handling the heat wave

If you hadn't noticed, lately I've been very into making "no-bake" recipes. I know it sounds a little crazy, but for someone who is as baking crazed as I am, the summertime can be hard. Not only is it totally treacherous to stand in front of my 350 degree oven as it wafts hot air in my direction, but the heat totally messes with ingredients as well.  When baking blondies a few weeks ago, they became chocolate swirl blondies instead of chocolate chip blondies because the chips were melted into the batter even before they went into the oven! Overheating and cooling can be problematic when baking in the summer, plus sometimes it is just plain uncomfortable.

That being said, I'd never let a little 93 degree heat wave come between me and my dessert creations. While it might be hot, I still want to make delicious things, and I know you guys do too. I came up with this recipe after seeing similar recipes popping up on other food blogs. They looked delicious, and I'm a sucker for anything with chocolate and peanut butter. Plus, these are naturally gluten free, which is something that can be hard to come by. Best of all, they're no bake, thus continuing my quest for cooler baking experiences in my little kitchen.

These cookies had a 2 fold purpose: first, I made them to bring in and share with my co-workers for a birthday celebration. They went over incredibly well, and since you can make many in a batch, the other half of these bad boys were supposed to go camping with me this weekend. While camping didn't happen (hello?! did you see the weather forecast?), and I was super bummed not to get to make smores, I just had more of these to myself. They are easy to make, (somewhat) healthy, and incredibly delicious. You can pull them together quickly, and I will definitely be making them again. You could certainly add in other nuts, dried fruit, and different kinds of chips to change them up a little --or even another kind of nut butter. They were the perfect combo of salty and sweet, and I'm still enjoying them days later. Keep them in the fridge and you'll have bite-sized treats for days!


no bake peanut butter-chocolate granola balls

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (I used gluten free rolled oats- make sure the bag is marked as such!)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup toasted coconut
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

before

and after!

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixing well with your hands until all ingredients are combined
Chill in your fridge for 30 minutes
Remove from fridge and form into small balls with your hands (they should be around the size of a ping pong ball)
Keep in an airtight container in your fridge and enjoy for days!

passover bliss

Okay, I know. I'm the crazy girl who actually looks forward to Passover every year. When my sister and I were younger, there was Matzah in our house all year round, because we loved to snack on it (matzah and butter- really what is better than that?). Though our taste buds have grown a bit since then, I still look forward to the holiday every year. The combination of the wonderful Jewish traditions, spending two days with my family and friends, and cooking up a storm with my mom all come together in perfection. Between my mom's amazing cooking, and my dad's witty retelling of the story of Passover, they really know how to throw a Seder (the traditional Jewish meal held on the first two nights of Passover, which is eight days long). My mom's chicken soup with matzah balls just can't be beat, and she's very into making non-traditional passover food as well (this year it was tuna tartar instead of gefilte fish- if you don't know what it is, trust me, you don't want to know). Seder this year was no exception, and everything was truly delicious.

If you hadn't guessed by now, my mom put me in charge of desserts for passover this year. She and I had many a conference call finalizing our menu, and settled on a mere 7 desserts to serve at seder. Fortunately, I had a wonderfully large kitchen to spread my baking wings out in. Going home to cook is one of my absolute favorite things to do. Not only do I have an amazing cooking partner in my mom, but I have an incredibly large, newly renovated, perfectly stocked at all times kitchen to bake in. This is even more important when there are 7 desserts on the menu. To top it off, I was convinced to make my desserts gluten free. You may not know this, but matzah is actually made with wheat, as are all matzah products. Therefore, not all things that are kosher for passover (permitted to eat during the week of passover) are gluten free. Being put on dessert duty when I couldn't use the typical passover flour substitute, matzah cake meal, was somewhat challenging. However, because I was forced to think a little bit outside of the box, I think that my desserts came out amazingly. Getting creative definitely paid off here. Enjoy all of the recipes, which are naturally kosher for passover, but delicious to make all year round. I definitely will not be retiring these until next year.

You'll notice 5 recipes below, and I know, I said 7! The first dessert was a fruit salad (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and pineapple) with fresh grated lime zest topping it. I know it sounds crazy and so simple, but the lime zest really made the difference in this salad. I promise to post pictures in the future with the recipe its self, but go and try it. Its delicious. The second recipe was my mom's delicious mandel bread. Its an amazingly delicious mix between a biscotti and a thick chocolate chip cookie, with all of the best parts of both. It's a secret family recipe, but maybe one day soon I'll share it with you. For now, enjoy the five below!!


