Dark Chocolate Dessert Brownies

Dark chocolate is one of my favorite spurges in the life. Its not super sugary sweet and there are so many additions that can be added (salt, heat, spice, extracts like vanilla or hazelnut or orange) to give it variety without taking away from the richness. This recipe is just like that rich satisfying and amazing. Please note I did take some short cuts as I needed to know what temps would work best so everything cooked all the way through. Please use this as a guide with your own favorite recipes. This recipe uses 3 desserts in one, layered, to create a new fun dessert....which also explains my short cut this time with store bought cookie dough, and boxed brownie mix. This idea comes from here:  https://tipbuzz.com/oreo-cookie-brownies/. 

Heres how it goes. 
1. Make the brownie batter in one bowl. Use your favorite recipe or grab a box mix. I used a generic store brand boxed mix that called for 1 or 2 eggs (I used 1 to make it less cake like), it called for 1/3 cup of veg oil (I used 2 Tb oil and one package 4oz of broccoli apple puree - any puree (applesauce, pumpkin, anything) can sub in for the extra oil and save you a nice handful of calories), it also called for 1/3 cup of water for which i used cooled down regular drip coffee. Coffee makes chocolate taste richer. You won't taste it I promise.  Set it aside. 

2.  Make a batch of chocolate chip cookies - your fav recipe or store bought. You'll need half of the batch enough for 12 cookies. Most batches makes 2 -3 dozen so you can either make the cookies separately or throw the dough into the fridge or freezer for later.  Set it aside. 

3. You need to purchase your favorite chocolate sandwich/oreo like cookies. I used chocolate with dark chocolate filling. You'll need 3/4s of a 12 oz package. 

4. Make or buy some chocolate frosting. 

Directions/Assembly

1. Preheat your oven to 350 

2. Spray a 8x8 square baking dish with non stick spray and use foil or parchment to prevent sticking. You will want to be able to pull this out of the pan after it cools completely. 

3. Put the chocolate chip cookie dough down first into the baking dish. Push it with your fingers so it covers the bottom of the dish in a thin level line. This just takes a few moments if your cookie dough is straight from the fridge and hard. 

4. Over the cookie dough you are going to pour using a rubber spatula half of the brownie batter. 

5. Set the oreo cookies on top of the batter in a single layer. 

6. Pour the rest of the batter on top of the sandwich cookies covering them completely. Your spatula if you need to - to make sure all those cracks are filled completely. 

7. Bake until the brownie mix is done approx. 35-45 minutes. The earlier you take the pan out of the oven the fudgy and moist the brownies will be...  and the inverse... the longer you leave the brownies in the more cake-like they will be. Check with a tooth pick in multiple spots as the sandwich cookies filling will still be creamy and could give you a false result. 

8. While the brownies are still warm drop the frosting on top. Turn off the oven and let the frosting melt all over the top of the brownies. Occasionally I put them back in the oven for just a few minutes and the frosting just melts perfectly in a smooth shiny surface. No spreading and accidentally ripping or disturbing the soft surface of the brownies. 

9. Let the brownies cool for a good while... I would suggest at least an hr and half and up to three hrs for even smooth easy cutting. 

Then ta dahhh the ultimate dark chocolate dessert brownies will be yours. Pairs excellently with coffee. Enjoy! 

Stephanie

Best chewy chocolate chip cookies

One of my family's FAVORITE desserts is the super basic but super delicious chocolate chip cookie. It may or may not have to with being able to eat it and play at the same time... They're boys so it's possible. With kids anything is possible. P.s. it tastes good with coffee too. 

I have added a few things to help make sure it's chewy and not crunchy. Be sure to use more brown sugar to keep it softer while baking and rolled oats. There's a could other fun little additions like a vegetable fruit puree to maintain moisture. 

