Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies because of Winter Storm Juno

When people in NYC hear of an impending blizzard, they rush to the store and buy wine and food such as meat, cheese, bread, and veggies to sustain them for a couple of days. I rush to the store and buy wine and chocolate chips.

A big blizzard was predicted to hit NYC last night and this morning. You can read all about it elsewhere.

(SPOILER ALERT: It didn't happen.) 

 

In preparation for being stuck inside due to snow, I decided to make this Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie recipe. It's been in my "recipes to make" folder for almost two years! I've been avoiding super sugary and dense recipes recently, but something about the middle of winter and snow had me craving both these characteristics.

 

The blog that posted this recipe had problems with the cookie dough sinking to the middle of the brownies. So I looked for other options. I decided to do half pan, half muffin pan to see which worked the best.

Unlike the Pinch of Yum's blog post, I used a "from scratch" recipe and baked the brownies in the 4x4 pan for ten minutes before adding the cookie dough. This helped immensely! No sinking dough! And still a gooey brownie. (Altogether it was in the oven for about 40 minutes.)

 

As for the muffin pans, I put both the brownie batter and the cookie dough in at the same time. This worked smashingly as well! (Altogether it was in the oven for about 30 minutes.) 

 

If you like gooier brownie, go with the 4x4. If you like a more solid brownie, go with the muffin pans. Either way, this recipe is sure to please the brownie and cookie lover in your life!

I used my favorite Supernatural Brownie Recipe for the brownies and I used A Pinch of Yum's suggested cookie recipe. I got the muffin pan idea from Very Best Baking by Nestle.

Bake well and prosper!

Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, and Sea Salt Cookies

The first cookie you make in the new year should be this one. Seriously. Dark chocolate chunks mixed with pistachios and slight saltiness all in a cookie?! Incredibly good.

 

Maybe the fact that I baked these in my boyfriend's new oven helped with making these cookies my favorite of 2014. These were one of those desserts that I didn't want to share. I wanted to eat them all by myself. It's been a while since I've felt that way about something I baked. Usually I'm more than happy to share the sweet calories, but I wanted to hoard these.

 

But I did share. And I strongly suggest you share these in 2015. They are a crowd pleaser! (That is if you can resist eating them all by yourself!)

 

Have a happy and tasty new year!

Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, and Sea Salt Cookies
Recipe found here: Two Peas and their Pod

Bake well and prosper!

Cornmeal Cookies with a Dark Chocolate Center

Hi dear readers! My urges to bake have been diminished this year. I have a feeling that my normal one post a week might change to two posts a month for the year. I hope you'll forgive me.

 

My urges to enjoy NYC haven't been diminished though. I thoroughly enjoyed finding eggs "hidden" around the city as part of the Faberge Big Egg Hunt. Over the course of a couple of weeks, people could find these fun works of art around the city. Then, for the last week, they were all at Rockefeller Center. Here are some of the ones that tickled my fancy:



 

 

 

Then, this past weekend I left my beloved NYC and headed to Boston for a singing gig. On my day off, I went on a Freedom Trail tour and tried to learn a little bit more about the American Revolution.

On Sat I sang the mezzo solo in Duruflé's Requiem in Worcester, MA.

It was a lovely experience but I was happy to be back in NYC. So happy that I felt like baking! So I made up this recipe.

 

These cookies are rather flat, but the texture is perfect. It's a crepe-like cookie and the sweetness of the sugar blends together well with the cornmeal. The dark chocolate is just something I added for a dollop of yuminess.

Cornmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate Center (my recipe creation)

1 stick of butter, room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons cornmeal

small dark chocolate bar, broken into pieces

 

Heat oven to 350°F. Mix the butter and sugar together. Mix in the egg. Blend in the flour and cornmeal. Roll dough into balls and place on cookie sheet. Place a piece of dark chocolate in the middle of each ball of dough. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool before enjoying.

Bake well and prosper!

Dark Chocolate Ganache Crepe Cake

This cake was so yummy that I really don't have much else to say about it.

Ok. Ok. I'm kidding. I can say tons about it! First, it was quite a process to put together. I ended up having tons of help making it though since I was visiting family at the time. 

