dessert Archives - Page 5 of 9

Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles {vegan}

January 25, 2013 · by Ari ·

Before I tell you about these amazing cookies, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all of the kind comments on my marathon recap. You guys sure know how to make me cry over, and over, and over again. Of course I do this for me first, but your support really makes it worth all of the pain and challenges so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I made these cookies to compensate for my visually challenged cookies. As soon as they came out of the oven with that perfect crackle on top, I was thrilled that not just a better looking cookie had come out of my oven, but a downright beautiful cookie! Then the pessimist in me decided that surely they were going to taste bad, because that’s how that day was going.

You.Guys. They were so the opposite of bad!!! I bit into one, and was greeted with my most sought after cookie texture–slightly crunchy on the outside, with a soft, gooey, buttery (even though they include NO butter!) texture inside. In my book, that is cookie perfection!

When I stopped freaking out about the texture miracle, I started to focus on the flavor of these bad boys, and holy cow, they are delicious! Spicy homemade chai spice blend mixed with sweet sugar cookie flavor creating a sweet and comforting cookie that tastes like it came from your grandma’s old recipes.

“Okay maybe these are the best cookies you have ever made.” My husband’s cookie heart is so fickle.

Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles {vegan}

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles {vegan}

Ultra soft vegan & gluten-free snickerdoodle cookies with warm, comforting chai spices--perfect for fall or winter holidays!

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup apple butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the coating:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch cloves
pinch ground nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together apple butter,sugar, maple syrup, and almond milk until well combined. Add vanilla, then add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
In a wide, shallow bowl, combine ingredients for the coating. Lightly spray hands with nonstick spray, then roll dough into one inch balls. Roll in the sugar mixture to coat completely, then transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. They may look underdone, but do not over bake. They will set more as they cool. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Lightly adapted from Post Punk Kitchen

https://arismenu.com/chai-spiced-snickerdoodles-vegan/

Peanut Butter Chip Brownie Cookies

January 21, 2013 · by Ari ·

This was the last thing I made in 2012, and let me tell you, it was a heck of a way to end out the year!

You see, our New Years Eve was realllll exciting. I had stopped drinking for taper (or I had said I was, then had a glass of champagne, then went to a wedding 2 weeks later, and well, ya know…), and we were all exhausted from the holidays. We went to a friends house, watched Looper (Matt’s choice) which I didn’t like at all, then watched Burlesque (my choice) which never gets old if you ask me.

I’m not sure which part of my evening was better: these cookies, or Cher’s You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me. It’s a really tough choice, so I will say the best part of my evening was eating my weight in these cookies while watching Cher sing her heart out during her 11 o clock number.

Fresh out of ideas from my overkill holiday baking, I hit up my girl Sally’s site for some inspiration. I knew I was craving something with chocolate and peanut butter, and I had some peanut butter chips I’d been wanting to use, so I looked for a base chocolate cookie recipe.

I wasn’t surprised that Sally’s cookies delivered (her recipes are amaaaaazing), but I was pretty blown away by just how amazing these cookies were! They had the perfect flakey brownie top, and the middle was rich and gooey like a perfect batch of brownies, but in my favorite baked good. Can you tell cookies are my favorite thing to make? I think my recipe page speaks for itself. 😉

The peanut butter chips add the perfect touch, and we all know that chocolate and peanut butter is the best combination since pb&j. Steve also said more than a few times that these were “the best cookies I’ve ever made”, and since we all know how many cookies I make, you know these are a must try!

Peanut Butter Chip Brownie Cookies

yield 2 dozen

adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

1/2 cup gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
4 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp apple butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together chocolate, egg, vanilla, apple butter, and sugars until well combined, then slowly beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in peanut butter chips. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Use a small cookie scoop to transfer dough to prepared cookie sheets. Use a small piece of parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray to lightly press down dough balls to flatten slightly (they don’t spread when they bake, so if you don’t flatten them, you will end up with round cookies).
Bake for 10 minutes until just set. Let stand for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for one week (these cookies stay pretty darn soft and gooey for days!).

Black & White Cookies {vegan}

January 15, 2013 · by Ari ·

Look to the cookie.

