Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oh Happy Day-- we're talkin' cookies!

Last time we talked I mentioned that I had just made a new chocolate chip cookie batter, but I hadn't baked off any of the cookies yet.  This new cookie recipe is for Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Cookies!  The recipe actually comes right off the bag of their bittersweet chocolate chips, which are the ones I used. Any chip would be delicious if dark chocolate isn't your thing.  With classic chocolate chip cookies (how many times in can I type out those 3 yummy words in this post?) being my all-time favorite cookie, I was excited to try out a new recipe for them! I do have our favorite double chocolate sea salt chocolate chip cookie recipe the blog, but why not try a new one for fun every so often??

The verdict is that these cookies are deliciously buttery, thin, and chewy, and they are tasty, but we don't think they're "The Ultimate" by our tastes.  Anyone who prefers a thin chocolate chip cookie will probably love these, though!  They really spread out in the pan when baked, even after the dough was refrigerated for 24 hours.  The second time my husband was the one to bake a few, and he made them smaller in size. They turned out better! I think they baked more evenly so I'll make these smaller next time instead of the oversized ones I usually make. I've got to say that we both agreed they have a delicious flavor, and the cookie dough tastes amazing....  it's perhaps some of the best cookie dough I've had! 

This recipe is definitely good enough to share and would be perfect to take a batch to your next potluck, so I hope you'll give them a go!  Thin, buttery cookies are incredible dunked in a tall, frosted glass of milk...  Just sayin!  Let me know what you think.  Happy Baking!!  :)

Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields about 4 dozen cookies

2 1/4 c. unsifted flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) real butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

3/4 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

10 oz. Ghiradelli chocolate chips, I used almost 1 cup more than this!

1 c. pecans or walnuts, optional I opted out this time

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Stir flour with baking soda, salt and set side.
• Beat butter with both sugars at medium speed until creamy; turn mixer to low and add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Mix until smooth.
• Gradually blend the dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (if desired).
• Drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheet, or plain ungreased sheet.
• Bake for 9-11 minutes or till golden.  I like to check at 9 minutes, but we like ours on the very chewy side.
• Important: Enjoy every bite!

*Favorite* Family Fudge Pie

As a self-proclaimed chocolateholic family, this fudge pie is the pie to end all fudge pies!  This is seriously delicious.

The baker? .... my husband!  He turned out this perfect chocolate delight one lazy Sunday afternoon between church services when I mentioned to him how "I would just LOVE some chocolate and coffee right now" as we were relaxing.  I heard some littleclanging and rustling in the kitchen and in a matter of 20 minutes he had a gorgeous pie in the oven!! 




I am so blessed to call this man mine!!!

He dug up this fudge pie recipe card we've had for probably a decade or more in my recipe box, but I can't tell you where it came from because I have no idea.  This is a classic fudge pie, not to be confused with chocolate meringue or a brownie pie.  It has a deeply rich center and baked in a pie crust. 

I'll let you in on one of our favorite desserts here... It's this very fudge pie served with a scoop of coffee ice cream, dollup of homemade whipped cream, and chocolate or caramel syrup drizzled all over each piece for an over the top delicious family recipe we endearingly call the "Heath-sinker" after a Pattis 1800 Settlement pie recipe we love. Now that is something to share with your best of people!

This wonderful Sunday he served it up hot from the oven with whipped cream and some favorite dark roast coffee.  Perfection!



The unexpected afternoon nosh definitely hit the spot for my craving and was made for one happy wife!  We watched a good Amazon Prime original show called Doctor Thorne while the kids napped.  It made for a pretty perfect Sunday!

Randomly baking a pie for me..... well to us, that says LOVE.  Almost 12 years married, and I have a man who is just as fun now as ever! 

And just as cute!!!

Just look at the deliciousness going on. Just beautiful!  The pie, too. ;))

That fudge!  Don't you want the recipe???

Here you go.

Family Fudge Pie

3/4 c. butter

3- 1oz. chocolate squares

3 eggs

1 1/2c. sugar

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. rea; vanilla extract

3/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted

(Roast pecans in a single layer on 350 for 7-8 minutes, stirring once, til toasted and fragrant.)

1 Pie crust (I use the refrigerated roll out.)

Preheat oven to 350. 

Melt butter and chocolate together in saucepan on low heat.

Beat the eggs well at medium speed for 5 minutes with an electric or stand mixer. 

