If you enjoy a savory breakfast option, particularly in a bagel, then this rosemary sea salt version is for you.

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Growing up, I took art classes on Saturdays and next door was a bagel bakery. I don’t know how often my dad took me there but all I remember was being obsessed with their bagels topped with coarse sea salt.

Pretty sure I ordered that just buttered or slathered with cream cheese every time. I was a picky eater and creature of habit.

Now, I may not have turned into the most skilled artist, but thankfully my insanely picky-eater childhood self did grow out of that phase, even if it took until college.

Fast forward to the present and there’s a bagel place in town called The Lox Bagel Shop and even though I have only been there once, I immediately fell in love with their sea salt and herb bagel, which I had sandwiched around a pastrami and egg sandwich.

Clearly I like salted bagels.

Naturally I had to make some for myself. Of course since I also have to keep my sourdough starter alive and well it seemed natural to also make it a sourdough bagel. And thus the idea for these bagels were born.

From what I could tell from their bagels, the herb used was rosemary, hence the name I gave my bagels, but you could really use whichever herbs you have on hand, fresh or dried. Just be sure to use less if dried because it is condensed.

No matter which herb you choose, these babies are worthy of being turned into a candle. They smell amazing while they bake!

And again when you toast them.

And tasty with either plain cream cheese or as a breakfast sandwich! Tested and approved by both child and adult me ;-).

Four years ago: Southern Breakfast Lasagna

Five years ago: Coke Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Six years ago: Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait

Eight years ago: Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Pudding Cookies

Nine years ago: Spicy Chicken and Pepper Jack Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust

ROSEMARY SEA SALT SOURDOUGH BAGELS

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Yield: 1 dozen

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups warm water
• 1 tsp active dry yeast*
• 1 cup "fed" sourdough starter**
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary***, plus more for garnish
• 1-3/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• Coarse sea salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the water and yeast and let sit until it gets foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the sourdough starter, flour, rosemary, and salt and either knead—by hand or use the dough hook on a stand mixer to form a stiff but slightly sticky dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise for 1 hour (or let rise in fridge overnight, allowing it to come to room temperature for an hour before proceeding). Gently deflate the dough, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth, round ball. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. They'll puff up very slightly.
3. While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by bringing the water and sugar to a very gentle boil in a wide-diameter saute pan. Preheat oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
4. Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole until it's about 2 inches in diameter (whole bagel about 3-1/2"). Place each bagel on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
5. Transfer the bagels four at a time into the simmering water. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip, and cook 1 minute more. Using a skimmer or strainer, or the end of a wooden spoon, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt and chopped rosemary. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
6. Bake the bagels for about 25 minutes, or until they're as deep brown as you like. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a rack. Best when eaten within 24 hours as the salt will dissolve over time.

Notes

*If you want solely sourdough yeast fermentation leave out the added yeast, just keep in mind the rise times may differ. **Don't want to deal with a sourdough starter? Use 1/2 cup each flour and water instead. ***You can use any fresh herb, but if using dried reduce to 1 Tbsp

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Tantalize your taste buds with the combination of dark chocolate, salted caramel, and double chocolate stout all in one addicting cookie. 

The countdown to St. Patrick’s Day has begun and my annual party is this weekend! As much, my brain has been flooded with recipe ideas because I find this holiday particularly fun to cook for, so much so that I tend to have an overflow of ideas every year. Which means if it made it onto my blog it withstood the competition. And these cookies win at a lot of things. They might look at little Halloween-colored at first but give me a moment to explain.

These cookies may be one of my favorites of the year and it’s only March. Depending on how the remaining 9 month go, they may reappear on my top recipes of 2016 list. It started with the discovery of salted caramel flavored baking chips that I found in the baking aisle of Giant Eagle (no this is not a sponsored post, I’m just letting you know so you can snag some too!). While buying the salted caramel chips was a no-brainer, deciding what to bake with them was a more difficult decision. That was until I started dreaming of sweet and salty combos.

At first I envisioned pretzels in the mix but decided to just stick with three flavors: salted caramel, dark chocolate, and stout. There is 24 oz. of double chocolate stout in these cookies. Well, 24 ounces that were reduced down to about 1 ounces. After successfully incorporating 24 oz. of root beer into my chocolate chip cookies, I decided it was time to experiment with beer – ’tis the season after all. The dark chocolate paired exceptionally well with the stout and made the flavor shine, and then the salted caramel brought it home.

