Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies

I was feeling seriously conflicted about what to share today, so I let you guys decide via my Facebook page. The choices were chocolate, cookies or cheesy carbs, and it was super close. Lots of people requested a combination of chocolate and cookies, and I had this recipe ready to go so I was happy to oblige :) And for those of you who wanted cheesy carbs, rest assured I've got that post set up for next week so you won't have to wait long!

Although I rarely make them, I absolutely love sugar cookies. If I put together a list of my three favorite cookies, they'd make the cut, especially if we're talking about this coconut-lime version. I'd honestly never even considered the possibility of chocolate sugar cookies, but when I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Cook's Country I immediately put it on my to-do list.



These cookies come together easily - you don't even need a mixer, just a few bowls and a whisk. Also, there's no need to chill the dough so you'll be digging into these in no time! It took me a few tries to get the baking time just right for these guys, and consequently I did a lot of taste-testing. Tough job, but someone had to do it :) The cookies were perfectly chewy in the center with slightly crisp edges. They were delicious on their own, but I also think they'd be a great summer treat with some ice cream sandwiched in the middle.

We are headed to Disney today for Food Blog Forum Orlando! In fact, we're probably on a plane as most of you are reading this. I am so excited to meet my blogging buddies, indulge in some delicious food, and visit the parks! I'm sure I'll be sharing lots of pics over the course of the weekend; feel free to follow on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook if you'd like.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
slightly adapted from Cook's Country, April/May 2013

1/3 cup (2 1/3 oz) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (8 1/8 oz) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2 1/4 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 3/4 cups packed (12 1/4 oz) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add the granulated sugar to a wide, shallow dish (a pie plate works well). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.

Add 10 tablespoons of the butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20 or 30-second bursts until melted. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until it is completely melted. Set the butter aside for 5-10 minutes to cool until lukewarm, about 90-95 F on an instant-read thermometer. (Don't skip this step - if the butter is too warm the cookie won't bake properly.) Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until incorporated (it's important to make sure you break up all the lumps of brown sugar). Mix in the egg and egg yolk until well combined. Switch to a rubber spatula, and stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.

Shape the dough into balls, each ball should be about 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll the balls in the sugar you put in the shallow dish earlier, coating them on all sides. Place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving several inches of space in between them. Use the bottom of a glass to press the balls down so each of the cookies has a diameter of about 2 inches. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with a few pinches of the remaining granulated sugar.

Bake, one sheet at a time, until the cookies are slightly puffy and the edges are just barely set, about 12-13 minutes (the cookies may look slightly undercooked in the center, that's ok). Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue baking with the remaining dough.

Makes about 24 cookies

Banana-Oat Smoothie

If you follow along on Facebook, you might have seen me mention that I was working on a meal planning post for you guys. I had really hoped to have it up today, but it's just not quite ready yet. If I'm going to share it I want it to be an useful as possible for you, so I'm going to put it on hold until next week - that should give me the time I need to put the finishing touches on it. This one is so long overdue it's almost embarrassing, but hopefully you guys will find it worth the wait!



The time I'd planned to spend on wrapping that post up yesterday was instead spent at the mall shopping for clothes and shoes for our trip to Florida this weekend. If that sounds like fun, let me assure you it wasn't :) I really don't enjoy shopping at all which is probably part of the reason I waited until the very last minute to do it. But, the shopping gods were on my side for once and I actually left with some cute new things. It's been chilly here this week (30-degree mornings in May - what?!) so it's going to be fun to actually get to wear summery clothes in Florida!



Remember when I told you about the glut of bananas around here lately? Well I finally got sick of trying to find ways to bake with them. So instead I made a few smoothies, and this banana-oat version is my favorite of the bunch. I've never made a smoothie with oats before and they did add a little bit of texture, but in a good way - I enjoyed it! The smoothie has a ton of protein so it keeps me full until lunch, which is among my most important considerations when it comes to any breakfast option. Plus, it's super thick and creamy, so I can almost pretend I'm having a milkshake for breakfast. Almost :)

That reminds me, we had the best peanut butter and jelly milkshakes when we were at Disney in December - definitely adding one of those to my must-have list for this weekend!

