crack blondies

Okay, so I know I literally just posted about my favorite chocolate chip blondies. But, the other day, something happened... Something I need to share immediately or else it's like it never happened. Crack blondies. Guys, this is a real thing.. as of right now. I know that sounds all sorts of suspicious, but they are actually incredibly awesome and not at all shady. For one thing, they do not in fact contain crack. Crack blondies are a spinoff of [the more well-known] crack brownies. They are like "crack" because the two additional layers of marshmallow and peanut butter chocolate krispies keep you wanting more. When I did a personal taste test, I found myself continuing to eat every crumb of the square and I didn't even understand why I was doing this. There's just a lot going on and it all works. 

Clearly, my goal in life is to send you all into diabetic shock. This treat is absolutely over the top, but that's exactly what makes it so great. If your sweet tooth isn't satisfied with one square, then don't talk to me ever again. 

Don't be discouraged by the list of directions. My intent was to be thorough so you could replicate this creation. You don't even need a stand mixer to make these, which just doesn't happen very often in my kitchen anymore.

Crack Blondies

Yields one 9x13-inch pan

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Chip Blondies (from Taste and Tell)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, room temp.

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Marshmallow Layer

10 oz. bag of miniature marshmallows

Peanut Butter Chocolate Krispies Layer

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or equivalent)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. I spray with cooking spray first to help the parchment stick. Then proceed with two folded pieces of parchment that overextend past the edges of the pan (one lengthwise and one across the width, making a criss-cross). For visual help, see picture from previous post here. I do not add any extra cooking spray or butter. The parchment alone will prevent sticking.

2. For Chocolate Chip Blondies: In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla.

3. Add flour and salt and stir gently with a spatula to combine. Mix until just moistened (do not overmix). Fold in chocolate chips. 

4. Transfer mixture into parchment-lined pan. Spread the batter out event across the surface of the pan. 

5. Slightly underbake the blondies, about 38-40 minutes. The top should be slightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center does not come out perfectly clean. 

6. For Marshmallow Layer: Remove the pan of slightly underbaked blondies out of the oven pour the entire bag of marshmallows across the top of the blondies. Distribute into an even layer. Put the pan back into the oven for 2-3 more minutes. You want the marshmallows to soften.

7. Remove pan from the oven. With a knife dipped in water, spread the softened marshmallows into an even layer. Allow pan to cool completely.

8. For the Peanut Butter Chocolate Krispies Layer: In a medium saucepan on the stovetop, heat butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter together until well-combined and smooth in consistency. Then remove from the stovetop. Add Rice Krispies cereal and stir until the cereal is completely covered with the mixture.

9. Pour peanut butter chocolate krispies on top of the marshmallow layer. Use a spatula to spread it out into an even layer. Refrigerate the pan until the top layer solidifies and is no longer gooey.

10. Use the extended parchment to pull the contents out easily and place onto a large cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into desired pieces. Eat right away or store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.

blondies with chocolate chips

I am terrible. I can't believe I've never posted this recipe. Okay, today is the day I share this secret gem with you. I love making chocolate chip cookies but, sometimes, scooping out portions of dough and baking them off sheet-by-sheet gets a little tedious and time-consuming. There is an easier [and just as delicious] solution. They are called chocolate chip blondies. In case you don't know, blondies are like brownies but, well, blonde. Also, they are freakin fabulous. I keep the recipe link on my bookmarks bar for easy access. Sometimes I'll make changes to an original recipe, but these are just perfection. I wouldn't change a thing.. except I double the recipe.

Blondies with Chocolate Chips
Recipe by Taste and Tell
Yields one 9x13in. pan

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted 
2/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temp.
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper. I spray with cooking spray first to help the parchment stick. Then proceed with two folded pieces of parchment that overextend past the edges of the pan (one lengthwise and one across the width, making a criss-cross). See picture below. I do not add any extra cooking spray or butter. The parchment alone will prevent sticking.
2. In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. 
3. Add flour and salt and stir gently with a spatula to combine. Mix until just moistened (do not overmix). Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Transfer mixture into parchment-lined pan. Spread the batter out evenly across the surface of the pan.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Allow pan to cool completely. Then use the overhanging parchment to lift out of the pan completely. Place on a cutting board and cut into squares or desired pieces with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. 

And, today, these blondies got packaged up with bows. Because these blondies are like a gift from God... actually, Taste and Tell Blog. Same thing. 

chocolate chip coconut cookies

We all know I LOVE Ina Garten's Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe. It's a classic that should be in everyone's recipe box. The flavor of the dough itself is just SO damn good. Yesterday, I was feeling fancy and decided to cut out the nuts and added some coconut into the mix instead. The texture of the coconut is really harmonious with the chocolate, and the chewiness of the cookie itself with crispy edges is unbelievable. These cookies are TOO good and must be made right away. No joke. I couldn't take a picture that does these cookie any justice, because it was late and my kitchen lighting is the worst at night.

