Fudge Mint Morsel Cookies

Cookie exchanges are one of my FAVORITE holiday traditions.  So much food love in one place. When we lived in Iowa, I had some dear friends who hosted a BIG cookie exchange each Christmas season. Their goal was for at least 12 to participate, and everyone brought 12 dozen cookies. So each guest would leave with a dozen each of 12 different kinds of cookies. As a cookie lover, this was the peak of sweet foodie fun for me! 

This year I am taking one of my tried and true treats to a friend's cookie exchange. These used to be called "Bunco Cookies," because I brought them several times to a Bunco group I was in for a few years. I would use chocolate-white chocolate striped chips in and on top of them and they were DIVINE. But those chips are hard to find, so I recently pulled the recipe back out and put regular chocolate chips in the dough, and melted an Andes mint on top when I pulled them out of the oven. WOW! Instant love. 

So whether you are making cookies for a gift exchange, a party, Bunco, or to enjoy with your family, these will be a surefire hit!  Soft, fudgey cookies with lightly crisped edges and a coating of minty chocolate on top.

Fudge Mint Morsel Cookies

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 1/4 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat work)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 cup chocolate chips

48 Andes Mints, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment, silpat or cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

3. Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Gradually stir flour mixture into wet mix.  Stir in chocolate chips. 

4. Drop by heaping, rounded teaspoons (I use a 1/2 oz cookies scoop) onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 7-8  minutes--no longer. Cookies will be soft when you pull them out.

5. Place 1 Andes mint onto each cookie within 1 minute of pulling them out of the oven. Let them sit 2-3 minutes, then spread the melted Andes with the back of a spoon using a small circular motion. Carefully remove to cool and allow topping to set.  Store in an air-tight container. 

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

These are what I like to refer to as a "sometimes" food with my kids. SOMETIMES I need something sweet. SOMETIMES I need chocolate. SOMETIMES I feel entitled to cheesecake, peanut butter, brownies, and a big glass of milk. Last weekend was a "sometimes." We went on a family backpacking trip for spring break. It was 3 days of seeing God's beautiful grandeur up close. But backpacking food is neither beautiful nor grand. It is edible and sustaining. 

So after we cleaned up and showered and rested for a day (and ate at Five Guys), I made these babies. They are perfect chewy brownies with a fluffy, peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake-ish truffle center, topped off with a drizzle of rich chocolate glaze. 

I ate mine slowly and deliberately, savoring each bite. Then the next day I ate another the same way. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies
Makes 16

Brownie Layer:
1 1/4  cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Truffle Filling:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease a square baking pan (9x9" or 8x8")
2. Make brownie layer by melting chocolate chips and butter (don't boil). Set aside. Beat brown sugar and eggs. Add chocolate mixture a little at a time, beating well until completely mixed. Stir in flour and baking powder. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Make truffle filling by melting chocolate chips over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Beat cream cheese in a separate bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Beat in corn syrup and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled brownies. Place in refrigerator while preparing glaze.
4. Prepare glaze by melting chocolate chips and coconut oil, stirring until smooth. Spoon mixture into a plastic storage bag. Use scissors to snip a small hole in one bottom corner of the bag. Drizzle chocolate over the filling. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before cutting into bars to serve. Makes 16.

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Butternut Squash and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've had a couple of small butternut squashes sitting in the fruit basket on my counter for at least 2 months.  I've been told these vitamin rich veggies can be stored for up to a year, but I was ready to use mine.  I also had a couple of very ripe bananas that needed to be used.  And, I needed to make cookies. (Yes, needed). Chocolate chip cookies, to be precise.

So after looking over some pumpkin and banana cookie recipes, I came up with this one.  I LOVE feeding my family treats that I can feel good about, and this cookie recipe definitely qualifies! It has 2 full cups of butternut squash puree, which provides a whopping 874% of the USDA recommended vitamin A needs, plus high quantities of vitamin C and potassium--which is also boosted by the banana! Even after you divide those vitamins among all the cookies, each one is still going to be pretty darn full of redeeming health value!

In case you are new to using a butternut squash in your cooking, I will walk you through the process of making the raw squash into puree you can bake with. 

Slice the raw squash in half lengthwise. Using a knife and/or grapefruit spoon, clean out the seeds and stringy membranes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 1/4 cup water on a foil lined baking sheet. Place squash face-down on the foil. Bake 45 minutes, or until soft. Remove and cool to touch.

Use a paring knife to peel the squash. Put the peeled squash in a blender or food processor.

Blend the squash until smooth. 

For this recipe, you'll need a total of 3 1/2 cups of squash and banana combined. My cookies had 2 cups of squash and 1 1/2 cups banana (or 2 medium). If you have less squash and more banana no problem! Your cookies will have a stronger banana flavor but will still be great! The squash has a mild, nutty taste that makes the cookies taste more rich. Both the squash and the banana ensure a moist texture. 

Now, on to the cookie recipe: 

Butternut Squash and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1.5 cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups butternut squash puree

1 1/2 cups pureed banana (2 medium bananas)

2 teaspoons vanilla 

6 cups flour (I used 4 cups all purpose, 2 cups whole wheat.)

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2-3 cups chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare baking sheets with silicone mats, parchment, or cooking spray. 

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in squash, banana, and vanilla until smooth. 

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add this to wet mixture and stir well. Stir in chocolate chips. 

4. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until light brown around bottom edge. 

Unlike traditional chocolate chip cookie dough, this dough is more wet. It will still stick together on a spoon, but is sticky to touch. Since squash have varying moisture content, the amount of flour you need may vary slightly each time you make these. 

Here you see how the cookie dough balls look before baking. 

And here, baked to scrumptious perfection, right out of the oven. 

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Chocolate Coconut Pie

Next week is a monumental day and time in history. March 15, 2014 at 9:26:53 am, will represent the closest time has come to mirroring the important mathematical figure of Pi.  (Find a fun countdown here.)

As a geek at heart, I am celebrating by sharing pie recipes! This Chocolate Coconut Pie would make anyone--mathematician or not--as happy as a hypotenuse! It was gobbled up by my family faster than you can say dodecahedron! 

You know they old saying: "As easy as pie?'  This pie really lives up to it. No fancy tools or advanced algebra required.  All you need is the ingredients, a bowl, and spoon to prepare this for baking. 

Rich chocolate and coconut are deliciously combined in this perfect way to celebrate Pi(e) Day!

Chocolate Coconut Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients: 

1 unbaked pie crust (I love this Coconut Oil crust from Yesterfood)

1 stick (1/2 cup) salted sweet-cream butter

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup shredded flake baking coconut

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare pie crust and place in freezer until filling is ready.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar. Cook on low just until well incorporated (no need to boil). Remove from heat, and cool until able to touch.

3. Using a spoon, stir eggs well one at at time into the chocolate mix. Stir in flour and vanilla, then the coconut. 

4. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake in center of oven 40-50 minutes, until top is crusted and middle has risen. 

5. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cold. Store in refrigerator. 

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More great ways to celebrate The Ultimate Pi(e) Day: 

Strawberry Cream Pie

New Fashioned Oatmeal Pie