Posts Tagged ‘dark chocolate’
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Half & Half Cookies
March 27, 2013 | 
Author Alright, So you’ve read about my adorable nephew’s birthday party, now it’s time to tell you a little about my adventures in NYC before I ventured off to Boston!
I arrived in NYC Friday evening and I finally got to meet Tara (Chip Chip Hooray)! She took me to one of her favorite Thai restaurants for dinner, and then to a Greek bakery for dessert. I got a hazelnut cupcake (which suspiciously had almonds sprinkled on top) and a baklava cheesecake bar (which btw I actually saved for breakfast the next morning).
Kayle, myself, Tara, Joanne, Lauren, and Jenn
On Saturday we met up with the rest of the fabulous ladies for brunch at DBGB (however much to my dismay, Tracey was unable to join us due to car trouble). After stuffing ourselves with deliciouness, we found a location where we could then dive into the cookies which Lauren had brought for us to try from Keep It Sweet Desserts. After one bite of her cookies, I didn’t want them to try my cookies that I had brought because they were so phenomenal! She may have one more customer after that experience (and everyone I shared them with later on since I got to take some of the leftovers to my family).
COOKIES
From there, we went to a cute store with all kinds of kitchen stuff (Fishs Eddy) where I bought two fun cups and also two plates. One both Tara and I bought so be prepared for some awesome plates showing up. Also checked out Eataly, and a few other places I cannot remember the names to before I had to head out and meet my ride to Boston. I had an awesome time with everyone but definitely wish I had more time to spend in NYC. Hopefully I will be back soon, or maybe I can convince them to venture south 
.
Also, check out Tara’s post about our adventures too – she took more pictures!
Moving on to these cookies. They are the ones I brought to share on Saturday! Originally I had planned on sprinkling these with coarse sea salt prior to baking but totally forgot in my excitement of preparing them for the weekend. The raw dough was also so good I couldn’t wait to bake and eat them. They are half and half cookies with peanut butter cookie dough with dark chocolate chips on one side, then dark chocolate cookie dough with peanut butter chips on the other. It’s joyousness.
DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER HALF& HALF COOKIES
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
DARK CHOCOLATE DOUGH
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 up unsweetened dark chocolate baking cocoa
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
PEANUT BUTTER DOUGH
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks
Directions:
- Make the dark chocolate dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking cocoa. In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until just incorporated. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in peanut butter chips. Divide into four equal portions, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
- Make the peanut butter dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the peanut butter until creamy, then add the egg, and vanilla until just incorporated. Fold in the dark chocolate chips. Divide into four equal portions, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
- Assemble the cookies: Once the doughs have chilled for about an hour, roll all 8 balls of dough into logs, measuring about 3/4-inch wide by 12 inches long. Pair up the four logs of dark chocolate dough with the 4 peanut butter and roll the pair together into one log. Re-wrap in plastic and refrigerate for another hour, or overnight.
- When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with a baking mat or parchment paper and set aside. Take out one log of dough and slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place on cookie sheets, cut-side-down, two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies just start to set. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets before removing to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
Source: Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction and A Kitchen Addiction.
Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cupcakes
I feel like my baking rate has gone down significantly, which is likely due to trying not have as many sweets lying about to tempt me. But when I saw these skinny cupcakes on Sally’s Baking Addiction, I knew they were destined to be made in my oven. After all, I never miss an opportunity for some peanut butter and chocolate lovin’. However, even thought they are titled as “cupcakes” I actually ate them more often in the morning than as a dessert. So they can either be a treatful breakfast, or a healthier dessert.
Two years ago: Irish Car Bomb Brownies
SKINNY CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL CUPCAKES
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 large very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg whites
3/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used 0% vanilla Chobani)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, melted
1/3 cup peanut butter chips
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with baking cups. Set aside.
