Chocolate Oreo Doodles

When I first saw these cookies I couldn't wait to find a reason to make them. My monthly special ed team meeting was the perfect excuse with so many chocolate lovers in attendance. 

The chocolate cookies are rich, fudgy, and chewy. They're speckled with chocolate chips and I bet would be even more incredible with the addition of roughly chopped cookies. The dough gets rolled in chocolate cookie crumbs (I used generic Oreos) which give the outside a crunchy and slightly crumbly texture. I imagine this would be good with just about any crumbled hard cookie (like thin mints, vanilla wafers, etc). 

I was thinking of renaming the cookie and calling them earthquake cookies, because when they bake the tops crack open and expose the cookie inside. I also thought of calling them dirt cookies because they remind me of the dirt pudding cups from my childhood. I decided not to rename these though with respect to the original author who posted a naming contest to her Facebook and Oreo Doodles won.

Without further ado, I bring you: Oreo Doodles

Ingredients

4 ounces of chopped bitter or semisweet chocolate, or 4oz chocolate chips

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

12 Oreos, finely crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment part and set aside. 

2. In a double boiler melt the  4 oz of chocolate with the butter. Or melt using the microwave method (microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power, stir, and repeat until smooth). Set aside for a few minutes to cool (but not harden)

3. In a medium bowl whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. 

4. When the chocolate is cool transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and incorporate the sugar with the paddle attachment on low. 

5. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix until combined. 

6. Add half the flour mixture and stir to incorporate. Ass the remaining flour and stir on low. Mix in chocolate chips. 

(Note: at this point the dough is done but will still be very soft, that's ok)

7. Using a cookie scoop, scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough into the Oreo crumbs. Roll to evenly coat, then place on a baking sheet spaces 2" apart (the cookies will spread quite a bit during baking). 

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops start to crack. Do not over bake. (Note: when I made these, I took them out even though hey did not look "done"

Recipe from Gimme Some Oven.

And here is her pretty picture.

Sunday Funday 10-27-13

Another week, another Sunday Funday!

1. I'm almost finished with Weeds on Netflix...the show went crazy for a few seasons in the middle but I'm liking where it's ending up.  Any suggestions on new series to start?

2.  Ohio State defeated Penn State and did an amazing half time show you have to watch.  It's Movie Classics and features Superman holding up a building, a dinosaur from Jurassic Park eating someone, and other really awesome things.  Seriously, go check it out.

3.  I've made bread for the third time in three weeks and I'm really loving it! It fills the whole house with that warm, bready smell.  The bread itself tastes so much better than store bought.  And it's cheaper than buying it.  I'll definitely dedicate a post to it sometime soon.

4.  On Friday, we had friends over our house carve pumpkins and I scored on pumpkin seeds - 13 cups!  A big thanks to my friend Mollie for helping me sort through all the pumpkin goo to get all those tasty seeds, I'll definitely give you a container full for your effort.

5.  The husband and I did a late celebration of our anniversary (three years already!) on Saturday and saw Swan Lake at the Aronoff.  The performance was amazing....every time I see a ballet I wish I could dance on pointe, so pretty!  But then I remember that I can't find a beat and don't have enough coordination, lol.

Here are some of the awesome recipes I bookmarked this week:

1. Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars by Half Baked Harvest
I love the combination of oats and chocolate.  We can almost pretend its healthy, almost.  Enough for me.  And I love cookie bars, all the deliciousness of a cookie and the ease of a bar.  Awesome.

2. Double Vanilla Sugar Cookies by Baking Bites.
I was browsing around the web for a vanilla cookie recipe that really highlights the vanilla flavor.  I want to compare the two varieties of vanilla I made: Madagascar versus Tahitian. This recipe really seems like it will really let the vanilla flavor shine, and I can't wait to try it out.

3. Chewy Butterfinger Cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction.
Chewy cookies that have just a few common ingredients that come together in 15 minutes?? YES! And they're loaded with Butterfingers, so they are a great way to use up Halloween candy.  I bet they'd also be good substituted with any other candy bar like Snickers, Milky Way, Reeses...

Have a fantastic week!

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Sunday Funday 10-20-13

Another week has flown by! October is more than halfway over, Halloween is right around the corner, and soon it will be Thanksgiving and Christmas...whoa, I don't think I'm ready for all that, yet.

