Table Talk: Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Valerie was missing Bake 52 so she decided to pick a dessert this week.  I'm always on board with those kinds of ideas.  But then I remembered that this would be a healthier version of a dessert.  I'm fine with having fruit for dessert or something light but I'm not always a fan of turning a classic dessert into a healthier version.  I figure if you're going to eat a chocolate chip cookie, then just eat a chocolate chip cookie, don't be a pansy about it.  I expected to open the cookbook and find some weird substitutions in the recipe.  At least some applesauce or pureed prunes for the fat in the cookies.  Nope.  What I found was a pretty normal cookie recipe.  It left me wondering if these were in fact healthier?  At some point I'm going to have to do a comparison with my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe and see what the real difference is.  The book does a comparison but I'm not really sure what they were comparing this recipe to.

According to the book, the reduced the amount of butter and made up for it with the addition of some brown butter.  I don't have any pans that aren't non-stick so I just used my microwave and a glass bowl.  This was after I added the regular butter to stir it in.

 It seemed like my dough was a little less stiff than the dough in the photos.  I used my scale to measure the flour in hopes that it would be spot on but ?

 As a result of the looser dough, my cookies were a little more flat than the picture in the book.  They were still pretty good.  

They had a slight crunch on the edges while the center was softer and moist.  The next day, the cookie texture was slightly different, more of a chewy/soft combo but they were still really good. I didn't expect them to dethrone my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and they didn't, but no one was complaining.  We all really liked them.  And you can never have too many good cookie recipes.

If you'd like to try the recipe, you can visit the blog of our hostess for the week, Valerie.

Homemade Graham Crackers and the best S'mores ever!

Last week, I made two different graham cracker recipes.  There are quite a few out there.  I started with THIS one and it was good.  Tyler really liked them plain, with milk or with frosting but when we paired them with marshmallows and chocolate there was something off.  It was almost like the flavor wasn't subtle enough and it kind of got in the way of my s'more-but Tyler said I needed to keep the recipe because he loved it.  If you are someone who likes just plain graham crackers or, like Tyler, likes them with milk, this first recipe might just be for you.  But if you're like me and you feel like the only reason graham crackers exist is to make s'mores and graham cracker crusts then this next recipe is the ticket.  It has the perfect subtle graham-cracker-flavor but the feeling of something a little better because it's homemade.

TWD: Mocha(less) Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This week's TWD was fine by me.  I love chocolate chip cookies.  But I was a little confused when I looked at the P&Q page and saw that people were talking about apricots.??  I thought maybe I had no idea what we were really making this week. But guess what!  There were apricots listing in the recipe ingredients.  With the word (optional) next to it.  Phew!  I am not sure I'm cool enough to ruin my cookies with apricots at this point.  (Maybe one day I will look back and laugh at this comment.  I mean, I did eat a beet the other day and I've held out on those since I was about 5.  It wasn't so bad.  One day I might morph into a chocolate-chunk-and-apricot-cookie eating fool.  Never say never.)  I also left out the mocha since we aren't coffee drinkers.  I didn't want to seem like a loser though so I threw some walnuts into a few of the cookies.

I used semi-sweet chocolate and instead of buying chunks I cut my own. About at this point (below) I was wondering why I didn't just buy those perfect chunks at the store.  Nothing perfect about this mess.  And the recipe said something about white chocolate so I threw some white chocolate chips in too.

 I guess the overnight chill is supposed to develop flavors and stiffen the dough.  Well, I skipped it.  The recipe didn't specify to soften the butter, so I used mine cold and by the time I got the dough formed, it didn't seem to need fridge time to me.  And let's face it, if a cookie recipe HAS to be put in the fridge overnight, I will find another recipe.  I can't trust myself to have that kind of forethought. 

 To slightly make up for skipping the chill, after I scooped (I used my 1 oz scoop) the dough onto the cookie sheet, I put the second pan in the freezer for 15 minutes while the first pan baked.

 The first, non cold batch seemed to do just fine.  They were a little less cripsy around the edges when they came out of the oven.  I think the colder ones get browner edges while waiting for the cold center to bake.

 Either way, no complaints here!  We all loved them!   I made some for Tyler with just white chocolate chips and he said he wanted about a hundred of them. The rest of us all loved the chocolate chunks.

  Next time I would probably skip the chill again and leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for a minute to cool before removing them to a rack.  They wanted to fall apart a bit right out of the oven but after a minute or so, it was easy.

This was a great recipe and you can never have too many great cookie recipes! (In my opinion, anyway)  You can buy the book, or get the recipe at our host blog for the week:  Galettista

If you'd like to see what the other TWD bakers did you can go HERE.