I know I’ve posted that video before. It’s from one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes. I’m also pretty sure I’ve mentioned my Seinfeld addiction. I spent the weekend with my NY Husband, and when I got to his house Thursday evening, he had a Seinfeld all cued up and ready for us to watch before bed. That’s love.

Black and white cookies are the epitome of nostalgia for me. You know how you have certain foods that remind you of certain relationships in your life? Like the way my dad is still always buying me white chocolate kit kat bars because they were my favorite when I was a kid. They still remind me of my dad. The first time I ever had a black and white cookie was when my friend Lisa and I split one at Chompies.

It was pretty much as cliche as you can get–2 Jewish girls at the Jewish deli eating black and white cookies. What can I say? It’s in my blood.

It was love at first bite. The soft, cake-like cookie was absolute perfection. It was so huge we had to eat it with a fork! Ever since, any time I’m in NYC, all I want is a black and white cookie. I had my heart set on one when I was there in November, but it never happened, and so I decided I was going to need to make it happen in Arizona.

I made these cookies with the intent to wait until either Lisa’s baby shower (in March) or when she delivers her baby girl (in May-ish), but I just couldn’t wait.

The homemade version of this deli classic was everything I dreamed it would be! Soft, fluffy, cake-like cookies topped equally with light, white powdered sugar glaze and its rich, chocolatey counter part. It truly is the ultimate flavor combination.

So in honor of Lisa, Mac, and my latest (9 hour) trip to the city, make yourself some black & whites.

Black & White Cookies

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

yield approx. 3 ½ dozen

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
1 and 1/4 cups whole wheat cake flour
1 and 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 and 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp hot water
1 and 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and applesauce and extracts until combined.
In medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cornstarch and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients into applesauce mixture, followed by milk, then remaining dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop the dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 15-18 minutes until edges begin to brown. Cool completely.
To make the frosting, place powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly, mix in hot water 1 tbsp at a time, until icing has reached your desired consistency. Be careful—a little bit of liquid goes a long way with powdered sugar!
Spread icing on half of the flat (bottom) side of each cookie. Once all cookie halves have been half frosted, add melted chocolate to remaining frosting. To make the “black” darker, you may add in 1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa if desired (I did). If icing appears too thick, add an other tbsp. of hot water.
Frost the remaining half of the cookies with the chocolate frosting. If icing becomes dry, just whisk in a little bit of extra water—it can dry up pretty quickly, and I had to do this a few times.
Let frosting set and serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Cherries & Coconut

January 14, 2013 · by Ari ·

Friends, these are not the prettiest cookies I’ve ever made.

In fact, when I made them for our first Ragnar team meeting, I almost didn’t serve them because I didn’t love the look, but as I kept reaching over, and over, and over for the pieces of the uglier ones I planned to throw away, I realized they were so delicious, I just had to save them, and post about them, pretty or not.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it yet, but this February I will be running Ragnar Del Sol with 11 other amazing ladies! The line up includes Nicole, Karla, Melissa, Megan, Tara, Stacey, Jaime, Bety, Jennifer, Jenn, and Kelli. I am sosoSO excited! We had our first official meeting a couple of weeks ago, and did a potluck at my house, so of course I called dibs on making dessert. 😉 Tara and Jaime don’t eat gluten or dairy, so I wanted to make something that everyone would be able to enjoy.

So I did end up serving my visually-challenged cookies, and I’m even sharing them with you, because I love them. They are so chewy, and packed with flavor. In true Ari style, there is definitely a lot going on, which leads to my new longest title ever (I think?), but it all comes together perfectly in a way that rather than tasting each component, you taste the combination as a whole.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Cherries & Coconut

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp apple butter
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cornstarch
dash salt
1/3 cup reduced fat unsweetened shredded coconut
3 cups raw oats (use gluten-free if you care about that sort of thing)
6 oz good quality dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (I used 2 bars—a coconut dark chocolate and a sea salt dark chocolate)
3/4 cup sweet cherries, pitted and chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
In a large bowl, beat together coconut oil, apple butter, peanut butter, and sugars until smooth. Add almond milk, vanilla, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, and coconut, and beat until well combined. Fold in oats, followed by chocolate, cherries and coconut.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop batter onto prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart (these spread quite a bit).
Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely on baking sheet before transferring to serve.