- In a large bowl stir together the banana, sugar, egg whites, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly stir into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Take 1 teaspoon of melted peanut butter and spoon it on top of the batter. Swirl it around with a knife or a toothpick. Sprinkle with peanut butter chips. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Muffins stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Source: Sally’s Baking Addiction
Posted in Breakfast, Cupcakes, Desserts, Muffins | 
Tags: bananas, cocoa, dark chocolate, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, whole wheat | 
11 Comments »
Healthier Dark Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins
When it comes to brown bananas (unlike the yellow ones in the background of the image below), muffins are the most frequent utilization. So I decided to pump up the health factor of my all-time favorite muffins, Banana Peanut Butter Cup Muffins. I used a butter substitute, reduced the sugar and used brown + natural sweetener instead of all white sugar, traded the egg for flax, used ground oats in place of some of the flour, dark chocolate instead of the mini peanut butter cups, and finished it off with a crumbly oat topping instead of coarse sugar. I kind of miss the peanut butter, but I can solve that be spreading some on while I eat it O:-).
HEALTHIER DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK BANANA MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
4 Tbsp Melt buttery spread, melted (or favorite butter substitute)
1/4 cup granulated Swerve sweetener (or favorite sugar substitute)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground oats
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
TOPPING
2 Tbsp oats
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas with melted butter and sugars. Mix well. Add the flax egg and mix well.
- Sprinkle in salt, baking soda and flour. Then, gently fold in dark chocolate. Be careful not to overmix!
- In a small bowl combine the oats and brown sugar for the topping.
- Divide amongst greased muffin tins and sprinkle tops with oat topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Source: Adapted from Eat, Live, Run.
Posted in Breakfast, Muffins | Tags: bananas, dark chocolate, flaxseed, oats, whole wheat | 6 Comments »
Sweet Potato Dark Chocolate Bars
This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Finding Joy in My Kitchen. After digging through some delicious sounding recipes such as White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese, Zucchini “Pizza”, and Healthier Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Crumble Topping, I finally decided to make these sweet potato dark chocolate bars. It seems that I have not been able to get my fill of sweet potato lately.
These bars could have been made with pumpkins puree, which would have been easier because all I would’ve had to do is pop open a can. But I decided to go ahead and cook up some sweet potato and dig out my food processor to make puree. Was it worth it? Definitely. These bars are like sweet potato cheesecake, with a dense-cakey (almost sugar cookie-like) crust and a granola-dark chocolate topping. I have never used granola for a topping (only oats) and really enjoyed the extra crunch it added. I used one of my favorite store-bought granolas that has pumpkin seeds in it to complete the fall-ness of these bars.
Also, in the original post she wondered if this recipe would also work with a homemade yellow cake mix. So took up this challenge and went ahead and made my own homemade cake mix and used it in this recipe. Sure enough it worked! I’ll be sharing the recipe for the homemade mix tomorrow.
SWEET POTATO DARK CHOCOLATE BARS
Makes about 20 bars
Ingredients:
CRUST
1-18.25 oz. box yellow cake mix (homemade mix works too, about 2-1/2 cups)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg yolk
FILLING
2 cups sweet potato puree (could also substitute for pumpkin)
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
TOPPING
1 cup granola (I used a store-bought granola with pumpkin seeds)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the cake mix, butter and egg yolk together until it forms a ball of dough. Press into a the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine sweet potato puree, cream cheese, egg white, sugar and spices. Mix well until most of the lumps are blended. Pour the sweet potato puree mix over the top of the crust.
- In a medium bowl, mix the granola, cinnamon and dark chocolate chips together. Add the melted butter to help the ingredients stick together. Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potato filling.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. The sweet potato layer remains somewhat creamy and solidifies as it cools. Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate before cutting into bars (not necessary, but the bars cut cleaner if you chill them first).
Source: Adapted slightly from Finding Joy in My Kitchen
Posted in Brownies & Bars, Cheesecake, Desserts, Halloween, Holidays, Thanksgiving | Tags: cake mix, cinnamon, cream cheese, dark chocolate, granola, sweet potato | 17 Comments »
Gluten-Free Jumbo Chocolate Pomegranate Quinoa Cookie
The edits for my poster came back – no catastrophic changes! I am so excited to send it off to be printed. It’s going to be huge – 8×4 feet! Might have to roll up in it like a blanket when I’m done presenting it haha. This is likely to be my very last conference as a graduate student so hopefully it goes well. But until then, let’s talk cookies.
