chocolate

X-Tra Large Chocolate Chip Cookie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: X-tra Large Chocolate Chip Cookie! Here’s to the Cookie Monster in all of us. If you live your life on a grande scale, this recipe will easily become a family favorite. My husband said, “It’s like indulging in a giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup!”  I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun with a cookie recipe. By baking the dough in an iron skillet, the edges got a little crispy while the center stayed super-chewy. If you didn’t know better, you’d think this came straight from the neighborhood bakery. Fill up a glass of milk and indulge yourself. 

X-TRA LARGE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt crystals 

10 tablespoons butter, softened 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1 tablespoon semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9″ iron skillet with two tablespoons butter. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside. Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla to blend. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Mix to combine. Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips. Press the cookie dough into the prepared iron skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a golden color and edges are crisp. Check with a toothpick to be sure the cookie is cooked through in the center. Remove from oven. Let cool 10 minutes; loosen edges. Turn onto a round pizza pan. Reinvert back onto a platter, slice, and serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. 

Unrivaled Chocolate Caramel Treats

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Unrivaled Chocolate Caramel Treats! Do you get weak in the knees over chocolate? You may be tempted once you taste this salty sweet confection. One little piece will have you rolling your eyes in delirium. The crust keeps this bar crunchy, kinda like a shortbread cookie. And the sea salt crystals form a balance that is unrivaled! This recipe has a few shortcuts, so it can be thrown together in a matter of minutes. No baking is required. Don’t hate me!

UNRIVALED CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TREATS

Ingredients:

Club crackers, whole

1 cup crushed Club crackers

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut, flaked

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

16-ounce can of Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt crystals

Instructions:

Put one layer of whole Club crackers on the bottom of a 7″X11″ pan. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, coconut, milk, and melted butter. Boil ingredients for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let cool. Form a layer of caramel mixture over crackers. Put another layer of Club crackers on top. Frost with canned frosting, sprinkle with pecans and sea salt crystals. Store in the refrigerator. 

Raspberry Pots de Crème

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Raspberry Pots de Crème! A taste of France is knocking on the door, and it arrives at your table in a little porcelain dish. The rich dark chocolate, with a hint of liqueur, satisfies that sweet craving at the end of a meal. Top off each pot de crème with luscious whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and a mint sprig for an extraordinary dessert that is sure to please. 

RASPBERRY POTS DE CRÈME

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, room temperature 

4 tablespoons sugar

Pinch sea salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

4 tablespoons bourbon whiskey or preferred liqueur 

1 1/3 cups half and half

1 pint raspberries, fresh

1/4 cup raspberry jam

Whipped cream

Mint sprigs

Instructions:

In a blender combine eggs, sugar, salt, chocolate chips, and bourbon whiskey. Blend to break up chocolate. In a small saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Do not scorch. Pour milk into blender while it is running. Blend 1 minute to cook eggs and dissolve chocolate. Immediately pour into small coffee cups or porcelain ramekins. Refrigerate 3-4 hours until firm. Warm the raspberry jam for 20 seconds in the microwave oven. Add fresh raspberries to make a sauce. To serve, place a dollop of whipped cream over the chocolate. Spoon raspberry sauce over whipped cream. Garnish with fresh mint sprig.

Nonpareil Thumbprint Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Nonpareil Thumbprint Cookies! Ask my husband what his favorite candy is and without hesitation, he’ll respond “Nonpareils”. Think about it… dark chocolate buttons sprinkled with tiny beads of white candy. And they’re French! With today’s recipe, the nonpareil takes center stage crowned over a dark chocolate thumbprint cookie as rich as a brownie. Dusted in powdered sugar, it’s just the right size for nibbling. 

NONPAREIL THUMBPRINT COOKIES 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

 1 cup butter, softened 

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar for rolling

40 nonpareils

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, add yolks, cream, and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture just until combined. Roll balls using 1/2 tablespoon sized scoops of dough. Roll each ball in powdered sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Press gently in the center to form an indentation. Bake 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven. While cookies are warm, place one nonpareil in the middle of each cookie. Let cool before transferring to wire rack. 

Toffee Coffee Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Toffee Coffee Cookies. Thank goodness toffee bits are now available in the baking department of the supermarket. They are right next to the chocolate chip morsels you also need for this unbelievable cookie recipe. I’m going out on a limb here to say that toffee is the star attraction. (Just in case you happen to toss a handful in your mouth as you’re baking. You’ll see.) The caramelized sweetness balances well with the buttery profile of the nutty crunch. The espresso and chocolate melt smoothly as the toffee breaks apart into roasted granules. This recipe makes a small batch, so you may want to double it if you think they’ll disappear before you get a taste. Just saying. 

