Tag Archives: chocolate

Puppy Love Brownie Cupcakes stuffed w/ Lindt Truffles + How-To Video

Have you ever followed someone you loved around like a lost little puppy dog, unable to focus on any other aspect of life but them? We’ve all been through it, that all-consuming, gleeful, gushing, innocent puppy dog love. Our eyes cloud over with lover’s haze, we float through every hour of every day on a cloud, and no form of reason can reach us. It’s love; we don’t need a reason.

It’s February, which means it’s the season of puppy love. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, that means every fool’s falling in love and chasing the feet of their crushes. Well stop wasting your breath running after them and try a more efficient approach; everyone knows food is the way to the heart. I’ve got you a one-way ticket right here: Puppy Love Brownie Cupcakes stuffed with Lindt Truffles.

These are the cutest, lovey-doviest darn cupcakes you could make this Valentine’s Day. And although they look intricate, they’re actually super simple. We start with a boxed mix of brownies to save you time. I find brownies are one of the better baked mixes you can get, but because I live by the philosophy that store-bought mixes are okay if and only if you jazz them up, we stuffed the brownies with silky Lindt truffles. It’s an unexpected bonus to bite into the fudgy, rich cupcake and find a creamy chocolate center. If that doesn’t say “I love you,” then nothing does.

These cupcakes are beautiful inside and out, with their decadent deep chocolate center and their adorable puppy love décor. A combination of creamy Vanilla Buttercream and rich Triple Chocolate Buttercream makes for endless decorating possibilities. Use the frostings in combination with M&Ms and heart-shaped sprinkles to create infinite different combinations of adorable dog faces.

My video breaks down just how easy the basic face is to make: squeeze out some frosting fur as sloppily as you like, it doesn’t need to be perfect, then make two ears and two circles for cheeks. Then you’re free to stick on eyes, draw on mouths, or pipe on slobbery tongue. Let your imagination run wild. Whatever you chose will be adorable.

Ah, puppy love; so much better in a cupcake.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

Watch the video to really get a feel for how to make these cuties.
This décor works on any kind of cupcake.
Here’s a bunch of different combinations you can try to make different dogs:
Using store-bought brownie mix is fine since we doctored it up, but don’t you dare use store-bought frosting. That stuff’s nasty, and homemade is so easy.
Not an artist? Don’t worry! You’ll be surprised how simple these are. You don’t need an artsy bone in your body.
When melting chocolate in the microwave, you MUST cook it in short intervals, stirring in between, or it will burn.

Puppy Love Brownie Cupcakes stuffed with Lindt Truffles
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Yield: About 20 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker)
About 2 dozen Lindt Milk Chocolate Truffles
Red frosting or writing gel (I used Wilton)
Pink frosting or writing gel
Black frosting or writing gel
Heart-shaped sprinkles
Red, pink, & white M&Ms

For the Triple Chocolate Buttercream

2 oz. milk chocolate, roughly chopped
4 oz. semisweet or unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
6 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 – 4 tbsp. heavy cream
¼ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Vanilla Buttercream:

2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
6 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
¼ tsp. salt

