Fudgy Brownies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing

Happy Mother's Day! Just in time, what does every mother need once in awhile? Chocolate, of course! These brownies take some muscle to mix, but that just decreases the guilt factor--surely burning extra calories making them justifies a slip from the diet?

If you are into cake brownies, then you won't like this recipe. This is for those of you who love thick, fudgy brownies. Make them with or without the frosting; either way I recommend a tall glass of milk to help wash down the gooey goodness.

Another benefit of these brownies is you can make them on the cheap. By using cocoa powder, you get the dark chocolate flavor without shelling out for the irresistible fine-milled 60% cacao chocolate. Make sure to follow the directions exactly. Not stirring completely or warming the batter long enough will result in a grainy dessert at best; chocolate scrambled eggs at worst. Just trust in my own experimentation, and enjoy! If you have a double boiler, go ahead and use it. I wrote out the directions for those of us who have to go the old-school route.

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

Ingredients:
cooking spray
1 stick plus 2 tbs unsalted butter
1 c packed brown sugar
3/4 c plus 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature, beaten
1/2 c unbleached flour
2/3 c walnuts, chopped (optional)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing (optional)

Directions:
Place the oven rack on the second position from the bottom and preheat the oven to 325F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Fill a large, deep skillet with 2 inches of water. Bring water to a low simmer, and place a medium heat-safe bowl in the water bath. Place the butter in the bowl and allow to melt. Once melted, add sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. While the bowl is in the water bath, stir until the mixture is well-combined. Stirring occasionally, continue to heat for an additional 5 minutes, or until no grains of sugar can be felt when a drop of batter is rubbed between the fingers (batter should be tolerably hot to touch--not scalding!). Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes, or until mixture is warm (about 80 degrees F, if you have a thermometer handy).

Mix in the vanilla. Add the eggs and stir until completely incorporated (this will take some upper body strength!); the batter will be shiny. Add the flour 2 tbs at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition (more arm muscle). Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then pull the brownies out by the foil and place on a rack (still on the foil) to finish cooling. Once cooled, if desired, ice brownies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing (recipe below). Cut into 20 portions, and enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing

Ingredients:
1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c smooth peanut butter
2 tbs butter
1 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat all the ingredients over medium-low until melted, stirring thoroughly. Once combined, reduce heat to lowest setting and allow to warm an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Use to top brownies, cupcakes, or ice cream. Makes about 1 cup of icing.

Raw Chocolate and/or Mango Pudding

I think it's time for a dessert post, don't you? How about a dessert that you'd feel comfortable having for breakfast? Well, here it is! These two puddings are very similar, and a great way to use up extra produce (I know, I know, "extra avocados" are scarce around my house, too!).

For show I layered the chocolate and the mango pudding, then tossed a few chocolate chips on top as garnish. The kids loved these! The tangy mango is the perfect compliment to the rich dark chocolate.

After the recipes, continue reading for an idea on using leftover mango pudding for breakfast!

Raw Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1/8 cup raw cocoa
2-3 tsp honey, to taste
1-2 tbs pineapple juice, to achieve desired thickness (if necessary)


Directions:
Place all the ingredients into a food processor/blender and purée until well combined. If needed, add juice 1/2 tablespoon at a time until pudding is the desired texture. Spoon into serving dishes and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 3-4 half cup servings.


Raw Mango Pudding

Ingredients:
2 ripe yellow mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 ripe banana, peeled
1/4 c raw macademia nuts, soaked and drained
1-2 tsp honey, to taste
1-2 tbs pineapple juice, to achieve desired thickness (if necessary)


Directions:
Place all the ingredients into a food processor/blender and purée until well combined. If needed, add juice 1/2 tablespoon at a time until pudding is the desired texture. Spoon into serving dishes and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 3-4 half cup servings.

