Nutella Spiked Brownies

It has just been one of those days...well, yesterday was actually. I'm writing this on Tuesday.
Monday lived up to it's hype, I guess.
I really wanted brownies...
     because it's Monday
          because I'm a girl
               because I went to the gym earlier
                    because J's car is making a weird noise---again
                         because I need to replace my 5 year old camera (Yes, five years!)

picture taken w/ video camera

So to satisfy my craving, I wanted super chocolatey, delicious brownies to make it go away...for at least thirty seconds while I savored the flavor at least. I know I shouldn't look to food to make my day better, but it does work...sometimes. And at least I let out some of the stress in the kitchen while I was mixing up this concoction. I used my great-grandmother's (Mommaw) recipe for chewy chocolate brownies and made it my own with lots of additions and substitutions. Here's another recipe using these brownies as a base: Brownies w/ Peanut Butter Frosting

My Facebook friends begged and pleaded for the recipe, so this one has been moved to top of the "things to post on blog" list. Here it is, friends, here it is...

6 Tbl cocoa
1 Tbl canola oil
1 Tbl spiced rum
1/4 c butter
1/4 c nutella
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 Tbl flax seed + 3Tbl water (or 1 egg)
1 tsp Dr. McGillicuddy's Vanilla
1/2 c flour (I used half whole wheat/half white)

• Mix cocoa, oil, and rum. Set aside.
• Thoroughly cream butter and sugar.
• Add egg, flax, and 3 Tbl water and beat well.
• Blend in chocolate, vanilla, and flour. 
• Pour into greased 8x8 pan. 
• Bake @ 325* for 30 minutes

Homemade Tagalongs

     I'm not sure why the Girls Scouts only come to your door with their cookies once a year. I really wish they could come more because I could keep them in business. Those Tagalong cookies are my very favorite. Chocolate, peanut butter, and shortbread all in one. It's pretty much the best thing ever.

    I have a friend who shares my love for these cookies. We were both at Dairy Queen about every other day when they had the Tagalong Blizzard. It wasn't pretty...but it was delicious. She sent me this recipe for Tagalongs that you can make at home. I was a bit skeptical that they would be as good, but I have to say I was impressed. These were great the first day, even better the second day, and I nearly made more when they were finished off on the third day. Seriously, they are that addictive!



2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 cups flour (take out 6 Tbl if using white whole wheat like I did)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Chocolate candy coating

• Cream together butter and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add in the egg. Add vanilla and beat until smooth.


• With mixer on low, add in salt and flour. 


• Shape the dough into a long cylinder, about 2-3 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper and freeze for at least 25 minutes. 


• Preheat oven to 350*


• Slice the dough into thin disks and place on baking sheets, about a half inch apart. They don't spread much while baking.


• Once you have made about 30 cookies (or you could make them all---like I said they are amazing!) wrap up the rest of the cookie dough and freeze for another time.


• Bake the cookies 8 minutes or until just starting to set. 


• Place on a cooling rack and cool completely. 


• Mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar. Form into small disks and press onto the cookies. I coated my hands with powdered sugar for this step, because it was a little sticky!


• Melt the chocolate and coat the cookies. Let set before enjoying.

linking up with

Sweet Tooth Friday

and 

Sweets for Saturday

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Balls

     Do you ever have one of those recipes that just isn't quite right? I think it was my fault really. I should have used a bigger pan. The recipe said to use a sheet cake pan, so I used a 9x13. Apparently, I needed a jelly roll pan or something huge! Anyhow, these "brownies" were very delicious. They were so cake-like, thick and moist that they came apart every time you tried to remove them from the pan. Really, that was the only problem with them. I got so frustrated that I decided to try my hand a cake balls...or truffles...or whatever you want to call them. These things are popping up everywhere.

     Basically, I took my moist cake-brownies and put them in my mixer to combine the frosting and cake. Then I scooped them out with a meatball scoop to form balls. I froze them and dipped them in Almond Bark. They were even better this way. They tasted like ding-dongs! Only healthier...since they have zucchini  in them. Ha!





4 eggs

1-1/2 cups oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

4 Tbl cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups grated zucchini

1 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Frosting:

3oz cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 stick butter

2 Tbl cocoa

• Beat oil and sugar for 2 minutes. Add flour, soda, cocoa, vanilla, zucchini, salt, and chocolate chips. 


