Chocolate and Caramel Chip Cookies

The other day I found these chocolate baking discs at Whole Foods and I did a cartwheel!  Just kidding, I've never in my life been able to do a cartwheel.  I legit feel jealous of four-year-olds that are able to hurl their bodies around in airborne circles.  I don't get it?!  Even as a limber kid (I was never limber), my body was like "if you try this, you will die."  It's fine, really, I just stuck to beautiful somersaults (except I couldn't do those either). 

What was I talking about again?  Oh yes!  Chocolate!  I've seen the bittersweet dark chocolate discs before, but the bottom ones in the picture are called "dulcey" and they are creamy, toasty, caramely discs of cocoa goodness.  I highly suggest you go to Whole Foods to see if you can find them, or click on that link above and have a heart attack over how expensive chocolate can be (don't worry - they were $11 at WF - maybe a Mother's Day gift??).  Then I suggest you chop them up and throw them in your favorite salted chocolate chip cookie recipe...

(Like these.)

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

After posting these Lobster Toasts the other day, someone wrote on my Instagram that they could be named Manchester By The Sea Lobster Toasts.  Get it?  Oscars?  You get it!  THEN, I flashed these bad boy cookies in an Insta story and someone wrote...wait for it...that they could be Nutella-la Land Chocolate Chip Cookies.  BOOM.  Man, I wish I could take credit for that.  I also wish I could take credit for these cookies, but I can't.  You can find the recipe HERE.  However, I can take credit for making them, right?!  And you can too!  If your children think Nutella is a food group like mine do, then you should most definitely make these.  Because then you can take credit for being a superhero.

Perfect Mini Banana Muffins

The other day, my two-year-old came across a package of Little Bites Banana Muffins, and by "came across" I mean I bought them to keep her quiet at Target so I could shop in peace.  Did it work?  Yes.  I bought the few things I actually needed and 13 other things I did not in complete and utter serenity.  Anyway, she LOVED them and would not stop asking for more.  Between the three of my kids, we polished off the box the next day and of course, they were hooked.  However, I felt torn between giving them something they actually enjoy eating and feeding them a snack with ingredients I can't pronounce.  The solution presented itself when we came home from a long weekend away to dark bananas.  I made my own!  I wanted to make them mini, perfectly moist and just sweet enough.  They were fantastic... two-year-old approved.  Best part?  Only took a matter of minutes to prepare the batter IN ONE BOWL and made 50 mini muffins... plenty to eat and plenty to freeze for future snacks.  That's more than one best part, sorry not sorry.       

Perfect Mini Banana Muffins

Makes 50 mini muffins

Printable Recipe

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 small ripe bananas)

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, add the sugar and vegetable oil and stir until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice and stir again until smooth.  Add the mashed bananas and stir to combine all ingredients.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until just combined.  Add the milk and stir once more until just combined.  You don't want to over-stir or you'll have dense muffins.  Spray a mini muffin tin with baking spray.  Add a tablespoon or so of batter into each cup (about 3/4 of the way full).  Bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool and then remove onto a wire baking rack.  Enjoy!  

For more breakfast inspiration, check out my segment on the Today Show this morning here.

Cigar Tuiles

I only have 17 things on my to-do list today... one of them being to bake ONE more Christmas cookie (which will never happen)... and I'm feeling frantic.  However, I wanted to share these Cigar Tuiles I made the other day because they are so impressive, not THAT difficult to make, and very delicious!  It's basically a cookie dough that you spread very thin on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roll into a cigar shape the second it comes out of the oven.  Then you dip it in chocolate and chopped nuts.  Obviously.  I used a recipe from a special Cookie edition of America's Test Kitchen that I can't find online, but you can find similar recipes here and here.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Glorious Whatever You Celebrate.  I wish you all peaceful weekends spent with the ones you hold dear!

