As Aunts go, I am probably the worst and most evil one in the world. I realize that you probably think I am joking, but allow me to illustrate this statement with an example.
So. My young nephew, Dylan (code names: Dilly, Dil, Dillybar), age three, just loves a flavor of ice cream from Hoffman's Ice Cream called Cookie Monster. It's a blue ice cream with all sorts of cookies mashed into it. The last time I took him for ice cream, I asked if he knew why it was blue. He indicated that he did not in fact know, so I revealed "that's because it's made with real pieces of the Cookie Monster!".
Now, I'll tell you what happened then. Dylan stopped eating ice cream, and his lower lip kind of started trembling. I'll tell you the truth--he was closer to crying than not.
"Oh my god! I mean, gosh!" I said. " Aunt Jessie was just kidding. It's blue because it's cookie monster's favorite flavor!".
Thankfully, this weak save was sufficient and the happy ice cream twinkle came back into his eye and he continued eating. I did notice, however, that the next time we went to Hoffman's he ordered Mint Chocolate Chip.
Now, don't tell my sister (Dylan's mother) because I'm sure that she will agree that this is proof that I am the absolute worst Aunt ever, not only because I scared her son but because I took him out for ice cream at a non-approved snack time.
But since I apparently cannot learn my lesson, I made these chocolate cookies recently and couldn't resist adding some blue candy melts. You know, to give the look of real pieces of cookie monster melted into the batter. I'm dedicating them to young Dylan, and can't wait to tell him that they're made with real pieces of cookie monster.
Joking aside, these cookies are fantastic. They are surprisingly light in texture for their extreme chocolate to other ingredients ratio, but very flavorful. I added a dash of dark coffee to the mix to heighten the chocolate flavor, I trick I learned from the BAKED brownie recipe. It worked well.
This is a great cookie to have in your jar. And they taste great without the candy melts, too.
Chocolate Cookies With Optional Real Pieces of Cookie Monster
Makes about 24 - printable version here
- 1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Dark Chocolate Morsels
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon strong brewed coffee (optional)
- 1 healthy handful light blue candy melts
Procedure
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt the morsels in in a saucepan or in the microwave. If on the stovetop, stir frequently to prevent scorching. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and light, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add melted chocolate and mix well. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until well blended, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture, mixing just until blended. If you want, press a couple of blue candy melts into the cookies.
- Shape into balls and place them on to your prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs and the tops have a cracked appearance.
- Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Saturday, August 31, 2013 
I am what I am, but there’s no yam in these cupcakes. They’re made with delicious sweet potato! When added to a rich pound cake batter, sweet potato and spices make for a comforting cake, especially during cold-weather days. The cupcakes get even better, however, once you take a bite and realize that they have a sweet flavor surprise: a spoonful of Mighty Maple peanut butter inside of the cake, and a kiss of peanut butter in the frosting. Make this for your Labor Day festivities to mark both summer’s end (sigh) and the start of beautiful autumn days!
