berry peach crisp
cardamom peach blackberry crisp
apple crisp yogurt parfaits
fresh peach raspberry cobbler
almond berry crumble, gluten free
peach blueberry crumble
& peach raspberry crumble pie!

and 12 Brownie recipes!

fudgy dark chocolate brownies
mexican hot chocolate brownies
caramel peanut butter Snickers brownies
fudgy York peppermint patty brownies
pink & brownies, for my love
fudgy chocolate chip cookie dough brownies
candy bar brownies
mocha fudge brownies
fudgy Andes mint brownies
triple chocolate peppermint brownies
chewy lemon bars (lemon brownies)
& toasted coconut Samoas brownies!

Have you tried any of these? Which are your favorites?

Or even better, do you have a favorite mac & cheese, brownie or fruit crisp recipe I should try? Like I said, I never get tired of trying new kinds!!

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - breakfast, recipes - desserts, recipes - dinner, recipes - freezer, recipes - make ahead ·

coconut, butterscotch & chocolate chip skillet cookie

11/01/2012 by · 1 Comment

Toasty, coconutty, rich, butterscotchy and deep, dark chocolatey… deliciousness in a pan cookie form!

Yes, I did it again. I made another skillet cookie. And I will probably make another one tomorrow. :o)

I can’t stop.

(In case you’re wondering, yes I have used my new cast-iron skillet* at least once a day, if not multiple times a day. I am so loving it!)

I think my favorite thing is the relatively instant results, as compared to scooping out and baking traditional cookies.

Mix this dough, press it into the pan, bake and done!

Especially with a bunch of little kids needing my time & attention, this is perfect for my life right now!

What kind of skillet cookie should I make next?

Print
coconut, butterscotch & chocolate chip skillet cookie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut oil (or butter, softened)
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup packed sweetened, flaked coconut
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease a 10 or 12" skillet (or 9" square baking dish!).

In your large mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla & salt until smooth.

Mix in the flour and baking soda until just well mixed.

In a bowl, stir together the butterscotch chips, coconut and chocolate chips. Remove 1 cup of this mixture and set aside to use for topping the cookie later. Mix the remaining 3 cups into the cookie dough.

Press the dough evenly into the prepared skillet, sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of chip/coconut mixture, pressing in gently, and then place in the oven to bake for 25-35 minutes, until the cookie is just set and golden brown around the edges.

Cool and then cut into wedges and serve from the pan!

http://sweetannas.com/2012/11/coconut-butterscotch-chocolate-chip-skillet-cookie.html

*Disclosure: This is not a sponsored pot. I didn’t receive this cast iron skillet from Lodge. I just bought it and am loving it so much I have to share it with you! Although, I do earn a very slight commission if you buy through my Amazon store… which just lets me buy more ingredients to bake with, without breaking my food budget! :o) So thank you in advance if this spurs you to spoil yourself or a loved one with a new cast-iron skillet for the holidays!

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - cookies and bars, recipes - desserts ·

coconut peanut butter blossoms

03/01/2012 by · 1 Comment

We’ve all had, or at least heard of, classic peanut butter blossoms. Those peanut buttery, rolled in sugar, pressed with a Hershey’s Kiss cookies that are just too cute not to eat.

I have always loved them, but just couldn’t help thinking there had to be a way to make them a little more… grownup, you know?

So, I substituted part of the butter for virgin coconut oil, adding a bunch of healthy fats and I left out the sugar that they are rolled in.

Do they really need the extra sweetness? Absolutely not! And, they are even quicker to throw together when you omit that step!

Try these out next time you want to spoil your kids or re-live your childhood!

Coconut Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
adapted from Betty Crocker
makes approximately 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
75, or so, Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

In a large mixer bowl, cream together the butter, oil, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and then add to the peanut butter mixture until just smooth and combined.

Using a small (1″) scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets - making sure to leave room for the cookies to spread a bit.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown.

Immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss gently into the center of each warm cookie and then allow the cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - cookies and bars, recipes - desserts, recipes - freezer, recipes - kids, recipes - make ahead, recipes - toddler ·

salted-caramel mocha pie, peppermint mocha pie… and a Torani syrup giveaway!

11/17/2011 by · Leave a Comment
Salted caramel is all the rage lately, isn’t it? Everything from salted caramel candies to salted caramel mochas and hot chocolates… it almost seems you can’t find caramel without salt these days!
I’m certainly not saying that’s a bad thing though!
Salt brings out the flavors in everything (which is why we use it in baking!) and especially does something amazing to caramel.
This Salted Caramel Mocha Cream Pie is no exception!

