Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

First of all, and most important, the winner of the recipe box, chosen by random.org, was Jessica.

Jessica said... Oh my gosh, so cute! I think a giveaway is the only thing that could possibly make me love your blog even more! (P.S. Thanks to you, I've made muddy buddies like three times this month! My husband thanks you.) ;)

Email me at daysmadesweet@gmail.com and I will get you your recipe box!

Nextly, these cookies make for a very happy family apparently. My husband, who doesn't care at all about food, and my brother, who just likes to critique my food, have been requesting them for some time now. The problem is I have so many other recipes I want to try that I don't really want to have to make a recipe I have already made before. Suffice it to say I caved and since you haven't seen this recipe before I figured I would share the joy that those 2 have gotten from these cookies with you.

They are so chocolaty you might die from overload, but they are totally worth it. 

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com

**Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.**

2 cups Flour
½ cup Baking Cocoa
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt

16 ounces Semisweet Chocolate, chopped (it is best not to substitute chocolate chips since they melt differently)

4 large Eggs
2 teaspoon Vanilla
10 Tablespoon Butter, softened to room temperature
1 ½ cups packed Brown Sugar
½ cup White Sugar
1 ½ cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (50% power for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave in 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted – be careful not to overheat or chocolate will sieze). In a small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla lightly with a fork; set aside.

3. Beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in the sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; the mixture will look granular. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add the chocolate in a steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Finally add the chocolate chips. Do not overbeat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the consistency is fudge-like, about 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners (this is pretty important – if the cookies are baked on a greased baking sheet only, they will probably stick). Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and place them on the cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart.

5. Bake until the edges of the cookies have just begun to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10-11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets about 5 minutes or until set and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Recipe Box Giveaway!

I have decided to do a giveaway, and I am thinking it should be a regular thing around here. Because this is the first one I have ever done, to enter all you have to do is follow my blog and leave a comment telling me you follow. If you want more than one entry, tell a friend to follow my blog, once they do, leave a comment saying that you had a friend follow and you get an entry, make sure you put their name in the comment too.

So since this is a food blog after all, I am giving away a recipe box. It fits 3x5 recipe cards and includes dividers. I will also include all of the recipes posted on this blog. Since I am making it you will also have your choice of the paper you want it in.

with or without the word 'recipes' on the top 

These are your paper options...

You can use one or  if you like I have solid colors to go with each of the patterned papers, so the top of the box can be different.

The contest will close on Sunday February 27th and the winner will be announced on Monday the 28th! Just as a side note, I can only ship in the US.

Measurement Conversions

When I have to half a recipe or double it this really helps me out. I have this at the front of my recipe box so its easy to find. It would also be good to have right on your fridge.

Measurement Conversions

3 tsp       -    1 Tbsp                     1 oz        -     2 Tbsp

2 Tbsp    -    1/8 cup                    2 oz        -     1/4 cup

4 Tbsp    -    1/4 cup                    4 oz        -     1/2 cup

5 Tbsp & 1 tsp - 1/3 cup              8 oz        -     1 cup

8 Tbsp    -    1/2 cup                    16 oz       -     2 cups/1 lb

12 Tbsp  -    3/4 cup                    2 cups     -     1 pint

16 Tbsp  -    1 cup                       2 pints    -     1 quart

                                                   1 quart    -     4 cups

............................................................................................................

Double a Recipe

1/8 cup     -       1/4 cup              1/8 tsp        -      1/4 tsp

1/4 cup     -       1/2 cup              1/4 tsp        -      1/2 tsp

1/3 cup     -       2/3 cup              3/4 tsp        -      1 1/2 tsp

1/2 cup     -       1 cup                 1 tsp           -       2 tsp

2/3 cup     -       1 1/3 cups         1/2 Tbsp      -      1 Tbsp

3/4 cup     -       1 1/2 cups         1 Tbsp         -      2 Tbsp

1 cup        -       2 cups               1 1/2 Tbsp    -      3 Tbsp

                                                  2 Tbsp         -       1/4 cup

............................................................................................................

