Category Archives: Dessert

Secret Ingredient Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fix

That title is how I got around sending out an e-mail with the title “Date Balls.”

That’s a ticket straight to the spam folder if I ever saw one.  So…hey, inbox.  Nice to see you (I hope).

Ok, I know you’re thinking this is weird.

It’s not weird.  At all.  I promise. It’s good.  Reeeaaally good.

I’ve seen these things everywhere with every different flavor and add-in you can imagine…

..except this one.

Turns out I’m happiest with just 3 ingredients:

1.  Dates.

2. Chocolate.

3. Peanut Butter. (Also peanuts for some crunch..same thing)

Might as well be a peanut butter brownie.

And I might as well be in heaven.

And also slightly ball-shaped from eating WAYYYYY too many of these.  Good thing they’re nutritious?  Or something?

Whatever.

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

P.S. Don’t be afraid of the dates!  They just add sweetness and let the whole mess stick together.  They seriously taste like a super fudgy peanut butter brownie.  Delicious.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Date Balls

Recipe inspired by basically every blog out there…but the “recipe” is all my own.

10 pitted mejdool dates
3 tablespoons peanut butter, maybe a tablespoon chopped peanuts if you want some crunch
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (plus extra for rolling)

1. Place the pitted dates in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.  Pulse until the dates have been reduced to roughly pea sized pieces.

2. Add cocoa powder and peanut butter.  Pulse until combined.  ((If you want to add the peanuts throw them in at the very end and pulse just once or twice)) The mixture will look crumbly but it is ready when you can press it into ball shapes that hold together.

3. Press the mixture into whatever size ball you want.  This recipe made eight 1-inch balls.

4.  Roll in cocoa powder (or topping of your choice…crushed peanuts?)  to prevent sticking.

**These are delicious at room temperature but if you want to freeze them (which I recommend!) spread them out on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and freeze for about an hour. Once they are partially frozen you can throw them all in a bag or even individually wrap them. They’re an awesome grab and go snack or delicious sweet bite for dessert.  Feel free to experiment with flavors!

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Filed under Dessert, Snacks, Uncategorized

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

S’mores…on a stick.

Dip your marshmallows in chocolate and crushed graham cracker.

Insta-s’more.

S’more stick.

S’more bite.

S’nuff said.

(I’m officially done with s’more posts and cheesy s’more jokes.  You’re welcome.)

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

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Filed under Dessert, Hodge Podge, Snacks, Uncategorized