An additional use for the mango pudding is to use as a dessert topping or to place it in crêpes. The following morning, I made the crêpes pictured here for breakfast. I used my basic recipe for crêpes, substituting pineapple juice for the orange since it's what I had on hand. For the filling, I combined about a quarter cup of mango pudding with a quarter cup of Greek yogurt. I also grilled some pineapple to add to the breakfast and topped the crêpes with slivered almonds. Very tasty, and very filling!

Raw January Day 15-24: Greek Broccoli and Raw Blondies

OK, OK, so I haven't been eating only broccoli and blondies for the past nine days. I had misplaced my camera, and I have an aversion to posting recipes without accompanying photos. As it turns out, my camera was simply hiding out in the box of foodstuffs I had taken over to Amber's for our night of raw fooding. I made gazpacho with tomatoes, squash, yellow bells, red onion, and some other ingredients while she tackled some absolutely delicious chocolate pudding made from banana, Irish moss, and--I'm assuming--cocoa powder. Add a couple of glasses of wine and there really was no way to not have a good time!

This past weekend, I made sure the "mostly" status of "mostly raw" was intact, as I made bison burgers for dinner. Hey, they were on-sale. Plus, I was craving some free-range protein. Don't even try to tell me that almonds are free-range!

Anyway, even though I had (cooked) bison for dinner, I made sure the accoutrement were raw. I'm going to start by bragging on Amber's raw, vegan, 5-minute blondie. Super-simple, super-tasty, and super-quick are just a few of the superlatives I can lavish on this dessert. Her recipe makes a single, normal-sized muffin cup full of goodness. I doubled it and got nine mini-muffins (probably would've been ten had the offspring and I not taste-tested it so much). Go check out Amber's site for the blondie recipe. I made a couple of easy garnishes for the blondie. On top is a simple vanilla/banana/basil ice cream, below is a blackberry coulis (recipes below).

The other side dish that I'm quite proud of is a raw Greek-inspired broccoli with macademia cheese crumbles. The broccoli is marinated in a vinaigrette with Greek spices. Bitterness from the sun-dried olives (which I've spent three weeks reconstituting in white vinegar) add a nice contrast with the acid and salt in the marinade, and the "cheese" has a flavor somewhere between Parmesan and feta that helps reinforce the vinegar. This makes for great finger-food!

Before I get to the recipes, I have to share my new purchase (photo courtesy of Amazon.com):

It's a TSM Harvest Food Dehydrator! Eeee! Ten trays, adjustable thermostat from 84º - 155ºF, and square. Yay! I can't wait to make some raw bread or crackers with nice right angles. Can you tell I'm excited?

Enough squealing for now....recipe time!

Raw Banana Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, frozen (peel on to preserve color)

4 tbs almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh basil, minced (optional--about 1 small leaf)

Directions:

Remove peel from banana. Combine all ingredients in a small food processor. Blend until smooth. Freeze half an hour before serving. Makes two half-cup servings. To highlight the blondies, I just added a mini scoop.

Raw Blackberry Coulis

Ingredients:

1/2 c blackberries

1/2 tbs chia seeds

2 tsp agave nectar, or to taste

1/4 c water

Directions:

Purée all ingredients. Allow to rest 30 minutes to thicken. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Raw Greek-Infused Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 c olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp coriander seeds, ground

1/2 tsp mustard seeds, ground

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

4 raw olives, pitted* and diced

dash sesame oil

1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size florets

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the broccoli. Add broccoli and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature (if marinating longer than overnight, refrigerate). If desired, add additional salt and pepper and top with macadamia feta (recipe below); serve. Makes 8 half-cup servings.

Macadamia Cheese Crumbles

Ingredients:

1 c raw macadamia nuts, soaked

1 tbs lemon juice

1/2 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tbs shallot, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. Place in single layer on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate for about 4 hours. Makes 1.5 cups of macadamia cheese crumbles. Use as you would Parmesan cheese.

*Note: To easily pit olives (or cherries!), place on a cutting board and smash with the flat side of a knive (similar to how you'd loosen garlic peel). The pits are a cinch to remove post-smash.