Two years ago: St. Patrick’s Day Recipe Roundup (2014)

Three years ago: Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla Pie

Four years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

Five years ago: Apple Harvest Oatmeal

SALTED CARAMEL DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STOUT  COOKIES

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

24 oz. double chocolate stout (or Guinness)

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

1 (12 oz.) bag salted caramel baking chips

Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling on top

Directions:

1. Pour beer into a pot and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. For approximately 30 minutes, let it reduce down to about 2 tablespoons, keeping a close eye on it towards the end to make sure you don’t cook it completely.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, both sugars, and reduced beer until blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended. Fold in the chips by hand.
4. Rolls 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball that is slightly taller than wide and place on a plate or tray. Cover tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, but overnight for best results (I’ve refrigerated for up to a week).
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats (or parchment paper); set aside.
6. Place cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 8-9 minutes (will look underbaked). Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt upon removal from the oven. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from my Root Beer Chocolate Chip Cookies and Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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Not all sugar cookies are created equal. Take these for example which are made with real pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and browned butter!

#PumpkinWeek is here again and we can’t be more excited. Hosted by Terri from Love and Confections, 19 Bloggers will be sharing 65 pumpkin-filled recipes over the course of the week. Be sure to come back every day to see all the delicious creations – from muffins to cakes, cocktails, breakfast baked goods, savory pastas and stews, and gluten-free recipes too. You can also find these great recipes and more on Love and Confections’ #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board!

#PumpkinWeek Day 1 Recipes:
Browned Butter Salty Pumpkin Sugar Cookies from The Spiffy Cookie.
Caramel Pumpkin Cake from Feeding Big and more.
Easy Pumpkin Donuts with Vanilla Cream Sauce from {i love} my disorganized life.
Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks.
Healthy Cinnamon-Apple Pumpkin Cakes from Simply Healthy Family
Homemade Pumpkin and Sage Pasta from Kudos Kitchen by Renee.
Pumpkin Cannoli from The Redhead Baker.
Pumpkin Chai Baked Donut from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars from That Skinny Chick Can Bake.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Flourless Chocolate Cake Roll from Cupcakes & Kale Chips.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Whoopie Pies from Dizzy Busy and Hungry.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Gluten Free Crumbley.
Pumpkin Monkey Bread from Making Miracles.
Pumpkin Muffins from My Catholic Kitchen.
Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Crumby Cupcake.
Pumpkin Snack Cake from Recipes Food and Cooking.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm.
Semi-Homemade Pumpkin Butter from Love and Confections.
Spiced Pumpkin-Bourbon Fizz from Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

These cookies were the straw that broke my KitchenAid’s metaphorical back. I had the mixer whirring away happily mixing up the sugar and the browned butter only to suddenly hear a strange noise and looked over to see that it was no longer spinning merrily around. The motor sounded like it was still moving but much to my despair there was no action down below. After Bob did some research, it may only be an $18 replacement part but we shall see ::fingers crossed::. In the mean time I was slightly mortified by the prospect of being without it’s help. I didn’t realize how much I used it until it was out of commission! #firstworldproblems

I promise that there is nothing overly thick about the dough, so have no fear, your stand mixer will not be harmed in the making of these cookies. I think mine would’ve gave up even if it were making whipped cream. Thankfully, these cookies were easy to whip together with a regular electric hand mixer. They are a pumpkin version of the browned butter salty sugar cookies I posted a little while back and are the perfect sugar cookies for fall! They are slightly puffy but still chewy, which is an attribute I admire in a cookie.

Two years ago: Gluten-Free Buckeye Brownies

Four years ago: General Tso’s Chicken

BROWNED BUTTER SALTY PUMPKIN SUGAR COOKIES

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

14 Tbsp (1-3/4 sticks) unsalted butter

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree

Coarse sea salt, for garnish

Directions:

1. Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until melted and foamy. Continue to cook until brown specks begin to appear and it has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and transfer to a glass bowl to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Add the sugars to the cooled butter and beat until creamy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and pumpkin, and beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are just barely browned and centers are set. Sprinkle with sea salt immediately after removing from the oven.
7. Let cool on sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from Wine and Glue and my Browned Butter Salty Sugar Cookies.

