Giant Double Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are amazing! I have made several variations subbing chocolate chips for andes mints, reeces peanut butter cups (chopped) with peanut butter chips, or white chocolate chunks with macadamias. They were all delicious!





Yield: 12 very large cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1¼ cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup dark cocoa powder (I use dutch-process cocoa. If you use basic, natural, unsweetened cocoa (Hershey's in the brown can), then I recommend using a heaping 1/4 tsp baking soda added to the dry ingredients).

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2-3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like to use 2 sizes, the mini and the regular. My favorite brand is Guittard or if I can't find those then the Ghirardelli chips).

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

3. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.

4. Mix in the cocoa powder until well blended.

5. Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

6. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. The dough will be very thick!

7. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly by hand to be sure the ingredients are well combined. I knead mine in the bowl, and it works out just fine.

8. Divide the dough into 4 ounce portions (or divide into 12 equal pieces).

9. Roll each portion of dough into a ball and flatten just slightly into a disc. Place on the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart. They are so large that they reminded me more of hamburger patties on a baking sheet than of cookies!

10. Bake 15-18 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy with some milk.  Mmmm!

Giant Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let me introduce you to my new very favorite cookie. Here is the close second.
I like my cookies a bit crunchy with a golden crust and the middle super soft, but not doughy.

I like to make these HUGE. But you can divide the dough however you like...if you don't eat it all first. :)

Yield: 12 very large cookies

Ingredients

2 sticks butter – cold and cut into cubes (DON"T soften or melt it!)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cups light brown sugar

3/4 cups dark brown sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour (you may need slightly less or more)

1 & 1/2  tsp salt (I prefer sea salt!)

2 tsp cornstartch

1 & 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2-3 cups chocolate chips – My favorite is to use half regular semi-sweet chips (My favorite are Guittard, but Ghirardelli's are good too), and half mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

1  1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (to me these are NOT optional and best when toasted prior to baking)

*Optional – 1/2 block of semi-sweet or dark chocolate (not unsweetened baker’s chocolate) for grating.

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 385-390 degrees F

2.  In a large bowl/mixer bowl, cream together cubed butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy.

3.  Add eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.

4. Add flour, salt, cornstartch, baking powder, baking soda & salt to butter, sugar and egg mixture until just combined.   This should be a very thick mixture, and not sticky.  If your dough is still sticky, try adding more flour, 1/8-1/4 cup at a time.

5.  Add in chocolate chips and nuts.   If you are using a block of chocolate, you will want to grate it and add it in as well.

(You can even use a chocolate candy bar for this part.   The grated chocolate just adds a hint more chocolate in every bite.)

6.  Combine the dough and chocolate chips.   My dough was so thick that I had to do this by hand, a bit like kneading bread.

7.  Divide into portions to bake. Work the dough into balls (this recipe will make 12-18 depending on how big you want them. I like to make 12.)  Put them on the cookie sheet, leaving ample room between them.  Do not flatten the dough out at all.   Don't grease the cookie sheets.  I prefer my airbake sheet for these...even over my silpats.

8.  Put into the oven to bake.  Each sheet took approximately 8-10 minutes (larger cookies will obviously take a few more minutes).  Watch them closely and don’t over bake, or you will ruin the gooey wonderfulness inside.  I pull mine out as soon as I saw them start to lightly brown (they cook a bit more while they cool on the sheet).

9. Let cool and remove from pan.

10. Break one open and eat.  Squeal with joy after tasting.  Figure out who to give them to or where to hide them so that you don’t eat the entire batch in one sitting!

*Just to show how big end up:

Favorite Dessert Pizza

I love this crust for just about any dessert pizza.  I made the fruit version tonight.  For a candy bar or chocolate...use the chocolate frosting, and for the fruit...use the cream cheese frosting.

Cookie Crust

1 ½ sticks softened butter
¾ cups white sugar
¾ cups brown sugar
Cream together until fluffy

Add
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Mix together until color lightens

Add
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup mini chocolate chips
Stir until flour is incorporated

Spread into a greased jelly roll pan, or lipped pizza pan
Bake at F350°, 10-12 minutes until edges just begin to brown
Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes
Prepare sauce

Candy bar pizza:

Frosting/Sauce:
2 cups, or ½ bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup peanut butter
Melt, and stir until smooth
Spread evenly over cookie crust
Top with candy bars
Let cool
Topping Ideas:
1 pound bag of M&M's, holiday colors are always appropriate
4-8 of your favorite candy bars
(Twix, Payday, Reeses, Snickers, Rolo's, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, Kit Kat, Nestle Crunch)
Crush, cut and mash into tiny pieces
Mix together in a bowl, set aside

Fruit Pizza:

Cream Cheese Frosting/Sauce:

Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but it means you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with 5 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring. Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste.