Vegan Carob Cupcakes with Icing

Imagine the birthday parties you've been to....or imagine the photos you've seen of your own first birthday. What image comes to mind most frequently? Chubby faces and hands smeared with chocolate, right? It's an important milestone is every baby's life, as well as every parent's.

Last night I had a first birthday to celebrate, but this baby is special. She can't have chocolate, because it's poisonous to her. Dairy is off the table because of lactose intolerance. While it would be easy to make a cake just for her, we wanted to celebrate this milestone with her....

Surprise! It's my puppy, Trillian's, first birthday!

This moist, fudge-y, melt-in-your-mouth cupcake uses carob powder to keep it as dog-friendly as you can get while maintaining high human satisfaction. Rice milk was substituted for milk, coconut oil for the necessary butter element. While eggs are on the safe list for puppies, I had a bag of Jonathon apples that I was desperate to use up, so I blended one up for some au naturel applesauce.

Put it all together, and what do you end up with? A tasty treat for canine and human alike. The dogs had cupcakes topped with just the icing. For the humans, I spooned a bit of strawberry-balsamic purée over the top and then added a dollop of icing. Trillian had a very happy birthday, indeed!

Carob Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unrefined cane sugar

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

3 tablespoons

carob powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 c applesauce

1/2 cup rice milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line or grease 12 muffin tins and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flours, carob, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together applesauce, milk, oil, and vanilla.

Add applesauce mixture to the flour mixture and beat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot water. Pour batter evenly into the muffin tins, filling each about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake in the preheated over for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm or remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy as is or add toppings as desired.

Carob Icing

Ingredients:

1/4 c rice milk

1 tbs cashew butter

1 tsp coconut oil

1/4 c carob powder

1 tbs agave (adjust to taste)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small, heavy saucepan warm the milk, cashew butter, and oil over medium-low heat. Whisk frequently until the cashew butter is well-combined with the milk. Add the carob powder and the agave and continue stirring until all ingredients are incorporated, dark, and shiny. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool, then use to top your favorite desserts. Makes about 3/4 cup of icing, which is perfect for one dozen cupcakes.

Strawberry Balsamic Purée

Ingredients:

8 medium-sized ripe strawberries

1 tsp balsamic vinegar (I used my chocolate-infused!)

2 tbs sugar

Directions:

Purée all ingredients in the blender. Serve over your favorite desserts. Makes 1 cup of purée.

Slow-Roasted Chicken, Harvest Vegetables, Rosemary Scones, and Pumpkin Mousse

I'm a few days late, but here is our typical Samhain feast. Traditionally (as in, before modern culture turned it into a demonized commercial festival), Samhain represented the end of summer and a celebration of the summer harvest. In addition to giving thanks for the harvest, Samhain was also a day to remember loved ones that have passed to the other side (or, simply put, died). It was common custom in pre-Christian times to set a place setting at the table for deceased ancestors and to recite a prayer to honor those that came before as well as those to come in the

future:

With the gift of remembrance

I remember all of you.

You are dead but never forgotten,

and you live on within me

and within those who are yet to come.

Because I'm a fan of celebrating the original meaning of most holidays, I share this with the offspring. We don't go as far as to set an extra place at the table, but I do like to make a traditional meal and make a toast to our roots. If you can't tell from my holiday selection, there is a strong Celtic vein or two in my body.

Enough history....on to the food! This meal is meant to make use of seasonal ingredients. In the normal world, this is when hens would be full-grown and root vegetables would be most plentiful. The use of rosemary is a common theme, because traditionally rosemary is for remembrance.

Because the majority of the dishes make use of the oven (requiring different cooking temperatures, of course!), I have had to adapt my timing. The harvest vegetables include instructions for preparing while the chicken is in the oven. During the last hour of the roasting time, I prepare the dough for the scones. Then, once the chicken and veggies are out of the oven, I reduce the heat and pop the scones in to bake while the chicken rests. The pumpkin mousse can be made up to a day in advance.

