Boyfriend Birthday Brownies

Betcha can't say that three times fast?

Because I sure can't. 

This past Sunday was my boyfriend's 27th birthday! Birthdays are and have always been a huge deal to me. When I was younger, I knew that when I woke up on my birthday, the traditional Tucker-family birthday sign would be hanging on the mantle, a special birthday breakfast was in store (waffles with strawberries and whipped cream), and I would get a call from my grandmother to sing 'Happy Birthday'. I almost always had a party, usually one that involved a pool (the result of having a birthday in the middle of the hot Oklahoma summers). Birthdays were a little different as I grew older and went to college, especially that monumental 21st birthday, but had no less importance and level of celebration. I love everything about birthdays and feel that they should be celebrated from the moment a person wakes up until they go to sleep!

The most important component of any birthday is the cake (that's my sweet tooth talking) and I wanted to make sure my boyfriend got exactly the kind of "cake" he wanted. I always request a strawberry cake with strawberry icing with strawberries on top, but he wanted plain and simple, delicious chocolate brownies. Feeling the pressure to make these brownies perfect, I turned to a constant source of recipe inspiration and followed this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. 

all images via. Smitten Kitchen

I thought the brownies turned out delicious; dense and flavorful. We even did a comparison taste test between the brownies I had made and the pan that his mom had sweetly made for him to (he had dropped hints to all the right people about his "cake"). He wasn't willing to reveal his thoughts and honestly, I couldn't decide with I liked better. They were both delicious and the perfect way to end the perfect birthday day!

Until the next birthday!

Thousand-Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had never heard of a Thousand-Layer Chocolate Chip cookie before, but the thought of a thousand layers of chocolate sounded like heaven. Making this cookie was unlike any baking technique I had ever tried before, but it was fun, different, and resulted in a delicious chocolate chip cookie (which I had been craving for days!)

In a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe you would mix together all the ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips at the very end, before rolling and placing on a baking sheet to cook. This recipe was similar to most chocolate chip cookie recipes until the end, when you kept the dough and chocolate separate. Instead of mixing the chocolate in to the dough, you create layers of dough and chocolate (hence the name "thousand layer") before rolling out the layers and cutting out with a cookie cutter. 

The only slight downfall for these cookies is that you are required to chill the dough before creating the layers.

Cookie recipes that require me to refrigerate the dough are tough for two reasons...

1. I don't have the patience to wait 30 minutes to an hour while the dough chills

2. I eat half of the dough while I am failing at being patient

Both of the above happened on Sunday night when I was making these cookies, but I still had enough dough to make 20 large cookies and I ate enough dough to give me a stomachache.

I received rave reviews from every one that got to eat one of these and they are already all gone (the last one was consumed while I wrote this post). Looks like I will be making this recipe again soon!

I might add pecans next time and call them Two Thousand Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Dark Chocolate Bark

I knew that last week was going to be crazy. As much as I love a good holiday weekend, I came back knowing that I had tons to do and little hours to do it. By Wednesday I was feeling entirely overwhelmed and my to-do list was running off the page. I hit my breaking point (imagine me at my desk at work, shoving Hershey Kisses in my mouth, crying) Wednesday afternoon and finally had to accept that I wasn't going to be able to do everything I had on my plate for that day. I had to call in reinforcements and have a good friend and mentor cover for me at my other job. She absolutely saved the day and to repay her I couldn't think of anything better than some Gwyneth Paltrow Dark Chocolate Crack... I mean bark. 

Dark Chocolate Bark with Coconut, Almonds + Sea Salt 

7 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

1 teaspoon sea salt

Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper and set it aside. 

Bring a small pot of water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Put the chocolate in a glass or stainless steel bowl and set it over the pot of water. Stir the chocolate until it's completely melted and immediately pour it onto the prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle the almonds, coconut, and salt over the chocolate. Put the pan in the freezer until the chocolate sets, about 15 minutes. Break the chocolate in to pieces and eat immediately, or store at room temperature in an airtight container if your house is cool, or in the refrigerator if it's summer! 