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These sugar cookies are like none other you have had before with brown sugar, browned butter, and a sprinkle of black seas salt on top. And they are deliciously chewy.

You want to know the way to my heart? Cookies. It’s no coincidence that my blog has “cookie” in it’s name and as a result is often mistaken strictly as a baking blog. There are times I wish I had stuck to a niche for my blog since niche blogs tend to do better these days, but I did not start on this blogging journey with the sole purpose in mind to make money, it was just an easier way to share recipes with friends and family and a fun outlet for my kitchen experimentation. I experiment in the lab all day for my big-person job, it’s no surprise it continues at home.

But I am getting off track. Cookies. These cookies are actually not a brain-child of my own but rather of Jennifer of Bake or Break’s. I’ve had these cookies on my to-do list for far too long. I’ve actually had them once before because after I shared her link on Facebook a friend of mine made them! I should share links to recipes I want to try more often and just have everyone else cook the food I want to try. But instead of regular sea salt, he used black sea salt. Why? Because it’s the only kind he had on hand. Personally, I think the contrast in color was perfect and when I finally got around to making these myself, I actually went out and bought black sea salt despite having two giant containers of the regular stuff.

Other than the mysteriously black sea salt on top, these sugar cookies are like none other. With brown sugar and browned butter these sugar cookies are anything but bland, are deliciously chewy, and require zero garnish. Well, other than that sprinkle of black sea salt of course O:-). Feel free to use regular coarse sea salt if you do not have the black stuff already. I just think it’s pretty and supposedly the charcoal in it has nutritional benefits!

Four years ago: German Chocolate Brownies

BROWNED BUTTER SALTY SUGAR COOKIES

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Coarse black (or regular) sea salt

Directions:

1. Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until melted and foamy. Continue to cook until brown specks begin to appear and it has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and transfer to a glass bowl to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the brown sugar and sugar to the cooled butter and beat until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place on prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with sea salt.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are just barely browned and centers are set. Let cool on sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted slightly from Bake or Break.

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Not just any kind of bagel, and not just sourdough either, but sourdough pretzel bagels! The flavor of sourdough, the exterior of a pretzel, and the shape of a bagel all in one.

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In addition to April bring National grilled cheese month, it is also soft pretzel month. Soft pretzels have always been a classic favorite but these days they seem to be everywhere from burger buns, to pizzas, and even dessert versions and I’m not going to stop it from spreading.

In fact I am promoting this trend by bringing pretzels to your breakfast table. Yes I know I am throwing food genres all out of whack this week with breakfast grilled cheese, dessert grilled cheese, and now pretzels for breakfast, but I have a feeling none of you are complaining.

I actually had an obsession with salt bagels as a child and would often get one on the way to or from my weekend art sessions from a bagel bakery next door – always the salt bagel toasted with lots of butter. Such memories are what I lingered upon when digging into these pretzel bagels. While they were not nearly as salty as the salt bagels of my youth, there was still no denying its presence.

These pretzels were also made with a sourdough starter which I’ve been maintaining ever since I made the sourdough blueberry muffins. Sourdough is such a great flavor for pretzels and bagels alike so it was a no brainer to use it in the combination of the two.

Pretzel Perfection!

• Alton Brown’s Soft Pretzels from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Chocolate Chip Soft Pretzels from That Recipe
• Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Dip from Blogghetti
• Jalapeno Pretzel Crusted Chicken Strips from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pretzel Buns (Laugenbrötchen) from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

One year ago: Avocado Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Two years ago: Spring Salsa

Four years ago: Funfetti Month Recipe Round-Up

SOURDOUGH PRETZEL BAGELS

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Yield: 1 dozen Prep Time: 3 Hours Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups warm water
• 1 tsp active dry yeast*
• 1 cup "fed" sourdough starter**
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1-3/4 tsp salt
• Water
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• Coarsesea salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the water and yeast and let sit until it gets foamy, about 5 minutes*. Add the sourdough starter, flour, and salt and either knead—by hand or use the dough hook on a stand mixer to form a stiff but slightly sticky dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise for 1 hour (or let rise in fridge overnight). Gently deflate the dough, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth, round ball. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. They'll puff up very slightly.
3. While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by bringing the water and sugar to a very gentle boil in a wide-diameter saute pan. Preheat oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
4. Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole until it's about 2 inches in diameter (whole bagel about 3-1/2"). Place each bagel on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
5. Transfer the bagels four at a time into the simmering water. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip, and cook 1 minute more. Using a skimmer or strainer, or the end of a wooden spoon, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
6. Bake the bagels for about 25 minutes, or until they're as deep brown as you like. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a rack. Best when eaten within 24 hours as the salt will dissolve over time.