Speaking of the mousse, I have no photo of it. Not that a photo would look especially exciting....just imagine pale pumpkin orange cream in a wine glass, topped with a dark chocolate drizzle. Or, better yet, make it and enjoy the dessert in person!

Slow-Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

4 tbs butter, room temperature

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced + several whole sprigs of rosemary

1 tbs fresh thyme, minced + several whole sprigs of thyme

1 tsp lemon zest

5-6 lb whole chicken, innards removed, rinsed, and patted dry

salt and pepper

1 lemon, cut into fourths

1 medium yellow onion, cut into fourths

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275F.

Combine butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme leaves, and lemon zest. Form a log of butter on a piece of plastic cling and wrap the cling securely around the butter. Place the butter mixture in the freezer to harden.

Season the inside of the chicken breast well with salt and pepper. Using your hand, separate the

skin from the breast meat gently (you want the skin to remain intact and attached to the bird). Rub the space between the skin and the breast liberally with salt and pepper. With a paring knife, make several one-inch slits in the breast meat, spacing the slits about an inch apart. Stuff the bird with the lemon, onion, and sprigs of herbs.

Remove the butter from the freezer, unwrap, and slice into as many rounds as you have slits in the breast meat (probably around 6-8). Push one round of butter into each slit. Using cotton string or twine, tie the chicken legs together. Place the chicken in a baking dish breast-side down. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes per pound. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 150F, flip the chicken to breast-side-up, return to the oven, and turn the heat up to 400F. Roast another 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160F. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving.

Harvest Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 tbs peanut oil

2 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

2 lbs fingerling potatoes, large potatoes cut in half

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F (or follow the directions in the note for preparing these potatoes along with the Roasted Chicken).

Combine the oil, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss the vegetables in the oil mixture to coat. Place in a baking dish and bake 30-35 minutes, or until tender.

To prepare while the chicken roasts: Start the vegetables in the oven in the last hour of the chicken's roasting time. Remove the vegetables at the same time as the chicken.

Rosemary Scones

Ingredients:

3/4 c milk

1 tbs lemon juice

1 3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

6 tbs butter, room temperature

1/2 c grated cheese

1 tbs fresh rosemary leaves, minced

1 tbs fresh thyme, minced

1 tbs olive oil

extra rosemary leaves for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. In a small bowl, combine milk and lemon juice. Set aside to allow to curdle (alternatively, use 3/4 cup of buttermilk).

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Stir in cheese and herbs. Add curdled milk and mix in until dough comes together.

Knead dough on a floured surface, adding flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Form dough into a 7-inch circle. With a floured knife, cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges about an inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover with cling wrap and place in freezer for ten minutes.

Remove baking sheet from the freezer and discard the cling wrap. Brush tops of the dough with olive oil and garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until tops are pale golden brown. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Mousse

Ingredients:

1 -15oz can pumpkin

3 c heavy cream

3/4 c fine sugar

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend

3 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c bittersweet chocolate chips or chocolate drizzle (recipe below), if desired

Directions:

In a meadium saucepan, combine pumpkin, one cup of the cream, sugar, spice, and one teaspoon of the vanilla. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Once pumpkin mixture is cooled, beat the remaining cream and vanilla to medium peaks. Fold whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until well-combined. If desired, top with chocolate drizzle or chocolate chips before serving. Serves 8.

Chocolate Drizzle

(adapted from this Almost Vegan recipe--thanks Amber!)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbs coconut oil

1/2 c fine sugar

1/4 c + 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c heavy cream

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

pinch sea salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt the oil over medium heat. Whisk in sugar and cocoa powder until smooth. Slowly add cream, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth and heated through. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and salt, ans set aside. Allow to cool completely before drizzling over the mousse.

Bacon Cheesecake with Bacon-Infused Toppings

Alternate Title: How I Would Die Were I a Diabetic.