You're going to love this recipe! Trust me. I have been making it for years. Plus for those of you with kids or busy calendars the dough is super great and flexible. You can make it and store it for up to 3 days in the fridge, covered, before baking, or you can freeze the dough in a log shape or round ready to bake cookies, or you can bake them off and then freeze for up to 1-2 months without losing any moisture. Perfect make ahead cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Adapted betty crocker recipe) 

Makes 4-6 dozen depending on the size 1 Tbs or 2 Tbs

ingredients: 

1 large bag 20oz of dark chocolate morsels or two smaller bags of your fav chocolate chips
3 eggs (pull them out of the fridge 30 minutes before to get some of the chill off) 
2 tsp vanilla
1 & 1/2 cup Brown sugar
2 sticks of unsalted butter/1 cup (softened) 
3 and 1/4 cups of flour ( I usually do a mix between whole wheat pastry flour and white all purpose) 
1 and 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar (use 1/2 cup for a sweeter cookie) 
1 pouch of baby puree (3-4 oz) fruit /veggie puree combo (I usually do one that is a mix of zucchini, pumpkin, and apple) 
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

optional ingredients: 

2 tsp of espresso powder 
mini baking mms (for topping of the cookies before baking) 
turbinado sugar (for sprinkling the tops before baking)  
chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup - 1 cup 

Directions: 
1. In a mixing bowl on low speed, cream the butter and sugars together
2. Add in the baking soda, eggs, vanilla, the puree, salt, and espresso powder if using it
3. Add in the flour 2 cups at a time so the flour doesn't fly up and coat your counter
4. Once all the flour is mixed it, when the mixture looks homogenous, add in the rolled oats, walnuts if using, and chocolate chips 
5. Preheat the oven 375 degrees 
6. Roll cookie dough into 2 Tbs balls or so... sprinkle with sugar or press mms in as desired
* If freezing roll into balls and flash freeze them flat, then store them in freezer bags 
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are lightly browned around the edges. 

Easy Chocolate (Coconut-Chocolate-Chunked-Toasted Walnut) Pumpkin Cupcakes

November is here. The weather is cold. This Arizona girl is freeeeezing in upstate NY. Lets stay inside and eat chocolate and drink lot of coffee. Deal? Good. Thanks. I need all the support I can get. I have the perfect treat for you. And its easy. Double bonus. You know that canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin puree you might have now that Halloween is over and Thanksgiving isn't quite here yet.... grab that. I want to show you this cool, semi healthy trick. 

The name of this recipe is ridiculous. 9 words might be a bit much for this title, maybe. You see....My awesome amazing super helpful mom was just here visiting and we were talking about different ways to make oatmeal cookies with and without cranberries, white chocolate chips, walnuts, etc and what we came up with was completely crazy long. But it was pure inspiration for changing up my "go to" pumpkin cupcake recipes. 

I have tried this recipe with several different boxed cake mixes and this recipe shortcut works every time and no one is the wiser that I have made this semi-homemade desert/treat/coffee accompaniment using a healthy vegetable. Applesauce is fun to do stuff with but sometimes it can get too watery and too sweet. Pumpkin adds moistness, depth, and vitamins like fiber, E, A, C, K, and iron. Helllo Pumpkin! That's a ton of vitamins :) 

The fun additions like chocolate chunks, unsweetened coconut flakes, and toasted walnut pieces just turn something mundane into extra special coffee house kind of lets-celebrate-life special. Trust me. I just anciently ate one while taking pictures for the blog because I couldn't stop myself. Lol. They are that good. 

Ingredients: 

1. Grab any boxed chocolate cake mix 
2. Read the list of ingredients on the back - most of them require 2-3 eggs, 1/4 cup of oil, and 1/2 or so of water.  You'll need all that stuff the box mix calls for. 
3. 1/2 can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 
(optional) 4. 3/4 cup of walnut pieces 
(optional) 5.  1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
6. 3/4 cup of semi sweet or dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips - not optional you want that extra chocolate burst  (use your favorite or whatever you have in your pantry) 
7. Chocolate frosting store bought or homemade

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to the temp on your box probably 350-400 degrees. 

2. Mix together the chocolate cake mix as directed on the back of the box. ONLY use 1 Tbs of the oil or butter and sub the rest with the 1/2 can of pumpkin puree. 