TWD: Croissants

I realized the other day that I have been a member of TWD for over a year now.  I've been baking with the group since it started it's second run last February!  And while I haven't missed a week of baking, I've yet to host.  I've been feeling a bit guilty about it, really.  It's all part of being in the group, right?  When they ask for volunteers to host, eligible bakers should volunteer.  I hadn't done that yet and I told myself that the next recipe I saw that I was excited about, I would stop being a pansy and say I would do it.  So here I am.  I realized when I went to make these that I maybe should have read through the recipe (or recipes) before blindly saying I would host.  I mean, could I have picked a longer recipe to type up?  It's really doubtful.  I wasn't super worried about making croissants since I had done it before but now that my arms have gotten a workout with all the rolling, my fingers will now get their workout with some serious typing.

TWD: Boca Negra (Chocolate Cake)

Apparently Boca Negra means "black mouth."  Um, that doesn't really sound appetizing.  But then if you read on, you find out you aren't really eating mouth, but that the cake is so chocolatey, it will turn your mouth black.  And believe me, I can work with that.  

Is anyone surprised I halved this recipe?  I did.  And then I decided I would bake it in ramekins and make 4 small cakes.  It worked well.  Which was surprising since I didn't use the bourbon, I used water with some caramel flavoring.  I made the white chocolate cream (also subbed water with caramel flavoring for the bourbon) but it wasn't set up enough to take the picture, so ice cream stepped up to the plate.  And I'm not sold on the cream but it was pretty delicious with ice cream.

 I don't really know what this cake is supposed to be like.  Since I changed the recipe, I'm not sure it turned out how it should, but it was delicious still.  It was gooey and delicious in the middle and super chocolatey.  It was almost more brownie-like than cake-like.  I think this recipe would be super easy to make gluten free since the full recipe only has 1.5 T of flour.

I used the food processor method so it came together so quickly and easily it was almost ridiculous.  Next time you are in the mood for something with chocolate, you should give it a try.  You can get the recipe at A Frederick Food Garden (our host for the week).

And if you'd like to see what the other TWD bakers did this week, you can go HERE.

Bake 52: Week 52!! Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

 Who can believe it's the last week of Bake 52?!!  I learned this year that time flies when you're baking. ;) I've had so much fun baking new recipes, learning new things, tricks and techniques and making new friends.  Thanks to all my baking friends who participated this year, whether it was baking with me every week or just reading and following along.  

We have decided to start a dinner group for 2013.  We will be posting twice a month for our new group starting the 2nd Wednesday in January.  So be ready for that and if you want to join us, let me know!

It's hard to tell from the pictures exactly how big these cookies are.  They're about 3.5 inches in diameter and plenty if each person only has one cookie!  Not to mention they are pretty rich.  It's a good thing for me because I LOVE chocolate but I guess it's not for everyone.  (Not that I understand that kind of thinking)  These were the perfect cookie, chewy on the outside, soft in the center and stuffed with more chocolate than anyone thought was possible.  You can opt to leave out the chocolate chips if you are scared about these amounts of chocolate but I don't scare easily.  I think these cookies would also be great to stuff things inside of-like rolos, peanut butter cups, oreos, whatever.

I didn't have parchment paper so I just baked the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and it worked out wonderfully.  I melted semi-sweet chocolate chips for the melted chocolate and it seemed to work well too.

All in all, I think these cookies were great.  They go really well with a glass of milk.  ;)  If you are a choco-holic, you should give them a try!

Janet was our host for the week, you can get the recipe at her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Janet, and picking a great recipe.

Bake 52: Chocolate Cake Roll with Peppermint Ice Cream

 I was planning on making this according to the recipe until I read Michelle's blog post.  The original recipe has a cream filling but she was discussing the possibility of using ice cream.  That was the only push I needed.  I know, I am so easily swayed.  My grandparents used to own an ice cream shop in my hometown.  They made their own ice cream and popsicles. They also made ice cream cake rolls and it was one of my favorite things we made.  I didn't get to have it very often because they were pretty long, like 24 inches, and we only sold them as an entire cake roll, not in slices.  Birthdays and special occasions were about the only time we got to indulge. I wish I had some super secret recipes from my grandparents but I don't.  I am going to have to interrogate some family members to see what I can come up with. ;)

Obviously, I substituted ice cream for the cream filling.  We had a bucket of vanilla ice cream in our freezer and some candy canes so I thought I would make some peppermint ice cream to make it a bit more festive than using regular vanilla.  I used about 3 1/2-4 cups of ice cream and about 6 candy canes.  I spread some wax paper on a baking sheet (18x13 since that was the size of the cake).  I put a little over a cup of ice cream and 2 candy canes in my food processor and processed until combined and then spread it on the baking sheet.  I repeated that with the remaining ice cream and candy canes (2 more batches).  Once the ice cream was spread out pretty well on the baking sheet, I covered it with wax paper, kind of patted it down so it was even and then froze it for about 45 min to 1 hour.