I was recently sent 2 bottles of Torani flavored syrups to try out in some of my holiday baking… Salted Caramel & Peppermint!
I already adore Torani peppermint syrup in my hot chocolate, and for flavoring whipped cream (we all know how much I love peppermint & chocolate together!)...
But the first thing I thought of when I saw the flavors was chocolate cream pies flavored with these fun flavors and matched up with delicious coffee liqueur!

Rich smooth, creamy chocolate with a hint of sweet, salty caramel or cool, refreshing peppermint… these pies are a special treat, that’s for sure!

I actually made two different pies at the same time, one salted caramel mocha pie and one peppermint mocha pie… and they were both amazing and came together in no time!
Try this recipe if you want an easy no-bake treat for the holidays. Your guests will love you for it!

(The alcohol from in the pies is very minimal. But feel free to substitute some very strong cold coffee instead of the coffee liqueur if you’d like!)

Salted Caramel Mocha Pie & Peppermint Mocha Pie Recipe

adapted from she wears many hats
Ingredients:
for the crust:
18 regular (not double-stuffed) oreo cookies
3 tablespoons melted butter
for the filling:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons Torani salted caramel syrup or peppermint syrup
Directions:
Place the 18 cookies in a gallon ziploc bag, remove the air, seal & crush with a rolling pin until there are only fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and mix up until the crumbs all combined and moistened.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie plate and place in the freezer to set while you make the filling.
Melt the chocolate chips carefully in the microwave. Stir every 30 seconds until smooth. Place in the fridge to cool down a bit while you whip the cream.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Slowly whip in the liqueur and syrup until just blended.
Scoop the melted chocolate into the side of the whipped cream bowl and gently fold in with a spatula until completely incorporated… being careful not to deflate all the whipped cream!
Spoon the filling into the chilled pie crust and place into the fridge to set for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with lots of fresh whipped cream!!
Disclaimer: I was given the Torani syrups free of charge, but my opinions of them are mine! I have loved and used them for years… so I was thrilled about this SheSpeaks sponsored review opportunity!
Click here for more reviews on Torani’s Salted Caramel Syrup and here for more reviews on their Peppermint Syrup!

And the giveaway… [UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed! Coupons will be mailed ASAP. Winners, I hope you enjoy your Torani syrups!!]
I have 5 coupons for a FREE full-sized bottle of Torani syrup! And because I just love you all so much… I will send the first 5 people to comment on this post one of the coupons!! (Please leave your email in the comment so I can contact you for your address!)
And if you don’t win… here’s a coupon code for 10% off your purchase at Torani.com!
SheSpeaksbutton

Filed Under: giveaways, recipes, recipes - desserts, recipes - holiday, recipes - make ahead, reviews ·

dark chocolate mocha cake with cookie dough filling

04/18/2012 by · 14 Comments

Do you remember this cute Cookie Monster cake I showed you the other day?

Well, here’s the inside… and it’s an absolutely delicious, very grown-up friendly dessert!

Moist, dark chocolate mocha cake, with a delicious layer of (eggless, of course!) cookie dough in the middle… Pretty much heaven in cake-form!

It was a big hit with both the kids and adults at Bjørn’s party… and I have to admit, I’ve been sneaking some of the leftover cookie dough filling the last few nights before bed!

Blue frosting and the Cookie Monster theme are definitely not required for this cake… but they sure do make it fun!

Print
dark chocolate mocha cake with cookie dough filling

Ingredients

    for the cake:
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup very hot strong coffee (or 1 cup boiling water)
    • for the filling:
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions

for the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour (or use a baking spray with flour in it!) two 9-inch round cake pans.

In a large mixer bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, soda, powder & salt until combined.

Add in the eggs, milk, oil & vanilla and mix well, on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

Stir in the hot coffee until the batter is smooth and thin. Pour evenly into the two pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pans for 5-10 minutes and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.

for the filling:

In a mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Mix in the milk and vanilla until smooth. Mix in the flour until just well combined and then stir in the chocolate chips.

This will make more cookie dough filling than you probably need... but I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what to do with the leftovers! ;o)

for the frosting:

I used a simple vanilla buttercream frosting recipe (this one) for my cake because I needed to decorated it like cookie monster.

I would probably use a milk chocolate buttercream or even my Nutella buttercream frosting if I wasn't trying to decorate it that way!

http://sweetannas.com/2012/04/dark-chocolate-mocha-cake-with-cookie-dough-filling.html

cake recipe adapted from Hershey’s Classic Recipes

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - desserts, recipes - holiday, recipes - make ahead ·

double coconut dark chocolate chip cookies

10/09/2012 by · 10 Comments

Chewy, dense, delicious coconut dark chocolate chip cookies… Incredibly rich and delicious, and best of all, dairy-free!

