caramel chocolate chip cookie bars

Now that my husband and I (ahh husband!) have settled down a bit since the big day, we have started a Movie Monday tradition in our new home. We invite friends over for a snack and a movie every Monday. It is a wonderful way to see everyone during the week and catch up from the weekend. Plus, no one really looks forward to Mondays and going back to work... so this gives all of us something to get through the day.

Last week, we watched the Adjustment Bureau and I made these caramel chocolate chip cookie bars. Let me tell you... they are so gooey and messy and delicious. The caramel in the center adds this amazing creamy texture.

I unwrapped 20 or so milk caramels and melted them in a pot on the stove with a few tablespoons of milk.

Spread half the cookie dough in a baking dish, then pour the creamy caramel sauce over the dough. The rest of the cookie dough goes on top, then its baked to ooey gooey perfection.

It is best to let these bars cool for at least an hour. I even stuck the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, just to harden them up. They are SO gooey and almost hard to get out of the pan if you try to cut them too soon.

But trust me, it is worth every minute to wait for these bars. They are delicious. Enjoy!

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Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Yields: 14 bars

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
10 ounces caramel candy squares (about 20), unwrapped
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking pan (which is an 11 X 7 pan-I used a glass Pyrex dish) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugars together until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the caramels and milk. Microwave caramels on High until caramels are melted, stirring every 20 seconds. This will take about 2 minutes, depending on your microwave. You can also do this step on the stove top in a small nonstick pan over medium heat, stirring almost constantly.

Divide the cookie dough in half. Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Pour hot caramel over the cookie dough. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough over the caramel and spread dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered.

Bake cookie bars for 30 minutes or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool bars on a wire rack to room temperature. You may want to put the pan in the refrigerator until the bars are easier to cut. Then cut bars into squares and serve.

Recipe adapted from: Two Peas and Their Pod

low-fat chocolate chip banana muffins

I'm looking back on this title and trying to figure out why I hyphenated "low-fat" but not the rest of it. One of life's greatest mysteries.

Also, hello everyone! I am back from hibernation.

I could go on and on about why I haven't blogged in a few weeks, but you already know. I've been busy. Actually there are no words for just how busy I've been. There have been a few weekend trips to New Jersey for weddings, home renovation stuff, working, wedding planning, a grandmother in the hospital, making time for my sweet nephew, trying to remember I have a life...

And now here I am with a banner that still says "August" when it's October. And somehow I haven't lost any followers, which means you are all awesome. There are also no words for just how amazing you are.

Thanks for sticking with me. I keep telling Michael after we get married in January and the wedding planning is done, the honeymoon is over, and our home renovation is mostly done (in theory), we are going to be so bored. I can't wait.

These muffins are SO GOOD. I just started Weight Watchers last week. I was convinced by my sister who lost almost 40 pounds since her baby was born 2 months ago. Amazing!

I found this muffin recipe on a Weight Watchers friendly blog called Skinny Taste. They only have 5 points (or 170 calories) each. Instead of oil and a stick of butter, you use mashed bananas and applesauce. Beauitful for my tongue and my waistline.

They have a very strong banana flavor, but all you smell is chocolate while you're eating them. It's so divine.

Here is the recipe:

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
3 1/2 ripe medium sized bananas, mashed
1/4 cup natural unsweetened apple sauce
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I used 70%)

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce, vanilla, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Add flour mixture to bananas, then blend at low speed until combined; do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips and pour batter into muffin tins.

Bake on the center rack for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs.

(recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste)

waldorf chicken salad

I finally found some time in the kitchen this weekend, when Michael and I took a much needed day off from our renovation project. Sunday was a glorious day spent sleeping in, lounging around, getting laundry done (finally), planning meals for the week, going grocery shopping and cooking. A normal day for once! It's a beautiful thing.

I've been focusing on healthy meals that give me lots of energy to tackle projects like de-greasing an entire kitchen.

 This Waldorf Chicken Salad is full of nutrients from walnuts, granny smith apples, grapes and celery. Those lovely ingredients are paired with grilled chicken and tossed in a very light mayonnaise dressing. It's the cool thing to do.

Start with cooked, cubed chicken... about 3 boneless, skinless breasts.

Chop up walnuts, a granny smith apple, grapes and celery. The best way I've found to finely mince celery is to first slice it length-wise into several pieces, then chop it up.

Bowl full of goodness.

Then I mixed up a light mayo/vinegar dressing and tossed the whole thing together.

