I'm sorry, I'm going to be lame again and not re-post the recipe due to time constraints, but go get the recipe here and check out Evil Shenanigans- there's some pretty wonderful stuff on there.
Enjoy!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
I should be packing right now. There is way too much stuff lying around considering that I'm leaving the country in 2 days. But this recipe needs to be shared. I made these cookies because: 1. I made the cookie brownies but wasn't completely satisfied with how they came out (even though they got rave reviews from my friends), 2. I needed to use up my oatmeal, 3. I wanted to make sure that I had enough baked stuff for everyone and the cookie brownies only made 1 small pan worth, and 4. I've been on a peanut butter kick. SO I made these oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. They were delicious. You should make them.
I'm sorry, I'm going to be lame again and not re-post the recipe due to time constraints, but go get the recipe here and check out Evil Shenanigans- there's some pretty wonderful stuff on there.
Enjoy!
I'm sorry, I'm going to be lame again and not re-post the recipe due to time constraints, but go get the recipe here and check out Evil Shenanigans- there's some pretty wonderful stuff on there.
Enjoy!
Cookie Brownies
This past weekend was my *last* weekend in the USA before leaving for Roatan, Honduras, so I was visiting various friends and decided to bring baked goods along with me (I have to give them a reason to miss me when I'm gone, right?). I had been wanting to make these chocolate chip cookie brownies for a while because they just looked so darn good, so I finally gave in and made them.
A warning about this dessert: It is not healthy. I can't even pretend it's kinda, sorta, maybe a little bit healthy. As much as I love to sit up on my soapbox and talk about how desserts can be delicious without a ton of butter, and all of my other healthy vegan-ish propaganda, I have to say that these were really good. And really unhealthy. So make these to share with friends. Everything in moderation, right?
I actually had some technical difficulties when making this recipe because even though I used an 8x8 pan like they said, the brownies were super thick and took way longer to cook than they should have. When I took them out the outside was just a tad drier than I would have liked, while the middle was undercooked. Luckily I'm totally OK with eating batter, so mostly-cooked brownies were just fine. BUT next time I think I might try to use a slightly bigger pan so that they're a little thinner and will cook easier.
Normally I would re-post the recipe here to make it easier for you guys, but I'm kinda in a rush. There are 3 rooms full of clothes, boxes, and other stuff that all needs to be put away before I leave the country. So if you missed it before, here is the recipe again. Plus this way you get to see more delectable pictures of cookie brownies. Win-win. Enjoy!
A warning about this dessert: It is not healthy. I can't even pretend it's kinda, sorta, maybe a little bit healthy. As much as I love to sit up on my soapbox and talk about how desserts can be delicious without a ton of butter, and all of my other healthy vegan-ish propaganda, I have to say that these were really good. And really unhealthy. So make these to share with friends. Everything in moderation, right?
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| Before.... |
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| After! |
Normally I would re-post the recipe here to make it easier for you guys, but I'm kinda in a rush. There are 3 rooms full of clothes, boxes, and other stuff that all needs to be put away before I leave the country. So if you missed it before, here is the recipe again. Plus this way you get to see more delectable pictures of cookie brownies. Win-win. Enjoy!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is magical. These peanut butter kiss cookies, while not the healthiest, are pretty easy to make and super delicious. There are lots of recipes for these cookies, which are peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's Kiss on top, so it can be tough to decide which recipe is best. In my opinion the cookie recipe itself can vary some and still be good, but it's a few little extra tricks which make the cookie go from good to great.
Every time I make these cookies I end up using a different recipe but so far they've always turned out delicious. This time around I used another basic recipe, which I found here and just tweaked a little bit, and it worked quite well. There are two small details, however, which most recipes don't include, which make this cookie great.
First, after rolling the dough into balls, roll them in granulated sugar before putting them on the baking tray. It adds a little extra sweetness and a light crunchiness which is really delightful on a soft cookie.
Second, the timing of the Hershey Kiss is really important. Bake the cookies on their own until they are just beginning to look cracked on top, which is about 1-2 minutes before they are done baking. Take them out of the oven and gently press a Kiss into the center of each cookie, then return them to the oven for just another 1 or 1 1/2 minutes. When you take them out the Kiss should be glistening but not yet to the point of melting and losing its shape. This may not seem important, but after the cookies cool the Kiss will still be a little softer and thus easier to bite into. Some people just add the Kiss at the very end, but then you end up having to eat the Kiss part all in one bite because it's too hard to split, and then that bite of cookie is overpowered by chocolate. My way, you can take nibbles of the Kiss along with the cookie to get a nicely proportioned bite. Also, I like the way the textures of the cookie and Kiss play off of each other more when the Kiss is pre-melted.
