cocoa powder

Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Cookies

Leah Short — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 15:14:27 +0000

How long has it been since you had Reese’s Pieces? Every time I think of them, I instantly think of E.T. If you were a child of the 80s, I’m sure you do, too! The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is as classic as it gets. Last year we made M&M’s Cookies, so this year we turned to Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Cookies! I always forget how good those peanut butter bites in a candy shell taste.

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Clean Slate: Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Leah Short — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 13:52:52 +0000

I’ve saved the best for last in my Clean Slate series. However, I’d never argue that dessert wasn’t always the best anyway. Have you seen that movie Simply Irresistible with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery? Super cute movie with a food theme, so I love it. There’s one line where SMG says something like “dessert is the whole point of the meal” and I couldn’t agree more! You will not believe these Chocolate Walnut Brownies are in a clean eating cookbook! I don’t usually like to mess with desserts, but these are a winner. I didn’t share one single brownie. That’s saying something!

So, how’s it taste?

Would you believe there’s no all-purpose flour in this recipe? It’s all almond flour, making these brownies gluten-free! Instead of sprinkling the walnuts on top, as the recipe suggests, I mixed them in. I didn’t want them to get too toasted on top and it worked perfectly.

The brownies were a bit more fragile than brownies made with all-purpose flour, but the flavor more than makes up for that. They’re just perfect.

I was nervous about being able to detect the olive oil in the finished brownie, but you can’t. You also can’t detect the maple syrup, which is what I wanted. I still want them to taste like good old-fashioned brownies, even if they are part of clean eating! Believe it or not, you don’t have to give up decadent desserts!

The dishes you see in the pictures above are part of the Martha Stewart Collection white dishware available exclusively at Macy’s. Fantastic dishware for everyday use, plus they’re dishwasher and microwave safe!

Yield: 16 servings

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
8 oz. dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao), chopped
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
2/3 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with oil. Line with parchment, leaving overhang. Brush parchment with oil.

2. Melt half of chocolate in a heatproof bowl; whisk in oil, sugar, and syrup. Remove from heat.

3. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Fold in flour and remaining chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with walnuts (or fold in).

4. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack. To serve, cut into squares.

per serving (1 brownie): 206 calories, 16g fat, 17g carbs, 3g protein, 2g fiber

Source: Clean Slate by the editors of Martha Stewart Living

Disclosure: I received a copy of Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide: Reset Your Health, Detox Your Body, and Feel Your Best and the Martha Stewart Collection white dishware at no cost. All opinions expressed here are solely my own, as always. This post contains affiliate links.

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Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Leah Short — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 15:11:47 +0000

You know those candies that come out over the holidays? That’s right, I’m talking about chocolate covered cherries! Sweet maraschino cherries covered in fondant and enveloped in chocolate. I’ve even seen a blueberry version, too. This is such a classic holiday candy for me. I love going to stores and seeing the boxes everywhere. Biting into one is a messy, gooey, sweet treat. I could make myself sick eating an entire carton! That’s why I couldn’t wait to make these Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies. They are just like the candy, but in cookie form and not quite as messy.

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Pumpkin Brownie Swirl Pie

Leah Short — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:03:04 +0000

Oh how I love a merging of two obsessions. It’s been a while since I’ve had a combo dessert. What’s not to love about a dessert that let’s you have the best of both worlds? In this case, chocolatey brownies AND pumpkin pie! The second I saw this pie, I knew I’d make it for Thanksgiving. It’s almost a little Halloweenish with it’s black and orange swirls, but oh so perfect for the biggie holidays, too. This Pumpkin Brownie Swirl Pie served warm with a scoop of really good vanilla ice cream is heaven. The brownie is the crust and the top is both swirled together. Sweet and perfectly spiced pumpkin mixed with chocolate brownie is genius.

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Chocolate Macarons with Salted Caramel Buttercream

Leah Short — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 14:45:40 +0000

Remember in my Red Velvet Brownies post I mentioned to stay tuned to find out what Shannon and I also baked? Well, folks, we conquered macarons! Yes, those macarons. I put them off for years because of their reputation as being finicky and downright difficult. Guess what? They aren’t. After reading through BraveTart’s Macaron Mythbuster post, I knew it was time to tackle this confection. Shannon was down for the challenge and we survived! We, of course, chose chocolate for our first recipe and tried two different buttercream fillings. I present you with Chocolate Macarons with Salted Caramel Buttercream and head over to Bake. Frost. Repeat. to see Chocolate Macarons with Raspberry Buttercream!

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Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Leah Short — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 13:00:09 +0000

Aren’t these Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting the cutest Valentine’s eats?! They came to be a few weekends ago when Shannon from Bake.Frost.Repeat. came to visit. We plan weekends around baking, of course! Just wait until you see what else we baked. We wanted something fun for Valentine’s day and after consulting Pinterest and Google, decided on brownies. The recipe we picked used white chocolate buttercream, but Shannon and I are both big believers in cream cheese frosting belonging with red velvet. Topped with mini heart-shaped sprinkes, they are just the cutest sweet treats!

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German Chocolate Cake Cookies

Leah Short — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:59:52 +0000

Another successful cookie baking day is in the books! Last Saturday mom and I did our annual cookie baking. Six different recipes of all kinds of cookies! First up were these German Chocolate Cake Cookies. You’ll notice there’s no actual German chocolate in the recipe, but it’s still got that fabulous combination of chocolate, pecans, and coconut. If you’re a chocoholic like me, you’re going to love these! We scooped our dough a little smaller than the recipe called for, so it made a lot of cookies. The more the merrier, right?!

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Pumpkin Spice Cake with Chocolate Pecan Filling

Leah Short — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 16:11:58 +0000

Now is this a ginormous chocolate monstrosity or what? I took these pics with my phone, so excuse the quality, although I’m not sure my fancy camera would have done any better with this chocolate blob. I was super excited about this Pumpkin Spice Cake with Chocolate Pecan Filling. It combines the best of three worlds in holiday baking: pumpkin, pecans, and chocolate. Getting it to look as good as the Food Network’s version proved to be quite the unachievable feat.

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Mocha Cake

Leah Short — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 13:48:00 +0000

Oh I can’t gush enough about this cake. If you’re a fan of chocolate and coffee together, you are going to love this Mocha Cake. The texture is so unique and that’s one of the reasons why I love it. The entire cake is 12 servings and that may look a little small, but the flavor is so intense and rich, that’s all you need. You’ll never believe this cake came from a dieting cookbook! One slice is only 156 calories and that includes the dollop of whipped topping and fresh berries!

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Unbaked Fudge Cookies

Leah Short — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 13:20:31 +0000

I’m sure you’ll recognize these Unbaked Fudge Cookies. Everyone’s got their own version it seems and I’ve even seen them in grocery store bakeries. They’re a classic. What I like best about the cookies is not that they taste like they could be make from crack, but the memories. As a kid, I remember very impatiently waiting on them. They seemed to take forever to be ready. It was a real treat when my mom announced she was making some. It’s funny how you remember things as a kid, but then as a adult it’s completely different. These cookies really take no time to make. It’s the waiting on them to harden that seems to last an eternity. But read on and I’ll tell you how over the years we’ve solved that problem.

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