Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes I read the recipes on the side panels of the package of the flour, or the nestle chips or whatever. This is precisely what happened in this instance. The side package of your standard Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour featured this tasty Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip recipe. These are quite simple and good and especially a treat for the peanut butter lover...and we all have a few of those in our lives.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of cream peanut butter
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Cream butter, peanut butter, sugars and egg. Beat until fluffy.

3) Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together.

4) Add the flour to the butter/egg mixture and beat.

5) Fold in the chocolate chips

6) Roll cookie dough into approximate two inch balls and place on baking sheets.

7) Bake for 10-12 minutes.

8) Share and Enjoy!

I really like these cookies. I mean what is there to not like about peanut butter and chocolate?

Made: 11/20/10
Posted: 12/3/10
Actually Posted: 05/31/11

Oatmeal Scotchies

These cookies will transform your life. You think I am kidding but I am COMPLETELY serious. For real though. These cookies are just so delicious and so simple that I wish that I had been consuming them my entire life (although my waistline would have not been too happy about it).

Make these. Just do it. You will not regret your decision. I PROMISE.

Side Note: I usually half the usual recipe because If I made the full recipe, I would have about four dozen cookies and would be tempted to eat every last one of them. Seriously.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup of Old-Fashioned/Quick Cooking Oats

1 Cup of Butterscotch Chips

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and set aside

3) Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl

4) Gradually beat in flour mixture over the course of 2-3 minutes

5) Stir in Oats and Butterscotch Chips

6) Round into approximate two inch balls and place them onto an baking sheet

7) Bake 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies

8) Cool on baking sheets for a couple of minutes...or just eat them immediately. your choice. i can't resist.

9) Share and Enjoy!!!!

Made: 12/02/10
Posted: 05/31/11

White Chocolate Craisin Cookies

Hi Friends.

It's been a while. Here is a repeat favorite that is always a crowd pleaser.

Oh did I mention it was super easy?


Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted BUTTER

1 cup packed light brown sugar (or dark...if you prefer)

2 Tablespoons milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup Craisins

Directions

1) Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla for about 5 minutes. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time.

2) Fold in White Chocolate Chips and Craisins

3) Round in 2 inch balls and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

4) Share and Enjoy!

These are simple and delicious. Make them from your friends. Make them for your non-friends and they will want to become your friends. I promise.


Made: 12/08/10
Posted: 05/31/11

Chickpea Spaghetti

one day back around the time of the new york city marathon, deb from smitten kitchen made this wonderful pasta filled with chickpeas, veggies and all around deliciousness. luckily for me, I had most of these items in my fridge and with some spinach on the brink of going bad, I decided to put my own little touch on this gem.

as an "athlete", i am always looking for ways to eat deliciously while being healthy all at the same time. this bad boy definitely falls into that category, so I highly recommend this quick and easy recipe to any person...whether an athlete or not. ;-)

Adapted From: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
15 ounces canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained or about 2 cups, freshly cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock) stock
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch chile flakes ( I use red pepper)
1 Cup of Grape Tomatoes (Halved)
2 Cups of Uncooked Spinach
Salt to taste
1 pound spaghetti (or angel hair pasta)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions

1) Cook Pasta and drain accordingly

2) Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan

3) Saute garlic and onions, until onions are translucent (4-5 minutes)

4) Add spinach to garlic and onions and cook until spinach begins to wilt. Then add tomatoes, veggie stock and chile pepper flakes and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

5) Remove mixture in saucepan from heat and add it to the spaghetti and mix well. Season with salt and pepper accordingly.

6) Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

7) Share and ENJOY!

Notes: When you add the veggie(chicken) stock, you can simmer it up to 20 minutes, depending on how much you want the flavor to seep it. I thought it was delicious without all the additional time. Additionally, the original recipe also had pancetta in it, so if you are a meat-eater, there is your special protein! I would also consider using maybe arugula or swiss chard instead of spinach, just to mix up the flavor profile of the dish. Nevertheless, it was super delicious and very quick to make. I am sure that I will be making this again!

