Hot Chocolate Truffles

recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake
BASIC RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

2 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cocoa Powder

DIRECTIONS
In a medium sized pot, melt all of the ingredients over medium-low heat stirring constantly until smooth.
Remove from heat, and transfer to a separate container. Let cool in the refrigerator until stiff enough to scoop.
Using a small cookie scoop (2 Tbsp/1 ounce/30 mL), scoop your ganache onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and place in the freezer for half an hour.
Remove scoops from freezer, and shape into (pretty) balls with your hands. Roll truffles in cocoa powder, and keep chilled until ready to use.

TO SERVE

Place truffle in bottom of cup, and pour 6 to 8 oz of hot milk over the top. Stir stir stir and enjoy!

VARIATIONS

Candy Cane
Use 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract in place of vanilla.
Roll in crushed candy canes.

Chocolate Orange
Use 1 Tablespoon of orange extract in place of vanilla.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
Use 2 Cups Reese's Peanut Butter Chips & 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Roll in 2 parts cocoa powder to 1 part PB2.

Extra Dark Milk Chocolate
Use Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips & 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cherry Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream

Adapted from Recipe Diaries

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 15 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups of fresh cherries, pitted and quartered

DIRECTIONS

In a microwave safe bowl, mix chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. Microwave for three 30 second increments, stirring between sessions until chocolate chips have melted, and you have a thick chocolate ganache. Set aside to cool, then crumble.

In a large, chilled bowl, beat with a hand mixer remaining two cups of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks have formed. Add vanilla extract, and continue to beat until stiff peaks have formed. Gently fold in sweetened condensed milk, cherries, and cooled chocolate ganache crumbles.

Freeze in quart sized container of your choice for a minimum of 4 hours, and then serve away!

So, I have never been a fan of cherries that aren't cooked or processed to heck. Maraschino Cherries, Cherry Pie, Cherry Flavor… those are my jam. Regular cherries? Not so much. Then add in the fact that I HATE chocolate chunks/chips/whatever in ice cream, and it makes you wonder why on earth I would ever make a Cherry-Garcia-esque copy cat slash cheater recipe for ice cream. Well, the answer is: we had a bunch of cherries, and I had some heavy cream I needed to get rid of. I decided to make a chocolate ganache to replace the chocolate chunks, because I didn't want to risk breaking my teeth. I am an ice cream chewer. My Grandma Alice really enjoyed this recipe, and I hope that you all will too!

CCC: Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from No. 2 Pencil
INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Mini semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
In a small bowl, blend butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla together with a tiny whisk, or a fork.
Add egg yolk and stir again.
Add baking soda and flour and stir until combined.
Then stir in mini chocolate chips until you feel like there are enough.
Scoop dough, and place on baking sheet at least two inches apart.
Bake for about 8 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
Remove baking sheet from oven and give the baking sheet a firm, but careful bang on the counter top. This will deflate the cookies and give them a perfect wrinkly appearance.

My grandmother once told me that "Lazy" should be my middle name. Joke is on her because my middle name is HER middle name. But she's right, because I am a lazy baker. I love baking, but sometimes I just can not. Cookies cause this laziness to come up to the surface. You make the dough, bake a couple sheets, and then you still have a crap ton of dough. It's like the song that never ends, and sometimes my hand gets crampy from all the scoopin'. This recipe is perfect for my lazy baker heart. It yields six cookies, and they all fit on one cookie sheet. It's not a holy grail recipe by any means- as in I'm not going to only use this recipe. BUT when the craving for a chocolate chip cookie comes, and there isn't any cookie dough in the freezer, and you don't feel like baking batch after batch in the oven, this recipe is a definite go to.

Ultimate Brownies

recipe by Tessa of Handle the Heat
INGREDIENTS
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butter, and unsweetened chocolate. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute then stir. Continue heating in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the mixture is melted and smooth but not scorched. Remove from the microwave and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until light and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and salt, folding gently until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake until a tester comes out with moist crumbs still attached, 35 to 40. Do not overbake. Let cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

I'm in love! I'm in love! and I don't care who knows it! Unfortunately for my family, I am in love with these brownies and not a tall, dark and handsome man that could potentially marry me and take me away. They'll just have to accept my offering of these brownies, and be content with having me single as a dollar and not looking for change. I think they'll be cool with it as long as I keep making these brownies.

Cowgirl Cookies

adapted from Bakerella

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, m&ms, chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, brown and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Blend well to break up any chunks of brown sugar. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, butter and vanilla together.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix together.

Scoop out 1 1/2 inch balls of dough, and place on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on cookie sheet before transferring to wire cooling rack.

