Coconut Chocolate Scones

It's snowing as I write this. It's not a blizzard, and it's not staying on the ground, but it is snowing. I'm partially excited because the air is fresh and it's snowing ever so lightly that it's more calming than chaotic white mess. But then again, it's snow, it's the beginning of 6 months of winter and two pairs of pants. At least we have baked goods to get us through. For some reason I think of scones as winter food. They're dense, sweet and need a cup of tea - all things I crave in a snack during the colder months. These scones are moist and slightly chocolatey and the perfect accompaniment to my day cozied up with a blanket and a book. 

Ingredients
Adapted from Hungry Girl

2 cups all-purpose white flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/2 shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, mix in the butter until the mixture is similar to sand, the butter being no larger than pea sized.
Stir in the coconut and chocolate chips and make a well in the centre. Pour the cream and vanilla into the well and gently combine, until a dough begins to form. On a floured surface, knead the dough (about 10 times) until the dough is well formed. Pat the dough into a large circle, approximately 1 1/2 inches thick - or your desired thickness. Cut into 8 large triangles and place on the baking sheet. Brush scones with milk and lightly dust with coconut. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned.

Chocolate Almond Cookies

The month of April was been insane. With what seemed like hundreds of school assignments, a fake humanitarian crisis, figuring out U.S. visa regulations, and preparing for a much needed vacation, there was a great need to bake but little time for it. So I came home one evening and just started making cookies because I could and I needed to. Cookies can be such a comfort. They take little time and effort to make and are always so satisfying. Given the stress of the week I also needed chocolate. Chocolate almond cookies were made, and they did just the trick. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup white all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop approximately one tablespoon of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, about 1.5 inches apart. Take a few sliced almonds and stick them into the top of the cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the bottoms are lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Coconut Brownies

I always think I don't like brownies. If I'm in a bakery or a cafe, no part of me is thinking about choosing a brownie. Even when I'm browsing through recipes I'm always like "Meh, brownies." But then for some reason I'll buy one or I'll make a batch and I'm like, "Ohh yea...brownies." So of course I had to make a coconut-ty version of them to satisfy all the needs. These brownies are still the perfect amount of chocolate with a slight hint of coconut. If you want to jazz them up even more you could add a hint of espresso powder or some coffee chips to give them a light mocha flavour.

Here's the recipe:

Adapted from the Pastry Affair

Ingredients 

4 tablespoons solid coconut oil
4 oz of semi sweet chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
3/4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x9 square pan with aluminum foil and light grease.

In a saucepan, melt together the coconut oil and chopped chocolate until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Once the chocolate has cooled slightly, mix in the egg, sugars and vanilla. Gentle stir in the flour, baking powder and salt making sure not to form an air bubbles. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the greased pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the shredded coconut on top until covered. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out (mostly) clean.

Homemade Almond Joy Bars

Sunday was one of those days where I woke up and immediately felt the need to make something. I get that feeling pretty regularly, but knowing I had a few other items to check off my to do list I got right to it - didn't even eat breakfast first! I've seen on a few of my favourite food blogs the creation of homemade versions of classic candy bars, and they always look ten times better than the plastic packaged original. As you know I am passionate about everything coconut, and though the closest Canadian equivalent is a Bounty bar, I decided to recreate our beloved American friend's Almond Joy Bar. These were so simple to make - even easier than marshmallows (which I know sounds hard but really isn't). If you're having a candy craving make your own! And everything is better fun sized so what's stopping you!? Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of salt

12 whole, roasted almonds

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a food processor, ground together the coconut, oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extract. It should form a thick and sticky mixture (if it holds together in a ball then you're good to go). On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, make approximately 12 rounded rectangles with the coconut mixture. Lightly press a whole almond on top and freeze for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips (30 second increments, stirring in between). Using toothpicks, dip your solid coconut pieces in the chocolate, doing your best to cover it completely. Allow to dry on the parchment before serving

Note: I chopped up some additional almonds and sprinkled it on top of the melted chocolate to make them a little prettier.

