Giant Chewy Oatmeal M&M Cookies

December 19, 2013 by 1 Comment

Things have been so quiet around here and I would like to apologize, but since I’ve been spending my time cuddling the world’s cutest baby instead of posting I’m kind of sorry not sorry. One day I hope to be able to better balance baby cuddling time with food blogging time, but until then, can I make it up to you by sharing a picture of the world’s cutest baby?

Are still trying to decide what kind of cookies to leave out for Santa? Can I make a suggestion? How about these Giant Chewy Oatmeal M&M Cookies? They are soft, chewy, giant, with the perfect touch of crunchy M&M chocolate. The oatmeal isn’t overwhelming, but it adds a nice texture to the cookies.

 

Giant Chewy Oatmeal M&M Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk
1 cup M&M candies, plus a few extra for finishing

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or a silpat baking sheet.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg, vanilla, and milk and mix until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Use a spatula to stir in the M&Ms.

Roll a quarter cup of dough into a ball  and place 3 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Adapted from recipe as seen here, originally found on Apple a Day

 

 

Filed Under: Christmas, Cookies, Dessert, Holiday Treats, Week of Christmas Cookies Tagged With: , , ,

Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 31, 2013 by 2 Comments

First, Happy Halloween! Even though our little pumpkin is too young for Trick or Treating (or even having a clue that today is Halloween!), I still couldn’t resist dressing her in spirited gear. I think she looks pretty cute, but I might be a little biased. Second, I have to admit that in this house black and orange are not just colors you wear on October 31st. They are colors we rock all year long in support of our hometown team – the Cincinnati Bengals! Truth be told, when I saw this special bag of chocolate chips at Target the first thing that popped in my head was “Tailgate cookies!” Because who doesn’t like to eat delicious and spirited cookies while watching football? But it just so happened that I used the chocolate chips the day before Halloween, so holiday spirit works too. 🙂

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If you are a fan of Sunny Side Up on Facebook (and why wouldn’t you be ;)), then you may have seen my post yesterday about my entire house smelling like chocolate. These cookies are the reason why my house smelled so delicious. They are called “Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies” and the name is pretty much spot on. The cookies are rich with a crispy exterior and melt-in-your mouth fudgy interior. I used a bag of Halloween chips which were half orange-colored white chocolate and half semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use whatever chips you have on hand! All semi-sweet, all white chocolate, a mix of chopped up leftover Halloween candy… If it tastes good with chocolate, chances are it will taste good in these cookies!

 

Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips*
3/4 cup butter, softened and divided
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips of your choice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of butter. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the remaining butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl in between. Add the melted chocolate and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combine. Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a medium size cookie scoop, drop 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes then allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack. Definitely serve with a large glass of cold milk!

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookie Special 2012

 

Filed Under: Chocolate, Cookies, Halloween, Party Food Tagged With: , , , ,

Tuxedo Layered Cheesecake

August 6, 2013 by 6 Comments

In the Weekend Dish Post I wrote on Sunday I talked about how crazy it is that it is already August. It’s not crazy just because it’s a month before my due date. And it’s not crazy just because it’s already the 8th month of the year. It’s also a little bit crazy because it’s my birthday month. And not just any birthday. My 30th birthday. The big 3 – 0. I have officially said goodbye to my 20s and hello to my 30s. I needed to celebrate. With cake. A rich, chocolatey, over-the-top cake.

This cake met all 3 of my birthday cake requirements. I was initially inspired by Cheesecake Factory’s Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake and I had hoped to recreate it, but the paranoid pregnant lady in me decided to avoid the eggs in the vanilla cream mousse. I think what I came up with instead was even better. Who doesn’t love a tall layered birthday cake?

 

 

Tuxedo Layered Cheesecake

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer

Ingredients*
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
7 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 medium eggs

*These amounts may seem a little weird, I adjusted the recipe so the cheesecake wouldn’t be too thick for stacking.

Directions
Preheat and oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch spring form pan with a circle of parchment paper. Tightly wrap the outside of the pan with 2 sheets of foil.

In the bowl of standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and melted chocolate until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, salt, and sugar. Beat until well combined and smooth. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition, being careful not to over beat.

Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes, turn the oven off and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, crack the oven door and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for about 5 minutes, then remove and place on a rack to cool completely (Stepping down like this prevents cracks!). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night to cool completely.

Chocolate Fudge Cake Layer

Ingredients*
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup strong, hot coffee

*These amounts may seem a little weird. I reduced the recipe to make 2 8-inch layers instead of 3.

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 2 8-inch cake pans by greasing pans, fitting bottoms with parchments paper, greasing parchment paper, and flouring pans.

Into a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a standing mixer), sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. In another liquid measuring cup, add the butter to the hot coffee and stir to melt.

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in half of the buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed. Add half of the hot coffee mixture and beat on low speed. Repeat with the rest of the buttermilk and hot coffee. Beat just until combined.Scrape down sides of the bowl again and then beat for another 15 seconds.

Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then carefully flip out on to a wire rack (use a knife to loosen edges of the cake if necessary). Cool cake completely. (To store over night

Whipped Cream Frosting

Ingredients
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
In a very cold bowl of a standing mixer, beat the heavy cream with a whisk attachment until it just start to thicken and form soft peaks. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until the peaks stiffen up just a little bit. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds- 1 minute, or just until stiff peaks form. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use.

Assembly

Supplies
8-inch cake board
2 chocolate cake layers
Chocolate Cheesecake
Chocolate Syrup *
Whipped Cream Frosting
Revolving cake stand
Offset spatulas
Melted semi-sweet chocolate for decorating (optional, I added just a touch of vegetable oil when melting)

*The chocolate syrup does 2 things – keeps the cake moist and acts like a glue between layers.

Directions
Place the first chocolate cake layer on the cake board. Drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp syrup and spread evenly across surface. Next, carefully place the cheesecake on top of the chocolate cake (it should be solid enough to carefully flip off of the spring form bottom, then just remove the parchment paper circle). Drizzle with syrup and spread across surface again. Top with the final chocolate cake layer. Drizzle with syrup and spread across surface. Frost with a thin layer of whipped cream frosting (crumb coat) and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Top with a generous amount whipped cream frosting. Spread over cake and smooth out as desired. Place leftover frosting a pastry bag fitted with desired tip and pipe a border around the top (I used a Wilton 4B tip). If desired, place melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag and drizzle over top of cake in any pattern you like.

Sources: Chocolate Cheesecake from Fine Cooking; Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake from Food and Wine

 

Looking for more birthday cake ideas?

Chocolate Hazelnut and Salted Caramel Birthday Cake
Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Cookies and Cream Oreo Cake Birthday Cake
Not-Ice Cream Sundae Birthday Cake

Filed Under: Cake, Cheesecake, Chocolate, Dessert, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Peanut Butter Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel

July 30, 2013 by 5 Comments

I’m sure it’s no surprise to regular readers that Jesse and I have a thing for the chocolate/peanut butter combination. Yes, it is a true love affair. So, when Jesse asked me to bake something a few weekends ago and I asked, “Like what?” it’s not that surprising that his answer was, “Something with chocolate and peanut butter.” Referring back to all of those links I just shared, I have a lot of chocolate/peanut butter recipes under my belt. Which is awesome when I want a tried and true recipe to quickly whip up, but when I’m wanting something new I can share on here, it makes things a bit more challenging.

At this point, coming up with new chocolate/peanut butter combinations is challenging. So I sat and pondered. I thought of cookies, and cupcakes, and brownies… Then I started to think of Jesse’s other favorite sweet treats. Towards the top of his list of favorites is Cinnamon Crumb Cake. When I tell him I’m making crumb cake he gets a look in his eyes, like a kid hearing the faint music of an ice cream truck. So I wondered if there were a way for me to combine the chocolate/peanut butter combo with a crumb cake of sorts. After a bit of researching I found something that looked inspiring. She put chocolate chips right in the crumb topping?! Perfect! Of course, I am a huge fan of the recipe I always use (something about that mile high, truly crumby, crumb topping!), so I used her idea as base to adapt my usual recipe.

Trying not to brag here, but the results were AMAZING! The cake had a nice moist and tender crumb with just the right density (even though I was slightly worried it could be too dense with the addition of peanut butter). The crumb topping was thick and warm with just the hint of cinnamon that was perfectly paired with the chocolate chips. I liked mine drizzled with just a little bit of chocolate syrup, Jesse said it didn’t need it. He declared that it was one of the best baked goods I’ve ever made. And I think he might be right!

 

Peanut Butter Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel

Ingredients

Crumb Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp butter, cubed
~1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cake
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp butter, softened
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Chocolate syrup for serving, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a glass/ceramic baking dish with butter (not a 9×13, but a smaller oval dish or 9×9).

Mix together all of the dry crumb topping ingredients (flour through cinnamon). Drop cubes of butter into the mix. Start by using a pastry cutter, or two knives, to cut in the butter. When the butter is evenly distributed, use hands to squeeze it together then break it into crumbs. Do this until it seems well combined and you are making crumbs that are mostly about the size of peanuts. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter and peanut butter. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Add the yogurt and vanilla and beat until combined. Finally, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, beating just until combined without lumps.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth with a spatula. Scoop up the crumb topping with your fist and drop clumps of it onto the the batter until all of the crumb topping is used. It will seem like a LOT of crumb topping.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the middle of the cake seems solid. If the edges seem to be baking a lot faster, turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees and continue baking until center is done.

Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving. If you like, serve with chocolate syrup. And you’ll definitely want a big glass of cold milk with this treat!

Inspired by Crazy for Crust, Adapted from here

 

 

Filed Under: Breakfast Treats, Cake, Dessert Tagged With: , , , , , ,