Bailey's Caramel Shake

It's been a rough week.

Yes, it's only Tuesday-- but it still feels like a week best remedied by a combination of Bailey's and calories.  I don't have any specific measurements for this recipe mainly because people have such varying tastes for their milkshakes.  Some people like them thicker, some like them thinner.  Some prefer more chocolate, some less.  Some people prefer just a faint flavor of the liquor, some might choose to empty out their bottle.  No comment on where we fell on that scale!  This was such a nice treat that although simple, I still felt the need to blog about it!  As we head into some (hopefully) warm spring and summer weather, this shake is the perfect cap on a long day.

Bailey's Caramel Shake
2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream
milk (amount depending on how thick you want your shake-- it's always easier to add more)
chocolate syrup
Bailey's Caramel to taste

Chocolate Glazed Cherry Turnovers

My little ones and I made a special Father's Day breakfast for my husband this morning, and I wanted to make some sort of pastry to go along with his meal. When we had our girls' baking day a while back, I left some of my apple turnovers at my friend Christy's house. Her husband commented on how good he thought they would be with cherry filling also. . . so I really need to say, "Thanks, Marty!" for this idea. I kept the crust as is because it had such a nice, flakey texture the first time through and I was really happy with the final product. I used a can of cherry pie filling for these and decided that instead of using the traditional sugar glaze on top, I would play with a chocolate ganache-- using some of the pie filling glaze to give it a hint of cherry flavor. My husband and I both really loved these (my son did, too, though he really only ate the chocolate off the top)!

Chocolate Glazed Cherry Turnovers
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 large can cherry pie filling
1 large egg

For chocolate glaze:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cherry glaze (from pie filling-- do not add the actual cherries)

Prepare pastry dough: In medium bowl, with fork, stir flour and salt. With pastry blender, cut 1/2 cup butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cold water, a tablespoon at a time, into the mixture, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition until the dough is just moist enough to hold together. With hands, shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into an 18" by 8" rectangle. Cut 4 tablespoons of butter into thin slices. Starting at one of the 8" sides, place butter slices over two-thirds of the rectangle to about 1/2 inch from the edge of the dough. Fold the unbuttered third of the dough over the middle third. Fold the opposite end of the dough over to make a 8" by 6" rectangle. Roll out the dough again into an 18" by 8" rectangle. Slice the remaining butter; place slices on dough and fold as before. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll out the folded dough into an 18" by 8" rectangle. Fold rectangle lengthwise then crosswise; wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut dough crosswise in half. On a lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll out half into a 12 inch square. Keep the remaining dough refrigerated. Cut the square into 6 inch squares. In cup, with fork, beat egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg mixture over the dough squares. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of cherry pie filling in the center of each square. Fold diagonally in half and press edges to seal. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Refrigerate. Repeat with remaining dough and cherry pie filling. Brush the turnovers with the egg mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Cool on wire rack.

To prepare the chocolate, heat the semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted, add the butter and cherry glaze, stirring until shiny and smooth. Let cool slightly before drizzling on top of the cooled turnovers.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary yesterday. He earned major points by deciding that as an anniversary gift to each other, we would refinish the trellis we were married under and would secure it on the side of the house, surrounded by climbing rose bushes. His one other request for our celebration was for a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. (I might have accidentally planted this idea by stocking up on chocolate chips I recently found on sale... he just found the stash in the pantry!) I have to admit that I am normally the one reading the Toll House recipe off of the back of the bag of chips whenever making a traditional chocolate chip cookie. Don't get me wrong-- the reason I do this is because those cookies never fail! They are always delicious! For this occasion, however, I decided to try the recipe out of Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours cookbook. She completely converted me over! Dorie calls these cookies her 'best' and it is easy to see why. These were easy to throw together, as most chocolate chip cookies are, and they baked up within 10 minutes. I was a little cautious when I saw how much they spread in the oven. Be sure to leave plenty of room between your cookies when baking! By spreading so much, they got very thin and delicate and provided the perfect combination of chewy center with a crisp, crunchy shell. Each batch makes about 45 cookies... they are disappearing so quickly that I will probably have to double it next time! :)

(Another nice element of Dorie's recipe is that she gives tips for freezing dough balls for quick use later on. Really good information!)

