Secret Recipe Club: Banana Coffee Chai Smoothie

.  So, this post is a debut of sorts.  A smoothie debut, to be exact.

As I've mentioned many a times before, SRC has been a way for me to broaden my baking and [very limited] culinary horizons.  And this month's assignment was most certainly a way to do just that.

From Brazil to You, published by Denise, is a blog dedicated to well, Brazil!  Denise was born and raised in Brazil but soon transplanted to the United States when she married her husband in 2002.  Since then, with extensive experience in the culinary industry, Denise has used her blog as a platform to share with her readers both classic and modern Brazilian dishes, as well as tid bits of information about her home country!

Searching through Denise's array of recipes was undoubtedly eye opening, how had I not heard of SO many wonderful things?!  From Arroz de Forno Cremoso (Baked Rice Casserole), Macarronada com Requeijao (Brazilian Mac and Cheese), and Bolo de uba com Coco (Coconut-Cornmeal Cake), it'd be an understatement to say it took me a few days to finally decide on what I just had to make from Denise's intriguing recipes.

But lately I haven't been in much of the baking mood, I think it may be that I'm trying to get on track with the whole wedding diet thing?  Or maybe because the weather seems to be turning towards the warmer side of life, which doesn't have me craving those comfort foods quite like the winter months.

So when I came across Denise's Drinks section, I knew what I had to try.

Banana Coffee Chai Smoothie.

Uh hello, how can you pass that up?

Sadly, and not sure how it's possible, but I've never made a smoothie before.  In my life.  Slightly pathetic, huh?  But I must say, if I was going to pop my smoothie-cherry, I wouldn't have wanted it to be with any other smoothie but this one.

Smoothie Selfie!

From the yummy banana to the spiced chai, subtle coffee flavor, and a drizzle of hot fudge sauce that brings it all together, this beverage hit that 'summer' feeling for me.  A refreshingly healthy smoothie perfect for a cool down moment on the hot summer days that I'm positive will eventually make their way to Chicago.

So thank you SRC and From Brazil to You for once again showing me the wonders of this blogging world I would have otherwise never known.  Until next time!

My Notes:

• I used Light Vanilla Silk (soy milk) for the milk in this recipe.  It was absolutely wonderful if you're looking for a scrumptious dairy substitute, less calories, and more calcium!

Adapted from From Brazil to You

Ingredients:

1/2 c. hot water, divided

1 Chai tea bag

1 tsp. instant coffee

1 large fresh or frozen banana, cut into chunks

1/2 c. milk

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground ginger

2 to 4 tbsp. sugar, honey, or sugar substitute

4 iced cubes

Hot Fudge Sauce (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil water and divide into 1/4 cup each.  Place the Chai tea bag in one cup and the instant coffee in the other.  Let brew for 3 to 5 minutes.  Squeeze out teabag and discard.  Pour the brewed tea and coffee into a blender.  Add banana, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and sugar, and puree until smooth.  Add iced cubes and pulse just until ice is crushed. 
2. Warm hot fudge sauce until drizzling consistency.  Drizzle sauce along sides of serving cups.  Divide smoothie into cups and serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings

An InLinkz Link-up

Peppermint Fudge Cookie Sandwiches

.  Okay, this is getting serious.

Christmas is less than 5 days away and I still have some serious Christmas recipes to share.  So in part to the fact that I have little to no time to pump out these posts...let's get right to it.  Short and sweet.

First.  These cookies are ah-maze.  And I'm not joking.  They very much remind me of the dark chocolate lava cookies that seem to melt away in your mouth.  I mean, I named these 'fudge' cookies for a reason, right?  And for an extra special touch, you're getting a double dose of chocolate with the mini chocolate chips studded throughout.  Because who doesn't need more chocolate?  Plus they add a subtle crunchy texture to these luscious, seemingly creamy, cookies.

But the true holiday spirit comes when you get to that buttercream.  The candy cane buttercream, mind you.  Yes, real candy canes are crushed and added to a classic vanilla buttercream, upping the holiday ante.  And who would have guessed the chocolate/peppermint combo was so downright addicting?  Because neither Robbie or I could stop eating these little things.

Not to mention they're just too darn cute.

Well, I hope that everyone has a wondrous holiday and ends 2013 with a bang.  I'll be spending the last couple of weeks of the year in Minnesota and Arizona with family and friends, so odds are this will be my last post.  For the year, I mean.