Notes

*Don't have yeast? Skip the blooming step and use equal parts baking soda and lemon. **If you don't want to deal with sourdough, add another 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup warm water instead

Source: Adapted from King Arthur Flour.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

What’s your ideal cookie? Soft and chewy? Sweet but salty? Peanut butter and chocolate? How about all of the above in these salted caramel peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

I don’t regularly participate in the Leftovers Club but as a quick overview, as bloggers who bake a lot and subsequently find ourselves trying to unload it all on others, each month we get paired with another blogger who will then send leftovers from a recipe they make and vice versa. We then all post on the same day sharing our recipes! It just so happened to be my lucky month as I was paired up with Joanne of Eats Well With Others!! We both sent very ecstatic e-mails to each other upon finding out, full of pretend cartwheels since we both work in labs.

Since I about lost it when I found out she had made her own homemade salted caramel peanut butter, I took it upon myself to make it and then do the only logical thing besides eating it with a spoon – bake cookies. I present to you, salted caramel peanut butter chocolate chip cookies AKA the best cookies ever. These cookies feature 3 of the best combinations all in one cookie: thick and chewy, sweet and salty, and peanut butter and chocolate!

They were so good in fact that Bob put his foot down and would not let me take them into work to share, to which I then pointed out the box of other goodies still left uneaten that were also hoarded. Apparently the others don’t compare to these cookies in his eyes (although I still told him he better start eating the goodies I save at home before I bring them into work anyway). He seemed upset that any of them at all were being shipped away and think it took a lot for him to let any out of his sight. However I think 2-1/2 dozen is plenty. In other words, these cookies were so good that “leftovers” are not really an issue.

One year ago: Creamy Skillet Brussels and Corn

Two years ago: Chicken-Quinoa Burgers with an Avocado-Yogurt Sauce

Three years ago: Maple, Walnut, and Flaxseed Pancake Doughnuts

Four years ago: Spicy Cheetos Crusted Chicken

SALTED CARAMEL PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup salted caramel peanut butter (store bought or homemade)

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

1-1/2 cups mini or regular semi sweet chocolate chips

Coarse sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, peanut butter, and sugars until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until just incorporated. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended*. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on a plate or tray, sprinkle with sea salt (if using), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight for best results).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
5. Place cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 7-8 minutes (will look underbaked). Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

* If dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies.

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It’s no secret that I love peanut butter and chocolate, especially in the form of buckeye candies which is why #PBChocSat is my favorite day of the week! Today those lovely candies are being transformed into cookies. The peanut butter center is made similarly to buckeye candies – consisting of peanut butter and powdered sugar. The peanut butter balls and places right into the center of the brownie cookie dough to bake right in. Kind of like making thumbprint cookies but you add the filling before you bake instead of after.

While this recipe using a homemade cookie base, you could make them a little easier by using brownie mix cookies for the base instead – just depends on what your goals are!

When baked, the cookies look just like squashed, puffy buckeye candies. I actually hesitated to put the chocolate on top because it would hide the eye of the buckeye, and they reminded me of the reverse of the Salted Nutella Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies. But I decided that a little extra chocolate would be worth the sacrifice and this way the peanut butter center would be a bit of a surprise to others. Whether people were surprised I could not tell, but they were certainly devoured quickly!