• Pour into 9x13 (for cake balls) or sheet cake pan (for brownies).


• Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.


• For frosting: Mix ingredients and frost brownies when they are cool.


• For cake balls: Mix cooked/cooled brownies and frosting until well combined. Form into balls, freeze, dip in melting chocolate, decorate as desired.

linked up to 

sweets for saturday

and

sweet tooth friday

Other Zucchini Recipes

Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies
Zucchini Enchiladas
Zucchini Banana Craisin Muffins (or bread) 
Spaghetti Marinara 
Sloppy Joe Meatloaf
Meatballs
Fajitas
Fresh Veggie Skillet
zucchini fries
zucchini bread
Zucchini Gratin

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

    

Nutella No Bakes

     I went to visit my dad for his birthday last weekend. While I was there, I decided to stop by our family reunion. I was at my mom's house, so I didn't have a lot of options. I decided to make NoBake cookies since most people have the supplies on hand to pull that off quickly. I got started, and realized there wasn't enough peanut butter! What's a girl to do?

     As I frantically looked though the cabinets, I came across a jar of Nutella. Hmmm....peanut butter is similar in texture to Nutella...and they are both made from nuts....of course! My mom was skeptical, but I think she was won over in the end. These turned out great, so if you are ever in a pinch...or just want to make something awesome on purpose-substitute Nutella for peanut butter.

1/2 c butter
2 c sugar
1/2 c milk
3 Tbl cocoa
1/2 c Nutella
3 c oats
1 Tbl vanilla
opt. 1/2 c nuts/and or coconut (I used coconut)

• Bring sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa to a boil. 
• Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and quickly stir in oats.
• Add Nutella, vanilla, and coconut (or nuts). Mix well.
• Drop onto wax paper to harden.

Scotchilla Cookies

     Well, I don't know what is wrong with me. I wanted cookies again today. I tried feebly to resist, but broke down and made some. I had half a bag each of butterscotch chips and vanilla chips from previous cookie making experiences  (see here and here), so I just combined them and made a new twist on a basic cookie...I call it "The Scotchilla"--just to sound dramatic. If I could only change the font to Chiller or something!
     Anyway, enough of me being weird for now. These were amazing! Plus, the oatmeal and flax seed makes them healthy...or at least healthier, right?
     I put some on a cookie sheet in the freezer. I will add them to a freezer bag when they are frozen, so I can make them another time when I have a craving.

3/4 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 Tbl milled flax seed
3 Tbl water
1 tsp vanilla (homemade)
1-1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 c Old Fashioned Oats
half bag butterscotch chips
half bag vanilla chips

• Heat oven to 375*
• Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs, flax, and water. Beat well.
• Combine flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture. Beat until well blended.
• Stir in oats and chips.

Drop on cookie ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden.

submitted to
the Culinary Smackdown Battle: Cookies

Spiced Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Chip Cookies

We had to go to a wedding over the weekend. This is the first time we have left our daughter with a friend for more than a half hour (aaahh, the joy of having no family nearby). One of our good friends just loves her to pieces and volunteered to entertain her for a few hours.

As part of her payment, I decided to make cookies for them. When we were at the store I bought butterscotch chips, but didn't just want to make oatmeal butterscotch cookies---so normal! So I googled (is that a word now, because the editor is underlining it like it's not...) some recipes and found this one. And, I just love the blog I found it on, too!

Here's the recipe...I didn't change a thing!
1/3 c shortening/butter combo (half butter/ half shortening) 
1/2 c applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/4 c flour
1/3 c sugar
2 Tbl brown sugar
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c butterscotch chips

• Preheat oven to 350*
• Cream sugars and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in applesauce.
•  Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 
• Stir about 1/3 of dry mixture into wet. Repeat until all combined. Stir in chips.
• Grease baking sheets. Spoon on batter.
• Bake 12-15 minutes until firm and golden.

 

We have a lot of zucchini!