Triple a Recipe

1/8 cup    -       1/4 cup & 2 Tbsp           1/8 tsp        -      1/4 tsp & 1/8 tsp

1/4 cup    -       3/4 cup                          1/4 tsp        -      3/4 tsp

1/3 cup    -       1 cup                             1/2 tsp        -      1 1/2 tsp

1/2 cup    -       1 1/2 cups                     3/4 tsp        -      2 1/4 tsp

2/3 cup    -       2 cups                           1 tsp           -      3 tsp

3/4 cup    -       2 1/4 cups                     1 1/2 tsp     -      4 1/2 tsp

1 cup       -       3 cups                           1/2 Tbsp      -      1 1/2 Tbsp

1 Tbsp     -       3 Tbsp                           1 1/2 Tbsp   -      1/4 cup & 1/2 Tbsp

2 Tbsp     -      1/4 cup & 2 Tbsp

3 Tbsp     -      1/2 cup & 1 Tbsp

............................................................................................................
                                                               

Half a Recipe

1/8 cup    -       1 Tbsp                           1/2 tsp         -     1/4 tsp

1/4 cup    -       2 Tbsp                           1 tsp            -     1/2 tsp

1/3 cup    -       2 Tbsp & 2 tsp               1 1/2 tsp      -      3/4 tsp

1/2 cup    -       1/4 cup                          1/2 Tbsp       -     3/4 tsp

2/3 cup    -       1/3 cup                          1 Tbsp          -     1 1/2 tsp

3/4 cup    -       1/4 cup & 2 Tbsp           1 1/2 Tbsp    -     2 1/4 tsp    

1 cup       -       1/2 cup                          2 Tbsp          -     3 tsp

                                                              3 Tbsp          -     4 1/2 tsp

............................................................................................................

Third a Recipe

1/4 cup     -      1 Tbsp & 1 tsp                3 Tbsp      -       3 tsp

1/3 cup     -      1 Tbsp & 2 1/4 tsp          2 Tbsp      -       2 tsp

1/2 cup     -      2 Tbsp & 2 tsp                1 Tbsp      -       1 tsp

2/3 cup     -      3 Tbsp & 1 1/2 tsp          1/2 Tbsp   -      1/2 tsp

3/4 cup     -      1/4 cup

1 cup        -      1/3 cup

The Best Chocolate Cake

For my little girls first birthday we had a ladybug theme. I didnt want everybody's mouths to be red after eating all of the treats, so I made these delicious chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. These are always moist and I promise you wont regret the extra calories. Its totally worth it.

The Best Chocolate Cake

Recipe Source: kevinandamanda.com
 

1 box Devil’s Food Cake
1 pkg Jell-O Instant Chocolate Pudding
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. In a very large bowl , mix together everything except chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into cake pan(s) of choice. 

3. For cooking time, use the cooking times on the back of the devil’s food cake box as a guide and usually add 10 mins to whatever it says. Then do the toothpick check, and if it’s not done, check on it every 5 mins after that.

Buttercream Frosting

Recipe Source: bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com

 

1 cup Butter, room temperature
8 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Milk

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1. In an electric mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment or if you don't have an electric mixing bowl use a large bowl and an electric mixer, mix the butter until smooth and creamy, this will take a few minutes.

2. Add 4 cups of the sugar, the milk and vanilla and on low speed mix until combined.
 

3. Add two more cups of sugar and on low speed mix until light and fluffy. Add the remaining two cups of powdered sugar.

Lemon Bars

Sometimes I feel like all of the desserts I make are chocolate. So this is a change. I decided to make lemon bars. I have tried before and they never turn out the I expect a lemon bar should be. So I went on a hunt, it was a long hunt, but I feel like I have found a winner.  These are so delicious and I am so excited I found this recipe. 

These are so deliciously lemony. And the crust, oh the crust, it is so light and flaky. You really need to try these.