One year ago: Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

Two years ago: Individual Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Three years ago: Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup (2011)

Four years ago: Veggie Lasagna

BUCKEYE BROWNIE COOKIES

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:

12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped and divided

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Coarse sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, set aside.
2. Melt the butter and 8 oz. of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water,
   stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla and granulated sugar in a medium bowl, set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
5. Add melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine. (Set aside double boiler for later use.)
6. Slowly add dry ingredients and stir until it is well incorporated. Form dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon-sized balls (about 24 total), place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart, and make an indentation with your thumb in the center of each.
7. In a separate medium bowl, mix powdered sugar with peanut butter until it is combined. Roll it into teaspoon-sized balls (about 24 total), and then press into the indentations in the cookies, flattening the peanut butter slightly.
8. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer them to a wire rack then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Melt remaining semisweet chocolate in the double boiler and spoon over the cooled cookies. Sprinkle with sea salt, if using. Allow to set before serving or storing in an air-tight container.

Source: Adapted from OMG Chocolate Desserts and Cookies and Cups.

These chewy cookies are for all the chocolate and peanut butter lovers out there, with a double dose of peanut butter in the dough and the peanut butter chips.

Today is a repeat food holiday – National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. It first occurred on May 15th and apparently has more than one day in the year. But I was skeptical of the food calendar which I follow and upon googling it seems as though the one on May 15th is actually just “chocolate chip day”. Guess today is the real chocolate chip day, but regardless of which date is the “official” holiday you don’t need an excuse to enjoy some chocolate chips by themselves or even in a cookie. Or in this case peanut butter chips encased by chocolate-peanut butter cookie dough. And yes this is yet another successful creation based on my favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies which means they too will rock the socks off of your taste buds, if in fact they wore socks.

One year ago: Single Serving Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie

Three years ago: Eggplant Veggie Burgers

SALTED CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHIP COOKIES

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

2 cups peanut butter chips

Coarse sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, peanut butter, and sugars until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended *. Using a spatula, fold in the peanut butter chips.
3. Rolls 2 tablespoons of dough into a slightly flattened ball and place on a plate or tray. Sprinkle with sea salt if using. Cover tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, overnight for best results (refrigerate for up to one week).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats (or parchment paper); set aside.
5. Place cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 7-8 minutes (will look underbaked). Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

* If dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk.

Source: Adapted slightly from Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Yes, these smoked sea salt caramel dark chocolate chip cookies are as good as they sound.

Well Memphis, it’s been fun. Over the weekend I had one last hurrah downtown and it was a blast. I haven’t danced that much in awhile and my legs and abs were actually tired the next day. But today I leave Memphis to journey all the way to the other side of the state where I will reside until I solidify a job. It will be nice to spend more time with my parents but for the sake of my monetary health I hope it doesn’t take long.

These cookies were whipped up for everyone that helped with the big move into the POD last weekend (along with an assortment of other goodies and beverages). The flavor was inspired by one of my favorite cookies from Keep It Sweet Desserts, mixing smoked sea salt, caramel bits and dark chocolate into my beloved chocolate chip cookie base. This is my first recipe using smoked sea salt and it’s a pretty awesome addition to a cookie. However, I cannot claim that they are as good as hers which is why she owns the awesome cookie/brownie/blondie business!

Three years ago: Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

SMOKED SEA SALT CARAMEL DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp smoked sea salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk

1-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1-1/2 cup caramel bits

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended. Stir in the chocolate and caramel by hand using a wooden spoon. Wrap and refrigerate dough overnight, or at least an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Take cookie dough out to room temperature while the oven heats.
4. Using a medium cookie scoop (or roll 2 tablespoons), drop cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with additional smoked sea salt if desired.
5. Bake for 8 minutes or until edges are barely golden (will look underbaked). Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from My Favorite Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, inspired by Keep It Sweet Desserts.

Did you know that this coming Monday, October 28th, is National Chocolate Day? I’m here to tell you to not just celebrate it with any old chocolate, but try something new. Bar & Bean is an online marketplace for small-batch craft chocolate (less than 250 tons annually). The makers of the chocolates they stock are working to reintroduce and redefine a flavor that has been dominated by large producers.

I was sent Bar & Bean’s Baker’s Set which is a mix of 5 craft chocolate bars:

(1) Ritual Chocolate – based in Denver, CO and started by 2 individuals: Robbie and Anna. Balao 75% Cacao – characterized by citrus and nutty notes. Only 2 ingredients: cacao and sugar.