My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips* (I used semi-sweet)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (I omitted)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Working with a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute (or until smooth). Add the sguars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about a minute after adding each. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three stages, mixing each stage only until incorporated. On low speed, or by hand, mix in the chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon dough by slightly rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, and rotating the sheet midway through the baking time. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center. They might be a little soft in the center, and that is okay. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for about a minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling baking sheets between batches.

*Dorie recommends buying a better quality chocolate and creating your own chips if your time permits.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

I've joked before that we either cannot keep enough bananas in the house or we have a pile of black ones waiting to be baked! There's no middle ground with my son-- either all or none! I've been playing with different types of banana bread and muffins, but was looking for something new for a change. I've added chocolate chips to my banana bread before, but never thought to do a chocolate base bread, much less a double chocolate bread! I wasn't sure how much of the banana flavor would actually come through with the amount of chocolate in the recipe, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it really held its own. There is a definite banana flavor to the bread and it goes so well with the chocolate foundation. This might be my new 'go to' recipe for ripe bananas.

**Melanie, at Sister's Cafe, stated that she preferred to use a Dutch Process cocoa when making her bread. I followed her advice and it really did make a big difference. You can use either, but if you have the Dutch Process available, I'd second her recommendation.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Source: The Sister's Cafe

Chocolate Overdose Cake

I am not exhaggerating at all when I say that I LOVE chocolate. This does present quite a problem as I try to lose the rest of my baby weight! :) If you were to tell me that for the rest of my life I was only allowed to make one type of cake, this one would be it! It is a layer of the best brownies I have ever eaten (almost a fudge-like consistency), a layer of creamy chocolate mousse, a layer of rich chocolate cake, topped with a delicious ganache topping. Drooling yet? It really almost sounds 'too' rich, if that is possible, but the combination was perfect and it made an ideal dessert for special occasions.

I will admit that I was a bit intimidated by the recipe. It is long and has many steps involved. Once I forced myself to break it down and work on one layer at a time, however, it was much more accessible. I will warn that it is really best to divide this dessert into two days, starting the day before you want to serve it. Once you assemble the cake, before you spread the ganache, you have to let it cool for at least an hour. I worked up to that point, chilled it overnight, then finished it the following morning. Please do not let the length of the recipe put you off... it was very time consuming but SO worth the effort!

Chocolate Overdose Cake
For the brownie base:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/8 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the chocolate mousse filling:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces
1 7/8 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

For the chocolate cake:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1/4 cup hot water
7/8 cup sugar, divided
7/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft

For the ganache:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
18 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces

To make the brownie base, line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper and spray the sides with nonstick cooking spray. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, salt and baking powder. Stir with a fork to mix. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. When the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove the bowl from the saucepan and gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in two additions, folding with a rubber spatula until completely homogenous. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Set aside, prepare the cake batter, and bake the two layers at the same time.

To make the cake, line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides of the pan. Combine the chocolate, cocoa and hot water in a medium heatproof bowl; set the bowl over a saucepan containing 1-inch of simmering water and stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Pour into prepared pan; smooth batter to edges of pan with an offset spatula.

Bake the brownie and cake layers at the same time: the brownie for 25-30 minutes and the cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack. Allow the brownie to cool completely in the pan. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Once the brownie layer has cooled, run a knife around the edges to separate it from the pan. Remove the sides of the springform but leave the brownie layer on the springform base. Form a ring of parchment paper around the brownie layer and extending up the sides of the springform pan - reclose the springform so that the parchment is fitted tightly to the sides.

To make the chocolate mousse filling, place a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer or fridge. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap and allow to heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed. Place heavy cream and sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the chilled whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together. Spread the mousse over the top of the brownie base evenly. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the cooled cake round over the mousse, pressing down lightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.