When gifting baked goods, I never send them off without sampling my work. Don’t want to give away icky cookies now do we? But while making this particular cookie, it didn’t occur to me that by not portioning out just a tiny teaspoon for a mini cookie, I lacked any ability for quality control. I have never used uncooked quinoa in place of old-fashioned oats in cookies before, and I could only hope they would cooperate. Why the quinoa? Because I was lazy and didn’t want to go to the store for gluten-free oats.
Nervously, this cookie went sent off to my friend Christina for her birthday and I was already preparing excuses in case it didn’t turn out well. But a few days later I get a call from her, thanking me for such a huge delicious cookie. And I knew she wasn’t lying cause I could hear here eating it while she was on the phone with me! I now have the confidence to try adding quinoa to regular cookies in the future.
One year ago: Baked Crazy Feta
GLUTEN-FREE JUMBO CHOCOLATE POMEGRANATE QUINOA COOKIE
Makes 1 jumbo or 4 regular cookies
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp beaten egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
5 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp uncooked quinoa
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir the butter and sugars together until creamed. Add the egg and vanilla and mix.
- Stir in flour, quinoa, cocoa, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon and stir until fully incorporated. Add in pomegranate seeds and stir.
- Place the dough in the center of the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges are browned.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
Source: Adapted from Bake Your Day, originally adapted from Picky Palate.
Posted in Cookies, Desserts | Tags: cocoa, dark chocolate, gluten free, pomegranate, quinoa | 3 Comments »
Dark Chocolate Black Cherry Oatmeal Cookie-wiches
Are whoopie pies cakes or cookies? I know the name says pies, but they do not resemble a pie at all. It is more like a cake-like cookie with yummy filling sandwiched between. But I suppose “cake-cookie sandwiches” isn’t as fun to say as “whoopie pies”. Twittering didn’t help either as people went either way. Some said they were both or neither, claiming to be in a category all their own. I’m going to submit this issue to “Unsolved Mysteries”.
I decided to stick to the name “cookie-wiches” for this creation because they ended up not quite looking like whoopie pies. Shun me if you dare, but these cake-like cookies were just begging to be sandwiched around some fluffy goodness. And there is even 0% Black Cherry Chobani Greek yogurt in there instead of cream cheese. Excuse me while I shake up some other baking ideologies.
Only a few more days to enter the Chobani giveaway! Find out how to enter HERE.
One year ago: Caprese Salad Grilled Cheese Sandwich
DARK CHOCOLATE BLACK CHERRY OATMEAL COOKIE-WICHES
Makes about 18 cookie-wiches
Ingredients:
COOKIES
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup 0% Black Cherry Chobani Greek yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened dried cherries, chopped
1 cup dark chocolate chunks (or chips)
FILLING
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup 0% Black Cherry Chobani Greek yogurt, strained through a cheesecloth overnight
3 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup flour, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars (by hand or with electric mixer) until creamy. Add the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract; mix until smooth. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, oats, and flour; stir until just mixed. Stir in the chopped cherries and chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two to three large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoon onto the cookie sheets, about two inches apart. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheets to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the yogurt. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of the flour, vanilla and salt; mix on low speed until blended. Add remaining powdered sugar and flour if necessary, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Spread the filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top each with remaining cookies.
Source: Cookies adapted from Little Bitty Bakes. Filling adapted heavily from Fake Ginger.
Disclosure: I was sent six 16 oz. tubs of blended Chobani Greek yogurt. I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Posted in Cookies, Desserts | Tags: black cherries, cherries, dark chocolate, Greek yogurt, oats | 9 Comments »
Cinnamon Candied Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
My first day practicing mouse tail vein injections wasn’t terrible, other than feeling bad for sticking them with a needle just for my own practice only to do it again later for real. Yes I am sympathetic towards laboratory mice. They have feelings unlike the yeast I normally have my way with.
