Last week, one of the batches of edible peanut butter playdough that I made was more suitable for eating than playing. Since we had more than enough playdough to play with, I rolled a bunch of the “dough” into little blobs and dipped them in melted chocolate chips to eat, an idea inspired by a recipe for Buckeyes that I’ve been meaning to try.  My blobs turned out quite yummy. In fact, my friend Nikki couldn’t stop eating them. (Sorry to out you, Nikki!)

So, today we have two recipes: Jane’s peanut butter blobs and the original recipe for Buckeyes.  The dry milk in the peanut butter blobs gives them a nice crunch, but I have to say that the Buckeyes recipe looks simply heavenly and I can’t wait to try them.  (Karen, who gave me the recipe, swears they’re awesome and I believe her.) I would have made them this week, but I have officially overdosed on peanut butter after all the playdough “testing.” I need a little break. Never thought I could get sick of something made out of peanut butter and chocolate.

Peanut Butter Blobs

 

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From Jane Maynard (evolved from a few peanut butter playdough recipes)

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 18 ounces creamy peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 1¼ cup non-fat dry milk (packet for one quart)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ – 1 cup chocolate chips (preferably half milk, half semi-sweet)

Instructions

1. Mix ingredients in a bowl. Roll into small “blobs” and dip in melted chocolate chips (you can melt in the microwave or over a double boiler). Let sit to harden. Store in an airtight container. (Quick tip: Spray your tablespoon with oil before measuring your honey and the honey will pour much easier.)

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Buckeyes

 

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From Karen who got it from a friend who got it from a friend”¦

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 18 oz crunchy peanut butter
• 3 cups rice krispies smashed (can put in a ziplock and use a rolling pin to smash)
• 1 stick of butter softened
• 1 lb of powdered sugars
• chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Mix above ingredients and refrigerate for 20 mins. Shape into balls and dip into melted chocolate (karen uses chocolate chips, you can either microwave the chips in a bowl for 1 minute and stir then do 15 sec increments after that until nice and smooth– or use a double boiler to melt – just be careful not to over cook the chips) then place on a cookie sheet and let harden! Enjoy! (Store in an airtight container.)

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This year I decided our neighbor & teacher holiday gift would be homemade vanilla hot chocolate. I figured it would be easier than making and decorating oodles of cookies. I was wrong. Well, only because I QUADRUPLED the recipe. And ended up having to grind about 10 pounds of chocolate. With a Cuisiniart mini-prep. Yeah, it was a feat.

BUT…the vanilla hot chocolate is delicious! And a fun, unique gift to give friends for the holidays! You’ll find the recipe at the bottom of this post.

A few quick notes. I have a Cuisinart mini-prep, which is what I used to grind the chocolate. It works fine…but if you DO have a bigger food processor, use it!

This is the recipe I used the vanilla beans for. I saved the sugar-coated bean pods after I was done making the vanilla sugar…I figure I can use them in other recipes, even though the seeds are gone.

If you plan on making TONS and TONS and TONS like I did…you’re going to need BIG bowls. I ended up having to use three giant bowls and mixing all the ingredients between the three bowls, trying to evenly distribute the ingredients by mixing and remixing the contents of each bowl.

No matter what amount you make, be prepared to have chocolate coating your kitchen. Also, I wore a towel over my face because I was literally inhaling cocoa powder when mixing it all together. That all said, if you don’t double (or triple…or quadruple!) the recipe, you’re not going to run into any of these issues. 😉

Here was the final product. Aren’t they cute? I used some free gift tag templates from HP with matching ribbon.

Homemade Vanilla Hot Chocolate

 

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From Epicurious, makes about 10 cups

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 4 cups granulated sugar
• ½ vanilla bean, split crosswise (see tips, below)
• 1½ pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process (see tips, below)

Instructions

1. Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
2. In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground.
3. Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend.
4. Store mix airtight at room temperature for up to six months.
5. To serve, Jane’s instructions: I heat 2 cups of milk over the stove and whisk in about ⅓ cup of the mix. You can also heat the milk in the microwave and it works”¦but the stove is a little better. If you like it richer, add more mix!

Notes

Jane Note: I used 16 oz mason jars and was able to put ~1¾ cups of mix in each jar. When I quadrupled the recipe, I filled 19 jars, plus a little left over.