I already have loads to catch you all up on, particularly with wedding planning, so I can't wait for the New Year to roll around.

Love you all, see you in 2014!  .

From Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

Fudge Cookies:

1 c. plus 1 tbsp. all purpose flour

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1 c. mini chocolate chips

Peppermint Buttercream:

3/4 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2-1/2 to 3 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 to 2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

1/2 c. candy cane dust (about 9 candy canes)

Directions:

1. For cookies, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir, and continue to melt in 30 second increments until fully melted and smooth; set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla extract; set aside.  With electric or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).  Beat in brown sugar and sugar, scraping down the sides, until mixture is granular.  Mix in egg mixture until incorporated.  Add chocolate and beat until combined.  Add dry ingredients on slow speed.  Fold in the mini chocolate chips (do not overmix!).  Chill dough for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 350°F.  Scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a slightly flattened ball.  Place onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 10 minutes or until cookies have just begun to set with the centers still appearing very soft (they will set as they cool).  Move to wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, for buttercream, place candy canes in food processor and crush to a fine dust.  
5. In a medium bowl, beat butter for 1 minute.  Add 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar and mix on low speed.  Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream.  Beat for 1 minute.  Stir in candy cane dust with a spatula and add heavy whipping cream as needed if buttercream requires loosening.  
6. Frost half of cooled cookies and top with remaining half of cookies to create sandwiches.

Yield: 2 dozen cookie sandwiches

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

.  It has been quite some time since I've published posts within days of each other.  The Fall/holiday baking season must be getting to me.  It's too hard to resist.

But first things first.  I did have a Musselman's Giveaway a week or so back and it's about time I announced the winner of the Apple Butter, decorative bread carriers, and a Fall Musselman's recipe card!

And the lucky winner is... Drum roll pleaseeeee....

WHITNEY!!

Congralations girlie, and now all you must do is wait for your Musselman package to arrive!  Thanks again to the readers who participated, I absolutely love these giveaways and it's such a joy to share them with you all.  Until next round!

But hold on, don't leave.  Because we're about to get into these cookies.  Ones that I couldn't wait to post.  Because a combination of soft, fluffy pumpkin cake cookies studded with mini chocolate chips, and topped with a classic buttery glaze, is just too dang good not to share.  I can't keep all of these addicting goodies to myself.

But what I was truly excited about is the source of this recipe.  I nabbed the original Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies from Ms. Jamie over at Life as {Emma's} Mom.  But Jamie isn't just some random blogger who I happened to stumble upon.  Nope, we actually went to the same high school in good ol' Woodbury [but she's a couple of years younger than I am].  And although our paths never crossed too often, the bloggosphere [and social media] has seemingly brought us together.

As her blog name may indicate, Jamie is a loving mother to her beautiful daughter, Emma.  And even though I don't know her precious mini me personally, it has been a joy to watch Emma grow up via [Instagram] pictures and videos.  And now that Jamie has her blog, I've also been incorporated into another passion of hers: cooking.

I can't tell you how many times I've come across the mouthwatering pictures of the dinners and treats Jamie makes for her daughter and fiance.  First, it makes me wish I lived closer so I could randomly stop by.  And two, I'm hoping Robbie never wisens up and realizes what he's missing out on.  I may need some cooking lessons...

But the moment I glanced at these pumpkin cookies, they were 'pinned' and moved to first on the list for my next baking day.  And the second these babies were out of the oven [and glazed as fast as humanely possible], all of my beliefs about Jamie's cooking/baking were confirmed.  I'm hooked.

These cakey cookies are absolute heaven.  So soft and pumpkin flavorful that you'll be coming back for way too many.  If there even is such a thing.  A perfect fix for those Fall-spices cravings we all get!

Happy baking!  .

My Notes:

• Jamie's original recipe didn't include mini chocolate chips.  So if you're not feeling those, leave them out.  Trust me, you'll still get a delectable cooke you won't be able to get enough of.
• This may test your patience, but be sure to let the cookies cool completely before glazing.  Otherwise the glaze will drip right off!
• For festive purposes, Jamie also added some food coloring to her glaze to get that orange pumpkin feel.  I'm boring and left the coloring out, but have fun with it!