Banana-Oat Smoothie
adapted from Martha Stewart

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
1 banana, cut into thirds
1/2 cup skim milk
1-2 teaspoons honey
pinch ground cinnamon

In a blender, combine the oats, yogurt, banana, milk, 1 teaspoon of the honey, and the cinnamon. Blend until smooth. Taste and decide whether you'd like more sweetness - if so, add some or all of the remaining teaspoon of honey and blend again. Serve immediately.

Serves 1-2

Malted Milk Chocolate Cupcakes

I should probably fess up, I have a serious obsession with malted milk powder. It's been an ongoing thing for the past two years. Maybe you've noticed - I've made ice cream, chocolate sauce, blondies, and a bundt cake. Have you ever baked with malted milk powder? If you haven't and are curious about why it's such a great addition, it imparts a rich, mildy sweet, slightly nutty flavor to desserts. So, so good!



I'm compelled to try almost every recipe I come across that includes malted milk powder. It doesn't even matter if it's similar to something else I've already made. Take these malted milk chocolate cupcakes, for example. There are already two malted chocolate cupcake recipes on my site, but still, I had to make these. The first recipe is quite different from this one - the chocolate flavor in those cupcakes comes only from cocoa powder whereas this recipe uses unsweetened chocolate. And those were topped with a vanilla buttercream rather than the malted milk chocolate frosting here. The second recipe was more similar - the cupcakes also got their chocolate flavor from unsweetened chocolate and featured a milk chocolate frosting - but there were other differences (the fat used being one) that still made it worth trying a third version.



I'm so glad I did because they were fantastic! Besides, you can never have too many chocolate cupcake recipes, right? These cupcakes are rich and chocolatey and though they bake up with a fairly tight crumb that's not a bad thing because they're still very moist. The frosting might have been my favorite part though. It's made with milk chocolate, so it's sweet with a mild chocolate flavor. It also includes malted milk powder so you're getting that malty flavor not only in the cupcakes but also the frosting. The consistency was great for piping too, always an important consideration in my book. These cupcakes went to work with Shane and from what I hear were devoured in record time so I wasn't the only one who loved them :)

Just a note: the frosting includes a 2-hour refrigeration period so you'll want to factor that into your plans if you're going to make these!

Malted Milk Chocolate Cupcakes
barely adapted from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

Cupcakes
2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
2 cups (14 oz) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (5 oz) malted milk powder
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
12 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (5 oz) malted milk powder
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

malted milk balls, optional garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and malted milk powder. Whisk until well combined. Add the chocolate and butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in the oil until combined. Add the chocolate mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, along with 1 cup of the milk and beat on low speed until combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice. In a measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour half of this mixture to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed until incorporated then add the second half and beat again on low speed until everything is combined (scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary).

Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each about 3/4-full. Bake for about 20-24 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes, then remove them to the rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: Add the chocolate to the bowl of your stand mixer. In a small saucepan whisk together the malted milk powder and heavy cream. Set the pan over medium heat, and stirring almost constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate (do not stir yet) and then cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside for 5 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and gently whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted and smooth (it's important that all of the chocolate is completely melted - if not, you're going to wind up with chunks of chocolate in your frosting). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until well chilled.

Place the bowl on your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes. Start mixing on low, and gradually add the pieces of butter to the chocolate mixture in the bowl - let one incorporate before adding the next. After you've incorporated all the butter, increase the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until the frosting is smooth and thick. (You can chill the frosting again if it is too soft, but I didn't have to.) Transfer the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe frosting into a swirl on each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with a malted milk ball, if desired.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Tilapia Piccata

If you're a hockey fan, I really, really hope you were able to watch the Bruins game last night. It was epic, easily one of the best hockey games I've ever seen. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a huge Bruins fan; it would have been equally as awesome no matter which teams were playing. Having the Bruins involved just made it about a million times more stressful for me. Down 3 goals they mounted a huge comeback late in the 3rd period to send it to overtime, where they scored the game winner! Shane was already in bed, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't able to sleep through my celebratory screams...

I didn't get much sleep either last night, the adrenaline high kept me up for several hours. Totally worth it :) I'd like to say there's a nap in my future, but since we're leaving for our trip to Florida in just a few days(!), I have to power through and start checking things off my to-do list. It's shaping up to be a crazy, exciting week!



