Extreme Caffeine-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

These are, without a word of a lie, my favorite cookies ever! Buttery, chocolatey, and a double hit of coffee flavour makes this shortbread recipe a must have in any baker's repertoire. Every time I share these cookies, someone asks for the recipe. I wish I could take credit for the idea but Dorie Greenspan is the original baker and Smitten Kitchen thankfully featured it for my eyes and taste buds to discover.

I've made them with just chocolate chips, a combo of chocolate chips and skor bits and now this version with cappuccino chips and mini chocolate chips. All of them will make your taste buds stand up and cheer!

I also like the use of a Ziploc bake to roll out the dough - it makes kitchen life super easy.

Let me know what you think of these little pieces of caffeine heaven!

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Baking: From My Home to Yours



Makes about 35 cookies

Ingredients


1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ or powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c cappuccino flavoured chips, chopped or whirred in a food processor a few times (I use Guittard brand chips)
1/2 c mini chocolate chips


What to do

• Dissolve the espresso powder in very hot water, let cool to room temperature.
• Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 4 minutes. You want the mixture to be light in colour and completely smooth.
• Add the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low.
• On your lowest setting, add the flour. To prevent your cookies from being to brittle and dry mix in the flour just until it is combined. Don't over do it!
• Gently stir in the chips.
• Spoon the dough into a large Ziploc bag .
• Gently roll the dough so it becomes the size of the bag and is about 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm thick.
• Close the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Line a large cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
• Cut or slice the bag open so that the top side of the bag is removed.
• Using a knife or a pizza cutter cut the dough into 1-1/2 - 2 inch squares.
• 13. Move the cookies onto the sheet. They don't spread much so you don't need too much space between them.
• Bake for 15- 20 minutes (depends on your oven - Mine take 18 minutes.)
• Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
• I recommend baking them 24 hours ahead of time - their flavour improves.

Brownie Cake Pops - Valentine Hearts

Cake pops are everywhere these days but let's face it - they are sooo cute! I especially like brownie cake pops because the denser cake makes for a better taste and feel in your mouth. And my biggest tip is to go light on the icing - too much just turns it all to mush - you want it to taste more like a brownie!

Ingredients
1-1/2 c butter, unsalted
2-1/4 c sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1 c cocoa
1/2 tsp salt


1-1/2 c prepared icing
1 package candy melts or similar
30, 5 or 6 inch lollipop sticks


What to do

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
• Over low heat, melt butter in a saucepan.
• Add sugar and stir until well combined and some sugar dissolves. It will still be thick and 'sugary' looking.
• Cool the mixture to room temperature.
• Place in large mixing bowl.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat until well combined- about 4 minutes.
• In another bowl, sift together.
• Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and stir until just combined.
• Pour batter into pan and smooth with spatula.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes.
• Don't over bake!
• Cool completely before moving on.

• Once cool, crumble brownie into large chunks and place in food processor. You may want to do this in batches.
• Pulse brownies until it has consistency of grainy sand.
• Place in large bowl.
• Add 3/4 c of icing and mix until well combined. You may have to add a bit more. You need the mixture to hold together when rolled into a ball. But try not to add too much or pops become too sweet.
• Refrigerate mixture preferably overnight but at least 2 hours.
• To make a heart shape I used one half of a boiled egg shaper for bento boxes. But you could also use a small cookie cutter or shape them by hand. They shouldn't be more than a couple of inches in size.
• Place hearts on a cookie sheet and refrigerate again for a few hours or overnight.

• Melt your candy melts according to directions.
• Dip one end of lollipop stick into melted candy.
• Place dipped stick into bottom of heart...about 2 cm deep.
• Dip heart while holding onto stick into melted candy to cover heart completely.
• Place cake pop stick end into styrofoam or place in a heavy glass so they can dry.
• Once candy is dried, use a food writer pen or icing in a decorating bag with a thin tip to write your messages.
• Dry as in previous method or place on cookie sheets until ready to eat.

Makes approximately 30 cakes pops.