Gradually add sugar til blended.  Gradually add chocolate mixture, flour, and vanilla beating wil blended.  Stir in the pecans. 

Pour mixture into pie plate that is prepared with a crust.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center is firm. I personally recommend eating while still warm, but that's how I role.

You are so welcome!

Best Loved! Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Today I wanted to share with you  an especially good dessert recipe!  These are the crazy-amazing peanut butter chocolate bars I made a couple of weeks ago on that perfect fall day I told you about here! 

First if you don't already know, let me just say I'm a big-time dessert person.  We are a big dessert family!  I love baking and we all love eating dessert so we really have to watch our sweet eating habits.  Sometimes I'll make a batch of cookies or pan of brownies and I'll simply give them away, but I get the pleasure of baking and giving out of it. 

I've made no telling how many different dessert recipes over the past 11 years of my married life...most of the best ones I've shared on here.  One kind of dessert treat that I especially love are bars.  They always tend to be chewy and gooey and are a one pan kind of dish that you basically just dump everything in and bake it!

These peanut butter chocolate bars are some of the very best bars I've ever made!!!  Ever!

They are very rich and gooey when warm, and they have the sweet and salty factor going on!  The crunchy peanut butter and coconut add great texture and that thick chocolate filling?!!  To die for.

Puleeease.  Do your favorite people in life a favor by making a pan of these.  They would be wonderful to take to a hayride or eat around a bonfire.  They would be fun for an indulgent dessert after a dinner party, or perfect for a weekend treat to eat as a family while playing your favorite games or watching a cozy movie!  Milk or rich dark coffee is required! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Original Recipe from Aunt Peaches blog

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 c. crunchy peanut butter

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, melted or room temp

2 eggs

2 c. chocolate chips (I recommend bittersweet ones from Ghiradelli)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 c. flaked coconut (You may omit, but I would replace with 1/2 c. chopped peanuts.)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (I left this out.)

I added about 1/4 tsp. salt

parchment paper

Preheat oven to 325 F. 

Line the bottom of 9x13 in. pan with parchment paper. (Easily found in stores near the foil)

In a bowl, mix the dry cake mix, butter, peanut butter, and eggs with a mixer.  It will come together looking like the consistency of play dough.) Set aside.

In a large saucepan on low heat, heat the sweetened condensed milk to a simmer, stirring constantly.  As soon as it starts bubbling in the middle, turn off the heat, and pour in the chocolate chips.  Stir again until the chocolate is melted in.  Once melted,  mix in the coconut, vanilla extract, hot sauce (if using) and salt.  The chocolate mixture will be warm and thick and gooey!

Divide out half of the yellow mixture you had sitting aside, and use your fingers or a spatula to smoosh it along the bottom of the pan.  If you need to borrow a bit from the other half of the mixture to cover the bottom, that's okay and probably expected! 

Then pour the chocolate sauce over the top and spread it all over.  Go back to the remaining yellow mixture and crumble it with your fingers, or just spread it over.  ( I sort of swirled it all around.)

Look at this!

Bake for 30 minutes.  They made seem underdone, but that's what they should look like.  Just lightly browned around the edges.

The original recipe calls for them to be thoroughly cooled before cutting, but I have to disagree here.  Wait at least 20 minutes, but then I say to dig in before they cool!  It may not cut into perfect squares but since when have we cared what something looks like if it doesn't taste as gooey and delicious that way?  I loooove a warm dessert fresh out of the oven!  Let me know what you think.

Eat, share and enjoy these amazing peanut butter chocolate bars!

Merry Cherry Fudge

One of the best parts of the season for me is the Christmas baking!  I absolutely love going to the store and stocking up on chocolate chips of every sort, white and chocolate bark, cocoa powder, brown sugar, sprinkles, butter, vanilla extract, ginger, cloves and allspice, oranges...  These are all the classic  flavors of the Christmas season!  

 

Every year I try out a new recipe I've never made before.  I'll scan through my Gooseberry Patch and Southern Living Christmas cookbooks and find one or maybe two new desserts to try!  Several years ago it was the raspberry linzer cookies, a couple years ago was the toffee cracker candy, last year were Martha Washington and the chewy molasses cookies. Yuuum!  Mind you, all of these have seriously become new favorites!  Of course there are still my classic favorites I adore making and eating that stir up familiar memories of childhood.  (Peppermint bark, decorated sugar cookies, and gingerbread boys!)