**Gwyneth (and I) suggest mixing up the toppings each time you make this, because once will never be enough. Try adding different nuts, dried fruit, or spices to create a different taste each time!**

True friends always come to your rescue in times of need.

I always come right back with chocolate. 

The Best Brownies

I love finding new blogs and recently I have stumbled upon so many great ones that I now spend an extra hour each day reading them and pouring over their archives. Yesterday I found a new food blog, Apt. 2B Baking Co., and I couldn't be happier with my new discovery. Every recipe that I came across on the blog sounded fantastic but I was in the mood for something sweet (shocking) and these brownies were going to hit the spot. And they did. 

This is the only picture of the finished product because they disappeared that quickly! 

Confession: I will admit that have never been the biggest brownie fan. Don't get me wrong, a warm, chocolate dessert sounds fantastic, but if I have other choices like cookies or cupcakes I normally will go for those. These brownies might have completely changed my view on this sweet treat. They were unlike any brownie I have ever tasted with just the right amount of crunchiness on top but the perfect moist choclatey center. Even a day later there is no sign of dryness.  

The second they came out of the oven, had cooled, and I had tried a small bite I began slicing them up and packaging them up to be shared. I know myself well enough that I can't keep an entire pan of the best chocolate brownies in my kitchen!

These brownies were surprisingly easy to make as well. I think the biggest difference is that you melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter over the stove to make that perfect center consistency. The recipe calls for optional cacao nibs to mix in and top the batter, but I threw some semisweet chocolate chips in since I had them on hand. I think that either would be great but I love the addition to a nib or chip to the smooth batter. 

I cannot say enough about how wonderful these brownies are. I highly, highly recommend making them right now, today, tomorrow, and on Valentine's Day because whoever you share them with will love you forever. 

Going to finish off that last bite right now. 

Chocolate Fudge Pomegranate Cookies

Before this year I had never even eaten a pomegranate. It wasn't until a sweet friend once exclaimed that pomegranates were her favorite snack that they entered my culinary radar. 

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I hadn't even tried the fruit yet, but when I found this recipe for Chocolate Fudge Pomegranate Cookies I was intrigued and my mouth was watering. I am a lover of desserts with fruit in them, and all chocolate treats sometimes seem too rich for me. I loved the idea of a delicious, gooey, fudge cookie with bursts of refreshing sweetness and that is exactly what this cookie is.

I also love the hints of pink hiding in this dough and in the cookies-- so pleasing to the eye and the stomach. Rather than using a fresh pomegranate (which you can do) I bought the snack pack of pomegranate arils which gives you all the juice and arils for this recipe!

I followed this recipe from my favorite food blog. I swear that Jessica at How Sweet It Is cannot go wrong and her blog is overflowing with delicious recipes just begging to be made! (I almost always give in to the begging... I think the last 10 recipes I have made have come from her recipe index)

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Don't be thrown off by the pomegranates, these cookies are an incredible chocolate cookie with a hint of something special. They also got the major stamp of approval from my pomegranate-loving friend as we devoured them while watching the final episode of Gossip Girl. 

XOXO. 

I know that I don't have a 'recipe' tab anymore, but if you are looking for a previous recipe, just search "recipes" in the search bar on my page to see all recipes!

Oh, and don't forget to like my Facebook page! 

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

I woke up Saturday morning with nothing to do. 

And when I say nothing, I mean I had tons of things I could have done, but none of them really involved me changing out of my pajamas and leaving my apartment.

Besides, my desire to bake on Saturday would have trumped any real plans that I had. 

So for two and a half hours I sat on my couch (watching Little Women) and searching the entire world wide web for something sweet to make. The possibilities were really endless and ranged from cranberry crumble bars to peanut butter fudge cookies to white chocolate peppermint fudge.
I landed on these espresso chocolate chip cookies; a decision based solely on the fact that I already had all the ingredients and didn't have to change out of my pajamas and go to the grocery store.

Not that going to my grocery store (Wal-Mart...) in my pajamas would be a shock to anyone there. Every time I walk in I spot people in their pajamas, slippers and everything. 

This. Is. Not. Okay.

