chocolate – Page 2 – The Pajama Chef

Oooey gooey chocolate cups stuffed with edible cookie dough! These little candies are dangerously addictive, friends!

Cookie Dough Cups

November 27, 2017November 27, 2017 Sarah

Oooey gooey chocolate cups stuffed with edible cookie dough! These little candies are dangerously addictive, friends!

Happy Monday! Happy Monday after Thanksgiving. Back to routine… sigh. But today is a special Monday because we are celebrating! The lovely Kayle of The Cooking Actress is expecting a little boy soon… so some of her blogging friends decided throw her a COOKIE themed virtual baby shower. 🙂 Kayle always bakes the best cookies (and has a slight cookie dough obsession — her words, not mine…) so this theme is PERFECT!

I decided to join the fun by making a no-bake cookie dough treat. Cookie Dough Cups are where it’s at, guys! Think peanut butter cups… but instead of peanut butter, you get cookie dough! These little bites are so easy to whip up and are SO delicious. Plus (and I did this just for Kayle and all my pregnant friends out there)… this cookie dough is absolutely 100% safe to eat by the spoonful. We all know that eating raw eggs, especially during pregnancy, is ill-advised but did you know that eating raw flour is also a hazard? Le sigh. So instead of making cookie dough with regular flour, I decided to make cookie dough with OAT flour. Just pulse some oats in a food processor… and presto! Oat flour. This makes the cookie dough a little less traditional, but the nutty flavor it adds is totally worth it.

These little cookie dough cups would be great to have on hand throughout the holiday season when you need a sweet treat for guests, a unique addition to your cookie plates, or just for a portion-controlled pick-me-up. They are really easy to put together and store well in the fridge or freezer for a few weeks… if they last that long! You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry right now… so please make a batch soon. 🙂

Congrats, Kayle! So excited for you. I know everyone says that girls are “sugar and spice and everything nice” but can I just say that little BOYS are also full of sweetness?? Not just snips and snails and puppy dog tails (whatever that even means)! My little boy is a boy through and through (hello trucks and dirt and messes galore) but he loves hugs, snuggles, and cuddles. So don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! I don’t know if anyone has, but now that I’m a boy mom I feel the need to share my pro-boy agenda with anyone who will listen. 🙂 So glad we could celebrate you today!!

Be sure to scroll down to see what else was cooked up (ha ha ha) for this cookie themed virtual baby shower! 🙂

one year ago: Loaded Cornbread Waffles
two years ago: Mashed Potato Casserole
three years ago: Gingerbread Muffins
four years ago: Harvest Pear Crisp with Crystalized Ginger
five years ago: Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
six years ago: Thai Peanut Ginger Chicken Wings
seven years ago: Blackberry Mustard Marinade

Cookie Dough Cups

Servings: 12
Time: 30 minutes
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cookie dough recipe from Show Me The Yummy; method from my Pumpkin Pie Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
sprinkle of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
12 ounces chocolate almond bark (or chocolate chips)

Directions:

Set out 12 silicone muffin liners on a baking sheet, or line 12 muffin wells with paper liners.

With a mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in salt, vanilla, and milk.

With a food processor, pulse oats until they turn into flour, then fold into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Melt chocolate almond bark – I usually do this in the microwave, heating on 50% power in 20 second bursts. Stir well each time and be careful not to overheat. Spoon about 1 tablespoon into the bottom of each muffin liner. Then scoop a heaping 1 tablespoon of cookie dough on top. Press down to flatten, then top with a generous 1 tablespoon of chocolate almond bark.

Allow to fully set before removing from muffin liners, then store in the refrigerator or freezer. If you use chocolate chips instead of almond bark, you may need to allow them to harden in the refrigerator or freezer. You may have a little extra cookie dough or almond bark–enjoy eating it or scrape it together to make an extra cookie dough cup! Enjoy!

Also, check out the rest of the baby shower recipes made by my fellow hosts!