**Notes: These cookies are very sticky. I don’t recommend sealing them for storage. You also don’t want to crowd them. They work best unstacked in a large Tupperware with the lid resting on top, but unsealed.

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

January 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

SOMEONE’S GETTING MARRIED TODAY!!!!!

Noooo, not me silly gooses. I already have a real husband and a New York Husband, and that is plenty. Plus, you know I said some vows to my Kitchenaid…

Ummm, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s totally normal to have two human husbands and one appliance. And everyone says vows to their favorite kitchen appliance, okay?

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This is one of the most pointless food pictures I’ve ever taken. It shows you nothing about the actual cake, but for some reason I just love it.

Today my beautiful, wonderful friend Jen is getting hitched! I flew in to NYC late last evening, and today I’m road tripping down to Virginia for the wedding. It’s a long story, but the extra states saved me a night’s hotel fair, and earned me some extra time with NY Husband, so it’s well worth the extra travel. Jen is one of the most giving, loving people I have ever met, and I can’t wait to be a part of her special day!

I figured since today was extra special, I would do something I never do and post a CAKE! I very rarely make real cakes. I’m much more of a cupcake girl. I like the built in portion control of a cupcake, because lord knows I will break out a fork, and eat the entire cake if left to my own devices…

One time, I made Steve a red velvet cake for his birthday. Of course, this was before I knew how to cook, like at all, so it came from a box. I forgot the eggs (which is pretty typical for me), and the cake, although delicious, was a crumbly mess. This was also pre-weight-loss for both of us. We each ended up grabbing a fork, and almost completely devouring this double layer cake. It was really cute, I swear.

I can’t promise you that you will not have the same problem here, because this cake is GOOD. The edges browned and got slightly crispy while the middle stayed perfectly gooey and soft. The cake isn’t overly sweet to balance out the rich, chocolatey icing, and the white chocolate chips throughout create a perfect flavor balance. In basic terms, it tastes kinda like a HUGE, soft peanut butter cookie with white chocolate chips, that’s covered in rich chocolate cream cheese frosting. Except, it’s a cake. A cake I can get behind. Now, please pass me the fork.

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

yield approx 16 servings

1/4 cup apple butter
2/3 cup sunflower butter (or any nut butter you have on hand will work)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
3/4 cup brown sugar,packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

12 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 and 1/4 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9-10″ springform pan with parchment paper. Spray edges and parchment paper well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl. whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat together apple butter, sunflower butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in egg. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Fold in white chocolate chips.
Transfer dough to prepared pan, and use a piece of sprayed parchment paper to gently press into an even layer.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until lightly golden. The center should be set, but soft. Cool completely in pan.
Once cooled, run a butter knife along the inside to release any areas that are stuck, then open springform, and transfer cake to your preferred frosting area.
To make frosting, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed, followed by cocoa powder. Increase to medium speed and add melted chocolate. Beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl often. Slowly, add almond milk 1 tbsp at a time until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
Frost cooled cookie cake completely, and serve.

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

January 8, 2013 · by Ari ·

Sweet, soft and chewy sugar cookie bars topped with smooth white chocolate and gooey, browned marshmallows. Secretly healthy and whole grain, but you’d never know!

I’m a proud big sister! My brother graduated this winter with 2 associate degrees! He is the hardest worker I know, and I am unbelievably proud.

Charlie is a, um…picky eater. He has the oddest tastes of anyone I’ve ever met. He’s not always super into sweets, but he does clear my pantry out of any white chocolate and marshmallows I may have on hand pretty much every time he comes over. They are his two favorite things, and they are definitely two things I can get behind!

To celebrate his accomplishment, I made a simple dessert putting his favorite things together. The cookie layer is thick and soft, then it’s topped with melty white chocolate and browned marshmallows for a winning combination of flavors and textures.

And the best part? They’re health(ier) in the sneaky, secret kinda way that no one will ever guess!