Okay, so I realize that was a terrible way to introduce a delicious cookie post so how about this other bit of news… there is a Trader Joe’s opening near my parents house August 10th! I’m trying to figure out what time of day would be best to go, or if it would be better to wait until the craze dies down a little. Thoughts?
Now that you are thinking of food again, how about these Cinnamon Candied Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies I am talking about over on Culinary.net today? You should definitely check them out by clicking HERE.
CINNAMON CANDIED WALNUT CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
Source: Adapted slightly from Chasing Delicious.
One year ago: Feta, Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato and Pine Nut Pizza with Sourdough Crust
Dark Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter
Once upon a time I made dark chocolate peanut butter banana cookies. Then once day I decided to take those same three characteristics and turn them into a peanut butter spread! Check out this recipe in my guest post on Erin’s Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts today!
DARK CHOCOLATE BANANA PEANUT BUTTER
Source: The Spiffy Cookie original
Posted in Appetizers & Snacks, Dressing Sauces & Condiments | Tags: bananas, dark chocolate, peanuts | 9 Comments »
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
Steph’s Bite by Bite is being graced by my presence today while she is off on a well deserved vacation. You definitely should head on over there for these cookies!
DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA COOKIES
Source: Adapted slightly from How Sweet It Is.
Posted in Cookies, Desserts | Tags: bananas, chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter | 14 Comments »
Guest Post: Chocolate Peanut Butter M&M’s Cookies by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Jen from Peanut Butter and Peppers is definitely a woman after my own heart. Her obsession with peanut butter made me love her blog immediately. I even won a peanut butter packed giveaway she once had (and it was glorious)! Of course she also has several peanut butter recipes that I need to try such as Peanut Butter and Berry Oatmeal, Peanut Butter and Mashmallow Truffles, and Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats made with my new favorite Cheerio variety. But don’t forget to check out her blog for some tasty non-peanut butter recipes too!
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Hi Everyone,
I’m Jennifer from Peanut Butter and Peppers. Today I am filling in for Erin while she enjoys her European vacation. Now one thing I know about Erin is she loves Peanut Butter! So in honor of her and Spiffy Cookie I made Chocolate Peanut Butter M&M’s Cookies.
I made these cookies using Peanut Butter and Co Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter M&M’s. This was the first time I had the M&M’s with the Peanut Butter and they are horribly addicting!!! If you haven’t had them, you should!! I’m wanting to try the pretzel ones too, but I’m to afraid too!
These cookies are pretty addicting. I had to put them in the freezer so I couldn’t eat them all. There crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with little chunks of M&M’s. When I used the M&M’s I threw them in the batter at the end and beat them with my mixer. It broke them up nicely! There pretty fat candies, bigger than regular M&M’s.
Chocolate Peanut Butter M&M’s Cookies
Ingredients:
1 Cup Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter (Peanut Butter & Co)
1 Cup Butter (I used Brumble & Brown)
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs or egg substitute
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Peanut Butter M&M’s
2 Tbsp. of sugar for rolling
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl add the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. With an electric mixer on medium to high speed beat for 30 seconds. Add the eggs and vanilla and continuing to beat until combined.
In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Add M&M’s and beat, this is to break up some of the pieces.
If necessary, cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle. I didn’t need to do this.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll into sugar. Place cookie balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the tines of a fork, flatten balls by making crisscross marks on top. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Eat and enjoy!
Makes 82 cookies
Calories per cookie: 52, Fat: 2.5, Cholesterol: .03, Sodium: 41, Potassium: 10.3, Carbs: 7, Fiber: .05, Sugar: 3.5, Protein: 1.4
I want to thank you for having me here at Spiffy Cookie!!
Hope you all have a lovely day!
Jennifer
P.S. Sorry Erin, I ate all the cookies!