I could have easily eaten the whole batch. If I had kept them in my house, I probably would have. But, I decided to practice some self-control and share them with work and Starbucks.. because mid-week is always sweeter with baked goods. Happy Wednesday! (As I'm writing this, I'm totally regretting that I don't have any left for myself. I actually might make these again tonight.)

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies
Recipe Adapted from Ina Garten
Yields 36-40 cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. With a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. On medium speed, mix in vanilla, then eggs one at a time. 
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture Mix on stir speed until just combined. Add chocolate chips and shredded coconut mix on stir speed for a few seconds. Everything should be well-incorporated and should not look "dry" but do not overmix.
4. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour. *I added this step. The chilled dough will prevent a super flat cookie. If you want a super flat cookie, skip this step. Either way, it won't change the flavor. ;)
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Drop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a 1 3/4-inch-diameter scoop or a rounded tablespoon. With the palm of your hand, slightly pat down the rounded portions.
7. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). 
8. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. (OR eat warm, because that's how cookies should be eaten!)

royal chocolate- marshmallow bars

On my iPhone, I have at least 12 windows open on Safari. It's been like this for at least 6 months, which is kind of embarrassing. Every once in a while, I'll come across a recipe I want to try and leave the window open. I do this with the hope that, eventually, I'll actually have time to get the ingredients together and make it. You might be thinking: why not just bookmark these recipes? Good question. Here's my answer. I only bookmark recipes that I have already tried and are proven to be worthy of my recipe box. For the record, I didn't say it was a good answer.

So where is this going? On my first day off this summer, I immediately scrolled through the 12 open windows on my iPhone. I decided to make the Royal Chocolate- Marshmallow Bars by Recipe Girl.  I had all the ingredients, so it just seemed like an easy choice. 

Royal Chocolate- Marshmallow Bars

Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl

INGREDIENTS

1st layer

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch process cocoa

2nd layer

10 oz. bag of miniature marshmallows

Topping

1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup peanut butter

2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12x9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Also line the pan with parchment so that there is extra parchment that hangs over all sides. *I do this because it makes removing the final product from the pan super easy once it's cooled. You can just lift it out carefully.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and Dutch process cocoa. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, mix butter and sugar on medium high speed until well-combined. Then, add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Keep on medium high speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add dry mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on stir speed until just combined. 
5. Spread this batter into your parchment-lined pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until set. (*The original recipe used a 15x10 inch pan which required about 15-18 minutes. I had to add more time, but it's best to gauge based on if it's set and not wiggling around when you move the pan.)
6. After first layer is done, immediately pour the marshmallows on top and return back to the oven for 2-3 more minutes. With a knife dipped in water, spread the melted marshmallows into an even layer over the first layer. Let cool.
7. For the topping, heat chocolate chips, butter, peanut butter in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir occasionally and heat until the ingredients are well combined. Remove the saucepan from the stovetop and add Rice Krispies. Spread this mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer.
8. Chill until firm (topping layer is set). Cut into bars.

I made a few slight adjustments to the original recipe when I made these. I used a smaller pan (12x9 instead of 15x10). Even though I have a 15x10 inch jellyroll pan, I wanted the layers to be thicker and more substantial. It's really a preference and either will work. It's like choosing to make regular brownies or extra thick brownies. Remember, just like the directions on the back of a brownie mix box, account for extra baking time if you use a smaller pan.

These bars are crazy good. It looks super sweet and overwhelming, but it's really not. The first layer is like a hybrid of a brownie and cake. It's not overly sweet or dense. The 2nd layer of marshmallows makes you feel like you're biting into a cloud-- an airy, gooey cloud of heaven. And the top layer of chocolate, peanut butter, and Rice Krispies.. it's like everything you didn't know you wanted in a dessert. (See my Everything Rice Krispies Treats if you like this combo, too). 

Give these bars a try. This recipe is definitely going in my recipe box.

homemade oreos

After all the Milk and Cookie Shot excitement yesterday, I don't think it's possible for me to ever make anything to top that. I still have PTSD from Day 1 and parts of Day 2. Let's just put it out there. Spring Break is almost over and I really don't have time to invest in another big project. That took everything from me, particularly my confidence as a baker (at times) and most of my dignity. I repeat: never again. Just so we're all clear. 

Because I had one more day off (meaning, one last opportunity to get some of that dignity back), I decided to pursue something a little less stressful-- like Homemade Oreos. This, I can do.. and you can, too. 

Homemade Oreos 

Recipe by Smitten Kitchen

Yields 25-30 Oreos (or enough for you and possibly a few select people you know)

INGREDIENTS

For the chocolate wafers:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup white, granulated sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

For the filling:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. **I HIGHLY recommend using the food processor. It was easy to do without overmixing! While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

3. Take rounded teaspoons of dough and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

4. To make the cream, use a stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer and a medium bowl. Place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and beat until cohesive consistency. Then, at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

5. Place the cream into a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip. **I just put in a Ziplock bag and snipped off the tip. Nothing fancy but works just as well. 