     We have so much zucchini! We left town for the holiday weekend, and when we came back we had three more zucchini....One was so big it produced 6-1/2 cups of shredded zucchini! I wondered what I was going to do with all that zucchini ... plus two more that are just about ready!
     I shredded the giant zucchini, and froze it in two three cup portions. That is just the right about for our favorite zucchini bread recipe. You could freeze it in whatever portions you like for your recipes. I used the last half cup of shredded zucchini for the cookies at the end of this post. For dinner, we had zucchini fries to use up the other two zucchini.
     Still haven't found a zucchini recipe that tickles your fancy? Here are some sweet or savory recipes.
Zucchini Enchiladas
Zucchini Banana Craisin Muffins (or bread) 
Spaghetti Marinara
Sloppy Joe Meatloaf
Meatballs
Fajitas
Fresh Veggie Skillet
Squash Zucchini Pizza Bites from $5 dinners
Chocolate Cake from The Suburban Settler

And now, for the real post....Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies with Zucchini.
These were so good, moist, and soft. I'm a fan of soft cookies, though I know some like crispy ones. To each his own. These were easy to make and pretty good for you since they have zucchini and banana in them.  Adapted from Deceptively Delicious. She says not to use an electric mixer to avoid tough cookies.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 Tbl soft tub margarine
1/2 cup pureed banana
1/2 cup shredded zucchini (puree if you have picky eaters!)
1 large egg white (I used powdered egg white)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips (or whatever you like raisins, chocolate, caramel, peanut butter...)

• Preheat oven to 350*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
• In a large bowl, beat sugar and margarine with wooden spoon. Do not overmix. Add the banana, zucchini, and egg white. Stir til just blended. Add the flour mixture and chips to just combined.
• Drop onto cookie sheet about an inch apart. Bake until golden brown, or about 12 minutes. Cool for a couple minutes, then transfer to cooling rack covered in wax paper.

Simple Sugar Cookies

I have a box of recipes that I may have mentioned before. All the recipes come from my grandparents or great grandparents' kitchens. Most I had eaten at various times in my childhood and bring back special memories, and there are some that I haven't tried before. It's my goal to make them all at least once.

I don't remember eating these sugar cookies from "Momaw's" kitchen, but when I saw the recipe I knew I had to make them. I love cookies, and most of the time I love baking them too. One thing I hate though: the rolling pin! I hate rolling things out, and most sugar cookie recipes require you to do so. Not this one! That is when I knew this recipe was for me.

2-1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 c butter
1 egg
1/2 c shortening (this is how you know it's an old recipe)
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbl milk

• All ingredients should be room temperature.
• Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Add egg. Mix till fluffy. Stir in dry ingredients until smooth. Blend in milk. 
• Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet.
• Flatten with bottom of glass which has been dipped in sugar.
• Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes. 
• Cool. Makes 5-5-1/2 dozen 2" cookies

Strawberry Shortcake; 2 ways

     I mentioned earlier in the week that we went to pick strawberries. We have been eating them like crazy; so much that I'm almost tired of the....almost. A few things we have made are strawberry white chocolate chip muffins, crepes, strawberry honey freezer jam, and strawberry shortcake (twice!).
     I love strawberry shortcake. It's one of those treats that reminds me of staying at my Paw's when I was little. I think it must have been one of his favorite desserts, because I remember eating it a lot. I actually used his recipe as a base for both of my versions.
    The first time we made it (the picture on the left), I made a lot of substitutions in an effort to make the shortcake a little more healthy. The result was delicious, but a little heavy. Basically the taste was very similar to the original, but it was more dense. It was worth it since it was a little more healthy...even though I served it with Homemade Vanilla Blue Bell ice cream. The second time I made it, I did not make substitutions besides to use whole wheat flour. We only have whole wheat flour in the house so regular flour wasn't an option. This was just as I remember it when I was little. So good with the sweetened ricotta creme!

I made my shortcake in a 9 inch pie plate, but you could use an 8x8 dish or double the recipe for a 9x13.

Option 1 (more healthy, more dense)         

2 cups flour (minus4Tbl for whole wheat)   

1/3 cup agave                                            

1/4 cup butter                                            

1/4 cup applesauce                                    

1 egg                                                         

4-1/2 oz milk                                            

                                                                 

Option 2 (classic)
2 cups flour (minus 4T for ww)
1/4 c sugar
1Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1-1/3 cup milk

• Grease and flour your pan. 
• Combine all ingredients. 
• For option 1 bake at 425* , for option 2 bake at 450* until a toothpick comes out clean.

Linked up to

Kicked Up Oatmeal Cookies

A former co-worker used to make these amazing cookies which she adapted from this Emeril recipe. The main difference is no nuts and substituting Craisins  for raisins.