Okay, cookie-technique ranting done. I'll get to the recipe now.
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. (Note: If you can, give the butter some time to soften. Your life will be much better than if you didn't plan ahead at all and use butter straight out of the freezer and then try to quickly warm it up without melting it and then end up attempting to mix in butter that's half melted and half frozen. Not that I did that or anything. But fair warning.)
3. Add in the egg and vanilla.
4. In a separate container, mix the flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the other bowl and mix thoroughly.
5. Put some sugar (maybe 1/4 cup or so) into a small bowl. Roll the dough into small balls, then coat the balls in sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet. Gently press down on the cookies with the palm of your hand to flatten them just a tiny bit. Note: If the dough is too soft/sticky to roll out, put it in the fridge for a little while until it's easier to manage.
6. Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the top is just beginning to crack. Remove the cookies from the oven and quickly place a Kiss in the middle of each one, pressing it lightly into the cookie. BTW, while the cookies are baking, unwrap the Kisses. That way you can put the Kisses on the cookies quickly and get them back in the oven.
7. Bake for an additional minute, until the Kiss is glossy but not melted (see my rant above). The cookie might not look completely done in the middle, but it is. Let the cookies sit on the tray for a few minutes before removing them to cool, so that they have time to firm up a little.
Yum! These cookies are always a hit. Try not to eat them all right as they come out of the oven so that you have some left to share with friends.
Every time I make these cookies I end up using a different recipe but so far they've always turned out delicious. This time around I used another basic recipe, which I found here and just tweaked a little bit, and it worked quite well. There are two small details, however, which most recipes don't include, which make this cookie great.
First, after rolling the dough into balls, roll them in granulated sugar before putting them on the baking tray. It adds a little extra sweetness and a light crunchiness which is really delightful on a soft cookie.
Second, the timing of the Hershey Kiss is really important. Bake the cookies on their own until they are just beginning to look cracked on top, which is about 1-2 minutes before they are done baking. Take them out of the oven and gently press a Kiss into the center of each cookie, then return them to the oven for just another 1 or 1 1/2 minutes. When you take them out the Kiss should be glistening but not yet to the point of melting and losing its shape. This may not seem important, but after the cookies cool the Kiss will still be a little softer and thus easier to bite into. Some people just add the Kiss at the very end, but then you end up having to eat the Kiss part all in one bite because it's too hard to split, and then that bite of cookie is overpowered by chocolate. My way, you can take nibbles of the Kiss along with the cookie to get a nicely proportioned bite. Also, I like the way the textures of the cookie and Kiss play off of each other more when the Kiss is pre-melted.
Okay, cookie-technique ranting done. I'll get to the recipe now.
 |
| Soo I may have forgotten to take pictures until the cookies were mostly gone. Whoops. |
Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter (Or some substitute, if you have a guilty conscience)
1/2 c. peanut butter (I've used creamy and chunky- both work well, it just depends what consistency you want in your cookie)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. peanut butter (I've used creamy and chunky- both work well, it just depends what consistency you want in your cookie)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Extra sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. (Note: If you can, give the butter some time to soften. Your life will be much better than if you didn't plan ahead at all and use butter straight out of the freezer and then try to quickly warm it up without melting it and then end up attempting to mix in butter that's half melted and half frozen. Not that I did that or anything. But fair warning.)
3. Add in the egg and vanilla.
4. In a separate container, mix the flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the other bowl and mix thoroughly.
5. Put some sugar (maybe 1/4 cup or so) into a small bowl. Roll the dough into small balls, then coat the balls in sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet. Gently press down on the cookies with the palm of your hand to flatten them just a tiny bit. Note: If the dough is too soft/sticky to roll out, put it in the fridge for a little while until it's easier to manage.
6. Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the top is just beginning to crack. Remove the cookies from the oven and quickly place a Kiss in the middle of each one, pressing it lightly into the cookie. BTW, while the cookies are baking, unwrap the Kisses. That way you can put the Kisses on the cookies quickly and get them back in the oven.
7. Bake for an additional minute, until the Kiss is glossy but not melted (see my rant above). The cookie might not look completely done in the middle, but it is. Let the cookies sit on the tray for a few minutes before removing them to cool, so that they have time to firm up a little.
Yum! These cookies are always a hit. Try not to eat them all right as they come out of the oven so that you have some left to share with friends.
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