Trying things I Pin on Pinterest-Espresso Cardamom Shortbread

Shortbread is probably my favorite cookie. I don’t make them often, but when I do I tend to eat the entire batch myself.  A few weeks ago in my This and That I mentioned this Espresso and Cardamom Shortbread by Sweet and Savoury Pursuits.

From my Chocolate+Turkish Coffee Cookies to my Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Ice Cream.   you can tell that putting coffee into sweet treats is one of my favorite flavor combinations. So when I saw this shortbread on Pinterest I knew I had to try it.

It did not disappoint! Because I very rarely make shortbread, I did not make any adjustments to the recipe and followed it to the letter.

First you dissolve instant espresso in vanilla extract. This was a totally new concept to me! At first I was skeptical that the instant espresso would dissolve in such a small amount of liquid, but it totally worked! The aroma of the vanilla and espresso was heavenly. Then you cream together butter, confectioner’s sugar and the espresso/vanilla in an electric mixer. Even if the shortbread had not turned out well, I am glad I tried this recipe because the combo above, with a different butter:sugar ratio, would be the PERFECT espresso frosting.

After everything is well mixed, you add your dry ingredients that you mixed together in a separate bowl. This results in thick, not quite crumbly dough. The instructions then say to press the dough evenly into a greased 9×13 pan. This was the only issue I had with the recipe, I personally didn’t feel there was enough dough to evenly spread in such a large pan. So I spread it as far as I could without sacrificing thickness. Then you score our your bars.

After scoring and dotting your bars,  you bake at 325°F for 30 minutes, rotating once. After I pulled these guys out of the oven, I had to try them. The espresso and cardamom flavors are subtle, resulting in a rich, toasty flavor that my mom couldn’t quite pinpoint, but really enjoyed. She described it as a caramel. I’ll agree that the espresso lends a warm rich flavor that combined with the buttery shortbread does come across as a little caramel-like. Which we loved.

I have had about 6 with my morning coffee this a.m.  They just go so well dunked in my morning joe! All in all, I really enjoyed this shortbread, the flavor is warm and comforting, and these cookies were a cinch to put together.

For the recipe be sure to hop over to Sweet and Savoury Pursuits and give it a go!

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Smore’s Cookie Bars

The best smore I have ever had was after finishing my second leg of the Atlanta Ragnar Trail race this year. It was 4 am, I just finished a 5.5 mile loop through the woods after running like 6 miles earlier that day and only eating trail mix and a pasta dinner. Which sounds like plenty of food when I type it out, but for me in that moment it was not.

The last mile of the loop all I could think off was food. Potatoes. Meat. I distinctly remember contemplating which flavor potato chip I would prefer. FACT: I don’t really like potato chips. Basically, ya girl was hungry and desperate.

So I emerged from the woods, passed off my race belt and headed straight for the bonfire and smore’s station. Because they had a smores station at 4am (REI knew what’s up). I snatched up a Hershey Bar, a marshmallow, a graham cracker and a stick. Some poor souls surrounding the campfire were NOT ROASTING SMORES and were also between me and my meal.

Less than delicately, I shoved my way to the fire explaining ” I just really need this marshmallow toasted”. Lit my marshmallow on fire (I like my smores well charred) and waited until it was ready. Then I smashed it between two crackers and some chocolate and wolfed it down in two bites. It was transcendent. Gooey marshmallow, the chocolate bar still solid, molten only by the now carcinogenic marshmallow. Bliss.

So with these cookies I tried to recreate that moment. How does one recreate the perfect bite that was the result of running far more than normal, at a strange hour, in the middle of the woods,  and a bonfire? 

Cookie bars were the only option. I thought about individual cookies, making regular smores in the oven, but really there was no other choice. Cookie bars were my best bet.

Graham Cracker laced cookies crust, topped with milk chocolate bars while still warm, then crowned with marshmallows. A quick broil, and your bars are done. You can eat them while still gooey, as pictured above, or wait until they have cooled the next day. The cookies will be soft and chewy, the chocolate returned to its solid state, and the marshmallow still sticky on top. 4am smore’s bliss achieved.