To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Chill 1 cup of ganache for 1 hour. Allow the remaining ganache to come to room temperature (about 40 minutes). Remove the springform ring and parchment collar from the assembled cake. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter, removing the springform base and parchment round. Use a spatula to smooth the room temperature ganache over the cake top and sides, covering evenly. Place the chilled ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a shell tip and pipe a shell border around the base of the cake. Pipe 12-16 rosettes around the top of the cake to indicate servings. Serve chilled and store leftovers in the fridge. Cut the cake with a hot, dry knife.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Frosted Mini-Chip Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I decided a while back that I have no choice but to jump on the cupcake bandwagon with the rest of the world! I love the option for personalized decorating and the ability to make these adorable individualized treats for someone special to enjoy. My friend Christy and I both jumped on this recipe in a new cookbook that she received for her birthday. (I kind of feel like it was my birthday as well, since she was nice enough to share her new books with me!) The original recipe was for a simple peanut butter cupcake with cream cheese frosting. Christy had the idea to add the mini chocolate chips to the batter and also as a final garnish. I honestly can't imagine them without this addition. They were wonderful! My husband was excited as well as one of his favorite candies is the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. He decided that this really was the cupcake form of it. So good and definitely one we will be making again.

Just a side note. . . when making the frosting, we came dangerously close to adding more liquid. It seemed way too thick and definitely needed something. I'm glad we were patient because it eventually loosened up and came together perfectly. It might even be my new favorite frosting! Enjoy!

Frosted Mini-Chip Peanut Butter Cupcakes

4 tablespoons softened butter

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup peanut butter (we used smooth)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1 cup mini chocolate chips (plus additional for garnish)

Frosting:

1 cup softened cream cheese

2 tablespoons softened butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Put 16 muffin paper cases in a muffin pan. Put the butter, sugar, and peanut butter in a bowl and beat togeter for 1-2 minutes or until well mixed. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla. Sift in the flour and baking powder and then, using a metal spoon, fold them into the mixture, alternating with the milk. Carefully fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the paper cases. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

To make the frosting, put the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and, using a electric whisk, beat together until smooth. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the mixture, then beat together until well mixed. When the cupcakes are cold, spread teh frosting on top of each cupcake, swirling it with a round-bladed knife. Sprinkle the top with additional mini chocolate chips. Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator.

Source: Adapted by Christy's Kitchen Creations, originally from Perfect Baking

Chocolate Chip Waffles

Since so much of our week is filled with rushed mornings, our tradition is to take advantage of lazy Sunday mornings to create nice family breakfasts shared around the kitchen table. My son has been a bit obsessed with chocolate chip pancakes for a while now (completely my fault for introducing them in the first place!) and I decided to mix it up a bit and attempt to switch him to waffles for a change. I used my belgium waffle maker for these and he actually ate a good half of one of them-- a stellar amount for my little man! They were actually a hit with the grown man in my life as well! :) The batter was nice and light and had a really nice consistency when cooked. They were rich with the mini-chocolate chips included, so they actually went further than I had expected. One batch made 6 large belgium waffles.

Chocolate Chip Waffles

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing the iron
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Separate the 2 eggs and put all of the egg whites (3 total) in a large bowl. In a large liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, vanilla and 1/4 cup melted butter. Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture until a batter is formed. Take care not to over-mix the batter. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until they just begin to hold a loose peak. Scatter the sugar over the whites and continue beating until they hold a soft peak. Fold a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten the base, then fold in the remaining whites. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Preheat a waffle iron to medium high. Brush the inside surface of the waffle iron with melted butter. Pour in enough batter to barely fill each hole of the waffle iron (keeping in mind that the batter will spread once the lid is closed). Close the iron and cook until crisp and the waffle iron stops steaming, about 5 minutes. Serve as the waffles come off the iron or transfer to a dish in the oven heated to 200 degrees F. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from the Food Network Kitchens

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

After reading my blog entry about traditional banana bread, my friend Kelly mentioned that she loves to add chocolate chips to her version. This seems like such an obvious pairing and I'm so upset that I haven't played with it before now! (Thanks, Kelly!) Any time that I can play the chocolate card, I'm much more likely to get a favorable response from my little boy... and this recipe was no exception. The thing that I liked most about this recipe was that the muffin itself had much more of a cupcake texture and was very light and easy to enjoy. These are a definite 'make again' for our household.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used a bit more than this!)
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 cup mashed bananas

Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips into a large mixing bowl. Mix well and make a well in the center of the bowl. Beat the egg in a small bowl until frothy. Mix in cooking oil, milk, and bananas. Pour the mixture in the well and mix only to moisten. The batter will be lumpy. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Source: AllRecipes.com

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

If you have not already done so, you MUST check out the Pioneer Woman website! In addition to her beautiful photography and hysterical stories, she posts the most mouth-watering recipes with step-by-step, photography-filled directions. This recipe has been on my 'must make' list for quite some time, and had I known how easy it was going to be to throw together, I certainly would have made it before now. Tbe entire cake was put together from start to finish in about a half hour-- including baking time. It's a great quick fix and has a wonderfully rich chocolate flavor. Pioneer Woman says this is the 'best sheet cake ever' and as quickly as ours disappeared, I'd say she's telling the truth!

One hint that the Pioneer Woman offered and came in incredibly useful was regarding buttermilk. Buttermilk is not an ingredient that I typically keep in my refrigerator. She suggests that you fill the measuring cup a little under the 1/2 cup mark (for this particular recipe) and then fill with vinegar to hit the 1/2 cup mark. I used this substitution and it seemed to work wonderfully.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 and 3/4 sticks butter

8 heaping tablespoons cocoa, divided

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

1/2 cup pecans (I omitted)

6 tablespoons milk

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Combine the flour, granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan, melt the 2 sticks butter. Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa and stir together. Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool. In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk. Add the eggs, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While the cake is baking, make icing. Chop the pecans finely (I omitted these due to nut allergies in our house.) Melt 1 3/4 sticks of butter in a saucepan. Add the final 4 heaping tablespoons of cocoa, stiring to combine. Turn off the heat. To this, add the milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir together, then add pecans, continuing to stir. Pour the frosting over the warm cake.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Typically, I wouldn't think to blog about a dessert made primarily from boxed mixes. . . but this particular one was so good that I had to share! Bakerella listed these brownies as the perfect way to blow your New Years' Resolution, and I couldn't agree more! We had some friends over for dinner and I wanted to come up with a quick dessert that I could throw together inbetween the kids' naps. This one was quick to make, but it did require a lot of time to actually set up properly. I ended up serving them with the tops still a bit gooey, but after the ganache had time to set they were much more easily managed.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

1 box Betty Crocker Hershey's Original Brownie Mix (plus ingredients to make the brownies as directed)

1 bag Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (plus ingredients to make the cookies as directed)

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons butter

Make the brownies according to the package directions. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. In a separate bowl, make the cookie dough according to the package directions. Drop the cookie dough by rounded teaspoon into the brownie batter, spacing evenly. Lightly press the cookie dough balls into the brownie batter. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely (for about an hour).

In a small saucepan, heat the 6 tablespoons of butter with the heavy whipping cream. Remove the pan from the heat just before it boils. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate chips to melt. Stir the chocolate until smooth. Pour evenly over the brownies and let set before cutting.

Source: Bakerella

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Welcome to my new blog! I was inspired by a great friend to begin sharing recipes through this blog format. Some of the recipes you find on this site will be 'tried and true' favorites, while others will be new recipes that I have found to share with my family. With a picky toddler at home, I am always looking for new things to try that will give my little one the nutrition and calories that he needs-- without becoming a short-order cook at every mealtime. :)

This first recipe falls into the 'tried and true' category. I remember both my mother and my grandmother making these cookies when we were little. They are a quick, no-bake recipe made from ingredients that are most often on hand in the pantry. The one thing to keep in mind with this one is that while they do come together quickly, they can also be a finicky cookie. You can make them the exact same way each time, but sometimes they firm up very quickly and sometimes they need some refrigerator time in order to keep their shape. They are simple and my little one loved them! This particular batch was made while my mother was visiting, and working on them together certainly brought back a lot of great memories. I look forward to making them together with my little ones in the future!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

pinch of salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

3 cups quick oats

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

powdered sugar

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter, milk, and salt in a 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil until thickened--about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the quick oats and vanilla. Mix well. Drop by heaping teaspoon-full onto wax paper. Let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.