No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites

Sometimes when that afternoon slump hits, you just need to be able to grab something small and quick to keep you going, don't you?

And sometimes you just need that little something to get you through your work out.

Or pick you up off the floor after it.

Ha. Not like that's ever happened to me...

Anyway, whether you're slumping or lying on the floor, these little bouncy balls full of energy-boosting nutrients will have you up in no time! And besides that, they taste like almost good enough to be dessert!

The variations you can make are endless, but my version is, of course, chocolate and peanut butter centered. You can use any kind of chocolate you like, but I think dark chocolate is a great choice, not only because it's rich and delicious, but because the darker the chocolate, the better it is for you! I also incorporate my favorite peanut butter, Simply Jif, which has 1/3 less sugar than the regular variety. Less sweet, more PEANUTTY. How can that be wrong?

Experiment and let me know if you find any other fantabulous flavors!!

Note: Keep in mind that while these snack bites are healthy, they are not a low calorie treat. Just one is roughly 80-90 calories, so eat sparingly if you're going for health benefits!

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites

(printable version)

inspired by Gimme Some Oven

makes around 2 dozen

1 1/2 cups old fashioned dry oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

3 TB cocoa powder

1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate of your choice!)

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. 

Let chill in refrigerator about a half and hour.

Shape into balls of desired size (1-1/2 in. balls will yield about 2 doz.). 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutty Irishman Cookies

Cookies with cute names are just more fun, don't you think? I sure do! This little cookies not only lay claim to an adorable name- they pack a lot of flavor!

If you've ever had a "Nutty Irishman" coffee drink from your local coffee shop you know that it is the sweet combination of Irish Cream and Hazelnut (I'm familiar with the non-alcoholic version using flavored syrups, but apparently you can use real Irish Cream and hazelnut liqueur). Well, I've taken that idea, along with an inspiration from Hershey's Kitchens, and twisted it into a delicious cookie form!

The base cookie itself is a fudgy chocolate variation on a sugar cookie infused with coffee and Irish cream and hazelnut syrups. The frosting itself gets a boost from the Irish cream and then the cookies are finished off with a sprinkling of chopped nuts. The result is a decadent delight in which all the principal flavors shine through!

And here's an added bonus: if you don't have any Irish cream syrup on hand (which I didn't), I found a great DIY recipe that tastes fantastic! Plus, you'll have a lot left over to add to your coffee come Sunday morning!

So, Irish or not, add a little nuttiness to your life with these pretty, scrumptiously festive cookies!

Nutty Irishman Cookies

(printable version)

inspired by Hershey's Kitchens

makes about 40 cookies

Cookies: 

3 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup butter flavored Crisco (or margarine)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 TB Irish cream flavored coffee syrup

1 TB hazelnut flavored coffee syrup

1 tsp instant coffee

1 tsp hot water

Frosting: 

2 cups powdered sugar

3 TB butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 TB Irish cream flavored coffee syrup

1-2 TB milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 400.

Dissolve instant coffee in hot water; set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder together; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together Crisco and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla, coffee syrups and dissolved coffee.

Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until fully absorbed.

Using cookie scoop or teaspoon, form 1 in. balls of dough and place about 2 in. apart on a cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 6 min. Cool on sheet 2 min., then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make frosting: Combine all frosting ingredients and beat with electric mixer until smooth and spreadable, adding more milk if necessary to reach desired consistency.

When cookies are cooled (about 20 min.), frost and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Frosting will set up, then cookies can be stacked for storing.

Reese's Peanut Butter Temptations

There was never a truer name for a cookie. Temptation is right.

Be prepared to either gain a few pounds or exercise extreme forms of self-control.

Now that I have duly warned you, you are in for a treat. Packaged up in a delightful wrapping of peanut butter cookie dough, you'll find a miniature melty, of-course-always-amazing-no-matter-how-you-dress-it-up Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Yep. Right there in the middle of a cookie.

Genius, you say? So do I.

I was first introduced to these little gems as a young girl by an older lady on our street named Romayne, who took my siblings and I under her wing as her adopted grand kids. She refers to herself simply as "Grandma Ro" and we are blessed to know her- not only because she is as sweet and grandmotherly as they come, but because she is an amazing cook! After learning that these peanut butter cup cookies earned her accolades at the local county fair, it was with great boldness I asked for the recipe. She was gracious enough to share and I'll be forever grateful! I don't think a Christmas has gone by since then where I have not baked these delectable treats.