3. Line cupcake holders with liners and spray them with nonstick spray. 

4. If you are using walnuts, toast them in a nonstick pan for 3-5 minutes over medium heat on the stove until you can smell them. Cool them slightly for a couple minutes and stir them into the cake mix. 

5. Into the cupcake mix, add in the coconut flakes, if using

6. Pour the cupcake mix into the liners then add the chunks or chocolate chips. I just sprinkle a small handful into each section and most of them sink into different spots as they bake. If you are in a hurry, you can just add them to the mix with everything else but this just guarantees that every cupcake has a small handful and they aren't at the bottom of the cupcake. 

7. Bake as directed on the cake mix box. Most cake boxes give specific baking directions for each size of cake pan as well as cupcakes. I do overfill my liners though to create slightly bigger cupcakes so instead of making 24 small cupcakes - do 16 or 18 medium sized treats. 

8. Test the cupcakes using a cake tester or a toothpick. When they are done. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for a minute and then onto a cookie rack or plate. Once they are cool to the touch frost them with your fav chocolate frosting. 

Super delish. Actually a little Healthy. Super Easy. 
Enjoy and Stay warm. Enjoy fall. 
- Stephanie

Delicious Chocolate Beet Brownies

So about me......About 2 months ago I ventured from my normal shopping habits to start getting things from my local csa every week (a csa is a group of local farmers that combine to provide organic fresh veggies fruit eggs etc to people). I am pretty much a creature of habit so this was a big thing for me. 

Now that I am more comfortable with it, I do a custom order to fit whatever recipes I am making that week, and I am enjoying not dragging my toddler around the grocery store's produce section.

Which leads us to beets. One of the things I recently got in my csa order was beets. You know those very distinctive deep red veggies that kids and and husbands try to avoid. Never one to back away from a veggie challenge.... right away I began asking around on Facebook how to cook them so my family will eat them. 

The answer was brownies.

Super moist rich delicious chocolatey brownies.... I would've been skeptical....but truthfully I am always looking for sneaky ways to include veggies in my diet. 

So this didn't really catch me off guard. I had a good reason to be excited. 

Don't leave.

See. Look. They are amazing and dark rich brown colored. No red in sight... unless you spill it all over your kitchen floor because the blender wasn't as tight as you thought it was. 

Oh good... You're still reading. So I did the only logical thing. I brought them to a room of hungry people to eat with their coffee, and only told a couple of people that the brownies were healthy. Everyone who ate them said they were amazing.

Of course I kept it a secret from my own family. Lol I wanted them to eat it. Duh... all is fair in love and cooking when you are feeding your family healthy stuff.

So I highly recommend you try this immediately with some coffee or really cold milk and enjoy this little secret.

Here's the recipe: 

the original recipe is from Pinch & Swirl 

Ingredients: 
3 medium fresh beets scrubbed
2 sticks of unsalted butter
8 oz of your favorite good chocolate choppe or chips
1 1/4 cup of whole wheat white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs 
1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract 
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
store bought frosting or homemade (optional) 


Instructions: 

1. Peel the beats with a veggie peeler. 

2. Cook the beets in a saucepan or small pot with a small pot of water just covering the beets. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat and cook until the beats are tender. This took me about 35 minutes. 

3. While the beets are cooking, preheat the oven to 350 F, and coat a brownie pan, a square 9 x 9 with parchment paper and either nonstick spray or butter. Set it aside. 

4. While the beets are cooking, put the sticks of butter in a saucepan and melt them with the chocolate. Stir constantly! When the chocolate has melted remove it from heat and stir until smooth and set it aside. 

5. While the beets are cooking, in a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set it aside. 

6. Carefully use a slotted spoon and put the cooked beets in a blender. The original recipe called for using a food processor but I really wanted the vegetable as smooth as possible to fly under the radar. The food processor left tiny chunks. Add a bit of cooking water if needed to get the blender going. Use your best judgment on how much water to add it will be thick. 

7. In a mixing bowl or stand mixture, mix the eggs together with the vanilla and brown sugar for at least 2 minutes until light and airy. 

8. To the egg mixture add the beets and chocolate mixture slowly on a lower speed. Then add the flour mixture until just combined. 