Doubletree Cookie Recipe

I am sitting here, swimming in holiday cards, literally drowning.  I started yesterday and was actually enjoying myself!  The girls were napping, my son was at the neighbor's, we had a fire going, football on the TV, Christmas music in the background... I was drinking beer.  It was all very enjoyable.  Now, however, I've been at it for hours while my daughter is coloring all over herself (I swear she started on paper) and HOW AM I ONLY THROUGH THE J'S??  Also - and I'm warning you this is disgusting (I am disgusting) - I was eating an arugula salad as I worked and then realized that a piece of lettuce ended up on an envelope after I licked it.  Ummm... now I'm wondering how many cards that I've already licked are going to come with leafy vegetables FROM MY MOUTH.  

Told you, so gross.

Guess what's not gross??  These cookies!!!  It's cookie season!  You can and should eat a new cookie every day, in fact.  It's a holiday rule that I made up just now.  I saw these as I was perusing the internet and while they may look like just another chocolate chip cookie, they might be one of the best I've ever had!  It's a copycat recipe for a cookie that the Doubletree hotels serve, which I wasn't familiar with, but now I want to rush there to see if they are in fact this good.  Two things I found interesting about this cookie: the addition of lemon juice and cinnamon (a tiny amount of both), and pulsing the oatmeal in a food processor until it's super fine.  I guess that's actually three things, but leave me alone.  For whatever reasons, I have a feeling that's why they are wonderful!  Make them!  

You can find the recipe HERE.

Update: I'm at the K's.

One-Pot Pasta + Black Bean Brownies

Let's talk about friends for a second.  There are so many different kinds... the friends you've had since you were little, the ones that you don't see much but when you do can pick up right where you left off, the mom friends that just GET IT, and the ones you meet later in life but you instantly feel like you've known them forever.  One is silver and the other gold, or something like that.  Anyway, I have only known Savannah Guthrie for a couple of years, but it seems like much longer.  She just GETS it, and is a pretty amazing human being as well.  Just look at how I'm cuddled next to her in the photo below, completely ignoring my husband...   

It's always fun cooking with her (AND Carson) - if you missed the One-Pot Mexican Pasta and the Black Bean Brownies I made yesterday morning, you can find the recipes here and here.

Photos by Nathan Congleton

Rapunzel Cake

I am all birthday caked out.  My daughter Etta turned 4 on Monday, and she's only been anticipating her birthday since, oh I don't know, a few minutes after turning 3??  And, by the way, she's pretty convinced she'll turn 5 next week.  She is NOT understanding my explanation of a year!  I started out all patient and kind with my words, and now I'm so exhausted that I just say, "Etta!  A year is a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.  You will feel like you are 4 forever.  And p.s. Christmas is far away too."  (Even though OMG no it's not.)  As a kid, I always thought it was so weird that my mom didn't seem to care about her birthdays BUT NOW I GET IT.  

Alright, birthday pessimism aside, I really did enjoy making her Rapunzel cake!  I had never worked with fondant before and I was terrified.  However, I found by using lots of powdered sugar to help roll it out and keeping what I wasn't using covered with a damp towel, it was pretty easy to use!  Of course, I have not mastered making it look smooth (I also don't have any fondant tools), but for this cake I was lucky because I was scoring the sides anyway to make it look like a tower.  I used white fondant and then sprayed the cake with this Silver Color Mist.  I used colorful fondant and a little fondant mold for the flowers, vines and birds.  Then, I used a tube of yellow frosting for her hair.  

One thing I would have done differently - more buttercream inside!  No one really likes to EAT fondant, and I found when I cut the cake the fondant took the buttercream with it.  I would have sliced each layer and slathered buttercream inside to ensure each bite had enough.

Finally, I followed this recipe for the cake.

Have great weekends!

Braided Nutella Pastry

Every summer while I'm on vacation, I try to bake something slightly more challenging (for example, these bagels from long, long ago... practically olden times).  A few days ago, I enlisted my daughter to help me with this sweet pastry that's smothered with her favorite food group: Nutella.  That girl has been known to dip her morning VITAMINS in Nutella.  One day she'll probably be a raw, vegan chef but for now, she would live off of gum and the hazelnut chocolate spread if I let her.  