Serve to that special cowboy or cowgirl in your life.

I first found this recipe during Erica Ellen's Cookie Extravaganza in Honor of Black History Month… and then I forgot about them. The other night my niece found out that I have a crap ton of cookbooks. Cookbooks are her new favorite books. So we were looking through my homemade one, and found this recipe and declared, "We HAVE to make these right now." I shot her down because it was 10:00 pm, and I am a grown up with a job. When I came home early from work the next day, we made them. I want to rename them because I added coconut, and have decided that they are even better, so I wanna rename them "Reverse Cowgirl Cookies" but I don't want you all to think I am super disgusting. Just know that they are that good, and easy soooo you need to make them yourself.

S'mores Pie

adapted from Pastry Affair

INGREDIENTS

Graham Cracker Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Chocolate Filling
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
10 ounces, semi-sweet chocolate chopped or chips
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, whisked
1 bag of marshmallows

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until evenly coated. Press mixture into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant.

Keep oven running.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cream and milk. Warm over medium-low heat. Add in chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Slowly add whisked eggs and mix until smooth.

Pour chocolate filling into baked pie crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until chocolate filling is set and does not move when pie is lightly shaken. Remove from oven.

Place marshmallows in concentric circles* over the baked pie. If using large marshmallows, cut the mallows in half using kitchen shears. *unless you're a Rachel.

Set oven to broil. Place pie under the broiler and lightly toast the marshmallows. This can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes, so watch those marshmallows closely!

Chill pie in the refrigerator to set for 2-3 hours.

To serve, spray a knife with non-stick cooking spray and cut the cold pie into slices. The pie is kind of a pain in the butt to cut while warm, and ends up a big, gooey, chocolate mess.

While the pie can be eaten cold, it is a total #foodgasm when slightly warmed. Heat the pie slices in a microwave for 7-10 seconds before serving for the best results.

Rocky Road Cookies

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup Mallow Bits
3/4 cup chopped almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in vanilla extract. Mix until blended.

Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix until flour disappears. Stir in chocolate chips, Mallow Bits, and chopped almonds. Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoons onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies for 8 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Don't over bake. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Rolo Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 1/4 cups mini-chocolate chips

Bag of Rolo Candy, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt.

Cream the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Add vanilla.

Slowly add in dry ingredients, then mix in pecans and mini-chocolate chips.

Take one tablespoon of cookie dough, and wrap around one Rolo candy.

Make sure that the entire Rolo is covered with dough.

Place on cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from cookie sheet, and place on cooling rack.

Serve warm, so that the caramel will still be hot and gooey.

Candy Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

adapted from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 oz bag chocolate chips
Variety of snack size Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers and Kit Kat

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until well combined.

Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.
Place flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl; mix then slowly add to wet ingredients.

Add chocolate chips to combine.

Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of snack size candy bar.

Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of candy bar.

Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until candy bar is enclosed with dough.

Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.

Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk, enjoy!

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

adapted from multiplydelicious on TastyKitchen

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cups mini chocolate chips
1 cup Oreo Cookie crumbs
½ cups white chocolate chips, melted (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined.

Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until ingredients are light and fluffy.

Slowly incorporate the flour. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into 1″ balls, and roll in Oreo cookie crumbs so cookie is covered. Place covered cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are slightly puffed.

Cool on the pan for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate. Enjoy!

Better-than-Brownies Chocolate Cookies

from Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS
2 2/3 cups (about 16 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth.

In the meantime, stir together the eggs, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.

Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine well. Slowly add the dry ingredients, folding them into the batter. Once all of the flour is incorporated, stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop 1½ tablespoons of dough (a medium cookie scoop’s worth) onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are firm on the outside. Like brownies, do not overbake! Leave to cool completely on the baking sheets.

Salty Chocolate and Caramel Turtle Cookies

adapted from How Sweet It Is

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
8 caramels, chopped into fours

DIRECTIONS
Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy.

Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.

Fold in pecans, caramel pieces and chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 4-6 hours (or more). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350, roll into balls and set on baking sheet. (Note: refrigerating is the most important part. If you don’t refrigerate, when the cookies go into the oven, the caramel pieces will sink to the bottom and stick to the cookie sheet.)

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let cool completely, and drizzle with caramel sauce if desired.

Almond Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

INGREDIENTS
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 ounces almond paste
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped toffee
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together with the beater blade for about two minutes. Add the almond paste in pieces and mix until well combined. Add in eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients slowly mix until dry ingredients disappear. Stir in toffee and chocolate chips. Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet with a medium cookie scoop. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are golden brown around the outside. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

*Note-if you don't have homemade toffee, you can use chopped up Heath or Skor bars.