Special equipment: 2 ziplock bags for frosting the brownies

*NOTE: Brownies are a bit difficult to get out of cupcake liners, so you might want to just spray the pan instead.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill two cupcake tins with liners or spray with nonstick spray.
Prepare the brownie mix according to box directions. Use an ice cream scoop to fill lined cupcake tins 2/3-full. Drop a Lindt truffle into the center of each one.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until set and cracked on top. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with fudgy crumbs; if it’s clean, you’ll have overbaked them. Let cool completely before removing from tins.
While the brownies cool, make the frostings. For the Vanilla, in a standing mixer, beat sugar into the butter two cups at a time, until well-combined and creamy. With each addition, start a low speed then increase as it starts to incorporate or you’ll have a sugar dust storm.
Beat in the salt, vanilla, almond extract, and heavy cream on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
For the Triple Chocolate, place the chopped chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely smooth. If you stir well, this should only take 3 intervals. Let cool slightly.
In a standing mixer, beat sugar into the butter two cups at a time, until well-combined and creamy. With each addition, start a low speed then increase as it starts to incorporate or you’ll have a sugar dust storm.
Beat in the melted chocolate, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Transfer each frosting to a plastic bag, pushing the frosting down to one corner of the bag. Tie off the top and snip off that corner. Pipe fur onto each cooled brownie in little strands. It’ll look kind of like grass. Pipe on two long or short oval ears (you can vary the ear shape/size across the cupcakes to create different looks). Finally, pipe two circles of equal size, right next to one another, centered towards the bottom of the cupcake. You can experiment with different frosting combinations like making a white face with brown ears & one brown eye patch to look like a beagle.
Take either two heart sprinkles or two M&Ms of the same color and place next to one another centered above the circles you made to represent eyes. You can also pipe on white/black to represent eyes.
Place one M&M or heart centered right on top of the two circles to represent the nose. You could also pipe it on with one of the colored frostings.
For the mouth, you can pipe it on in red or pink, or you can use an upside down heart sprinkle to look like a tongue. You can also pipe on a tongue with one of the colored frostings.
Make different faces for each dog, or make them all the same. Have fun and be creative. Store cupcakes in an air-tight container.

Copycat Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzards

In case you’re new here, allow me to make something clear: I have an obsession with Dairy Queen. Loyal readers will know this about me. I’m constantly complaining about not living anywhere remotely near a DQ, and the suffering I experience because of it. I also tell you about how I have to stop at a DQ whenever I travel. And when I can’t get my DQ fix, I make my own frozen bliss at home like these Buster Bars or these Copycat Confetti Cake Blizzards.

When you grow up with something, it makes you that much more fond of it when you’re older. Everything tastes better drenched in nostalgia. I find that to be true with Pizza Hut pizza and Spaghetti-O’s; they’re childhood staples that I still have a soft spot for today.

As a kid, or in what seems like far-off dream, I actually lived near a DQ and frequented it many times. Although I’m far away from the nearest DQ today, a fiery (or should I say frozen) passion still lives on in my stomach today for Dairy Queen treats.

When I saw their Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzard was back as January’s Blizzard of the Month, I was elated because I missed it the first time they debuted it last year. However, I didn’t make any trips out of CNY this month like I expected I would, and as the end of January crept closer, I realized I probably wasn’t going to get to try the Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzard (again).

Rather than wallowing in despair, I decided to be proactive and make my own instead. Although I haven’t tried the actual Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzard to officially compare, I have eaten approximately one million DQ Blizzards throughout my lifetime, and I can say with confidence that my Copycat Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzard is just as good as DQ’s.

I made a super creamy cocoa ice cream base and served it straight out of the ice cream maker so you get that soft-serve texture just like in DQ’s Blizzards. You don’t need eggs or anything complicated to make this soft-serve; It’s four ingredients and yields the absolute creamiest-dreamiest texture you could ever fathom. It’s just wonderful.

Then, I folded in chunks of assorted chocolates, straight out of the fancy box. It’s fun because, with each bite, you never know what kind of chocolate you’re going to bite in to. They say, “Life is like a box of chocolates because you never know what you’re going to get.” Well, this ice cream is like a box of chocolates…because it’s literally got a box of chocolates in it.

There’s no better way to describe my Copycat Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzards than as a chocolate lover’s dream. You get that fluffy, creamy cocoa ice cream plus whole hunks of assorted chocolates with all kinds of surprise fillings. It’s an easy-to-make dessert, perfect for serving to your sweetie this Valentine’s Day. Or, if you’re like me, you can have a little date night with this chocolate bliss all to yourself.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

Got leftovers? Just stick it into the freezer, let it chill, and you’ve got yourself some ice cream! The great thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t get rock hard like store-bought ice cream. It stays nice and soft.
The better quality chocolate you use, the better your Blizzard will be. I used Russell Stover’s, which was not very good chocolate. Next time I will definitely get some better stuff.
The soft-serve base is meant to only be light in chocolate flavor. DQ’s Blizzards are never too heavy on the cocoa.
Serve these in little paper cups with red plastic spoons to really get the authentic DQ feel.
You must sift the cocoa powder or you’ll have chunks of it in the ice cream.