I could eat these forever. Once you try them it'll be real hard opening up the plastic wrapper and knowing you won't be nearly as satisfied with your processed bar of gunk. Bring on the homemade-fun-sized happiness!

(Adapted from this recipe)

Homemade Marshmallows

Every year when Mom and I do our Christmas baking, I like to try and make something new, that isn't a typical cookie, is a bit of a challenge but if done successfully, guaranteed delicious. Last year I chose marshmallows. I love marshmallows. I love the marshmallow candies that are shaped like bananas and strawberries, I love s'mores, I love Rice Krispee treats - give me all the marshmallows! So this year for my friend Amanda's christmas party (which became more of a snowed in affair) I made gourmet marshmallows once again to be paired with a big mug of hot chocolate! I consulted both Martha Stewart and my new favourite book, Butter Baked Goods, and the results couldn't have been better. With a few "dipping" variations, I give you the recipe for homemade marshmallows:

Ingredients

3 packets of unflavoured gelatin

1 cup water

2 cups white, granulated sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup (I used golden)

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of the water and sprinkle the gelatin on top, allowing to stand for approximately 10 minutes. In a medium sauce pan on high, add the sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup of water and salt. Stir together and bring to a boil. Let it boil for one minute and then remove from heat. Stir together the gelatin and water a few times and then slowly add the sugar mixture, pouring it down the sides of the bowl with the electric mixer on low speed. Once it all has been added, put the mixer on high and mix for 12 minutes. Line a 9x9 baking pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and prepare an additional piece to place on top. When you're done mixing, pour the marshmallow into the pan and spread evenly, placing your second square of greased plastic wrap on top. Let stand for 2 hours, or overnight.

When the marshmallow is firm, carefully remove by placing it upside down on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. With a sharp knife, cut the marshmallows into 1-inch squares. Depending on your tastes, you can either keep them plain and coat them with icing sugar, or you can coat some in toasted coconut. I also took some of the plain ones and dipped them in melted chocolate and either graham cracker crumbs (S'mores Mallow!) or candy cane pieces (Peppermint Mallow!). I can eat them just as they are or melt them away into a big cup of hot cocoa.

Rainbow Dipped Donuts

I've been seeing donut recipes pop up on Pinterest more and more lately and it just makes me feel more inspired to use my donut pan. It's only been used once before (on these chocolate beauties) and I figured it was about time it was dusted off. One of my favourite food bloggers, Joy the Baker, shared a fantastic recipe for a simple cake donut and it was exactly what I was looking for - Homer-simpson inspired, rainbow sprinkle donuts. These donuts are much lighter than my previous endeavour but they were still fantastic - the nuttiness from the browned butter is what makes these perfection. Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup white all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons salted butter

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly spray a donut pan with oil Stir together the flour, powder, soda and cinnamon and sugar. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter. Stir occasionally. It will slowly begin to crackle and then eventually begin to turn brown. As this happens very quickly, soon after it begins remove from the heat. In a bowl beat together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. When the butter has cooled, whisk in two tablespoons (including some brown bits) into the egg mixture. Gently add in the flour mixture until just mixed. Scoop (or pipe, whichever is easiest) the batter into the pan and back for 8-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the centre donut clean. Allow to cool.

To glaze mix together small amounts of powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and a dash of salt until your desired consistency - more milk for thin, more sugar for thick. Now you can add food colouring, a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder or leave it as is. Dunk the donuts into the glaze and sprinkle rainbow sprinkles over top!

Grab a drink for dunking, Instagram these beautiful creations, and enjoy!