I was a little worried about waiting longer than the 15 minutes the book specified to fill the cake but it worked out okay.  It might have been a bit more brittle and there was one spot that cracked a little but I really can't complain.  After the ice cream had chilled for an hour, I took it out, took the wax paper off the top and flipped it onto the unrolled cake, removed the other layer of wax paper and then rolled it up as tight as possible.  Wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap and then put it back in the freezer for about 3 hours or until firm. Then I made the glaze and directed.

The cake wasn't quite right as far the cake rolls I am used to.  It's lighter and more airy than the cake rolls we used to make. I remember them being made with denser cakes, almost brownie like cakes. This was still really good but I might try to experiment with it a little.  I was also appalled that there wasn't any butter or oil in the cake.  Weird, right?  I had to read the recipe a couple times to be sure I wasn't missing something.

I love this kind of recipe because it's easy but looks so impressive.  You should give this a try, Michelle, our host for the week, has the recipe on her blog (and how to make it gluten free!).  Thanks for hosting this week Michelle and for inspiring me to make it with ice cream. ;)

TWD: Best Ever Brownies (Are they?)

When I saw the title of these brownies, I thought, "Hmmm, we'll see."  How can they possibly be better than my favorite brownie recipe?  Or even  my second favorite?  Those two are hard to beat in my book.  I was surprised with how much I ended up liking these.  I will be making them again and I feel like I now have three favorite brownie recipes.  To which I say, this is one thing you can never have too many of.

They were super delicious with ice cream which is one of my brownie requirements.  I didn't have a 9X9 pan so I used an 8X11.5 and it worked great.  I also substituted semi-sweet chocolate for the bittersweet.  

They were fudgey and gooey, but not too gooey and completely delicious.  If you are looking for a great brownie recipe, you should give this one a try!

You can get the recipe at A Beautiful Mess

If you'd like to see what the other TWD bakers did this week, you can go HERE.

Bake 52: Red Velvet Cupcakes

 We are officially in the home stretch of our baking year.  This week marks the end of another cycle and leaving only one cycle left.  Only 7 weeks left!  I can't believe it.  

This week was red velvet sheet cake and it should surprise no one that I made cupcakes instead.  Because that's what I do.  Cake isn't usually on the top of my dessert list but the last couple cakes we've made have started to change my mind.  It might be the cream cheese frosting.  Cream cheese makes everything better.  These were pretty quick and simple and easy to share with friends.

Was anyone else surprised with how little chocolate is actually in these? 

The only complaint I had was that the recipe stated I would get 24 cupcakes (but since I halved the recipe I expected 12) if I used a 1/4 cup scoop.   And I did, and I was careful about it.  And I only ended up with 9 cupcakes.  So if you are okay with only 18 cupcakes, then use the 1/4 cup scoop.  If you want 24, then use a 3 T of batter for each cupcake.  And yes, I did the math.  I think the only time I use math is when I am cooking. :)

So the difference in the directions would be:  Line cupcake pans with liners or spray with cooking spray.  Make batter, and spoon 1/4 cup (or 3 T depending on how many you want) batter into each liner.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Cool and frost.  

 I also halved the frosting recipe and it was plenty for half a batch of cake.  Each of these cupcakes has PLENTY of frosting, as you can see.  You might even be able to get away with 1/4 a batch of frosting.  I also added about 2 cups of extra powdered sugar (to half a batch) to get it to a firmer consistency.   If you are just spreading it on the cupcake, it doesn't really need to be firmer though.

If you are sad about the election, maybe whipping up a batch of these will make you feel a little better.  Remember what I said about cream cheese?  Makes everything better. ;)   You can get the recipe at Janet's blog.  She was our host for the week and chose the recipe.  Thanks for picking a great recipe Janet!

Bake 52: Eclairs

It's already week 40 of our baking group.  Can you believe it?  Only 12 weeks to go!

You don't have to ask me twice when it comes to making eclairs.  What's not to love?  While this recipe wasn't all that hard, it did seem harder that the one I normally use.  Probably because I have made the other recipe 8,000 times and I am more comfortable with it.  And the other recipe uses a short-cut instead of pastry cream.  Which can be a good and a bad thing.  I made a tweak to the glaze (I added a T of corn syrup and about 1/2 cup extra powdered sugar) and I think it was perfect and I might just use that glaze from now on even if I use the other recipe for the shell and the filling.