Adapted from Life As {Emma's} Mom

Ingredients:

Soft Pumpkin Cookies:

2-1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 large egg

1 c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/4 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

Classic Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar

3 tbsp. milk

1 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Grease 2 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, in a medium bowl.  
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined (about 1 to 2 minutes).  Beat in egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. until thoroughly combined.  Gradually add in flour mixture just before thoroughly combined.  Gently fold in mini chocolate chips.
4. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm.  Remove from oven to wire rack to cool completely.
5. For glaze, in a medium bowl, beat together powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Glaze cooled cookies as desired.

Yield: 30 cookies

Secret Recipe Club: Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Rum Cinnamon Sauce

.  Fall, in my mind, means comfort food.  Warm, comfort food.  From soups to pies to all of those highly anticipated holiday meals.

And bread pudding.

Bread pudding is easily my most favorite indulgent treat.  There's absolutely nothing healthy about it [what baked good is...] but uggGggGggGggggh, it is SO good.  I can't resist it.  I get it from my mama.

So for this months' SRC, there was zero question about what I would choose to make from Kate's Kitchen, my October assignment.

Kate's lovely blog is full of savory cooking recipes and you know they must be de-lish because her hubby is actually a sous chef.  As well as her appointed taste tester.  So while I eat pre-made salads from the grocery store, I can't even imagine the decadent, wondrous meals going down in Kate's house.  Lucky gal!

But as I perused Kate's blog, I came across her Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Rum Cinnamon Sauce....hmm, no brainer.

And this recipe did not disappoint.

Bread puddings are one of those goodies that require the least amount effort but produce crowd pleasing favorites that no one can ever get enough of.  And during the hectic holiday times, who doesn't love a dish that you quickly prepare the night before, let set while you sleep, and pop into the oven in the morning for a hearty, filling breakfast?

This custard-laden bread dish consists of your classic bread pudding ingredients but Kate's subtle variations create a dish on a level of it's own.  For example, allowing the butter to seep into each piece of bread, the studding of chocolate chips throughout the dish, and the drizzle of butter and brown sugar across the top before baking.  I guess that cinnamon rum sauce [that simply screams holidays!] seeping into every crevice doesn't hurt either.

But to really get what I'm saying here, you're just going to have to bake up a batch of this yourself.  It took me oh, all of about 6.25 minutes to whip together and you just let the oven do the rest.  I'm already envisioning this dish at our breakfast table for the coming holidays.  It's that worthy.

I highly recommend you make try this recipe out before the holidays though, just to make sure you really like it.  It typically takes about half of a panful of taste testing bites to truly get a feel for it though.  I guess you'll just have to sacrifice for this one though ☺

So THANK YOU, Kate, for such a quality recipe that will remain in my repertoire for a long time coming.  I'm so excited to have been assigned your blog and can't wait to see what you whip up next.  Until next month, SRCers!  .

My Notes:

• Feel free to use whatever type of bread you have on hand, but I always recommend quality breads such as challah, brioche, etc.  And if you're feeling really adventurous, try out the best homemade challah recipe I've come across [and I'm not just saying that because it's my recipe, I promise!].  
• This particular recipe doesn't require overnight setting, but it doesn't mean it can't!  The longer a bread pudding sits, the better it will taste.  Trust!
• If you're looking for a more adult version of the rum cinnamon sauce, substitute in 1/4 cup of rum for the rum extract and water.

Adapted From Kate's Kitchen

Ingredients:

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding:

1 lb. bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 scant c. semisweet chocolate chips

2-1/2 c. half & half

1 c. sugar

6 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar

Rum Cinnamon Sauce:

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. dark brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. rum extract

3 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, toss together bread and melted butter to coat bread pieces evenly.  Add chocolate chips and mix well.  Spread bread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
2. In the same bowl, whisk together half & half, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt.  Pour the custard over the bread mixture.  Press bread down to make sure each piece is coated with the custard.  Let stand for 30 minutes to soak, pressing bread down every 10 minutes.  
3. Heat oven to 350°F.  Drizzle the remaining melted butter and brown sugar over top of bread pudding.  Bake 1 hour or until puffed and golden.  
4. For the sauce, in a small bowl whisk together melted butter and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.  Add cinnamon, rum extract, water, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.  Serve over bread pudding.

Yield: 2 dozen servings

S'mores Rice Krispie Treats

.  Hi all!