{Side note: I obviously stress over her sweet tooth and lack of love for vegetables (I'm a human mom, after all), however, I also strive to teach my children balance.  Strict limitations are something I don't understand, because what's left is curiosity and desire.  Everything in moderation, including moderation (a wise woman once said).  WE ONLY LIVE ONCE.  The End of side note.}

 This sweet dough was delicious, and need I say anything about Nutella?  My daughter had a BLAST helping, and it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.  That said, I also didn't have my beloved standing mixer, and it's been awhile since I've kneaded dough by hand.  The result was a slightly denser dough than I would have liked... but I will definitely make this again at home because just look at how lovely The Baker Chick's fluffy dough came out?

Recipe HERE.

When you're renting a house and can't find a rolling pin...

My little helper...

Dory and Nemo Cake

My baby is two.  That means she's technically not a baby anymore, but you mamas know we are always allowed to call them that.  She is a tiny comedian and when she's not making everyone laugh, she's being her sweet, concerned self.  "Jackie sad?  Mama doing?  Sorry Etta." are phrases she utters frequently when she's not saying "UPPY UPPY UPPY UPPY."  She LOVES Dory and often likes to claim, "I'm Nemo."  For her birthday, it was a no-brainer to bake fishy cakes and finding fish cake pans at Michael's definitely helped.  I went with good old boxed cake mix, because I decided I actually wanted to spend TIME with little LoLo on her birthday.  (I have been known to bake cakes that take me all day to finish and turn me into a giant ball of stress.)  

Do the eyes look a little freaky to you?  They look a little freaky to me.  And it also sort of looks like the fish have braces.  Or blinged out grillz.  I had to google how to spell that.   

If you care to see the other cakes I've created for my kids, check it out here.

Banana Chocolate Chip Blondies

Happy National Relaxation Day!  Yes, that is a thing.  Because everyday is a National something.  I have found - especially as I get older - that I have a hard time relaxing.  I guess I'm a "doer" and was born with this desire to always DO something.  If I sit for too long, I start to feel guilty, as if I'm neglecting something that needs to be done.  Carson does NOT have this problem, which has been good for me, especially while we're on vacation.  Next to him, I'm able to slow down a bit and realize that the world won't come crashing down around us if I sit.

Can you guys relax?  Any relaxation tips for me on this national holiday?

One thing that always relaxes me is baking, and so the other day I made these Banana Chocolate Chip Blondies and they were delicious.  One bowl, very few ingredients, done in 30 minutes from start to finish.  They'd probably be fantastic if you browned the butter first!  Yum!    

Recipe here.

Fudgy Chocolate Frosted Brownies

I feel like I've been focused on making lighter, healthier foods lately, which is BOR-ING!  Just kidding, but not really.  Even though it's absurdly hot and humid here, I was craving rich, fudgy, chocolaty brownies... so I turned my oven on and got to work.  I somehow stumbled upon these (probably googling "brownies" had something to do with it) and they looked so delicious.  I am always sold on fudgy brownies, but add a rich chocolate frosting to the top?  Done.  They were very, very good, and colorful sprinkles make everything more fun, don't you think?

You can find the recipe here.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake

When is your birthday?  Is it lumped next to another holiday, like Christmas or Halloween?  My mom's birthday is Cinco de Mayo, which always lands relatively close to Mother's Day.  When we were kids, our neighborhood held a block-wide garage sale, and so just as my mom was attempting to rid her house of junk, we went to other people's homes and bought her junk... for her birthday and Mother's Day... one big lump of junk.  Happy Mothers-Birth-Day!  She really deserves an Oscar for her thank you speeches.  Similarly, Carson's birthday is June 22nd, which usually falls extremely close to - if not on - Father's Day.  I think I have guilt over buying my mom someone else's hand soaps, or worn tennis t-shirts for 75 cents, so I make an EFFORT to separate the two for my husband.  I capitalize "effort" because it's not always easy.  This year for certain reasons we had to celebrate both in one weekend, so I knew I needed to bake an epic cake.    