This year I found a delectable sounding recipe in my favorite Gooseberry Patch Christmas cookbook that I've never really noticed before.  The recipe was of a fudge, which I've never made, but with chopped pecans and the cutest ruby red cherries planted in the top of each square!  

Chocolate cherry fudge, what a delicious idea!

As you can see, I whipped up a 2 lb. batch and it was every bit as easy as it looked! (It's not often I can say that.) The cherries in the fudge make them look like they came out of a cute fairy tale chocolate shop, but the flavor, oh the taste... Is heavenly!!!  I'm not a candy maker expert, and I've never made fudge in my life, but this recipe is so easy that it turned out just right.  They are not dry at all, but not gooey either so they're what I would consider to be some of the best fudge I've eaten!  They would be perfect for a festive party or you can place in a pretty tin as a delicious gift.  You can keep them a couple of weeks to munch on with the family over milk or a cup of dark coffee while movie watching and game playing over the weekend.

Chocolate and cherry, my favorite combination of flavors, now in a cute homemade Christmas candy must be why I've fallen in love with them so!  If there is one new recipe I'm truly thrilled to share this holiday season it's this fudge!  

Tis the season for our favorite things!

Merry Cherry Fudge

Gooseberry Patch Christmas Cookbook

36 maraschino cherries with stems, juice reserved

12 oz. pkg. Semi sweet chocolate chips

6 (1 oz.) squares bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet chips)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 c. chopped pecans

Tear two strips of foil and line a 8x8 baking pan crossways (does that make sense?) and then spray with baking spray.  This make the fudge so easy to remove from pan.  Blot cherries and set aside.

Combine chocolates in a double boiler of a large bowl over simmering water.  Heat slowly until melted and very smooth, whisking occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in sweetened milk, and about one teaspoon of reserved cherry juice.  Stir in pecans.  (I toasted these first in a dry skillet and let cool.)  

Pour out fudge mixture into a pan and smooth out.  *Immediately dot with cherries in neat rows.  Press them down enough for only the tops and their stems will show.  

Cover and chill for 2 hours.  Gently lift the overhang of foil out of the pan and into a cutting board. 

 Using a sharp knife cut the fudge into 36 squares.  

Store in an airtight container in fridge. Makes 2 pounds.

*Note:  I didn't use all the cherries because I know my husband doesn't like to eat them, but that's up to you.  The fudge itself has a nice subtle cherry flavor!

Giant Chocolate Candy Bar Cookies

This is one of those super-duper easy cookie recipes you have got to keep in your pocket at Christmastime!  

Speaking of my favorite time of year... It's not even here yet, but I am slowly beginning to decorate for Christmas (early for me), and I was in the mood for a delicious and festive batch of cookies for our family.  Before introducing you to the cookies, let me say how much we loved having snow this week!!!  It snowed and it stayed on the ground for two days, which is practically unheard of in a Kentucky November!  It was just so perfect with my husband on vacation at home and the beautiful snow, not to get out our Christmas decorations!  I never have out anything up before Thanksgiving, but it never has snowed this early either.  We'll wait until after Thanksgiving to put up the big Christmas tree, but we have so much to decorate that it'll take days even without the tree! So I'm around the house decking the halls and loving it!

I found this fun chocolate cookie recipe in the Gooseberry Patch cookbook, The Harvest Table, and when I saw it included only 3 ingredients plus candy bars I was excited!  We have (way too many) mini candy bars left over from fall parties even after I threw a lot away.  These cookies are perfect for your leftover candy bars.  The secret ingredients is a box of devils food cake mix so they're really fast to make.  They aren't a cakey texture but instead very chewy and moist like cookies should be.  I thought adding some cute sprinkles would be even more festive for our kids!  These big chocolatey candy bar cookies are irresistible, and I hope maybe they will make their way into your festivities this season, too!  

They might even be perfect for "Santa" to munch on Christmas Eve! ;)

Giant Chocolate Candy Bar Cookies

•1 box Devils food cake mix

•2 Eggs, lightly beaten

•1/2 c. Canola oil

•10 mini chocolate bars, chopped ( I used a combination including Reeses cups, Take 5, Kit Kat and Whoppers)

•Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Using a mixer, mix together the cake mix, eggs and oil until well blended.  Add the chopped candy bars.  The batter will be thick.  Pop in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.  