Tips:
ӢSave the other half of the vanilla bean for another use, such as a second batch of vanilla sugar, which keeps indefinitely and can be used in baking, coffee, or simply to sprinkle on fruit or waffles.
ӢDutch process cocoa has been treated with an alkaline solution, which gives it a darker color and less bitter flavor and makes it dissolve more easily.

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I’m a little obsessed with chocolate chip cookies. Okay, maybe a lot obsessed. Nate can attest to this fact. Which is why I LOVED this article in the New York Times. If you care at all about chocolate chip cookies, read it.

In connection with the article, the New York Times provided a recipe (adapted from Jacques Torres) that is outstanding. These cookies have it all – the crispy outside, the chewy inside, lots of chocolate. Oh la la.

I was really excited when I first read the NYT article because the recipe that I had most recently fallen in love with was a similar recipe by none other than Jacques Torres. Jacques knows what he’s doing, let me tell ya.

Without further ado, the recipe! I thought I would post it here on the site so I can add all my various notes on the recipe. And tomorrow I just might share with you the PERFECT chocolate chips for this recipe. But only if you’re good.

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

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From the New York Times, adapted from Jacques Torres

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 1½ dozen 5-inch cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8½ ounces) cake flour (Jane note: I use pastry flour here”¦that’s what my OTHER Jacques Torres cookie recipe calls for)
• 1⅔ cups (8½ ounces) bread flour
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons coarse salt
• 2½ sticks (1¼ cups) unsalted butter
• 1¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 1¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
• Sea salt (Jane note: I used salted butter and added about 1 tsp of regular salt to the recipe”¦didn’t have sea salt on hand to sprinkle on top)

Instructions

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. (Jane note: I do think there is something to the dough sitting over night”¦HOWEVER”¦I can’t resist and always cook cookies the night I make the dough and they still come out GRRRREAT! Promise. Feel free to bake right away! That said, don’t bake all the dough at once! You know better than that. Oh, and I’ve definitely frozen balls of dough from this recipe to great success as well.)
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. (Jane note: I bake my cookies on my handy dandy Silpat.)
4. Scoop 6 3½-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. (Jane note: I never did the ”˜transfer sheet to a wire rack then slip to another’ rack step.) (Another Jane note: one thing I DO do when they come out of the oven is sort of slam the tray straight down to force the cookies to settle”¦makes for a nice even cookie with a great texture.)

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Remember the cookies I showed you on Sunday? I made them last night. They are unbelievably easy. And tasty. They were a huge hit at the baby shower last week, so it’s a nice easy recipe to add to your entertaining repertoire.

Rolo Cookies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

I got the recipe from my friend Mindy Nielson, who got the recipe from someone else, who got it from someone else...you get the drift!

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 30

Ingredients

• 1 box Devils' Food cake mix
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup oil
• 20 - 30 Rolo candies, depending on how small you make the cookies (30 is a good number to target)

Instructions

1. Mix the first three ingredients together (I used my hand blender) and then roll into little balls with 1 Rolo inside each ball (Mindy tries to make them as small as possible to maximize the Rolo to dough ratio, which is smart). Bake at 350 for 9 minutes. Makes about 30.
2. Jane sidenote: when I made them, I ended up with 22 cookies...and Mindy is right about the ratio thing, next time I'll try to make them a little smaller. 30 cookies should be your target.

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I have two yummy recipes to share with you today! One involves chocolate, the other cheese. Hey, I never said they were healthy recipes. Yummy, people, yummy. Carnation recently sent me a $50 gift card for groceries and some free Evaporated Milk to try in a few recipes. The “mission” was to use evaporated milk in one of my own recipes that calls for milk, and to try out a recipe of theirs. I accepted the mission and proceeded to choose the least healthiest recipes possible…and enjoyed every second of it. (Ironic since one of Carnation’s selling points is that there is more nutritional value per ounce in evaporated milk versus regular milk. So much for that!)

First, I tried Carnation’s recipe for Fudge (recipe below). I’ve gotta say, it’s good. And it was EASY. I followed the recipe verbatim…but next time I make it, I’m going to use a higher quality chocolate. Regardless, it was a nice, simple recipe and tasted good.