Pistachio Cookies

seriously easy, with seriously delicious flavor.

3 cups ground pistachios (use a food processor to chop the pistachios into large "crumbs")
3 egg whites
1 cup of granulated sugar

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees
Mix together the three ingredients until they reach a nice thick, sticky consistency
Refrigerate the batter for 20 minutes, to allow it to come together
Use a spoon to drop the batter into rounded balls onto a lightly greased baking sheet
Cook for about 15 minutes until the tops of the cookies start to turn golden
Move the cookies onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before eating
This recipe will make about two dozen cookies
enjoy!


Passover Brownies

so fudgey, you won't even know its KFP

4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 bag of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Combine the eggs, oil, and vanilla in a bowl
Once the wet ingredients are combined, add in the sugar, potato starch, and cocoa powder
Finally, mix in the the chocolate chips
Pour batter into a lightly greased 9x9 inch pan
Bake for about 45 minutes or until you test the center with a knife and it comes out clean (you'll want to let them under cook just a little!)
Let cool in the pan and enjoy!


Flourless Chocolate Cake

the picture barely does it justice- this is simply divine.

10 oz bittersweet (or semisweet would work here too) chocolate
7 oz unsalted butter
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Chop the chocolate and cube the butter
Place the chocolate and the butter into a double boiler (a glass or metal bowl over a pot with an inch or two of simmering water) and allow to melt, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate mixture is smooth
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar. Once combined, mix in the chocolate mixture until the batter is smooth
Butter a springform pan and dust it lightly with cocoa powder. A good trick here is to sprinkle the cocoa into the dish and then turn it around tapping the sides lightly so that the cocoa powder spreads out evenly
Pour the batter into the pan, and cover the top of the pan tightly with a sheet of tin foil

Bake the cake for 75 minutes before removing from the large pan with water, taking off the tin foil, and allowing to cool completely on a rack
enjoy with a fresh dollop of whipped cream, or some berries!


Almond Pound Cake

golden, nutty, beautiful.

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand here)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Mix the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until well mixed and smooth
Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, beating after each additional egg
Add in the vanilla extract and mix well
In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt, baking powder, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet while continuing to mix as you add
Once combined, pour the batter into a 9x5 inch loaf pan that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray
Sprinkle the top of the cake with the sliced almonds
Bake the cake for 50 minutes, checking to be sure that the center is done before taking it out of the oven
Allow to cool and enjoy!!


Apple Crisp

8 granny smith apples (any tart apple would work here)
3/4 cup almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill here)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
8 tsp butter, cold

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Peel and core your apples. Cut the apples in half and then into 1 inch slices
Place the apples in the bottom of a baking dish (9x9 is what I used)
In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
Cube the butter into small 1/2 inch cubes and add the butter to the dry ingredients. Mix until the butter has broken up and mixed with the dry ingredients forming small little balls
Pour the topping evenly over the batter
Cover the pan and bake for 1 hour. The top of the crisp should begin to brown, and the apples should be tender
enjoy fresh out of the oven!!
*This one came out of the oven and was gone so quickly, that pictures were not taken- I promise to make it again in the future, i know recipes without pictures are no fun!

the wonderful place where I spend my days, and the wonderful people I spend them with...oh, and a delicious recipe

After having graduated from NYU last May, I was very fortunate to have started working almost immediately after graduation. Though perhaps slightly insane for taking a week off between school and the real world, I am so lucky to have ended up working where I do. I work for this awesome place called the Child Mind Institute (check us out online: http://www.childmind.org/). CMI is a non-profit organization, as well as a clinical psychology practice. I work on the clinical side, helping to support our wonderful doctors who work very hard. While things can get kind of crazy sometimes around the office, the plethora of adorable kids that continue to come day after day helps make it better. We seriously have some of the cutest munchkins ever. Anyways, CMI does all sorts of things for all sorts of amazing kids. We promote mental health awareness, as well as help so many children with many varying disorders on a daily basis. Come by some time, I'll give you a tour!

In addition to the wonderful place that I work in, I work with truly wonderful people. I honestly don't know how I got so lucky to work with such nice and caring people. They make going into work that much better, and know how to put a smile on my face. And I, know how to put one on theirs as well (at least through my cooking). As I've mentioned before, my work friends are some of my original taste testers. They are always happy to try any sweet thing that I bring into the office to share (thank goodness or I'd eat it all myself). Last weekend, we all got together to celebrate a few birthdays, and my friend moving on to go to medical school (we miss you!). Everyone brought delicious food, and I of course had to bake something special. I have to say, these blondies are simple and amazingly delicious. You can throw them together in a matter of minutes, and they'll definitely impress your guests. Upon request, mine had dark chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in them, but they seriously take on any chips, nuts, or chunks that you mix in. Make sure you under bake them just a little, and get one fresh out of the oven.