TOFFEE COFFEE COOKIES 

Ingredients: 

1 cup flour 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

4 teaspoons instant espresso powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons warm tap water 

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

1 egg 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 cup toffee bits 

Sugar, for dusting

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, for garnish

Flaky sea salt sprinkles, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk espresso powder and warm water until the espresso powder has dissolved. Add sugar and melted butter; whisk until combined. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Fold in toffee bits. Divide cookie dough into 24 portions (1 tablespoon each) and roll into balls. Place 12 balls evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Using the bottom of a greased drinking glass, flatten dough balls slightly. Bake cookies until the edges are set, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While cooling, place the sugar in a shallow dish. Dust the bottom only of each cookie. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips on top as a garnish. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with second batch of cookie dough. 

Ohio Buckeye Candy

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Ohio Buckeye Candy. In case you’re not familiar with an Ohio Buckeye, it’s a shiny, dark brown seed from one of their native trees. It features a light brown “eye” which resembles the eye of a deer. Although the actual seeds from the tree are poisonous to humans when eaten raw, this bakery version is all about permission granted. The homemade candy became super popular back in the 1960s. Like most iconic treats, it was created by accident when a woman didn’t get the confection completely covered in chocolate. Oops. Thanks to her, now anyone can sweeten their day. 

OHIO BUCKEYE CANDY 

Ingredients: 

1 cup butter, room temperature 

1 cup creamy peanut butter 

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

12 ounces special dark chocolate chips 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions: 

In a mixing bowl, use electric beaters to cream together the butter and peanut butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar until you get a smooth consistency. Add the vanilla extract and mix completely. Scoop 4-5 dozen small peanut butter mounds, rolled into balls, onto a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for one hour. Once cold, they are ready for dipping. Meanwhile, pour the chocolate chips and vegetable oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt on 50% power in the microwave oven at 30-second intervals. Stir in between to make the chocolate smooth, without lumps, until all the chocolate is melted. Use a toothpick or skewer to dip and coat each peanut butter ball in chocolate, leaving an open circle of peanut butter to show through. This will resemble an Ohio buckeye. Allow excess to drip off. Transfer buckeyes to parchment paper. Allow candy to set before serving. 

Easter Coconut Macaroons

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Easter Coconut Macaroons! In my childhood I had two choices of candy bars featuring chewy coconut centers: one with chocolate or one with chocolate and almonds. (I’m sure you can recall the names.) I was drawn to the slightly caramelized taste around the edges as well as the sugary sweet dense centers. Years later I realized this was an Easter springtime favorite, highlighting Passover, because it fell into the kosher restrictions of omitting flour. No gluten! Some people dip the macaroons into chocolate. I like the candy-coated chocolate eggs and thought you might, too. 

EASTER COCONUT MACAROONS 

Ingredients: 

14-ounces sweetened flaked coconut 

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, whites only

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 ounces candy coated chocolate eggs, roughly chopped 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine flaked coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well. In another bowl, place the egg whites and sea salt. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture until combined. Using two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the cookie mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheet; spacing about one inch apart. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges are a deep golden brown. The tops should be lightly browned. Allow the macaroons to cool for a minute. Press chopped chocolate eggs into the center of each cookie. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Quick-Set Party Cheesecakes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Quick-Set Party Cheesecakes! You’re stopping by a friend’s house later on and were asked to bring something delish. These miniature cheesecakes are super-easy and can be whipped up in a few minutes first thing in the morning. They refrigerate while you’re at work or the gym, so no worries there. Top with fresh fruit, seedless jam, chocolate bits, or candied ginger. Dust with powdered sugar for a professional finish. Another one-bite wonderful dessert can be found in the Fruit Tart recipe at the following link. 

http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2015/12/11

QUICK-SET PARTY CHEESECAKES

Ingredients:

24 mini cupcake liners

24 Nilla wafers

2 8-ounce packages Neufchâtel cheese

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Fresh Fruit, Chocolate Chips, or Candied Ginger

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat Neufchâtel cheese and sugar. Add eggs, beating well. Fold in lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin. Put 1 Nilla wafer in each. Fill with 1 heaping tablespoon of cheese mixture. Bake 15 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours. Garnish with assorted toppings. 

Devil’s Food Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Devil’s Food Cake! Sometimes all you crave is a slice of good old-fashioned chocolate cake like your grandma used to make, before Betty Crocker introduced the world to cake mixes. It’s very simple, really. Take a walk down Memory Lane with a recipe that recaptures youthful musings.  

DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup salad oil

1 cup boiling water

1 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add salad oil and boiling water. Stir until lumps are gone. Gradually add milk; stir. Add eggs and vanilla; stir. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert onto serving platter. Cool before frosting or sprinkling with powdered sugar.