My Family's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Howdy!

We all need go-to recipes.  This is my go-to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  Everyone that tries them loves them.  Warning:  they are addicting.  Their not overly sweet and they stay soft if you store them properly.  The batch is huge so you can definitely share with friends and neighbors (I took half of them to my new neighbors.  The kids were really excited :)).  I recommend using a cookie scoop whenever you dole out cookie dough.  It's an easy way to make sure that all of your cookies end up the same size and baking evenly.

Yummy Pie

Howdy!

I was jonesin' for something sweet and creamy with caramel and chocolate the other day, so what did I do?  Start rummaging around my kitchen!

(For the record in my throwing this and that together I ended up with a massive amount of this stuff.  Enough for a 9x13" pan.  I divided mine so that I could take most of it to some friends.)

I started by making a graham cracker crusted with chopped pecans throughout, pressing it into the pan, and baking at 400¡.  I used about 2 ½ cups (216g) of graham cracker crumbs, 1 ¾ cups (208g) finely chopped pecans, and 1 ½ sticks of melted butter.

Next I made my caramel.  Melt 2 sticks of butter with 8 oz (227g) by weight of brown sugar (forgot to get a cup measure :/ sorry) on medium low heat.  Once the sugar is dissolved, add to cans of sweetened condensed milk.  Stir this constantly (near the end is much more important that at the beginning) until you get a nice caramel color (basically as long as you can stand to stir the darn thing).  Let it cool just a bit and then pour and smooth it over your cooled crust.

(Next time if actually plan to make this dessert, I will use this method instead)

I cheated on my chocolate layer and used a large box of instant pudding mix.

Lastly, I made homemade whipped cream with heavy whipping cream, vanilla, sugar, and cream of tartar (cream of tartar is essential to your whipped cream surviving and not turning into a sweetened cream mess after a few hours).  Obviously I got impatient and didn't wait for my pudding to set up completely, so it didn't turn out as pretty as most of my creations... BUT it was GOOD!

Tangy Chocolate Spice Cake In A Cup

Howdy!

I love watching Food Network.  It is on pretty constantly at my house, whether I'm watching it or it is just background noise it is my go to around here.  Lately, I have been on a "single serving" dessert kick, hope you don't mind. lol  What happens when these two things mix?  A new dessert recipe that I just had to try... Tangy Chocolate Spice Cake in a Cup!  Paula Deen (one I don't normally watch per se, but I do love her recipes) was making a Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake.  It was a step or two beyond everyday baking and made a HUGE cake.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, I am sure at some point I will make the inspiring delicacy.  But for now I just wanted something small, quick, easy, and scrumptious.  The result is my Tangy Chocolate Spice Cake in a Cup.  See below :)

As far as spices go, do NOT get hung up on using cardamom.  The cake will be good with cinnamon or another spices.  BUT, cardamom is AMAZING and I highly recommend adding it to your spice cabinet.  It is what cinnamon hopes to be when it grows up and it adds a beautiful complexity to this little cake.

Tangy Chocolate Spice Cake In A Cup

½ T butter

2 t  sour cream

3 T sugar

1  egg

splashvanilla

pinch cardamom

¹/₁₆ t  baking powder

2 t  cocoa

2 ⅓  flour          

In at least a 12 oz. coffee mug, melt and cool butter. Whisk in sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Whisk in sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and cardamom (or spice of choice). Add flour and mix well.

Microwave about 90 seconds.

*WARNING*

This recipe grows!  So don't use a small mug. 

Also, it pops out easily (otherwise I wouldn't have ;) )

Brownie In A Cup

Sophie's Brownie In A Cup (much prettier)

Let's be honest, here... Pinterest is a naughty, naughty temptress.  There are all these marvelous pins linked to posts about foods that make you drool all over yourself (or is that just me?), which you then yourself have to re-pin (or is that, again, just me?).  So, then you have these uber full boards of delectable looking yummies just begging to be made.  It was one of these such yummies that I fell prey to making last, shameful, evening and this morning for breakfast - what a girl can indulge, right? ;)

But which one, you ask? I present to you:  Brownie In A Cup! A delectable single serving of sinfulness to be consumed on a whim.  Forgotten are the days of slaving away and waiting agonizing 30+ minutes for brownies.  Now you can have a brownie in less than five!  You don't even have to share if you don't want to ;)  But there is even to split with someone if you're feeling generous.

Below you can find the recipe with a couple of notes :)

Brownie in a Cup
1-2 servings

2 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. water

1/4 tsp. vanilla

dash of salt

2 tbsp. cocoa

4 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. flour

Combine cocoa, sugar, and flour.  Mix well.

In the12 oz. mug you plan to eat your final product out of, add salt, water, oil, and vanilla. Whisk well.

Add dry to wet and mix it all up!

Microwave for 60-90 seconds.

In my microwave 75 seconds gave me a uniformly done brownie (first attempt) and with only  60 seconds a molten center was accomplished  {Ooo la la}.  Also note, Sophie didn't specify when to add the salt or to combine the other dry ingredients prior to adding them to the wet mixture.  So why did I?  Well, because my first brownie didn't come out perfectly.  :'(  It had slightly salty bites.  Oh!  Also, I highly recommend a fork for the mixing/whisking.  Tiny whisks work, but not as nicely.  I double checked lol.

Want a card for your recipe box?  Click below for 3x5 for 4x6 inch index card sizes :)

Brownie In A Cup 3x5

Brownie In A Cup 4x6