Copycat Candy Shop Blizzards
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 cup jarred fudge sauce (recommended: Mrs. Richardsons)
2 cups chopped assorted chocolates, chilled in fridge

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until well-combined. Cover and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Place another large mixing bowl in the freezer to chill as well.
Pour mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions, until thick and creamy like soft-serve. Transfer to the chilled mixing bowl and immediately fold in fudge sauce and chilled chocolates until just combined. Serve immediately. Store extra in an air-tight container in the freezer. You can eat extras right from the freezer like ice cream or let soften again before eating.

Chocolate Oatmeal Krispie Bites (No-Bake!)

Valentine’s Day is coming up. You really want to do something special to show your sweetie you care. You decide there’s nothing more romantic than cooking for them.

Except you can’t cook.

No need to fret. Not everyone is a novice is the kitchen. Even The Smart Cookie Cook has days when she feels clueless. That’s why I whipped up these Chocolate Oatmeal Krispie Bites, so you and I can make something amazing in our kitchen without hurting ourselves.

Here’s the thing though; there’s no need to go telling your Valentine how easy these Bites were to make for them, because they’ll never know. They’re that delicious, a dangerous and addicting kind of delicious where food teeters on the line between being food and being crack.

Even you will be baffled that a treat requiring only one bowl and three ingredients could be so devilishly delectable. That’s just not possible, right? Well, get ready to believe the unbelievable because my Chocolate Oatmeal Krispie Bites are crispy, crunchy, chewy and chocolaty balls of bliss that require no effort or expertise. All you need to do to is stir the ingredients together in a bowl, plop into cupcake liners, and chill. There’s no baking, no rolling, nothing.

These Bites will make anybody fall in love. They’re just so darn tasty, no one can resist. I myself have chosen to forgo a boyfriend this V-Day and just have a relationship with these chocolaty bites. They’re much less complicated than men, and much sweeter.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

White, milk, or dark chocolate…it’s up to you!
These aren’t just good for V-Day. Switch out the sprinkles to coordinate with the season/holiday, or leave off the sprinkles altogether.
You could use Cocoa Krispies in the milk chocolate bites for extra chocolate impact.
Melting chocolate is simple, but you MUST do it in intervals, stirring in between, or it will burn.
I think the white chocolate version was the best, but try them all if you like!

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Krispie Bites

By The Smart Cookie Cook

Yield – 2 dozen bites

Ingredients:

2 12-oz. bags white, dark, or milk chocolate chips (I did 1 bag of milk & 1 bag of white, and my favorite was by far the white)
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup Rice Krispies
Valentine sprinkles, optional

Directions:

Pour the chocolate into a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high in microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring well in between each interval. It should only take about 4 intervals for you to be able to mix it smooth.
Fold in the oats and Rice Krispies until well-coated and evenly distributed.
Line two mini-muffin tins with mini liners. Use a spoon or mini ice cream scoop to drop tablespoons of chocolate mixture into the tins. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired.
Chill bites in fridge until completely solid and firm, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cocoa Puff Treat Cake

I’ve found one thing to be very true for a large portion of Americans. It doesn’t apply to everyone, but it does hold true for the vast majority. As we get older, we’ll always have a special love for the sugary cereals we were raised on. They may not have any nutritional value whatsoever, but they’re packed with sugar-laced, food dye-covered childhood memories, and that tastes better than nutrients.

Even if you’re not one to sit down to a bowl of Fruit Loops or Lucky Charms on a daily basis, you might still crave some every now and then. It’s like PB & J sandwiches; those cereals are not culinary masterpieces; they just taste good and make us feel good too.

One of my favorite cereals as a kid was Cocoa Puffs. Today, I still think they’re one of the best. They have such an intense level of chocolatiness that’s so advanced for a cereal. But since I’m a big girl now, I know there’s more to do with a tasty cereal than put it in a bowl with milk. For one, you can turn it into cereal treats.

