Bready or Not: Ultimate Chocolate Cookies
Ultimate Chocolate Cookies! Say that in a gravelly announcer-guy voice. ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE COOKIES!
These are loaded with chocolate–melted into the dough and with bonus chocolate chips, too! Oh yeah, and cocoa!
The addition of espresso powder (or instant coffee) amps up that chocolate flavor, too. If you don’t keep that around for your cookies and brownies, it’s a good habit to start.
I mean, amping up chocolate flavor is DEFINITELY a good thing.
You might even say it makes things… ultimate.
Modified from AllRecipes Magazine February/March 2015.
Bready or Not: Ultimate Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 1 bag, divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder Dutch process or regular unsweetened, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant-coffee granules
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- On the stove top or in a microwave, melt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, warming until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In another bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- In a big bowl, beat together the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, scraping bowl to make sure everything is combined. Follow up with espresso powder and vanilla, then the melted chocolate. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
- Cover mixing bowl and let dough stand for about 30 minutes so that the chocolate can set.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Use a teaspoon scoop to place dough spaced out on parchment-covered cookie sheet or seasoned stoneware.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let set on stove about 10 minutes before moving cookies to a rack to completely cool.
- Store in sealed containers at room temperature. Cookies may crisp up more after 1 day, but keep quite well.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: British Flapjacks
Time for flapjacks–British-style flapjacks, which are like American granola bars! This recipe, modified from British baking goddess Mary Berry, is super-easy and delicious.
In advance of my big trip to the UK last June, I wanted to make numerous British, Scottish, and French goodies so I could then find the legit thing over there to see if I did it right.
I ended up eating a lot of different flapjacks. Not only are they common to find at bakery counters everywhere, but in grocery stores I found a lot of what Americans call energy bars are labeled as flapjacks instead.
This particular flapjack is more like a bakery-style flapjack: like a toffee-rich granola bar. A drizzle of chocolate, I found, added some necessary contrast and balance.
My husband took these to work. A Scottish-born co-worker gave one a try and actually asked, “Is this a flapjack?” I cheered and danced when I heard that. I did it! I made a recognizable flapjack!
I found the original version of this recipe in Mary Berry’s cookbook Baking with Mary Berry. Unlike most (or maybe all) of her other cookbooks, this one is in American measurements, though it still features loads of British goods. Click on the picture below to find it on Amazon.
I modified another recipe from this book, too. Find my take on British-style Gingerbread here!
Bready or Not: British Flapjacks
Equipment
- 8x12x1-inch pan (small jelly roll pan)
Ingredients
Flapjacks
- 9 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick plus 1 Tablespoon
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 1/2 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
Chocolate Drizzle
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line pan with aluminum foil and apply grease or nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, gently heat the butter, corn syrup, and sugar until everything is melted together with the sugar dissolved. Stir in oats to completely coat.
- Scoop everything into the prepared pan. Use an uneven spatula to spread out evenly.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes. Leaving contents in pan, slice into thin rectangular bars. Let completely cool.
- Use foil to lift contents onto cutting board. Slice again to separate.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat up chocolate chips with shortening, cooking in 20 second bursts and stirring well between each time, until chocolate smoothly stirs together. Use a fork to drizzle over flapjacks.
- Store in sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Millionaire Shortbread
Millionaire Shortbread. Gorgeous. Delicious. A little bit of extra effort to make, but SO WORTH IT.
I wanted to concoct the best-possible Millionaire Shortbread. This involved strenuous testing of recipes. Much baking. Much reliance on test subjects (husband and his co-workers).
The resulting feedback? I wrote it down.
“This shortbread is enjoyed, and feared.”
“To call them excellent would be an insult to your wife.”
So yeah. The test subjects approved. I personally would rank this up there with my best all-time bakes, because it really combines the best of everything.
The shortbread layer is firm yet soft. THEN THAT CARAMEL. It is thick, luscious, and sweet. The chocolate provides the perfect balance, especially with the help of some Maldon salt flakes.
Do note that the ganache needs to be semisweet chocolate, or an even darker variety. Milk chocolate is just too sweet against that thick caramel. I say that, and I usually prefer milk chocolate.
I wish I could say how long this keeps in the fridge, but my test subjects were a bit too voracious to provide perspective on that point.
Bready or Not Original: Millionaire Shortbread
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 cubes, softened
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Caramel
- 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
- 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 11 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 stick
- Maldon sea salt flakes for top, optional
Instructions
Shortbread base
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 baking pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Follow up with the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Scrape bottom of bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Gradually work in flour along with the salt. Don't overmix. It should still be crumbly. Drop dough into prepared pan and compress into an even layer. (A piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass make this easier.)
- Bake shortbread layer for 20 to 25 minutes, until edges are turning golden brown. Set pan aside to cool while the next layer is made.
Caramel
- In a large saucepan at medium heat, stir together the condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Stir constantly as it rises to a boil. Immediately drop heat to low, and continue to stir nonstop for about 10 to 15 minutes, until mixture turns a deep caramel color and thickens up; watch out, the caramel can spit out of the pan at times!
- Remove pot from heat and promptly stir in vanilla extract and salt.