YUM.

Blondies

1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup of brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup gluten free flour mix (with xanthum gum)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Mix the melted butter with the brown sugar on medium until smooth
Beat in the egg and vanilla
Once combined, add in the salt, cinnamon, and flour
Mix in your chips (or whatever else you decide to include)
Pour the batter into an 8x8 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, or butter
Bake the blondies for 20 minutes, or until the middle has set
enjoy!

gooey deliciousness.

the before, there was not much of an after...

what to do with leftover pumpkin, and other dessert adventures

One of my favorite things about cooking with pumpkin (and buying a big can of pumpkin) is having leftovers to play with. As you'll come to see when the fall rolls around, I love pumpkin and squash, and I love cooking with them. I think pumpkin is such a delicious ingredient, as well as a great one to work with. Pumpkin adds a lot of moistness and flavor to baked goods, and is a great ingredient to add multiple other layers of flavor to. With half a can of pumpkin sitting in my fridge waiting for me, after making the pumpkin bread recipe below, I knew I had to get creative. My boyfriend and his best friend were cooking dinner for a bunch of our friends on Friday night. While the two of them are amazing cooks, they generally stick with the savory. I decided I would take on the sweet, and make dessert for everyone. Often if I bring a dessert to a dinner, I like to have two different desserts. People have different palates, and different likes, and plus- I like to bake, so why wouldn't I make two?

I decided to make a version of a cookie I had made before, and try my hand at a coffee cake as well. Both, I have to say, turned out deliciously. They were a big hit with everyone, and for me as well; I will definitely be making these again. Both I have to say, were made even better by my wonderful gf flour mix (mentioned in the post below). Neither baked any differently, or tasted any differently, than they would if they were made with regular flour- and that is certainly a success. A great website that I draw a lot of inspiration from is Smitten Kitchen, which is where I got the idea for this coffee cake as well (check it out for wonderful recipes, not gf, but easy to adapt)! Definitely try out these recipes, you will not be disappointed.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

so many delicious flavors, all rolled into one

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened, unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups gf rolled oats
1 1/2 cups gf flour mix (flour+xanthum gum)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt
Add in the butter and mix until the batter starts to crumble
Stir in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin
Once combined, add the rolled oats, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips
Mix until just combined
Roll into large balls and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper- these cookies will not expand a bit, however the size and shape that they are when they go in the oven will remain relatively the same
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes and put on a cooling rack- you might want to snag one of these right out of the oven though!
enjoy!!

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

simply delicious.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream (I used low-fat, but either will work)
3 cups gf flour mix (with xanthum gum)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar
One at a time, beat in the egg yolks, followed by the vanilla
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
Once combined, alternately add the dry ingredients and sour cream into the butter mixture (starting and ending with dry ingredients)
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are still, and then fold into the batter
In a small blow, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon for the filling
In a parchment lined 9x9 dish, spread half of the cake batter evenly along the bottom
Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter, and sprinkle with half of the chocolate chips
Repeat these layers again
Once the chocolate chips are sprinkled on, press them lightly into the top of the cake
Bake the cake for 45 minutes
enjoy!

birthday cake, gluten free chocolatey goodness

This past week was one of my best friend's birthdays. And lets be honest, who doesn't love birthdays. As you may remember, one of my favorite things about birthdays, is the cake. My roommate from college and I used to make a bee-line for the cake at birthday parties, while everyone else was busy mixing drinks. Who doesn't love an excuse to eat cake?

I'm very lucky to have a wonderful group of girlfriends, dating back to our elementary and middle school days. Flash forward a few years, and I now live with one of my best friends, and one of our other friends (the birthday girl) lives just a short walk away. This weekend two of our other best friends were staying with us in the city as well. We can be a little ridiculous when together, but always have a wonderful time. In addition to buying a fish (hey Beyonce), eating yummy food, cuddling and more, we also celebrated a birthday. Along side a few of our wonderful camp and college friends, we had an amazing weekend.