9. Pour the brownie batter into the baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. 

10. When a knife or toothpick comes out clean the brownies are done. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack (with the parchment) and serve. I let mine cool overnight with a clean tea towel over the top and frosted it in the morning. 


Enjoy! 

Best Ever Frosted Chocolate Brownies - healthy or not

When life hands you lemons, you should make some frosted chocolate brownies.

Life has been beating me up a little bit, the kids are sick, we got stuck at the hospital for 30 hours with a feverish little guy, and another day we spent another few hours at a walk in clinic for pink eye with another little guy. Things have been busy, yada yada yada welcome to another school year filled with germs! (tiny bit of sarcasm there - I might need some more coffee). Then I found the best ever chocolate brownie recipe. Things are much better now. Chocolate and coffee makes things easier, right? right.

Originally I was going to try this recipe and bring the finished little frosted squares of heaven with me to share with friends - but that was before both kiddos got sick. Probably not a good idea to share food from a sick house so we are stuck with a huge pan of delicious brownies. Darn? I guess I should admit here that even though they were made yesterday, the once was full big pan of brownies is now a half of pan of brownies. The kids, husband, and I have devoured half. Thank goodness this rave worthy dessert is healthy! This delicious easy recipe has both melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and a healthy secret ingredient, that I am not telling my family at least for the next year or two. They'll have to read this blog to find it. (insert evil laugh).

Yep, I hide healthy stuff in my family's food supply. I am that kind of mom and wife. I just don't care what they think. They are going to eat spinach in their burgers, eggplant and zucchini in their pasta, occasionally some blanched broccoli or cauliflower in their mac and cheese, and perhaps veggies and other fibrous healthy eats in their desserts. Honestly most of the time they don't notice, don't care either, and/or are used to it.

1- 0 Mom vs. the sugar laden society around us

This delish dessert has quite a bit of brown sugar which I intend to eventually mess with but for now these wonderful frosted brownie squares are the best I have ever eaten.  Click on over to the recipe here and try them for yourself. I do encourage you to share since it makes a huge batch and you might end up eating a half of pan in 2 days like we have.... oops. Moderation yeah that kinda just fell out of the window with this one.

The only changes I made to the original recipe were adding 1/4 cup of water to the blender because I wanted to make sure to get it as smooth as possible, I used a store bought chocolate frosting for the top, and halved the amount of nuts because my hubby doesn't care for them - personal preference.

So make these and enjoy the best brownies ever... healthy or not. 

Stephanie

"Healthy" Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins (dairy free if you want, vegetable oil free, white sugar free, & soy free)

Happy St. Patricks Day! I have been pinched three times so far today. Yes due to the little babies growing I don't have a green shirt I can wear. I was thinking though... maybe if you don't have a green shirt or outfit you can be green in what you eat. Green as in healthy :)

Speaking of being being pregnant, I have been eating a bit healthier - yesterday's fries at Red Robin don't count right? Good ;) These delicious muffins with no white sugar, no brown sugar, no vegetable oil, no butter completely fit into my goal of healthier meals and snacks. Seems like I am wanting a snack every 3 hours which is a new thing to me. I am not a snacker. I was not snacker I should say. Have a chocolate snack with me! Your body will thank you. Due to eliminating caffeine I had to sadly eliminate the espresso powder from my muffins, but I suggest leaving it in - to really bring out the chocolate flavor. Trust me. Every time I make chocolate cake I use espresso powder. I haven't had great luck finding in stores so buying it online is usually easier and preferred. 

The 12 muffin recipe takes only about 30-45 minutes to create. 

Author of the recipe: She Bakes Here 

Note: You'll need a food processor or blender for this recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp espresso powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 ripe avocado pitted, and peeled

2/3 cup real 100% maple syrup

3/4 cup milk or almond milk (I used cows milk because thats what I had)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (on stove or microwave)

1 tsp pure extract

1/2-3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

 (I used soy-free, nut free, milk free, semi-sweet mini choc chips brand Enjoy Life) but regular choc chips work too... dark chocolate chips are awesome! 
(I have done this recipe a few times)

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Line your muffin pans with liners and use cooking spray if you want - I did. I have had too many things stick. 

3. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, with a mixer, or just a large spoon

4. Use a blender or food processor to blend the wet ingredients until its smooth like a sauce

5. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

6. Scoop (the batter is thick) a couple scoops into each muffin liner. 

7. Bake for 17-20 minutes. The tops will be cracked. Some turbinado sugar would a be a cute little addition (before baking) and would make the cracks look original.  

8. Let the muffins cool 12-15 minutes before serving. They crumble less when they are slightly cooled. 

Enjoy this great breakfast - make it now and have easy snacks and meals for the rest of the week... Happy green holiday! Be green and healthy and don't get pinched. 

Stephanie

Chocolate Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rich decadent fall cookies that are easy to whip up should be apart of everyone's October. I have a healthy pumpkin recipe on my blog already so I figured I should do something not healthy. Is there a word for that? Oh yeah chocolate. Thankfully pintrest was there to bail me out. I found this excellent recipe there, and changed a few things to emphasize that "pumpkin fall" taste, be a little tiny bit healthier by eliminating half of the oil, and to be sweet & chocolaty. 

Last night we had a few friends over to bbq burgers and watch half of Monday night football together. Sounded like the perfect time for cookies too. My son was so excited to help. Its fun making special food for friends. Heck its fun making special food for football. This is a equal opportunity kitchen serving chocolate on any holiday, event, or emotional whims. (And just incase I really sucked in fantasy football I could have a cookie to help me get over the pain). 

I heart Monday night football. Monday is different because we get to watch as a family (unlike Thursday). After my hubby's been in class gone most of the day its a less likely we'll argue because we miss each other. Truth. I love being married. He loves being married. Life, its just tough sometimes. We are going through stressful stuff just like everyone else. Things like work, medical stuff, college, trying to raise a kid up caring for others and not about material acquisitions and following the Bible, learning (with lots of errors) how to be honest, consistent, humble, loving to family members = all this life stuff requires good chocolate chip cookies. 

Chocolate Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Chocolaty fudge-like goodness. It is your next pumpkin treat. It is not one of those recipes that you add some token pumpkin flavor to, or a tsp of pumpkin puree because of the season or month. Pumpkin really is the star of the show in this cookie :)

Ingredients:

1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/4 cup of unsweetened cinnamon applesauce (used homemade)
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 cups of whole wheat white flour
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of allspice
1/4 tsp of cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of chocolate chips
half a bag of mms - I looked for the new pumpkin spice ones but ended up with dark chocolate

Directions:

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl or a bowl of a mixer cream the brown sugar, veg oil, and applesauce together until homogenous. 

Step 2: Add the pumpkin, egg, vanilla and cream it again. 

Step 3: Sift together the rest of the ingredients except 

chocolate chips and mms. 

Turns out having a dinosaur on the counter  really helps the baking process . 

Step 4: Add the sifted ingredients to the mixing bowl.  Stir slowly until combined. Will be very thick. 

Step 4: Stir the chocolate chips in by hand. Start preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Step 5: Using a spoon because this dough isn't exactly the hand rolling type form somewhat of a circle shape and drop them on a nonstick and sprayed with nonstick (just incase). Pat them down to flatten them just a little bit. They don't spread out and its easier to fit more mms on the top of something flat. 

Step 6: Press 4-6 mms into each cookie top. 

Step 7: Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 4-5 minutes (as they will continue cooking there) then remove for consumption or letting them rest on a cooling rack.  

Enjoy! 

From my kitchen to yours

Flourless Chocolate Crunch Cashew Cookies Or Not

So in my effort to stop eating white flour for awhile I was intrigued by the use of rolled oats in this cookie recipe. So while I am sharing a new cookie recipe with you, please note for my family this was not of of best or brightest cookie recipe. It tasted great, it was just too crumbly cookie. I completely prefer a cookie that isn't threatening to crumble to the ground every other bite. BUT this turned out to be a brilliant & fabulous chocolate granola for breakfast, brunch, to throw on top of some frozen yogurt, or to layer in a parfait using up summers best fruits & berries. So welcome to a new breakfast granola recipe or cookie recipe... either way I hope you enjoy the crunch. When I adapted the recipe I also cut the ingredients by more than half. Ever notice that most batches of cookies make over 2 dozen? Yeah that's not going to happen here. Ha! Like I need that many cookies in my house. Excess cookie dough.. so yummy. Cookie dough is actually wonderfully freezable, but usually after my spoon and other spoons have gotten some "taste testing in" there isn't too much leftover to freeze. Yes the batches that yield that much cookie dough are dangerous.

