Category Archives: Cookies

Mint Raspberry Quick Jam

Quick! Let’s jam:

freshmintchoppedlemonsingredientsschiaboilspoonjam

Jam, that was quick!

(Get it!? I’ll stop now.)

Just throwing this out there: it is so. worth. remembering to freeze berries in the summer. It is also so. worth. growing your own herbs.  Here’s a cool method..readers, meet Aerogarden:

herbs

Or you could just purchase them from your local grocery store 🙂 ..equally delicious.

This jam is bright, refreshing, not too sweet which makes it the perfect complement to the richest treats.  Try it!  For Valentine’s Day!  But really for any day.

Round up!

  • Spread some jam between some chocolate cookies for a perfectly simple and sweet Valentine’s Day treat.  Try these! Of course…you COULD take them to the next level and dip them in chocolate and sprinkles but that’s your call.
  • Stir some into your favorite brownie recipe.  If you like to blur the brownie/fudge line Try these!

Or you know….have some toast.

toast

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

Mint Raspberry Quick Jam

“Recipe” my own

12 oz raspberries (fresh or frozen…this works with all kinds of berries so feel free to experiment)
1/4 cup waterjuice from 1/2 a lemon (optional but I really like the bright citrus flavor)1/4 cup sugar (or more to taste)1 tablespoon chia seeds (you could also use cornstarch to thicken the raspberry mixture)
(optional) chopped fresh mint to taste-(I used a couple of tablespoons (chopped) thrown in at the end)

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, berries, lemon juice and sugar to a boil.  Stir the chia seeds into the mixture until well combined and turn the heat down to low.

**Note:  The level of mint flavor depends on when you add the mint to the mixture.  The earlier you add it the more it will be a background flavor.  If you add it at the very end it comes through brighter and more upfront.  Choose your own adventure!  Either add it now or wait until the jam is almost at your desired consistency and just barely cook it down

2. Stirring periodically to keep the jam from sticking to the bottom of the pan, let the mixture simmer until thick and jammy =).  The longer it simmers the thicker it will be, it might take 20 minutes or it could go for an hour.  It just depends on how thick you like your jam!

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Filed under Breakfast, Cookies, Dessert, Hodge Podge, Snacks, Uncategorized

Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies

This is a cup of Nutella.

cupatella

Cup-o’-tella.  You’re welcome.

These are cookies that are basically Nutella and peanut butter smashed together and baked until super fudgy and juuust barely crispy on the edges.

bite sized

You’re welcome.

This is peanut butter glaze.

pbglaze

You’re welcome.

You know those times when you just need a cookie?  As in…right now?  It should be warm.  It should involve chocolate.  And it should be right. now.

prebake

I’ve had that.  My roommates and I once went on a failed 10 PM adventure to get some fresh baked cookies…or at least cookies we could warm up! We thought baking would take too long.

yum

Really…baking would have been much quicker and much less disappointing.  At least it was fun?  Right Jenn? Erika?

stacker

Anyway, if I had known about these cookies at that point in my life things would have been much different.  These come together, mixing and baking, in 15 minutes NO JOKE.  (Unless you do the freezing step..then it’s more like 20…I think you’re still going to be ok.)

tonom2

Plus it’s Nutella and peanut butter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fudgy

Do it.  Right now.  Go.

row

Attach this recipe to your jar of homemade Nutella for a nice gift! Just make sure to include a spoon.  Realistically, the Nutella may not ever make it to cookie status.

*Entirely too many cookies were eaten in the creation of this blog post.

Don’t judge..join.

toomany

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

P.S.  Just saying:

Delicious…

delicious

RIDICULOUS

drizzle

Peanut butter glaze.  Not at all necessary.  But…kinda necessary.

K now GO. I’m timing you.

❤ ❤

Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

1 cup Nutella

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon flour

**I should note that I used both homemade Nutella and homemade peanut butter.  The consistency of my homemade versions may throw off the recipe a bit.  It shouldn’t be too different but you may need less flour.  Use your best judgement and let me know if it works out for you/how you adjusted!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients except flour in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.

2.  Slowly add flour until it looks like dough instead of Nutella.  It will pull away from the sides when you stir but it will still be sticky

3.  If you want to make it easier to work with, pop the whole thing in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

4.  Pull off about 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and roll into a ball.  Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between cookies

5. Bake 9 minutes, let cool, drizzle and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Glaze

The peanut butter glaze is just a standard powdered sugar/milk glaze with a spoonful of peanut butter stirred in. Do it!

Recipe makes 20, 1 tablespoon-size cookies

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok.  Fall.  Got it.  I see you.  I’m in it.  Let’s do this thing.

I love love love days full of sunshine more than anything in this world.  With this cooler weather and these shorter days…well..I’m about to start my countdown to next summer.  It’s not all bad, though!  When I take a second to stop being dramatic I actually like a lot of things about this season.

I think I can get behind hot tea and soup, sweaters and old comfy jeans, crunchy leaves in gorgeous colors, pumpkin, cinnamon and crisp, juicy apples.  The chilly breezes that bring out the socks just make me appreciate the sun on my face even more.

It’s a good time of year.  Good food, good scenery…good time for a wedding, too!  Think fire pit and s’mores…October 2013, people.  We have a date!  Speaking of dates, here is our first:

Snow Ball 2007

…it went well.

Engagement 2012 ❤

So let’s welcome fall with open arms.  I have the perfect cookie to kick off the season!

These cookies are thick, soft, melt-in-your-mouth moist.  They’re more like cake drops, really.

These cookies are full of warm autumnal flavors.

((That’s another great thing about fall: words like “autumnal”))

These cookies start life looking more like cake batter.  Or maybe pumpkin bread batter.  It’s pumpkin bread in cookie form!  This way you can eat like six and pretend that equals one slice of pumpkin bread.  See what I did there?

These cookies are simple.  This is a “dump everything in a bowl and stir” situation.

These are drop cookies.  They are not perfectly round. They’re just round-ish.  We’re not worried about it.

These cookies are equal parts flour and chocolate chips.

…………..

End discussion.

I have to thank the pumpkin cookie master for this recipe.  Thanks, Laura!  She really does it best. It’s not quite the same without the Laura love but they’re still pretty darn delicious.

((Let me emphasize: equal. parts. flour. and. chocolate. chips.))

So there you go.  Embrace the autumn.  Crunch some leaves.  Eat a cookie.

Let’s call this a pumpkin spice latte.

It totally counts.

Fall.  Got it.  I see you.  I’m in it.  Let’s do this thing. Together.

Because I love you.  Really, I do.

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from my friend Laura.  The pro =)  ((tweaked evvverrrr so slightly))

**Makes about two dozen (two inch) cookies.  Maybe a little more. They last a solid four days at least on the counter and freeze well but I bet you won’t need to worry about it.  Share!  Make friends! Or eat them all all all in one day.  No judgment here.

1 cup pumpkin (canned or homemade)  ((make sure it’s a REAL cup.  kinda pack it in there))
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups chocolate chips

Laura’s Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

2. In a small bowl combine the pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg.  Set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves.

4.  Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and stir into the wet ingredients.

5.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

6.  Add the vanilla and chocolate chips.  Stir until well distributed.

7.  Drop 1-2 tablespoons of batter onto the baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between each cookie.

8.  Bake 10 minutes or until the cookies are completely set.

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Filed under Cookies, Dessert, Uncategorized