So it was settled. I was going to make espresso cookies, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the little tiny detail that these cookies have coffee in them...

The cookies were quite easy to make and I anxiously awaited for them to come out of the oven so that I could enjoy them with a glass of milk. 

And here is where the story gets sad. Cue somber music and cut to an image of me eating a sub par cookie by myself in my pajamas. Actually the score from Little Women was playing in the background and it doesn't get more somber than that. 

These cookies were not bad, I promise. They just were not everything I was expecting.
I was tempted to throw the entire batch away so that the cookies wouldn't even be a temptation (wasting calories on mediocre cookies is a crime) but I was too lazy and told myself I would get rid of them later.

Cut to Sunday morning- me in my pajamas, on my couch, watching Little Women. Dejavu?
I decide to try another cookie with my coffee for breakfast.
It was SO GOOD.
Yes, you read that right. These "okay" cookies had magically transformed overnight to "awesome" cookies.

So here are my conclusions--
1. These are "next day cookies". This syndrome for baked goods really does exist. Like the chocolate cake that gets better as it sits, these cookies are better after they rest and the flavors mature.
2. These cookies are best dipped in or paired with coffee. My glass of cold milk did nothing for these chocolate chip cookies, but the hot coffee made these cookies melt in my mouth and I was hooked. So hooked that I had two more for breakfast.

Never judge a cookie until the next day.

Caramel Spice Cookies

Because I hadn't blogged a recipe in a while, I forced myself to make something tonight that would be blog-worthy. Well out of the four things I made tonight, only this cookie recipe will make the cut, but that is alright with me because it was fantastic and perfect for fall.

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon bourbon 

1/ 2 cup mascarpone 

2 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spices (or nutmeg)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bag Hershey's caramel-filled Kisses

1. Cream the butter and sugar together.

2. Add the egg, vanilla, and bourbon, mixing well.

3. Add the mascarpone.

(This is when I started smelling the wonderful scent coming from my mixing bowl)

4. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

5. Add to the wet mix until combined.

6. Refrigerate the dough in plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes.

7. Bake at 325 for 10-11 minutes.

8. Unwrap the kisses and place on the center of the cookie (pushing down lightly).

9. Cook for 1 more minute.

10. Let cool.

These can be a little messy with all the ooey-gooey caramel, but absolutely delicious.

There might have been a Melted-Caramel-Kiss fight going on in my kitchen between me and my tasting audience. This is not required in this recipe, but highly recommended.

Dough not recommended for anyone under the age of 21. 

Chocolate Cobbler

On Saturday night I got to do one of my absolute favorite things, which is cook dinner for people that I love. Some of my best friends/family came to dinner and I love when we are all together. One reason that I enjoy cooking for this group of special people so much is that they love every thing that I have ever made them-- at least they do a really good job at pretending they like anything. 

For this particular night I knew that I wouldn't have very much time to prepare a meal, so I needed to have a meal that required little effort. 

I found the perfect main course (to be revealed later) and was searching for dessert when I found the recipe for Granny's Chocolate Cobbler. Once I found this I knew that I didn't even want to look for anything else.

Also pictured are the placemats I made for the dinner party-- also to be blogged this week.

I am such a fan of cobblers using fruit, I have even been known to request blackberry cobbler for my birthday. But with the change in the weather I loved that this was a change-up of this usual treat. Just like usual cobblers, you just combine everything in the pan and cook while you are eating dinner. 

Halfway through the baking process I realized I was out of sugar. Gasp! You just can't make dessert without sugar, and the Truvia I put in my coffee just wasn't going to cut it. I wish that I had neighbors that I felt comfortable enough with to ask to borrow a cup of sugar. But this concept was completely out of the question... Let's just say all of the apartments around me consist of one big family that will probably have a movie made about all of their shady business one day.

Instead I threw on my rain boots and rushed to the grocery store just in time to make it back before my dinner guests. 

The strangest part of the recipe came when you are supposed to pour a cup of hot water over the batter and just let it sit, without stirring, before you put it in the oven.

Just don't stir it, no matter how much you want to! This cup of water helps in making this cobbler completely crispy top layer over the perfect melted center. 