Chocolate Crunch Cashew Cookies (Or granola)

Adapted from:King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book

Made 10-12 cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, organic
1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats, ground up in a food processor or coffee grinder
1 cup of salted cashew pieces or coarsely chopped cashews


Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter, cooking spray, or use parchment paper
3. Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a large bowl. Then in the same large bowl, beat in the dry ingredients (ground oats, cashews).

4.  Drop the dough or roll them into circles and place them on the cookie sheet.
5. Use your fingers or a flat bottom drinking glass, press the cookies down pretty flat.
6. Bake the cookies - 12 - 14 minutes.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool right there on the pan for a good 5-10 minutes. They will firm up when they have cooled but they are so crunchy they might crunch part way into a few pieces on ya :)

Crunchy, chewy, rasin-y, nutty - there is all sorts of cookies. Chocolate is one of my favorites.
If you don't find this one to your liking, try it as homemade granola. Instead of using the dough to make round cookies... bake it flat for 12- 15 minutes and let it cool. Store in an air tight container. Eat for breakfast. Or just eat them all with lots of cold yummy white milk or as ice cream sandwiches.

Enjoy!
From my kitchen to yours!
Stephanie

White Sugar Free Double Chocolate Pumpkin Donuts

So Easter is coming.... Do you know what you are making to celebrate? You should make these. It took 30 minutes and was easy. Most of the time was hands off as they baked in the oven or cooled down in the freezer. Rushing I bet they can be done in 20 minutes. Look at these impressive things! 

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Donuts. Yes double chocolate  Yes this is how you want your day to begin with a cup of coffee. Right? :) 

The words "double chocolate" here are key. LOL probably because I couldn't make up my mind or I just wanted to be creative. Lets go with the creative excuse reason. Not only are there two kinds of chocolate going on in this easy healthy delight, chocolate is used two ways, inside and outside the donut. My pictures don't do this treat justice - they look like they were made in a bakery, not my kitchen, with my son running through playing with his light up bouncy ball. No white sugar added at all means you can eat them all spring or fall long!

 Confession: We don't really do donuts in our house. It has to be something super special or I tend to give my hubby a hard time about it. To give you an example... the last time I bought myself a donut it was the morning I graduated from college and got my bachelors degree. Yeah really special stuff. Mostly because (this might sound lame just warning you) well fried donuts from the store or local coffee place have a ton of calories and a lot of extra sugar. I don't like the way my mood and body changes when I eat junk like that. So that being said I got a little slack from my hubby when he saw these for breakfast but that didn't stop him from eating like 6 so I think its okay. I won't tell him that there was no white sugar in the recipe and I used good ingredients like whole wheat white flour, and homemade applesauce (with no sugar).

Click  here to see the original recipe, adapted from a wonderful blog about eating whole yummy foods.  Makes a dozen medium sized donuts

Easy Guilt Free Breakfast Below:

1/2 cup + 1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cocoa powder  * will increase this next time
heaping 1/8 cup of homemade applesauce with no sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup heaping canned pumpkin puree (didn't have any fresh)
1/8 cup 2 percent milk

1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbs 2% milk
1 Tbs half and half
1/2 of a Dark Chocolate bar 70% cocoa 4 or 6 squares


Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini muffin tray with non stick spray. 

2. In a medium bowl combine all the dry ingredients such as flour, salt, spices, cocoa powder and baking powder. 

3. In a small bowl combine all the wet ingredients such as egg, applesauce, pumpkin, milk, vanilla, and syrup. 

4. Combine the ingredients of the wet into the dry and stir until its smooth and homogeneous. 
(Or do it all in the same bowl like I did - didn't think it made that big of a difference) 

5.  Use a Tb to measure out one 1 Tb per muffin spot - these created large enough donuts to for several bites for each one. If you are serving a bunch of kiddos you could certainly do 1/2 a Tb for each and create more. The smaller ones would probably be easier to dip too. 

