Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I decided to try something new this year for one of my Christmas cookie "slots", and honestly, it is EVERYONE'S new favorite cookie!

It is basically a brownie in cookie form. It is chewy, and chocolatey, and the powdered-sugar-crinkle outside is just the prettiest thing around. Another bonus is that it uses oil, so you don't have to wait for your butter to come to room temperature!

So, without further ado, and no more gilding the lily, I present to you my chocolate crinkle cookie recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup (100 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups (400 grams) white sugar

1/2 cup (120 ml) sunflower oil 

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

+ powdered sugar for rolling (approx. 1/2 cup or 60 grams)

Directions:

1. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, mix together the cocoa, sugar and sunflower oil.

2. Beat in eggs one at a time.

3. Add vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Carefully add flour to cocoa mixture, while your mixer is going.

5. Cover your dough and chill for at least 4 hours.

6. Preheat your oven to 350 F / 175 C.

7. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

8. Pour powdered sugar into a bowl.

9. Using small spoons, scoop out enough dough to make rounded tbsp sized balls. The dough is VERY sticky, and this part is a little tricky. Once the ball is formed, plop (yes, this is the technical term) it into the powdered sugar, and roll it around until it is completely covered.

10. Place the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet, approximately 2 inches from each other.

11. Bake for about 10-12 minutes (this is a cookie you don't want to overtake, or it won't be as yummy and chewy). Allow to cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

12. Can be stored in an air tight container for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

These cookies are insanely delicious, and honestly I'm a little hesitant to share the recipe, in case as a result the world runs out of cocoa powder. :)

Valentine's Day Peanut Butter Blossoms

I am not a huge fan of peanut butter. Shhh...

But my favorite guy IS! So, for Valentine's Day I decided to make a batch of peanut butter blossoms just for him!

Valentine's Day of course means hearts, so I set out looking for chocolate hearts... I could not find them ANYWHERE!! They all had some kind of filling! I finally found some plain Milka hearts, but then were large and thin. 

So, I decided to make my cookies bigger too, and double up on the chocolate hearts for a nice chocolate to cookie ratio.

They turned out super cute, and hopefully made my honey feel very loved. So now I'm sharing the recipe with you!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter at room temp.

1/2 cup sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg at room temperature

2 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

48 large Milka hearts

extra sugar in bowl

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the ingredients in order given (except for chocolate and extra sugar).

2. Preheat oven to 375 F / 190 C. 

3. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

4. Scoop out approx 2 tbs cookie dough, roll into ball, roll in sugar and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. 

3. Flatten top slightly.

4. Bake for 12 minutes, until edges slightly golden brown.

5. Remove from oven, set on heat-safe surface.

6. Gently press 2 chocolate hearts stacked on top of each other onto the cookie, until cookie slightly cracks around edges. (Do this step as soon after they come out of the oven as possible.)

7. Using a spatula transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack, and allow to fully cool. (Because you have to wait for the chocolate to fully harden back up too, it'll take a little longer than other cookies.)

Makes 24 cookies

+ If you were able to find chocolate hearts that are about the same size as chocolate kisses, or one Milka chocolate square, make your cookie balls 1 tbs size and bake for 9-10 minutes. There is also no need to flatten them down at this size. Will make approx 48 cookies.

So, happy Valentine's Day to my favorite peanut butter loving guy!  

You're simply the best!

Mmm... Chocolate Cupcakes!

It's National Chocolate Cupcake Day!

With these made-up "everyday is a holiday" days, I feel kind of torn - on the one hand it's getting crazy, and EVERYTHING has a day; on the other hand I love celebrating things that bring me joy, and chocolate cupcakes bring me joy.

While searching the internet, I came across this detailed recipe from Cupcake Project. It was great, I had all the ingredients on hand, and the cupcakes were delicious!

You should definitely go check out their recipe as she's got some good tips, but I'm gonna write it out for you too. 

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temp.)

1 cup sugar

2 oz of your favorite chocolate (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

2 eggs (room temp.)

