Chocolate Cherry Crackle Cookies

I have a theory, if you add fruit to chocolate, it becomes healthy.  Period.  And, I also think that if you add
fruit to a cookie, it has negative calories. So, basically, if you eat a cookie with fruit in it, you are burning calories. Now, I want to stress that this is just MY THEORY, I have no scientific proof, I am not a nutritionist, so I really have no evidence for this theory, but it makes sense to me, so, my blog, my rules.  This cookie has no calories, and actually makes you burn calories by eating them.

I love chocolate paired with cherries. My mother in law loves chocolate and cherries, a Christmas can not go by with out us giving her a box of those chocolate covered cherries.  My dad, he is allergic to cherries, he breaks out in hives and gets all kinds of sick.  Do you know how many things have cherries in them?  Not fun at all. Now, here is a fun twist, my mother in law is not a fan of dark chocolate, but, my dad loves dark chocolate.

 I am a big fan of dark chocolate, the darker the better.  I love cherries, the tarter the better.I am also a big fan of dried fruit, the strong, concentrated flavor is like a little dance on my taste buds. I could eat dried cranberries all day long.  I know a lot of people like chocolate and raspberries paired together, but sadly, I am allergic to raspberries. I love these cookies, but unfortunately, neither my mother in law or dad can eat them, so I was forced to eat them all myself.  A bloggers life is hard ya'll.

 The chewiness of the dried cherries add a nice texture and chew to the cookies...so really...they are perfect for Valentine's Day.  Dark Chocolate, tartness, and sweet powdered sugar coating, these are sure to gain you some bonus love this year!

Chocolate Cherry Crackle Cookies

Printable Version

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temperature
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder, I use Hershey's Special Dark chocolate
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 3/4 cup powder sugar, for coating

Cooking Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar baking powder and salt, mix to combine, set
2. aside.
3. Scrape melted and cooled butter into a smaller bowl and add cocoa powder, stir until combined well and no lumps remain. Mix vanilla with eggs, then whisk into cocoa butter mixtures.
4. Add wet mixture to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly, by hand with a rubber spatula. The mixture might seem a little dry, but keep mixing, pressing and folding the mixture until it is thoroughly combined, and forms a thick, brownie like mixture. Fold in cherries. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookies sheets either using a Silpat, Parchment Paper, or lightly spay with non-stick spray.
6. Pour powdered sugar in a shallow, and stir to remove any lumps. Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, form dough into balls and then roll in powdered sugar until completely coated. Place on cookie sheets, 1-1/2 to 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies will spread, puff and crack on the tops. The longer you bake them the crisper they will be. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before using a spatula to move to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in a covered container.

I hope you will give these cookies a try, and let me know what you think.  Are you a fan of dark chocolate, or would you rather have a sweet milk chocolate.  Dried fruit, fan or not?  Give me some feedback, chocolate and fruit, yes or no?

This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here

Chewy Pumpkin Pie Pudding Toffee Cookies

 

Thanksgiving is one week away!

 

Are you ready?

 

I am!

 

I love Thanksgiving!

 

I love food in general, but Pumpkin Pie is my

favorite EVER!

 

Hold the Whipped Cream please.

 

Odd, maybe, but I want to tastes and savor

every bit of pumpkin and spice, and the

whipped cream just gets I the way.

 

Nothing gets between me and my

pumpkin pie!

 

These cookies are perfect if you are a

pumpkin pie lover.

 

No fork needed!

 

 

 

 

 

They are soft and chewy, and have a

great pumpkin flavor.

 

They get better as they sit.

 

When I first made them, I fell in love.

 

Then next day, we got engaged.

 

Then, on day three...we got married had 2.5 kids and a white picket fence.

 

So....I have to make more!

 

 

 

 

When I found the Pumpkin Pie Pudding in the stores, I

knew I wanted to make cookies, and I went

straight to my best friends Blog and found

this amazing recipe for

Simply the Softest Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever,

make them...they are wonderful!

 

But, I changed it up a little, as just like whipped cream,

I am not a huge fan of chocolate and pumpkin.

 

So I added chocolate toffee chips, they add a little sweetness, creaminess and crunch.

 

Perfection!

 

 

Chewy Pumpkin Pie Pudding Cookies

(adapted from Simply Sweets by Honeybee)

Printable version

 

2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt
 1 cup unsalted butter {softened} *
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla {I used Mexican vanilla}
1 small {3.4 oz} pkg instant pumpkin pie pudding mix
2 eggs
1 {8 oz} pkg Milk Chocolate Toffee bits
 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the flour,baking soda and salt. In the bowl of your mixer add the butter, sugars, vanilla and pudding mix and beat until smooth and creamy. Then beat in the eggs until combined well. Add the flour mixture. Stir in the toffee bits. Drop about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Yield approximately 3 dozen cookies depending on how big you scoop them. I used a #30 scoop {2 tbsp} and got 34 cookies.

 

 

This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here





Melt in Your Mouth Biscuits

 

I have a confession to make.

 

I am addicted to bread.

 

When I go to a restaurant, the first thing I go for is bread.

 

If given a choice, I will choose bread over meat or vegetables.

 

In fact, I will choose bread over sweets most times too.

 

This odd eating is not my fault at all.