1.  Happy birthday to my brother, Michael!

2.  I made white bread again this weekend - this time I made a regular loaf of bread and I made one pepperoni roll.  I decreased the amount of sugar called for in the recipe from 2/3 cup to 1/4 cup and definitely like the flavor better.  The higher amount of sugar would be great for making sweet rolls or cinnamon bread.

3.  The Ohio State Buckeyes were victorious over Iowa.  Although the defense wasn't that great and we didn't really show up to play until the second half, it was still a good game.  Next week, bring on Penn State!

4.  My friend Courtney sells amazing resources for elementary and intervention in her Teachers Pay Teachers store and she has really inspired me to start selling some of my own materials as well.  So far, I've made a few games for articulation - specifically two vocalic /r/ games and one game for /s/ blend sounds ("st").  You can check out my store here.


5.  This week should be a fairly busy one for me - lots of baking, visiting a friend with a new baby, working out, and high school football/cheerleading.  We're also having friends over this coming weekend to carve pumpkins but I've got to tell you I'm way more excited to pilfer everyone's seeds to roast.

Bookmarks:

1. Puppy Chow Popcorn from People Magazine.
All the peanut buttery and chocolatey goodness of traditional puppy chow carried via popcorn instead of Chex cereal.  Genius.

2. Toasted Marshmallow Cookie Bars by Annie's Eats.
Home made marshmallows get toasted and folded into sugar cookie dough, pressed into a bar, and baked.  I love home made marshmallows and this seems like such a great way to utilize any leftovers.  Although I'm sure marshmallows from a bag would make an equally delicious treat.

3. Copycat Cane's Sauce by Domestic Superhero.
Aka: Zax Sauce.  There's this chicken finger place right off Ohio State's campus right on High Street called Raising Cane's.  This place only sells chicken fingers.  Of course you get side items, like slaw, texas toast, and fries, but chicken fingers is it.  They are so good, and they are served with this incredible sauce, "Cane's Sauce."  It's so good you dip everything into it: chicken, bread, fries, everything.  You can even buy a whole cup of it to take home (and dip with pizza, hot ham and cheese sandwiches, phillies, wings, etc).  The husband is so excited we found a recipe for this beloved sauce.

Have an incredible week!

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Strawberry Cool Whip Frosting

My little nephew/cousin (he's actually my husband's cousin's son....so I don't know what that relationship is actually called...) just turned six - such a big kid already!  I was asked to bring cupcakes to his party and the guidance I got was that he likes chocolate and strawberries, and his favorite colors are pink and blue.  The kicker is that his little brother can't have corn products, like corn syrup or corn starch or veggie oil (if it's blended with corn oil).

My mind started spinning as to what I could make.  I decided on my favorite chocolate cupcakes and a strawberry frosting with blue sprinkles.  The cupcakes are so rich and chocolatey and are perfectly complimented by the fresh and sweet strawberry frosting.  I was worried that the strawberry frosting would taste artificial because it largely gets its flavor from a packet of strawberry jello but the addition of fresh berries really brighten it up!

The CORN-FREE recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3oz package strawberry jello (not sugar free)
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
8 medium sized strawberries, mashed (I used a potato masher)
3-6 tablespoons powdered sugar (make sure it's Kosher for Passover which contains potato starch, or make your own by following Martha Stewarts Recipe, or just blend a few tablespoons of sugar until powdery and use immediately - the potato starch acts an an anti-clumping agent)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks using the whisk attachment (but don't over beat or it will start to separate and turn into butter and whey).  Stir in vanilla extract and strawberry jello.  Transfer to a medium bowl.

2.  In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Slowly add whipped cream one heaping spoonful at a time, mixing slowly until all the cream is incorporated.  Add the mashed strawberries.

3.  Add powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until the desired sweetness and consistency is reached.


The REGULAR recipe:

Ingredients:
2 8oz packages cool whip, or 2 cups of heavy whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3oz package strawberry jello (not sugar free)
1 8oz package cream cheese
8 medium sized strawberries, mashed (I used a potato masher)
3-6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk the cool whip, vanilla, and jello together.

2.  In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Slowly add whipped cream one heaping spoonful at a time, mixing slowly until all the cream is incorporated.  Add the mashed strawberries.

3.  Add powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until the desired sweetness and consistency is reached.

Cupcake Party

So some exciting changes have been happening over the last month.  Namely, we bought a house!...and moved into it.  The space is so much bigger than the duplex we were renting and I can't wait to put my decorating expertise (ha!) into it.  One of my favorite things about the new house is that the kitchen has a double oven.  A DOUBLE. OVEN!  I die.

