DAY 3: Chocolate Nutella Brownies
Homemade brownies with the extra fudginess of Nutella added to the batter and swirled into the top.
RECIPE: Continue reading
Tag Archives: chocolate
Eleventh Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Mint Chocolate M&M’s Cookies
DAY 11: Mint Chocolate M&M’s Cookies
Chocolate and mint are the perfect Christmas flavor combination. You can top these chocolate cookies with your choice of holiday M&M’s. These are my favorites:
My very favorite are the all-green “Dark Chocolate Mint” flavor, but they can be hard to find. The “Holiday Mint” flavor is a good substitute, and come with a brighter Christmas color variety.
RECIPE:
Mint Chocolate M&M’s Cookies
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup butter
2 ½ cups flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ cup butter
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbs milk or cream
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 bag (10 oz) M&M’s (Holiday Mint or Dark Chocolate Mint flavor)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Combine chocolate chips and ¼ cup butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until just barely melted. Or melt in microwave in a Pyrex bowl.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until well mixed. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat ¼ cup butter with the white and brown sugars. Mix in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat in melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat until just barely combined.
Drop by tablespoonsful onto baking sheets. Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes. While cookies are still warm, press 3-4 M&M’s onto the top of each cookie. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
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Eleventh Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies
DAY 2: Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies
A chocolate cookie loaded full of sweet and salty goodness: chocolate chips, pretzels, and pecans. All wrapped around a gooey caramel center.
Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod
RECIPE:
Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups flour
¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pretzels
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 pkg (11 oz) caramel squares (about 24)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat into butter/sugar mixture, until just mixed. Stir in pretzels, chocolate chips, and pecans.
Cut caramel squares in half and set aside.
Using a cookie scoop, place level scoops of dough on baking sheets, about 2” apart. Roll each scoop of dough around a caramel square half. Return to baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes; cookies will still look slightly underdone. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod
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Top Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Rolo and Andes Mint Cookies
DAY 7: Andes & Rolo Cookies
This recipe is a great “two-fer”. You can make two completely different cookies from the same basic chocolate dough.
The Rolo Cookies have a Rolo candy nestled inside of the chocolate dough. Eat them warm for a delicious gooey caramel cookie.
The Andes Cookies have a melted Andes mint swirled on the top of a baked chocolate cookie.
The original recipe uses regular Andes, but when I make these I prefer the Andes Parfait mints, that have 2 green layers on the outside and a chocolate middle layer. It makes a nice contrast with the chocolate cookie. Unfortunately, they are sometimes hard to find in stores.
ORIGINAL BLOG POST (2009): Chocolate Rolo or Andes Cookies
RECIPES:
Chocolate Rolo or Andes Cookies
Chocolate Rolo Cookies
¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 Tbs water
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups flour![clip_image002[1]](https://noemptychairs.me/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/clip_image0021.jpg "clip_image002[1]"){kind=small}
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
Rolos (5-6 dozen)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a saucepan over low heat, combine butter, sugar and water. Heat until melted and add chocolate chips. Stir until mostly melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Pour mixture into large mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time on high speed. Add flour, salt and baking soda; mix on low speed until well blended. Dough will be very soft, almost liquid. If desired, chill for 1 hour for easier handling (you can usually use the dough in less than an hour).
Take about 1 Tbs dough and wrap it around a Rolo (use just enough dough to completely cover Rolo). Place on baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes (Do not overcook; cookies will still look a little underdone). Cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 5-6 dozen cookies
.
Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies:
Chocolate Dough (see recipe above)
About 24 Andes mints (see note below)
Prepare dough as above (for Rolo cookies). Roll into 1” balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Place half of an Andes mint on top of each hot cookie. Allow to melt slightly and then swirl with a toothpick.
NOTE: The original recipe uses regular Andes, but when I make these I prefer the Andes Parfait, that have 2 green layers on the outside and a chocolate middle layer. It makes a nice contrast with the chocolate cookie.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
(Original Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies recipe from Recipezaar)
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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies
DAY 11: Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies
Rich, dark chocolate cookies studded with chocolate chips. Cream cheese (I think this may be a theme this year) keeps them soft and chewy. For the chocolate lover.
RECIPE:
Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbs vanilla extract
3 ½ cups flour
½ cup Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder
2 Tbs cornstarch
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Stir together the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Beat into wet ingredients. Mix in the chocolate chips. Chill dough for 20-30 minutes.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until barely set. Cookies will continue to set as they cool. Cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Thumbprints with Homemade Caramel Filling
DAY 5: Chocolate Thumbprints with Homemade Caramel Filling
If you are feeling extra ambitious, instead of making these chocolate thumbprint cookies with melted packaged caramels, you can make your own caramel filling.
With a candy thermometer, the caramel filling comes together quickly and turns a good cookie into a fabulous one!
If you want to take the “easy” road out and buy a bag of Kraft Caramels, that recipe can be found HERE.
Here is my tip for getting a good deep pocket for all of that amazing caramel: Use the back of a rounded measuring spoon and press it into the center of each cookie. I use a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon on the raw cookie dough and then a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon on the hot, baked cookie. This is a good alternative to actually using (and burning) your thumbs.
RECIPE:
Chocolate Thumbprints with Homemade Caramel Filling
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups finely chopped pecans
Homemade Caramel Filling (recipe below)
Glaze:
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs corn syrup
Prepare Cookies: Combine butter, sugar, egg yolks, milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt. Beat until well combined. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place egg whites in a small bowl. Place finely chopped pecans in a bowl. Set aside. Roll dough into balls. Dip balls into egg white and then into pecans. (I find this easier if I make a whole baking sheet worth of dough balls, then dip them in egg/pecans). Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make a small indentation in the center of each cookie with the back of measuring spoon (I use a ½ teaspoon) or your thumb.
Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes, or until cookies are set.
While cookies are still hot, press center again (use the back of a round 1 teaspoon measuring spoon). Cool.
Prepare Caramel Filling (recipe below).
Spoon small amount of warm caramel into centers of baked cookies. Carefully remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Prepare Chocolate Glaze: Combine bittersweet chips, butter and corn syrup in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for another 20-30 seconds if not melted. Let cool slightly. Pour chocolate into a small Ziploc freezer bag. Poke a hole in the corner of the bag (a bamboo skewer makes a perfect sized hole). Drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies. Cool until set.
To store: refrigerate or freeze cookies in individual layers; then store between layers of waxed paper in the refrigerator or freezer. They can also be stored at room temperature, but if you stack them, they will stick together.
Homemade Caramel Filling
1 cup unsalted butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbs heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt
Combine butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, corn syrup and heavy cream in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Reduce heat to medium low, maintaining a low but continuous simmer, until caramel reaches 235°F (soft ball stage), stirring occasionally. This will take about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.
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