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 16 bars

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

Sweet, soft and chewy sugar cookie bars topped with smooth white chocolate and gooey, browned marshmallows. Secretly healthy and whole grain, but you'd never know!

Ingredients

1 and 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg white
1 tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together apple butter, sugar, egg white, Greek yogurt and vanilla until well combined. Slowly, add in flour mixture and continue beating until incorporated.
Transfer dough to prepared pan and use a greased piece of parchment paper to gently and evenly press dough into the pan.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and set in the center. Evenly sprinkle white chocolate chips on top, followed by marshmallows.
Broil for 2-3 minutes until marshmallows are browned and puffy. Pay close attention during this step--they can burn quickly if left in too long. Cool completely, and serve.

https://arismenu.com/white-chocolate-marshmallow-cookie-bars/

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes {vegan}

January 2, 2013 · by Ari ·

Hi. There’s cupcakes. But first, can we please talk about Les Miserables for a hot minute? My poor, sweet, perfect husband ~~got forced~~ volunteered to go with me to see it. When I first saw the trailer, I was convinced it was going to be horrible, but as time went on, the hype got bigger and bigger, and I started to believe I was actually going to love it.

And I’m really sorry, because if you saw it, I’m sure you probably loved it too. But we walked out and Steve said “My favorite part was when he jumped off the bridge because that meant he couldn’t sing anymore.” Spoiler alert: Javert jumps off a bridge. Spoiler #2: I kind of agree. I don’t want to talk about everything that was wrong with the movie, because flaws and all, I still enjoyed all 2.5 hours of it. Well maybe like 2 of them, but what was sooooo funny was listening to Steve go on and on and ON about it the whole car ride home. I’ve never seen him hate a movie so much!

His other finest quote was “No wonder they couldn’t get anything done in that French revolution! They had to sing about everything first!” If you didn’t love the movie, you should really ask him about it, but if you’re one of the people who cried in the theatre, then it’s probably a subject best left untapped. Okay, musical theatre snobbery is over. Let’s talk about cupcakes!

You guys know how I’m always talking about perfect flavor combinations. I’m not one to just have one flavor. I like variety. I get bored easily, and I need a lot going on in order to stay interested. I hadn’t ever had lemon and coconut together before (that I can remember), but I had a hunch it was going to be pretty great, and it may not be peanut butter and chocolate, but it is definitely a contendor for my secret mental list. 😉

The light, citrusy flavor of the lemon complements the rich, creamy coconut flavor in these soft and fluffy cupcakes. They are definitely dessert, but not too sweet, and that slightly tart lemon glaze is the perfect finishing touch. And I promise, the best part is not when they jump off a bridge. Unless the bridge is your hand and they are jumping into your mouth. Worst joke ever?

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

yield 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp coconut extract
2/3 cups sugar
zest of 1 extra large lemons
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 2/3 cups canned light coconut milk
reduced fat unsweetened shredded coconut and yellow sprinkles for topping (optional)

For the glaze:

½ cup powdered sugar
dash lemon extract
1-2 tbs hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 18 muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and lemon zest until fragrant. Add applesauce and coconut extract and beat until combined. Slowly pour half of the coconut milk and beat until well incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture, beating until incorporated, followed by remaining coconut milk. Beat until smooth, then add remaining flour mixture, and continue beating until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Evenly divide batter between cupcake tins (they should be about 2/3 full) and bake for 18-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, in a small-medium mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon extract and 1 tbs hot water. Slowly continue to add more water (and I mean very slowly. A little bit of liquid goes a long way with powdered sugar) until desired drippy consistency. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, and top with sprinkles and coconut if desired.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

December 22, 2012 · by Ari ·

OOOOMMMMMGGGGG it’s 3 days until Christmas!!!!

The other day I was teasing Nicole about being backed up on her recipe posting. “Are you even going to be able to post everything by Christmas???” I asked her. She responded with “I have to post every day.”