As I've said before, I believe everyone should have a cake on their birthday, and this was no exception. I definitely get nervous when making a gluten free dessert that is the only dessert at a party. And baking a birthday cake is even more nerve wracking, since its not just a nibble on the side kind of snack--the cake is front and center at the party. This time around, I wanted to make a chocolate cake, knowing my friends would love the chocolate-cream cheese combo. I have to say, it was definitely a success. I think (well, I hope!) the cake was very well received and everyone loved eating it, especially the birthday girl. With the decorating help of my incredibly artistic friends (see pictures below), the cake with certainly fit for a celebration. I'm so happy that I got to spend the weekend with so many people I love. And I will definitely be making this cake again- next time, make sure you get a piece!

happy birthday!!

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

2 large eggs

1/2 cup veg oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup hot coffee

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (1/4 cup)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Chop the chocolate, and pour into the coffee, stirring and allowing it to melt

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt

In another bowl combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla

With your mixer on slow, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients

With your mixer still on low add the coffee-chocolate mixture

Pour batter into two square or round baking dishes, prepared with non-stick cooking spray

Bake cakes for 35-40 minutes, switching their positions in the oven (top to bottom, bottom to top, half way through), and cool in pans for 30 minutes

just out of the oven

first layer

second layer

2 sticks of butter, softened

12 oz (3/4 lb) cream cheese, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar (a bit more or less, depending on how thick you like your frosting)

Candy and sprinkles to decorate

Whisk together the butter and cream cheese on high, stopping often to scrape down the whisk and sides of the bowl, until well combined 

Add the vanilla and mix to combine

Slowly add in the powdered sugar (watch out, it will be snowing in your kitchen) until your frosting has reached your desired consistency

If your frosting is a bit more liquidy, chill it slightly before spreading on your (completely cooled) cake

enjoy!

delicious.

the hunt for the perfect cookie

There is just nothing like a warm, gooey chocolate cookie to put a smile on my face. And I'm not talking Chips Ahoy. I've never been so into store bought chocolate chip cookies, but put some homemade yummies in front of my face, and I will go to town. I love a sweet and salty cookie, with rich buttery flavor, and delicious chocolate chunks to top off a meal (or you know, just in the afternoon or something). 

I've had my fair share of mouth watering chocolate chip cookies over the years, but recently, I've made it a personal goal to make a deliciously perfect (or as close to perfect as possible) chocolate chip cookie. Not as easy as it looks. Some cookies are too hard, and some fall apart. Lets be honest, who doesn't want a cookie that's slightly undercooked chewy on the inside with a slightly crispy outside? To make matters worse, as my gluten free friends out there can tell you, gluten free baking is no picnic --the finicky flour, the confusing xanthum gum, the tricky ratios...the list goes on. Needless to say, I've certainly burdened myself with a weighty task. 

This batch of cookies was incredibly delicious. The flavors were spot on, and they had a surprisingly wonderful texture, which is not always achieved with gluten free baking. They were a hit with my friends, who assured me that they "didn't even taste gluten free!" (Success or what?!) The two and a half dozen that I made were eaten within about 48 hours, leaving only the memories (and some beautiful pictures) of these tasty treats.

Though these cookies were delicious, the quest for the perfect cookie continues. There are definitely things that can be improved in this recipe, and I assure you, this will not be the last you hear from the beloved chocolate chip cookie. Over the next few months, you will have the pleasure of reading about my ongoing hunt for perfection. I have to say though, I'm off to a delicious start. These cookies got rave reviews, but they're only going to get better from here.

look at that cookie

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups gf flour

¾ tsp xanthum gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts toasted and chopped

buttery, chocolatey dough

fresh out of the oven

the perfect bite.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees

Cut the cold butter into small 1/4 inch cubes

Beat together both the regular and brown sugars with the butter until well mixed and smooth

With your mixer on medium speed, mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthum gum, and salt

Once combined, add slowly into the wet ingredients in the mixer

Toast walnuts in your oven or on your stove for a few minutes until toasted nicely

Toss the chocolate chips and walnuts into the batter and mix (you might want to mix by hand, or on low, as the mixer may break up the chips and walnuts down)

With your hands, roll dough into 1 inch balls and place 3-4 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet

Bake the cookies for 17 minutes or until they just start to brown. If using two cookie sheets at once, switch the cookies from the top shelf to the bottom (and vice versa) so that they cook evenly

enjoy- and be sure to snag one right out of the oven, it will be totally worth it!!

crazy for cookies

Okay, lets be honest- who isn't?! Cookies are a magical invention of deliciousness, all wrapped up in a neat little hand held package. You can eat them on the go or on the couch, you can even eat them with ice cream in the middle (just wait till summer time...it's happening). When there's a cookie around, everyone is happy. The wonderful thing about cookies, is that not only are they easy to transport and easy to eat wherever you like, they're also a crowd pleaser no matter who is eating them. Babies love them, grandmas always seem to be making them, and mom always puts a smile on your face when you open up your lunch and find that she's packed you a cookie.

