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Can you see it?  The names says it all.  Chocolate and peanut butter have always been a match made in heaven to me.  I don't have an ounce of will power for turning down ANYTHING that has the two ingredients paired together.  Of course it also makes me think of my good friend Sarah who doesn't even like chocolate (*gasp*) unless it's paired with peanuts or peanut butter (strange but true :) So this one's for you my dear friend... eat your heart out.


Magic in the Middles

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (if you don't have unsalted that's fine... I used regular)
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together first 4 ingredients.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together both sugars, butter and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg; beat to combine.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Set dough aside.

Stir together remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter and powdered sugar in small bowl until smooth.  With floured hands, roll mixture into 30 small balls.  Break off about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough; flatten in palm, wrap around one peanut butter ball, pressing to seal.  Repeat for each cookie.

Place cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheets (or lightly coated with cooking spray) 2 inches apart. Use bottom of a drinking glass, dip in granulated sugar then press on top of each cookie to flatten to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes.  Let cool 2 minutes on pan then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

*Courtesy of MyRecipes*

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I love to bake.  I love cookies.  I love to bake cookies :)

And I enjoy trying new and different recipes.  I aim to please my tough cookie critic husband and often look for recipes that I think he'll enjoy.  I wasn't sure about this one but flipping through one of my cookie cookbooks, this recipe caught my eye and I had all the ingredients on hand (unsalted butter, coconut and dried apricots included!) So I figured this one was worth a shot.

Kids had fun helping and when Joe came home, took his first bite and said (muffled by a mouthful of cookie) "oh... my... gosh... these are SO good!"  I knew I had a hit.  At that point, no matter what anyone else thought, I was basking in the glory of my success as he continued to repeat how amazing they were.

Despite my assumption that they would be dense and "shortbread" like, they came out extremely light and airy, slightly chewy and most importantly just absolutely delicious...

*Recipe courtesy of "Great Cookies" by Carole Walter*

Coconut Apricot Icebox Cookies

1 (10 oz) package sweetened, flaked coconut
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried apricots, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes and chopped into 1/8 inch pieces
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon imitation coconut extract
1 large egg white, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water for brushing the logs
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon milk for brushing tops of unbaked cookies

Place the coconut in the work bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Set aside

Mix together flour, baking soda and salt.  Remove 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients and toss with apricots.  Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer mix butter on medium-low speed.  Pour in sugar in a steady stream and mix for 1-2 minutes.  Add the egg and mix 1 minute longer, scraping sides of bowl as needed.  Mix in the extracts.

Reduce mixer speed to low and blend in 1 3/4 cups of the coconut.  Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing only to combine after each addition.  Using a large rubber spatula, mix in the apricots.  Shape dough into three logs, each measuring about 8 x 1 1/2 inches.

Place remaining coconut on a clean work surface.  Brush each log with egg white wash and roll to coat in coconut.  Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (will keep in fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month.)

FOR BAKING:  Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Using a sharp knife with a thin blade, slice dough into 3/8-inch thick slices, turning dough every 2-3 cuts to maintain shape, and place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  If dough cracks when slicing, firmly press it back together.

Lightly brush tops of cookies with egg yolk mixture before placing in oven.  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.  If needed, rotate pan 180 degrees half way through baking for even browning.  Let stand for 1 minute before loosening with a thin metal spatula.  Transfer to cooling racks.

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Yes, you read the title correctly. These are Chocolate Chip Cookies swirled with the 0h-so-delicious chocolatey-hazelnut spread, Nutella! I was delighted when I found this recipe. Even more so once I made them. Those of you who know me well, know that I am rather picky when it comes to the infamous CCC. I've found some favorite recipes, but I don't know that I've found the one that tops my rating scale. I have to say that these came in at about an 8 though (out of 10) and that's getting pretty darn close! Originally from a blog called The Nerd's Wife, I don't even remember how I ran across it but I'm ultimately glad I did.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup Nutella
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add in eggs one at a time and vanilla. Mix well. Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips. Add Nutella and mix briefly, causing the nutella to "swirl" through the batter but not mix completely.

Drop dough by tablespoon-fuls (or use small cookie scoop) onto parchment lined baking sheets (or ungreased baking sheets.) Bake for 8-10 minutes until bottoms have just started to turn brown. Allow to cool 2 minutes on baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

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I try to experiment sometimes, making different recipes, changing them to my liking. But Joe frequently asks why I don't often go back to the ones that won him over. I try. I like to throw those back in there every once in awhile. But I realized it had been a LONG while since he was able to indulge in one of his all time favorites... my double chocolate mint chip cookies. So I made him a batch and he was in heaven :) The things we do for the men we love...

Double Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

3 cups chocolate chips, divided
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter (softened) or butter flavored crisco shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a microwave safe glass bowl, heat 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips on high 1 minute. Stir and repeat until smooth. Mix in 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract. Cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl beat butter or crisco, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add melted chocolate and eggs; beat well. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by tablespoonsful (or use cookie scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

*Recipe courtesy of Gooseberry Patch "Country Cookies"*

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This recipe is the product of loving the taste of butterscotch but not the overwhelming sweetness of the flavor in the traditional Oatmeal Scotchies recipe. So I tweaked it a little to fit my taste and ended up with a very nice combination of flavors that mellow out the sweetness just a bit.