• Servings: 40 1-inch squares
• Time: 1 Hour
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 sticks of butter, softened (1 cup)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4/ cup brown sugar
• 1 package graham crackers (8 crackers)
• 6 chocolate bars ( I used Hershey Bars)
• 40 Jumbo marshmallows

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.  Put graham crackers in a bag and smash until in about 1/2 inch chunks. Add butter to a stand mixer or large bowl and beat until soft. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until fluffy. Then add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and graham cracker crumbs.

Spread cookie dough into 13×9 inch pan. Use a greased spatula to even the top. Bake in oven for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from oven and while still hot place unwrapped chocolate bars across the top of the cookies. Then immediately top chocolate with marshmallows. Broil for one minute or just return to oven to brown marshmallows.

Let cool for a few minutes and then serve. These are also quite tasty completely cool.

 

Lemon “Cookie” Strawberry Shortcakes

This started out as a total disaster. I had grand plans of making Amerikaners also (known as Black and White Cookies) with sprinkles and lemon for Fourth of July. As I made the dough it seemed a little off. If you follow along in my Instagram stories you know what I mean. The dough was REALLY thick. The directed portions were large. When I pulled them from the oven they much more resembled dense biscuits over cake-y  cookies. Looking back, I realized I left out AN ENTIRE INGREDIENT (milk) But it all worked out in the end.

Anyway, I was devastated. Both because my recipe failed and I was looking forward to Amerikaners. I haven’t had any since we lived in Italy and a German friend made some (should have gotten her recipe!) But then I tried one of my failed cookies. Lemony and dense, I immediately knew what I could use them for.

The lemony “cookie” (they are more like biscuits to me) was perfect for strawberry shortcakes! I took out my strawberries and put them in a bowls with some sugar and whipped some heavy cream and Boom! Strawberry Shortcakes.

Eaten alone, the cookie/biscuits are not too sweet with a hint of lemon. Topped with strawberries and whipped cream the lemon flavor really pops. The juice from the berries soaks into the cookie/biscuit and the whipped cream is cool on top of the ripe strawberries. If I had to describe the taste with one word it would be summer.

 

• Difficulty: Easy
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Inspired by: This recipe 

Ingredients

• Cookie/Biscuits
• 9 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• Sprinkles (if you want)

Strawberries

• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream

• One cup whipping cream
• 1/8 cup sugar

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Beat butter and sugar together in an electric mixer or large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon extracts. Combine flour and baking soda in another bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three batches, mixing well after each addition.

Scoop 1/4 cup batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Bake for 20 minutes.

While those are baking, put your strawberries and sugar into a bowl. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the strawberries and sugar to combine, forming a nice juice. (aka macerating the strawberries).

Either with an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk and a clean bowl, fiercely whip the heavy cream and sugar until thick and fluffy. (With my mixer this took about 1 minute and 30 seconds on high).

Cut a cooled biscuit in half and top with strawberries and whipped cream!

 

Banana “Brownies”-Actually trying recipes I pin on Pinterest

First things first, this is really more of a snack cake than a brownie to me. I’m a brownie purist, and brownies = chocolate in my book. And a chewy, fudgy texture.

That said, these were fairly tasty. One of the reviews said they are more like banana bread with frosting, and I would say that is pretty accurate. Browned butter frosting to be precise.

I have actually baked these before, about 5 years ago. The 5 bananas rapidly turning brown on my counter inspired me to try them again. That and the the aforementioned browned butter frosting. I’m really into brown butter frosting these days. Frost yourself. Or your baked good rather.

Anyway, this recipe makes a huge pan, perfect for a summer BBQ. The frosting is really rich, so a small square more than satisfies even the sweetest of teeth. I can put away some sugar and one of these is more than enough for me.

 

The next time you have some bananas that are rapidly browning, try these “brownies” instead of your regular banana bread. If banana bread isn’t your thing, this Real Deal Banana Pudding is always a huge crowd pleaser.

Do you like banana bread/pudding? Weigh in down in the comments below!

 

• Servings: 20 slices
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: Easy
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Inspired by Banana Brownies

Ingredients

Brownies/Cake

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup greek yogurt ( the original recipe calls for sour cream, I had greek yogurt in my house so I used that)
• 1/2 cup softened butter (one stick)
• 2 eggs
• 4 bananas, smashed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

This is their recipe as written, I started with the same amount of butter and then just added butter,  powdered sugar and vanilla until I was happy. Don’t be like me. Follow the recipe. My frosting is a bit too sweet.