It was so funny until I started counting and realized that I do too…

You see, I may have gotten a little overzealous in my holiday baking this year. I’ve just been so excited! I didn’t realize how many holiday themed recipes I had to share with you until just now! Either that, or I’ve been in denial that it’s actually Christmastime, not just the time I like to call “Christmastime” that begins on Veteran’s Day…

Perhaps instead of spending my time blogging I should be out, you know, buying presents for the 700 people still on my list. But I already did all the hard work on the recipes. This is just like doing the wrapping, which I LOVE…obviously.

Actually, I wish I had 2 dozen more of these cookies to use for gift wrapping fuel right now. Sally always tells me I should use cookies for “fuel” and I’m beginning to think she’s onto something. How much more fun is sitting on the floor in a mess of wrapping paper, dollar store tape, and puppy hair when you have spicy, cinnamony chocolate cookies stuffed with melty, oozy chile dark chocolate to keep you warm and energized??

These cookies will keep you warm and cozy even if you live in a place that actually has winter. Pinky promise. And if the dough didn’t have enough bold spices, I’ve topped them off with a dusting of cinnamon powdered sugar for even more cinnamon sweetness. You will absolutely love with the way the cayenne and cinnamon pair with the sweet, rich dark chocolate. So much love.

And if you love it as much as I do, I have to give some love to some of the best cookies I’ve eaten. Ever. Oooooomg, make both batches at once and you will be so happy.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

yield approx 2.5 dozen

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp espresso powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
5 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup apple butter
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3-1/2 chile dark chocolate bar, chopped into fairly large chunks (big enough so that each cookie only needs 1, small enough that a 1″ cookie dough ball can cover it completely)

For the powdered sugar topping:

1 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, espresso powder, baking powder, salt, and peppers. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together melted chocolate, sugar, apple butter, almond milk and vanilla, Slowly mix in dry ingredients until well combined. Cover dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes (this is optional, but recommended).
Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 large baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into 1″ dough balls then press a chunk of chile dark chocolate in the center and re-roll the dough so it is covering the chocolate completely and drop onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes until set. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cinnamon, then lightly dust cookies with mixture.

Almond Meal Baileys Chocolate Chunk Cookies

December 20, 2012 · by Ari ·

The other night I had dinner at my mom’s house. As I’ve gotten older, she tells me more and more funny stories about my childhood. I don’t know why growing up we didn’t seem to talk about it much, but now one of my favorite things is listening to her tell stories about me when I was little. Maybe it’s because I just reallllly like to talk about myself? It’s my favorite topic in case you haven’t noticed. 😉

Food is probably second. Or running. It’s a close call. I’m sure this is a shocking revelation considering my content.

Anyway, my mom was talking about about teaching me to ride a bike. I reminded her that my friend’s dad had to teach me, and she admitted that things like that were never her strength. Apparently teaching me to cross the street was about her limit. She said she told me to “look both ways”, and so every time I crossed the street I would just look back and forth, back and forth, all the way across. Like a penguin.

What can I say? I’m special. She did say that she was never a baby person, but that when my brother and I came out, it changed all of that. I was perfect, but he cried all the time. I mean, at least that’s what I heard when she told the story. He was fussy, and I wasn’t, but then she says “You just really liked to eat.”

At which point Steve and I both cracked up laughing because, well…DUH! You guys, I never stood a chance!

She said every time she would walk in the room, I’d think it was time for lunch. I seriously laughed so hard because I don’t think it’s ever stopped. I spend all day daydreaming about food–what I can make, what I can eat, ~~how far I’m going to have to run so that I can eat more….~~

But you know what? I’m kind of okay with it. It is my ridiculous obsession with food that brings you lovely treats like these cookies, and trust me, you don’t want to live in a world where these cookies do not exist. They are so soft and fluffy, in fact, I still cannot get over the perfect texture almond meal brings to baked goods. They’re perfectly delicate, and not at all heavy or the bad kind of chewy that makes you NEED the glass of milk instead of just enjoying it on the side….you know what I mean. They are just perfect with the hint or Irish cream in the flavor and the bold stand out dark chocolate chunks. And they are sososo easy! I mixed everything together in one bowl! I love a good small prep time with minimal dishes dessert. They are like a perfect gem. You know, kind of like me 😉

Except, we all know I’m not delicate, and I really hope I wouldn’t be considered “chewy” either. That would be weird.

