Day 17: Doing something for you and yours - Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

This week started off on a tired note. After coming back from a two week trip that had eight flights, six hotels, one cruise, and two kids, we were beyond exhausted. As I passed by the flower shop on the way home from picking my little one up from school we decided to pick up a bouquet. For no special occasion, just for us.  I guess we were celebrating being home for an entire week, so that we could enjoy a bouquet of flowers! When we got home my little one asked if we could make cookies. Not wanting to disappoint him, I obliged. I found a simple recipe on allrecipes.com and halved it (I didn't want to be forced to eat my way out of a pile of cookies) and we both got to work.  

I really like this recipe. It is a no frills, very simple recipe to follow. It also gives perfectly crispy on the outside - soft and gooey on the inside cookies. I did make a few changes however, add a 1:3 whole wheat flour ratio and added some flaked coconut. I like having that subtle crunch in there instead of using nuts.  Feel free to omit the coconut, change to 100% all purpose flour, or add nuts. Another note is to let the cookies out just before they harden on the outside.  Keep them on the pan for about ten minutes instead of transferring them to a baking sheet.  This will let them bake the rest of the way giving you that soft and chewy inside.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose white flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels
1/2 cup flaked coconut (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

2.  Cream the butter with the sugars.  Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla extract.

3.  In a small bowl mix the baking soda with the hot water.  Add to the batter.  Add the salt and the flour, followed by the chocolate chips and coconut.

4.  Spread parchment paper onto baking sheets.  Drop spoonfuls on to the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 20 servings.

Day 22: Good and easy chocolate buttercream frosting

I had resigned myself to the fact that my homemade buttercream frosting was meant to be chalky.  No matter what I did - cream the butter more, add vanilla, add cream cheese - it still had that consistency where you could taste where the confectioner's sugar met the butter instead of being melded together in buttercream perfection.

Yesterday I happened across this recipe to frost cupcakes, and I was skeptical at first.  I was supposed to melt the butter?  It seemed like more work, and I was hesitant since I had guests coming over and these cupcakes were my plan for dessert.  However, this recipe is one I'll repeat again since it came out so wonderfully!  I made a few changes to the original recipe, lowering the amount of vanilla and confectioner's sugar.  

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk 

1.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low to medium heat.

2.  Add the cocoa powder and vanilla, and stir.

3.  Put the confectioner's sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add the chocolate mixture and stir on a stand mixer or with hand mixer.  The mixture will be crumbly and dry.

4.  Add milk one tablespoon at a time to desired consistency.

Even after I put the chocolate mixture into the sugar, I was worried.  It was looking dry and crumbly - not at all frosting-like.  I was about to have my husband run the grocery store to pick up a tub of store made frosting.  But after I added the milk, like magic it became this silky milk chocolate frosting which turned out to be the highlight of dessert!  I added the first tablespoon just to have it mixed in and ready.  When my cupcakes had cooled sufficiently and were ready for frosting, I added the other tablespoon.  It spread easily, and after about 20 minutes the frosting had become more firm atop the cupcakes.  

Day 17: Homemade Lara bars

As a delicious natural food and nut bar, I've basically fallen in love with Lara bars.  This all started when I kept them stashed in my nightstand drawer for late-night feedings with my newborn.  Not only are they delicious and filling, but I feel like they aren't that bad for me since they have mainly dates and nuts in them.  Ok, so some chocolate too, but who doesn't want chocolate in their "granola" type bars.

My favorite kind is Chocolate-Chip cookie dough, thought I also like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip too.  I've been making them at home, which is super easy to do.  I followed the recipe from Oh She Glows, and every time I make them they only last about a day.  They are so good, so good, and I feel good because it limits my dependence on packaged foods.