This cake, THIS CAKE!!!  (Imagine I'm violently shaking your shoulders and shouting in your face.)  It is just absurdly good.  It's my friend Audra's recipe (Audra, it's cool that I call you my friend even though we've never met, right?) and she basically NAILS IT as my son would say.  If you like the chocolate and peanut butter combo, then you will die over this cake.  The chocolate cake layers are perfectly moist, and in between each is a layer of thick chocolate ganache and peanut butter frosting.  Nothing is overly sweet, but it is rich and indulgent and a chocolate lover's dream.  Please bake this for the next lumped celebration in your life, or... for no reason at all.      

Recipe HERE.

Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread

Buzzfeed cursed when they wrote about this recipe.  That sold me.  If you're passionate about something to the point of potty words (I'm a mother) than, well, there must be a reason.  And by the way, if I wasn't a mother, and if I wasn't a LADY, I would curse here too telling you about this HEAVENLY BANANA BREAD.  A cream cheese stuffing, that's almost frosting-like (without being overly sweet), and perfectly moist banana bread.  Gosh darnit it's good!!! 

Recipe here.

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Over the weekend, I had overly ripe bananas that needed attention, but I was tired of turning them into bread or muffins.  BOR-ING!  Okay, not boring, delicious, but I've been there done that, you know?  I wanted something new and exciting, so I probably googled something like "bananas baking new and exciting" (not really) and that's when I found this recipe for Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls! I was sold.  I adapted them slightly because the recipe was vegan, and I'm a fan of dairy and gluten and sugar and all of those yummy things.  I actually have a cold and my tastebuds are making everything taste the same (which is a horrible, horrible thing when you love food as much as I do), but I've had several people, including my son, vouch for their deliciousness.  They were also very simple to make!  Next time your bananas turn brown, remember this recipe...

p.s. My kids and I die laughing every time we watch this clip.

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls w/ Cream Cheese Glaze
Makes 10-12 rolls
Printable recipe

For rolls:

1 cup whole milk
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup mashed bananas (2 ripe bananas)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Olive or canola oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon (or more)

For glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons milk

Heat the milk and 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Once butter has melted, remove from heat and let cool slightly (you want it to be warm to the touch, but not hot).  Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and then sprinkle the yeast over the milk and butter mixture.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Then add the mashed bananas, 1 tablespoon of sugar and the salt, and stir.  Slowly add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a springy dough is formed.  On a lightly-floured surface, remove dough and knead for a minute or two.  Rinse out mixing bowl, and coat with olive or canola oil.  Form dough into a ball and place in bowl, seam-side down.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour until dough doubles in size.  Remove from bowl, and again on a lightly-floured surface, roll out dough to a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.  Melt the rest of the butter in the microwave, and then pour over dough.  Sprinkle with remaining granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Starting with the shorter end, roll into a log, seam-side down.  Using a serrated knife, cut into rolls, and place in a round (or square) lightly-greased cake pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Once preheated, bake rolls for 28-30 minutes.  While rolls are baking, whisk glaze ingredients together.  Pour over baked rolls, and enjoy!

Gooey Chocolate Chip Sandwich Bars

Are you mad at me??  I've been bad at blogging lately :(

In my defense, it's been a particularly busy week over here and some exciting things have been happening oooooonnnnlllyyyyy, I can't tell you yet.  Ugh, you're mad at me again!!

But hey!  I made you something!  Something with A LOT of chocolate, and it's ooey, and gooey, and it's half brownie, half fudge, half cookie.  I realize three halves don't make a whole, but just go with it.  These bars are delicious, easy to make, yummy to look at, and you forgive me, right?

I'll be on the Today Show Monday (in the 9am hour), and back to blogging regularly next week, I swear.  In the meantime, I just signed up for Snapchat and DOES ANYONE UNDERSTAND IT?!

Recipe here.

pre-baked...

post-baked...

Girl Scout Cookies on TODAY

If you are like us, you bought way too many Girl Scout Cookies.  Then you realized how many you had, and started handing them out to family, friends and complete strangers.  Of course, after finishing the boxes you DID keep, you felt very sad.  But I have a solution!  Make homemade versions of my personal favorites - Tagalongs and Samoas - at home!  I was on the Today Show this morning demonstrating my recipes.  If you missed it, you can view them and the segment here.