6. Pipe teaspoon-sized blobs of the cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

7. Dunk in milk and enjoy or, if your feeling generous, share! :)

And because I'm addicted to Insta video these days.. Enjoy this clip of my Oreo making! 

milk and cookie shot

I would like to preface this by saying I will never make these again. So, don't ask, beg, or bargain because it's not happening.. ever. But, I will share my journey with you. Prepare yourself for a novel. It's a doozy.

Background:
At SXSW, Dominique Ansel (creator of the ever-so-popular cronut) debuted his latest genius: the Milk and Cookie Shot. Ever since I came across the news, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I googled high and low for answers, direction, something to help me recreate this novelty. Nothing. Because it was so recent, people have been talking about it but nothing more.

The Method (or lack thereof):
I googled "deep baking pan" online, in search for some kind of structured apparatus for my cookie vessel. As I was scrolling, I noticed "petite popover pan". I scrutinized pictures from all angles, looked over the dimensions, and read numerous reviews on all the different brands offering a version of the same thing. I put a lot of effort into this, because I wanted.. hoped.. prayed.. I could actually make it work.

Thanks to Amazon Prime, I was able to get started 2 days after ordering. Those 2 days, I waited in nerve-racking anticipation. My eagerness to just dive in and do it was consuming me. I had no plan but I really felt like something would just click once I got my essential petite popover pan. Basically, I was an idiot. ALWAYS plan when taking on a project, especially when the odds of screwing up are more likely than not. Can't stress this enough.

In the past 24 hours since my petite popover pan arrived, I've almost had a panic attack (or five), wanted to give up (more then 100 times), and pretty much hated every miserable second of every minute of every hour of my existence. You get the gist. If you hate me and want to revel in the details of my torture, see my Twitter for your sick pleasure.

Because I was so excited, I woke up super early yesterday to get started. I knew I wanted to use Ina Garten's Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe for my cookie vessel, simply because it's delicious and I firmly believe in using what I already know I love. Upon making the cookie dough, I realized that it was a little too soft and way too sticky to use for this. I literally stared at the dough, stared at my sticky fingers, and stared at my petite popover pan and felt completely defeated already. It was way too early for that. I would not let the cookie shot win.

I added an extra 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour to the already prepared dough. I also had an extra 2 pounds of standby flour because this shit was just not cooperating. It was less sticky but still somewhat too soft. I soon realized that the dough was the least of my problems. Although, I now had the petite popover pan, I didn't have anything to create the opening of the cookie shot glass. It took every little bit of creativity and craftiness in me (which isn't much- I hate crafts with a passion) to figure out what to do next. I'm not a freaking DIY person, I B-U-Y. If I were a DIY person, I would make my own coffee instead of going to Starbucks everyday.

I tore my kitchen apart and found a box of small sample-sized Dixie cups. I've had these damn cups since my 9th grade science fair project. I think I can work with this. Obviously the diameter of the Dixie cups is too large. So I cut a slit down the side and halfway through the middle to manipulate them a bit. To keep their new shape, I wrapped the Dixie cups tightly in aluminum foil.

I then began to roll out the cookie dough. Eff. Why did I have to use chips instead of chunks or flakes?! The chips became a new obstacle, because they awkwardly would not roll down with the dough. I started taking my anger out on the dough and added extra pressure with my pin as I rolled it out. Most of the peaks of the shitty chips broke and kept sticking to my rolling pin. It was necessary for me to adapt again, because clearly the dough had to be a certain thickness and it wasn't taking "no" for an answer. Grrrr. I also realized this when I wrapped the foil plugger I made with the dough and the whole fat thing would not fit into the slot of the petite popover pan.

Only 2 of the 12 that I prepared actually fit. As you can tell, it was going really well. So I put those 2 pieces of crap in the oven and baked them. I also wrapped some parchment around them so that it would stabilize the structure while baking and be extra easy to remove from the pan. Needless to say, I had to remove the thick dough from the other useless foil pluggers in order to unwrap, reshape, and re-foil. This really sucked. We're now on hour 5 or 6 (feels like 50) of this bullshit. It was at this time that I made the conscious decision to call it quits for the day. Nothing was going right for me and I didn't want to deal with this crap dough any longer.

After 15 minutes (in 350 degree oven), I took a peak at the 2 cookie vessels in the oven and they were doing exactly what I wanted them to do. I rotated the pan and let them bake for an extra 3 minutes so they would get more golden. When I pulled them from the oven, I was shocked. They looked freaking normal. I must have done something right, which I guess doesn't say much considering I still had a whole mound of dough on the counter that I absolutely despised. But, screw you, I was thrilled. I couldn't even look at the dough anymore and I felt like it was mocking me, so I just put some plastic wrap over it and threw it in the refrigerator. It was ruining my life.