 

No...the fault all sits on the shoulders of my

8th grade Home Economics Teacher.

 

She taught me all those year about how to make biscuits.

 

Not just any biscuit,

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH BISCUITS!

 

 

Do they still teach Home Economics anymore?

 

It was a required class when I was in junior high.

 

I was blessed with a wonderful teacher.

 

She taught us how to sew.

 

We made animal shaped pillows.

 

I still have mine,

it is a bright green octopus.

 

Odd choice looking back now, but I think I was

going through a phase in life where I was obsessed with all

things green...so  I chose the green octopus.

 

She also taught us how to care for a baby.

 

This lesson involved carrying around a

five pound bag a flour, which was the baby, and keep

a log of when we "fed" it, when it "slept", who cared for

our "baby" while we were busy.

 

Teen Mom 80's style!

 

Once we mastered sewing and child care,

we moved onto cooking and baking.

 

And this is where my eating habit took a turn,

 

She taught us this recipe.

 

And she made us make it over

and over again, until we were master

biscuit makers.

 

While I may not know how to make

a macaron, or Crème Brule, I can make a mean biscuit!

 

These are quick to make, and never fail me.

 

They are perfect for breakfast with gravy,

or a Pot Roast Dinner.



Melt in Your Mouth Biscuits

Printable Version

Ingredients

 

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

2 Tablespoon granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup shortening

2/3 cup milk

1 egg,  beaten

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425.  Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles course meal.  Slow mix in milk and egg, stirring just until combined.  Turn mixture onto a floured surface.  Knead dough five times.  Pat into a  1/2 inch thick disk.  Cut with round cutter or glass.  Place 1 inch apart onto  greased baking sheet.  Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

** Yields 8-12 biscuits depending on the size cutter you use.

***If you have an aversion to shortening, you can substitute butter. 

 

 

 

This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here

 

Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti

 

It is that time again!

 

Time for a monthly Inspiration Challenge

Hosted by

Melissa of Simply Sweets by Honeybee

and 

Stephanie of Ellie's Bites Decorated Cookies 

This month's challenge

was

Lazy Sunday Morning.

OK...that sounds like fun....I like Sunday's and I am all about the Lazy.

I decided to make 

Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti

 

It would be a pretty big stretch for me to say that my Sunday Mornings are lazy.

While I do get to sleep later then normal, I am sure some people 

would not call 7am LATE.

It is late for me, as I am usually up by 5 am.

I help with the audio/video at church,

and have to be there by 9:15, so I don't have time to be lazy.

But I do try to have a quick, special little something

for breakfast to enjoy with my coffee, while doing a little 

blog reading before church.

Biscotti, is a real treat, and surprisingly, easy to make.

Make sure you check out the creations that

Stephanie and Melissa made.

Also, Melissa is hosing a link party, where you can 

link up all your Lazy Sunday Morning recipes, crafts and ideas.

Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti    

Printable Version 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3  cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 white chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, combing well after each egg.

4. Add Vanilla, mix to combine

5. Combine Flour, Salt and Baking Powder, gradually combine with the wet ingredients, mix until well combined.

6. Gently stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.

7.  Transfer dough onto a well floured surface.  Divide into 3 sections.

8.  Using well floured hands, shape each section into a rectangle approximately 10 inch x 2 inch. 

9. Transfer rectangle unto baking sheet, lined  with a silpat or parchment    paper.

10. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.

11. Cool for 5 minutes.  Transfer onto cutting board.  Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1 in slices.

12.  Transfer slices back to baking sheet, and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

13. Remove to wire rack to cool.  May be drizzled with additional white chocolate.  Store in airtight container for 1 week.

Inspired by Taste of Home

This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here

 

Lemon Sheet Cake

I know we are well into the fall season, and fall includes food with apples and pumpkins, but when

I was asked to make a cake last week, I was craving LEMON!  Yes, I am a total odd ball.

This cake is quick and easy to whip up, feeds a crowd, and the longer it sits, the better it gets.  I had a piece today, and 5 days later, it was still crazy yummy.

The cake is light yet moist, and the cream cheese frosting offers a creamy taste, that pairs wonderfully with the tartness of the lemon cake.

Make this. You will not be disappointed!

 

 

 

 

Lemon Sheet Cake (adapted from Taste of Home)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients 1 package lemon cake mix (regular size) 4 Slightly Beaten Eggs 1 can (22 ounces) lemon pie filling 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 cup butter, softened 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1  tablespoons vanilla extract Directions In a large bowl, beat the cake mix and eggs until well blended. Fold in pie filling. Spread into a greased 18-in. x 13-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter until well combined  and vanilla, mix until combined , add confectioners' sugar until smooth.  Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 30-35 servings.

Here is a helpful tip.

When I am testing a new cake recipe, I want to be able to taste it, to make sure it is yummy, but how do you taste a cake, without it being noticeable?

Easy, I simply baked a little of the batter in a mini loaf pan!  You could also do a cupcake.  Either is fine.  Doing this, you can make sure that the cake you are serving to a special guest, at a church potluck, or delivering to a dear friend who lost a love one, has been taste tested and yummy.  Because we all know, not every recipe is yummy.  But this one...OH YEP...YUMMY!


This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here.