So we had a small group of people over our first week in (talk about motivation to get unpacked) and I baked cupcakes for the occasion.  More specifically, my friend Amy and I each made a batch of cupcakes (she made vanilla) then consolidated all of our old buttercream - but not old in a bad way, old in the sense that we made buttercreams for other cakes and cupcakes and froze the leftovers, because there are always leftovers - and frosted our hearts out.

I made chocolate cupcakes (recipe shared below) from Cupcake Project.  They were awesome.  The recipe was tested by 50 bakers as Stef from the Cupcake Project churned out recipe after recipe in search of the ultimate chocolate cupcake.  The winning recipe has a batter that tastes like pudding and results in a dense, rich chocolate cake. The recipe allows for variations among chocolate, depending on your preference or what you have in your pantry.  I used Schogetten Dark Chocolate bars and Bakers Corner Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (the same chocolates I use in my favorite brownies; both from Aldi's).  I also added a heaping teaspoon of Medaglia D'Oro instant espresso powder to my dry ingredients.  I can't decide which chocolate cupcake I like better, this one that I usually pair with peanut butter cream cheese frosting, or the new Cupcake Project one.  I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison ;)

These are the awesome frostings we used to top our cupcakes:
Chocolate cream cheese frosting
Cinnamon buttercream
Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream
Caramel Apple Buttercream
Espresso Buttercream
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Buttercream that I added chopped Reese Cups to

My favorite combination was the chocolate cupake with the chocolate frosting.  An amazing classic.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

yields 18 cupcakes

Ingredients
2 ounces of your favorite chocolate (nothing with add ins like nuts, not white chocolate, not candy melts)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 heaping teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee granules (*optional)
1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup warm water (not boiling)
1/3 cup sour cream

Directions

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.  In a microwave safe bowl, microwave 2 ounces of chocolate until melted (30 seconds at 50% power, stir, and repeat until smooth).  Alternatively, you could melt the chocolate over a double boiler.  Set aside to cool (but not harden).

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and instant espresso.  Set aside.

3.  In a glass measuring cup, combine vegetable oil and water.  Set aside.

4.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  It will look like wet sand.  Mix in melted and cooled chocolate.  Add eggs one at a time, followed by egg yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.  Add vanilla extract and mix.

5.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the stand mixer.  Mix until flour seems mostly incorporated, with only maybe a few streaks of flour showing.  Add the oil/water mixture.  Mix to combine.  Add 1/3 of flour mixture, mix until incorporated.  Add sour cream, mix.  Add remaining flour, mix until well incorporated.

6.  Line 18 cupcake wells with paper liner.  Fill each 2/3 of the way full with batter (this was just over 2 heaping tablespoons per cupcake).  Bake for 16 minutes, and check for done-ness but inserting a toothpick into a cupcake and checking if it comes out with a few moist crumbs.  If it seems too wet, bake for another 2 minutes and check.  Repeat until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

7.  Immediately transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


Chocolate Cupcake recipe from the Cupcake Project.

Flashback to September and October 2012

Whoops.  September just snuck on by and it's already halfway through October.  Here's what was on the blog a year ago!

In September...

Muddy Buddy Bars

I originally made these bars for my cheerleaders, but due to some behavior issues the head coach and I ate them all instead of sharing.  They are so good.  If you like traditional puppy chow but are looking for the convenience of a bar then look no further.  All the chocolate and peanut butter creaminess, smooth powedered sugar, and marshmallows for a lil sumtin' sumtin', these will not disappoint you!

Brownie Batter Dip

This dip uses cream cheese, so it retains a bit of tanginess.  I attempted (mostly successfully) to offset that with extra cocoa powder but I think the addition of some boxed brownie mix would make the flavor even better.

Sweet and Salty Beer Marshmallows

These bite sized pieces of drunk clouds are well worth the effort and time needed to make them.  Even though I don't personally love them (or anything that even remotely tastes like beer) they are  big hit with anyone in the beer-lovers camp.  Homemade marshmallows flavored with your favorite beer, dipped in semisweet chocolate, and rolled in salty crushed pretzels...yum!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of the most popular recipes on this blog and one of my favorite things to make.  I've made this recipe more times than any other baked good, like, ever.  The cookies are literally 1/4 chocolate chips, they are crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle.  They are absolutely everything a chocolate chip cookie should be.  If you only make one recipe from this blog, this should be it!  And don't skip on the over-night rest, it's crucial for the right texture.

And last October was all about pumpkins! I made...