• 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons milk

Directions

Pre-heat oven 375°F. The original instructions say to use a 15×10 jelly roll pan, I used a half sheet pan. Google tells me these are similar but not the same. I put my silpat on it, but you can use parchment paper or flour and grease it.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, greek yogurt and eggs until combined. Add vanilla extract and mashed bananas. Once incorporated, add flour, baking soda. Stir to combine. Pour batter onto pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan 180° half way through.

To make the glaze, heat the butter in a medium pot for about 10 minutes, until it turns a nice amber color and is fragrant. Add powdered sugar, and mix. It will be quite thick. Add vanilla and milk until a thick but pour able consistency is achieved. Spread over cake while the cake is still warm. Allow to cool fully before eating.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies-Actually trying recipes I Pin on Pinterest

So I have had a Pinterest account for as long as Pinterest has existed. Or rather at least since 2011. Pre-child and husband I would spend HOURS on Pinterest pinning anything and everything. To the point where my personal pinterest is a little out of control. So when I started my blog Pinterest, I made a point to pin with more intention, and actually “do” or try the things I pin.

Consider this my first Pin post.

One of the first things I learned how to bake were chocolate chip cookies using the recipe on the back of the Nestle’ chocolate chip bag. Now, 9 time out of 10, when I am in the mood for cookies those are what I bake. I have been on the hunt for new chocolate chip cookie recipes, but this marshmallow recipe really intrigued me.

These are the Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Chocolate Cookies from Completely Delicious.

I don’t know if it is because it is summer and these gave me fire-free s’more nostalgia, or because I had more melting chocolate I needed to use, but I am so glad I tried this recipe.

In her pictures her cookies are more disk-like, and mine are puffy. I suspect this is because I scooped them directly onto my cookie sheet instead of scooping and rolling in to balls per her direction. I also did not fully cover the marshmallows with chocolate, because I am lazy.

But! The cookies did not suffer at all as a result. The actual chocolate cookie is dense and chewy, reminding me of my favorite brownies. The marshmallow on top melts just enough, like the inside of a perfectly toasted s’more. After you cover the marshmallow in chocolate and let them cool, the chocolate on top adds a nice crunch.

Marshmallows are not a favorite of mine, though I loved these homemade ones. Because of this I figured I was safe making these cookies, and would be able to stop after one and eat them slowly over a few days like a normal person. I was wrong. After inhaling more than a few, I froze the rest, where they call to me but luckily are not easy to eat straight from the freezer (but did it stop me from trying?)

In her notes Annalise says they are best eaten the day they are made, but I actually really enjoyed them the next day. I might be weird.

In summation, everyone run over to Completely Delicious Stat and make these cookies. You won’t regret it.

Thanks for reading my first Pinterest Post! Hop on over to my Pinterest and let me know what you want me to try next either over there or in the comments down below.

 

Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Ice Cream.

Originally I was going to post some tacos today but this coffee ice cream cannot wait.

So, my homemade ice cream journey has had its fair share of bumps in the road. Living in Italy we were spoiled by gelato, to the point where the store bought ice cream we grew up loving no longer satisfied us. (Okay, me. My husband is less particular.) However there was one little dilemma. They did not make my favorite ice cream flavor (chocolate peanut butter) in gelato form. To rectify this, my friend Beth gave me an ice cream maker and told me to get to work.

Well, I tried. However, not one recipe I tried produced satisfying results. Chocolate ice cream was drab. The pistachio ice cream I made was an insult to pistachio’s everywhere. (I won’t even allow pistacchio gelato to be in the same sentence). I was feeling really discouraged. I just accepted that homemade ice cream may not be a reality for me.

 

How wrong I was. After realizing I most likely had all of the ingredients in the house I decided to make some ice cream. A leap of faith and a few hours later here we are. Have you ever had chocolate covered espresso beans? This is exactly what it tastes like. Rich coffee flavor, crunchy “chocolate” and specks of coffee dot the creamy ice cream base.

