A Beast of a Cookie

When I saw the recipe for Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies a while back, I knew I'd be making them... I just needed an excuse. And I think a birthday care package for a best friend is the perfect one.

The best caption to the original recipe for these cookies I saw was, "Because sometimes you just need a cookie inside your cookie." And it's true. I tweaked the recipe a bit to make it my own and, of course, didn't really measure out the differences... But since it's baking I'll try my best to record my steps. (Oh and the original maker of these cookies said she got 2 dozen cookies... I only managed to get about 14. Sized for giants.)

What You'll Need*:

• 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips. I prefer Nestle, but really any will do.
• The recipe for chocolate chip cookies on the back of said package and all ingredients listed there. With the addition of cocoa powder.
• A bunch of Oreos. I used reduced fat, but... come on... like it matters.

 *Note: I originally wanted to use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips because I looovvve peanut butter and Oreos, but they didn't have any at my grocery store. Sad.

Put it All Together:

• Follow directions on the back of the chocolate chip bag making the following amendments:
• Use 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar
• Add about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to dry ingredients

• Put batter in the fridge for about 10 minutes and preheat the oven to 350.  

• Take a bunch of Oreos out of their package (You don't want to be reaching in there with batter all over your hands.)

• Now basically what you're going to do is wrap an Oreo cookie with your cookie batter.
• It works best if you cover the bottom first, then the top, sealing the sides up. As you do this you will realize just how beastly huge these cookies are going to be. 

• Bake for about 20 minutes... or until they look done. 

I think sending these cookies out as a birthday present will more than make up for the fact that the package will be over a week late! You're welcome, Melanie. ;D

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A Ready-For-Spring Dinner

We've recently been having some spurts of "warm" weather, which just makes me itch for spring. Don't get me wrong, I love the winter. And the snow. And the cold. I really do... But I am ready for it to be over. Usually by the middle of February it can't leave faster. And so far we've made it about halfway through March with no snow! My spring fever has started to effect my dinner planning... Like this one, made of 3 separate parts that were delicious together...

 Part 1: Cheesy Bread! (Don't worry, the rest of the meal is healthy!!)

• Cut off a few slices of Italian bread. (I used the classic rustic -- from Eataly, of course.)
• Put a little margarine on top with garlic powder and pepper and then stick them in the toaster oven. (Make sure you put the bread on tin foil because after the cheese gets added it can get messy.)
• When the garlic bread is just about finished, add chopped/shredded cheese on top. I used sharp cheddar and a garlic-basil cheddar (amazing). Toast until the cheese is good and bubbly.

Part 2: Chicken Sausages

• Cook up some Al Fresco chicken sausages... I used roasted red pepper & asiago cheese, which were delicious.

Part 3: Vegetables

• I had some leftover green beans (with garlic, balsamic vinegar & olive oil) and combined them with pretty much all the other veggies I had: tomatoes, red onion, orange pepper and some sauteed zucchini. (Super easy: chop the zucchini, heat olive oil in a pan, add zucchini and some garlic and S&P, cook until a little browned/soft.)
• Toss all the veggies together in a bowl with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I served them as is, at room temperature, but they'd be equally delicious hot or cold.

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Sage & Basil Bread

Since working at the bakery at Eataly I've been wanting to embark on all kinds of bread adventures. This is the first, pretty basic, step. This bread recipe would work just as well turned into rolls (or whatever shape you like) or with a sweet, cinnamony center. 

 What You'll Need:

• 1 package yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• few tablespoons of butter
• basil, sage, salt

Put it All Together:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water, about 10 minutes.
• Mix dissolved yeast, sugar, salt, oil and 1 cup of flour together. (I used my Kitchen Aid with the bread hook attachment.)
• *Note: When you add flour, sift it in instead of just dumping it. It helps to aerate it and be less dense.
• Add the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time making sure it's mixed well after each addition.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5-10 minutes. 
• Put the dough into a greased bowl, turning it to coat. (I just used cooking spray.) Cover with damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise for about an hour.
• Make herbed butter by mixing a few tablespoons of butter (room temperature) with sage, fresh basil and a little salt. 
• After the dough has risen to about twice its size, remove from the bowl and smoosh it down into a relatively flat shape. Slather the herbed butter in the middle and then fold the dough over. I ended up making it into a circular, wheel shape because it was easier and just sort of happened.
• Put the dough onto a greased cookie sheet, cover and let it rise for about another 40 minutes.
• Bake at 325 for about 20-30 minutes. (Some butter will leak out, but don't worry.)

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Pasta e Fagioli

This is one of my favorite Italian dishes... It's got everything delicious: beans, garlic, bacon, onion, pasta -- It's really hard to go wrong. Unless you're my grandmother. She takes this dish in a completely different direction. She uses Boston baked beans and some kind of tomato sauce... very strange. But this recipe is not red: I don't believe in red pasta e fagioli.

What You'll Need:

• quarter package bacon, chopped
• diced onion
• chopped carrots
• chopped garlic
• chopped celery
• olive oil/butter
• red kidney beans
• cannelini beans
• chicken broth
• sage
• basil
• bay leaves
• elbow macaroni 

Put it All Together:

• Heat a skillet and add bacon first. Cook it for just a minute or two, to give it a head start. Then add some olive oil and a little bit of butter, onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Allow vegetables to soften.
• Sprinkle a bunch of sage over veggies, black pepper, 2 bay leaves and a few basil leaves torn up.
• Take about a half cup of red kidney beans and half a cup of cannelini beans and puree them -- this will make the "soup" thicker. (I used an immersion blender because it's all I have and it's super easy.) Add chicken broth, beans and bean... mush. Bring it all to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.

• Add about 1/3 to a half box of elbow macaroni and cook until they reach desired tenderness. (I like more pasta and cooked really well... makes it less soupy and more dense.)
• Serve with grated cheese on top.

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Another Tasty Pizza

Since I had to work on Sunday until 7:00, putting me home around 7:45 and the Oscars were on at 8:30, my window was fairly small for dinner preparation. So while I was on my way home, the boyfriend got the pizza dough ready (another Pillsbury can -- what can ya do?) and the toppings. When I got in we assembled and stuck in the oven and timing with the beginning of the Oscars was just right.

Our Toppings:

• Spinach (tossed in a little olive oil before going on)
• A mozzarella/cheddar shredded cheese blend
• Chopped ham steak
• Thinly sliced red onion
• Some more of that cheese
• Sprinkling of crushed red pepper

 YUM.

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Healthy Brownies Turned Naughty

My following brownie recipe (yes, it includes measurements!) is adapted from this clone recipe of No Pudge brownies (which I've actually never tried). I originally wanted to make s'mores brownies, but I had a strange adventure with graham cracker products and somehow ended up leaving the store with a box of crackers I mistook for grahams. So the grahams got substituted for peanuts and the rocky road brownie was born in my kitchen:

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons fat free half & half (this I didn't measure -- just splashed it in because the batter was wwaayyy too thick)
• 1 block of unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped/shaved
• Fluff (about half a jar)
• Peanuts (I dipped into the cocktail peanuts jar, but toasted or dry roasted would be great)
• 1 bar of chocolate of your choice -- this was my choice

Put it All Together:

• Mix dry ingredients.
• Stir in yogurt, half & half and baking chocolate.
• Spread half the batter into small greased baking dish.
• Spread Fluff over batter and sprinkle peanuts over it.
• Spread the last of the batter on top. (It's okay if Fluff and peanuts show through!! Better, actually.)
• Break up your chocolate bar and place sporadically on top.
• Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. 
• Try to let them cool for at least 10 minutes before you dig in. 

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