Chipotle Chocolate Oat Cake

You can see the oaty goodness in every bite. And a hint of chipotle heat sneaks up on your taste buds too.

I love oats. I love chocolate. I love chipotle. I love this cake! It combines all of these things into one delicious, not too sweet dessert that leaves a little heat in your mouth that makes you go back for more.

It's great on its own or with frosting and sprinkles. You can up the chipotle to 1/2 tsp if you can take the heat!



My 7 year old (& future food blogger) getting in on the action! So cute.

Ingredients
1/2 c butter
1 c boiling water
1 c large flake oats


1-1/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla


1/4 c cocoa powder
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chipotle powder


What to do

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• In large bowl, combine oats, butter and boiling water.
• Let stand 10 minutes, stirring a few times
• Stir in eggs, sugar and vanilla.
• In small bowl, sift flour, cocoa, chipotle, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
• Add to oat mixture and mix to combine.
• Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.
• Bake 30-35 minutes until wooden tooth pick comes out clean.
• Cool completely.
• Frost anyway you like!



Sprinkles add a dash of happiness to any cake!



Baby Shower Cupcakes & Chocolate Sour Cream Ganache Recipe

I made these for a friend's baby shower many moons ago...I found the instructions here on Wilton's website. I think they turned out well....and they were fun to make. Of course, if I had to make 40 of them, I wouldn't think so...they definitely take time and really who could eat that much fondant??!! Instead, I made plain cupcakes and placed a baby themed candy on each one.

To be honest I don't remember what recipe I used for the cupcakes but I do remember the incredibly easy chocolate ganache frosting recipe.

Chocolate Sour Cream Ganache

from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum


(Make about 2-1/2 c)


Ingredients
12 oz dark chocolate (I use Lindt)
400g sourcream , at room temperature!
What to do
Break the chocolate into small pieces and carefully melt in sauce pan over low heat or in the microwave.

Gently stir to incorporate the sourcream.

NB: Stores 3 days at room temperature.

Chocolate oatmeal flax cookie recipe

If I put flax and oatmeal in a cookie along with some dark chocolate that makes them a health food, right?.....right??? Come on work with me here, people!

Ok, ok maybe they are not a health food but they are delicious!

Makes 20 large or 48 small cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milled flax
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups large flake rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or the whole bag...whichever ever is easier!)
1/2 c toffee bits
1/2 c premade icing, totally optional

What to do

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy...about 4 minutes.
• Add egg one at a time, mixing in the first before adding the second. 
• Add the vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, flax and salt.
• Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter bowl until just incorporated - don't over mix.
• Add the oats and chocolate chips. Stir until just mixed in.  
• For large cookies drop dough in 1/4 c mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat.
• Bake for 14 -16minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown around the edges. For small cookies, use a tbsp or 1-1/2 inch cookie scooper and bake for 8-10 minutes.
• Cool for five minutes on cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If desired, drizzle a little premade icing on them!

Daring Bakers Challenge - Candylicious!

The August 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge was hosted by Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drive and Mandy of What the Fruitcake?!. These two sugar mavens challenged us to make sinfully delicious candies! This was a special challenge for the Daring Bakers because the good folks at http://www.chocoley.com/ offered an amazing prize for the winner of the most creative and delicious candy!


This challenge was definitely challenging! It taught me I am not a master of candy making or tempering chocolate! I made sponge candy from Wilde in the Kitchen and burnt the first batch. The second tasted great as I also added orange extract but I enrobed it in chocolate that was not tempered correctly as you will see in the photos! I highly recommend the sponge recipe though - it's fun to make and tastes like a Crunchie bar (Canadian readers will know what I'm talking about!).


For chocolates, I made some with caramel in the centre, some with caramel and salted pecans (mmmm) and finally some with a center of fig butter (from Trader Joe's)! The flavours of the fig butter and chocolate melded well together to form a sophisticated and delicious taste. However, I don't think the chocolate tempered perfectly on any of these as they weren't as shiny as I had hoped nor did they have the right "snap". Read this article to find out how to temper chocolate - it certainly brought out my "temper"!!


