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Thursday, October 24, 2019

Giant Nutella Stuffed Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies


These cookies are big. BIIIIG BIG. 
I'm not going to lie, they're also pretty sweet, *shocker* I know... but I'm always surprised when people comment that a cookie recipe is "really sweet". Okay.... but it's a cookie soooo... To be fair, I suppose some cookies are not sweet.. like.. healthy cookies... but these are NOT healthy cookies. NooooOoooOOooo they are not. At all. 
What they are though, is delicious and addicting and totally worth making for an every-once-in-a-while indulgence. I took my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and stuffed in some Nutella because, why not? and then made them super jumbo... again, because why not?
Sure... you can make these "normal" size, if you want to *sigh* but I totally recommend giant. When we are talking cookies... size matters. 


Giant Nutella Stuffed Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ingredients
Cookies
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping tsp instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup BECEL original margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Filling
12 Tbsp Nutella

Topping
mini chocolate chips for sprinkling on top

Directions
Prepare cookies - Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 
Whisk together flour, baking soda, coffee granules, and salt. In another bowl, beat together BECEL brown sugar and sugar until creamy, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 
Beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. 
Using a large cookie scoop, about 1/4 cup in size, scoop cookies onto one of the cookie sheets. They can be close together because you are not cooking them right now you are going to chill them. Chill for about 30 minutes. 


While dough is chilling, prepare the Nutella. 
On a small tray lined with parchment paper, scoop 12 heaping tablespoons of Nutella about 1 inch apart. Try to leave the Nutella fairly heaped up and not spread out. Place in freezer until your cookie dough is chilled. 


Take one of the chilled cookie balls and press one disc of frozen Nutella into the center of it. You need to work fairly quickly as the Nutella thaws fairly fast and gets hard to work with. 


Top with another chilled cookie dough ball and form into a round ball. Continue with the remaining dough and Nutella. Place at least 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. You should get 12 jumbo cookies. 
Lightly press the cookies down with the palm of your hand and then sprinkle a few more mini chocolate chips on top of each cookie. 


Bake at 375 for about 11 - 18 minutes. Start checking at 11 minutes. The bottom and edges should be light golden brown and the center should look pale. Don't over bake or cookies will be crunchy instead of chewy!


Let cool on cookie tray for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely. 


Recipe yields 12 ginormous mocha chocolate Nutella cookies. So good. 


In case you are in a hurry and DON'T chill these...


You'll be okay but they will spread out more and not be as high...


Also, instead of the Nutella being a blob in the center, it kind of spreads out throughout the cookie more...


Not that this is a bad thing. It's just different than if you let the cookie dough chill. 
Both ways result in a heavenly tasting cookie #justsayin
FYI - this is my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I ALWAYS use real butter when I bake but decided to try BECEL just to see what happened. Turns out everyone loved these more than my usual recipe. 
I'm as surprised as you are. 
But, for real though, try this one. It's a really good, soft but chewy, sweet but not coma inducing, chocolate chip cookie. Feel free to leave out the instant coffee granules if you don't like that hint of mocha-ness in there. 

Monday, October 14, 2019

Giant Spider Cheese Ball


Cheese balls are the best, aren't they?
Need something to bring to a potluck? Cheese ball. Want to make something festive? Cheese ball. Something for an appie, side, or dessert? Cheese ball. Looking for quick and easy? Cheese ball. 
We made this spooktacular chocolate peanut butter cheesecake-y spider as a treat for our Halloween party. It only takes a few minutes to put together and makes a pretty big impression on the table! If your chocolate piping skills are lacking (as mine are) then you can use black licorice for legs instead. Up to you! You can also stick edible googly eyes on him, if you like. I found he looked creepier without eyes. 


Giant Spider Cheese Ball

Ingredients
2 bricks (16 oz total) cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, room temp
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups icing sugar
6 Tbsp  baking cocoa
~1 cup mini chocolate chips 

chocolate for piping legs or black licorice 

Directions
Beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until smooth, scraping bowl as needed. Stir in the icing sugar and baking cocoa. 
Divide into 2 balls - one about 2/3rds and one about 1/3rd, for the body and head. Roll the balls in the mini chocolate chips and then wrap in plastic wrap. Place in bowls so the balls retain their round shape. Chill until firm. 


After chilling; unwrap the balls and roll in more mini chocolate chips to cover any spots that you may have missed. Place on a serving platter. 
Pipe 4 legs on either side of the body (or place black licorice). Cover and chill until ready to serve!


Looking to make something that will have everyone talking, but don't want to have to work too hard?
We feel ya. We're here for you. 


We served him with graham crackers, animal crackers, and strawberries! You could use any fruit you like!