I am surely going to hell for this concoction, but I must say that the ride is totally worth it. I came up with the idea after the amusement that ensued after making bacon potato chips to go with vegetarian burgers. Thoughts evolved, and here she is....

The crust is a simple almond and graham cracker crust, which is then topped with a layer of candied bacon. Standard cheesecake is then poured over the crust and baked. The crowning glory is split between the crispy bacon bits mixed into a dark chocolate topping and the caramel sauce that is made with bacon fat (told you I was going to hell). This cheesecake has all the smooth creaminess and mild tartness you'd expect from such a dessert, with the subtle addition of smoky, salty bacon. The juxtaposition of flavors is pure sin.

Most cheesecake snobs would insist that you use a water bath when baking the cheesecake, lest it be marred by unsightly cracks. I have yet to come across a cheesecake that tasted better or worse based on the smoothness of its surface, so I don't bother. If cracks offend you, by all means find yourself a pan big enough to hold your spring form AND a quart of boiling water.

Bacon Cheesecake with Bacon-Infused Toppings

Ingredients:

Bacon Layer:

6 strips thick-cut bacon

3 tbs brown sugar

Crust:

2 c low fat graham cracker crumbs

6 tbs melted butter

3 tbs sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c ground almonds

Cheesecake:

24 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 c heavy cream

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs vanilla extract

1 tbs bourbon

2 tbs flour, sifted

Toppings:

6 strips bacon, diced

1 c sugar

1 tbs water

1 tbs butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 c heavy cream

1 c bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Bacon Layer:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon and pat down to coat. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until sugar starts to caramelize and bacon has crisped. Remove from oven, cool, and chop. Set aside.

Crust:

Reduce oven to 350F. Mix together the crust ingredients until well-combined. Put 3/4 cup of the crust mixture to a air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for later. Press remaining crust mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the cooled caramelized bacon evenly over the crust and set aside.

Cheesecake:

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl and cream together with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs and mix until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl a few times to ensure all the cream cheese is mixed in. Add cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and bourbon; blend until smooth and creamy, again stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Add flour slowly, mixing until cheesecake batter is completely smooth.

Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, using a water bath if desired. The outer edges will be set, while the center 2 inches will appear uncooked. Do not remove the cake from the oven, but carefully run a rubber spatula around the edges to release the edges. Close oven and turn off heat; let the cake rest in the oven one hour. Remove, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

After the cheesecake has cooled overnight, release the springform pan and place cheesecake on serving dish. Press the reserved crust crumbs into the sides of the cheesecake.

Bacon Caramel Topping:

Fry bacon until crispy. Reserving 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat, drain the bacon and allow to cool. Set bacon bits aside.

Stir together sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once the sugar has melted, bring to a slow boil until mixture is caramel colored. Add bacon grease and butter. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla, lemon juice, and cream. Cool sauce at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pour caramel over the top of the cheesecake.

Bacon Chocolate Drizzle:

Microwave chocolate chips in a small bowl for 30 seconds and stir; repeat until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in bacon bits, then drizzle chocolate over cheesecake in desired pattern. Allow chocolate to harden, then serve. Makes 16 slices; store in refrigerator.

Balsamic Strawberry Cookies for the Dark Side

Oh, how I love strawberry season. Here's my next installment of Cookies for the Dark Side. The strawberries are marinated in balsamic vinegar and sugar to bring out the flavor. I used my chocolate-infused balsamic vinegar. The cocoa powder adds a little extra to the flavor. The chocolate is not strong in these at all; it's an extra depth of flavor that you don't taste until the end. If you aren't a fan of the cocoa bean, you can easily leave it out. The overall effect is that of a refined strawberry shortcake that you can eat with your hands.

Balsamic Strawberry Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c strawberries, diced

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp cocoa

1/2 c + 2 tbs white sugar

2 c unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a small bowl, combine strawberries, vinegar, cocoa, and 2 tbs of the sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together remaining 1/2 c of sugar and the butter; add vanilla. Cut the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined; the dough will resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in the cream until dough starts to come together. Fold in the strawberry mixture, until just barely combined.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets, about 2" apart.

