Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies

Ok, these may be the yummiest cookies I've had in a while. I think I ate like five of them yesterday, plus enough raw cookie dough for a least another one. SO good!

The cookies are super easy to make, but involve slightly more foresight than many of my other recipes because you need to chill the cookie dough in the fridge for an hour or so before shaping and baking. Also, I don't normally have Rolo on hand in the house (well, probably because I would eat it all!), so I had to buy some before I could make this recipe.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from this recipe on sallysbakingaddiction.com
Yield: about 30 cookies
Print recipe

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
30 Rolos
coarse salt

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.


2. Add egg and vanilla. Scrape down bowl as needed.


3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add to butter and egg mixture and mix just until combined.


4. Add milk and chocolate chips. Mix just until combined.


5. Dough will be thick and sticky. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.


6. Preheat oven to 350F.


7. Remove dough from refrigerator. Take 1 large tablespoon of dough and place a Rolo in the center of the dough. Cover with dough so the caramel is securely stuffed inside and round into a ball.


8. Flatten slightly and place on parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.


9. Sprinkle each cookie with coarse salt before placing in oven.


10. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies will be very soft and appear underdone.


11. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Hummus

Another healthy-eating thing I've been trying is eating raw one day a week. It hasn't been too hard so far - smoothie for breakfast, crudites for lunch, and a salad for dinner, with fruits or nuts as snacks whenever I get hungry. I made hummus to dip the veggies in at lunch, and while it may not be technically raw, it's close enough for me.

Hummus
Adapted from Fresh at Home
Yield: 2-3 servings
Print recipe

1 can chickpeas
2 cloves garlic, roasted
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water

1. In a blender, puree all ingredients.


2. Add more water if necessary to achieve desired consistency.

Curried Dal

I've been trying to eat healthier recently and part of that is trying to eat more vegetarian meals. I have made a few recipes from a book called Fresh at Home, Everyday Vegetarian Cooking, and it has some tasty vegetarian ideas. I love curry and have made lentil curry before, but I really enjoy this recipe.

This recipe calls for red lentils, but you can also use yellow lentils or white lentils or a combination of the three. Lentils are easy to digest and are low in calories and high in protein and fibre. This dal can be enjoyed as a soup on its own or poured over rice. You could also add more vegetables such as spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, or eggplant.

Curried Dal
Adapted from Fresh at Home
Yield: 4-6 servings
Print recipe

2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
green onion or cilantro to garnish

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.


2. Add onion, carrot, garlic, and ginger and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.


3. Add spices and cook for 30 seconds.


4. Add lentils, stock, and coconut milk. Simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft.


5. Garnish with green onions and/or cilantro and serve.

Apple Brownie

Wow, I haven't posted on here in way too long!

I've been trying out some new recipes recently and realized that I don't really have a good recipe storage system. I find recipes in all different places - cookbooks, websites, etc. - and I usually change them up a little bit, and then of course the next time I want to make it, I cant remember either where I got it or what changes I made! So I think I will try to get back to posting recipes here. I don't have pictures for everything at this point, but I will take some when I make these things again and then add the pictures.

These apple brownies are super easy to make. The hardest part is peeling and dicing the apple, which is not hard at all. I probably got them into the oven in about 10 minutes. And of course they are super delicious!

Apple Brownie
Adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe
Yield: 1 8x8 square pan, or 9 2.5-inch squares
Print recipe

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 firm-sweet apple, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F.


2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a slight overhang on all sides.


3. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, and egg and whisk until pale, about 2 minutes.


4. Add walnuts and apples and mix slightly.


5. In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to mixture and stir in just until combined.


6. Scrape batter into pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.


7. Cool completely.