Topping Ideas:
Fresh blueberries, banana slices, mandarin orange sections, seedless grapes, strawberry halves, kiwifruit (or any other fruits)!

SUPER Moist Chocolate Cake!

I found this recipe here.  This chocolate cake was probably on my top 3 favorite chocolate cakes I have ever made...amazing!

Ingredients:

1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 package Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a VERY large bowl (4 qt), mix together everything except chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into cake pan of choice (I normally use two 9-inch pie pans). For cooking time, I use the cooking times on the back of the devil’s food cake box as a guide and usually add 10 mins to whatever it says. Then I do the toothpick check, and if it’s not done, I check on it every 5 mins after that. :) It usually takes around 45 mins for two, 9-inch pie pans.

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup shortening (crisco)
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce

I made these for Riley for his birthday dessert. SOOOO good. I added fresh raspberries to ours, and of course we used some Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. Mine fell a little, but were yummy anyway! A great picture of what the final product is supposed to look like:

Original recipe with more hints and instruction by David Lebovitz found over at Oui Chef.

Pate a Choux

Ingredients:

1 cup water


3 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes


1/4 teaspoon kosher salt


2 teaspoons sugar


1 cup flour


4 large eggs

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 425℉
• In a saucepan, heat the water, butter, salt, and sugar.
• When the butter is melted and the mixture just begins to boil, add the flour all at once and stir continuously until it forms a smooth mass and comes away from the sides.
• Remove from heat and either by hand or preferably with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the 4 eggs one at a time until the batter is stiff and shiny.
• Place the dough into a pastry bag with a large plain tip, and pipe the pâte à choux in ping-pong sized balls onto parchment or silpat-lined baking sheets (or drop by spoonfuls) and place in oven. Turn the oven down to 375℉.
• Bake the puffs for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and up the sides. (If they are not fully cooked, they will collapse. They should feel light and hollow when you pick them up). Remove them from the oven, turn the oven off, and poke each puff on the side with a knife to release any steam, which can make them soggy. Return the puffs to the oven for 5 minutes to dry.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
• These can be stored at room temperature for several hours, or frozen and then later defrosted, and warmed in a 350℉ oven for a few minutes.

Chocolate Sauce:

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup water


1/2 cup sugar


1/2 cup light corn syrup


3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)


2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Method:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the water, sugar, corn syrup, and cocoa powder.
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once it's just begun to simmer and boil, remove from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted.

That's it!


You can let the Chocolate Sauce stand for a few hours before serving, which will give it time to thicken a bit, and store the chocolate sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Rewarm before serving.

Incredible Mint Chocolate Brownies!!

{these brownies are to die for!!...from a ward cookbook i had lying around...riley says they are the best brownies he's ever had! ENJOY!!}

Brownie:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 (16 oz) can chocolate flavored syrup
1 cup sugar

Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake @ 350° for 25-30 minutes. Top of brownies will appear wet. Cool completely.

Combine the following filling ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 T water
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
3 drops green food coloring

Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until set.

Topping:
1 (10 oz) package mint chips (or Andes mint chips will work great too...i couldn't find mint chips)
1 T butter

Melt mint chips and butter over low heat in small sauce pan. (You can use 1 bag of chocolate chips & 1 and 1/2 t peppermint extract as well if you can't find either kind of chips mentioned above.) Let cool 30 minutes or until lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Spread over filling. Chill before cutting. Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Cake with Turtle filling

YUM!! I just made this last night...everyone LOVED it!! One of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had!!

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup cocoa
2 1/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (use pero instead)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened orange juice
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups canola oil or vegetable oil

STREUSAL FILLING:
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup coconut (optional)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Set oven to 350 degrees.
Set rack to second-lowest position.

Generously grease and flour a bundt pan (I use my Pan Release for this, make certain to well-grease your pan!).

If using the streusel, mix all streusel ingredients;set aside.

In an extra large mixing bowl, dump ALL cake ingredients; mix well until combined on medium speed of an electric mixer for about 3 minutes.

If layering with streusel, pour half of the cake batter into prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle the streusel mix evenly over batter. Top with remaining cake batter.