It was an interesting experience though!

Tempering gone wrong!

Salted Pecan and Caramel Chocolates

Tempering Chocolate is tricky but even when it fails it tastes good!

Edible rice paper butterfly makes everything look pretty.

Fig Butter Chocolates - yum!

Wacky Woo Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes

For his 5th birthday, my son chose a tower of cupcakes as his cake of choice. And as a way to fill some time during the party I thought it would be great if the kids decorated the own cupcakes with sprinkles. It was a great hit - though there may have been just as many sprinkles on the floor as on the cupcakes!


This recipe is based on a "wacky woo" cake recipe - no eggs, lots of flavour, very moist and honestly the flavour only gets better after a day or two (if they last that long).


The recipe for the icing is based on a Marth Stewart recipe that I coloured with Wilton colour gels.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tsp white vinegar
5 tbsp shortening, melted
1 cup warm water


What to do
Preheat 325 degrees F.
Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
Make 3 medium sized holes in the dry mixture.
Pour the vanilla in one hole. Do not mix.
Pour the vinegar in another hole. Do not mix.
Pour the shortening in the third. Do not mix.
Pour water over the top.
Now mix.


Prepare cupcake pans and fill 2/3 of each cup.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.


Icing Ingredients
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c milk
pinch of salt


What to do
Beat butter until very smooth and creamy.
Slowly add icing sugar and beat until smooth.
Incorporate vanilla and salt.
Slowly add milk and slowly beat until beautifully smooth. (5 minutes)
If colouring, separate out into bowls and add desired colours.

Makes approx. 12 cupcakes.

Chocolate Blast Mint Brownies

Brownies have been around since the late 1800s although the exact moment of creation of these chocolatey treats is surrounded in a bit of mystery (read this for more info on its history).

Although there are cakey brownie recipes and fudgey brownie recipes, I prefer the dense, chewy, fudgey type. This recipe is adapted from Michael Smith recipe. I've added more chocolate and added mint chips for some fun.

Ingredients:

• 350 grams of good quality dark chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract (preferably pure)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark, milk, or white)
• 1/2 cup mint flavoured chocolate chips

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan. Note: I use extra cocoa instead of flour so there is no white flour color on the brownies when baked.
• Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth and remove from heat to cool.
• Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Once melted chocolate mixture has a cooled a bit, add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir well.
• Add the chocolate mixture to the flour bowl and mix until incorporated.
• Add both types of chocolate chips.
• Spread batter into the pan.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Bites

I love chocolate covered almonds...anytime any kid is selling them for school fundraising projects I am more than happy to help them out by buying a box or two.

Left over from a previous cooking project, I had a bag of almond flour (ground almonds) that I wanted to make use of ...but how? The answer struck when I was browsing other food blogs. Carolyn over at All Day I dream about Food created a great gluten free recipe for Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles that look delicious. And her recipe inspired me to try my own version. Instead of peanut butter, I used almond flour or meal and low fat cream cheese in place of the butter.

I loved the result. The mixture stays fairly soft and their small size means they can be popped in your mouth and sinfully enjoyed. The mix of almonds and chocolate simply can't be beat!

Inside:

5 tbsp low fat cream cheese
6 tbsp almond butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
1 cup almond flour/meal
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I use McCormicks)


Outside:
1-1/2 cups chocolate, melted
2 tsp vegetable shortening (optional)


What to do:
Line a baking sheet with a silpat or wax paper. Place a cooling rack on top.
Heat cream cheese and almond butter in microwave until creamy when stirred together (30 seconds - 1 minute).
 
Transfer to larger mixing bowl and add sugar and almond flour. Mix until well combined (by hand or with mixer).
 
Using a small 1-inch dough scoop (or a teaspoon) place balls on rack. Your mixture should yield 18- 22 balls depending on their size.
 
Place chocolate in heat prood bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to repeat but for 20 seconds until chocolate is melted.
 
