Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies?!

I've seen a chocolate chip cookie recipe floating around pinterest for weeks.  The photos of the fresh from the oven cookies were mouth watering.  And then I read the recipe.  How could a cookie taste good without any flour and be mostly made of beans?  Yeah, beans.  Garbanzo beans to be exact.  Or chickpeas.  They're the same thing but some people only know them by one name or the other.  Don't gag, just keep reading....

A friend posted on facebook that she tried the recipe and that the cookies were not only good, but she and her children couldn't eat them fast enough.  It was right then and there that I printed out the recipe and made a batch.  Hard to believe, but these cookies are fantastic!  Okay, so they don't have the same taste as a knock your socks of traditional cookie, but the peanut butter and chocolate give great flavor!

Blending the ingredients...

Mixing the chocolate chips in to the bean and peanut butter mixture...

The cookies taste best when they're warm.  If you are eating the cookies after they have completely cooled, I recommend zapping them in the microwave for a few seconds.

Do not judge these cookies until you try one!  Plus, there is no oil, no butter, no flour, no white sugar, so they are semi healthy.  And gluten free and grain free! And mighty tasty.

1 1/4 c. canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), well-rinsed and patted dry
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 c. honey 
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine first six ingredients (exclude chocolate chips) in a food processor and process until very smooth. Scrape the sides and the top to make sure all the garbanzo beans are accounted for.  Continue to process until all combined.


Put in the chocolate chips and stir. The cookie mixture will be thick and sticky.

With damp hands, form into 1 1/2" balls and place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. These cookies won't change shape much as they bake so don't worry. Bake for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

Banana Bread Muffins

Tomorrow I am in charge of bringing snacks to C's cooperative preschool.  Last time I brought snacks I made homemade mini banana muffins and dried craisins.  Most kids ate two muffins and one kid even tried to fish one out of the garbage can!  Gross...  Needless to say, it was easy to decide what to make for tomorrow.  Banana muffins!

When B was in coop preschool almost every parent brought homemade treats, or very creative store bought treats.  Now that C is in coop preschool, on the other side of the lake, we've found that no one brings anything homemade.  Treats are usually from a can, crackers, or individual slices of banana.  This may explain why kids were shoving the homemade banana muffins in their mouths or eating them out of the garbage can?  The whole phenomena is shocking to me.  I'm not sure why, but I figured where we live now would be filled with health minded parents and had some 'extra' time, or would want to provide something yummy for their kids at preschool.  Apparently people on 'this' side of the lake have less time?  Don't even get me started on the discussions about food when a nutritionist came to the classroom.

Okay, enough of my rambling.  Back to the bananas!  Today I tried a new banana bread recipe and it was quick, easy, and chock full of banana.  I used mini muffin tins and made three dozen minis with one batch of batter.  And there was enough batter leftover to make five normal sized muffins.  The big guys got a few chocolate chips sprinkled on top!

I pushed the chocolate chips down a bit so they wouldn't get burnt sitting on top of the batter.

The mini muffins were so small, but they are a perfect size for a two year old's hand. And mouth!

If you decide to make mini muffins, spray the tins with a nonstick spray and start checking at 8 minutes.  You may need to add a few more minutes on to cook time depending on your oven.  I tested the cook time by baking one single mini muffin before baking the entire batch.  The larger muffins took closer to 12 minutes, but keep an eye on them!

If you want to make a loaf, use a standard 9x5 pan and grease well.

Banana Banana Bread, courtesy of many random internet searches

2 c. flour

1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/3 c. mashed very overripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease 9 x 5 loaf pan.  In large bowl, combine flour, soda and salt.  In separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended.

Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Nutella Croissants

In my pantry we have a jar of Nutella and a jar of Trader Joe's Almond Chocolate spread (their take on Nutella).  I can't seem to get rid of them.  I know, I know.  Some people can't keep these spreads in their house because they are so addicted.  And some buy them by the Costco case (yes, I called you out Samar!). 

I had never tried Nutella until a few months ago when my friends urged me to buy some.  I love chocolate.  I'm addicted to chocolate.  But hazlenut flavored chocolate on toast isn't my thing. Don't get me wrong.  I do enjoy dipping apple slices in the both of these spreads, but spreading chocolate on the toast isn't my thing. My kids would disagree.  They could eat Nutella or the chocolate almond spread on anything.

Then it hit me. One of my favorite breakfast treats is a nice chocolate filled croissant.  What if I took premade croissant dough and put a little spoonful of Nutella on the dough before rolling up and baking? 

A tablespoon of Nutella on the wide end of the triangle shaped croissant dough (Pillsbury or Kroger brands work great).