Lemon Bars

Recipe Source: FoodNetwork.com

For the crust:
1 cup Butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 cups Flour
1/8 teaspoon Salt

For the filling:
6 large Eggs, room temperature
3 cups Granulated Sugar
1 cup & 6 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 cup Flour
Powdered Sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9x13 cake pan, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

3. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

4. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Chili Mac

This is a really good combination of macaroni and cheese and goulash. It is really flavorful and simple to make.

Chili Mac

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 pound Ground Beef
1 Onion, minced
3/4 Tablespoon Chili Powder (add more if you want more heat)
1/2 Tablespoon Ground Coriander (substitute ground cumin for a smokier flavor)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
2-8oz. cans Tomato Sauce
8 ounces (2 cups) Macaroni
1 cup Frozen Corn
1 4.5-oz can Chopped Green Chiles
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (You can use a combination of cheddar and monterey jack, pepper jack or a mexican shredded cheese blend)

1. Boil a pot of water and cook macaroni. 

2. Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat or grease. Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce.

3. Drain macaroni and then return to pot. Pour beef and sauce mixture into the pot. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chiles and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Muddy Buddies

This is one of my favorite snacks. Its so easy. That's the best kind of snack, one that's quick to make.

Muddy Buddies

Recipe Source: Chex.com

9 cups Corn Chex
1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

1. Measure cereal into large bowl; set aside.

2. In a microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon ziploc bag.

3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Make Your Own Magnet Board

So in my kitchen there is no where to put any papers, that would normally go on the front of the fridge to display. Our fridge is stainless steel and apparently its not magnetic. So very disappointed I decided to remedy the situation with a magnet board. 

Supplies Needed

Liquid Nails

Moulding

Sheet Metal

Spray Paint

Wood Filler

Wooden Board
Nail Gun (optional)

Ready, here we go! The board I made was 24" by 35". I bought the board at Home Depot and it was $5. I had them cut it to the right size(they do that for free).

Its 1/4" thick...

I then bought the molding and they cut that too. It was $.58 a foot and so it cost me just under $6. I then had the hubby cut the molding on 45 degree angles. Then we nailed the frame together(you dont have to nail it together, you could glue the sheet metal to the board, then glue your  molding pieces to the board, then fill the cracks and paint).

The next step is to fill the cracks where the molding didnt quite come together when you nailed it and the nail holes. After I filled the cracks and holes I wiped it off with a damp paper towel.

Then you need to attach the sheet metal to the board. I also got my sheet metal at Home Depot. It was $9. It needed to be trimmed because it was too long on one side, but we realized we needed it shorter on all the sides. So after many attempts at scoring it with an x-acto knife and trying to bend it (which is what the guy at Home Depot said would work so well, he lied, it was really a huge pain and we ended up giving up), I used my kitchen scissors and it cut it like it was paper. By the way, my kitchen scissors suck, so anybodies will probably work. 

Then you put your liquid nails on the back and press it down, start from the center and work your way out.

While you are waiting for that to set, paint your molding. It took 2 coats of the spray paint that I bought. I got the paint at Lowes and it was like $4. I bought a black satin no drip kind and it turned out fantastic! Once your paint is dry you put the liquid nails on the back of the molding and press it onto the board. 

After I pressed it onto the board we turned it upside down and put books on top of it and let it set for a couple of hours. Then up it went, well we did put hooks on the back, just regular old picture frame hooks. One on each side.

It fits perfectly in the space I had for it.

I love it! If you have any questions or need help with this project, leave me a comment and I will help if I can!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These are my favorite. I really could eat them all day long, which could eventually become a big problem, but they are so good! They are soft and thick like brownies but taste like a delicious, soft and gooey chocolate chip cookie. I make mine with semisweet and white chocolate chips, but you could use any combination and it would be delicious.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com

2 1/8 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
12 Tablespoons Butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 large Egg
1 large Egg Yolk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups Chocolate Chips (use your preference, semisweet, butterscotch, milk, white, peanut butter…)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab the edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.

3. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; DO NOT overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

4. Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut and serve.