Picture Perfect Cookies - Elizabeth

Sorry for being so absent lately - cooking has taken a back seat to school, work & house projects lately. However, I did want to share these beauties:




You might remember these chocolate chip walnut cookies I made a few months back. They tasted good, but looked so sad & pathetic. Since then, I've been wanting to overcome the embarrassment. So, when making another batch for the same person, I chose a new recipe - based on the pictures this time.

So. Wonderful.

They're Jaay's Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies. The only modification I made was to add about a cup and a half of chopping walnuts. That's it. So good. 

Mocha Cupcakes - Elizabeth

I think I'm going to be into making mini cupcakes for awhile here... Hope no one minds. ;)

These mocha cupcakes are pretty good. We had run out of coffee earlier in the day [& were snowed in], so I used some Starbucks Via [instant coffee] we had laying around. It didn't give the cupcakes as strong a coffee flavor as I would have liked - I would supplement with adding ground coffee to the batter next time. I frosted these with the ever-delicious cream cheese frosting from this post.

Also, the batter is pretty thin, but don't worry, it cooks up well.

Mocha Cupcakes
Makes 48 mini cupcakes

Ingredients
2.5 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ c cake flour
½ c flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups hot coffee
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions
Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, cocoa powder and baking soda to form a paste, then slowly whisk in the hot coffee until the mixture is smooth.

In a third bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well. Add the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate and beat to incorporate.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the liquid mixture (beginning and ending with the flour mixture), beating just until all ingredients are incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cake Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting - Rachel

WOW. These are divine.

Cake Cookies

Ingredients:

1 pkg chocolate cake mix (I used devil's food cake)

2 eggs

1/3 c Crisco or butter

1-2 T water, if necessary

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Mix all ingredients together. If mixture is dry, add 1 T of water until mixture is the same consistency as cookie dough.

3. Drop, by teaspoonful, onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on sheet, then transfer to cooling rack.

4. Eat plain - OR, better yet - frost with Peanut Butter Frosting.

Source: a Rachel original!

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

1 c confectioners sugar

1 c creamy peanut butter

5 T unsalted butter, room temp.

3/4 t vanilla

1/4 t kosher salt

1/3 c heavy cream

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except cream in bowl of electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until creamy (scrape down bowl as needed).

2. Add cream and beat on high until smooth & fluffy.

3. Try to resist eating all of it right then and there... this is possibly the best frosting I have EVER had.

ENJOY. I sure did.

Source: Food Network, Barefoot Contessa

Walnut & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies - Elizabeth

Things I learned - over-creaming the sugar & butter mades the cookies spread out.
These may not be the prettiest cookies [definitely nothing compared to Rachels!], but they're still pretty delicious!



Cookies cookies cookies!! Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies??
When I asked my friend what kind of cookies he wanted for his birthday, he said chocolate chip walnut. YUM! Good call.

I modified this "Favorite Chocolate Chip" recipe from Jenna at Eat, Live, Run [my second favorite food blog, after Annies Eats.]

Walnut & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2.5 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 sticks butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 1/2 c dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add the vanilla and mix gently to combine.

Add the flour to the butter and mix. Carefully stir in the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for about twelve minutes [mine were good at 9 minutes], or until golden.

Enjoy!

Salted Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies - Rachel

I'm actually surprised it took me this long to share an Annie's Eats recipe - I am obsessed with blog. These cookies are the perfect mix of sweet n' salty.

Ingredients

8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1.5 c)

4 T unsalted butter

2/3 c all-purpose flour

1/2 t baking powder

3/4 t sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

2 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 c brown sugar, packed

1 t vanilla

12 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 2 c)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine 8 oz chocolate and butter in double-boiler (or heatproof bowl over pan of simmering water). Heat until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.

3. In another mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.

4. In bowl of electric mixer, combine eggs, brown sugar & vanilla. Beat on med-high speed until sugar has dissolved, about 4-5 mins. Reduce speed to low and add melted chocolate mixture, blending until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in remaining chocolate with spatula.

5. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.

6. Bake, rotating sheets halfway, about 10-12 minutes (until cookies are slightly soft & crackly). Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and let cool on sheets about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

7. Enjoy! (If you're able to resist finishing them, store in an airtight container.)

Modifications?

- I'm wondering how these would be with dark or bittersweet chocolate... I have a "snow day" today, so I think I might experiment...

Source: Annie's Eats

Clementine Pecan Biscotti with Dark Chocolate - Elizabeth

As a kid I was never too impressed by biscotti - it was hard, unfriendly to eat & not as sweet as a cookie. All this changed when I gave this Candy Cane Biscotti [by the ever-amazing Annie's Eats] a try. A cup of hot coffee and a sweet treat first thing in the morning?? Amazing. I was hooked. I made a batch of Cinnamon Chip Banana Biscotti last week & I've got a batch in the oven now, based off this orange nut recipe.

This is hands-down the best biscotti I've made yet!