Roll up like you would normally.

Sprinkle the tops with some sugar and cinnamon.

Bake as directed on the croissant dough's package.  I cooked for a few minutes less than suggested...

The kids loved these little treats.  They're small, so good for a afternoon snack or as breakfast along with some fruit.



The Academy Awards

Today my girlfriend had her annual Academy Awards party.  The evening always promises laughs, good drinks and food.  To match all the gorgeous gowns and attire at the awards, I tried to dress up my dessert.  Each strawberry was dressed in a 'tux' or a 'gown with pearls'.  It was pretty funny!

This would be fun to do for a bridal shower or engagement party.  The 'girl' strawberry could have a white chocolate dress to look like a wedding gown.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a fun day to get creative.  Cut your kids sandwiches in to the shape of a heart.

Make thin slices of apple and use a small cookie cutter to make a heart. 

You can make heart shaped quesadillas, heart shaped pancakes, hamburger patties, cakes... 

And my favorite part of Valentine's Day are the desserts!  Today I dressed up some strawberries.

These tuxedo berries aren't too tough.  Just dip the 'front' side of the strawberry in a little bit of white chocolate.  Let it set for an hour or so on the counter (do not put in fridge or they may sweat, making it difficult for the chocolate to 'stick').  Then dip both sides of the strawberries at an angle to create a white 'V'.

To add the bowtie and buttons I put some of the remaining melted chocolate in a small ziploc baggie.  Cut a very tiny hole in the corner of the bag.  And the smaller the hole, the easier it is, so cut off just the very tip of the corner!  Make two little triangles to make the bowtie shape and then you can use the tip of the bag to gently fill the triangles.  For the buttons I lightly touched the bag to the berries.

I'd have photos for you if I had three arms.  Piping is a two hand job! :)

Chocolate Covered Fruit

What is better than fruit?  Chocolate covered fruit, of course!

Thanks to Pinterest, I had a great idea for tonight's Superbowl game.  Add a few dashes of white chocolate to chocolate covered strawberries and you've got cute little 'football' strawberries!  They taste even better then they look.  But chocolate usually tastes better than it looks. 

To dip fruit in chocolate, don't wash the fruit!  If you do, you need to make sure the fruit is totally dry before you start.  Strawberries, apple slices (pat dry with paper towel), dried apricots, bananas, are all great options.  But today we're talk'n stawberries! It also helps if your fruit is at room temperature.

I did this recipe by guessing measurements because I wasn't sure how much I'd need for a two pound container of berries. So, don't complain if you have a bunch of leftover melted chocolate (who would complain about that anyways!?). Extra chocolate means you can dip everything in sight...banana slices (see below), graham crackers, your fingers, or just a spoonful put directly to your mouth...

I melted one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler on the stove, adding about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the mix as the chocolate begins to melt.  This addition of veggie oil will help smooth out the chocolate and make it a little easier to dip.  It will also ensure that once the chocolate hardens on the fruit it won't turn to rock and crumble when you take a bite.  Place your dipped fruit on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or a silpat liner. Let cool and solidify on strawberries.

As the chocolate on the dipped strawberries hardens, begin to melt about one half cup of white chocolate chips in a double boiler.  Use low heat!  I've found white chocolate is very tempermental, and high temperatures will leave you with a mess.  Add a teaspoon or two of vegetable oil to the mix and stir until melted.  Spoon the white chocolate in to a small ziploc bag.  Snip a VERY tiny piece off one corner of the bag and use this as a homemade pastry bag to pipe the white chocolate on to the berries.  You might want to practice a few football lace patterns on to plain parchment to get the hang of it.

Let your finished product sit in a cool place, but not the fridge!  Cold temperatures will make the fruit sweat.  You can store leftover chocolate dipped berries in the fridge, but they will only last a day or so.  But seriously.  Why or how could you have leftovers!?  Just eat them... its healthy because there is fruit inside!!

Chocolate Covered Bananas
I had some melted chocolate left over after dipping the strawberries so I sliced two bananas and started dipping them. As well as my fingers.

Then it hit me.  What could make chocolate covered bananas even better?  Peanut butter! I grabbed the PB and smeared some on top of the slices.  Then I dipped those too!  Note - you have to work fast with the PB bananas because the warm chocolate will start to melt the peanut butter.   

Once you are done, pop these little guys in the freezer and let them chill for a bit. Or, you can just store them in the freezer and eat them like little bon bons!  Again, it can't be that bad for you... there is fruit in the center and protein in the peanut butter.  Am I right, or what? 