On a parchment lined baking sheet, drop rounded golf ball sized dough balls about 3 1/2 inches apart.  Top with sprinkles and lightly press them in dough.  Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool a few minutes before eating. A glass of milk is recommended for these cookies:)  Makes about 18 cookies.

* Note: The candy bars surprisingly dissolved/melted into the cookie when baked, so keep the chunks large if you want to really taste the candy bars inside.  These cookies keep well when aired in a tightly seals container.  

Chewy Caramelitas

Say hello to my new favorite decadent dessert, carmelitas!!!

At first glance you can see how delicious they look!  These bars have an outer layer similar to a soft and chewy oatmeal cookie and they're filled with caramel and chocolate!  What a scrumptious combination and perfect for the fall season.

I've been spying this recipe for a while on Pinterest, and when Mr. Cozy finished his last Chairman's conference at work, I thought these yummy bars could help us celebrate.  Needless to say, my sweet tooth of a husband loved them, but we all did!  They're fast to whip up and most of the ingredients I keep on hand.  I didn't have quite enough caramels this time, but I melted some butterscotch chips along with the caramel.  They were still delicious, but the next time I'll make sure I have plenty of caramels so they'll live up to their name.  Also a dash of cinnamon in the crumble would be so perfect....(I can't not tweak a recipe!)

I would only tell you the honest truth, and caramelitas are amazing!  

So maybe the next time you want to surprise your family with a homemade treat you can try them out.  Pour a glass of frosty milk or fresh coffee with a caramelita for a perfect way to unwind on a chilly day!

Caramelitas

From: My Crazy Deliciousness

3/4 c. Melted butter

3/4 c. Brown sugar

1 c. All purpose flour

1 c. Old Fashioned oats

1 tsp. Baking Soda

Dash of salt

32 Caramels, unwrapped

1/2 c. Heavy cream

6 oz. Chocolate chips (I used 1 cup.)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl mix melted butter and the next 5 ingredients.  Spread out half the mixture in a 8x8 inch baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully heat the caramels and cream over the stove in a saucepan or in a bowl in the microwave.  Whisk together until smooth and creamy.

Once the crust is baked evenly spread out chocolate chips and drizzle the caramel over top.  Crumble the remaining oat mixture over it all and carefully spread out.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.  Enjoy alone or with vanilla ice cream!!

The Barefoot Contessa's Decadent Brownie Pie

Why does chocolate have to be so, SO, good!!??

My husband is the master of all brownies.  His dessert speciality has always been an over-the-top, indulgent, chocolate upon chocolate, kind of brownie!  In high school he would bring to any party or movie night "his brownies". They usually started with Ghiradelli brownie mix, and he would add chocolate syrup and chocolate chips to the batter!! (So moist and gooey.). If that wasn't enough richness already, he would make a homemade fudge icing recipe that he poured over the top!  The icing set up like fudge, and his decadent brownies would be ready to be devoured!

Then, if we wanted to really throw all care to the wind ( I mean why stop there?) we would top it with ice cream for a brownie sundae.

Those were some of the best brownies ever!!!

Note, this was in high school before we knew about any reasonable portion control, haha!  Not that I don't indulge now because I do (probably too much at times), but now I try to temper my dessert nights with healthier choices throughout my day.  

one thing hasn't changed over the years...  my Love still makes some amazing brownies!!

Last week, I was feeling pretty sick with a cold, and he decided to make supper and dessert!!  Yes!  This man who works hard all day at work came home to help me out with supper.  

I am eternally grateful!!!

He found the recipe to Ina Garten's --The Barefoot Contessa-- brownie tart or pie, and he whipped it together.  This brownie is b-e-a-utiful!  It looks like it came from a bakery.  

And it tasted amazing!!!

Gooey and rich.  Speckled with walnuts for crunch.  Glossed with melted chocolate.  Chocolate perfection for a decadent treat!  A small slice is all that's needed, since it's so rich.  It doesn't have cocoa powder, instead chocolate chips, and there is little flour.  All of that makes it extra gooey, almost creamy in the center.  

So with Valentines Day coming up, I thought I would share with you our delicious discovery if perhaps you're looking for that chocolate dessert that would be right to end your Valentines Day with!  I'm sure your loved ones would appreciate the time you took to make something like this!  