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies – by Confessions of a Confectionista

Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars – by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Derby Pie – by The Spiffy Cookie

Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Treat Cookies – by Pies and Plots

Eggnog Crinkle Cookies – by The Domestic Rebel

Cookie Dough Cups – by The Pajama Chef

Homemade Salted Caramel Oreos – by Eats with With Others

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies – by Blahnik Baker

Cookies! But not just any cookies... these Soft Flourless Kitchen Sink Cookies are filled with oats, peanut butter, pretzels, butterscotch, and CHOCOLATE! Duh. They're absolutely irresistible and a great way to cap off #Choctoberfest!

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

Soft Flourless Kitchen Sink Cookies #Choctoberfest

October 20, 2017October 20, 2017 Sarah

Cookies! But not just any cookies… these Soft Flourless Kitchen Sink Cookies are filled with oats, peanut butter, pretzels, butterscotch, and CHOCOLATE! Duh. They’re absolutely irresistible and a great way to cap off #Choctoberfest!

Oh guys. I know we’re just chatting through the computer screen right now but I seriously wish I could share a plate of these cookies with you right now. If I had just one word to describe them it would be, without a doubt, irresistible. I mean, just look what happens when a mama lets them cool too close to the edge of the table.

*insert crying/laughing/LOL emoji right here, please*

The little guy doesn’t get too many sweets, but you better believe I just let him go to town on that cookie. He earned it–and it was SO freaking cute to see how excited he got with each chocolately bite. 🙂 🙂 🙂

These cookies are just ridiculously good. Since they’re flourless, they’re loaded with tons of oats, peanut butter, and mix-ins. All of the above makes them crazy chewy and soft. It’s pretty much impossible to walk past a cookie jar full of these babies and not grab one (or three). #provenfact #askmehowiknow

Everyone’s first thought when they see pretzels in baked goods (especially chocolatey ones like these cookies!) is that they’re suddenly a sweet ‘n salty treat. That’s true, but in these cookies, the pretzels almost play a different role… they give the cookies an extra depth of flavor. I would say it’s almost earthy, but who wants earthy cookies? So we’ll just call them good. Very, very, very good. Irresistible, even. Hope you enjoy!

Find more new chocolate recipes at the linky here today.

And don’t forget–there’s one more day to enter this amazing CHOCOLATE filled giveaway! Don’t delay! 🙂

one year ago: Salted Caramel Mocha Overnight Oats
three years ago: Pumpkin Bagels
four years ago: Peanut Butter Apple Oatmeal Cookies
five years ago: 30 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup
six years ago: Pumpkin Brownies
seven years ago: Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft Flourless Kitchen Sink Cookies

Servings: 4 dozen
Time: 1 hour
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from Mama Gourmand

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups lightly crushed pretzels – save some to press on top if desired
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips/chunks – save some to press on top if desired
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks – save some to press on top if desired
1/2 cup butterscotch chips – save some to press on top if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter. Beat in brown sugar and white sugar, mixing for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, baking soda, corn syrup, and vanilla. With mixer running on low, add oats–mix until fully combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in pretzels, both kinds of chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips–save some to press on top of individual cookies if desired.

At this point, you can shape into 1 1/2-2 tablespoon sized balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets OR you can chill the dough for 15-20 minutes if it’s too hard to work with. I preferred chilling it first. Press excess pretzels, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips on top if desired.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Don’t overbake! The edges of the cookies should be set and the middle should be slightly overdone. They continue to cook on the cookie sheet, so allow to cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

This post for #Choctoberfest is sponsored by Barlean's. I have received sample products for writing this post. All content and opinions are mine. These Double Chocolate Pumpkin Energy Bites are a healthy sweet treat... and they pretty much taste like a brownie, so there's that too.

Breakfast, Granola, Recipes

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Energy Bites #Choctoberfest

October 18, 2017October 20, 2017 Sarah

This post for #Choctoberfest is sponsored by Barlean’s. I have received sample products for writing this post. All content and opinions are mine. These Double Chocolate Pumpkin Energy Bites are a healthy sweet treat… and they pretty much taste like a brownie, so there’s that too.

