Triple Chocolate Avocado Cookies

You guys, I seriously can't even handle these cookies right now. I'm kind of freaking out over them. I probably ate about 5 or 6 of these bad boys as I was testing the recipe, trying to find the avocado in them and you can't taste it at all.

Of course I love avocado and I wouldn't mind having it in all the food I devour, but there's something magical about substituting it for butter and having it be completely untraceable. It's a healthy cookie, people. Me. Meghan. I made a healthy cookie.

What is happening here, exactly?!

Don't worry, it's still me I promise. No AI robot has come to take over my life or anything. I'm still in here.

Really it all stemmed from me trying to figure out a crazy creative way to use avocados other than in guacamole, like in my breakfast tostadas with guacamole. I wanted to bring something completely wild and different to the table, so why not throw some avocado in and triple the chocolate love?

Why not, indeed…

These triple chocolate avocado cookies are like little pillows - soft and absolutely luxurious. They practically melt in your mouth with every bite. The texture is something I've never been able to perfect with any other cookie in my life and I think, aside from the killer triple chocolate flavor, that's what really makes this cookie unique.

Plus, you can eat twice as many because of all those calories you're saving. Nothing wrong with that at all, am I right? More cookies + more chocolate + avocado = this girl's dream come true.

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Triple Chocolate Avocado Cookies Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 large avocado, ripe, peeled, pitted, and mashed well
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 2 ounces white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, stir together mashed avocado, sugars, egg, and vanilla until well-combined. Stir in the dry ingredients until combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop rounded 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon dough balls onto the baking sheet. Note the dough will be pretty wet so you won't be forming hard balls with the dough.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, until the center is set. They will still be fairly soft. Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before eating.

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Source: Recipe adapted from Apple of My Eye

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Triple Chocolate Ultimate Peanut Butter Cup Bark

I've had candy bark fever this past year! I've never been all that enthusiastic about candy bark, or very interested in making it, but I've come around. I thought… it's just a slab of chocolate. What's so special about that?

That's the precise beauty of chocolate bark though! Now I see what I've been missing.

I love the endless creative possibilities you get with starting a recipe with a blank sheet of melted chocolate as your canvas. I mean, the entire premise is a huge slab of melted chocolate sprinkled with candy. Sold.

What took me so long?

My candy bark fever started when I made this ultra-delicious tiger butter. From there, my infatuation snow-balled. That tiger butter is a peanut butter lover's dream! It starts with a slab of melted white chocolate mixed with creamy peanut butter, and is swirled with semi-sweet chocolate, and topped with 3 kinds of Reese's cups. Did you just die over it? You see how I got sucked into candy bark-making?

Since the tiger butter recipe, I've made two different types of Halloween candy barks, the obligatory classic peppermint bark for Christmas, and now I've made two additional peanut butter-focused candy barks.

This triple chocolate ultimate peanut butter cup bark is the first of those peanut butter-focused candy barks. I mixed peanut butter with melted chocolate almond bark so that even your basic slab of chocolate has peanut butter flavor! That's a MUST. The more PB, the better… obvi.

Then I drizzled it with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, sprinkled it with white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, Reese's pieces, mini milk chocolate Reese's cups, and mini white chocolate Reese's cups.

I don't think there's anything else I could've done! As a peanut butter-lovin' fool, this bark ties for first place in my book with the tiger butter. It's absolutely packed with peanut butter in many forms, and, as the name suggests, contains three different kinds of chocolate.

As if it could get any better, as with most candy barks, this takes only minutes to prepare!

But before we ate it all, I played candy bark Jenga again. That game is fun.

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Triple Chocolate Ultimate Peanut Butter Cup Bark Recipe

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Ingredients

• 24 ounces chocolate almond bark
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 6 ounces reese's pieces
• 20 miniature reese's white chocolate peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped, more or less
• 20 miniature reese's peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped, more or less

Directions

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate almond bark.
3. Add the creamy peanut butter, and stir until smooth.
4. Spread the mixture in a thin and even layer onto the parchment paper.
5. Using the same saucepan, melt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips over low heat.
6. Drizzle the melted chips over the chocolate almond bark on the baking sheet, and use a skewer or knife to lightly swirl.
7. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, Reese's pieces, and chopped Reese's cups.
8. Allow at least 1 hour to set, or place pan in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
9. Break into pieces, and enjoy!

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Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Have you ever had a cinnamon roll craving? I have. Plenty of times. That's totally normal right?

Cinnamon rolls are really just the best thing ever. I don't think I know anyone that doesn't love them. But.... sometimes you want a cinnamon roll and there are none in sight.

And they're not exactly a whip it up in a half hour breakfast treat. Closer to several hours to enjoy the next day. Which is still great, cinnamon rolls tomorrow - but it doesn't exactly help with that craving.

Cinnamon roll pancakes are the answer. These taste just like a cinnamon roll, but in pancake form. And they're way faster to make in a cinnamon roll emergency. Because those are a thing.

These are some of the best flavoured pancakes I've ever tried. We make pancakes on a fairly regular basis around here, but typically stick to the plain old buttermilk kind. Although these banana pancakes run a close second whenever there's some overripe bananas lying around.