I know that we certainly did!!! :)

The Barefoot Contessa's Brownie Pie

Serves 8-10

6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

3 1/4 c. (20 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

3 extra large eggs

1 c. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Instant coffee granules

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 c. All-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt, kosher salt if you have it

1 c. Walnuts, chopped

2-3 Tbsp. Heavy cream

Grease and flour a 9 inch tart pan with removable sides.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a bowl over simmering water.  (A double boiler)  Add 2 cups of chocolate chips, remove from heat, and stir with a whisk briskly until the chocolate is melted and glossy.  Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, use a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, coffee, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the cooled melted chocolate.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, 1 cup of chocolate chips, and walnuts.  Fold in the mixture until just combined.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the center is puffed (the top may crack).  The inside will still be very soft.  Cool a little bit before eating if you want it soft and gooey, and cool it all the way if you want a prettier slice.  It needs to be mostly cooled before removing tart pan sides.

Melt the remaining 1/4 c. Chocolate chips with cream and drizzle the ganache over the tart.  Beautiful!

Ready to devour!

* Note:  Please be sure to add the coffee granules.  It adds richness and make the chocolate more chocolate-y tasting!!  Honest;)

Old Fashioned Martha Washington Candies

Merry Christmas!!!  

I've been a busy bee around here, as I'm sure all of you are, and I've been up to my knees in dipping chocolate!  I don't have much time, so let me get straight to the delicious point....

My new favorite Christmas candies are Martha Washingtons!!!  Oh my.  I discovered them from 

Pinterest, and this is a Gooseberry Patch recipe.  These coconut-pecan bonbons are truly a coconut lover's dream!! They're easy to mix up, I used my stand mixer, and they make a huge batch of about 8 dozen.  I've made 2 batches, so I've rolled almost 17 dozen bonbons!  They have to be remarkably good for that to happen, ha!

These chocolate covered bonbons have a creamy coconut center made of coconut, pecans, sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, and of course, butter!

I made several to take to our children's Preschool teachers and the Christmas program reception.  None were left!  Today I made a second batch to take back home for Christmas, and I can't wait to share them with our family.  I used toasted pecan on some for garnish and sprinkles on others for some festive colors that will draw the kiddos.

I can't wait to start this fun week of Christmas, and I think these Martha Washingtons will make it even sweeter!

Old Fashioned Martha Washington Candy

Deep South Dish

1 (14 oz.) sweetened flaked coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 heaping cups of powdered sugar

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 c. Pecans, chopped and *toasted

1 brick of dipping chocolate bark, (you may need a little more), white chocolate bark is good too

I used my stand mixer here because it is a very thick mixture.

Combine everything but chocolate in a bowl and mix until it's combined.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or several hours.  

Spoon out and roll into balls about the size of a large marble and place on aluminum foil or wax paper lined sheet pans.  Place back into fridge while you melt the chocolate.  Working in batches so they stay cold, dip the balls into the chocolate, place back on sheet pan and sprinkle with toppings, if desired.  I used two long toothpicks to dip with.  Lift up and let excess chocolate drain and quickly sprinkle topping before the chocolate bark hardens.  Refrigerate if making them days ahead.

Makes about 7-8 dozen.

* Toasting pecans makes them even tastier!  It's easy to do: spread out pecan halves onto a sheet pan and bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes or until fragrant and a shade darker.  Let cool and chop pecans.

The Best & Creamiest Chocolate Icing and A Birthday Tribute

It's Mr. Cozy's birthday is today, and although he is working ALL day long doesn't mean we couldn't celebrate!  Yesterday I made him a chocolate-fudge cake with homemade, creamy chocolate icing!  

We had a supper of spicy chicken tortilla soup and did the whole "birthday ritual" of candles, cake, gifts with our family of 4!  It was simple but so fun!  The children loved giving daddy their own card and watching him blow out his candles after a boisterous rendition of the birthday song!

My husband is so many things in my life, but first he is a gift, a blessing to me from the Lord!  I've known him since we were 8, and I've loved him for most of my life.  

His generosity towards his friends, love for his family, and passion for God are all part of the reason I knew I wanted to marry this man when I was 17.  God honored that desire, and 3 1/2 years later we had our timeless wedding.  

We've had so many twists and turns in our 9 yrs. of marriage, from him changing his major as nearly graduating elementary -ed to pre-med.... (Huge switch there!).  Moving from a town I never planned on leaving, to a city where we knew no one, for his education.  