Coconut Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

After finishing up the first week of school on Thursday, I was up and ready to let out some creative energy and stress with a mini bake-a-thon on Friday morning (very mini in that I only made two items, the second of which will be on the blog soon enough). Earlier in the week I saw a post over on Ambitious Kitchen for these amazing cookies that contained one of my favourite ingredients - did you guess it? - coconut. I love how the texture and taste of a simple chocolate chip cookie can change by swapping in and out a few different ingredients. These cookies are made dense with oats and shredded coconut, slightly sweet with brown sugar and ever so chocolatey with chocolate chips. The best part? No butter. Coconut oil comes to the rescue as a healthier fat and I'm now finding myself needing multiple jars for the many things I use it for - face wash, hair mask, baking, I can't believe I haven't mentioned my love for this oil yet. Anyways, I'm just blabbering on now so here's the recipe:

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup quick oats

1 1/4 cup all purpose white flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup melted coconut oil

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons milk (preferably dairy)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut oil and brown sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add in the egg, milk and vanilla, mixing on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add in the flour mixture until combined. Mix in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips. Spoon the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they just begin to brown along the edges. 

I'll be facing the battle of the books once again this week but will be much happier doing so with a cookie in hand! How could you seriously say no to a coconut chocolate chip cookie?

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Last Friday a few of us got together for my good friend Amanda's birthday to enjoy a night of guacamole, drinks and of course, cake. I can't imagine celebrating a birthday without cake, and even if it isn't in its traditional form there are so many cupcake and ice cream options! I decided to whip up one of my favourite chocolate cake recipes - this one by Ina Garten - and as much as I love chocolate on chocolate I always think it looks so pretty with white icing. I also attempted some decorations (A Beautiful Mess inspired) by melting some chocolate and piping it into Eiffel Towers (Amanda is a big France fan) and they looked great! Only problem was when it came to putting them on the cake they melted instantly and I lost all but four! Even those lonely four didn't make it very far, as soon as I stepped outside in the humidity their peaks collapsed - but lucky for me Eiffel Towers also look a lot like capital A's - win. I shaved some chocolate on the top and it looked just as nice. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two round cake pans and line with parchment, grease again and lightly dust with flour. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, power and salt. In a separate bowl beat together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. On low speed gradually add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until combined. Add in the coffee stirring just until mix and being sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Evenly pour the batter into each of the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a tooth pick comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least thirty minutes before removing from the pans. Place them on a rack until cooled all the way through.

For the icing, I used a really old recipe from my Nana's collection that is a simple buttercream - sugar, butter and heavy cream. Either of the recipes from Ina or a Beautiful Mess will work great! The cake was enjoyed by all and their were many exclamations of "This cake is so moist!!" - which is completely true. Happy Birthday Amanda!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

                Chocolate chip cookies are one of those classic homemade goodies that I think just about everyone has a nostalgic love for. Though I don't remember when I first tried baking them myself, I do have many memories of flipping through my Mom's and Nana's recipe collection for cookie recipes, whipping up the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag with my mom, and slicing up those rolls of Pillsbury cookie dough at sleepovers (and eating a whole lot more dough than actual cookies). Though the dough rolls are pretty darn good sometimes it can be hard to find a recipe that never fails - a recipe that can be deemed "the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever". In the mood to make cookies I was browsing through the Smitten Kitchen and found what she says is her favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe, so I obviously had to try it out for myself! With some minor adjustments I can definitely say that these cookies are a keeper. Crispy edges, soft inside and just the right amount of sweetness make these milk's perfect partner.

Ingredients 

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick of cold, salted butter

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 300 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream together the sugars and the butter. Beat in the egg, vanilla and baking soda until smooth. Whisk or sift the flour and then mix into the batter. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop small balls of dough onto the baking sheet (appx. 8-10 per run) and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool.

I made these bite-sized because I love just popping one in my mouth when my sweet tooth is around! I can't wait to make these again in the fall - sometimes theres nothing better on a cool day than a small snack of warm chocolate chip cookies, enjoy!

Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies

A couple weekends ago, we spent my friend Amanda's bachelorette weekend up at the cottage relaxing, laughing, and stuffing our faces. We managed to eat half a watermelon in less than a day, a whole lot of chips and of course some (necessary) baked goods. Amanda had mentioned on her own blog that she didn't think there were any recipes that could beat out the fudgey brownie box mixes - I accepted the challenge! I looked through my pins and favourite food blogs and decided on a recipe deemed "the best peanut butter brownies you'll ever have" on A Cup of Jo. She was not kidding. These brownies are dense, rich, fudgey, and of course chocolatey - everything you want in a brownie. All the girls loved them and we were sneaking slivers out of the fridge until they were gone (which didn't take very long). If you need something for a girls night, a family night, a games night or you just want some chocolate - make these, you will not be disappointed.