That’s right; Rice Krispies aren’t the only cereal hanging out with marshmallows these days. Not only did I turn Cocoa Puffs into cereal treats; I took it one step further and made this Peanut Butter Cocoa Puff Treat Cake.

It’s a lot to wrap your mind around, so let me break it down: Two layers of chewy, marshmallow-engulfed Cocoa Puff Treats, separated by and topped with a layer of creamy peanut butter frosting, then finished with a drizzle of milk chocolate.

I bet you’ve never seen a Rice Krispie treat like this.

The crispy, crunchy, chewy Cocoa Puff Cake is a great change from the plain old birthday cake, but it’s also good for get-togethers or serious snacking. Even if you’re not cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs (ha!), you’ll love this intensely chocolaty & peanut buttery cake-of-sorts from the gooey Cocoa Puff treats to the smooth PB frosting. Best of all? Throw this no-bake baby together in 30 minutes. I bet you never made a cake that quickly before!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

You don’t have to go crazy if you don’t want to; just make the Cocoa Puff treats on their own.
If you don’t feel like melting the chips down into a drizzle, just mix them into the treats with the Cocoa Puffs instead.
You could skip the layering and make this in a 9×13, like a “sheet cake.”

Peanut Butter Cocoa Puff Cake

Ingredients:

1 12-oz. jar peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
½ tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter
6 cups Cocoa Puffs cereal
1 bag large marshmallows
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat together peanut butter, sugar, butter, and salt on medium speed until light, fluffy, and well-combined. Set aside.
Spray two 8×8 pans with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large pot, melt the butter. Measure out the six cups of cereal in a separate bowl so it’s ready to go. When butter is melted, add the marshmallows and stir continuously until marshmallows are completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal until evenly coated.
Divide cereal mixture evenly between the two prepared pans. Spray your hands or a piece of waxed paper with nonstick spray and press down on treats to flatten into an even layer. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a medium microwavable bowl, cook the chocolate chips on high in the microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring in between to distribute heat. This method will melt it faster but keep it from burning. You must do intervals or you will burn the chocolate. It should only take about three intervals to be able to stir the chocolate completely smooth. Set aside.
Flip one pan of treats out onto a serving plate. Top with half the peanut butter frosting and spread out in a smooth, even layer. Flip the second pan of treats out directly on top and cover with the rest of the peanut butter in a smooth, even layer. Drizzle generously with the melted chocolate. Cut into squares and enjoy. Store in an air-tight container, keeping in fridge overnight, but letting come to room temperature before eating.

Mr. Goodbar Peanut Butter Cookies

They’re called Mr. GOODbars for a reason.

Mr. Goodbars are the definition of sweet simplicity. There’s no fancy gimmick or extravagant ingredient; they’re purely smooth milk chocolate studded with peanuts, a classic combo that’s just plain good.

The Mr. Goodbar is one of my all-time favorite candies. Whenever I’m around one of those bags of assorted Hershey’s classics, usually composed of Goodbars, Hershey’s Milk, Hershey’s Dark, and Krackles, I’ve got to have those Goodbars. You just can’t compete with that comforting, creamy Hershey’s chocolate, which we all grew up with, coupled with the textural contrast of crunchy peanuts.

If Mr. Goodbar was a name that applied to the human-equivalent of this sublime chocolate bar, then I’m pretty sure I’d have my soulmate right there. But until then, I’ll have to settle with munching on crunchy-creamy Goodbars while sitting with my cats.

Or, better yet, I can enjoy some of these Mr. Goodbar Peanut Butter Cookies.

My Mr. Goodbar Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, and perfect. I used my favorite Peanut Butter Cookie recipe and stuffed it to the max with chunks of Mr. Goodbars. They’re tender, salty, sweet, and downright delectable, the kind of cookie you can eat a dozen of without batting an eyelash. Such scrumptious cookies like these are why you’re going to the gym as a part of your New Year’s resolutions.