Almond Meal Baileys Chocolate Chunk Cookies

yield about 15 cookies

1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
dash salt
1/2 cup vegan “baileys”
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz dark dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond meal, baking soda, cornstarch, brown sugar and salt. Add Baileys and vanilla and mix until well combined. Fold in dark chocolate.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop onto prepared baking pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Truffle Stuffed Candy Cane Cookies

December 19, 2012 · by Ari ·

Everyone has their holiday candy of choice.

I’m not usually a candy person. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if it includes sugar, I almost always enjoy it, but candy is certainly not my dessert of choice. If it isn’t frozen or baked, it’s usually pretty easy for me to pass up. For me, candy is a topping or an ingredient, not a dessert. It goes on top of my fro yo, or in this case, inside of my cookie.

Have I ever told you about birthdays in my family? I’m sure it won’t surprise you to know that they have always been a big deal. The other day I was talking with some friends about how our families are big on celebrations and my friend Lauran said “If we could, my family would celebrate Tuesday!” Well, that pretty much sums up my dad. Birthdays, half birthdays, quarter birhdays, 5/16 of a century birthdays. You think I’m joking. He never fails to remind me juuuust how close to 30 I’m getting by giving me fractional decade updates. Thanks dad. Being 7/8 of my way to 30 or whatever the last number you gave me is really something I want to celebrate.

Leading up to my mom’s birthday last year, he kept emailing her daily count downs. They haven’t been married for about 26 years. My family is…well, different. Those after school specials about there being “more than one way to have a family” must have been made special for me and my cooky family.

So….I made these for my dad. For his half birthday, because that’s something we celebrate. I always make my incredibly Jewish father Christmas themed half birthday desserts because his half birthday is December 1st, and that time of year, all I want to cook with is eggnog and candy canes. Best daughter ever.

Oh, but about candies (tangent much?), my holiday candy is the Lindt truffle. Pretty much any flavor, any time; always has been. When I was a kid, my dad would always buy them for me this time of year, and I’ve even gotten Steve’s family hooked on them! One of my students must have read my mind and given me a whole bag as a part of my secret santa present, and they were not doing me any favors by sitting there taunting me, so into the cookies they went, and the rest is history.

According to Hermano, these are “the best cookies I’ve ever made”. This was after he told me my lentil soup was “not his favorite soup”, so at least we know he’s being honest. To be fair, I loved the lentil soup, but nothing can really compare to a perfectly chewy cookie with pieces of crunchy candy cane stuffed with a rich, delicious Lindt chocolate truffle that melts into the cookie, and then perfectly into your mouth at first bite. The cookies are ridiculous.

Truffle Stuffed Candy Cane Cookies

yield 9 huge cookies

1 cup + 2 tbs white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 cup light whipped cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp turbinado sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp egg substitute (an egg white would work too)
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
2 candy canes, crushed
9 Lindt truffles, frozen (any flavor–they’re all good, but I used milk chocolate)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugars. Add almond milk, egg substitute and vanilla bean paste and beat until combined. Add dry ingredients to cream cheese mixture and beat until combined. Stir in crushed candy canes. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Cover each frozen truffle completely with chilled cookie dough and roll into a ball, then place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes (they are big cookies, it takes a while), turning half way through, until the edges are browned and cookies are completely set. Let stand for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Eggnog Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling {Vegan}

December 18, 2012 · by Ari ·

Longest title ever?

I’m officially in a holiday cookie induced sugar coma and I may never come out. I mean, I’m beginning to wonder what I will do with my life once it’s December 26th? Will I have to go back to normal recipes??? THE HORROR!!

Can we talk about the whole concept of “seasonal” foods??? I mean, it’s bad enough that honeycrisp apples only exist for like 3 weeks out of the year, but eggnog and ginger exist YEAR ROUND my friends. So does peppermint. Why do we have to pretend it is only excited in the winter time?? I want to drink eggnog from the carton in July with no shame. You may ask for world peace. I ask for eggnog in July. I fail to see the difference.

I don’t really understand the idea that if you only have something once in a while, it’s supposed to be more special or something? I guess they call that moderation. I don’t have it.