Chocolate Brownies

6 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate

3/4 cup salted butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp of brewed coffee, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 cup white flour

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9x9 square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with oil. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan over a pot of boiling water, stirring continuously until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in the white and brown sugar. Mix in the coffee and vanilla. Beat in the eggs. Gradually add in the flour just until it is combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out (mostly) clean and let them cool.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 

(not natural)

1/4 cup salted butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Beat together the peanut butter and butter until combined. Add in the vanilla and icing sugar and beat until smooth. When the brownies have cooled frost and sprinkle with chocolate. Store in the refrigerator for 4 days.

If you haven't figured it out yet, these brownies definitely came out as victors in the boxed-brownie-mix challenge. They were a great post-dinner, pre-board games treat that made our bachelorette weekend extra special. These brownies are best straight from the fridge and washed down with the drink of your choice - either milk, or some red wine perhaps?

Honey and Oat Chocolate Chip Coookies

If there is one thing to get me in the baking mood it's a thunderstorm. With grey skies, cool winds and rain drizzling outside there were few things left I could do (or even wanted to do) with a day off. After completing some chores I felt a real urge to make cookies - something classically comforting. Another recipe, aside from banana bread (as mentioned in this post), that I nailed in my high school days was oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They're chewy, sweet, dense and just plain good. Since I was also feeling creative I decided to experiment a little bit and make some adjustments to the classic recipe I had grown to love. After swapping in and out a few ingredients I came up with a recipe that out did my previous one with the simple addition of honey. Honey never fails people, honey never fails.

 Ingredients

1 cup white flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1/4 cup full fat greek yogurt

1 cup brown sugar

5 tbsp honey

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift together the flours, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the oats until combined. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, greek yogurt, brown sugar and honey on medium speed. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add in the flour mixture until the dough is well mixed and finally stir in the chocolate chips until well combined. Put tablespoons of the dough on a baking sheet, approximately 1 inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
Makes approximately 3 dozen.

These are definitely milk dunking cookies. Whether you're drinking whole milk, soy milk or almond milk get on dunking because these cookies deserve it! Baking these cookies made my rainy day off much better and when paired with a good book (I'm currently reading this one) the goodness grows!

Tip: Why not also try a combo made in heaven (peanut butter and honey!) by swapping out the chocolate for some peanut butter chips, sounds perfect right?

Chocolate Brownie Donuts: Three Ways to Glaze

     I've always been a foodie at heart. I remember asking for a blender for my twelfth birthday and the excitement that followed opening it, as well as my beloved Kitchen Aid mixer for graduation and a few other kitchen accessories in between, so it should be of no surprise that on my most recent birthday I received a donut pan. I've seen a few recipes on Pinterest for homemade donuts, and was definitely intrigued after trying out a few in some gourmet donut shops, so this week I put my donut pan to good use and made some of my own.

    Looking through various donut recipes I wasn't sure about the type of donut I wanted to make or how difficult they could be. Assuming (correctly, I might add) that anything chocolate would be  delicious I decided to try out this recipe for Chocolate Brownie Donuts. I am without words. My first attempt at donuts was beyond what my taste buds could handle - in a good way - and was welcomed with high praise from my family (and also exclamations of "why did you cut the recipe in half!?" but twelve donuts just seemed like a lot at the time!). I did try out a peanut butter glaze as the recipe suggested however I felt like experimenting so I added two other kinds into the mix - chocolate coconut and white chocolate peppermint - which brings us back to the title, chocolate brownie donuts: three ways to glaze.

Peanut Butter Glaze: 2-4 donuts

1/2 cup icing sugar, 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter, 

2 tbsp 2% milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk all the ingredients together and depending on your preferred consistency add more icing sugar, peanut butter, or milk. Dip the cooled donuts in and sprinkle with chopped nuts (I used almonds - mild in flavour but still with a good amount of crunch). 