This was my assembly line. Quite a mess (so it came out a success!)

 

The robust dark chocolate was slightly mellowed when added to heavy whipping cream. That ganache nicely complemented the eggy crepes. Altogether, there wasn't one complaint about this cake from the many taste-testers.

 

I can't wait to make it again. (I might do a mini-version in the future.)

 

PS Check out my tips on how to make it in less time.

Chocolate Ganache Crepe Cake (found on Completely Delicious)

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter

3 cups (710 ml) whole milk

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (75 grams) sugar

Pinch of salt

 

For the whipped ganache:

10 ounces (285 grams) dark chocolate, broken into pieces

2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream

 

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Break the dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the heated heavy cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth and chill in fridge until ready to use.

 

2.Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Continue to cook, while stirring occasionally, until browned. Set aside and let cool slightly.

 

3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in another saucepan until steaming and small bubbles appear at the edges. Set aside and let cool slightly.

 

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or with a hand-held mixer, mix the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt until combined. While mixing on low speed, add the butter and milk slowly until incorporated.

 

5. Heat a 9-inch skillet over medium heat and grease with a small amount of butter. Add approximately 1/3 cup of batter to the skillet and swirl to coat the pan evenly. Cook for a few minutes until edges begin to brown. Flip and cook for an additional minute. (Erika's Extras: I found it easiest to shake the pan a little and then flip in air, but feel free to use a spatula to turn it.) Repeat until the batter is gone, stacking crepes and letting them cool to room temperature.

 

6. Take ganache out of fridge and whip until there are some peaks.

 

7. To make the cake, layer the crepes with a thin coating of chocolate ganache. Garnish cake with powdered sugar or cocoa, if desired, and let chill for a little bit before serving.

Bake well and prosper!

Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Have you heard that the weather in NYC has been pretty brutal this winter? Almost every day this month has been below normal temperature-wise.

 

Thankfully, Jan 1 wasn't too cold. I decided to ring in the new year by splashing into the Atlantic Ocean as part of Coney Island's Polar Bear Club Plunge.

This is me afterwards. I DID IT! I did it along with thousands of other crazy people.

 

It actually wasn't too bad. I was already cold from waiting for my friends and the water was warmer than the air. I would definitely do it again. It was a fun way to start 2014!

 

I'm pretty sure that jumping into the ocean on the first day of the year has helped me deal with this extra cold winter. You know what else has helped?

 

Baking.

There's nothing like a warm kitchen exuding lovely baked good smells on a chilly, winter evening.

 

I enjoyed baking these because they made my kitchen smell delicious and they were delicious. The whole wheat combined with dark chocolate chips brought a heartier depth to the tastes of these cookie bars. (And as an FYI, these go really well with scotch whiskey. If only I had a fire place...)

Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (adapted from Completely Delicious)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8 or 9-inch baking pan or 2 8x8 baking pans with parchment paper with overhanging sides.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this into the stand mixer and mix until incorporated. (Mixture will be a little crumbly.) Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Press dough into the prepared baking pan and bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then lift bars out of the pan with the overhanging parchment paper and let cool completely on a wire rack. Slice into bars and serve.

Bake well and prosper!

Dark Chocolate Dipped Peanut Cookies

My room mate and I exchanged Christmas gifts to each other a couple of days after Christmas. He was a little baffled as to what to get me but I was ready for this question. I told him that I desperately needed new cookie sheets. Mine were over 4 years old!

 

Not only did he get me amazing Nordic Ware cookie sheets, he got me wire racks. I didn't have any proper ones. I only had makeshift ones. I felt so spoiled!

 

The cookie sheets came with a recipe for cookies. So, naturally, I decided to christen the baking sheets with the recipe that came with them.

I used 90% organic products and I highly suggest using at least organic peanut butter and dark chocolate when making these. These cookies weren't too soft and weren't too hard. They were just right. Dipping them in chocolate and then sprinkling on the peanuts makes them appear more gourmet (like they came from a candy shop.) And of course the pairing of peanuts and chocolate is a win-win, just like this recipe!