With a sweet tooth like mine, I am obviously not an exception to the rule. Cookies are so simple, I have been known to make multiple batches in one day. In fact, this weekend, that is exactly what I did. To say I went a little overboard might be accurate, however all of my friends who I have happily shared my sugary little creations with would agree that all three were definitely delicious (and therefore obviously necessary that I baked them all).

I started out with one of my classic gf favorites, a peanut butter cookie, decided, why not add chocolate to that, and then ended by attacking the meringue (post to follow shortly). I honestly think all three turned out awesomely (thank goodness after the last cookie catastrophe), but you'll have to ask my harshest critics, my friends, about that. For now, enjoy the scrumptiousness of not one, but two peanut butter cookies. These cookies are "naturally" gluten free, aka no weirdo substitutions. And I bet that you have most of the ingredients sitting in your kitchen now. The first is a classic peanut butter, and the second, a peanut butter chocolate cookie, because, well why not?

Peanut Butter Cookies

¾ cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

for all the peanut butter fans out there

ready for the oven!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients together by hand in a large mixing bowl

For the peanut butter, grease the inside of your measuring cup and the spoon you use to scoop out the peanut butter (Non-stick cooking spray works well for this)- I promise, it will help you out a lot!

Once ingredients are well mixed together (make sure all sugar is incorporated), roll the dough into small balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

With a fork, create a criss-cross pattern and sprinkle the top of the cookie with brown sugar (optional)

Bake cookies for 10 minutes, taking them out, even if they don't look quite done 

Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring over to a cooling rack

enjoy!

cooling...it takes a lot of will power to let them sit there

yum!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies

¾ cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

Chocolately goodness

Follow the same steps as the cookies above, but for a reminder: 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients together by hand in a large mixing bowl

Once ingredients are well mixed together roll the dough into small balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

With a fork, create a criss-cross pattern and sprinkle the top of the cookie with brown sugar (optional)

Bake cookies for 10 minutes, taking them out, even if they don't look quite done 

Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring over to a cooling rack

enjoy!

Chocolate and Peanut butter, what's not to love?

...I think next time, there will definitely be chocolate chips going into these bad boys

chocolate chubsters, for the fat kid in you

These cookies, are out of this world. But let's back up for a minute. Valentine's day has come around again, and once again the flurry of pink, hearts, and cheesy cards seems to cloud everyone's Valentine's day experience. But for me, Valentine's day has always been about the chocolate. When I was in elementary school, each year we would make valentine's mail boxes out of empty orange juice cartons, or old shoe boxes. I loved nothing more than handing out my hand made valentines to all of my classmates, and sorting through my mailbox after all had been passed out. Though I appreciated them all, truth be told, the valentine's I cared about were those that came with candy, specifically chocolate. Ever since, my love of chocolate has grown, as has my love for chocolate on Valentine's day. Now, I'm a firm believer that Valentine's day is kind of a made up holiday, but hey-- when chocolate is involved, I'm not complaining.

This year, I baked for all of my lovely work valentines, and a few friends as well. I started off thinking I was going to make sugar cookies, or something pink, but let's be honest--what girl doesn't just want good old fashion chocolate? So this recipe was created. It's kind of a mix between cookies, brownies, and meringues, but whatever you call them, they're delicious.

Triple Chocolate Chubsters

8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup gluten free flour mix

1/8 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place a glass or metal bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water

Place butter in bowl. Once melted, add chocolate, cocoa, and oil--remove and let cool for 5 minutes once melted

Whip eggs in a bowl with a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment on medium. Once the eggs are foamy and thickened, add sugar and vanilla, increasing speed of mixer. Whip aprox. 3 minutes, until eggs are very thick and pale yellow

Reduce speed to medium and add chocolate mixture

Change to paddle attachment and add flour, xanthum gum, baking powder, and salt

Remove from mixer and add chocolate chips and walnuts--mix with a wooden spoon

Use an icecream scooper (or a soup spoon if you don't have one) and portion the batter onto pans lined with parchment paper. Place cookies 1-2 inches apart, they will not expand too much

Bake 17 minutes, until edges release easily

It is okay if the center is underdone slightly--I promise, it is better this way!

enjoy!!