And before you judge me, let me tell you, once you taste these whoopie pies, you won’t have it either. I was a little unsure how the eggnog flavor would go with the chocolate. Oooooooomg. Why have we not been eating chocolate eggnog every day for our entire lives????? Okay, blah blah blah, heart disease… Whatever. It’s amazing.

Whoopie pies are only, like, my favorite thing ever. They’re up there with cilantro and fro yo. Is it cake? Is it a cookie? What is that delicious filling??? Oh, it’s just a freaking WHOOPIE PIE. Soft and cake-like gingerbread cookie stuffed with rich dark chocolate and eggnog that is so delicious you’ll want to lick the crumbs off your silpat. Not that I did anything like that….

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Eggnog Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

yield one dozen large whoopie pies

For the cookie/cake (adapted from Damn Delicious)

1 3/4 cups + 2 tbs white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
dash nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

2 oz dark chocolate, melted
1/4 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp rum extract
2 tbs soy nog

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a large baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. In a large bowl, beat together applesauce, brown sugar and molasses. Beat in half of the dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture, followed by the almond milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Beat in remaining half of the dry ingredients.
Using a small-medium cookie scoop, drop batter onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the filling, place all ingredients in a small microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir well. If chocolate if not completely melted after stirring, continue to heat for 15 second increments until stirring melts it completely. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature or in the fridge until it has thickened and is no longer runny (about 15 minutes in the fridge, or 20 at room temp). Do not keep it in the fridge too long, or it will harden.
Spread filling over 1/2 of the cookies/cakes (whatever you want to call the gingerbread part…), then top with an other cookie/cake.

Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies

December 6, 2012 · by Ari ·

I’ll never forget the year Starbucks released their Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate. It was simultaneously the best and worst holiday season ever. It didn’t take long for this perfect flavor combination to become a near every day occurrence in my life.

Did I mention I was living in northern Idaho at the time? It was cold, and nothing says comfort from the cold like a warm, rich, delicious drink. Except maybe a warm soft and chewy chocolate cookie filled with gooey caramel and topped with coarse sea salt. I knew as soon as my amazing friend Nicole shared some of her amazing caramels with me, that I ~~wanted~~ needed to make these cookies.

Do you feel comforted yet? Once upon a time I used to be the comforting one. I was the one everyone went to when they had a bad day, and I would listen and give tons of advice that I probably had no business giving because I was kind of a hot mess myself, but I was, like, 20 years old and thought I knew everything. You know how it goes. I had (ummm, wait…I still have…) a special “heart to heart” pillow. That’s a little embarrassing. You hold it while you cry then I feed you words that magically fix everything, and at the same time put an end to world hunger. I know, I am so cool.

These days however, I’m painfully aware that I know basically nothing, and so instead of pretending to be smart, I shove cookies in people’s face and call it “my way of showing I care”. Somehow, I think people prefer this.

I may not be a master with words, but I have to say, I am pretty much a master of soft, gooey cookies. I mess up a lot of things in the kitchen (including ending up with things that are kind-of-not-really-at-all-baked on a regular basis…), but I always have soft cookies, and these cookies are like biting into a dark chocolate mocha brownie, finding surprise caramel on the inside, and then getting the hint of salt that cuts through the sugar to provide perfect balance.

I wish I could solve all your problems by shoveling them into your mouth right at this moment. Keep me in mind for the next time, though… Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies yield 20 cookies

1/2 tbsp espresso powder
1/4 cup Dutch process or Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup + 2 tbs white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup apple butter
2/3 cup turbinado sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
10 caramels, halved
2-3 tbs mini dark chocolate chips
coarse sea salt for topping (such as fleur de sel)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together espresso powder, cocoa powder, baking powder and flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together apple butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until well combined. Beat in dry ingredients. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Form dough into 1″ balls. Press 1/2 caramel into the center of each ball and roll dough around until it is covering it completely, then place on lined baking sheet. Gently press a pinch of mini dark chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball, then top with a pinch of salt.
Bake for 15 minutes until the edges have set and cookies pull easily off of the baking sheet. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Eggnog Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling {Vegan}

Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies

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