Like I promised, I do have one last [what I would call] summer goodie for you all.  And after this week, things will start to once again get a little crazy around here, so we might as well get right to it.

I actually made these rice krispie treats a couple of weeks back for our dog sitter when I went back to Omaha for Hollyann's wedding shower [pictures and details to come, just one of the many things I'd like to fill everyone in on!].  Having never met the dog sitter, who literally stayed in our apartment all weekend watching the pups, I felt like something 'classic' would be my best bet.  And be it the end of the summer and they hadn't made their 2013 debut yet, s'mores it was!

Unfortunately, these krispie treats got some mixed reviews.  Half of the people absolutely chowed them, while a select few said they were a bit bland.  Bland in that the rice krispie part didn't have enough chocolatey flavor.  But I guess I thought a whole cup of chocolate chips in an 8x8-inch pan would suffice...!

My personal opinion?  When it gets down to it, if you like regular rice krispie treats, then you will most definitely like these addicting suckers.  Let's review why...

I loved the chewy yet crunchy rice krispie bar studded with chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces and roasted 'mallows nestled within each and every bite.  And did I mention that ooey-gooey pull apart-ness you can only get with the one and only rice krispie treat?  And since summer is nearly over, this summer classic with a twist is truly a perfect way to end the season.

Anywho, as I mentioned above, our schedules are about to get hectic once again.  There seemed to be a lull of about...a week...but starting this weekend we're back at it.  I'll be heading to MN to see the fam-bam while Robbie will be heading down south to Winfield, KS, for his cousin's wedding.  A couple of weeks following the long Labor Day weekend, we'll be heading to Omaha for Robbie's friend's wedding and Danny's baptism.  Then the next weekend we'll be heading right back to Omaha for Hollyann's wedding reception.  After that final weekend in early October, things should slow down a bit before the whirlwind of holidays hits.  And along the way, things will probably start to focus a little more on us and our own wedding we have yet to plan.

Whew.  2013, you've been a ride!  .

Adapted from The Baker Chick

Ingredients:

3 c. rice krispie cereal

4 graham cracker sheets, broken into bite-sized pieces

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 (10 oz.) bag mini marshmallows

3 tbsp. butter

Directions:

1. Spray an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the rice krispie cereal, graham cracker pieces, and chocolate chips.  Reserve 1 cup of mini marshmallows and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add remaining marshmallows and stir until mixture is thick and marshmallows are completely melted.
4. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the large bowl with the rice krispie mixture and use a spatula to stir it all together.  Press into an even layer in the prepared pan.
5. Turn on the oven broiler.  Evenly spread the reserved marshmallows over the top of the rice krispie bars.  Place under the broiler for a couple of minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown [watch carefully!] and remove from oven.
6. Allow bars to cool in the fridge for half an hour before serving.

Yield: 16 bars

Up to My Knees in...Wedding Cupcakes.

.  And the updates continue...!

You may remember my post a couple of months back about a fellow UP employee who approached me about my baking hobby.  He indicated he had the pleasure of trying one of the cupcakes I made for a donation drive [the Nutella Cloud Cupcakes, to be exact] and that he absolutely loved them. So when talk of his daughter's wedding reception came about, he threw out the idea of hiring 'whoever made that cupcake' for the big day. And [shockingly], the bride accepted. So long story short, I became the official baker for a wedding reception. 

Ironically, I was engaged just a short time after this all happened so you can imagine the pressure I began to feel in not screwing this up. I mean, I would be absolutely devastated if for some reason my wedding cake/cupcakes turned out to be a complete failure. So there was no way I was letting that happen to this bride!

Fortunately the bride was not controlling nothing like me and put full trust in yours truly that I could deliver something presentable.  So with a few discussions here and there, flavors were decided rather easily, decorations and stands chosen, and when June 29th, rolled around, all was left up to me.

I've most definitely been pretty quiet about this monumental event in my baking career.  Probably because I was [a wee bit] nervous and in typical 'me' fashion, doubting that it would actually get pulled off.

But lo' and behold, we did it.

And not only was I ecstatic about the results, but the bride and her family also shared in my enthusiasm.  So I would say it was most definitely a success and job well done!