Chocolate Coconut Glaze: 2-4 donuts

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 2 tbsp coconut oil, 

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Melt together the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave, stirring frequently. Add more chocolate or oil, as before, depending on your preferred consistency. Dunk in the cooled donuts and sprinkle with the toasted coconut until well coated.

White Chocolate Peppermint Glaze: 2-4 donuts

1/2 cup white chocolate chips, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Melt together the white chocolate chips, vegetable oil and peppermint in the microwave, stirring frequently. Add more chocolate or oil, again, depending on your preferred consistency. Dip in cooled donuts and sprinkle with chopped chocolate pieces or crushed peppermint candies.

Surprise, surprise, the coconut was the favourite donut but that's not to say the peanut butter or white chocolate peppermint weren't equally delicious. These donuts are going into my hall of fame of baked goods for pure decadence. They are best served with a cold glass of milk, but I enjoyed them with what else but a hot cup of tea - and I dare you not to finish them all in one day!

Tip: When filling the donut pan, I found it easiest to fill a ziplock bag with the batter, cut the tip off and pipe them in to ensure they were filled evenly. You could also skip the sprinkling of nuts on the Peanut Butter Glaze by using crunchy peanut butter instead!

Chocolate Brownie Cakes

The past couple weeks have been very chaotic and so a baking/blogging break was needed as I try and get into a rhythm of working two jobs, keeping up with hobbies and maintaining some form of a social life. I've also been trying to find recipes that aren't super indulgent but are a little on the healthier side. I saw this recipe for Whole Wheat Brownies on Martha Stewart's Pinterest boards a few weeks ago and decided to give it a go. Given that there is still a decent amount of butter and sugar in these, they are in no way a healthy snack. However, compared to the brownie recipes I've tried before, there are fewer eggs, and less butter and sugar overall - I will definitely use the reasoning "but they have whole wheat flour!" to deem them slightly nutritious. All this being said, they are not your typical dense, fudgey brownie, and lean a little towards the cakey side, while still give you that much needed chocolate fix!

Ingredients 

3/4 stick salted butter (6 tbsp)

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

8 ounces semisweet chocolate

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch square pan and line it with parchment paper. In a bowl mix together the flours, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. In a second bowl combine the sugar, applesauce and egg. Melt together 6 ounces of chocolate and the butter (either in the microwave or using a double-boiler). Combine the chocolate with the sugar mixture. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Pour into the pan and sprinkle the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate on top - I actually used some milk chocolate chips instead. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

These are perfect with a glass of milk and could be made even better with some peanut butter chips or walnuts sprinkled in!

Rocky Road Cookies

Since being out of school and on a job hunt, the past two months have allowed me to try my hand at new hobbies and put more effort into old ones. This blog has been a window into one of them - baking, cooking, eating (is that a hobby?) - and based on the feedback I've gotten from some Facebook pictures, a few people have noticed the increased amount of time I've spent on this hobby. I was talking to a friend the other day and he asked why I haven't been baking as much - a simple observation based on my lack of picture uploads. I assured him I have and promised to bake something in his honor this week. His only request that it be shark shaped. These cookies are clearly not shark shaped, not even really shark inspired. I originally had bought a few ingredients to try a new biscotti recipe - I was thinking it was similar to a shark shape and could justify it - but that recipe was a bust. They just didn't turn out nearly as well as I would have liked. After a quick search on Pinterest I decided to make rocky road cookies adapted from this recipe - such a yummy treat that definitely made up for my biscotti fail.

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup mini marshmallows

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips with the butter (I did this for 30-45 seconds in the microwave). With an electric mixer on low speed, combine the melted chocolate, sugar, egg and vanilla. Gradually add in the flour mixture.  Using a rubber spatula mix in the pecans, marshmallows and dark chocolate chips. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops began to crack. Get a cup of tea or glass of milk and cozy on up with these chocolatey goodies!

Makes 1 dozen cookies.

