Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

Remember when I told you about these amazing cookies and promised to share the recipe? And, in true Emily fashion, I didn't.

Yeah, oops.  This post has been in my drafts box for three weeks.  FAIL.

February has been totally, out-of-my-mind crazy.  Between school, theater, and my body deciding to stop functioning properly, my brain's a little fried.  Deep thoughts and proper sentences are not happening.  But a picture's worth a thousand words, right? And I have lots of pictures!

So, for those of you who are just joining us, let me catch you up:  At the end of January, a few friends and I had a girl's night! We all went to my friend Charlynn's house and watch the SAG awards.  We all brought either a soup, salad, bread, or dessert to share.  I brought Asian Salad and these cookies.

Here's the original pin for the cookies:

Source: divine-baking.com via Emily on Pinterest

And a photo presentation for your enjoyment:

My first time making merengue.

For some reason, we keep the cocoa really high in my house.

You're supposed to roll the dough into balls.

Too messy for my taste.

Much better (and cleaner!)

Halfway done baking!

So good!

They got dad's seal of approval.

The finished product.

I need a better camera.  This picture doesn't do them justice. 

These were a little bit more work than your average cookie recipe, but they were so worth it! They were ever so slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  And so rich and chocolatey—Perfect with a glass of milk! But be warned, don't breathe in while eating your cookie.  I learned that the hard way. 

Another thing I really like about this recipe is that it's gluten and butter free, so my friends with those dietary restrictions could enjoy them too! 

These were a hit at SAGs night :)

Natalie, Me and Lauren

Photo Credit to Melissa at Little Mrs. Married

I wish I had remembered to take a picture of my food before I ate it all! Tomato Basic Parmesan Soup, Sausage and Lentil Soup, Caprese Salad, and Swiss Poppyseed Bread.  It was all so good.

*Fun Fact: It took me 5 tries and a google search to figure out how to spell "parmesan."

Mel and I! I borrowed a few of these pictures from her, including this one. 

Photo Credit to Melissa at Little Mrs. Married

Me, Charlynn, Lauren and Mel

Photo Credit to Melissa at Little Mrs. Married

So  silly!

Photo Credit to Melissa at Little Mrs. Married

Charlynn's dog Sophie.  I spent all evening trying to get this picture!

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

*Recipe found on www.divine-baking.com

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray.
2. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring twice.  (About 2 minutes) Cool slightly.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a large bowl to soft peaks.  Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar.  Continue beating until mixture resembles a soft marshmallow creme.
4. Whisk 1 cups sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl to blend.  On low speed, beat dry ingredients into the meringue.
5. Stir in lukewarm chocolate and half cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff.) Note: My dough didn't become very stiff.  I think thick might be a better word)
6. Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a bowl.  Roll 1 rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball. Roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on a prepared sheet.  Repeating with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.
7. Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes.  Cool on sheets on a rack for about 10 minutes, then place the cookies directly on the rack and let them cool completely.

Makes about 18 cookies.

Oh my goodness, I need a cookie now!

Super Cheese Sunday

Another  Pinterest recipe success!

At this very moment, I am sitting next to my father and we are making a pretty big dent in some warm bean dip! It's just so....cheesy. Here's the original pin:

Source: the-country-cook.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

This was one of the very first things I pinned when I started using Pinterest.  But it's definitely a recipe that calls for an occasion and a group of people to share it with.  And, frankly, it screams "Super Bowl Snack!"  I mean, what's more "Super Bowl" than a dip that calls for FOUR CUPS OF CHEESE?!

Sidenote: I just relocated myself across the room because that is the only way I am going to stop shoveling this dip in my mouth.

I didn't go to any sort of Super Bowl party this year, but my parents and I went to my grandfathers house to "watch it" (I say that like I'll have any clue what is happening in the game...) and eat junk food—perfect time to try this recipe!  

Another Sidenote: Relocation did me no good.  I just walked across the room and stuffed my face some more.

It's a really simple recipe.  Mix some stuff up, cover it with cheese, pop it in the over, bada bing!  If you can open a can and open a bag, you can make this recipe. Unfortunately for me....

Apparently I've been using the can opener BACKWARDS for 20 years!  Add this to the list of things I can't do properly because I'm a lefty...

And...

Whoever is responsible for putting that little "Tear Here" notch in bags of cheese has it out for me.

But, I prevailed and ended up with this:

You gotta love a recipe that looks like this!

Mix everything up, pop it in a pan, and cook for 20-25 minutes.  Take it out, cover it with even more cheese, and cook about 5 minutes longer.  

Perfection.

AND if that wasn't enough cheese to get your arteries sweating, then take a gander at this:

Basically, my mother is a genius.  She took my favorite cheese (Brie) and wrapped it in crescent rolls.  And it's the definition of amazing.  The saltiness from the brie and the slight sweetness from the crescent rolls are perfect together.   To make these, just wrap a small wheel or a wedge of brie cheese (we used La Bonne Vie brand) with crescent rolls and bake according to the directions on the can of rolls.  Easy.  Breezy.  Delicious.