Bake for 45-60 minutes (may take a little longer to bake if making the cake with the streusel filling).

Cool in pan for about 15-20 minutes before removing.

Frost or glaze if desired when completely cooled.

Delicious and moist!

Hot Cocoa Mix

This recipe is very adaptable to your own tastes and preferences, but here's my interpretation. This makes 8 pint jars with a little left over. Great for Christmas gifts, especially alongside homemade marshmallows.

10 cups powdered milk
6 cups powdered sugar
2 cups cocoa powder
2 cups non-dairy creamer (I used french vanilla flavor)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix this all up in a very large bowl. Spoon into jars to store or give to friends. To use: mix 3-4 heaping tablespoons with 1 cup hot water. Top with a marshmallow or two. :)

Variations:

Try different flavors of creamer. Next on my list is hazelnut.
Use dark cocoa instead of regular or mix the two
Add a little ginger or use pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon
Add a tiny bit of cayenne pepper

Mix in your choice:

mini chocolate chips
mini marshmallows
crushed candy canes
chopped andes mints
finely chopped reeses peanut butter cups
finely chopped junior mints or peppermint patties
finely chopped snickers or other yummy candy bar

Enjoy!!

Easy (and so YUMMY) Double Chocolate Cookies

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 C. oil
1 bag chocolate chips

Mix ingredients together and drop in spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes...I let them sit on the cookie sheet after I take them out for an additional 2-3 minutes....then cool them on parchment or wax paper.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 C. oil
Approx. 24 Andes Mints

Mix first three ingredients together and drop in spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes.
Remove from oven and lightly pat each cookie with the back of a spatula to flatten cookies. Immediately after removing from oven, place an Andes Mint on the top of each cookie. After it starts to melt, take a spoon and gently move the Andes Mint around on each cookie until it is completely smeared over the top of the cookie. Allow to cool completely before serving or eat IMMEDIATELY for a deliciously RICH warm cookie.

Chocolate Swirl Dessert

(this dessert is from the most recent issue of Simple and Delicious magazine)

1 package (13 ounces) Swiss cake rolls
2-3/4 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
2 cups whipped topping

Cut each cake roll into eight slices; set aside any chocolate coating that separates from rolls for garnish. Line a 9-in. springform pan with cake slices, completely covering the bottom and sides. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Pour over cake. Spread with whipped topping; sprinkle with any reserved chocolate coating. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 12 servings.

Mom Gibson's no bake cookies--turn out great!

Mom Gibson’s no-bake cookies

2 c. sugar ¼ c. cocoa
½ c. milk ½ c. butter

Mix. Boil 1 ½ minutes. Remove from heat. Add: ½ c. peanut butter. Stir until blended.
Add:1 tsp. vanilla. Mix. Add: 3 c. oatmeal. Mix well. Drop on wax paper.

High Hat Cupcakes

This is a yummy cupcake recipe from Martha...(picture is in blog title)
Ingredients

Makes 12 cupcakes

FOR THE BATTER
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

FOR THE FROSTING
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE COATING
2 cups chopped (about 12 ounces) semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Prepare the batter: Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, and set it over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. On low speed, mix in melted chocolate. Increase speed to medium, and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat until mixture is creamy and color has lightened slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream. On low speed, add half of reserved flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup water. Add remaining flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated.
Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Fill each liner with enough batter to come 1/8 inch from top, about 1/3 cup. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Use a small knife to loosen any tops stuck to the pan. Carefully invert cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn cupcakes right side up, and let cool completely.
Prepare the frosting: In a large heatproof bowl, combine sugar, 1/4 cup water, egg whites, and cream of tartar. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat on high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks, about 12 minutes; frosting should register 160 degrees.on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and almond extracts, and beat for 2 minutes more until frosting thickens.
Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain pastry tip. Leaving a 1/8-inch border on each cupcake, pipe a spiral of frosting into a 2-inch-high cone shape, using about 1/2 cup of frosting per cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet, and refrigerate while preparing the chocolate coating.
Prepare the chocolate coating: Combine chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and let cool about 15 minutes.
Holding each cupcake by its bottom, dip cupcake in the chocolate to coat frosting, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Spoon more coating around edge of cupcake and any exposed frosting; none of the frosting should show. Let cupcakes stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
Carefully remove paper liners from cupcakes, and discard. Place cupcakes on a serving platter, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let coating set. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours more. Serve cold. Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.