For my own recipe, I used evaporated milk in Twice Baked Potatoes (recipe below). The mashed potato filling was mighty fine…Cate couldn’t keep her fingers out of the bowl. And I know that cheese has nothing to do with evaporated milk…but that part was pretty darn good too.

So, there you have it! Mission complete. In case you are wondering what evaporated milk is, it is fresh milk that has been carefully cooked to remove half the water content, upping the protein and calcium content per serving, and creating a creamier texture. Click here if you want to read more about it.

And now, the recipes!

Carnation Famous Fudge

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Cuisine: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup (5-oz can) evaporated milk
• 2 T butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups mini marshmallows (I had big ones, so I broke them up then measured and it came out)
• 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cups chopped pecans or walnuts (I nixed the nuts)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil.
2. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full roiling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours until firm (I just left it on the counter and it got plenty firm). Lift from pan, remove foil and cut.

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Twice Baked Potatoes

 

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From Jane Maynard

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 4 baking potatoes
• ¾ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons evaporated milk (or more if needed)
• shredded cheddar cheese, optional
• chopped green onion, optional

Instructions

1. Wash potatoes, poke holes with fork. Bake on rack, unwrapped at 425 degrees 40-60 minutes, or until soft all the way through. Cut lengthwise and scoop out potato (I have to hold the potato with an oven mit while I scoop). Mix potato with all the other ingredients, except the cheese, and mash with a potato masher or pastry blender. Spoon potato back into the potato skins, place in casserole dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 or so minutes, or until lightly browned. Top with shredded cheese and bake a few minutes more.

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We’re back from camping at Big Sur. It was WONDERFUL. Relaxing and fun, with no phones or computers…the perfect weekend! I am now buried in laundry, but it was worth it.

We went with a group of families that have been going on this camping trip for the last 22 years. They have it down to a science, including the cooking. We ate very well! We also learned a new camping “recipe” that was delectably gooey: Banana Boats. We made them at night along with s’mores…although, we did have them for breakfast one morning as well!

Camping Treat: Banana Boats

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 unpeeled banana
• chocolate chips
• mini marshmallows
• heavy duty foil

Instructions

1. Lay the banana on its “back” and peel just the top open. Cut out slices of banana every half inch or so, leaving every other piece in the peel. Stuff chocolate chips and mini marshmallows between the pieces.
2. Close the banana, tightly wrap in heavy duty foil, then throw on the campfire for ~10 minutes. Open and enjoy! (Note – they are very hot when they first come off the fire”¦so be careful!)

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Now that I have successfully gotten an annoying song in your head…on to today’s business.  Fresh coconut ice cream!

Last week we finally had a chance to eat at Burma Superstar in San Francisco. (Quick aside, it’s a GREAT restaurant…fantastic food, great service, loved it.) One of their desserts was a deep fried coconut custard served with the most amazing coconut ice cream. Now that I have an ice cream maker, you know I had to figure the recipe out!

Burma Superstar’s ice cream definitely had fresh coconut in it, so I went out and bought my first coconut.  I purchased a sweet young coconut, where the husk is not fully matured.  I thought it might be easier to cut through. Um, it might be easier (I’m not sure, but that’s my guess)…but it still wasn’t easy.  I recommend using a giant serrated knife and exercising PATIENCE.  It was worth the hard work.  The fresh bits of coconut in the ice cream…YUM.

Oh – and if you have any coconut recipes to share, I have a TON of coconut water and leftover coconut sitting in the fridge.  Savory or sweet, if you have any ideas for how to use it up, let me know!

Fresh Coconut Ice Cream

 

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Adapted from Ben & Jerry’s Sweet Cream Base

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 – 2 tablespoons fresh coconut, cut up into small pieces

Instructions

1. Whisk eggs until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 min more. Pour in the cream and coconut milk and whisk to blend. Follow instructions for your ice cream maker (in my 1-1/2 QT Cuisinart, I ran it for 25 minutes). Add the coconut towards the end. Enjoy! Freezes well.

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Looking for a good winter cookie?  These Chocolate Mint Cookies are it!

I’m sure some of you have seen or used this recipe before.  I tried a little twist on it this week.  I had a box of See’s Milk Chocolate Peppermints, so I decided to put those on half of the cookies and Andes mints on the other half (Andes is what the recipe calls for).