In general, I don't enjoy eating that much.  There are very few foods that are worth the calories or the resulting stomach ache to me.  But this dip and the brie and crescent rolls?  Totally worth it. There's just something about cheese...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a tums, run a marathon, do 1,000 sit ups, and make friends with the veggie tray.  

Happy snacking!

Warm Bean Dip

*Recipe found on "The Country Cook"

• 2 cans (16-oz.) refried beans (I used fat free)
• 1 can (10.5-oz) diced tomatoes (I couldn't find a 10-oz can, so I just used 14-oz.  It worked just fine)
• 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
• 4 cups colby jack cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Drain excess juice from the tomatoes using a strainer.
3. In a medium bowl, combine refried beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and 2 cups of cheese.
4. Spray an 8x8 dish with cooking spray.  Pour combined ingredients into a dish a spread around evenly.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until thoroughly heated through.
6. Add remaining 2 cups of cheese and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
7. Serve warm with your favorite tortilla chips.

*You can have fun with this recipe!  Try it with Rotel tomatoes or use mexican style or pepperjack  cheese.  Tweak it to your taste.

Hello broccoli.  You are so....not covered in cheese...

Asian Salad

Friends are fun.  Good food is fun.  The SAG awards are fun.  Put all three together, and you've got a lot of fun.

Last night, I got together with some friends at my friend Charlynn's house for soup, salad and SAGs!  It was a lot of fun.  We all brought a soup, salad, bread or sweet to share.  There was so much good food!  I brought asian salad and deep dark chocolate cookies!  

Asian salad is a recipe that my mom's made for a long time.  It's super yummy and my mom said I could share the recipe with all of you! 

What I love about this salad is that you can make it ahead of time!  Well, actually, you really need to make  it ahead of time.  Everything needs time to marinade.

First you need to crunch up a couple bags of ramen noodles and dump them in the bottom of a big bowl.  I think the ramen noodles might be my favorite part of the salad :)

Cover the noodle with a couple of bags of broccoli slaw, some sunflower seeds and some slivered almonds....

And then add some green onions...

I have a bit of a problem with onions.  I guess I'm just super sensitive.  They don't just make me cry.  They really make my eyes burn!  Even if the onions are in the next room.  So while chopping the green onions, my eyes started to burn really bad.  My mom remembered that at one point in the movie The Help, they mentioned that putting an unlit match between your teeth will help appease the onion burn.  I'm not sure if it worked, though, because we didn't really think to try this until after I chopped the onions.  I guess it took away the residual sting...

Now time for the dressing.  Take the two beef seasoning packets from your ramen noodles and mix it with sugar, oil and white vinegar.

Next, pour it all over the salad. 

Now, this next part is really important: DO NOT STIR IT!  Put a lid on it, put it in the fridge, and ignore it for 4-24 hours.  Don't stir it until just before you serve it.

If I were smart, I would have remembered to take a picture once I stirred it.  But I'm not smart, so I didn't.  But trust me...It's a pretty salad! And it's pretty tasty too :)

Keep an eye out for a post about the deep dark chocolate cookies and pictures from SAGgy Girls night! :)

Asian Salad

• 2 packages broccoli slaw
• 2 packages beef flavored ramen noodles
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup sunflower seed kernels
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup oil

1. Break up your ramen noodle and dump them in the bottom of a large bowl.  Set the seasoning packets aside.
2.  Add the broccoli slaw, almonds, sunflower kernels and green onions. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine the seasoning packets from the ramen, vinegar, sugar and oil.  Whisk until thoroughly combined.  
4. Pour the dressing over the salad.  DO NOT STIR!  Cover the salad and put it in the refrigerator for 4 – 24 hours. 
5. Stir right before serving and enjoy!  

What a Pinteresting Thought!

Pinterest is something that is still relatively new to my life, but it's obvious that I was instantly addicted.  I've already made two Pinterest recipes (and plan on making two more this week)!  It's inspired me to finally learn to crochet!  I've got my future "When I Get Insanely Rich" wardrobe all planned.  I love it!  If you haven't been to Pinterest, you really need to check it out! That is, unless you have something really important on your agenda.  If you have an important agenda, I suggest you wait until you're done with it, because all shreds of productivity fly out the window as soon as you start pinning.

Once again, I'm taking a cue from Mel at Little Mrs. Married.  She knows where to find all of these cute blog link-ups!






Share your Pinterest finds on your blog and link up at The Vintage Apple!

I think I'm going to spread this out over a few Wednesdays and devote each post to a specific Pin Board.  Otherwise, I might bombard you with more pictures of buttery, cheesy foods and expensive outfits and perfectly styled homes than a person could handle in one post.  Today's board: Favorite Recipes.

Let me begin my saying that I think my favorite things that I find on Pinterest are the recipes!  Of course they're all loaded with fat. But until I can find an excuse to make these dishes, it's at least fun to look at the pictures and drool.

Source: laurenslatest.com via Emily on Pinterest

I've been staring at this bread for weeks.  Haven't built up the courage to make it yet, though.