But don't think I'm trying to toot my own horn here.  I'm just over joyed with how this whole thing went down and thanks to my crafty, helpful friend Hollyann [aka Bacon Loving Girl], we managed to string together 3 cupcake trees, 300 cupcakes, and 300 toppers, to create a beautiful display of three different types of cupcakes [Nutella Cloud Cupcakes, (Better Than) Classic Vanilla Cupcakes, and Hummingbird Cupcakes] for this wedding reception.  So just let me be happy for a bit.

And because I was SO very happy with everything, I want to give a little shout out to some of the vendors I used for supplies.  I found myself being extremely cost conscious but also wanting to get the best products possible.  And I found the best of both worlds via the following channels:

•  Costco: I used my Costco membership to buy a number of baking ingredients, but only for those in which it made sense.  So for example, I went to the regular grocery store for flour, sugar, etc. because let's be honest, I didn't need the 10 pound bags Costco sold (if I ever own my own bakery though, Costco is where it's at!).  But I did end up buying things like Nutella, vanilla extract, butter, and eggs, at Costco and I got some FABULOUS deals.  I needed those ingredients in mass quantities and you can't get better than the bulk prices at this place.  Score!
• Cupcaketree.com: I stumbled upon this site for cupcake towers and I must say, uber pleased with the product!  The 'trees' are only cardboard but they're sturdy and I'll be using mine over and over again [that is, if I get another opportunity like this!].  You can also decorate them as you wish, tailoring them to the event you're using them for and they have loads of decorating ideas on their site.  When I bought them, the site also had a deal going on so I received free end caps, which I highly recommend, with the three pack of Mini Square Cupcaketrees the bride picked out.
• American Celebrations: For an extra special touch, we opted to go with cupcake wrappers from this site.  The bride picked out the design she liked [Spanish Tile wrappers] in purple, grey, and ivory [the reception colors], and the rest is history!  My only complaint is that there was some kind of glitch in the shipping that I had to deal with, but fortunately the wrappers still made it to the house in time for the big event.  Crisis averted!
• Etsy: I had to take full advantage of this business/blogging opportunity, so I ordered some clean, simple business cards [design to reflect LSM] from Mallory Hope Design on Etsy.  I was very pleased with the cards and Mallory was a joy to work with, providing numerous iterations of the card design until I got exactly what I wanted.  If I ever need more cards, I'll be going back to her! 

So if I must say it one more time, I absolutely loved the opportunity I was handed.  It's something I've always wanted to try but hey, not many chances come around when someone would take a chance on a novice baker.  For their wedding!  So I must say congratulations and thank you again to the happy bride and groom, and I hope you enjoyed the cupcakes as much as I did making them!  This is most definitley one for the books!  .

Father's Day PCCC

.  So here I am, writing to my lovely readers from good ol' Minne.  During the first weekend of the CWS.

Wait, what?!

Yeah that's right.  There must be something wrong with me.  Or I must really love my dad.  Probably the latter...

Doesn't he have the greatest daughter on Earth!?

Just kidding.

Wait, wait, wait...REWIND.

As you can see, I started writing this post pre-Father's Day weekend but as life would have it, I never got around to actually finishing it.  Oops.  So let's get back on track...

Please note Robbie flexing in the upper right picture; for Father's Day, we bought my parents new patio furniture!

Robbie and I spent Father's Day weekend in Minnesota.  We originally had plans to hit up the opening weekend CWS games but with a little thought, we felt we would have the most fun enjoying the games in the air conditioning with our pups and my pops, Dale.  We're all sports fanatics and since it's been some time since we've seen my family, a trip up North sounded just right.  And fortunately we have the rest of this week and upcoming weekend to catch our fair share of games.

But to further prove my point that I'm the best daughter ever, guess what I did?!

Well, I catered to my dad's good ol' classic tastes and whipped up a tasty batch of his favorite all time treat: PCCC.

Okay, I know I've mentioned what PCCC's are before but for the sake of you all, we can refresh: Plain [ol'] Chocolate Chip Cookies.

As you might notice looking through my recipes, 'classics' aren't usually first on my list.  Yes, I've definitely participated in them, but I tend to bake recipes with a little twist.  But like I mentioned, my dad goes for everything classic [I think it's a guy thing...] so he always gives me a hard time for using 'chocolate imported from France' or 'specially ground almond flour.'  Okay, I don't honestly use either of those but Dale has always been a jokester.  He keeps it lighthearted, gotta love it!

