Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups and Ice Cream

Source - http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/05/double-chocolate-chip-cookie-cups-and-ice-cream.html

Makes about 18 cups

1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus 2 tablespoons, if dough is sticky)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or use butterscotch, peanut butter, or exclusively use all semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Häagen-Dazs® Ice Cream – I used the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor

hot fudge or chocolate ice cream sauce, optional

whipped topping or whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a standard 12-count muffin pan with paper liners. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugars, and cream for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed, stopping at least once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla, and beat for 2 to 3 more minutes on medium-high speed, stopping at least once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, baking soda, and mix until just combined, no more than one minute. Add the chips and beat for 5 to 10 seconds or fold in by hand.

Place 2 rounded tablespoons of dough into each paper muffin liner and press down firmly to pack down the dough. The liners should be filled about three-quarters of the way full. Add more (or less) dough to each cup as needed, pressing down after each addition. (The dough does rise while baking, but not tremendously so, as with a muffin or cupcake.) Bake for 11 to 15 minutes or until the tops have risen and have barely begun to brown, taking care not to overbake. It’s okay if these seem a bit underdone as they will continue to set up as they cool and you want them gooey. Allow the cookie cups to cool in the muffin pan for at least 15 minutes before removing them.

Top each with cookie cup generous scoop of ice cream. Optionally, garnish with whipped topping or whipped cream; chocolate, caramel, or butterscotch sauce, maraschino cherries, sprinkles, coconut flakes, nuts, diced candy pieces, or other favorite ice cream sundae toppings.

Store extra cookie cups in an airtight container for up to one week on the counter or refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer.

Note: If desired, use refrigerated pre-made cookie dough rather than making your own cookie dough. I suggest doctoring up the dough by adding semi-sweet and/or white chocolate chips as premade dough tends to be a little skimpy on the chips. I estimate that you could make between 8 and 10 cups per standard flat package of dough. I’d buy two packages for a 12 to 15 cup yield (guesstimate).

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

SOURCE - http://www.dessarts.com/2012/05/photography-exercise-with-espresso-chocolate-chip-muffins.html

yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs instant espresso powder
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 375 F and line your muffin tin or generously butter. Mix the flour, sugar,  baking powder, salt, espresso in a large bowl with a whisk. Whisk the eggs, vanilla, butter and coffee in another bowl. Add the liquids to the the dry ingredients mix until almost combined and then add the chocolate chips and mix until combined. Fill the muffin tins evenly with the batter. I used an ice cream scoop to keep it from getting messy and get a more even distribution between the 12 muffins. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.

Whole Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

Source - http://www.laurelofleaves.com/2012/04/whole-orange-chocolate-chip-muffins/

Ingredients:

1 medium size orange1/4 c. coconut sugar1/2 c. maple syrup1 egg1/4 c. milk (raw cow’s milk, or almond or rice milk)6 Tbsp. butter1 1/2 c. whole wheat or spelt flour (preferably freshly ground and/or sprouted)1 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. baking soda3 Tbsp. almond meal1/3 c. dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 390 F.

Cut unpeeled orange into chunks and remove seeds. Place orange chunks, coconut sugar, and maple syrup into a blender and blend until orange is finely chopped. Add egg, milk, and butter, and blend until combined.

Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a bowl and add almond meal. Pour orange mixture into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Mixture will still be lumpy. Spoon into muffin tins and bake at 390 F for 15-20 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups

Source - http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/03/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-peanut-butter-cups/

[cookie dough adapted from cookie dough dip]

makes 24 cups

2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Whisk in brown sugar until dissolved, then let it bubble for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter. The mixture will be liquidly. Whisk in vanilla. Let sit and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Line a mini muffin with with liners. Melt 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips (I do mine in the microwave, heating on full power for 20 seconds, stir, 30 seconds again, and stir until melted). Drop 1/2-1 teaspoon of chocolate into each liner, then use a pastry brush to brush chocolate up the sides of the liner. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. By this point the butter + sugar mix should be cool. Whisk in powdered sugar, salt and flour, until combine and few lumps remain. Fold in mini chocolate chips. The dough will be wet, but pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to harden.

Remove muffin tin and cookie dough, then place 1 teaspoon of cookie dough (I somewhat rolled mine) into the chocolate cups. Place back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Melt the remaining chocolate chips, then cover each cookie dough top with chocolate, smoothing with a spoon. Freeze again for 15-20 minutes. These are fine out in room temperature for a few hours (they may soften a bit) but I like them best stored in the fridge.

Note: I’m sure if you temper your chocolate and let it sit at room temperature these will harden without the freezer, but this is what works for me best.

CHOCOLATE CHIP HOT CROSS BUNS

Source- http://butterbaking.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/chocolate-chip-hot-cross-buns/

Adapted from Not Quite Nigella.

For the buns
3 sachets instant dry yeast (21g, 3/4 oz)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
4 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups chocolate chunks or chips

For the glaze
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp hot water

For the crosses
60g white chocolate (2 oz)

To make the buns, combine the lukewarm milk, sugar and dry yeast in a small bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes. It should become frothy and increase in size.

Fit your mixer with the dough hook and put the flour and salt in the bowl of your mixer (if you don’t have one, you could do this by hand). Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the melted butter, lightly beaten egg and frothy yeast mixture, as well as half the chocolate chips.

Turn the mixer on low and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place it in a large bowl (not metal), cover with plastic wrap and set aside in warm place for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, until the dough doubles in size.

Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.

Once the dough has risen, knock it down and add the remaining chocolate chips, kneading lightly to incorporate them. Divide the dough evenly into 15 or 16 balls and place them close together on the baking tray, in a 4 x 4 or 5 x 3 arrangement.

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Cover the hot cross buns with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 20 minutes.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. While the buns are baking, prepare your glaze.

For the glaze, dissolve the sugar in the hot water.

Once the buns are cooked, remove them from the oven and quickly brush them with a few coats of the glaze.

To make the crosses, melt the white chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. Put the chocolate into a small zip loc bag or piping bag, snip off the end and pipe crosses across the chocolate chip buns.

Serve warm. Makes 15-16 hot cross buns.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CHEESECAKE BARS

1 tsp vanilla extract

Bake for 30 minutes until the top of the cookie dough looks dry and the whole pan looks set when given a slight shake. Move the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely. Chill in the fridge for a few hours for easier cutting. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into desired sizes.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (Only Better)

Source - http://heatovento350.blogspot.com/2011/01/reeses-peanut-butter-cups-only-better.html

1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs (I buy the store bought crushed but you can always crush your own grahm crackers).

3 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 cups Peanut Butter

1 cups salted Butter, melted

1 bag (12 oz) Chocolate Chips, semi sweet

1-2 tablespoons of butter

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the powdered sugar.

2. Add the peanut butter and the melted butter and mix well.

3. Pour the mixture into a 9X13 pan and stick it in the freezer for 20 minutes.

4. While the peanut butter mixture is cooling, you can microwave or use a double boiler to melt your chocolate chips and 1-2 tablespoons of butter. I personally just throw the chips and butter in a microwaveable glass bowl and microwave 30 seconds on high, stir and repeat until they are melted. Works perfectly every time.

5. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter mixture and spread evenly. Put the bars in the fridge and when the chocolate is set take out and cut yourself a little piece, and then get ready to take a short jaunt to heaven!!