You won't regret trying these (unless of course you're on a diet- maybe not even then) for your holiday party or family gathering this year- they're sure to be a hit and may even become your family's new tradition!

Reese's Peanut Butter Temptations

(printable version)

by Hershey's (and Grandma Ro)

makes 40-60 cookies

40-60 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures (make sure you have enough!)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375. Remove wrappers from candies. If desired, line mini muffin cups with paper baking cups. Otherwise, grease lightly.

In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. 

Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place one in each prepared muffin cup. Do not flatten.

Bake 9-10 min. or until puffed and lightly browned; remove from oven. Immediately press peanut butter cup into each cookie. Cool at least 5 minutes in muffin tin, then remove carefully to cool completely.

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

I was so excited a couple of weeks ago when Hubby came home from helping out at the Food Bank with two beautiful bags of Hershey's chocolate mint chips! These are not always easy to find in stores, so it of course got me thinking about all the scrumptious things I could make.

First off, I checked the back of the bag since Hershey's always has amazing recipes on their packaging. Sure enough "Double Chocolate Mint Cookies" just leapt off the bag and into my oven! Well, okay so maybe it didn't happen quite like that, but it might as well have. Just under my fanatical love of the chocolate/peanut butter combo is the absolutely genius marriage of chocolate and mint. Mint especially shines on a backdrop of rich, super chocolaty chocolate.

Like these cookies. The dough is dense and fudgy and rich, and there is even more chocolate in the chips themselves!

So what do you think I should make with the second bag?

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

(printable version)

by Hershey's

makes about 2 1/2 doz.

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 2/3 cups (1 10 oz. pkg.) Hershey's Mint Chocolate Chips

Heat oven to 350.

Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well.

Stir in mint chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 min. or just until set- do not overbake. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Buckeye Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Okay, you all know that the marriage of peanut butter and chocolate is one of my favorite things ever. So we won't go over that.

But have you ever had a buckeye? Not the actual nut, but the delectable candy made to resemble it?

Someday I need to make them myself and post the recipe here because ohmygoodness they are so yummy! A beautiful expression of the aforementioned perfect pairing.

So, these cookies.

Buckeye cookies!! Peanut butter cup cookies!! Whatever you want to call them, with a fudgy chocolate outside, concealing a creamy, sweet, peanut buttery filling, seriously, how could you go wrong?

Oh, and you want a confession? I actually was short on peanut butter when I made these, and I substituted Nutella for the peanut butter in the chocolate dough!

Buckeye Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

(printable version)

by Brown Eyed Baker

makes about 2 dozen cookies

Cookies:

1 1/2  cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup sugar (plus more for rolling)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Filling:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Set aside a dish of sugar for rolling.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth.

Take about a heaping TB of cookie dough and flatten in with your hands. Take about a tsp of peanut butter filling and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll in sugar to coat. Place on baking sheet about 2 in. apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake 7 to 9 min. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 min., then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

{No-Bake} Strawberry Icebox Cake

I am so excited about strawberry season!! While we wait for them to ripen in our own little garden, or even in the u-pick fields of Spokane's foothills, I am eagerly embracing the advent of store-bought California berries.

My husband happens to be a strawberry dessert fanatic (I think I could bribe him for just about anything with strawberry shortcake). While I normally make a beeline toward anything containing chocolate, hubby heads straight for anything with fruit. 

Especially berries. 

Especially strawberries. 

When it comes to this mile-high dessert, we agree: it's amazing. 

And, it has the best of both worlds- chock full of bright red berries and topped off with a drizzle of dark chocolate ganache. Who can resist such a combination? 

But, we haven't even come to the best part! 

Sandwiched between layers of graham crackers and strawberries are heavenly heaps of whipped cream- homemade whipped cream- oh so lightly sweetened with powdered sugar and vanilla.

Are you picturing this in your head now? 

Stacks upon stacks of honey graham crackers, fluffy whipped cream, bright sweet strawberries- all drizzled topped off with a drizzle of decadent dark chocolate. 