I was hoping for a creamy chocolate ribbon, but A.) I didn’t research how to make it at all and B.)Elected to only use was I already had in our house, so instead ended up with sharp chocolate shards that are actually super satisfying. Rather than melting chocolate with cream, I used Ghiardelli Dark Candy Coating disks. After popping them in the microwave I drizzled the “chocolate” into the ice cream while it mixed, where it solidified the second it hit the frozen cream.  So good you guys. I have no regrets. I definitely think chocolate chips melted with warm cream would work well also.

Now that I have potentially figured out how to make ice cream, I can’t wait to try new flavors. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Let me know below, or on my instagram @processotopeaches. Go!

• Servings: 1 huge serving to like 6 reasonable servings
• Time: 1 hour active, 8 hours to freeze
• Difficulty: Easy
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Intense coffee flavor with pleasant fragments of chocolate make for an ice cream sure to satisfy even the pickiest of ice cream palates.

Inspired by: TheKitchn

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup coffee grounds (I used a dark french roast)
• 6 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup chocolate candy coating OR chocolate chips

Directions

Pour your whole milk and heavy cream into a medium pot along with your coffee grounds. Bring to just barely boiling then cover and turn off the heat. Let coffee “brew” for ten-fifteen minutes. The longer it steeps the stronger it may be.

While that is happening, whisk your egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture loosens and becomes a paleish yellow. I was surprised by how thick it was at first but don’t worry it thins out.

After your “coffee” has finished steeping and cooled a bit, take about 1 cup and VERY SLOWLY drizzle it into your egg yolks. This is called tempering the yolks. By adding a little of the warm mixture to your eggs, you slowly raise the yolk’s temperature and prevents you from scrambling your eggs. Repeat twice and then add your egg mixture to your milk/coffee in the pot you used to steep.

Place the ice cream base back on the stove over low and slowly cook while stirring. You want it to thicken. It is done when the mixture coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it with your finger and the line stays put.

Pour your custard through a fine mesh sieve and then place in the fridge to chill. The original recipe says to do so for a minimum of 3 hours but I was impatient and put it in the mixer after one hour. It was fine

Put in your ice cream maker per manufacturer directions. Once your ice cream has reached soft serve consistency melt your chocolate candy coating and pour into your ice cream while it mixes. You can eat it in this stage (my favorite) or freeze overnight for a scoopable consistency.

Chocolate+Turkish Coffee Cookies

Long time no talk! I have still been cooking and baking and taking terrible photos, but haven’t made time for the blog. Then I blinked and it was April. So I’m back, blurry photos, good eats and all.  Let’s jump right in.

Near my office is an excellent coffee shop that has very tasty drip coffee and some afternoons I swing in for a pick me up. The counter is always covered in various muffins, cakes and breads. One particularly dreary day I popped in, ordered a Turkish coffee and a giant double chocolate cookies. The primary reason I go to this coffee shop verses the many others within walking distance is that their baked goods are baked IN HOUSE, DAILY.  The bakers arrive in the wee hours of the morning to prep the treats for the day. And you can taste it guys. I rarely eat cookies/cakes ect while I’m out because I am usually disappointed. Not here.

So, I got my Turkish coffee and giant chocolate cookie. Bite of cookie, sip of coffee. Repeat. The spices in the coffee went so well with the chocolate, I knew I had to make a cookie combining the two flavors.

 

So I did.

My cuticles suck..

Intense chocolate flavor with a chewy, brownie-like texture accented by a hint of coffee and warm spices. It is everything I never knew I wanted out of a cookie, and my 2 year old loved them too. These may have replaced the classic chocolate chip cookie as my new go to cookie recipe.

Bake these and have them for your breakfast with some coffee. I won’t tell anyone.

• Servings: 12-15 cookies if you eat 1/3 of the dough like I did.
• Time: 45 minute active, 3 hours+ to chill dough
• Difficulty: Easy
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Inspired by: Turkish Coffee and Sally’s Baking Addiction Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup softened salted butter (I always use salted butter, if you are watching your sodium, unsalted will work too!)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons espresso or strongly brewed coffee, chilled
• 1 teaspoon anise seed (not the flower/star pods)
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 60% cacao baking bar, chopped (or whatever chocolate you want, I liked how the darker chocolate went with the coffee and spices)

Directions

In a large bowl or mixer, add your softened butter and sugars. If you are using a bowl, beat butter ad sugar together until light and caramel colored. If you are using a mixer (like I did) use the paddle attachment and beat until you reach the same consistency. While you are beating your butter, combine your flour, anise, cardamom, baking soda, flour and cocoa powder in a different bowl.