Source: divine-baking.com via Emily on Pinterest

I see these in my near future.

Source: tastykitchen.com via Emily on Pinterest

I love fried okra, but it's unfortunately only a "sometimes food."  But this oven-fried version looks worth trying!

Source: the-country-cook.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

So. Much. Cheese!

Source: closetcooking.com via Emily on Pinterest

Yumm!  Bread topped with Spinach and Artichoke Dip!

Source: plainchicken.com via Carolyn on Pinterest

This dip is all over Pinterest.  It's called "Crack Dip" because it's supposedly so yummy it's addicting.

Sidenote: I actually got to make crack dip tonight!  The people at the grocery store didn't give my bag with the dressing mix or the chips (so frustrating!), so I improvised and used ranch dressing and cut back on the sour cream.  I definitely want to try it again the right way, but even before sitting for 24 hours, it was still damn good! Pictures to come tomorrow (maybe)!

Source: chefjulieyoon.com via Emily on Pinterest

It seems like every time I bake I'm calling my mom and asking her about some sort of measurement conversion, so this will be really helpful too!

In order to join Pinterest and start making your own boards, you actually have to be invited.  You can either request to be invited and wait for an invite from Pinterest (which I did and let me tell you, I do not think 72 hours could have possibly gone any slower) OR you can post your e-mail in a comment and I'll gladly send you an invite.  :) Because really, who likes to wait?

And now it's time for the 30 Day Photo Challenge!  Day 23: Sunset!

I like sunsets.  They mean I've made it through another day.

Woof Woof!

It's official: I am absolutely, positively, head-over heels in love with Pinterest.  It appeals to the most domestic, stylish, crafty, bake-tastic aspects of my personality.  If you haven't been on Pinterest, you should definitely check it out after you read this post (because if you go before you're done reading, you'll get sucked in and there's no way you'll ever think twice about coming back here)!!

Some of my favorite finds on Pinterest are all of the recipes!  I've got a Pin board devoted to nothing but fattening, delicious recipes that I'm dying to try (I just need a few victims!...er...tasters!).  Remember my blog post about making Red Velvet Cakesters?  I found that recipe on Pinterest!  I can spend hours just looking at all of the food on Pinterest.  And sometimes, I do...

If you're a fellow Pinner, you might recognize this recipe I tried last night.  Different variations of it are all over Pinterest and last night I finally gave in a tried it.  Last night, I made Puppy Chow!

Despite it's canine friendly name, this is definitely not a snack for your pooch.  It is sweet, chocolately, peanutty, 100% people food. And so easy to make!  Start to finish, it didn't take me more than 20 minutes to make a huge batch. And it would have taken even less time if I had a 2 gallon bag like the recipe called for (more on that later).

I decided to make the classic, "Chex official" recipe.  First you melt together semisweet chocolate, peanut butter, and butter (I used crunchy peanut butter because that's what we had in the house.  I loved the little peanut bits mixed in with the chow!).  Oh...and the recipe calls for you to add vanilla to the chocolate mixture after you melt it, but I kind of sort of completely spaced and forgot to do that. Oops! So, if you're one of those awesome people who remembers to follow the recipe, you would add vanilla here. If you're like me, you just pretend that vanilla doesn't exist and completely ignore what the recipe calls for. :)

 Then you dump it all over 9 cups of Chex cereal.  You can use rice, corn, wheat or chocolate Chex (or all 4 if you're feeling adventurous).  I used rice Chex (which are gluten free!).

Mix it all together as gently as you can.  Some pieces are going to break.  It's unavoidable.  But the goal is to have more whole pieces than broken pieces once you're done mixing.

 Then the recipe tells you to put it all in a 2-gallon zip-loc bag.  But really, who just has a 2-gallon zip-loc bag on hand?  So I put half of the mix in a one gallon bag and it worked fine.  Put 3/4 of a cup of powdered sugar in your 1 gallon bag and shake like crazy!  Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

 Pour it all out onto a wax (or parchment) paper lined cookie sheet so it can cool and set and there you have it!  Home-made puppy chow!

Warning: If you make this recipe, make sure you have people to share it with, because this stuff is super addictive!  And this recipe makes a ton of chow!  You definitely do not want a full recipe of this stuff sitting around.  You'll just find yourself grabbing another handful every time you pass by until it's all gone.  And your tummy will not be pleased.  Just trust me on this.

So, if you have 20 (or 15 if you happen to have a 2-gallon zip-loc bag lying around.  Where would you even find one of those?!) minutes to spare, I definitely recommend you make some Puppy Chow!  And then I recommend you find someone to share it with! 

Puppy Chow

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Start to Finish: 15 minutes

Makes: 18-1/2 cup servings

Ingredients:

• 9 Cups Rice, Corn, Wheat, or Chocolate Chex Cereal
• 1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
• 1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, measure cereal. Set aside.
2. In a 1 quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir.  Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.  Pour into a 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar.  Seal bag; shake until well coated.  Spread on waxed paper to cool.  Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. 

You can find the nutritional information (if you dare!) here.

Happy chowing!