While the cookies were still somewhat warm, I pulled my crafted foil plugger device out of it. This is the most awkward thing in the world because it's like pulling a tampon out of a vag. That was not PG and extremely gross, but I felt like it just needed to be said. I placed the cookie vessel upright and this effing thing actually stood up on its own. Holy hell. Kill me. It's working. I knew I had to sleep off my day's endless frustration. I just couldn't take anymore abuse from this project. I was too annoyed and too tired to keep going. However, the last 30 minutes of the day did give me a little hope that my ingredients, time, and money I spent on a petite popover pan weren't a total waste. That would have sent me over the edge.

Day [freaking] 2:
This morning, I woke up feeling good... well, not that good (less excited than when I woke up yesterday). More than anything, I felt motivated to finish this ridiculous project I had dumbly convinced myself I was capable of completing. I took the dough out of the refrigerator before taking a shower and getting ready, so that it could [un]chill out and I wouldn't have to work with a big rock.

The "getting myself ready for the day" was just what I needed. I got a sudden burst of energy. I was pumped. I was ready. I had my "Happy Place" playlist all set up. Refrigerating the dough overnight turned out to be helpful. Perhaps it just needed a time out to think about all the hell it put me through. I kneaded and abused it a bit to make sure it knew I was the boss today. The dough beatdown was key. After that, it was much easier to manage. And, somehow, everything that was an absolute disaster the day before was now going much more smoothly than I expected. The "Happy Place" playlist also kept my patience high and blood pressure low. Here's how it went down..

24 hours later, I have the cookie vessel. Halle[freakin]lujah. But oh no, wait, this nightmare isn't over yet. Dominique Ansel lined his cookie shots with a thin layer of dark chocolate. I followed his lead and lined mine with chocolate, too. I ended up melting a bunch of chocolate (can't tell you how much exactly because I did it like 5 times more after the first). Because I'm obsessed with a pop of color (see here and here), I also dipped the bottom of the cooke shotglass in more chocolate and then into a bowl of sprinkles. That's how I roll. These monsters needed all the help they could get, so you know I just had to do it.

Execution:

They sure looked cute now, but then I had to bring out the milk (leftover from this) to test these assholes. Umm.. I tested one and it failed. There's nothing worse to bring spirits down than spilled milk.. literally. I quickly realized that any part inside the cookie vessel that wasn't lined with the chocolate was going to cause the milk to leak out. So, I melted more chocolate and slathered all of them again. Tested another one.. FAIL. OMG. I was really anxious and pissed off at this point. Like, are you kidding me? How could something so adorable make me feel so much hate? This is real life, people. It's not perfect. In fact, sometimes, it downright blows. So where do I go from here? Slather more chocolate, I guess. What else could I do?! (Please, someone give me another solution here!) I started melting all the effing chocolate I had in the house, because a thin layer was obviously not going to keep these bitches from leaking. Just saying. 

I felt like shit and a half. How the eff would you effing feel? I almost started throwing the remaining cookie shotglasses against the wall or in the garbage. Either way, I was over it. But everyone knew I was working on a project and I dreaded breaking the news that I had nothing to show for my 36 hours of misery.

We're on to the third cookie shotglass. Milk goes in.. wait for it.. nothing comes out. OMG OMG OMG. It's a Christmas miracle, I tell ya. The third shotglass with the third layer of chocolate... my heart just stopped because I was in disbelief. Seriously, this really happened and it made me SO happy. (See it unravel, here-- I unravelled many times prior this, clearly.)

So, I knew one worked for sure. The other 10 or whatever.. not so confident. I've never been more nervous to share baked goods in my life, and I hated it. Obviously, I wasn't going to poor milk in every single one just to be positive that it wasn't going to leak. So, as I handed them over, I made sure to provide the appropriate disclaimer of [perhaps] faulty execution-- i.e. Lower your expectations and pour over a plate first. Or just eat the damn cookie and eff the milk.

I recruited a few brave souls to put my cookie shot to the test. My heart was pounding so hard that it was about to jump out of my chest. Simultaneously, I was on the verge of peeing myself. Guess what, friends? Sometimes, dreams really do come true. Watch the Milk and Cookie Shot in action here and here!!

Conclusion:

The Milk and Cookie Shot was definitely an adventure.. a one-time-only sort of adventure that I will never attempt again. But don't let me discourage you. Maybe you can learn from my never-ending sequence of mishaps. After all, that's why I'm here-- to do all the screwing up first and to show you that, at the end of the day (or 2 days of legit hell), it's possible. To see it work was actually incredibly cool and rewarding, so the whole experience was totally worth it.

If I haven't scared the crap out of you by now and you are interested in pursuing this project (maybe need more details than the lengthiness of this blog post), feel free to reach out. I have 48 hours of [more] unfiltered advice for you. Get excited for that.

Milk and Cookie Shot-- It's been fun (hah!), but see you never. Love you, but actually [not-so-secretly] hate your guts.

chunks and chips cookies

I hope you just got really excited from reading the subject to this post. Here's the deal: the chunks are chocolate and the chips are potato. Now let me break down my salty-sweet concoction into a recipe for you so you can make your own batch. This is for all the people who already saw my cookie-making on Insta and think I'm sending these to you. Love you, but no.