But hey, that’s the sacrifice we make for good food. These are comforting, with a harmonic balance of chocolate and peanut butter. They’re jam-packed with your favorite Mr. Goodbars, so there’s nutty chocolate goodness in every nook and cranny. Do yourself a favor and take a break from the same old chocolate chip cookie; Give these Mr. Goodbar Peanut Butter Cookies a try instead!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

The key to a chewy cookie is making sure you don’t over-bake. I’ve found it’s best to pull the cookie before I actually thing they’re done.
You could do these with a regular chocolate chip cookie base if you’re not feeling the peanut butter. Check out my favorite Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe here.
Depending on the time of year, you might be able to find bags of fun-sized Mr. Goodbars. If not, just the bars.
You don’t have to chill the dough, but chilled dough yields a nice and thick cookie.

Mr. Goodbar Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chunks of Mr. Goodbars

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour in thirds and stir until smooth. Fold in Mr. Goodbar chunks. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Roll the mixture into golf ball–sized balls, flattening slightly. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Nutter Butter Penguins + How-to Video

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In a world riddled with horrible, repulsive creatures and unthinkable atrocities, there stands one single symbol of all things cuddly and good: penguins. There is no living thing more universally loved than the penguin, whose goofy wobble and plump physique are too endearing not to love.

Now, I have come across a total of two people in my life who flat out do not like penguins, and I question the humanity of both. One of them tried to reason that they were offended by they way penguins walk, because, you know, there’s not an anatomical reason for their wobbling or anything.

Although you may be aware that most people generally like penguins, what you may not know is this: I am obsessed with those winged and wobblin’ fools.

I’m not sure when it started, but I just love me some penguins. You might recall last year I made a Penguin Igloo Cake, and this year I made penguin-shaped sugar cookies for Christmas. Two summers ago, at SeaWorld, I actually had the honor of meeting, petting, and for-gosh-sakes cuddling with penguins. Some people dream of meeting One Direction or Lady Gaga; I dreamed of meeting penguins. best friends-3

Naturally, I bring this obsession in to all aspects of my everyday life, including pajama pants, shirts, a bracelet charm, my 19th birthday (maturity at its finest), and the pink penguin blanket my sister made me that these Nutter Butter Penguins are photographed on.

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Yes, my friends, I found another way to incorporate penguins into my other true love, food. These adorable little chocolate covered cuties are about these easiest penguin-themed treat you’ll ever see, requiring only a few basic ingredients and a handful of simple steps. Plus, the end result is just scrumptious: everyone’s favorite crunchy-creamy Nutter Butter cookie slathered in a rich chocolate coating.

Seriously? What’s better than penguins, peanut butter, and chocolate?

Check out my new video to see just how fun and easy these little Nutter Butter Penguins are to make. As a bonus, you’ll see quite the cat fight!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

I love a mix of milk and dark chocolate to give you sweetness and intense chocolatiness all in one, but feel free to use all milk or all dark.
These are a great party treat; they’re handheld, and everyone will love them.
You can use colored frosting in place of the M&Ms and just draw eyes on.
Melting chocolate in the microwave is a cinch if you cook it in intervals and stir in between.
Better quality chocolate = better-tasting penguins….Wait, that doesn’t sound right…

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Nutter Butter Penguins
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

2 4.4-oz. milk chocolate bars (like Hershey’s), chopped into chunks
2 3.5-oz. dark chocolate bars (like Lindt), chopped into chunks
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 package Nutter Butters (16.0z)
2 4.4-oz. white chocolate bars (like Lindt), chopped into chunks
1 12.6-oz. bag M&M’s (you won’t need all of it)
orange frosting, for drawing the beak & feet

Directions:

Put the milk and dark chocolate chunks and peanut butter into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 20-second intervals, stirring well in between, until melted. Make sure to stir so chocolate does not burn. It should only take about 4 intervals. Let cool slightly.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Dip the Nutter Butters into the melted chocolate. You may coat both sides, but it’s only necessary to do one. Let excess drip off and lay on wax paper. Place chocolate-coated cookies into fridge until set, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the white chocolate chunks into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 20-second intervals, stirring well in between, until melted. Make sure to stir so chocolate does not burn. It should only take about 3 intervals. Let cool slightly.
Use a spoon to gentle pour a white oval on the bottom half of the cookie to represent the penguin’s belly. Use leftover milk or white chocolate to put a tiny dot on the back of an M&M (use the side with the “m”). Use the chocolate as glue to stick two M&Ms on the top half of the cookie to represent eyes.
Use the orange frosting to draw a beak below the eyes and two feet below the belly. Store finished cookies in fridge for up to 5 days.