(Don’t worry… You will love these even if you have no issues with dairy!)

Ok, so I know I have a lot of favorite cookie recipes… but this really does top my list as one of my favorite favorites!

And as much as we all know I love butter, I actually love that this recipe doesn’t have any. Why? Because that means they are dairy-free and I can actually eat them (no dairy right now for this nursing mama)!!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - cookies and bars, recipes - dessert ·

healthy coconut almond granola

01/25/2012 by · Leave a Comment

Coconut Almond if you’re feeling healthy… Almond Joy if you’re not! :o)

This granola is chockfull of good-for-you stuff. Raw coconut oil, raw honey, oats, almonds… and then a little hint of chocolate, if you’d like, for the Almond Joy lovers in the world!

I usually only add chocolate chips to part of the batch after it’s cooled for snacking on by the handful. The rest I leave plain for eating with milk or yogurt and fruit!

Oh and if you are a close friend or family member… this granola (without the chocolate chips, of course!) tastes a whole lot like Grandpa Cookies! Ahhh… comfort food.

Print
healthy coconut almond granola

Yield: makes about 4 cups of granola... this recipe can be easily doubled!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup flaked coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup melted virgin coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup honey (preferably raw)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste (I like a bit more added on after baking!)
  • 1/2-1 cup mini chocolate chips, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds & coconut... stirring to mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, mixing well to coat.

Spread the granola onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes after that, until the granola is perfectly golden brown... watching it closely at the end and being careful not to let it burn!

Let cool completely before adding chocolate chips, if you are going to, and storing in an airtight container.

http://sweetannas.com/2012/01/healthy-coconut-almond-granola.html

recipe adapted from He Sows, She Sews

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - breakfast, recipes - healthy, recipes - kids, recipes - make ahead, recipes - snacks, recipes - toddler ·

candy bar brownies

07/13/2011 by · 1 Comment

You know those BIG bags of miniature chocolate candy bars they sell at all the stores around the holidays?

The ones with itty-bitty snickers, milky ways, 3 musketeers, baby ruths and butterfingers?

The ones that seem to jump into your cart all on their own when you shop hungrily before a mini-road trip?

Well, I have one of those bags in my house. Hiding in my laundry room actually.

(Hiding from me, not you! If you come over to my house, please go into my laundry room and eat as many as you’d like so they stop staring at me!)

Anyways… this morning I woke up thinking about brownies. (What? Don’t you wake up thinking about brownies in the morning??)

And since I have been staring at that bag of miniature temptations, I decided to use some of them up in these brownies.

I started with my regular Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies, took away some of the chocolate chips, pressed miniature chocolates into the top and then when frosted it with chocolate chips at the end. I think it was a winner. The only problem was coming up with the right name!

Candy Bar Surprise Brownies? Hidden Temptations Brownies? Candy Machine Brownies? Chocolate Overload Brownies?? Diabetic-Coma Brownies???

It all got to be too much. So I sat down and ate another brownie and decided to just stick with simple. Candy Bar Brownies. Really… what more do I need to say?

Print
candy bar brownies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (1 cup + 2 cups)
  • 24 or so miniature chocolates, unwrapped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper and butter the paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and baking soda. Whisk in 1/3 cup of melted butter until smooth and wet. Stir in the boiling water, whisking until smooth and thick.

Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup melted butter & the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt until smooth.

In a small bowl take about 1 tablespoon flour out of your measured 1 1/3 cups and toss it with the 1 cup of chocolate chips. Whisk the remaining flour into the batter until just smooth and combined.

Stir in the flour-dusted 1 cup of chocolate chips and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Press the miniature chocolates evenly spaced into the top of the batter.

(The idea being that each brownie you cut & serve will have a mystery hidden candy bar in the center! Fun, huh?)

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the edges are firm and the center is just set. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownies and place the pan back into the oven for 3 minutes.

Remove from the oven again and smooth out the now melted chocolate chips evenly with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.

Let cool completely and chill in the fridge for a few hours to let the chocolate top harden again. Lift from the pan and cut into squares to serve.

http://sweetannas.com/2011/07/candy-bar-brownies.html

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - desserts, recipes - make ahead ·

fresh blueberry coconut coffee cake

03/07/2012 by · Leave a Comment

Yesterday I woke up to beautiful swirling snowflakes.

Yes, it’s March… and it felt a little funny… but snow is snow, and we love it!

I just can’t let a snow-day pass buy without baking some comfort food.