While this concoction may tower in your imagination and on your plate, it is as light and airy as summer itself! 

Just a hint of sweetness. 

Just a smidge of richness. 

And no need to turn on your oven.

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
(printable version)

adapted from the Kitchn

serves 8 to 12

2 lbs. fresh strawberries, washed and hulled (save a few for garnish!)

3 1/4 cups whipping cream, divided

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3-4 sleeves of graham crackers (20-24 whole crackers)

2 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped

Slice berries into thin slices and set aside.

With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer (bowl and beaters chilled), whip 3 cups of the cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla and whip to combine.

Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan (or platter of similar size). Lay down a layer of graham crackers (I used 5). Lightly cover the crackers with whipped cream, followed by a single layer of strawberries. 

Repeat 3 times until you have 4 layers of graham crackers. Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl lightly with a spoon. Add a few more strawberries.

To make the ganache, heat the remaining cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand a few minutes, then whisk until thick and glossy. Drizzle this over layered dessert with a spoon.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or until crackers have softened completely. Garnish with additional berries.

Chewy Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

Or, as I like to think of them: Chocolate snickerdoodles. I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe with you yet! When I made these a couple of weeks ago, I searched through the archives to make sure, and sure enough, I had not! Shame on me, for these cookies are some of my favorites! The recipe comes from Hershey's, after all!

Amazingly soft and chewy. That crackled sugary outside. Chocolaty, with just a hint of cinnamon. Need I say more?

Chewy Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

(printable version)

from Hershey's Kitchens

makes about 40 cookies

6 TB butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 TB plus 1/4 cup white sugar, divided

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Beat butter until creamy. Add brown sugar and 3 TB white sugar; beat until blended. Add egg, baking soda, corn syrup and vanilla; beat well.

Stir together flour and cocoa; beat into butter mixture. Cover; refrigerate 30 min. or until firm enough to shape. Shape dough into 1 in. balls. Combine 1/4 cup white sugar and cinnamon; roll balls in mixture to coat. Place balls 2 in. apart on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 min. or until cookies are set and tops are cracked. Cool slightly; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Chocolate Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Rounds

I am always on the hunt for a new cookie recipe but, when I'm in a hurry or am low on ingredients, I usually fall back on oatmeal cookies. They are delicious, versatile, and a favorite with just about everyone. This time, however, when I consulted my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, my eye fell on a recipe called Peanut Butter Oatmeal Rounds. Containing peanut butter, they naturally had my attention. But when I continued reading and spied a Chocolate-Peanut Butter variation, it was love at first sight. I tweaked the recipe a little bit, mainly to include some chopped Hershey's chocolate. What could be better than adding chocolate chunks?

 The combination did not let me down. These cookies are fudgy and full of that chocolate peanut butter flavor, while still retaining the traditional, chewy oatmeal cookie qualities that I love. As usual, the test came when we had our evening Bible study- by the end of the night, the heaping plate of cookies was entirely empty. Score!

Chocolate Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Rounds

(printable version)

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens "New" Cookbook

makes about 3 doz. cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 oz. melted and cooled baking chocolate (or equivalent in baking cocoa)

1 1/4 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

2 chopped Hershey bars (or chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375.

In large mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth, about 30 sec. Add sugars, baking powder and soda. Beat until combined.

Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in chocolate.

Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer; stir in any remaining flour. Stir in oats and chopped chocolate (or chips).

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet, about 2 in. apart. Bake about 10 min. or until edges are set.

Cool on wire rack.

Minty Frosted Brownies

Top o' the morning to you! Hope this St. Patty's Day finds you feeling lucky (or blessed!) and happy. If you're feeling the least bit down, I've a recipe that will cheer you up in no time. Chocolate always helps, doesn't it?