Another day, another #Choctoberfest recipe! This one slightly healthier than the delectable cake from Monday. 🙂 Energy bites, granola bites, energy balls… whatever you call them… are SO tasty and SO fun to make. Just mix, roll, and chill, pretty much. They’re great to have on hand for a healthy yet filling snack option or even a quick breakfast on the go for busy mornings. Most recipes use nut butter as the base, so I was excited to find a version that used PUMPKIN as the binder. I always gotta do something different, haha.

Since we’re smack-dab in the midst of #Choctoberfest, I decided to try to make an uber chocolately energy bite recipe. Thanks to a healthy dose of dark chocolate cocoa powder AND dark chocolate chips, these Double Chocolate Pumpkin Energy Bites pretty much taste like a brownie. I’ve been keeping some in the fridge at work, and they are perfect for a mid-afternoon snack. Healthy, yet satisfying.

I’m so thankful that Barlean’s is a sponsor again this year for #Choctoberfest! They sent me a great package filled with Chocolate Silk Greens (think chocolate protein powder, but powdered greens instead–this stuff is great for smoothies!), Essential Women Omega-Swirl Chocolate Mint (mint-chocolate syrup that just so happens to be full of Omega-3s), and Butter-Flavored Coconut Oil, which I used in this recipe. It’s the perfect butter substitute with all the health benefits of coconut oil. I don’t use coconut oil for everything but I really like it in granola bars/energy bites. You can find out more about Barlean’s by following them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube.

One of the best parts about these Double Chocolate Pumpkin Energy Bites (besides how chocolately they are!) is that it only uses 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree. Sooo it’s a perfect recipe to have on hand to when you have a little pumpkin puree to use up! Waste not, want not. And how could you not want these yummy chocolate energy bites??! Enjoy!

Find more chocolate recipes here today at the #Chocotoberfest linky! And don’t forget to enter this great giveaway before Saturday!

one year ago: Pumpkin & Sausage Pizza
three years ago: Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
four years ago: Funfetti Cookies
five years ago: Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce
six years ago: Roasted Vegetable Soup
seven years ago: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Energy Bites

Servings: 32 bites
Time: 2 hours, including chilling
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slightly adapted from A Kitchen Addiction

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons Barlean’s Butter Flavored Organic Coconut Oil
generous 1/4 cup pepitas
generous 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together oats, flaxseed, cocoa, and pumpkin pie spice. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, whisk together honey, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and coconut oil. Bring to a boil, and allow to boil for 4 minutes. Stir constantly so it doesn’t burn! Remove from heat.

Pour honey mixture over oats and stir until combined. At this point, you can stir in the pepitas and chocolate chips so the chocolate melts and gets all gooey OR you can wait for 5 minutes before stirring in the mixins. I stirred everything together right away.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for mixture to cool and chocolate to harden, then remove and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least an hour before transferring to an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy!

Disclosure: Though I received products for free as part of my participation in #Choctoberfest, I was not compensated in any other way and was not asked to provide positive feedback.

Desserts, Pies, Recipes

Mandarin Pie #CookoutWeek

June 30, 2017June 29, 2017 Sarah

A creamy, dreamy mandarin orange pie made with an Oreo crust and topped off with mini chocolate chips… this cool treat is perfect for hot nights.

A creamy, dreamy mandarin orange pie made with an Oreo crust and topped off with mini chocolate chips... this cool treat is perfect for hot nights. #CookoutWeek 2017

I’ve always been a fan of fruit and chocolate. Separately or together, this combination is pretty great. I can hardly think of a single fruit that doesn’t taste good with a bit of chocolate. Can you? Oranges and chocolate is one of my favorite combos. I love it in these cookies and these muffins, so it should come as no surprise that I also love it in pie form!