Photos by the lovely Samantha Okazaki

BB8 Cake

Well, my son turned seven last week.  I don't know why this birthday seemed so significant to me... seven sounds so old!!  This means eight years ago, I was nearly pregnant with him (I'm good at math).  Which means I've been a mother for almost a decade.  WHICH MEANS I'M ALMOST 40!  Ok, it doesn't really mean that, but seven does sound old, right?  He had a Star Wars-themed party this weekend with some buddies (at one of those places where hundreds of kids bounce around together and share puke germs) so I made him a BB8 cake.  Which yes, I realize may have been better suited for his 8th birthday, but I never said I was good at math.  

I made two circle red velvet cakes (following this recipe), cut one cake into a smaller circle, and then in half.  I formed the robot's body and head, slathered everything in cream cheese frosting, and decorated it with candy melts similar to the Transformer and Power Rangers cakes below (click on those links for more info).  As you can see, I've had fun with cakes for my kiddos in the past!  

And by "fun" I mean lots of panic attacks and beers.     

Rainbow Cake

Brobee Cake

Transformer Cake

Frozen Cake

Minion Cake

Funfetti Cake

Polka Dot Cake

Power Ranger Cakes

Wubbzy Cake

Buttermilk Granola Muffins

Did anyone else experience the longest weekend of their lives??  Blizzard Jonas kept us inside for most of it, and even when I felt ready to bundle up and go play in the fluffy white stuff, I couldn't because our middle child has been fighting a stomach bug that just won't go away.  If I could sum up my weekend in three words it would be: Lysol, Snow and Wine.  That sounds like a song.  Listen, when they practically make it illegal to leave your home, you enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two.  Or 39.  My house is a mess.  There are forts everywhere.  I let everyone walk around in their snowy boots after one, epic tantrum (and then I let go).  I can't stop washing my hands.  I can't stop spraying Lysol.  I've given my girls 18 baths.  Anyway, let's just say I'm happy it's Monday.

Thank god I prepared for the storm and made sure I had every ingredient I would need to bake and cook.  At least for muffins and chili (more on that later).  A week ago we were upstate in Rhinebeck, NY and I bought this incredible granola from the sweet shop Samuel's.  Chunks of dark chocolate, dried fruit, nuts and coconut make it the best granola I've ever had (even if for a split second after purchasing it, the image on the package made me think I had bought dog food).  Carson had the fantastic idea of baking muffins with it, and so I googled "granola muffins" and found this recipe.  

They are delicious!  Just use your favorite granola and you will certainly enjoy these muffins.    

Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Brownies

These are just stupid.  In a good way!  But they're stupid.  I mean, is it really necessary to make brownie batter and then decide to stuff a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough in between the dark chocolate goo?  No, it is not necessary, it is stupid.  And brilliant!  Stupid brilliant.  Do I sound like Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes yet?  Right then.  Bloody hell, what a dumb treat.

Ok, let's push my attempt at dry, British humor aside and discuss how good these really are.  Incredibly rich, difficult to eat more than a few bites, but delicious!  And very simple to make.  Just throw together your favorite brownie (boxed or homemade, mine were Ghiradelli), then your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (I used this one), and layer away.  I went brownie batter, cookie dough, brownie batter, but the creative possibilities are endless!  Bake as directed on the brownie box (although you might need to add 5 more minutes) and enjoy your stupid, dumb treats.  

Ultimate Seven Layer Bars

These are bananas.  Hands down, the best Seven Layer Bars I've ever made.  I followed this recipe which includes all the normal ingredients from the familiar bars - chocolate, butterscotch, coconut, pecans, ooey, gooey sweetened condensed milk, etc - with one amazing variation.  Instead of a basic graham cracker crust, it's a graham cracker butterscotch cookie crust!  DID YOU HEAR ME?!  It's amazing.  This is the only picture I took before we ate the rest.  So much for gifting them to people!