Let me be very clear: I decided on these brownies because they are simple and quick. But alas! "Luck" was not on my side yesterday, as I discovered (gradually) while trying to throw these "simple" brownies together. I have made this recipe countless times- it is a specialty of my mom's and a great family favorite. However, deciding on impulse like I did, I made the mistake of assuming I had all the ingredients. Except eggs. I knew I did not have eggs. So I visited one of our two local convenience stores (nearest grocery is 20 min. away) and picked up the eggs. Another vital ingredient is unsweetened baking chocolate. I usually don't have a bar of that on hand, so many times I have substituted unsweetened cocoa powder, with great results. After getting home with the eggs, however, I began to pull out the other necessary ingredients, and to my dismay, the cocoa powder was nowhere to be found! I could not bring myself to believe that I would run out and not replenish my stock, so I spent some amount of time searching and re-searching every shelf of the pantry. Nope, no cocoa powder. Or baking chocolate for that matter. Now I knew that the convenience store I had just been in did not carry either. My only hope was the other store, about twice the distance, but still only about 2 mi. away. So, there I went immediately and stood staring at the baking items, not willing to believe it wasn't there. Was it? I thought maybe if I stared harder, it might materialize. It did! Or maybe it was just that I didn't recognize it for what it was...I usually buy Hershey's in that inviting dark chocolate colored tin...this was Western Family brand in a bright yellow can. Ah, well. Beggars can't be choosers, as they say. So, cringing at the price tag for such inferior cocoa, I betook myself directly home to finish baking the brownies.
For fun, I decided to halve the recipe and bake them in cute little ramekins for individual servings. This part went beautifully. While the brownies were baking, though, I again rummaged through my cupboards in disbelief. What was it this time? I was sure I had some peppermint extract (for the frosting). Well, after the cocoa episode, not so sure. But just for good measure, I double searched the cupboards again. Nope. Not a drop to be seen. Vanilla and/or almond extract simply would not do. I was crunched for time, being on my way to an exercise class, so I decided to stop by the store (again) on my way home from the gym that evening. Crossing my fingers all the while, knowing peppermint extract was not a likely commodity for a convenience store to carry.
Fast forward to my trip home from the gym and there I am, staring at the same shelves, not able this time to make any extract appear but vanilla and rum. Rum? No, that would not do. Who ever heard of green-tinted rum-flavored frosting on a chocolate brownie? So, in desperation, hubby and I hatched Plan B. I would tint the frosting green, then drizzle it with melted mint chocolate candies (I chose Junior Mints) to add the peppermint flair. It would have to do. And it did do.

The cast of unruly characters

Although my preference would definitely be to flavor the frosting with mint, the green frosting almost effectively tricks your mind into tasting peppermint where there is none. And the melted mints made a chewy, minty, dark chocolaty topping to perfectly compliment the dense brownie and sweet, creamy frosting.
All in all, though this did not turn out to be the "simple and quick" dessert it usually is, and though I can't exactly claim to have the luck o' the Irish, it was delicious and the green frosting was a great way to usher in the celebration of all things Irish!

Minty Frosted Brownies

(printable version)

by Mom (adapted from Family Favorites recipe book)

serves 6-9 depending on size of pieces (halve recipe for 4 small ramekins)

Brownies:

2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 TB butter, softened

1/8 cup milk

3/4 tsp peppermint extract

1-2 boxes Junior Mints or semi-sweet chocolate chips, if desired

1 TB butter

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave.

Beat eggs and sugar until smooth; add flour. Pour in chocolate mixture and stir to combine.

Pour into greased and floured 8x8 pan (or pour into greased ramekins).

Bake 15-20 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out nearly clean.

For frosting, mix together all ingredients until smooth. Frost cooled brownies. Melt Junior Mints or chips  with butter if desired and drizzle over frosted brownies. Chill until ready to serve. Great with ice cream!

Texas Sheet Cake {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

It's Crazy Cooking Challenge time again! When I saw that this months challenge was the ultimate chocolate cake, my heart sunk. I LOVE chocolate cake, don't get me wrong. But I've been on sort of a diet, so I knew making chocolate cake for just the two of us to eat was not going to happen. But thankfully, I found a way I could participate and make a delicious cake...and not eat the whole thing myself. Keep reading... :)