Once your butter and sugar are properly mixed,add your egg, vanilla and coffee, then stir  to combine. Once those are incorporated, gradually add your dry ingredients, throwing your chopped chocolate in last. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator anywhere for 3 hours to overnight. I did overnight.

Pre-heat your oven to 350° F. When you are getting ready to bake, set the dough out on the table until it is soft enough to scoop and roll into balls. For me, it took about an hour.  Roll dough into ping pong size balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, until edges are set but it still looks a little soft in the middle. Take out, let cool on the tray for one minute, and then transfer to a cooling rack to finish.

 

 

 

 

 

German AppleChip Cake

Why no, that is not a donut (doughnut?) but a beloved bundt cake. Well, beloved by me. Growing up my Mom would make it occasionally, and though I vaguely remember being turned off by the chunks of apples when I was younger, (fruit ≠ dessert) they totally do it for me today.

The sweet apples and warm cinnamon smack of fall. Being subtly sweet, in bundt cake form, and devoid of frosting this is the perfect cake to have in the morning with a cup of coffee.  Side note, for some reason whenever a cake is a bundt cake, I assume it can also be eaten for breakfast/as a snack. No idea why. I live by this rule though and it hasn’t failed me yet.

Every time I have taken it somewhere, be it work or a friend’s house, it has gotten rave reviews. In Italy, when I didn’t always have access to chocolate chips, I chopped up a Ritter Sports bar (Dark Chocolate, which is called Fondant in Italian, and confused the hell out of me) and threw it in, no regrets. I took it to work the next day and a few people asked for the recipe, which is always a good sign. So I say you can use whatever chocolate you choose, though chocolate chips are probably the easiest to use.

My Mom was given this recipe by a co-worker (noted in the corner of my copy of the recipe as Cathy) while living in Germany in the late-80s, which is why we call it German Apple Chip Cake. Not sure how German it actually is,but shout out to Cathy because I’ve grown up with this cake and it is delicious.

Not only is it delicious, but it is totally customize able. While I baked it from scratch, you can also sub a yellow cake mix+ 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for the dry ingredients. No apple cider? My mom also notes you can use apple brandy or apple schapps.

If you find you need a fall dessert, or fun treat to bring to brunch, but aren’t ready to bust out the pumpkin quite yet (I’m not), try this cake. You won’t regret it.

 

• Servings: 8 slices
• Time: approximately 2 hours
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Credit=My Mom

Ingredients

• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 cup apple juice/cider/apple brandy/schnapps
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups of chopped apples (for me this was 3 gala apples, use whatever apples you like!)
• 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
• Optional: 3/4 cup chopped nuts, powdered sugar for dusting

 

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a bundt pan or 9×13 cake pan. I, per usual, used Baker’s Joy.

In a large bowl beat eggs slightly. Add oil, apple juice and vanilla. Mix until just combined. In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips, apple chunks, and nuts, if using.  Pour into your chosen pan and bake. A bundt pan will need 65-75 minutes (I took mine out at 70 minutes) and a 9×13 will need 35-40 minutes to bake,

Once cooled, turn your bundt onto a plate and dust with powdered sugar. If using a regular cake pan, just dust once the cake is cooled.

 

 

The Cake That Tasted Like Nothing

Ohh this cake had potential. The recipe came from a trusted cookbook. I only purposely changed one ingredient. The batter (raw eggs be damned, I tried it) was delicious. The results were baffling.

The reason for baking this cake was standard: my husband wanted a chocolate cake. I always want any kind of cake, so it was time to bake a cake.

The recipe called for two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Let’s discuss how I like to add vanilla extract to my recipes: I just dump it in until I feel like I have added the right amount. Very precise.

My stand mixer is cleverly placed directly in front of my spice cabinet, so I can dump ingredients in the bowl at will, just grab, dump, replace. No counter clutter for me! This has also resulted in me making a few simple and highly preventable errors. This time, I added a decent pour of almond extract instead of vanilla. Noticing the liquid in question was clear and not the classic amber of vanilla, I immediately stopped and resumed with vanilla extract. I tasted the batter and it was quite tasty, so I called this one no harm no foul.