(2) Poco Dolce – based in San Francisco, CA and started by Kathy Wiley. “Poco Dolce” literally translates from Italian as “not too sweet”, which aligns with the company’s mission of staying on the “savory side of sweet”.  Bittersweet with Sea Salt – light sprinkling of Grey Sea Salt.

(3 & 4) Escazu – based in Raleigh, NC and started by Hallot and Danielle. Uses an antique roaster and stone grinder to make chocolate in a more traditional method to bring out flavor complexity. Chipotle Chili & Vanilla – 74% dark chocolate that is complemented with a spicy kick of chipotle chili. Pumpkin Seed and Guajillo Chili – 73% dark chocoloate with roasted pumpkin seeds and guajillo chili.

(5) Dick Taylor – based in Aracta, CA and started by two college buddies Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor.  Dick Taylor uses only organic cacao and organic cane sugar in its bars. They roast their beans in their modified Royal #5 coffee bean roaster. Aged for at least 2-4 weeks to further develop and stabilize flavor. Fleur de Sel – 74% Dominican Republic with hand harvested sea salt.

The first bar I tried was the Escazu Pumpkin Seed and Guajillo Chili Dark Chocolate bar, and it inspired me to incorporate pumpkin seeds into the pumpkin peanut butter cups I had been planning to make for today, which is National Pumpkin Day (and also the usual PB+Choc Saturday). Then I went after the two sea salt bars because that’s one of my favorite things in special chocolate. And as a result the pumpkin peanut butter cup with pepitas then got a sprinkle of sea salt on top as well!

Unfortunately, I did not leave enough leftover to make these cups completely out of the chocolate I was sent, but the recipe was inspired by all the craft chocolate I got to try. These little cups are the perfect combination of pumpkin, chocolate, and peanut butter in order to fully celebrate. To make the celebration even better, be sure to find the Rafflecopter widget after saving the recipe in order to enter to win your own set of craft chocolate.

As for the PB+Choc portion of today’s celebration, today Ohio State plays Penn State which means many people in my life are enemies on this day. Hopefully it will only last the day. Penn State is coming back after a 4OT win against Michigan, so it should be a really good game. They are still not eligible to play in the B1G or National championship games, so it’s really to the benefit of the conference as a whole if we win O:-). However, I don’t particularly want to go to the Championship game either because as good as I do believe we are, I am not sure we are at the same level as Alabama or Oregon. As much as I hate to admit it.

Two years ago: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Bacon, and Apple

SEA SALT PUMPKIN PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:

CUPS

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

TOPPING

1/4 cup pepitas, plus more for garnish

Coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Line a mini muffin tin with mini muffin papers. Add about 1-1/2 tsp of melted chocolate into each cup (make sure to leave enough to top them later). Using the back of a spoon, gently coat the chocolate up the sides, making sure to leave enough on the bottom for a sturdy base.
2. Place muffin tin in the refrigerator and chill until set, about ten minutes.
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until well combined. If desired, add more honey to taste.
4. Once the chocolate has set, divide the filling amongst the cups, making sure to avoid the top edges.
5. Remelt the remaining chocolate if necessary. Stir in pepitas until well coated.
6. Top the cups with chocolate mixture using the back of a spoon to spread. Tap the muffin tin lightly on the counter to evenly distribute chocolate. Make sure the pumpkin filling is completely covered. Sprinkle a couple more pepitas on top of each cup and a little sea salt if desired.
7. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.

Source: Adapted slightly from Domestic Fits.

Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary Baker’s set of chocolate from Bar & Bean and they are providing the giveaway. I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Some informative and interesting facts about craft chocolate:

• The FDA only requires that milk chocolate only needs to contain 10% actual chocolate in order to be called “chocolate” – so all artisan/craft makers exceed these standards.

• Craft chocolate is much more time consuming and labor intensive to make than the chocolate we can buy in grocery stores.  From the source of the chocolate, the beans, to how the product is actually made – every step is intentional and has its place in the process.

• It is not uncommon for artisan chocolate makers to pay 2-3 times above fair trade prices for the beans they use to produce their chocolate.  This shows just how much they actually care about the quality of their product – each bar is a true representation of who they are as individuals and a brand as a whole.

• Craft chocolate is more about listening to cacao, respecting cacao, and using the skills and resources to bring out the flavors instead of masking them with sugar and pure sweetness.

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