Carefully dip bottom of a ball (if using scoop they will be half a ball shaped) in chocolate and put back on rack. With a spoon pour chocolate over top of ball and coat completely. Repeat until all balls are coated. If desired, add a sprinkling of salt or drizzle contrasting coloured chocolate on dipped balls.
 
Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use (at least an hour).
 
Enjoy.

 
Notes:
I think they taste best when consumed within a day.
The vegetable shortening will add a nice sheen to the chocolate but I prefer it without.
If you spoon too much chocolate over balls they might form a thick layer of chocolate over the cooling rack wires - a pain to remove but still delicious!

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

This is my "go to" recipe for chocolate swirl banana bread. It is from one of my Cooking Light magazines. That issue has many variations of banana bread. This is my favorite and is dog-earred and splattered with ingredients to prove it!

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices (serving size: 1 slice)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 large eggs
1/3 cup low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cooking spray

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minute). Add banana, vanilla, eggs or egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; mix until just moist.

Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information (using egg substitute)
Calories:183 (23% from fat)
Fat:4.7g
Protein:3.1g
Carbohydrate:33.4g
Fiber:1.3g
Cholesterol:8mg
Iron:1.1mg
Sodium:180mg
Calcium:18mg

Chocolate Overload Cookies!

So, it's a Wednesday night and I suddenly have a craving for chocolate chip cookies. Just thinking about the aroma of fresh baked cookies sends a shiver down my spine and puts a smile on my face. But I've had dinner, am comfortably sitting on the couch and waiting for So You Think You Can Dance Canada to come on the TV. And besides, how do I justify to myself eating cookies on a Wednesday night? Perhaps a bowl of strawberries will suffice??? Who am I kidding, it won't. In my head, I go over the ingredient list of one my fave recipes...I think I have everything so what the heck, let's do it.

Well.....apparently I used all of the regular flour when I made chocolate turnovers, all of the white sugar when I made a cake for a friend, didn't have any room temperature butter. Was my craving to go unfullfilled? No way, Jose. I decided to improvise. I used cake flour, cocoa (cause by now my chocolate craving was out of control) and melted butter. And by adding 2 more types of chips, my craving monster was finally satified! These cookies are cakier than my other chocoalte chip cookie recipes, soft and dense...and the aroma....oh man, I'm craving them again!!!


Ingredients
3/4 cup melted butter
2 2/3 cups cake flour (not self rising)
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee (optional)
2 tbsp hot water
2 eggs
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt


What to do:

1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Dissolve coffee into hot water.
3. In large bowl, beat melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and hot coffee water until smooth.
4. In medium bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Stir into butter mixture until blended.
6. Mix in chocolate chips. Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 8 minutes.
8. Let cool 1 minute.
9. Remove to wire rack.


Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Easy Chocolate Turnovers

My Mom and Mother-in-law make fantastic tea biscuits - always high and delicious! My husband, however, will be the first to tell that my tea biscuits have never received the same high grades - even when I use their recipes. Secretly, I wonder if they left out some special ingredient in the recipes they gave me in order to sabotage my efforts - like Marie did on Everybody Loves Raymond when Deborah tried to make on of her recipes!


This recipe allows me to come into my own on the tea biscuit front because they've magically turned into chocolate turnovers! This tea biscuit recipe is sweetened up with the addition of whatever chocolate you have on hand. I used chocolate medallions (2 per turnover) in the photo below and in the 1st photo I used nutella! I think adding raspberry jam to the chocolate will be my next turnover adventure.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup of nutella or your favorite chocolate, (chopped if using normal chocolate)

2 tbsp sugar
1 egg yolk

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
3. Cut in shortening with pastry lender or 2 knives until crumbly.
4. Pour all of milk into bowl and stir with a fork. Do not over mix. The dough will be soft and sticky.
5. Place dough on a lightly floured surface.
6. Knead 8 times.
7. Roll dough into 16 x 8 inch rectangle.
8. Cut into 8 four-inch squares.
9. Divide your chocolate among squares and place just off centre of squares.
10. Fold the dough over to produce triangles.
11. Pinch dough to seal triangles.
12. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
13. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
14. Bake for 20 minutes.