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Chocolate Pecan Tassles

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The remnants of this year’s Christmas treats shall be the death of me. They sit on the counter in a plastic bag, and even more lurk in the freezer, calling out, “Come hither, little weakling. Just one won’t hurt…” Except it’s never just one; I wind up eating six and wondering afterwards how it happened.

Evil, conniving little cookies.

Some of the tasty devils giving me trouble this holiday season are these Chocolate Pecan Tassles. They’re actually a hybrid of two classic cookies in my house: my Babci’s Tassles and my mom’s recipe for Tiny Cherry Cheesecakes. Mother Cookie made both this year, but I didn’t eat any since they’ve both got cream cheese, an ingredient I loathe more than anything else on the planet (I know; it’s weird). This year, however, it dawned on me to combine the delicious filling from the tassles with the soft and tasty chocolate crust of the tiny cheesecakes. I get the best of both cookies (and no cream cheese)!

These Chocolate Pecan Tassles are like pecan pie meets chocolate cookie, miniaturized. The filling is crisp on the top and gooey in the middle, with buttery, caramel undertones and crunchy pecans that perfectly compliment the tender chocolate crust. It’s multidimensional palate satisfaction.

My Chocolate Pecan Tassles are a great party dessert since they’re bite-sized and snackable, but they’re also wonderful anytime you need a sweet treat. With a trio of textures and nutty, buttery, chocolatey flavor, they’re delicious any time of year. Plus, they freeze great, so you can make them ahead of time and pull ‘em out when you need ‘em! _DSC8099-2

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

To freeze cookies, make sure they are sealed well in an airtight container, preferably wrapped in cling wrap to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to a month and let thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating.
Replace the pecans with whatever nuts you like.
I tried a simple graham cracker crust with these as well, which was also delicious.
Leaving out the nuts just doesn’t work. The filling doesn’t bake up correctly.

Chocolate Pecan Tassles

Yield – 2 dozen

Ingredients:

For the Cookie Shell
adapted from Taste of Home

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
2 tbsp. cold water

For the Filling
By The Smart Cookie Cook

2 beaten eggs
3 tbsp. melted butter
1 cup ground pecans
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cocoa. Cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Shape into 24 balls. Place in greased miniature muffin cups and press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of each cup.
Combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl. Fill each dough-lined muffin cup about 2/3 full with filling. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until puffed and set. Let cool completely before removing from tins.

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Hello Dollies + Video

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The recipes we pass down are the ones that mean the most. And no matter how many other recipes we try, they’re never quite as delicious as the old tried and trues. What I love about most of my handed down recipes is their simplicity. In my grandmother’s time, cooking and baking were all about the basics and keeping things simple. Some people make the mistake of assuming that basic is bland, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth; In fact, I marvel at how amazing some of the simplest recipes are in comparison to complex, intricate recipes I’ve tried.

Perfect example: My Grandma’s Hello Dollies. These are so much simpler than any other cookie recipe I’ve made, and yet they’re some of the best. You literally just dump everything in a pan and bake; no mixing or beating required. In the oven is where the magic happens. The key ingredient, sweetened condensed milk, caramelizes and brings all of the six ingredients together, melting and binding them to create a chewy, ooey, gooey bar packed with chocolate, nuts, and coconut upon a buttery graham cracker crust. _DSC7919

The thing about these cookies is that you can’t possibly understand how good they are until you try one. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts in this case. Just trust me when I say the oven does something supernatural, baking up sweet, chewy golden brown beauties that are so addicting, you’ll eat the whole pan itself.

Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

See just how easy and delicious these bars are in my video below! Plus, Mina Mr. Poe, and Reese make an appearance.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

I HIGHLY recommend using disposable pans when making these. If you use a good pan, there’s a chance the caramelized sweetened condensed milk will bake on to it and ruin it.
Don’t like nuts? Leave ‘em off.
These freeze great, so you can make a ton and save some for another time.
Use dark chocolate or semi sweet chips instead of milk if you prefer.
If you really wanna indulge, serve these warm with ice cream.

Hello Dollies
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups shredded coconut
2 cups chopped walnuts
2-3 cups milk chocolate chips
2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour melted butter into a 9×13 baking pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over top in an even layer.
Sprinkle coconut over top in an even layer, followed by the walnuts, and finishing with the chocolate chips. You may add more or less chips depending on how chocolatey you like things. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over top in an even layer and gently spread out.
Bake for 15 minutes then turn oven temperature down to 325 degrees F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.
Let cool for at least an hour before cutting into squares. They’ll cut cleaner if you chill them in the fridge for a while first.

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2-For-1: Peanut Butter Filled Crinkles & Classic Chocolate Crinkles

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The crinkle cookie is a Christmas staple for a Smart Cookie Christmas, as well as for many other families’ Christmases. It’s a classic cookie with a pretty snow-covered crackled surface that just looks so wonderfully seasonal. But the problem with pretty cookies is that they’re often lacking in the delicious department. Take for example those beautifully decorated but bland-tasting sugar cookies from the store. Luckily, that ain’t the case with crinkles. They’re deeply chocolatey cookies with a super soft texture, and they taste even better than they look.

This year, along with my traditional Chocolate Crinkles, I decided to shake things up a bit and make some Peanut Butter Filled Crinkles too. That may have been the best idea I had this season because these peanut butter-packed babies are bangin’.

The original crinkle itself is a beautiful cross between the texture of a cookie and the texture of a brownie. Its chewy edges and sturdy stance make it cookie-like, but its crazy fudgy, soft, and rich center is all brownie, baby. It is truly the best of both worlds, made better only by the pocket of creamy peanut butter stuffed inside. This takes you favorite classic Christmas cookie to a whole new level. It’s sweet and salty, chewy, creamy, and all-around amazing. You ain’t never had a crinkle like this. _DSC7238

I’m a big believer in tradition, but I also believe in shaking things up from time to time. Here, you get your classic cookie plus the added twist of a smooth PB filling. Think of it as tearing through a gift bag to pull out the gift, only to find there’s another gift buried below. Bonus!

But if you’re an all-traditional all-the-way kind of cookie monster, I’ve got you covered with classic recipe too!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

The key to making these soft and fudgy is making sure you don’t overbake.
The extra powdered sugar on the outside is optional, but it sure is pretty!
You could switch out the PB in the recipe for Nutella…sweet Jesus.
These freeze great, so make ‘em ahead and chill ‘em until you’re ready for ‘em.
The bigger the cookie, the thicker the center. I like to use about 1 tbsp. of dough per cookie.
You must chill the dough well, or it will go flat.

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Peanut Butter Filled Crinkles
Recipe adapted from food.com

Yield: about 3 dozen

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 1-oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted & cooled to room temperature
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup powdered sugar

For filling:

2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp. butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Combine sugar, oil, and melted chocolate in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat at medium speed until blended. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add about 1/3 of dry mixture at a time to chocolate mixture, mixing on medium-low speed just until combined after each addition. Don’t overmix, or the cookies won’t be as fudgy. Cover and let chill at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, mix together peanut butter, butter, and 1 cup powdered sugar in a medium bowl until well-combined. Refrigerate until cookie dough is chilled.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape dough into tablespoon-sized balls and flatten out with your hand. Roll a scant teaspoon of peanut butter in your hand and place on top of dough. Wrap dough around it so the peanut butter is completely covered and gently roll into a ball. Roll in powdered sugar and place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set.
Cool on wire racks.