Savory Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are my favorite thing about fall, October, and carving pumpkins.  Not to mention that these little bite-sized snacks are actually healthy for your you - and no doubt the healthiest thing that appears here on SYHO.  The second best thing about these (besides being packed with fiber, zinc, and vitamin E) is that you can vary up the spices based on your taste preferences.  

Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

This treat took a decent amount of time to make - it has two rises plus baking, so it's not something to throw together in a pinch.  But, the result is well worth it.  The sweet pumpkin and cinnamon squares pull apart to reveal the soft tufts of flavorful bread.  It's topped with a maple glaze that really makes this taste like Fall.  Best served warm, makes a great breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Here's some humor to get your October off to the right foot (even though we're more than a week in, whatevs)

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Sunday Funday 10-13-13

This was a pretty busy week for me, baking and otherwise.  I have a new frosting recipe I wanted to get out to you before today, but I got a little distracted.  I'm sure you'll forgive me when I post it in the next day or two, right? Awesome, you're cool.

1. My cousin who lives in Texas had a baby and was in Ohio visiting.  I had an awesome afternoon hanging out with her and my other cousins and meeting her new little guy.  He is so cute and looks just like our grandpa, but with Asian eyes.  She is the first of the cousins to have a kid and she seems to have gotten pretty lucky with her awesome baby.

2.  My husbands rugby team had their 10th annual breast cancer fundraiser and it was a huge success!  The event is held at a bar, they have bottomless beers, a split-the-pot raffle, baskets for raffle, food, and a bake sale. I donated beer marshmallows and they were amazing! For this batch, I used Guinness and drizzled chocolate over the marshmallows instead of dipping them.

3. I made bread this week!  I usually stray away from yeast breads, but this one got great reviews and seemed fairly easy.  This is the recipe I used.  Next time I make it (and I definitely will) I will use less sugar per some comments.  Per another reviewer's suggestion, I found it really helpful to turn on my oven for 20-30 seconds, then turn it off, and use it to help my dough rise.  I used my homemade white dough to make two loaves of pepperoni bread that I can grab for quick lunches or pair with soups for dinners.

4. My mom and I split an order of Ugandan vanilla beans from Beanilla and I'm so excited to to say that they arrived in the mail! I can't wait to drop these fragrant beans into a bottle of vodka and get a new batch of vanilla extract started!

5. Ohio State football had a by-week but next week the Buckeyes will take on Iowa...bring it on!  My high school played and lost to a pretty good private school in Cincinnati.  Bummer we lost but I was so impressed with the other schools facilities - their sports complex was really nice, they had a latte cart with their concessions (really, who has a latte cart), and when their team entered the field they had purple smoke!..crazy!

Bookmarks:

1. Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake by Pin Cookie.
A chocolate cookie crust, a layer of ganache, an espresso cheesecake, and a silky creamy topping make this cheesecake something that needs to be in my life.

2. Creme Brulee Cookies by Oh Bite It.
Oh Bite It! takes a genius approach to creme brulee by turning it into a handheld treat.  Premade sugar cookie dough gets baked, dented and filled with vanilla pudding, sprinkled with sugar, and toasted to a crunchy perfection.

3. White Chocolate Lemon Bread by Lil' Luna.
I love lemon loaves! Anytime I go to Starbucks I have to exercise an absurd amount of will power to not by an overpriced slice of their lemon bread.  This lemon loaf by Lil' Luna seems like an easy treat to through together since it utilizes a lemon cake mix and (dry) white chocolate pudding.  What a tasty combination!  I would be interested in figuring out how to completely home-make it but there's nothing wrong with using a box to get things started.

Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest: Sweet Your Heart Out

  I can't remember if I've already shared this one...

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Sunday Funday 10-6-13

What's up!? It's Sunday again.

 1. What an amazing football weekend! My school had their homecoming and actually won.  We almost botched it in the 4th, but an amazing interception kept us in the lead.  I made really cute sugar cookies for the cheerleaders and they loved them.  When I made these, I used all vanilla extract instead of orange and/or almond extract - and I definitely loved the vanilla flavor they had. Next time I make a batch, I think I will reduce or omit the baking powder, because my cookies rose and spread just a little bit.

2.  Speaking of football, OSU had an amazing game against Northwestern.  What an exciting game - I love when my Buckeyes can pull off a win and keep the game interesting!

3.  I'm so excited it's October and all the great things that can be baked with pumpkin.  Seeds, breads, muffins, pancakes, the list is endless.  What are your favorite pumpkin recipes?