 I tried piping the filling in with a few of them, but it seemed like a lot of work for something my family would devour in 2 seconds so I cut the rest open and plopped in the filling.  And you know what?  My kids ate them anyway.  Weird, right?  Calvin scarfed two down before I was even sure what happened.  I managed to save 2 for Tyler when he comes home, but he better hurry. :)

 Jenn was our hostess for the week and let her husband choose the recipe (what a nice wife).  You can get the recipe at her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Jenn and thanks for marrying a guy with such great taste. ;)

Bake 52: Tunnel of Fudge Cake

This is my kind of thing.  I know I said yesterday that I thought twice about making that recipe, but I would never think twice about something like this.  Isn't she pretty?  What is it about a bundt cake that is so lovely?  Not to mention the chocolate brownie-like cake, drizzled with chocolate and a 'tunnel' of fudge running through the middle.  It's the stuff of heaven.  I tried to make it look angelic in the photos but now I can't decide if it's angelic or hellish.  (It's tempting me right now.  I think it knows my name.)

Bake 52: Black and White Cookies

These cookies are super soft and cakey with a *hint of lemon and slathered with vanilla and chocolate frosting.  I say *hint of lemon because I think even a *hint might be too much for me.  If you are a lemon-lover, you will probably commit to loving these cookies for your lifetime.  I would probably omit the lemon next time but that is just because I am who I am.  And if we are being honest, I might forget the vanilla frosting altogether.  It makes a lovely presentation but why eat vanilla when you can have chocolate?  (That's pretty much my motto for life anyway.)  I can't convey how much we all liked the texture of these cookies, even if some of us (mainly me) didn't love the lemon.  They are definitely worth making and tweaking to be just what you would like.  I wonder if a *hint of orange might be better than lemon...

Bake 52: Coconut Macaroons

I have decided that coconut macaroons are way easy.  Which is weird.  I didn't think they would be.  They have very few ingredients, one of which I am leaving out next time (the salt) and they really don't take long at all to put together.  And they seem somewhat healthy if you don't count the sugar and the chocolate I dumped on top.  

Cookies and Cream (Oreo) Cheesecake (with a mint twist)

First things first; have you tried mint Oreos?  Completely delicious.  I bought some to use for this cheesecake and ate far too many of them.  I just used them for the crust because I didn't want it to be a mint-Oreo cheesecake, I just thought it would add a little something extra.  You could use all mint Oreos though and I am sure it would be nothing short of spectacular.

Bake 52: French Macaroon Sandwich Cookies

 Um.  I don't know.

I don't know what these are supposed to taste like.  Or be like.  I am thinking I might not be a delicate enough flower (or flour since we are cooking, ha!) to make this kind of thing.  A few of them made it through the process looking perfect, and then I would gouge them with my finger or something (as you can see in the photo).

Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

I originally got this chocolate chip cookie recipe from my sister-in-law, Jen and I have been a believer ever since.  About once a year, my friend Cheri emails me and asks for the recipe (sans the caramel).    It would make sense if I had gotten it on the blog sooner, just for that reason.

Bake 52: Chocolate Blackout Cake

 I promise this is the last cake I will post about this week. ;) 

S'more Clusters

I LOVE s'mores and I think it's criminal that they are regarded as a camping treat.  I am always excited to see a s'more inspired cookie or cake but nothing beats an authentic s'more.  Usually when I am craving one (or 4) I make them in the oven.  {I put 4 graham crackers on a baking sheet and chocolate on top, put them in the oven and bake them until the chocolate is just melted, take them out and spread the chocolate then put either one big marshmallow or 9 small marshmallows on top and back in the oven until the marshmallows are browned and puffed.}  While they are pretty easy to make, it does take some time to spread chocolate on each one and line up 9 marshmallows. 

Nutella Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow)

Last week I posted a version of Muddy Buddies that Tyler really loved, this week I am posting what my version would be.  Some people call this muddy buddies and some call it puppy chow.  Whatever you call it, if you like Nutella, you should give this a try. 

Bake 52: Lunchbox Brownies (with coconut pecan frosting)

See the coconut pecan frosting on there?  I did that for Valerie.  She loves it when I do that kind of thing. ;)  Actually if I am being honest, I did it for me.  One of the variations of this brownie (and there are quite a few in the book) was a "german chocolate" variation, but it just called for butterscotch chips to be added.  What about the coconut?  What about the pecans?  I am not sure