Bake in preheated oven 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies with a spatula to a wire rack, and let cool. Makes about 30 cookies.

Chocolate Cinnamon Chip Cookies for the Dark Side

I realize this is a terrible picture, but trust me....the cookies are definitely worthy of admission into the Dark Side.

The texture is almost brownie-like in quality, and the cinnamon chips add just a hint of spice to the chocolate. While the offspring and I are strict milk-and-cookie types, I think a cup of coffee would compliment these very nicely. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened

1 c brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 c granulated sugar

1/2 c coarsely chopped dark chocolate

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 c cinnamon chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars. Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour melted chocolate into the butter mixture and beat until combined. Wisk in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture about 1/3 at a time until well-incorporated. Fold in cinnamon chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until edges appear dry. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely. Makes 24-30 cookies.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies for the Dark Side

Here's my latest Cookies for the Dark Side venture. These are my favorite so far, and every one who has tried them has given them rave reviews. I took a batch to work, and my fellow nurses couldn't get enough. Suffice to say I was the favorite staff member that night!

In my directions, I indicate to bake 12-15 minutes. I prefer a chewy, fall-apart-in-your-hand cookie, so I tend to lean toward the 12 minute side of baking. If you like a sturdier cookie, aim for 14 or 15 minutes.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies for the Dark Side

Ingredients:

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c old-fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 c packed dark brown sugar

1 c granulated white sugar

1 c (1/2 can) pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract; mix well.

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.

BAKE for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Allow to cool 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Cookies for the Dark Side

This is my second installment of "Cookies for the Dark Side."

Peanut Butter Cookies for the Dark Side

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c smooth peanut butter at room temperature

1/2 c sugar

3/4 c lightly packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 dark Reese's cups, coursely chopped

Directions:

In medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter and peanut butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and continue beating until fully mixed. Add egg, milk, and vanilla extract and beat well.

Mix in half the flour mixture until combined, then fold in remaining flour and beat until well combined. Fold in Reese's. Cover batter with plastic wrap (leaving no air in between) and chill dough 24-36 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Roll about a tablespoon of dough at a time into 1 to 1 1/2" balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving a couple inches of space between drops for expansion. Lightly press each cookie with either a fork (making those ubiquitous criss-cross marks), back of a spoon, or your fingers.

Bake 8-10 minutes (they will look underdone, but this is important in making a soft cookie!).

Cool cookies on cookie sheet a few minutes before transferring to another surface. Keep cookies flat at least 15 minutes so that they retain their shape. Makes 24-32 cookies, depending on size and how much raw dough is eaten ;).

Cookies for the Dark Side, part one

"Come to the Dark Side....we have cookies."

"Well, what kind of cookies are they?"

This conversation sparked my creativity and a rare desire to bake. I don't enjoy baking, personally. I think it's boring. I like eating baked goods, of course, but the entire chore of measuring, mixing, rolling, baking, and cooling simply does not appeal to me. I prefer a freer form of cuisine.

But, sometimes a girl just needs a really good cookie. The flavor profile mimics that of one of my favorite low-cost wines: Mirassou Cabernet. The dark chocolate is the first taste perceived against the brown sugar background, followed by the tartness of the dried cherries. The key here is to use good chocolate; the bitterness is necessary to offset the sweet.

Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Dark Side

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c butter, room temperature

1 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla (not imitation)

12 oz (2 c) bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate chips

1 c dried cherries

In small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until well-blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mix to butter mixture a fourth at a time and beat until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and cherries.

Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap, leaving no air in-between, and chill 24-36 hours.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Drop dough in 2-tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

Cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool. Makes about 30 cookies.

Notes:

While it isn't necessary to chill the dough, it's a trick most people who actually enjoy baking swear by. After some research, I found that it allows the wet ingredients to soak into the dry ingredients and produce a better melding of flavors. See this article for a very good explanation.