Having many years waiting for a baby, then conceiving, then losing her suddenly and by surprise in my 2nd trimester.  This was a tragedy that took a long time to heal from. Years of being refined together in the fire and later called to adopt our amazing 2 kids by not less than a miracle from God!  It was not easy, but a three cord strand--of us two and God-- isn't easily broken.

Learning to really live on our own away from family and thriving in the process!  I even established a Christmas tradition of Cookies & Cocoa with the Cates that consists of me baking goodies like a wild woman and serving them to hungry friends at our festive annual party.  When we got married I never would've thought we would have 20+ new friends in our home... Ever!  It's incredible!

Leading worship together in church and just growing musically along side eachother.   He has always supported my  calling to sing 110%, while he is an amazing musician and a closet-writer.

Holding on to one another in horribly trying times and wonderful ones.  He has listened to more of my laughing, talking, crying, troubles, dreams and chatter than probably any other man could handle, ha!

This man I married is has inner strength from God.  He is definitely hilarious and silly like me, but even more he is a rock whose love has never waned towards me.  He's easy to love and serve, and I feel so thankful I married this man!!!

This awesome man happens to also loves chocolate -yay- and the icing on this cake.  I have to share the recipe with you, because it's the best chocolate frosting I've ever made!  It's not fudge frosting, but rather a fluffy, creamy milk kind of chocolate that would be divine on anything you put it.  I'll be making this recipe for years to come and for many more joyous occasions, like this one.

The Best & Creamiest Chocolate Frosting

Adapted from: Lauren's Latest

1 c. (2 sticks) Butter, softened

1/2 c. Cocoa powder, sifted

5 c. Powdered sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp. Instant Espresso grounds

3-4 Tbsp. Milk or Cream

  

Note:  I used my stand mixer so my "stirring" wasn't by hand.  You can use whatever mixer you have, though. :)  I don't believe the lack of the latest kitchen gadgets should keep anyone from baking!

Whip butter and cocoa together until smooth in a large bowl.  Stir in vanilla, espresso powder, and sugar.  Slowly stream in milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.  Scrape side and whip again on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Frosts a 9x13 cake, an 8 or 9 inch layered cake, or 24 cupcakes.

Cozy Morning Chocolate Croissants

Coffee and croissants?  Yes, please!

Mr. Cozy is on vacation starting today!  That certainly calls for celebration!!  Our family (of 4!) woke to a cloudy day that was perfect to sleep in a bit.  Last night I put some frozen puff pastry in the fridge to thaw overnight, because I knew that I would be up to no- good in the kitchen this morning. ;). After all, Thankgiving is upon us, as is my birthday and with my hubby on vacation I was in a very decadent kind of mood!

Chocolate & pastry.  Yes friends... It's really that easy to whisk your family away to a Parisian cafe with a sweet confection like this.  Down-home decadence is what I like to call recipes like this one!

There are a few days of the year where eating basically dessert for breakfast is ok, right?

I  whipped up the croissants in a few minutes and you would've thought I went to an authentic Patisserie this morning.  Not only does the house smell amazing as they bake, but there is no wrong in chocolate that's warm and melted oozing out of crispy, flaky, buttery pastry dusted in sugar... 

Just let your mind wander...

Making the kids excited and parents happy doesn't take too much in our house.  

A special morning around here starts with a fire in the fireplace, or lighting my favorite candle, while something delicious bakes the oven, soon with the merry sound of Christmas music filling the air!  Snuggles and kisses are my reward to waking up earlier to surprise my family with a decadent treat like delicious chocolate croissants!  

Cozy Morning Chocolate Croissants

Nigella Lawson recipe.  Makes 12 small croissants

1 sheet of (frozen) Puff Pastry, thawed but cold

1/2 c. Milk or Dark chocolate chips or 1 chocolate bar

1 Egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Unroll the puff pastry and cut into 6 pieces.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the squares in half diagonally making 12 triangles.  About 1/2 inch from the wide end, place about 6-7 chocolate chips.  Roll from the wide end to the small as you would any croissant.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and space evenly.  Brush the beaten egg onto each croissant to make them glossy and place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. 

As you can see here, a couple squares softened too much before I cut them in half, so I made those pillows instead of croissants:)

Once golden and puffed, take out of the oven and shower with powdered sugar for an easy and elegant finish!  Another way to dress them up would be to drizzle melted chocolate over the top or a vanilla glaze using milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

However you finish chocolate croissants, they will taste decadent and delicious!