Chunks and Chips Cookies
Yields about 20 cookies
Adapted from Quintessential Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white, granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz bittersweet chocolate (the good stuff), chopped into chunks
1 cup potato chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
4. To the butter and sugar mixture, add the egg and vanilla and beat on low. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and remix to make sure that everything is well-combined.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix on stir speed until it just comes together. Do not overmix.
6. Add chocolate chunks and potato chips. Fold together or mix on stir speed for a few seconds.
7. Onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, portion out 1 1/2-inch, rounded scoops of the dough (I use a small  cookie scoop) and space them 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned, rotating the sheet halfway through the bake time.
9. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack or eat while they're still warm! 

And because my blog is about baubles and baked goods and I've been slacking on the bauble-sharing these days..

necklace: Baublebar (and this one)

I decided that my cookies and I should be twinning today! :)

sprinkled milk chocolate peanut butter cups

I gave up on being serious blogger when I got accepted into my dental hygiene program. Let's face it, it's too damn hard scheduling free time when I'm usually at work, school, or Starbucks. Seriously, though.. never home. It's tough sometimes, but I'm still making and sharing sweets. It has kept me from fully losing my mind and also, conveniently, keeps my future career in demand. Win, win. I haven't been able to dabble into some super creative baking adventures in a while, but I'm hoping that will change soon.. Like tomorrow since my last midterm was today. There's two more days of school this week but, mentally, I'm already on Spring Break.

Remember that time I made those Pretzel-Topped Peanut Butter Cups? Well, guess what? I discovered they are even cuter with a little pop of color, instead. I mean, it wasn't too much of a surprise since a little bit of color is just like a little bit of sparkle.. always better.

Sprinkled Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Yields about 60 mini cups

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2- 4 cups milk chocolate chips
sprinkles

DIRECTIONS
1. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix together creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until well combined.
2. In a microwavable bowl, melt 2 cups of milk chocolate chips in 30 second intervals until completely melted and smooth. Stir in between to distribute the heat and make sure not to overheat the chocolate!
3. Spoon a dollop of the melted chocolate into each of the cups of a silicone candy mold. Spread the chocolate around, creating an even, semi-thin later of chocolate covering all sides and crevices.
4. In each cup coated with chocolate, place a rounded ball of the peanut butter filling mixture in the center of the cup. The amount of peanut butter filling will depend on your specific candy mold. I personally like a good amount of peanut butter filling in each cup.
5. Stir around your melted chocolate (Hopefully, it hasn't hardened by the time you get to this step. Re-melt if necessary.). Spoon and smooth it down into each cup to fill completely and cover the peanut butter filling.
6. The chocolate won't hardened instantaneously, so you have some time to fill them all first. Then add your colored sprinkles on top to your liking.
7. Place the mold into the freezer for a couple minutes until chocolate has solidified again. 
8. Pop the peanut butter cups out and they are ready to eat!
9. Repeat from Step 2 with the rest of the chocolate.

My candy mold only makes 30 at a time, and the recipe will definitely make about double. However, I still like to work with only half the amount of chocolate at a time. It's more manageable, less messy, and I can avoid having an I Love Lucy moment. I hope you caught that old-school t.v. reference or else it was completely pointless.

The other change I made to this recipe is the amount of chocolate. In making these peanut butter cups again, I found that it's important to have more chocolate than you think you'll need. Just go with it. It works. I use it all.

Also, I used rainbow-colored nonpareil sprinkles. Back in the day, when I worked as a baker, I absolutely hated these sprinkles. Mostly because there was a time when I hosted birthday parties at the shop. Let me tell you, kids just do awful things with these sprinkles. Awful. It made me pretty miserable. But now that I'm not doing that anymore, we've sorted out our problems and reconnected. Yes, I'm still talking about sprinkles! These have just the right amount of crunch and color to make these peanut butter cups extra adorable. But again, use whatever will make you happy!

Happy Wednesday, lovelies! I kind of miss you.  xo

chocolate popcorn

Today was Game 3 of the NBA Finals. I was sitting back, relaxing, and watching the Spurs come back from a disappointing Game 2. Halfway through the 2nd quarter, I realized I was missing something kind of important. Snacks. Not having anything to munch on at tip-off is seriously unacceptable in my book. But, during halftime, I was able to conjure up a quick batch of chocolate popcorn. Sweet sweet victory-- the outcome of the game and my amazing skills in pulling this off.

Popcorn is the perfect gametime snack, but the choco coating really makes this a treat. This chocolate popcorn is crunchy, not overly sweet, and so insanely addicting. Yes, I ate this whole bowl below in less than 3 minutes.. And then proceeded to go back for seconds. This was my dinner, by the way. But it's totally fine because I made sure to floss afterwards. Best Tuesday ever.