So for dad's special day, I opted to go with his wishes and surprise him with a batch of simple, straightforward PCCCs.  With a little twist...

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!!

But it's actually a very subtle change, and we all agreed that if I wouldn't have mentioned anything no one would have really noticed.  Both Robbie and my dad actually asked if I had used different chocolate chips [remember, imported chocolate?]!  But the consensus was that the cookie was just dang good, plain and simple just like Dale likes them.

But to clue you in, the only change to a standard PCCC recipe is that this cookie uses bread flour [introduced by the food science man himself, Alton Brown].  See, not too crazy!  The result is that the cookie ends up a bit chewier and soft, which I absolutely love.  So if you're into the crunchy cookie, then this ain't for you.

But you'll probably regret not testing it out.  Just sayin.'

Anywho, hope everyone had a lovely Father's Day and were able to celebrate those special men in our lives.  I know we had a wonderful weekend, love you, dad!  .

My Notes:

• To scoop my dough, I used a 1-inch cookie scoop.  But the original recipe suggested about 1.5 tablespoon (or just go with a scant tablespoon) if you don't have a cookie scoop on hand.

From Whisk Together

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter

2-1/4 c. bread flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. sugar

1-1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp. milk

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat.  Pour into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
3. In the large bowl with butter, add sugar and brown sugar.  Cream on medium speed until thoroughly combined.  Add egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.  Slowly pour in flour mixture with mixer on low just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Chill dough until firm but pliable.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown, turning baking sheet at about 5 minutes to ensure even baking.  Remove from oven onto wire rack to let cool.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

{No Bake} Nutella Cookies

.  And it's the beginning of the week once again.  But did everyone have a good weekend?!

Over in our neck of the woods, the weekend absolutely flew by because on Friday night, Robbie and I headed down to Kansas City for his sister's baby shower weekend.  We went down a bit early to see their brand new house, do a little shoppin', and of course hang out with the fam.  It's pretty rare for the entire family to get together due to distance, so we gotta take advantage when we can!

The weekend ended with the baby shower on Sunday afternoon and fortunately most of the immediate family were all able to attend, many of them making 5+ hour drives in order to celebrate the special occassion.  This will be the first grandchild in Robbie's family so you can imagine the buzz and excitement!  It was also really great to see all of Robbie's relatives again since I hadn't personally seen them since Kelli and Brett's wedding [Robbie's sister and brother-in-law] a few years back.  The shower was held at the soon-to-be-parents house and was filled with loads of gifts, summertime foods, and endless chatter.  So all in all, a perfectly lovely afternoon!

But you're probably thinking these [No Bake] Nutella Cookies debuted at the baby shower, huh?  Well, unfortunately they didn't quite make it that far into the weekend.  Well, the majority of them didn't.  But no worries, that wasn't the plan anyway.  And there were plenty of lovely desserts at the shower, Kelli's girlfriends had it all covered!

I actually made these [deeeeeeeeelicious] little chocolate nuggets as a weekend treat for everyone.  Kelli and Brett graciously hosted Robbie and I, his family, and his mom's sister, for the weekend so I figured a little snack was the least I could offer.  And luckily...these were a hit.

Do any of you remember the regular no bake cookies from your childhood?  Because I most definitely do.  And if you never had these, your parents deprived you of something fabulous.  And I'm only slightly joking...

These little mounds of chocolatey yumminess are downright addicting.  A couple bites of one just isn't enough, you'll find yourself going back for a second.  And third...  Trust me.  But what makes them so dang good?  Well...the chewy oatmeal, the richness of the Nutella flavor, and the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate concoction binding this simple recipe into a classic cookie you'll make for the kiddos [and yourself] over and over!  So despite your busy schedule, I know you'll have a hot moment to whip up these chocolate bombs [thank you, Jamie!].  Stove on...stir...and cookies!

P.S. I haven't mentioned the gender of the baby because Kelli and Brett have decided to wait to find out.  So we'll find out what 'Baby L' ['L' for Lauritsen, their last name] really is around July 19, when the little bundle is due!  So be on the look out for a baby post right around that time  .

My Notes:

• I doubled the ingredients from the original recipe and the cookies turned out perfectly.  So if you're serving a big crowd [or people who can crush cookies], double away! 