I come from a large family. Thus, we eat food in large quantities. Thus, my mom had some pretty good "feed a crowd" recipes...especially for company. This cake definitely feeds a crowd, and is a perfect pleaser whether being served at a birthday party, a company dinner, or a church potluck. This particular recipe comes courtesy of a blog called "A Southern Fairytale", but it is very similar to the one my mom and I often made together. It has a cake brownie-like consistency and is moist and fudgy on top, not overly rich, with just a hint of cinnamon. It's also easy to whip up- which makes it the perfect last minute dessert for unexpected visitors. I slightly altered Southern Fairytale's recipe, leaving out the nuts in the frosting (I don't remember ever eating it with nuts) and upping the chocolate by a tablespoon. It turned out absolutely delicious!
I made this special cake for a bittersweet occasion. A wonderful family in our church is moving away, and as a farewell treat, I served up Texas Sheet Cake after church on their last Sunday with us. We have a small congregation, so this large, thin cake was the perfect size to feed everyone. When I had served the last person, only one piece remained. I turned to see several teenage boys eyeing it hungrily. I stepped out of the way and said, "Have at it!" and they did...I looked back to see them even scraping the pan to lick up the last of the frosting clinging to the sides!

Start by mixing the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) together.

Meanwhile, heat margarine, cocoa powder and water until the margarine melts and the mixture is boiling.

Pour it over the flour mixture; add eggs, soda, buttermilk, cinnamon and vanilla and stir till well blended.

Pour into a greased high-sided baking sheet or jelly roll pan and bake!

When the cake is near to being done, get to work on the frosting! The most important thing about making this cake is to pour the frosting over the cake while it is still hot, just out of the oven. I know that is usually verboten in cake-making and frosting, but this is a must! It causes the frosting to seep into the cake, creating a fudgy layer on top that is essential. And delicious. So, heat more margarine, cocoa and milk. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and stir till smooth. The only way I have found to minimize lumps in this frosting is to mix rapidly with an electric mixture. It doesn't get all the lumps, but it helps. Pour the frosting directly over the warm cake and smooth it out.
When the cake is cool, slice and serve. You can cut it into as few as 16 or as many as 24 pieces, depending on the size of your crowd and the size of their appetites! My mom's original recipe states that the cake will stay moist up to a week...if it lasts that long! It usually doesn't.
I don't usually decorate this cake, but for this special occasion, I did.

I apologize, I wasn't able to get a good photo of a slice of the cake so you can see that delicious fudgy layer, but trust me, it's there!
Whip this up for your next gathering of at least 16 people (unless you want to be eating cake for the next week!) and I guarantee they will love you. And then you won't be able to get rid of them. But...that's your problem. :)

Texas Sheet Cake
(printable version)

adapted from A Southern Fairytale

serves 16-24, depending on size of slices

2 scant cups of flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) margarine

1 cup water

4 TB cocoa powder

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:

1 stick margarine

3 TB cocoa powder

6 TB milk

1 box powdered sugar (hard to find boxes anymore...it's about 4 cups)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together flour, sugar and salt.

Heat margarine, cocoa and water over medium until boiling. Pour over flour mixture.

Stir in eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, vanilla and cinnamon until well blended.

Pour into greased high-sided cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. 

Bake 18 min.

Meanwhile, prepare frosting. Heat margarine, cocoa and milk. Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Pour over cake while still warm.

Cool, slice, serve, and be adored!

Source: A Southern Fairytale

Crazy Cooking Challenge: Cappuccino Fudge

Here we are, Crazy Cooking Challenge #2 already!! This month's challenge was to find the ultimate fudge recipe. What a delightful hunt! I have never made fudge before, so it was a bit of an experiment for me as well. Because this was my first time, after drooling over many decadent looking squares, I decided on a rather simple fudge, but as I am sure you will agree, it suits ME to a tee.

If you do not know by now, I am a bit of a coffee nut. Coffee snob. Connoisseur. Whatever. You get the idea. I like coffee. My kitchen fairly swims in it. Take a look at the previous post about Coffee and Cream Drops. See any clues?
Now that we've established (again) my infatuation with glossy brown beans (that includes cocoa beans!), we can move on to the delicious creation I concocted in my kitchen which included both. Cappuccino Fudge. It really was a snap to make- Annie wasn't kidding when she said it was simple. I really thought fudge would be more complicated than this (and maybe some are), but it was easy and turned out fantastic, so my confidence in fudge making is definitely bolstered to try something harder next time!

The first step is to line a pan with foil (hint: this makes for very easy removal later!).

Good old trusty foil.