- Pour caramel over the shortbread, using an uneven spatula or knife if needed to smooth it into an even layer. Cool pan for several hours until it reaches room temperature, or set in fridge to chill.
Ganache topping
- In a microwave-safe bowl (or, alternatively, on the stove top in a pot) melt together the chocolate chips and butter. Once it can be stirred smooth, pour over the caramel. Spread out into an even layer. If desired, sprinkle Maldon sea salt flakes over the top.
- Chill in fridge to let chocolate harden for at least 30 minutes. Use foil to lift contents of pan onto a cutting board. Let chocolate warm again, just a touch, perhaps for 5 or 10 minutes, before slicing into bars (otherwise, the chocolate will crack rather than be sliced through).
- Store bars in fridge with waxed paper between layers. Keeps for days.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Quick Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
 Holiday time can be all kinds of hectic, but if you need a sweet treat in limited time, this Quick Peanut Butter Fudge will be adored by all chocolate and peanut butter lovers!
This thing literally comes together in under five minutes. Give it a couple hours to set in the fridge, and there you go. Plus, it keeps for weeks in the fridge (if you can make it last that long) and it can be frozen for ages.
I love using walnuts in this fudge, but any nut will do. Can you make it without nuts? Sure, but I find that a little bit of crunch is great for texture. Some seeds could work in this, too, if you need to avoid an allergen (keeping in mind, this already includes peanut butter chips!).
My husband had co-workers describe this fudge as “crack.” Consider yourself warned.
I’ve shared a number of quick fudge recipes over the years. Here are some others to try out!
Five-Minute Spicy Mexican Fudge
Quick Cake Batter White Chocolate Fudge
Gingerbread Cookie Dough Fudge
No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge
Bready or Not Original: Quick Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
Equipment
- 8x8 or 9x9 pan
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 10- ounce bag peanut butter chips 1 bag
- 8- ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips about 3/4 bag
- 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup walnuts or other nuts, chopped
Instructions
- Line a small square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter with a zap or two in microwave. Add peanut butter, chips, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk. Heat in a couple 30-second bursts, stirring well between each, and continuing until the mixture is smooth. Fold in nuts.
- Pour into prepared pan. Smooth out using an uneven spatula, taking fudge to edges and pressing down to remove any bubbles.
- Chill in fudge for at least two hours. Use foil to lift onto cutting board for easy slicing. Store in a sealed container with waxed paper between the layers; keep in fridge as long as a month, or freeze for longer.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Cranberry-Orange Cookies
These Cranberry-Orange Cookies are packed with vivid, fresh flavor, and a sure way to brighten your day, whatever the season!
The order of ingredients is important here. You take one orange and zest and juice it. The zest goes straight into the dough, while the juice is used to soak the dried cranberries.
Not only does this plump up the desiccated berries, but it naturally amplifies their flavor, too. The tartness becomes stronger, in perfect complement to the citrusy freshness.
Then, you add two tablespoons of the juice to the dough. The rest, do whatever with. It’s mighty tasty to drink!
The white chocolate chips add sporadic sweetness to balance the tartness, and it goes so well with the orange flavor, too.
Plus, these cookies are downright pretty on a holiday tray, packed as a gift, or eaten whenever, all the year long!
Bready or Not Original: Cranberry-Orange Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375-degrees.
- Zest then juice the orange. Place dried cranberries in bowl and pour orange juice over them, stir, then set aside to soak
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars. Add the egg. Stir in orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually blend with butter mixture. Measure 2 tablespoons of orange juice from the bowl, and add to the dough. Drain off the rest of the orange juice (discard it or save it to drink) and add the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips to the dough. Combine.
- Use a tablespoon scoop or spoon to space out dollops of dough on baking sheet; cookies will spread. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until cookies are golden and set. Let set on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to completely cool. Repeat with the next batch(es).
- Store in a sealed container.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Halloween is about a week away. Let’s celebrate with a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake!
This is an honest-to-goodness cake, too, light and fluffy and topped with a just-thick-enough layer of frosting.
This cake melds the glorious powers of a spice cake with a chocolate cake, finding a medium that is happy indeed.
As with most of my baked goods, this was packed up and sent with my husband to work. I can report that this cake can be cut into squares and stored in containers with waxed paper between the layers. It traveled surprisingly well.
Most cakes are not that cooperative. I can’t even say how many times I’ve tried a recipe and mangled it when I’ve tried to portion it out to make it more portable. Those cakes don’t typically make it onto Bready or Not.
This one does… and not only is it cooperative for travel, but it’s also darn delicious.
Modified from Taste of Home Desserts Magazine.
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Frosting
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3 Tablespoons milk or half & half
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- sprinkle cloves
- 1/3 cup baking cocoa sifted
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Making the cake
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and apply butter or nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Gradually beat the dry mix into the wet. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center passes the toothpick test. Let cool to room temperature, or chill in fridge if desired.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add in the milk, vanilla, and cloves. Slowly beat in the cocoa and the base amount of confectioners' sugar, adding more if needed to reach spreadable consistency. Cover the top of the cake. Slice within pan, or use foil to lift cake onto cutting board.
- Store covered in the fridge.