Made: 11/09/10
Posted: 01/30/11

Cauliflower Bean Salad

Sometimes thing just come together and they were better then you expected. This is precisely what happened with this dish. I was inspired by a dish that I saw on Deb's Smitten Kitchen and it just morphed it into my own tasty meal. This is a dish I really recommend trying and although it doesn't seem that it would be that filling, it most definitely is.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoon of honey

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

A Bundle of Asparagus (Anywhere between 1/2-1 pound)

2 teaspoons chopped parsley (or herb of your choice)

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) Toss cauliflower florets and asparagus with 1/4 cup of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

3) Spread on a baking sheet and roast until edges are dark and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

4) While cauliflower and asparagus is browning beautifully, combine remaining olive oil, vinegar, and honey. Stir over medium heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cool.

5) Whisk lemon juice, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Add to olive oil, vinegar and honey mixture.

6) Combine roasted, still warm cauliflower and asparagus. Add the cheese.

7) Season salad with salt and pepper to taste.

8) Share and Enjoy!

So yeahhhh, go make this. you wont regret it. I promise.

MADE: 11/06/10
Posted: 01/18/11

Apple Spice Cake

i love apples (peeled). i love apple (pie). i don't love apple (juice). i love hot apple (cider). i love apple (sauce). i love (baking) with apple (sauce).

Yes, it is true. I have a deep love for many things apple (except apple juice...i actually hate that stuff...it is weird but I won't get into it). When I first started really getting into my baking and I found out that BOOF buddy Mits did not eat eggs, I was unsure of what to use as a substitute. I found many numerous recipes that used all of these crazy supplements, but I wanted something more natural...and something that I could eat and use on a regular basis. Enter: Apple Sauce.

It has been a love-love relationship ever since and I have been able to create some pretty tasty things that are eggless which also makes them better for ya! Unfortunately this recipe has eggs in it, but I am on my way to finding a way to make it eggless but not too moist...that is the problem my friends.

I had never made an apple spice cake before but I have definitely eaten my fair share, but when I saw this recipe from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, I knew that I had to make this. Probably more than once. This recipe is super easy and super delicious and I chose to put the icing on it, but it works wonderfully as a breakfast cake minus the icing. So yummy. So Autumn. So Perfect.

Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

For the Icing:
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2- 1 teaspoon teaspoon cinnamon ( I use the full whopping 1 teaspoon...cinnamon just adds so much delicious flavor!)

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Butter baking dish ( I recommend 8 or 9 inch square)
3) MAKE the CAKE: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
4) Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
5) Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
6) Add in apple sauce and beat well.
7) Spread batter in pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes until golden-brown. Do the toothpick Test!
8) Cool for about 15-20 minutes and then loosen the cake before turning it upside down, so it comes out of the pan to cool some more. DO not forget this step...I may have...
9) MAKE the ICING: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy.
10) Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.
11) Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.
12) SHARE and ENJOY

I really enjoyed this cake and I was surprised at how easy this was. I find this cake hard to judge because it is so moist, so just try and use your best judgment when removing it from the oven. Remember, a little too moist never hurt anyone. ;-)

Made: 11/04/10
Posted: 01/13/11

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are just almost the same exact recipe except with choco chips...and powdered sugar. I think those two ingredients might just make them even more delicious than the butterscotch ones. Who knew that was even possible.

Well, Joy the baker knew. That's who gave me the idea. She's such a smarty pants.

Adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola or corn oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2) Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil

3) Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside.

4) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

5) Once done mixing well, scrape the sides of the bowl.

6) On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended.

7) Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

8) Use a 1/4 cup or your hands to drop dough balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.

9) Bake for 15-17 minutes and do the toothpick trick. Make sure the top feels firm before you remove them from the oven.

10) Cool for about 5-7 minutes and then top with powdered sugar (don't be sparing)

11) Share and Enjoy!

I am so happy that all my buds at school actually like pumpkin with the exception of a few. Anything of the pumpkin variety is quickly eaten up and these were no exception. Super tasty. Super fluffy. Super amazing. Go make these, please.

Made: 11/04/10
Posted: 01/18/11