I think the Andes mints work better with the recipe because they’re smaller and you can “swirl” them into the cookie when they’re hot.  However, the See’s peppermints LOOK better.  I mean, seriously, is that not a cute cookie?  So if you’re looking to make a handsome cookie, the See’s peppermints are a good way to go.

No matter how you make them…YUM!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

 

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From Sis-in-Law Jessica

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter
• 1½ cups brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon water
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 2½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 boxes Andes Candies (mint)

Instructions

1. Melt on the stove: butter, sugar, water, & chips- and cool 10 minutes.
2. Beat in eggs one at a time on high speed
3. Slowly add dry ingredients
4. Chill dough 1 hour
5. Cook at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes.
6. After they come out of the oven, put a candy on each cookie and as it melts swirl it around with a fork.

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A dear friend of mine in San Diego hosts a Cookie Exchange every December.  It is the best!  Everyone bakes 10 dozen of one kind of cookie, then brings them to the exchange.  We all hang out for a few hours (eating and chatting!) and then go home with 10 dozen of all sorts of wonderful cookies!  I was able to put the cutest plates of cookies together for friends.  It was fantastic!

I wish so much I could have you all over for a real cookie exchange, but I simply don’t have room! 🙂  But how about a little “virtual” cookie exchange to get us ready for the holidays?  One of the best parts of Jen’s cookie exchange was discovering new recipes, so I thought a Cookie (Recipe) Exchange here on the blog would be fun!

So, share your favorite cookie recipe of all time.  Or your favorite holiday treat that you like to share with friends (i.e. you don’t have to “bring” cookies…just something yummy!).  I’ve got my sprinkles and cookie cutters ready to go!

Oh!  And here’s my recipe.  I discovered these at the first cookie exchange I went to.  I have no idea who made them or brought the recipe, but I will be forever grateful!

Chocolate Swirls

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate ships, melted and slightly cooled

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350F. In large mixing bowl combine sugars, butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms. Fold melted chips into dough until lightly marbled. (do not overmix)
2. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until edges are light golden brown. Cool completly before storing.

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The recipe I’m sharing with you today is amazing, if I do say so myself. In fact, it’s one of those recipes that I’m hesitant to even share with others…you know, kind of like that crazy new psycho character on Desperate who won’t share the lemon meringue pie recipe? That’s a little how I feel…these cookies make me look GOOD, and if others can make them, I lose my magic. At the same time, I think people who don’t share recipes are, well, a little shallow and mean. So, the real question is do I want friends or do I want to have that secret cookie recipe that people are willing to break into my house for? Believe it or not, this was a tough decision, but I’ve decided I like being popular more, so you get the recipe.

Seriously, these cookies are perfect. I guess the official name is “Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies” but that is so boring and doesn’t really fall off the tongue so easily, so let’s just call it The Perfect Cookie. Where did I get the recipe from? The name on my original recipe card says Barbara Boczany. I have no idea who Barbara Boczany is. But she makes a damn good cookie. I have adjusted the recipe, so let’s just say it’s mine. Yeah, that sounds good. Keep reading for the secret (and no, not THAT secret, but the yummy cookie secret, which is WAY better).

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies (aka The Perfect Cookie)

 

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When I originally received this recipe from a friend, the name on it was "Barbara Boczany." We have no idea who Barbara is but we are eternally grateful to her for this wonderful recipe!

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (I always use salted and they taste fine)
• 1 C brown sugar, packed
• 6 Tbsp sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 C flour
• 2¼ C oats
• 1½ C coconut
• 12 oz (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chunks – I prefer using semi-sweet mini chocolate chips because they distribute through the cookie very nicely with the other ingredients
• ¾ C chopped almonds (I actually never add the almonds)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat butter and sugars at high speed until fluffy (about 5-7 minutes). Add eggs and beat till well blended. Beat in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add flour and mix at low speed until just blended. Stir in oats, coconut, chocolate and almonds.
2. Arrange ¼ cup mounds about 3 inches apart on large buttered baking sheets. Pat down to ½ inch. Bake in upper oven, rotating occasionally, 15-18 mins. Cool one minute. Transfer to cooling rack.
3. If you bake smaller cookies (which I often do), adjust the baking time accordingly.
4. The cookies usually get pretty crispy and brown around the edge and you will see that the center of the cookie is set.

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