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
2 c quick oats
2 c craisins
1 c white chocolate chips

• Mix butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
• Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Stir in oats, craisins, and chips.
• Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350* for about 10 minutes or until golden.

Shortbread Cookies

The other day we visited Conner Prairie, an outdoor historical park where the people dress and play the part of historical figures. When we arrived at Dr. Campbell's house, his wife was making these delicious cookies for visitors to sample. She also gave us the "receipt" so we could make them at home, too. I couldn't believe how good they tasted with so few ingredients!

Chocolate Chubbies

Sorry about the cookie overload on the recents posts. It goes with the season, right?
     I saw this post on Evil Chef Mom and knew I had to try them despite the name "chubbies." My circumstances were definitely not the same as hers, but she is right about one thing...sometimes you just need a cookie....and sometimes you need a Chocolate cookie!
     These were just the right cookie for me that day. Notice the amount of flour in the recipe...now notice the amount of chocolate...They were really more like brownies in the shape of cookies, which I think is the best of both worlds since I like the edges of brownies anyhow....and they never seem to come out of the pan in the perfect square shape like they should I've even tried that perfect brownie pan thing...it works...sometimes. Anyway, back to these cookies...They are so good! The only changes I made was that I used peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips and I didn't add pecans or walnuts.

1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
9 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (or 1/2c+1Tbl cocoa and 3 Tbl oil)
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c (12 oz) peanut butter chips (or semi sweet chocolate)
Optional: 1-1/2 c chopped pecans and 1-1/2 c chopped walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350*. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
• Bring 1 inch of water to simmer in saucepan over low heat. Put the butter in a heatproof bowl and melt over the water in the saucepan. Add semisweet chips and unsweetened chopped chocolate. Stirring until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let stand about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Whip the eggs on Medium until foamy. Increase speed to high, Add sugar, then vanilla. Whip about 3 minutes until eggs are very thick.
• Reduce mixer speed, add warm chocolate. 
• Stir in flour, peanut butter chips (and nuts). The dough will be somewhat soft.
• Using a meatball scoop, place dough on cookie sheets about 1-1/2 inches apart. 
• Bake immediately (if you wait, the cookies won't be shiny)
• Bake until set around the edges 17-20 minutes. 
• The edges should release easily even if the center of the cookie seems soft. Don't overbake.
• Reduce mixer speed

Cookies

Caramel Bars...or Caramel Pecan Bars

Tonight we really wanted a sweet snack, but we hadn't been to the store because of all the Christmas festivities. I found this recipe that used ingredients that we had on hand. I also got a new brownie pan that I wanted to try out (it works!). They turned out to be amazing. My husband kept eating them each time he walked by the plate....I think he kept walking by so he could eat them!
The original recipe was for Caramel Pecan Bars, but my husband doesn't like nuts. I figured you can't go wrong with caramel, so I just left them out!

1/2 cup butter (could use imitation)
1 cup plus 2 Tbl brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla (I used imitation)
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans, powdered sugar

• Over medium heat, heat butter and brown sugar until sugar dissolves
• In bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, and butter mixture.
• Combine flour and baking powder, add gradually to butter mixture.
• Stir in pecans if desired---I didn't use these
• Spread into 8x8 pan (or special brownie pan, if you have one)
• Bake @350 for 20-25 minutes or until tooth pick in center comes out with moist crumbs and edges are crisp. 
• Cool on wire rack.
• Dust with powdered sugar if desired---I didn't do this

Minnie's Cookies

     I'm not sure who Minnie is or was, but she sure made a good cookie. These are my very favorite cookie. My Mommaw used to make these for us when we were younger. I think they might have been her favorite too, because I don't remember her making many other kinds of cookies.
     I always make these around Christmas and usually a couple other times a year, too. They are always a big hit with their simple peanut butter flavor. You can add some optional drizzle on top for a special treat.

1/2 c sugar
1/2 c Karo syrup
3/4 c peanut butter
3 c Special K (or corn flakes)
OPTIONAL: 1/2 c chocolate chips+1/2 c butterscotch chips= melt and drizzle atop

• Bring sugar and Karo syrup to boil
• Add peanut butter and Special K
• Stir until coated.
• Drop on cookie sheet or wax paper to cool. Drizzle if desired.

Peanut Butter