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Check with a toothpick. Bake for another minute if the toothpick doesn't come out clean. 

7. While they are baking heat a pot of water to boiling and put a glass bowl over it. In the glass bowl combine the milk, choc chips, and chocolate bar chopped into large pieces. Stir the chocolate as it melts. This takes a few minutes but results in glossy elegant chocolate dipping sauce. 

8. When the donuts are done baking roll them gently around in the chocolate sauce and set them on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper / wax paper. 

9. When all the donuts are coated in the yummy chocolate beautiful sauce.  Put them in the freezer to let them firm up for 10-15 minutes. I noticed any I left on the counter got melty on the outside which was yummy to lick off. Unlike me, avoid this problem by storing any extras in the fridge. 

Enjoy this sweet (healthy) chocolate pumpkin treat! 

(we'll just keep the healthy part a secret) 

From my kitchen to yours 

Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee Cookies

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope you had a good green holiday yesterday. This was the first year that we celebrated it with our 3 yr old. He wasn't too impressed. Hopefully after incorporating a bunch of "learning time" activities over the next few days about who St. Patrick was, and some geography will cement this whole Ireland/Irish holiday concept into his head as cool. At dinner, we had the typical Irish food minus the green coloring, although I was sorely tempted. It was the first time I ever made corned beef. It was very very yummy. Don't know why we wait until March to make it. Totally looking fwd to leftovers. The Irish beer bread was also delightful. Will share the recipe on a later date I promise. 

I have to tell you about the dessert we had. Okay so we had two desserts tonight. I wasn't planning on double desserts it just happened. The first dessert was some regular, plain jane, chocolate chip cookies. I whipped up the dough during nap time so my son could have some cookies after dinner. Then we shared the cookies with the neighbors to emphasize how St. Patrick shared God with the people in Ireland and we can share with people too. Not very green or St. Patrick's Day themed, but kids love cookies. It went over well with him and the neighbors. I was very proud of my son for sharing with others. 

Now The second dessert after our son went to sleep we had some "adult" chocolate chip cookies. This is the amazingly yummy part. These. Cookies. Were. Incredible. I had never had Irish whiskey before so when I saw a recipe incorporating it I was intrigued. I call them adult cookies because unlike cooking on the stove with wine I am not sure if the alcohol burns off in the oven. This super chocolate-ly inspiration came from a similarly tasty oatmeal raisin recipe at daydreamerdessserts.com. Check it out by clicking here. 

This is a MUST TRY. 

Here's what I used to make a half batch of cookies 

(since there is only two of us adults): 

3/4 cup of white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 oz unsalted, softened butter, organic if you have it
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar (will cut this down to 1/4 cup next time)
1 egg, room temperature
1 Tbs freshly brewed super strong coffee (instant coffee would be better)
1 cup old fashioned/rolled oats
1/2 cup choc chips, semi sweet
1/2 tsp cocoa powder (will increase this next time)
1/2 bar of white chocolate 2 oz, coarsely chopped
scant 1/2 of a bar (4 squares/ 1.5 oz)  of dark chocolate bar 70% cocoa, coarsely chopped
1 & 1/2 Tbs Jameson Whiskey

Directions

1. Mix flour, powdered cocoa, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. 
2. In another bowl, mix the sugar and butter until well combined. Then add in the coffee, the egg, and whiskey one at a time.
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until well blended by hand or using a mixer. Scrap the sides as needed. 
4. Stir the rolled oats, choc chunks, and choc chips into the mixture with a large spoon. 
5. Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hr. 
6. Once the dough feels firm to the touch, preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheet with silicone mat or wax/parchment paper. 
7. Bake the super yummy cookies for 8-10 minutes depending on size. Space them apart they do spread while cooking. 

Enjoy!!    

From my kitchen to yours :)