A creamy, dreamy mandarin orange pie made with an Oreo crust and topped off with mini chocolate chips... this cool treat is perfect for hot nights. #CookoutWeek 2017

The first time I tried this pie was a pretty bad night. Maybe “pretty bad” is a bit of an exaggeration, but over Christmas, both Ben and I got pinkeye. It was pretty much the worst. We were visiting my parents in beautiful Bluffton, South Carolina when the dreaded infection struck. My eyes looked awful and vacation went from relaxing to constant laundry, handwashing, and disinfecting. I blame the baby. Haha. 🙂 Maybe I’m still exaggerating about how bad it was, but I wouldn’t wish pinkeye on anyone! The only highlight of the evening I spent at urgent care was this dessert that I got to enjoy afterwards. This pie was graciously shared with our family by my parents’ friends. We each got a slice and I was so sad it was all gone. I couldn’t stop thinking about it! Eventually I got the recipe and the rest is history! I forsee a LOT of mandarin pie in my future!

A creamy, dreamy mandarin orange pie made with an Oreo crust and topped off with mini chocolate chips... this cool treat is perfect for hot nights. #CookoutWeek 2017

The goodness of this pie starts off with an Oreo crust. The original recipe suggested a chocolate crust, but I amped it up a bit with some Oreos (or fauxreos, as Ben calls them because in baking, I tend to use the store brand). The crust is then filled with a glorious mixture of cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, orange juice, and sour cream. It’s light and sweet and almost cheesecake-y in texture. Utterly amazing! Fold in some mandarin oranges, spoon into crust, and top with mini chocolate chips and a few decorative mandarin oranges and there you have it! Every bite is filled with chocolatey orange goodness. Since this pie doesn’t require any baking, it’s perfect for summer. This would be a great pie to bring to a cookout, as long as it could be kept cold until serving. Wherever you enjoy this pie, be sure to share it with those you love. 🙂 ❤

I hope you’ve enjoyed all the recipes I’ve shared for #CookoutWeek. Don’t forget to enter the #CookoutWeek 2017 giveaway, happening NOW! Lots of great prizes and an easy entry!

Check out some other delicious cookout recipes shared today for #CookoutWeek here!

Tell me: what’s your favorite no-bake dessert for cookouts?

two years ago: Iced Coconut Mocha
three years ago: Chewy Coconut Oil Granola Bars
four years ago: Coconut Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Crumb Cake
five years ago: BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad
six years ago: Lemony Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Mandarin Pie

Servings: 8
Time: 30 minutes plus time to chill
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from my mom’s friend Karen – addition of the Oreo crust by yours truly

Ingredients:

for Oreo crust (can also substitute your favorite chocolate crust or a storebought one)

25 Oreos
5 tablespoons butter

for pie

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I use Neufchâtel)
1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup sour cream
8 ounces frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
1 – 15 ounce can mandarin oranges, divided
1 ounce semi sweet chocolate OR a handful of mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Begin by preparing crust. Crush Oreos in a food processor to form fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Then melt butter and drizzle into Oreo crumbs. Use a fork to combine, then press into a 9 inch pie pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

To prepare pie filling, beat cream cheese in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk, orange juice, and sour cream. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Transfer half of the pie filling to crust, then top with most of the mandarin oranges. Reserve eight oranges for the pie topping. Cover with remaining filling. Depending on how deep the pie pan is, you may have a little leftover. Top pie with mandarin oranges and mini chocolate chips.

Instead of mini chocolate chips, you can also melt 1 ounce of semi sweet chocolate (a baking square if possible) and drizzle over the pie. Either way tastes great!

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before slicing. Best enjoyed the same day, especially for presentation, but leftovers are also good for ~48 hours.

I haven’t made this, but I think this pie filling would also be amazing as parfaits: Oreo crumbs, pie filling, mandarin oranges, chocolate chips, and repeat. Yum!

Bars, Desserts, Recipes

Flourless Monster Cookie Bars (Gluten Free)

May 31, 2017May 30, 2017 Sarah

These monster cookie bars are an easy, chewy dessert that you’ll enjoy all summer long! They’re also a great gluten-free dessert when made with gluten-free oats so everyone will enjoy them!

These monster cookie bars are an easy, chewy dessert that you'll enjoy all summer long! They're also a great gluten-free dessert when made with gluten-free oats so everyone will enjoy them!