Adapted from Six Sister's Stuff

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. milk

1-3/4 c. sugar

4 tbsp. cocoa powder

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. Nutella

3 c. quick cooking oats

Directions:

1. Line baking sheets with wax paper, aluminum foil, or parchment paper; set aside.  In a large saucepan, whisk together butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa powder, over medium heat.  Bring to a rolling boil and then boil for 1 minute.  Remove bowl from heat.  
2. Add vanilla extract and Nutella and whisk until combined.  Add oats and stir until completely incorporated.  
3. Drop batter by scant tablespoonfuls on prepared baking sheets.  Let cool until set.

Yield: 30 cookies

Secret Recipe Club: Cookie Brittle

.  Hello, my SRCers [and other lovely readers]!

I can't believe another month has already gone by.  I feel like I just wrote up my last SRC post...

But I can't complain, this club is oh-so-fun and I absolutely love being introduced to new blogs.  It's always a treat to browse through their array of recipes and see all of the different styles of bloggers out there.  It's a 'small' community but yet we are each so vastly different.  Gotta love it.

Which brings me to my May assignment, Creative Kitchen Adventures.  Remember how said we are so incredibly different?  Well point in case right here!

LSM is all about the sweet treats, right?  Let's see how much butter and sugar we can pack into one pan and hopefully no one will notice.  But Creative Kitchen Adventures lies on the opposite end of the spectrum.  In an extremely good and healthful way though.  I could take a couple notes from this blog...

Denise, the author of Creative Kitchen Adventures, is much like me in that she is a self taught cook [except I bake!] and she started her blog as a way to keep track of all of the recipes she was trying.  But while Denise is also a mother, she does put a certain focus on bringing healthy meals to her family using wholesome ingredients (e.g., she tries to stay away from processed foods).  But what I think is unique and genuine about Denise's goals is that she's not an 'all or nothing' type of person.  So though she gravitates towards healthful recipes, there's definitely a fair share of sweet treats on her blog [which of course I love!].  And I think it's great that she doesn't deprive her family, one would only think that would lead to some disasters later in life.  Or at least that's what I tell myself when I'm eating pans of brownies...

My brother's commissioning was this last weekend [details and pics to come!] so I made the Cookie Brittle for everyone to snack on.  Uh, it was gone in 15 minutes.

Anywho.  So what recipes of Denise's caught my eye?!  More like what didn't...but here are some of my favs: Mexican Omelette, Bruschetta Pizza, Bacon-wrapped Dates, and Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies.  And I'd just like to throw it out there that I've had Bacon-wrapped Dates before and they are quite possibly heaven on Earth.  No joking whatsoever.  And I can only imagine that Denise's version is absolutely scrumptious and addicting!

But this month, curiosity completely got me.  Cookie Brittle?  What?!  First, I didn't have a clue as to what the recipe would turn out like but I couldn't resist trying it out because Denise labeled it as a 'Christmas Favorite.'  Uh, who can turn down a Christmas favorite?  For reals...

And now I know why Denise and her loved ones adore this treat so very much.  It's addicting.  You know those snacks you can't stop nibbling on despite the fact that you're not even hungry?  Yeah, definitely did that with this one.  And I'm not ashamed.

The 'cookie' part of this recipe is just that, it very much resembles a buttery shortbread with a generous helping of rich chocolate chips mixed throughout.  And a lovely topping of chopped walnuts tops off this cookie just perfectly.

I'm not quite sure how it happens, but the brittle pieces comes during the baking process.  If you watch closely, the butter creeps its way to the top of the cookie, enveloping the walnuts and creating a crisp exterior resembling well...brittle.  You know that crunchy, caramely treat?  Yep, it's now in cookie form.

And to make it a true replica, the sheet of cookie brittle is broken into random sized pieces perfect for plopping into a bowl and setting out for all to munch.  Forget Christmas time, this is an all-year-round delight!

Thanks again, Denise, I love the simplicity and deliciousness of this recipe and I wouldn't have found it without you!  Until next month!  .

From Creative Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

2 c. all purpose flour

8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1-1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375F.  In a large bowl, cream together on medium speed butter, vanilla extract, and salt, until combined.  Add sugar and flour and beat until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Press batter into a cookie sheet (about 1/2- to 1-inch thickness; batter won't take up the entire sheet).  Sprinkle top with walnuts.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before breaking into pieces. 

Yield: 40 pieces