4. We had an awesome Saturday hanging out at our friends farm! Another couple was there and brought a bow and arrow, so we spent a good bit of time shooting arrows at some stacked hay bales with a spray painted target on it.  Turns out, I'm not too accurate with a bow and arrow, so in case of zombie apocalypse, I'm gonna need a better weapon of choice.  Still, lots of fun hanging out :)

5. Next weekend is my husband's rugby team's breast cancer fundraiser.  It's a cause that is near and dear to the team, as one of the woman players passed away from the disease.  My friend Amy and I are baking some amazing treats to sell as bake sale items.  I'm making beer marshmallows and some sort of cupcake.  For the cupcake, I'm stuck in a three way tie: chocolate cupcakes with a cookies and cream frosting (pretty standard), brown sugar cupcakes with maple buttercream and candied bacon, or salted popcorn cupcakes (complete with popcorn flour and popcorn scented milk) with salted caramel buttercream and caramel corn topping.  What do you think? Feel free to vote in the comment section below!

Bookmarks:
1. Chocolate Filled Pizzelles by Dolce Pizzelle Cookie Company.
Not an actually recipe, but definitely an inspiration.  I imagine making your favorite pizzelle recipe and while they are still warm off the press wrapping them in half around a dowel or chopstick, letting them cool, filling them with ganache or any other delicious filling, and dipping in chocolate to seal closed.

2.  Ham and Cheese Waffles by Epicurious.
Definitely a more savory recipe.  Seems like it would be a good and interesting twist on a classic sandwich.  This might be good dipped in a sweet barbeque or honey mustard sauce.  Yum!

3. Chevron Cake Roll by And Cute.
What a cute way to give a peak to what kind of flavor is hiding in a cake roll! And Cute made pink zigzags and filled her cake roll with a strawberry and whipped cream filling.  I've never made a cake roll before, but when I do I definitely like the idea of decorating the outside - chevron, stripes, polka dots.... the options are endless!

Don't forget to follow me and Sweet Your Heart Out on Pinterest

Have a fantastic week, ya'll!

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Snickers Brownies

I'm sorry, I'm a terrible friend.  You come here looking for delicious recipes, and here I am hiding one of my favorite bar recipes since JULY.  You forgive me, right?  Okay, good, because I'm about to share a life changing twist on brownies.  Better late than never. 

I can't even put into words how incredible these brownies are.  It's all the sweetness and textures and flavors of a Snickers candy bar sitting on top of a brownie.  For me, these are even better than regular ol' Snickers bars....I mean, the brownie is like the perfect vessel to deliver the nougat, peanuts, and caramel to your mouth.

I admit, I cheated a little bit....I used a boxed brownie mix to speed things up.  But really, go ahead and make home made brownies.  Usually I do, but with all the other home made components and honestly feeling lazy, the boxed mix worked out just fine. Just make sure to use the large family-sized box that will make a 13x9 inch pan; likewise, if you make your own favorite brownie recipe.

So now I bring you Snicker Brownies, because you're not you when you're hungry.

Ingredients
Brownies
1 box of brownies, family-sized, baked according to package directions in a foil-lined pans

Nougat
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk (you can DIY your own by mixing 2 1/2 tablespoons of dry nonfat milk powder with 3 tablespoons water)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel-Peanut Layer
 14 ounces Kraft caramels
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cup salted peanuts chopped, roughly chopped

Topping
About 1/4 - 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips for drizzling.


Directions

1. Prepare a 9x13 inch pan of brownies baked in a foil lined baking pan.  Set aside to cool completely.

2. Prepare the nougat.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add evaporated milk and sugar and stir until dissolved.  Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla, and stir until smooth.  Pour over brownies, smooth with an offset spatula, and set aside to cool.

3. Prepare the caramel-peanut layer. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat combine the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream.  Stir occasionally until smooth.  Once smooth, stir in peanuts.  Once the nougat layer is cool (or mostly cool), pour the hot caramel over the nougat.  Spread evenly with an offset spatuala and set aside to cool.

4. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave (at 30 second increments at 50% power, stirring between rounds, until melted and smooth).  Put chocolate in a small zip top bag, snip a small hole in the corner, and drizzle over caramel layer.

5. Refrigerate for a few hours or over night so that everything can mingle together.  Before cutting, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Cut with a hot knife (I ran a metal knife under hot running water, quickly dried with a paper towel), cleaning knife between cuts as needed.

Eat and be amazed at a new and improved Snickers bar.


 Nougat and caramel recipe sightly adapted from How Sweet Eats.