Note: Be careful with the marshmallows, if they are near the sides or bottom of the cookies before baking, they can ooze out and become a burnt, sugary mess. Also, feel free to use other types of chocolate chips or nuts - maybe swapping them for broken up graham crackers (apparently I'm really into making things S'mores flavoured re: this post)!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut Frosting

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday (Happy Birthday Mom!). After just coming home from a last minute vacation, there wasn't much time to pick up a birthday gift. That being said I am all about anything homemade. It adds a personal touch that can't be store bought, and more often than not is much more delicious. So as my Mom was out for the morning, I did my best to make a tasty birthday treat with what was in our cupboards. I didn't have time to run out and pick up other ingredients if I wanted the treat to be complete and all cleaned up by the time she got home, so I browsed through various recipes that included chocolate and coconut. The result was combining a couple different ones to create chocolate cupcakes with a toasted coconut frosting. I followed this recipe for the chocolate cake,  however I divided it in half and split it into a dozen cupcakes - sometimes an entire cake can be a little overwhelming to eat.

Ingredients 

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 

1 cup sugar, heaping

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cups. In a small bowl dissolve the cocoa powder in the boiling water, and add the vanilla when cooled. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time until well combined. In a separate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients. With your mixer on low, gradually add the cocoa mixture and flour mixture to the butter, eggs and sugar. Mix until everything is blended. Evenly distribute the cake mixture into the 12 muffin cups and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before icing.

For the frosting I used this recipe. It is more similar to marshmallow fluff than buttercream but I found it to be the perfect topping - not too sweet or heavy. Though next time to add more coconut flavour, I would substitute the vanilla extract with coconut. I toasted half a bag of sweetened, shredded coconut, and after icing the cupcakes, sprinkled it on and shook off any excess. The result couldn't have been better! After a nice dinner at home, these moist, chocolatey with just a hint of coconut cupcakes were a great alternative to any store-bought birthday cake.

If you're not a fan of coconut, try sprinkling graham cracker crumbs on top instead of coconut for a s'mores flavoured cupcake!

Just A Few Cookies

If there is one thing I am for sure, it is a homebody. My idea of a perfect night is one where I'm cozied up in a blanket, watching a movie and munching a delicious baked good - even better if it's hot out of the oven. Simliar to my previous post, it's much nicer if I can make these treats one-person sized and so when my friend Amanda suggested this recipe, my nights were changed forever! Of all the baked goods out there, nothing beats a warm chocolate chip cookie, especially when paired with a cold glass of milk. This recipe was perfect.

Now, as usual I have my own little notes. This recipe claims to make two cookies however I found that it made three quite large ones. I can understand the difficulty in figuring out a recipe for just a couple cookies, however being a person that prefers them in bite sized form, I would say this recipe makes enough cookies to be shared with a friend or two. My cookies also didn't turn out at all like the picture in the recipe, and not to toot my own horn, but I think they turned out better! I did not do the requested instruction of "deflating" the cookie, I thought they looked perfect coming out of my (cooler at 325 F and longer timed at 10 minutes) oven and left them be. These cookies were exactly what I needed for my cozy night in.

Dark Chocolate Toasted Pecan Ice Cream

It may be negative degrees Celsius outside, but what better way to celebrate the new year than with some homemade ice cream. Having been gifted an ice cream maker for Christmas I was very excited to test it out and see what kind of creamy concoctions I could come up with. For my first ice cream making endeavour, I followed this recipe for dark chocolate ice cream, and decided to make it a little more my own by adding in some toasted pecans.


To toast the pecans, simply heat your oven to 350, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread out the chopped pecans and pop into the oven for no more than five minutes.

The ice cream batter alone was delicious but after a good 25 minutes of churning (adding in the pecans in the last couple minutes) it was even better. Thick, creamy, and not too rich - it's going to take everything in me not to finish it this afternoon. The recipe made about the equivalent amount of ice cream as what comes in a Ben & Jerry's container. Scoop it out into some pretty dishes, top with left over pecans and some shaved dark chocolate and you've got yourself a happy new year!