It tastes so fresh and healthy, with the chunks of fruit and nuts. It's a very complex combination of flavors and textures - slightly sweet, nutty, crunchy, creamy...

I'm enjoying it for lunch at work this week, over lettuce. It makes a beautiful salad.

And hopefully it gives me lots of energy. We plan on painting our kitchen this week! Good-bye pink paint!

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Waldorf Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked, cubed chicken (about 3 large breasts)
1/4 cup minced celery (about 2-3 stalks)
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup chopped grapes (red or green is fine)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Dash salt, pepper

Combine chicken, celery, apple, grapes and walnuts in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper (to taste). Pour dressing over chicken mixture and combine. It's that easy! Serve chilled over lettuce.


Serves: 5-6

chocolate chunk cookie bars

Happy 4th of July everyone!

It's a lovely summer day here in Delaware. I have the day off work, so I've spent some time organizing my bills and other papers this morning. Then I made some of the most delicious, gooey cookie bars of all time.

I have plans tonight with the love of my life, my best friend and bridesmaid Sarah, her husband Steve and their darling daughter Summer. Last year, we all went to the beach loaded up with beach chairs and sparklers. It was a perfect night with the sun setting over the water and fireworks lighting up the sky. I can't wait to go again this year.

We are leaving in a few hours, but I wanted to share the snack I'm bringing along tonight to share with everyone.

These cookie bars are loaded with chunks of chocolate. They are practically falling apart... so ooey gooey and buttery.

You could use chocolate chips of course, but I love the rough chunks in here. It adds a nice texture.

I put 2 1/2 cups in the recipe... but really I wanted to say - big giant pile of chocolate goodness.

Enjoy these delicious little squares of love with a big glass of milk - you're going to need it.

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Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars

print this recipe

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups roughly chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray or grease a 13x9 baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the softened butter and sugars together until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Pour cookie dough into prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the top of the bars are just turning golden brown. Cool bars in pan, then cut and serve.

Serves: about 16 cookie bars

Recipe adapted from: Two Peas and Their Pod.

fresh strawberry pie

This strawberry pie is kind of beautiful, right?

It's the supermodel of pie world.

It's bright and fresh, very summery. Makes me want to run down a slip-n-slide and chase my friends around the yard with a hose. Does it make you want to do that too? No? Weird...

I baked this pie with my Mom about 2 weeks ago. I've been meaning to share it with you ever since, but life has gotten in the way. I didn't really need to tell you that though. I could have just let you believe I made this pie yesterday... but I like to keep it real.

We baked a shortbread-type pie crust for this. Bake any kind of pie crust you like for super sweet pies... or buy one from the store. I will not judge you at all.

Just a little trick: fill your pie shell with rice or beans to weigh it down while it bakes. That way, your crust won't bubble up and get air pockets in the oven. No one likes a bubbly pie crust.

The filling for this pie consists of fresh strawberries in a sugary sweet glaze. The glaze is very easy... made with jell-o powder, cornstarch, water and sugar. That's it! It's basically a strawberry simple syrup.

Once the glaze is completely cooled, mix in the diced strawberries and pour it into your pie crust of choice.

Then take lots of pictures... because it's just too beautiful not to have it's moment in the spotlight.

This pie is very sweet. I think it would be best topped off with fresh whipped cream that hardly has any sugar added. The tangy cream will off-set the sweetness of this pie perfectly.

Enjoy!

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Fresh Strawberry Pie Filling

print this recipe

3 tablespoons strawberry jell-o powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 quart fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces

Combine jell-o powder, cornstarch, water and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to boil, then let it boil for 1 minute. The glaze should be thick and the sugar dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool until cold. You may cover this and put it in the fridge for later use.

When ready to assemble the pie, add berries to jell-o mixture and stir. Then pour into cooled pie crust. Serve with fresh whipped cream!

summer recipes

Jenna Laughs has been pretty dessert-heavy lately. Seems like I am doing a whole lot of baking the last few weeks! So I wanted to go through my non-dessert dishes and post some great ideas for summer parties and barbecues.

First up we have Barbecue Spice Rubbed Pork Chops. These are bone-in thick cut pork chops, rubbed down with a spicy/sweet rub and grilled to caramelized perfection. You're welcome.

Greek Cucumber Salad is light, fresh and the perfect side dish on a hot summer day. It has 4 ingredients: cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese and olive oil. Couldn't be more simple and delicious!

These Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce are perfectly light and flavorful. The tzatziki sauce is tangy and thick, a lovely alternative to typical burger toppings. I served these with oven baked fries and it was a perfect meal.