Chocolate Popcorn
Yields 8 Cups

INGREDIENTS
8 cups popped popcorn (1/3 cup unpopped kernels)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place popped popcorn into a large bowl.
3. In a saucepan on medium high, heat butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and light corn syrup. Stir with a wooden spoon and combine ingredients well.
4. Continue heating and stirring gently until mixture boils. Allow to boil for about 2 minutes, and then remove from heat.
5. Off the heat, stir in vanilla extract.
6. Pour mixture over popped popcorn. Carefully use wooden spoon to help coat all the popcorn with the chocolate mixture. 
7. Dump coated popcorn onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring at each 10-minute interval.
8. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. While the popcorn is still somewhat warm, break apart into pieces or clusters.
9. Serve or store in an airtight container.

gluten-free peanut butter campfire cookies

Happy June! I've been so preoccupied with the million new things in my life that I have been seriously slacking. I know. I'm sorry. I'll try to make it up to you. Not sure how, but I'll start with this.

For my gluten-free amigos, I have something sweet for you. Unfortunately, it is not Paleo. There's peanut butter (and we all know peanuts are a legume, not a nut!). And sugar. Duh. My best baking partner-in-crime. There's something about not using sugar that is somewhat disturbing when it comes to making baked goods. I know that's not really what some of you may want to hear from me, but you're going to have to get over it for now. Baby steps, people. Baby steps. That's all I can say.

Why don't we all just revel in the fact that these pb cookies are flourless? And have chocolate. And marshmallows. The only thing missing is a kumbayah sesh by the campfire. I'll bring the cookies.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Campfire Cookies
Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything
Yields about 21 cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients except marshmallows and chocolate chips. When dough is well blended, fold in marshmallows and chocolate chips.
3. Form 1 1/2-inch dough balls. You can do this with your hands, but I like to use a small cookie scoop because it's easier and there's also more uniformity.
4. Place dough balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
5. Pat down each portion slightly with the palm of your hand.
6. Bake in your preheated oven for 4 minutes, rotate your cookie sheet, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes or until the tops begin to brown.
7. Allow to cool almost completely on the cookie sheet. I find it is best to not rush to get them off the sheet or they will likely crumble apart. Peanut butter cookies, in general, tend to be more delicate, especially when they are flourless. As they cool, they will be more of a cookie and less of a mess.
8. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Eat while they are still warm or store in an airtight container for later consumption.

homemade tagalongs

As if I haven't been using chocolate and peanut butter together enough already (see here and here), I've got another recipe to add to the recipe box.

For the whole month of February and most of March, I tried to track down those darn Girl Scouts. I must say, when I was a Girl Scout, I worked hard pushing cookies. This cookie pusher was always on a mission: selling in front of grocery stores, walking door-to-door to every house in the neighborhood, calling all my relatives and anyone I knew. I actually kind of hated cookie season because of this. But I genuinely looked forward to the day the tables would be turned. What the hell.. I'm still waiting. I swear, times have changed. I'm not only disappointed but sadly cookieless, as well. Worst feeling ever.

Anyway, screw it. I made my own Girl Scout cookies-- Homemade Tagalongs. I stumbled upon a blog that successfully replicated these treasures. Though With Sprinkles on Top got the recipe elsewhere, I love her pictures. They are so gorgeous I didn't even feel compelled to photoblog my cookie-making journey for you.

These take some time but, for me, not nearly as much as trying to track down one freakin box to buy. Seriously, Girl Scouts? Look what you made me do. Please also note, I purposely picked the fattiest cookie on the menu to replicate, because no scouts (and cookies) in sight made me slightly depressed.

Homemade Tagalongs
Recipe by We Are Not Martha
Yields: a lot of scrumptious cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate (or whatever chocolate you want)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and white granulated sugar together until fluffy and even. Scrape down the bowl and beat again to make sure butter and sugar are incorporated well. Beat in egg and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Then add this dry mixture to wet mixture on the lowest speed.
3. On a large piece of parchment paper, shape dough into a cylinder (diameter of 2-3 inches). Wrap in the parchment paper and freeze for at least 25 minutes.
4. Slice the chilled dough into 1/8 inch disks. Place as many as you can fit on parchment-lined baking sheet, because they won't spread. You can cut as little or as much as you like, but the filling and chocolate proportions in the recipe are for about 30 cookies. Must make more peanut butter filling and melt more chocolate to accommodate the whole cylinder of dough. Wrap any dough not used in plastic wrap and freeze for later use.
5. Bake cookies in preheated 350 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. You are not looking for any sign of browning. Definitely should not be over 10 minutes. The cookies might look somewhat soft but will firm up further as they cool.
6. While the cookies are cooling on a wire rack, mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar.
7. Place disks of the peanut butter mixture on top of the cooled cookies. You don't need to press peanut butter filling to the very edge of the cookies. It's best to leave a bit of room.
8. Melt chocolate chips over a double broiler-- or microwave (heating in 30 second intervals and stirring well until all the chocolate is smooth and even.
9. Dip cookies in chocolate and coat well. Place back onto parchment lined baking sheet to set. Pop in the fridge/freezer for a few minutes to speed up chocolate re-hardening.
10. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

nutella cookies with sea salt

Hello, May! I thought I'd start off this month with an extremely easy, chocolate cookie with a salty surprise. This recipe by Ambitious Kitchen came to me via Pinterest. Only 1 bowl and 5 ingredients-- all I happened to have in my kitchen. Really, can't get much easier than that. As you bite into the chewy (and slightly crisp exterior), you literally want to close your eyes and savor the fudgy center. That is exactly what I did.

