dana's famous chocolate chunk cookies that will rock you

i invented this recipe to satisfy my need for soft, chewy, not too morsely but chocolatey cookie. i also was living alone at the time and needed a recipe that yielded less cookies because i was having a problem with overeating (i would eat the whole batch if they were in front of me).

i can't begin to count how many times i have made these cookies. they are my absolute favorite. and so easy and quick. and riley loves them (see pic). i use this recipe as a base for almost every cookie i make. oatmeal raisin, chocolate chocolate chunk, oatmeal chocolate chunk, pumpkin, pumpkin chocolate chunk...you get the idea....





1 stick butter, softened
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash of salt

1/2 c good chopped and/or shaved dark chocolate

optional:

1/4 to 1/2 c of:
walnuts
oatmeal
cocoa powder
raisins
pumpkin
etc.

cream butter and sugar until fluffy. add egg and vanilla. beat until just combined and slightly light in color. do not over beat egg. add flour and baking soda and mix until combined. stir in chocolate chunks/shavings. bake at 350 for 7 mins.

note: if adding pumpkin, add it before the egg. you will also need to add a little more flour (about 1/4 c).
also, if making oatmeal raisin, add a little less flour (1 c rather that 1 1/4 c) and 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.

spooky cookies

i made these last week. easy to make and cute. they looks so festive without being over the top. i used good italian cocoa powder and so they had a great chocolate flavor. they were only good for two days though...and i even put them in tuperware. so that kind of bummed me out. so make them if you have people coming over or you can give them away as gifts or you have a need for a solid binge.








here is the recipe from martha stewart:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled) plus more for rolling and cutting out dough
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
Small candies or sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg. On low speed, mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half, and form into 2 disks, each about 3/4 inch thick. Wrap disks in plastic; chill until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
3. On a lightly floured sheet of waxed paper, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate for a few minutes.)
4. Using 2- to 3-inch Halloween cookie cutters, cut out shapes, dipping cutters in flour as necessary to prevent sticking; place on a baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.
5. Bake until surface is dry to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes (if decorating, press candies into dough halfway through baking). Cool cookies 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheet; transfer to a rack to cool completely.

i made vanilla icing and used it to decorate. adding another layer of nummines.

pms brownies

these brownies are perfect. dense and fudgy. nicely chewy top layer to contrast the smooth fudgy inner heaven. slightly gooey without being ooweygooey...ya dig?

this is my mom's recipe and she calls them pms brownies... and i do bake them about once a month. but please, bake them anytime. also..men seem to get squeamish if i call them that...so i just call them the perfect brownies.

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
1 tbsp white corn syrup

2 eggs
1 1/2 c walnuts or pecans (optional )
3/4 c flour
1 tbsp vanilla

melt chocolate, butter, sugars and corn syrup in heavy saucepan until melted and combined. take off heat and let cool for a few min. add eggs, mixing well. stir in flour and vanilla . fold in nuts. pour into 8x8 inch greased glass (bottom only) dish. bake at 350 for 20-25 min.


i cut them pretty small because they are rich...serve warm with milk. or ice cream or a glass of red wine. i like to eat them in a bubble bath with a bottle of wine and billie holiday.

oh and for breakfast with coffee. do it. it will make your life better. or at least satisfy the craving...no matter what time of month it is.

and i'll eat it too

this is my new baking blog. i hope to put all of my baking adventures on here...some recipes, pictures, inspiration. all of my baking hopes and dreams. i will spill all the sugar of my heart onto this page. enjoy.