2 egg yolks (room temp.)

9 tbs sunflower oil

2 tsp vanilla 

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water (room temp.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C.

2. Prep your cupcake liners in your muffin pan. (I made home-made ones out of baking paper, and they worked amazingly! I'll share a DIY soon.)

3. Sift together your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder) into a medium-sized bowl.

4. Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, cream together butter and sugar.

5. (Carefully) Melt your chocolate. (Dutch oven method, or very short time increments in microwave.)

6. Once the melted chocolate is cool to the touch, add it to the sugar and butter mixture.

7. Keep mixer going. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before you add the next. Mix until just combined.

8. Mix in vanilla, sour cream and oil until just combined.

9. With the mixer going, add the dry ingredient mixture in 3 portions, mixing just until incorporated each time.

10. Mix in water until just combined.

11. Fill cupcake liners until 2/3 full. (Since I had higher "tulip" liners, I filled them a little more.)

12. Check for doneness at 18 minutes. I ended up needing an extra 10 minutes, because I made mine bigger. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

13. Take cupcakes out of the tin, place them on a cooling rack, and wait until they completely cool before trying to frost them.

(Makes 12-15, depending on size.)

As a bonus, here is my current favorite chocolate buttercream frosting:

Frosting:

- 3/4 cup room temperature butter

- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- pinch of salt

- 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar

- 3 tbs sweet and condensed milk

- about 4 tbs hot chocolate mix (like Nesquick)

The frosting was just the right amount for the cupcakes. Perfection.

I baked these to celebrate our son's first goal in soccer, and let me tell ya - I won all the mom points that day! Delicious!

Best-Ever Brownies

I completely love where we live, but sometimes I miss the conveniences of living in the US.  One of those times, is when I'm craving a brownie.  In the States, there are these magical things - box brownies!  All you do is add eggs, oil and water (I think?), bake, and you're done.  Fool-proof brownies.

But in the rest of the world, that just isn't the case.  Brownies from scratch always seemed super daunting, but I stumbled upon this recipe from Broma Bakery for red wine brownies, and they just sounded too delicious not to try.  I know some of us don't drink alcohol, but I've always cooked with it since the alcohol cooks off, just leaving the flavor.  I'd never baked with it before, but was excited to try it!

I read the comments section of the original post, and the baker said that you could substitute the same amount of water for the wine, but I honestly can't imagine that they will taste as decadent.  Another option is non-alcoholic red wine.  We've been given bottles of wine as gifts before, so cooking and baking with it is a great way to utilize the thoughtful gift!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter

4 oz (114 grams) dark chocolate, chopped (I used the majority of a bar of chocolate)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs room temperature

3/4 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1/4 cup red wine

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 °F / 176 °C (325 °F / 162 °C for convection oven).

2. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper - best suggestion ever! (or use cooking spray)

3. Melt butter in a saucepan, on low heat.

4. Add chocolate, stirring continuously, until all chocolate is melted.  Take off heat.

5. Place brown sugar in a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, and turn mixer to a medium speed.  Gradually pour in the butter/chocolate mixture.

5. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat for 90 seconds - until the batter starts to turn just a little lighter.

6. Turn mixer on low, and add cocoa powder, salt, flour, vanilla and wine.  Mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

7. Pour mixture into pan.

8. Bake for 40 minutes (30 minutes in convection oven), until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean - they are brownies, after all.  They're supposed to be fudgey and moist.  Besides, they'll bake a little more in the pan.

9. Allow to cool before removing from pan.  If you don't wait, they won't cut as well.  But if you wait, you won't get to eat a warm brownie - it's up to you.  I didn't wait.  The "ugly" brownie was worth it, though!

Tips:

- Use all room temperature ingredients - it will give you a more even bake.

- Serve with whipped cream, it helps cut the richness some, and adds a nice creaminess.

- Keep covered or in an airtight container at room temperature.

And there you have it!  I don't think I'll ever make brownies any other way!  These were the best I've had, hands down!

So go forth, and eat brownies!