Nutella Cookies with Sea Salt
Recipe by Ambitious Kitchen
12-14 cookies


INGREDIENTS
1 cup Nutella
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
coarse sea salt for sprinkling


DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. With a electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix together all ingredients except for sea salt.
3. Portion dough into about 1-inch balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Look for the edges crisping up. I ended up baking for a total of 14 minutes, because it had a very round center still after 10. This could have been because a) I froze the dough a bit longer and/or b) my oven lies to me and usually needs extra time to warm up to the set temperature. My advice is to start with 8-10 and add extra minutes if necessary.
5. Remove cookies from the oven, and generously sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to cool directly on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cookies will seems very soft, but that's why they are so fudgy once they cool completely!

everything rice krispies treats

Bite-sized treats are my weakness. When I'm craving something sweet, I usually just need one satisfying bite. For days, I've been thinking about making a really intense Rice Krispies treat. My newest creation is nutty, crispy, chewy, chocolaty, toasted, crunchy. The taste and texture is crazy good and each bite has a little bit of everything. And thus, I present to you.. Everything Rice Krispies Treats. I promise you will never snap, crackle, and pop the same again.

Everything Rice Krispies Treats
yields one 9x13in. tray

INGREDIENTS
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or something similar)
4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
10.5 oz bag of marshmallows (10 oz bag will work, too)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I use the creamy unsalted PB from Trader Joe's with peanuts as only ingredient)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 c. shredded coconut, toasted

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare your tray. Line a 9x13in pan with parchment paper. To help it stay in place, you can spray the pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray, then press the parchment on top.
2. To toast the shredded coconut: Spread shredded coconut onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake for about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Do not burn! Check after about 5 minutes and keep an eye on it. It can darken quickly.
3. Measure out Rice Krispies into a bowl. If you've made Rice Krispies treats before, you know that having everything ready to go is helpful!
4. On medium heat on stovetop, melt the butter is a large pot. Once the butter is melted, add marshmallows. Use a heat-resistant spatula to stir marshmallows frequently until completely melted, so it won't stick to the bottom of the pot. 
5. When the marshmallows have formed a melted goo, add peanut butter to the mixture. Mix well until incorporated. Try to do this quickly. 
6. Turn off heat. Off the stovetop, add Rice Krispies cereal. With the spatula, carefully stir until marshmallow mixture and cereal are blended. It helps to scrape the marshmallow mixture from the bottom and fold it over the top of the cereal, repeating this motion.
7. Assemble: Dump mixture into your prepared parchment-lined pan. Spread mixture, creating an even layer on the bottom of the pan. 
8. In a microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips in 30 second intervals (stirring in between) until completely melted. It should take less than 2 minutes. Do not burn chocolate.
9. Add melted chocolate on top of the Rice Krispies layer. Use spatula to even it out, so the Rice Krispie layer is completely covered. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top of the chocolate.
10. Pop the pan into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until the chocolate is completely set and hardened.
11. Eat: At this point, you're pretty much done. The layered Rice Krispies treat should come out of the pan easily by gently lifting the parchment out of the pan. If you don't want one giant Everything Rice Krispies Treat, then cut into pieces however you like.

pretzel-topped peanut butter cups

Let's be honest, I'm still mourning the loss of "Gandee Candy". And it's probably best that you can't hear me saying "Gandee Candy" aloud right now in my best West Virginian accent, which shockingly (I know) isn't very good. I can't help it though, that was a catchy nickname and the only two words I could actually make out from the hours of televised gibberish. Needless to say, I've been itching to make myself some candy. Damn, I really wish I had a cool nickname right about now.

But, for these one-bite wonders, you'll need something like this. You'll thank me when you use it. Candy making has never been easier. The silicone candy molds are definitely the way to go. Bonus points, because they look just like Reese's Minis.

Pretzel-Topped Peanut Butter Cups
Yields about 60 mini cups

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I use the kind from Trader Joe's with peanuts as the only ingredient)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup crushed pretzels (I used pretzel crisps, because that's all I had.)
2 1/2+ cups of your favorite chocolate (This will vary based on how quickly you work! Chocolate can be temperamental. To be safe, just have A LOT of chocolate on hand.)

