Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

These are the best! But don’t take my word for it … Bake them up today! Chewy Buttery Good … not too flat, not too thick, just right. I’m using the new Nestle Dark Chocolate Morsels. Make sure you try this recipe with your favorite chocolate chips. This way you’ll be able to taste test the best chocolate chip oatmeal cookies you ever ate. Seriously Good! Just can’t say it enough and I’m a chocolate chip cookie aficionado. If you’re into chocolate chip cookies with a touch of oatmeal and like the chewy variety these are for you!

Continue reading


Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Great cookies for the Holidays. Chocolatey and not too sweet. Delicious quick recipe with few ingredients. Easy to put together for unexpected guests. Chocolate shortbread keeps well but let me warn you, they’ll go fast. You can also personalize by adding your favorite nuts, candy bits or mini chips. Amazing without any addition, my preference. The cocoa used makes a difference. So, use a cocoa product you love. No skimping is my thought.

Continue reading


Chocolate Banana Bread

Why not try something a little different with those over-ripe bananas. This is such a beautiful (and delicious) quick bread. At first I was just going to add chocolate chips to my banana bread batter but opted for something a little more chocolatey. Breakfast? Why not! No additional sugar added to my banana bread recipe. Just the addition of chocolate. The flavors come through in this very moist quick bread. If you’re into chocolate & bananas you’ll love it.

Continue reading


Keto Friendly Brownies

Fudgy Brownies are a must for me now and then. Actually, more often! Once into the Ketogenic Diet I had to have Brownies and here they are. These are no sugar, no gluten, low carb. So, with that said I give this recipe a solid B (4 Star) when comparing it to this recipe with real sugar. That’s where the scale drops a bit. I used Swerve (Here’s a little information, Sweeteners.) Swerve is one of the newer sweeteners and claims are made it causes less stomach upset, tastes more like the real thing and can be used in baking like sugar 1:1. I found there isn’t an aftertaste as with other sweeteners but there is, I guess you’d call, a texture difference from the real thing. It’s hard to describe … like cold tiny bubbles of sweetness dissolving on your tongue. I thought pop rocks but that’s a little exaggerated.

With all this said the recipe is worth a try and you can decide for yourself if it’s a keeper. When using the best unsweetened baking chocolate not much else matters when it comes to brownies.

Next up this week-end is (Ketogenic) Hamburger Cheese Bake with Spaghetti Squash Noodles. 5 Star!

Continue reading


Best Chocolate Layered Dessert

All about good ingredients and the main ingredient is CHOCOLATE! This dessert can be put together with mixes but if you really want to knock your & family’s socks off use homemade cake, pudding and toffee candy. And by all means whip the heavy cream. Coffee, Kahlua or Bailey’s is poured over the cake when layered and all this melds together into an amazing delectable dessert.  A heavenly dessert idea is one of Melissa’s, my hairstylist, who not only does a fantastic hair color but has given me some wonderful food ideas … ethnic recipes usually, Turkey Alcatra, and then there are those like Jalapeño Poppers Dip. Melissa has a large extended family … some of her ideas have been passed along by other family members. I believe she said this was her aunt’s creation. Melissa is an experienced cook with a bit of perfectionism thrown in. Enjoy this perfect dessert for chocolate lovers. Thanks to Melissa & her aunt.

Choose one of your favorite Chocolate Cakes for baking or one of these, here. The whole cake need not be used for this dessert. For example, if you choose a 3 layered German Chocolate Cake you can save one layer for this dessert. I used one-half of Trisha’s Chocolate Pound Cake and recommend pound cake because of the texture. Cake with a lighter texture may not hold up to layering with high moisture ingredients.

Continue reading


Chocolate Pound Cake

 

Just given a new dessert recipe to try! The main ingredient is a chocolate cake. Pretty much any chocolate cake as long as it’s tasty. I’ve posted many of my favorite chocolate cake recipes over the years but wanted to try something new just for fun. Chocolate pound cake seemed the perfect texture for the layered cake dessert recipe (coming soon). So I did a search and came up with Trisha Yearwood’s Chocolate Pound Cake. Since I know Trisha (ha) I just had to try it. I guess I should explain I really don’t know Trisha. I did run into her husband, Garth Brooks, at Reasor’s in Owasso (Oklahoma) back in the day. There was no fuss going on around him and I wouldn’t have noticed but he looks like my middle son (with a cowboy hat). I did a double take! And if you’ve heard the story of Trisha and Garth’s engagement, well, it’s all about Bakersfield, a place I know very well. Back to the cake, I had all the ingredients for her cake recipe and it had nearly a five star rating. A perfect choice for my layered dessert. Until then enjoy Trisha’s pound cake and some of my favorite chocolate cakes too.

 

Continue reading


Triple Layer Cookie Bar

Shortbread Brownie Chocolate Chip Bar

triple layer cookie barMotivated by the Brookster. Didn’t even know about The Brookster or Baked until my recent trip to Tribeca. The cookie was amazing. Thought about recreating it, two of my favorite cookies baked together. Weeks went by and I hadn’t made any cookies at all … unusual since I love homemade cookies right from the oven. I began feeling cookie deprived, craving my favorites. Why not bake my three favorites together. Know it will work! And here it is, a three layer cookie bar!

Take a tour of Baked while I put together the Triple Layer Cookie Bar recipe.

Brookster

Brookster

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continue reading


Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert

Chocolate Cheesecake DessertThe Perfect Dessert for tonight! We’re having a little family for dinner, my spaghetti & meatballs, and this delicious dessert. Will’s favorite pie is my chocolate, here. But I’m thinking this is going to be a favorite too. I’ve hung onto this recipe for some time but never tried it. It’s a Ghirardelli. Mildly chocolate and a pretty simple bake. More chocolate can be added if you’re into a pretty heavy chocolate taste.

Continue reading


Girl Scout Cookie Crust

With Grasshopper Filling

girl scout cookie_What do you do when you buy too many Girl Scout Cookies? You use the cookies for pie crusts. Yes, all varieties will work! The secret is to have a good blender capable of pulsing the cookies to a fine crumb. This pie is an adult recipe with, yes, crème de menthe. Just in time for St. Patrick’s!

Mint cookies were used for this crust and it required approximately 3/4 box to acquire 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. The finer the crumb the more cookies used. The whole box can be used not to exceed 2 cups of fine crumbs. Will make one 8 or 9 inch pie crust. I recommend baking the crust prior filling. It just holds together better. Cool completely to room temperature before filling.

Continue reading


Hot Chocolate Bar and More

Making It Easy for the Holidays

Hot Chocolate BarWe Love our Hot Chocolate! Are you into making things festive yet want it to be easy? If you haven’t put together a Hot Chocolate Bar you’ve gotta give it a try! Oops, you’re not into Hot Chocolate … Tea and Coffee work too! Even a Dessert Bar.

Here are some easily purchased items that will help you put together a Hot Chocolate or Coffee-Tea Bar in minutes. I’m sold on Dean & Deluca’s Hot Chocolate on a Stick … How easy is that! And don’t you just love these Pioneer Woman Jumbo Mugs!

Making it Easy

Hot Cocoa Goodies

Making it Easy

Holiday Mugs

Making it Easy

Teas and Chocolate

Making it Easy

Tea Mugs Chocolate

Making it Easy

French Press & Coffees

Making it Easy

Easy Gingerbread and Hot Chocolate Mix