Fast forward to me proudly presenting my husband a slice of the chocolate cake he specifically requested. He digs in while I cut my own slice. “What do you think?” He is thoughtful. Too thoughtful. “Well, the frosting is really good. The cake doesn’t taste like anything. Not bad,  very moist, just not like anything. “. I am instantly offended, despite clearly having asked for his honest opinion. “What,?! The batter was delicious! You must be crazy.” *Takes bite* I feel the light crumb, and the cake is indeed moist. However, my husband’s description of the cake tasting like nothing is correct. It in no way offends me, but also has zero flavor. That said, I still ate half of the cake myself. Frosting ya’ll.

The frosting was fantastic, but considering it was made out of over a cup of butter and FIVE CUPS of powdered sugar, that is a given. And plus also chocolate.

Having made this cake before, I can only assume that almond extract+cocoa =bland. If you have an insane frosting you want to try, and only need cake so you don’t just eat the frosting with a spoon, make this recipe with almond extract. It will in no way compete with or overshadow your frosting.

 

In summation: pay attention and maybe actually measure your ingredients, you might notice you have grabbed the wrong one before it is too late.

 

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

• Servings: 8 slices
• Time: 1 hour for baking, a few hours for cooling, 20 minutes to frost
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Credit=Very very slightly adapted from Nestle Classic Recipes Cookbook

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup strongly brewed coffee, room tempurature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons VANILLA extract

Frosting

I used this recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  The recipe calls for you to grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. I use Baker’s Joy which works wonderfully and makes less of a mess.

Combine dry ingredients through salt in a large bowl. Into the same bowl, add all of your liquid ingredients. Beat the batter until everything is combined, about 2 minutes. Divide evenly into your cake pans and bake for 28 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for several hours in the pans before frosting.

After your cakes have cooled, make your frosting. Flip one pan onto a plate/cake stand/wherever you want your cake and put a thick layer of frosting in the middle. Spread to the sides. Place the second cake layer on top and frost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Quest for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie-Pudding Edition

Apple Pie is known as the ultimate American dessert, but I must respectfully disagree. Is there anything more American than a chocolate chip cookie, fresh from the oven with a glass of milk? I think not.

Hotel chains offer them in their lobbies. Neiman Marcus and The New York Times have infamous recipes. The internet is littered with how-to articles and comparisons, making it obvious what cookie Americans love.

Growing up, Nestle’ Tollhouse reigned supreme. The recipe on the back of the bag is the one my Mom always used, and the one I rely on when that familiar craving for the classic cookie hits. A tip from my Aunt Robin, I take them out a little early so they remain soft and gooey into the following days. But that is not the recipe we are here to discuss today.

 

 

This recipe is closer to the cookie I associate with coffee shops and bakeries. Fluffy, but not cakey, crisp on the outside but thick and chewy on the inside. Perfect for dipping into a glass of chocolate milk. The secret? Pudding mix.

My supervisor at my last job introduced me to this little trick. When a gooey cookie is not quite what I am craving, I reach for these. In this batch I used milk chocolate chips and I regret it. Semi sweet or dark is a better foil to the sweet dough for my taste. Regardless of your chip preferences, give this recipe a go, you won’t be disappointed.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

• Servings: Approx. 36 cookies
• Time: 2 hours
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Recipe from Pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 cup aka 2 sticks of softened butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3.4 ounce box vanilla pudding
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 package semi sweet chocolate chips (The original recipe calls for milk chocolate chips, I found this to be too sweet and definitely recommend semi sweet instead).

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375º F. In a large mixing bowl cream butter. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking soda. Add both sugars, pudding mix eggs and vanilla, beat for two minutes. Gradually add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl containing the butter. Mix until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Portion onto cookie sheet, evenly spacing cookies. They do not spread very much while baking but you definitely do not want them to touch. I used a 2 teaspoon cookie scoop, but using two regular spoons to scoop the dough would work just as well. Just be sure to make each cookie roughly the same size.

Bake 9-11 minutes, until puffy and golden on the edges. Let cool for a minute on the cookie sheet to set, then move to wax or parchment paper to finish cooling. (Or a wire rack, I just use the paper like my Mom always does.)

Eat!