Classic Chocolate Crinkles

Yield: about 3 dozen

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 1-oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted & cooled to room temperature
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Combine sugar, oil, and melted chocolate in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat at medium speed until blended. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add about 1/3 of dry mixture at a time to chocolate mixture, mixing on medium-low speed just until combined after each addition. Don’t overmix, or the cookies won’t be as fudgy. Cover and let chill at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set.
Cool on wire racks.

Fudge Brownie Thumbprint Cookies w/ Caramel Drizzle

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Dear Chocolate Lovers of the World,

I’m about to give you the best Christmas present you’ve ever gotten.

These Fudge Brownie Thumbprint Cookies w/ Caramel Drizzle are what your chocolate-covered Christmas dreams are made of. We Chocoholics don’t fantasize about falling snow, mistletoe, or sparkling Christmas trees; we dream about chocolate, piles of chocolate in every form: truffles, bars, cakes, frosting, pudding, and of course, cookies. At Christmastime, you better give us chocolate lovers some seriously chocolaty cookies, or it isn’t really Christmas.

Being a chocoholic myself, I would never deprive my fellow addicts of the supremely chocolatey cookie that’s on the top of their wishlist. These Fudge Brownie Thumbprint Cookies have two intense levels of chocolate, so if the first dose doesn’t send you into a chocolate-enduced euphoria, then the second one surely will. We’ve got super fudgy, chewy brownie cookies that truly are the love child of a moist brownie and handheld cookie. Then, we imprint a little crater in the center and fill it up with rich, velvety fudge. Finally, we finish with a drizzle of sweet caramel, because why? Because we can, and it’s to die for. _DSC7527

These heavenly cookies are the total package because, besides being scrumptious, they’re good-looking too. I gave them as gifts to my co-workers, along with several others treats that shall appear next week, and the first thing one of them did upon opening the box was exclaim how pretty they are. But guess what? That elegant presentation is merely a matter of punching a crater in the center of the cookies, filling with fudge, and slopping some caramel on top. It’s the prime example of a perfect holiday cookie: gorgeous, easy to make, and so gosh darn good.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

The key to a perfectly fudgy cookie is not to over-bake them.
Any fudge sauce will do for filling these, but the best EVER is Wegman’s Chocolate Sauce. It’s thick and rich, more like ganache. You could also make homemade ganache to fill them.
The same goes for the caramel; I used Wegman’s caramel sauce. I also recommend Mrs. Richardson’s.
Both the Wegmans sauces can be found in the aisle with the other ice cream toppings.
Also try topping these with a sprinkle of nuts.
This dough freezes great, so make it ahead and freeze then thaw and bake when you’re ready for chocolate heaven.
Mix/beat as little as possible! Over-mixing ruins the fudgy texture.

Fudge Brownie Cookie Thumbprints w/ Caramel Drizzle
Cookie base adapted from food.com

Yield – about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 1-oz. unsweetened chocolate squares , melted & cooled to room temperature
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 10-oz. jar fudge, chocolate sauce, or ganche – should be thick (Recommended: Wegmans Triple Chocolate Sauce)
1 10-oz. jar caramel sauce (Recommended: Wegmans or Mrs. Richardson’s)

Directions:

Combine sugar, oil, and melted chocolate in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium-low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well on low speed.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Add about one-1/3 of dry mixture at a time to chocolate mixture, mixing on medium-low speed after each addition. Cover and let chill at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Immediately after removing from the oven, use a flat circle-shaped surface (I used the bottom of a pizza cutter; you could also use a small shot glass or end of a thick spoon handle) to press a crater into the center of each cookie. If you don’t have anything that works for making the imprint, just use your fingers.
Cool on wire racks.
Fill craters with fudge/chocolate sauce/ganache. You might want to microwave the fudge for less than 10 seconds just to get it fluid. Let set in freezer for a few minutes then drizzle with caramel. You can do this with a fork or use a plastic condiment dispenser. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep in fridge if it’s warm out.