Serve with vanilla ice cream and you have the perfect dessert to enjoy with some perfect friends. 

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Send the leftovers home with your guests to avoid middle of the night gorging. 

Peanut Butter Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I really love the idea of mixing my favorite foods into one, which is why I was so excited about this cookie recipe that combined some of my favorites. 

It got me thinking about which of my other favorite foods would make a great team--

Mashed potato butternut squash quiche?

Pepper jack cheese hummus pizza?

It could work.

Back to the cookies.

I didn't have any doubts that this recipe would be an instant favorite.

You can't go wrong when peanut butter and chocolate chips are involved.

The addition of oats seemed interesting to me, but I love that you can taste them when you bite into this cookie.

I think my favorite part about finding this recipe is discovering this new "shaping technique".

Even after the thousands of cookies I have made in my lifetime, I have never really heard of a shaping technique when it came to cookie dough, but apparently this can be a game-changer.

This illustration shows you how to shape dough to make the perfect crinkle on top of a cookie.

Step 1.

Step 2. 

Step 3. 

The recipe recommends cooking these for 10 minutes which I discovered results in an EXTREMELY gooey cookie, which I know some people are really in to, but I baked my second batch for 12 minutes and found that I liked those better.

There is always 11 minutes for those people that really can't decide.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

4. Use a large cookie scoop (for 16 cookies) or a smaller one (for about 21 cookies) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Thinking of my poor sister and her peanut allergy. 

Dark Chocolate and Red Wine Cookies

I have talked about dynamic duos before, I mentioned Tom Hanks with Meg Ryan and Essie nail polish and J. Crew, but I discovered the best duo this past weekend. 

Dark chocolate and red wine. I swooned for hours.

I was looking through my files for a sweet treat to take to a bachelorette party in which I was asked to bring either dessert or an alcoholic beverage. I thought to myself, why not combine the two for a real crowd pleaser. 

From the moment I found these cookies, on Keep It Simple Foods, I was intrigued and I knew that a  party with my best friends was the perfect event to try them out. My sister helped and as the smell of the dough filled my little kitchen we agreed that we had found a great cookie recipe. We could not keep our hands out of the mixing bowl as we were placing the spoonfuls on the cookie sheets and waiting for these gems to come out the the oven was torture. The cookies proved to be equally as wonderful as the dough and I knew my friends would agree later that night. Even after a massive mexican feast we all found a way to eat at least one cookie; they were just that wonderful.

In typical fashion I forgot to take a picture of the final product... just imagine a dark cookie with the most perfect gooey center you could ever think of. 

MAKE THESE

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Blogging from my new desk! I feel so much like Carrie Bradshaw I can't even stand it. Now all I need is a ballerina skirt, some Manolo Blahniks on my feet, and the west village out my window. 

Something Carrie and I do not have in common is my love for cooking. While she stored her sweaters in the oven, I would much rather use mine to create sinful smells and treats. In a vow to cut back on sweets after the holiday season I hadn't baked in a very long time and I recently decided (on a very dull Tuesday) that I had been out of the kitchen too long. 

I am always looking for new and improved chocolate chip cookie recipes, especially when I am at my parents' house because know full well that they will all be eaten (and not just by me). I tried out a new recipe that had a much larger ratio of brown sugar to regular sugar and I was happy with the results. The dough was fluffy and light and the cookies had an addictive crispy crunch (and it wasn't just the pecans I added to the recipe.)

I halved the recipe below and it still made 30 cookies!

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
9 1/2 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, cut into chunks using a serrated knife
Sea salt

Pecans, crushed

1. Using an electric mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes (DO it!). Scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, ensuring not to over mix. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks and pecans.
3. Using a small ice cream scoop, place the cookies one inch apart on a baking sheet. Gently press down the dough balls with the palm of your hand and sprinkle each scoop with a bit of sea salt. Bake at 360 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to bake an additional two minutes on the baking sheet. Place the cookies on a cooling rack to cool.

Until next time.

You read that right, bake at 360 degrees.

Just in case you missed the link to my source--Let's Live La Vida