Chocolate Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting

For my family's get together today I made a cake that starts with a box of Devil's food cake mix.  The frosting took a little more effort, with almost 15 minutes of letting it mix in my stand mixer on medium speed.  That was a long time to wait and unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan of the frosting result.  If you do want the recipe, please email me.  Otherwise I'd rather save recipe space for items I'd make again.

Always a bummer to not be blown away by a chocolate dessert.  Granted, the cake was perfect flavor and texture, and so rich I could only eat half a slice!  It was the frosting that sank this cake's chance.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

Ready to have your socks knocked off?  Instead of my usual chocolate craving, today I was craving peanut butter and chocolate.  To create this knocking-your-socks-off treat, you'll need to make a quick trip to Trader Joe's and buy their mini peanut butter cups (and maybe a few boxes of their frozen mac and cheese...).  And make sure the PB cups are the mini sized, otherwise you'll need to chop the larger ones up.

The batter is thick and can be mixed with a spatula.

After stirring in a quarter cup of chocolate chips, spread the batter in your greased 9" pan.  Sprinkle a handful (or two...) of the mini peanut butter cups on top and bake.

After about 22 minutes in the oven, our house was filled with warm peanut butter aroma. Waiting for these goodies to cool was next to impossible.

Okay, so we couldn't wait.  The blondies were moist and the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate was perfect.  These blondies are also very quick to mix up, so give them a try!



Peanut Butter Blondies, courtesy of Cooking Light and Bake or Break

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
One big handful of mini peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan lightly with cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and eggs. Stir well.

Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter into baking pan. Arrange the peanut butter cups over the batter.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Going OTT

I'll admit it.  Sometimes I can go a little OTT... otherwise known as Over The Top.  When it came to my sister-in-law's baby shower tonight, I definitely went OTT.  But I couldn't resist.  We're celebrating one cute lil' babe and her momma!  I made onesie and bottle sugar cookies as well as brownie bites covered in chocolate ganache.

I went with girly colors for the cookies.  Purple...

Pink....

And green...

I had some remaining dough and decided to do baby Graecyn's initials...

I topped the cute little brownie bites with ganache and pink frosting hearts.

And the cookies were ready to go!

I decorated the brownie stand with a hydrangea bloom and lemon thyme from the yard.

It's time to celebrate!

These little party goers look pleased as punch with their purple onesie cookies.

A perfect ending to a perfect shower.

For my cookie and frosting recipe, click here.
For my brownie recipe, click here. And yes, you'll see I made these same brownie bites as one of the desserts for my sister-in-law before baby G was born.  They're that good and that simple to make!

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

I am forever in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  It must be moist, chewy, slightly crisp on the outer edges, not overloaded with chips, and have a good cookie base flavor.  I also don't want to bother with a small, dinky sized cookie.  I have tried recipes on the back of both fancy and store brand chocolate chips and chunks.  I have tried recipes from old cookbooks, magazine clippings, and food blogs.  I've tried cookies with oatmeal added, banana puree, and even applesauce.  Nothing quite hits the spot, though you'd never know that based on how fast they are all consumed.

After reading a recent article about the top chocolate chip cookies in the Seattle area, I realized the panel of judges in the write-up have a similar goal as me.  Finding the perfect cookie.  But where to go...

Thats when I thought about the spots that serve my fave cookie.  Specialty's Cafe & Bakery is at the top of my long list.  Their cookies are very extra thick, moist, and usually warm from the oven.  But how do I achieve this cookie at home, and probably make an entire batch for around the same price as one cookie at a Specialty's shop?  This is when some serious experimenting happens.  A great thing for cookie lovers in my house. A bad thing when you screw up and need to adjust ingredients.

If you attempt to Google and find a specific restaurant's recipe, you'll get all sorts of answers or guesses.  I wasn't going to make a few hundred batches to decide which was best.  So I started with a tried and true recipe, a few hints and tips I found on the web, and went from there...

My fave cookies from the cafe are typically more square than round making me think they are cut off a big flattened, rectangular bar of dough...

I chilled my dough for two hours before popping it in to a 400 degree oven for five minutes.  Ooops.  This trial was a major failure.  Cookies as flat as can be and super soggy in the center.  And of course I tried a taste and they were actually good for a flattened disaster. (Actually, I couldn't stop eating them - same with the husband)

Next up, I added more flour and lowered the oven temperature...  Now we're getting closer!

And then I lowered the oven temperature a bit more and chilled the dough overnight and baked without parchment paper.  I think I'm on to something.  Thicker than usual cookies that were chewy yet firm on the edges.  They still aren't to my ultimate cookie hopes, so stay tuned for future installments of my ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Do you have an ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe that you'd like to share?  If so email it to me and I'd be happy to feature it on the site.  Happy baking!