Luckily, when I planned our meals for the week, I knew we'd be busy so I kept things really simple. Among the dishes on our menu is this tilapia piccata, which is a new addition to our weeknight rotation. Setting aside salt and pepper, there are only 6 ingredients required to make this meal and it can be thrown together in under 15 minutes. Tilapia is dredged in flour, quickly sautéed and then a really simple pan sauce is made with butter, wine (or vermouth, in my case), lemon juice, and capers. Fresh, flavorful and fast - there's not much not to like here. The recipe does include more butter than I've been cooking with lately but it still only clocks in at just over 200 calories per serving so I have no problem enjoying it a few times a month.

Oh, and apologies for the so-so pics - I was chasing the light when I photographed this, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from sharing with you :)

Tilapia Piccata
just barely adapted from Cooking Light, March 2007

{Note: the pan sauce has a strong lemon flavor, which we enjoyed, but feel free to use slightly lemon juice if you prefer something slightly more mild.}

4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup dry vermouth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon drained capers

In a wide, shallow dish, stir together the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the fish in this flour mixture, coating both sides lightly. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to a large nonstick skillet and set over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the pan is hot, add the fish. Cook for about 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side, or until the fish is browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove the fish to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add the vermouth, lemon juice, and capers to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir until melted and combined. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve.

Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

Hope you all had a good weekend, and a nice Mother's Day! It probably couldn't have been more gray and rainy here, but we made the best of it. Yesterday I met up with Shane's parents and we dodged the raindrops to watch him run the Cox Sports Marathon. After all these years of watching him train and run races, I still don't know how he does it. 26.2 miles is no joke! He ran a new personal best finishing in just over 3:25 - awesome, right? In order to qualify for the Boston Marathon (his long term goal), he needs to improve his time by another 20 minutes or so, but he's inching closer with every race. Yay Shane :)

(Oh, and many thanks to Shane's dad for most of these pics - he's our official race photographer!)



Last night Shane made his inaugural trip to our local ice cream shop and rewarded himself with a giant bowl of ice cream. One of the perks of being a runner, I guess! It's almost enough to make me want to get out there and start training... Actually, no it's not. I'll stick with Shaun T, I think.



No doubt we'll be eating a lot of ice cream in the coming months, and while there will be more trips to our local shop, I'll be making a good majority of it at home. Considering summer hasn't even started yet, I've actually tried quite a few new recipes already. I shared the double cookie dough ice cream a few weeks ago and today I'm bringing you this peanut butter fudge swirl ice cream. I knew it would be good - I mean, you can't go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate, but Shane and I both agreed this was one of our favorite homemade flavors to date. It has so much peanut butter flavor! Combine that with the fudge sauce swirled throughout and a perfectly smooth and creamy texture, it was heavenly.



Best of all, the recipe makes more fudge sauce than you need for this ice cream so you have extra to drizzle on top every time you grab a scoop. If you want to throw a brownie under there too, well even better :)

Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Ice Cream
from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones by Kris Hoogergyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough

{Note: I haven't tried making this ice cream with regular peanut butter so can't say what difference it makes. The ice cream gets pretty hard in the freezer, it'll be easier to scoop if you let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes first.}

Fudge Ripple
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Ice Cream
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup 1% milk
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1/4-1/3 cup fudge ripple

To make the fudge ripple: Whisk together the sugar, water, cocoa powder, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Remove the pan from the heat once the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the chopped chocolate and set the pan aside for 1 minute, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof container and refrigerate until completely chilled. Do not add to your ice cream until very cold.

To make the ice cream: Add the heavy cream, milk, half of the sugar, and the salt to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining half of the sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale in color. Add the peanut butter to a second heatproof bowl and set aside. Slowly add the warm cream mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour back into the saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 170-175 F on an instant read thermometer). Strain the custard into the bowl containing the peanut butter and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (overnight is good). Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. As you transfer the ice cream to an airtight container for storing, drizzle in the fudge ripple every so often. (You can really add as much or as little of the fudge sauce as you want - the quantity listed above is just a suggestion.) Once you've add add of the ice cream, gently swirl with a butter knife. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Makes about 1 quart