And since I knew the flakes wouldn’t last long, I quickly threw together this simple, delicious blueberry coffee cake to celebrate!

The coconut oil in this cake adds a very light layer of flavor… this is definitely not a “coconut” coffee cake, but the coconut oil does make it a tad bit healthier!

Fresh Blueberry Coconut Coffee Cake Recipe
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
for the cake:
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries (if using frozen, do not thaw!)
for the crumb topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, cold & diced
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9″ square baking dish.

In your mixer bowl, cream together the coconut oil and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well mixed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this flour mixture to the batter, alternating with the milk. (Flour, milk, flour, milk, flour).

Gently fold in the blueberries and spread the batter into the greased baking dish.

For the topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon & nutmeg until combined. Cut in the diced butter and the coconut oil with a pastry cutter or a fork until crumbly and moistened.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter in the pan and bake for 30-45 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean!

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - breads, recipes - breakfast, recipes - desserts ·

how to make a toasted coconut baby

02/28/2012 by · Leave a Comment

What did that title actually make you think you were coming here to read?

Some fancy new coconut dessert?

A dutch baby laced with toasted coconut maybe?

Nope! This is actually nothing of the sort.

I recently discovered that Haakon, my youngest, has inherited the eczema that plagues my husband’s family.

It has just shown up on his skin in the last week or so, but it is running rampant and getting worse every day.

The back of his knees, his torso, his arms and legs… Pretty much his whole body is affected in some way or another.

I am not ready to start trying out strong creams on him yet though, so we are starting with the basics…

Keeping his skin as moisturized, protected and healthy as possible.

This is where the Toasted Coconut Baby part comes in.

Every night, after his bath and before his jammies, I slather Haakon from head to toe with virgin coconut oil…

and he smells amazing.

Seriously… amazing.

I thought I had a problem with wanting to ‘eat my babies up’ before, but now…

Now he smells exactly like a big pile of perfectly toasted coconut flakes, and he makes me drool.

And I may have licked his arm once or twice last night. May have. :o)

Here’s hoping this helps!

At least we know it’s not hurting, and it makes for the most delicious smelling baby you’ve ever met!!

Filed Under: eczema, haakon, mama musings, ramblings ·

easy cashew chicken with coconut rice

02/24/2012 by · Leave a Comment

Thai or Chinese food (let’s just call it Homemade Takeout!) - like this spicy & sweet Cashew Chicken with Coconut Rice - is one of those things that usually just intimidates me too much to make at home.

Homemade takeout seems so complicated, but really it’s not.

Yes, the dishes usually have a lot of ingredients as far as the sauce/flavorings go, but once you’ve got a stocked pantry… they are incredibly simple to throw together!

I think I get a bit more adventurous with my cooking and baking when I am pregnant. Something about carrying a little life inside of me makes me feel very powerful and capable.

And so I do things that I normally wouldn’t do… like make homemade takeout, bagels and all sorts of homemade breads.

This cashew chicken was a spur of the moment craving-fix for me, and I am so glad I wasn’t too intimidated to try! It turned out so good, I know I will be making it often!!

(Oh, and yes, I am aware that there are no bell peppers in the picture above… I was out of them! But I promise you they will make the dish even better! I doubt I would make this without them again!!)

Cashew Chicken with Coconut Rice Recipe
adapted from She Wears Many Hats
makes 4-5 large servings

Ingredients:

for the rice:
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup jasmine rice

for the chicken:
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons soy sauce, divided (1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons)
4-5 tablespoons oil (I use vegetable oil)
4-5 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced (about 2 lb)
1 large onion, chopped into good-sized bites
1 large bell pepper, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

Directions:
For the rice:
In a medium pot, bring the coconut milk, water, salt & sugar to a boil. Add in the rice, stirring well, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid.

Remove from the heat and let sit, without stirring, for 10 minutes.

For the chicken:
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, cayenne, ginger and 1/4 cup soy sauce, whisking to blend and dissolve the brown sugar; Set aside.

In a large pan or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat until quite hot. Brown the chicken (in 2 batches if necessary!) and then remove to a plate while you continue.

Toss the onions and peppers into the oil along with the remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce and cook - stirring occasionally - until they start to brown and soften. Toss in the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.

Return the chicken to the pan, along with the sauce and the cashews. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir and simmer for 10 minutes or so… until the sauce has reduced a bit and everything is heated and cooked through.

To serve:
Fill a bowl with rice, top with a generous amount of the chicken & veggies and then top with a good sprinkle of basil. Enjoy!

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - dinner, recipes - kids, recipes - toddler ·
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