Double Chocolate Cookies

Warning, these are really good - they blow away reg. chocolate chip cookies. I brought some into work and they were a big hit. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2-1/3 C Flour
• 3/4 C Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder (I used the Hershey's Cocoa)
• 1 t baking soda
• 3/4 t Salt
• 1-1/4 C salted butter (2-1/2 sticks) softened to room temperature
• 1 C Sugar
• 1 C firmly packed dark or light brown sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 C white chocolate chips
• 1-1/2 C Semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat ovent o 350 Degrees. Grease two cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, combine, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl (or mixer) cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla, mix together. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Add the chocolate chips, mix until combined.
5. Drop the dough 2" apart on the cookie sheets (I use a small ice cream scooper for consistency in size and it's easy to dispense).
6. Bake for 15 minutes, let cool on cookie sheets. The cookies will be very soft when they are removed from the oven. They will firm up as they cool.

The cookies look great when they are done, they don't spread that much so they stay pretty chunky.

(This recipe is from Tate's Bake Shop - Southampton, NY)

I want to try these!

If any of you bakers out there get bored and want to try these I'll pay you to bring me one ;)  They look so good!  If you try it you HAVE to let me know how they turn out.  Million Dollar cookies

And these.  Not sure what my deal is.  I must be really tired today.  I've been so good about no sugar :(  Anyone wanna make some cookies?

Chocolate Fudge Mint Cookies-from Stephanie's Kitchen

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
4 ounces best quality bittersweet chocolate (65% cocao)
12 ounces best quality semi sweet chocolate
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecans, coursely chopped, toasted
2 cups Andes Mints (Creme de Menthe) chopped

Method:
1. Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a double broiler or a bowl sitting on top of a pan with boiling water, melt butter and both chocolates together. Stir constently until smooth. 
3. In an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale in color, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and chocolate mixture. 
4. Fold in dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in mints and nuts. 
5. Cover and chill until batter is firm, at least 30 minutes.
6. Cover cookie pans with parchement paper (very important)!!
7. Drop by 1/4 cup, space evenly and flatten slightly.
8. Bake at 350 degrees, about 12-14 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!
9. Let cool on cookie sheets until firm, than transfer to wire cooling rack.
Enjoy!

Easy Beef Enchiladas

Ok, this is my first time doing this so if I do it wrong I apologize. This is a really easy recipe although I must say it's most likely not very diet friendly :P


1 lb ground beef
2 C mozz. cheese (shredded)
2 C cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 Can Refried Beans
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Enchilada sauce
1 pkg burrito size tortillas

Brown ground beef and drain fat. Mix in 1 cup of cheddar cheese and 1 cup of mozz. cheese and the can of refried beans. Mix together over low heat until melted together. Place by large spoonfuls into tortillas and roll up. Place in a 9X13 greased pan. Mix together the cream of mushroom soup and enchilada sauce, pour over top of rolled up tortilla / meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15 - 30 min. in 350 degree oven.

( I usually use the lowfat cream of mushroom, and the fat free refried beans. The 2% cheese is great with it but the fat free doesn't melt well.) I try to make it a little more good for you :P)

Spicy Baked Pork Chops w/ Oven Fries

Serves: 4

• 1 C orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 4 boneless pork chops trimmed of fat ( I used 6 chops with same measurements)
• 1 C plain bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 lrg. sweet potatoes

1. In a shallow, nonmetal dish, mix orange juice, garlic, soy sauce and oil. Add chops and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hr.
2. Preheat oven to 450, coat a large baking sheet with Pam spray. In a shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs, basil, paprika, and red/black peppers.
3. Drain marinade from chops and discard. Coat chops well on both sides with bread crumb mixture. Place on baking sheet.
4. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/2" wedges. Place on same baking sheet and coat with Pam spray. Bake for 15-20 min. or until potatoes are crsip and chops are no longer pink in the center.

Corn, Tomato, and Bean Salad

This is great to serve at a BBQ, serves 4 (can be doubled of course)

Ingredients

• 2 C Corn Kernels (I used the frozen sweet corn from Trader Joes, just rinse in strainer to defrost). You can use fresh corn but the frozen is easier and just as delicious.
• 1 15-16oz. can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 C chopped seeded plum tomatoes
• 1/4 C chopped onion (I use red)
• 1/2 C chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves minced (optional, can be a little strong since it's raw)

1. Combine corn, beans, tomatoes, onion and basil in a large bowl.
2. Whisk oil, lemon juice, parsley and garlic in small bowl to blend. Stir into corn mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill, serve at room temperature.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 C flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 C Butter
• 1/2 C firmly packed dark or light brown sugar
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 C mashed bananas (approx. 3 bananas)
• 1/2 C sour cream
• 1 C chocolate chips
• 2 Tsb. raw sugar for topping

1. Preheat oven to 400, grease muffin tin or use paper muffin cups.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well. Mix in the bananas and sour cream. Fold in the flour mixture, then fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Spoon mixture into the prepared muffin tin(cups). The cups will be very full, but they won't spread over. Sprinkle tops with a little raw sugar.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester/toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Enjoy!!

Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters

If you like dark chocolate, you will love these!

Ingredients

• 1 cup almonds, toasted in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame until fragrant, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup cherries, dried tart, coarsely chopped (Whole Foods)
• 6 ounce dark chocolate, 72% cacao, finely chopped (Trader Joe's Carries it)

1. In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
2. Melt half the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over 1 inch of barely simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate.
4. Stir the fruit/nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.
   Serving size: 1 cluster.