Pasta with Lemon and Basil. This unusual flavor combination is heavenly. So light and refreshing - and loaded with tons of fresh basil. I made this last winter when lemons were in season, but now we have lovely fresh basil in season.

This grilled chicken is so flavorful, juicy, cheesy and wonderful. The fresh tomato salsa puts it on a whole other level. Then to make it even better - I made a flavored chili lime butter to brush on corn. This is definitely one of my favorite dishes for the summer.

Finally, to wash it all down - try Sparkling Lime Lemonade. It's super tart, which is how I like my lemonade.

I hope everyone has so many fun barbecues this summer!

chocolate chip banana buttermilk loaf cake

This cake is a mouthful to say - chocolate chip banana buttermilk loaf cake. Shew. A lot of goodness in there.

I was sitting around this past weekend on a lazy Sunday with Michael and my parents. All of a sudden I announced, "I want to bake something."

So I went in Mom's kitchen and looked around. I saw bananas. I saw buttermilk in the fridge. I saw mini chocolate chips in the pantry. It was on.

I mashed 2 large bananas, creamed butter and sugar, added my bananas and dry ingredients, then came chocolate chips... and just one bowl full of goodness later, I had super moist banana loaf cake ready to throw in the oven.

Loaf cake is thick and dense, so it's a little tricky to make sure it's cooked all the way through, but not burnt around the edges. I like to bake it half the time, then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan for the other half. This protects the top of the cake from browning too much in the oven. I also under-bake it. Most loaf cakes bake for 50 minutes. I baked this one for about 40 minutes on 325 degrees convection. Then I let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before serving.

The result is an incredibly moist cake full of sweet banana flavor. The buttermilk adds a slightly tangy flavor to the cake, but not too overpowering.

My whole family loved it. It was epic banana loaf cake.

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Chocolate Chip Banana Buttermilk Loaf Cake

print this recipe

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (2 large bananas)
4 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Grease and flour 1 large loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees or 325 degrees convection.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla until the batter is well mixed. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add chocolate chips and combine. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 20 minutes. Place sheet of aluminum foil over pan and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with crumbs.

Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Loosen the bread with a knife and carefully remove from pan. Finish cooling on rack. Slice and serve once cooled.

recipe adapted from: Two Peas and Their Pod

rocky road brownies

I am a chocolate lover through and through. Most of my favorite desserts involve chocolate and I am totally okay with that. When I make brownies, I enjoy them when they are warm, served with a scoop (or two) of vanilla bean ice cream then covered in chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Brownie sundaes all the way!

I haven't done much experimenting with different types of brownies, but I am VERY glad I experimented with these.

Imagine fudgy, super chocolatey brownies covered in chocolate chips, walnuts and marshmallows... then broiled until the marshmallows are toasty and the chocolate chips melt. Super indulgent.

 The base of the batter is melted chocolate chips and butter. I know. You're welcome.

I mixed in some walnuts that I chopped fine. I am usually not a fan of walnuts in brownies, but I was experimenting so I went with it and I'm glad I did. The walnuts are small and as they bake, they dissolve into this buttery, nutty flavor in the brownies.

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After they bake for about 20 minutes, sprinkle the top with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and more chopped walnuts. 

Since the brownies are already baked almost all the way through, we just need to brown the marshmallows on top. I stuck mine under the broiler for about 4 minutes until they were light brown.

I had visions of campfires dancing through my head.
 

The toasted marshmallows add a different texture - almost slightly chewy. The walnuts have a soft crunch and the whole thing is so sinful and delicious I can't even stand it.

I took these to a Memorial Day Barbecue at Michael's Mom's house. They were totally gone by the time I left... which I'm still trying not to be bitter about.

Enjoy this one!

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Rocky Road Brownies

print this recipe

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 bags (18 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In a large heatproof bowl, combine butter and 2 cups chocolate chips. Melt in the microwave on high power for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

Into the chocolate/butter mixture, stir in sugars and salt. Once combined, stir in the eggs and then the flour, stirring just until combined. Mix in 1/2 cup of the walnuts. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 20 or 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with crumbs.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Bake until the marshmallows are puffed and beginning to brown and the chocolate turns shiny, roughly 5 to 7 minutes. (If you like your marshmallows extra toasty, turn on the boiler of your oven and use that for the last few minutes. Be sure to turn the pan every minute or so to ensure even browning.)

Remove from oven and cool completely in pan.

Recipe adapted from A Dash of Sass.