I LOVE cookie bars. I love cookies too, but making them can be a huge pain. So I usually choose to make cookie bars. This recipe intrigued me because they looked ooey gooey (especially the center pieces!) AND they’re baked in a half size sheet pan so the recipe makes a ton! They’re perfect for every social event of the summer, from cookouts to pool parties and everything in between. Of course, they can also be made year-round. 🙂

These monster cookie bars are an easy, chewy dessert that you'll enjoy all summer long! They're also a great gluten-free dessert when made with gluten-free oats so everyone will enjoy them!

As with any other Monster Cookie, these bars are full of oats, peanut butter deliciousness, M&Ms, and mini chocolate chips. As the recipe is written, it calls for both old-fashioned and quick oats. It’s a texture thing I guess, and I’ve always followed the recipe in that way everytime I’ve made them. I usually just pulse some old-fashioned oats in the food processor to achieve a finer texture. If you only have one kind of oats or the other, that’s fine too… the recipe should turn out.

These monster cookie bars are an easy, chewy dessert that you'll enjoy all summer long! They're also a great gluten-free dessert when made with gluten-free oats so everyone will enjoy them!

One reason I was excited to make these cookie bars (aside from their simplicity and fabulous, addictive taste) is that they are so easy to make gluten free! Our family isn’t gluten free (and I’m not an expert) BUT I do have some friends who are, so I like to have some tried and true recipes on hand that they can enjoy as well. For this recipe, you just need to make sure to use gluten free oats. In my experience, most of the other ingredients should be gluten free naturally–but check labels if this is an issue for you, particularly for the peanut butter, vanilla, and M&Ms. If you are gluten free and I missed anything, please feel free to share in the comments! I hope you love these bars as much as we do!

These monster cookie bars are an easy, chewy dessert that you'll enjoy all summer long! They're also a great gluten-free dessert when made with gluten-free oats so everyone will enjoy them!

P.S. They free wonderfully and taste great at room temperature or heated up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds–so don’t be afraid of the large batch… I’m sure you’ll find a use for them. 🙂

one year ago: Honey Banana Muffins
two years ago: Ricotta Pancakes
three years ago: Italian Tortilla Rollups
four years ago: Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese
five years ago: Cinnamon Carrot Muffins
six years ago: Sweet Potato Waffles

Flourless Monster Cookie Bars (Gluten Free)

Servings: 45 small bars
Time: 30 minutes
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from Together as Family

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (I use regular/not natural peanut butter for baking)
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups gluten-free quick oats (I usually just pulse old-fashioned oats a couple times in the food processor to break them down a bit)
3 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats
1-2 cups mini M&Ms (pssst: at my grocery story, mini M&Ms found in the candy aisle are cheaper than the “baking bits” M&Ms found in the baking aisle and seem to be the same)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×18 inch rimmed baking sheet (half size sheet pan) with parchment or a silpat.

With a stand mixer, beat together brown sugar, sugar, peanut butter, and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined. Mix in baking soda.

Add oats and beat on low to just combine, then use a wooden spoon to mix in most of the M&Ms and mini chocolate chips until well incorporated. You can save a little of each to press on top of the bars if desired.

Turn out dough onto prepared baking sheet. Spread the dough out–it is a little tricky, but i found that greasing my hands or a spatula were the best ways to spread out the dough. Top with reserved M&Ms and mini chocolate chips, pressing them in gently.

Bake for about 17-20 minutes–do not overbake! The edges should be just browned and the middle will look underdone but it will finish baking as it cools. Cool for at least an hour so the bars can set.

Once cool, slice and enjoy! These bars also freeze well.

Note: I am not an expert, but I THINK if you use gluten free oats, this would be a great gluten free dessert recipe. From what I’ve read, most M&Ms (including mini M&Ms) are gluten free. You may need to check labels of other ingredients like the vanilla and peanut butter–the brands I use at home are gluten free but all are not. If you’re gluten free and I’ve overlooked anything, please chime in!