Oatmeal Choco-Scotchies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups quick or old fasioned oats
1/2 package (11 oz size) nestle toll house butterscotch chips
1/2 package (11 oz size) nestle toll house semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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I've been on the search, for quite sometime now, for that ever so perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe (known in the food world as the infamous CCC.) I've come to realize, however, that the problem with this quest is that the idea of a "perfect" cookie is different to everyone. Some like them crunchy, some like them soft, some like them thin, some like them thick. It's hard to make everyone happy. So I have to say that my search was purely for MY perfect cookie, a soft, slightly chewy, not too sweet treat of perfection. And when I ran across this recipe I had some reservations but absolutely HAD to try it. I wish I had come up with it on my own but while I love to cook and bake, I have no talent when it comes to developing my own recipes. So this comes to you from Jenny of the Picky Palate food blog (http://picky-palate.com/) Unlike me, this girl's got some skills when it comes to recipes! I've typed up the recipe here with my very specific ingredient recommendations (I will no doubt replicate this recipe with the same ingredients every time... who wants to mess with perfection?!)

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Gluten-Free Almond Crispies

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup almond flour (or almond meal)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

In a small bowl, beat the syrup, oil, water and extract until well blended. Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into syrup mixture until blended. Stir in almonds.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets; flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

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I held off on posting this recipe for two reasons. First, I accidentally altered the recipe when I made them for myself. The recipe was passed on to me from a good friend at work who received it from a friend of hers. "You will LOVE these cookies!" was proof enough that I needed to try them right away. So I quickly scanned over the recipe and got to work. It wasn't until the first batch came out of the oven that I glanced again at the recipe and thought "oh good grief... 1/2 cup of butter?? I put TWO sticks in there!!" Fortunately for me, I also only had 3/4 cup peanut butter left in the jar instead of the 1 1/4 cups the recipe called for. I figure the 1/2 cup of butter just replaced the 1/2 cup of peanut butter (fair trade, right?) The result (having tried both recipes now) is a slightly thinner (yet, tastefully chewy) cookie with a hint of peanut butter taste (instead of overpowering.) The other slight alterations resulted from the lack of ingredients found in my pantry. I figure it was a lucky mistake since the result was probably one of the best cookies I've ever tasted.

The second reason I held off on posting was because the cookies were gone before I could take a decent picture and I hate posting recipes without an accompanying photo. But alas, the demands were too great to hold off any longer :) So here you go Steph, this one's for you ;)


Monster Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp light karo syrup
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup flour
1 cup plain m&ms
1/2-3/4 cup mini (or regular) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter with sugars on medium speed of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Add vanilla and karo syrup; mix until combined. Add salt and baking soda. Add oats and flour and mix until combined. Stir in m&ms and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful (I used a medium sized cookie scoop), 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on pans for 5 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely.

ENJOY!!

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These cookies are an absolute "must-try" for anyone who loves coconut, especially in combination with chocolate. I altered a recipe I found to fit the way I thought they should be and this is the fantastic results!! Joe was not a big fan but he's hard to please when it comes to cookies. I, on the other hand, could have eaten the entire batch myself but had to have some self restraint...


Coconut Kisses

1/3 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided
dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover and refrigerate one hour or until easy to handle.

Roll into 1-inch balls and roll in the remaining coconut. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press an indentation in each cookie with a small measuring spoon. Fill each indentation with 4-5 chocolate chips and let sit a few minutes to melt. Swirl chocolate with toothpick and remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

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One of Brendan's favorite things to help with in the kitchen is making cookies. At the age of almost 4-years he has become quite the helper and I welcome his company in the kitchen. He scoops, he pours, he measures... and he can tell you matter-of-factly that as soon as he turns 5 he will learn the art of cracking eggs. These were fun to make and great to eat!

*I used Nestle Chocolatier Bittersweet Chcolate but only had 4 oz. so I added some Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips and would probably add about a 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract to give them a little extra coconut flavor.

Chocolate Coconut Devils

2 2/3 cups lightly packed sweetened coconut (one 7-oz. bag)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa, spooned in and leveled
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups superfine baker's sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

Place the flaked coconut in a food processor and pulse 6-8 times or until medium chopped. Set aside. Strain together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium glass bowl set over simmering water (or a double boiler), on low heat, melt the butter. Add the copped chocolates and heat until just melted, gently stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and keep warm.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed until light. Gradually add the superfine sugar over about 2 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Stop the mixer and pour in melted chocolate mixture, then mix on medium speed just until combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from mixer and let the batter rest for about 5 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Then sprinkle handfuls of coconut over the batter, folding briefly with a large rubber spatula after each addition. Do not combine thoroughly. Some of the coconut flakes should still be visible.

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tops are just set. Cookies will firm as they cool. Let stand for 1-2 minutes then loosen from pan with spatula and transfer to cooling racks.

variation: fold in 1 cup chopped toasted pecans with the coconut.

* recipe provided courtesy of "Great Cookies: secrets to sensational sweets" by Carole Walter

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