Dark Chocolate Dipped Peanut Cookies (adapted from the recipe that came with Nordic Ware cookie sheets)

1/2 C butter, room temperature

1/2 C peanut butter

1 C and 2 Tblsp flour

1 C brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped peanuts, divided (Erika's Extras: I used salted peanuts)

8oz dark chocolate

 

Preheat oven to 375° F. In a mixer bowl, mix butter and peanut butter on medium speed until combined. Add 3/4 C flour and the sugar, egg, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add remaining flour (1/4 C & 2 Tblsp) and mix to combine. Stir in 1/2 C chopped peanuts. Place level scoops from cookie scoop onto baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges. (Might take up to 12 minutes.) Cool on wire racks.

 

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Dip the cooled cookies in the chocolate and place on baking sheets lined with waxed paper. Sprinkle the chocolate with chopped peanuts. Refrigerate cookies until chocolate is set.

 

Erika's Extra: I had left over melted chocolate and chopped peanuts, so I mixed them together and placed the mixture on waxed paper in a ramekin. Then I placed it in the fridge to harden and I ended up with a lovely chocolate bar to snack on.

Bake well and prosper!

SexyPop Brazilian Coconut Popcorn

A couple of weeks ago I was the lucky recipient of some SexyPop popcorn. Are you familiar with Pirate's Booty? Well guess what! That company recently introduced this fun, yummy, gluten free, cholesterol free, GMO free and rbGH free popcorn line. I enjoyed munching on the pepper flavored ones. Also the cheesy ones. Oh, and the salted ones. So, I guess I enjoyed them all!

 

When I first tried the Brazilian Coconut flavor, I instantly wanted to make it into a popcorn dessert.

So I did!

I took 3 ounces of dark chocolate, melted it in a pan on the stove with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Once it was nicely melted I drizzled it over the popcorn and then tossed in some organic shredded coconut and some chopped up macadamia nuts. The combo was light and delightful. I stored the left overs in the freezer so the chocolate wouldn't get too messy.

 

The next day I took it to my cheering spot for the NYC marathon. It was the perfect snack to eat while cheering on the marathoners as they gallantly ran by me.

Aren't the trees AND the runners amazing? I enjoyed my view and cheering on the runners. Cheering works up an appetite and this popcorn treat hit the spot for the couple of minutes I took from cheering to fill my tummy!

Bake well and prosper!

Gluten-free Apricot Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Bars

Wow. I have writer's block. I feel as if I have nothing to talk about for this post. Do you ever get writer's block?

 

I would write about fall coming to NYC, but maybe it's springtime where you live. I would write about the opera I was in last week, but it seems like it ended months ago and doesn't seem as important a subject any more..

Maybe one of the reasons I have writer's block is because I have a song stuck in my head. I don't think it's leaving any room in my brain for much else...

 

In which case, let me just skip to writing about this dessert. I decided that since I had gluten-fee oatmeal, I would buy some gluten-free all purpose flour and make these bars gluten-free.

 

Now, dear readers, gluten-free doesn't mean it's super healthy. It just means people with aversion to wheat gluten can have these (and maybe non-celiacs would find these easier to digest as well.) Either way, these bars are a heavenly mix of tart apricots with buttery, crumbly granola-esque crust. The addition of the occasional chunk of dark chocolate had me going back for seconds...and thirds...

Gluten-free Apricot Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Bars (adapted from One Perfect Bite)

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1-1/4 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup chopped, shelled natural pistachios
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1 jar (~15 ounces) apricot preserves

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt; mix on low speed until well combined. Add butter and mix on medium until butter is mostly blended and mixture appears moist and begins to pull together, about 3 minutes. The mixture will still be slightly chunky. Stir in pistachios. Transfer 1-1/2 cups of crumb mixture to another bowl, then stir dried apricots and chocolate chunks into it and refrigerate.
2) Firmly press remaining mixture into the bottom of a13x9-inch baking pan (not greased). Bake in middle of oven for 25 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Make sure oven is at 325 degrees and spread apricot preserves evenly on top, leaving a 1/8-inch border around the edge of the crust.
3) Crumble reserved crumb mixture over apricot preserves. Return to oven and bake until lightly browned and fruit filling is bubbling all over, including the center of the pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing into bars.

Bake well and prosper!