DIRECTIONS
1. To prepare filling: With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Hell, if you want to fit in a workout at the same time, you can grab a wooden spoon and put some muscle into mixing these ingredients up the old-fashioned way.
2. To prepare chocolate: In a microwavable bowl, melt chocolate in 30 second intervals-- stirring well in between and making sure not to overheat. When the chocolate looks almost all melted (still a few lumps here and there), you can stir a little longer to finish the melting process. 
3. To prepare the cups: With your finger, paint each spot in a silicone candy mold with your chocolate-- covering all sides and crevices. Paint it well, so you have a nice nest for your peanut butter filling.
4. Then go back and place a rounded ball of the peanut butter filling into each cup.
5. With a small spoon, pour more of the melted chocolate on top to fill the cups completely. Make sure it fills around the sides of the peanut butter, too! It helps if you use the back of the spoon to smooth down the chocolate.
6. Immediately sprinkle the crushed pretzel on top.
7. Pop the silicone candy mold into the refrigerator for about 3 minutes until the chocolate has set and hardened.
8. Pop the candies out of the mold and then pop them into your mouth! 

 

It really doesn't matter how messy this looks, because they will still turn out perfect!

vanilla dipped chocolate cake cookies

These are the easiest "black and white" cookies ever. I made the batter, baked the cookies, and dipped them all in less than 1 hour. Not kidding. And then the whole batch was demolished in about 5 minutes.

Okay, you know that emergency boxed cake mix sitting on the shelf? (You can stop judging me because you thought I was better than that. I'm not. In fact, I have one-- usually two-- at all times.) Well, this is where that premade cake mix will come in handy. And it will become something totally different than what's instructed on the back of the box, so I think it's totally acceptable.

Dipped Chocolate Cake Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 package chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food cake mix)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 cups vanilla, white candy melts wafers
1/4 cup rainbow nonpareils sprinkles

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until even consistency. Then add the egg and cake mix until everything is well incorporated and there is no visible dry.
3. Portion 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls of dough onto the lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. I use an small ice cream scoop to make this easy.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating in between. 
5. When the cookies are done, allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 3-5 minutes. Then transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack.
6. While the cookies are cooling, place the candy melts into a microwavable bowl. Melt by heating in 30 second intervals, stirring after each heating. When the candy melts are almost melted (still a little lumpy), stir for a longer amount of time until melted completely. This will help to overheating the candy melts. 
7. Dip the cooled cookies halfway into the vanilla candy melts. Immediately sprinkle the rainbow nonpareils sprinkles-- as little or as much as you like!
8. Place cookies back onto the cooled parchment-lined baking sheet. The candy coating will harden and set. To quicken the process, you can pop them into the refrigerator for 2-3 minutes.
9. Then they are ready to eat! They can also be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

What's awesome about these cookies is you can use your favorite cake mix and candy melt flavors. The vanilla candy melts taste just like white chocolate. But white chocolate can be a fussy. Candy melts are designed to be melted down, altered, and quickly harden back into their solid form. I used the rainbow nonpareils, but you can use pretty much anything that can be broken down into small crumbs-- think Oreos, graham crackers, etc. Just go for it. And have fun!

black and white, chocolate chip banana bread

I had to put the comma in between "white" and "chocolate", as not to mislead you to believe this includes white chocolate. White chocolate and banana? I'm sorry, but ew.

Instead, slices of this banana bread resemble those adorable black and white cookies. Well, I suppose this is more like black and yellow. Whatever. 1/2 chocolate banana (the black) and 1/2 banana chocolate chip (the chocolate studded white)-- make this only if you want trick people into thinking you are a super awesome baker without having to do much.

Black and White, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Yields 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white, granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup mashed ripened banana
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

DIRECTIONS 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients-- flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil, and mashed banana. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently stir everything together until just incorporated. There should not be any visible "dry".
4. Reserve about 1/3 of the mixture by pouring back into the "wet" bowl. 
5. To the other 2/3 of the mixture, fold in chocolate chips. Then, pour this chocolate chip mixture into the greased loaf pan. Use the spatula to spread out this layer as evenly as possible.
6. To the reserved 1/3 banana mixture, stir in the unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder. It will look like a thick, gooey chocolate batter.
7. Add the chocolate banana batter to the loaf pan, on top of the chocolate chip banana layer. You can use a spatula again to spread the chocolate layer. Or, with a knife, I use the sharp point to "cut" into the top layer and swirl around until it looks about even. This will give a pretty marbled look on top.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Then remove loaf pan from the oven and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes. the loaf should start pulling away from the pan as it cools. Flip the banana bread loaf out of the pan and then sit it right-side up again to finish cooling. If it is too warm, it might crumble as you do this. The longer you allow the banana bread to cool in the pan, the easier it will be to flip out.
10. When mostly cooled, slice with a sharp knife/ bread knife and serve.
11. Wrap whatever you do not eat with plastic wrap. This can also be frozen for up to 3 months.