Next, move over to your stove top! Another thing I like about this is it really only dirties one pot. Start with some marshmallow cream...this stuff is harder to get into the pan then you might think! It is SO sticky! Add instant coffee powder, sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt and heavy whipping cream. Annie's recipe only called for 1 tsp of instant coffee, but after reading some of the comments on her blog I decided I wanted to make sure it had a real distinct coffee flavor. So I put in a whole tablespoon.

Mix it all together until it's nice and smooth (I used a whisk for this part), while heating it over medium heat.

Once it really begins to boil, keep it there and turn on the timer! Here comes the tedious part: keep stirring while it boils for 5 whole minutes.

Then take it off the heat and stir in a bag of chocolate chips till they are melted and the mixture is creamy and smooth again. Pour the whole thing into your nice foil-lined pan and smooth it out.

Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before you cut and devour!! Or. Share with your friends. Your favorite friends. Special treats are only for special friends, right?

This fudge tasted exactly as I hoped against hope that it would. A perfect marriage of coffee and rich chocolate. It was firm and the texture was smooth and it sliced beautiful into darling little squares.

If you want to get fancy, you could do like I did and serve each topped with a fine dusting of coffee powder (or cinnamon) and a whole coffee bean. Any way you slice it, this fudge is a perfect holiday indulgence your friends will love you for.

Cappuccino Fudge
(printable version)

by Annie's Eats (with tweaks)

makes about 36 squares

1 jar marshmallow cream (7 oz)

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup butter

1 TB instant coffee powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line an 8” square baking pan with aluminum foil; set aside.

 In a 2 qt. saucepan, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, cream, butter, coffee powder, cinnamon and salt.

 Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. 

Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. 

Pour into prepared pan. 

Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. 

Place on cutting board and cut into 36 squares.

Source: Annie's Eats

Coffee and Cream Drops

I have expounded in previous posts about my love for coffee and chocolate and my subsequent adoration of anything combining the two, so I won't bore you by composing another monologue on that subject. That said, however, I must share with you a new cookie discovery employing the combination of those very two blessed ingredients! Just a glance at the name and I knew I had to try them. If you have seen my kitchen, you would know too. It is practically a shrine to coffee (except that would be irreverent, so I can't exactly call it a shrine...a tribute, perhaps?). Anyhow, this cookie recipe is a delightful combination of flavors, with chocolate taking center stage and coffee slipping into the background. I think using espresso powder would bring the coffee taste out more. Another name for this cookie (I think) could be "Two-tone mocha chip cookies". You know the Java Chip Frappuccino at Starbucks? This is kind of like that in cookie form. It is especially unique because not all the flavors are mixed together- they sit companionably side-by-side, and are melded together in the oven.

The dough begins as a basic, chocolate chip type cookie dough, with coffee added. Then, you divide it in half.
One half becomes fudgy and chocolaty with the addition of cream and cocoa powder.

The other gets dressed up with chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate for more chocolaty power!!).

Then, place little bits of each next to each other on the cookie sheet (you will need to coax them to get a little cozy! Hugging is encouraged). :)

Come on, you two. Get close.

That's more like it!

Then, when baked, the two are magically melded into one! I could make this into a good marriage analogy, but I think I'll just leave it right there. The two tones make a beautiful cookies, and the flavors are delicious.

See? Magic!

 The textures are almost identical, though the chocolate side is definitely more fudgy. A perfect addition to any cookie tray- especially wherever coffee is served!!

As you can see, I have some spare coffee beans- I knew they'd come in handy one of these days! :)

Coffee and Cream Drops
(printable version)

makes 48 (the book says- mine made about 42)

2 TB instant coffee crystals (or instant espresso powder)

3 TB light cream or half and half

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup chocolate pieces (mini or reg.- your choice of chocolate)

Preheat oven to 375.

Stir coffee crystals into 1 TB of the cream until they dissolve; set aside.

Beat butter with mixer 30 seconds. Add sugars, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined. Beat in coffee mixture, egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir any remaining in with wooden spoon.

Divide dough in half. Stir remaining cream and cocoa powder into one portion. Stir chocolate pieces into the remaining plain dough portion. Spoon a scant teaspoon of each dough side by side onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Press doughs together.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until just set. Cool 1 min, remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens "Biggest Book of Cookies", pg. 25