I think cinnamon roll pancakes are going to be joining the pancake rotation for our Sunday brunch though. They are that good! Sweet, cinnamon filled, fluffy pancakes with a cream cheese glaze. They taste surprisingly similar to the real thing. But with a lot less time and effort.

They are quite sweet though, so if you want to cut down on the sweetness a bit, they are also delicious if you replace the sugar and maple syrup with a smaller amount of brown sugar. That makes for a cinnamon-flavoured pancake without a sugar overload. And there's still the cream cheese glaze to sweeten them.

If, however, you want a decadent cinnamon roll pancake that tastes exactly like the real thing - make them as written. They are absolutely fantastic and definitely worth it for a special breakfast treat! 

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Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened, 1/4 package
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

For the Pancakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

To Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar and whip again until smooth and well combined.
3. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside.

For the Pancakes:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon until well combined.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, maple syrup, butter and vanilla until well combined.
3. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix. I usually use an electric mixer, but you can also just whisk it all together until it's combined.
4. Preheat a non-stick frying pan or electric griddle to medium heat. I don't use any oil, but if it's not a good non-stick pan you may need to lightly oil the pan to prevent the pancakes from sticking.
5. Drop the batter onto the hot pan by 1/4 cup spoonfuls and allow to cook until bubbles start forming on the top.
6. Flip and cook on the other side.
7. Keep warm while cooking the rest of the pancakes.
8. Serve hot, drizzled with the cream cheese glaze.

Notes

• This makes a very sweet pancake that tastes just like a cinnamon roll. If you'd like a less sweet version, omit the sugar and maple syrup from the pancake batter, and add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar instead. That will make a cinnamon flavoured pancake that isn't overly sweet.

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Source: Pancakes adapted from Dinner Then Dessert, cream cheese glaze adapted from Cooking Classy.

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Apple Pie Taquitos

I have a crazy sweet tooth. I could totally eat dessert after every meal with no regret, and I have zero willpower to resist a good dessert.

Pie is always the top pick for dessert at our house. However, I haven't had much time to make an actual pie lately. Saturday morning, I decided the house cleaning could wait. It had been a really long week and I needed a sweet treat. These apple pie taquitos were reminiscent of our favorite skillet apple pie but so much easier and so much quicker. It was practically instant gratification.

Taquitos are one of my favorites from the Mexican restaurant and I make them homemade for lunch quite often. I just can't resist that crunchy goodness. One of my favorite homemade variations is with barbecue chicken.

Up until now I hadn't really thought about making a dessert taquito. I keep both flour and corn tortillas on hand and thought the corn tortillas would add a more interesting taste to these dessert taquitos. The combination was a bit unusual and I wasn't sure if it would work, but the whole family really loved them. You could do the same with flour tortillas if you are not feeling so adventurous.

The ingredients are simply made with a can of apple pie filling that is rolled into corn tortillas, fried in oil, and then rolled in cinnamon and sugar. I topped them off with homemade salted caramel sauce and some sweetened whipped cream. A scoop of vanilla ice cream would also be a fantastic way to top these.

My sweet tooth was finally satisfied with these crunchy dessert taquitos and my family thought it was just as tasty as their favorite apple pie. I hope you will try these apple pie taquitos for your next Taco Tuesday, Mexican fiesta or lazy Saturday morning with the family. 

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Apple Pie Taquitos Recipe

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Ingredients

• 10 white corn tortillas, or small flour tortillas
• 1 cup apple pie filling
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups oil
• caramel and whipped cream, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Heat tortillas for about 10-15 seconds per side and set aside.
2. If pie filling is in slices, cut into small chunks. Spoon about a tablespoon of filling onto each tortilla and roll up tightly. Place seam side down on a plate.
3. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and place in a shallow dish or small plate. Heat oil to 350°F in a French oven or deep skillet.
4. Using steel tongs, place each tortilla roll into oil, seam side down. Hold tortilla roll with gentle pressure until seam is sealed and will not come apart.
5. Roll to brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes each.
6. Gently remove from oil, and allow excess oil to drain into pan.
7. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a paper towel lined rack to cool slightly. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
8. Serve with whipped cream and caramel sauce if desired. 

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Thai Chicken Soup with Zucchini Noodles

For the past few months, I've been completely obsessed with Thai flavors. Basil, lemongrass, chili, ginger, lime – I can't get enough! I've been stuffing them into peppers and lettuce wraps, using them to flavor baked chicken wings, and adding them to my salad dressing. It was only a matter of time before my thoughts turned to soup.

The star of this Thai chicken soup is the broth, which I made in a slow cooker. If you don't have a slow cooker, a regular stock pot will work just as well. The trick is to cook it low and slow, letting it reduce so the flavors concentrate.

 To make the Thai chicken soup, I start with a standard chicken broth – perfect for flu season – kicked up a few notches with ginger, jalapeno, and lemongrass. I use chicken legs for the broth, then shred the cooked meat to add back into the soup at the end. Removing the skin from half the legs helps cut down on fat in the final dish, while browning the other half before adding them to the pot gives the broth an extra layer of rich flavor.

I wanted to keep things light and simple, but still ensure that the soup was packing plenty of nutrition, so I decided to skip pasta and use zucchini noodles instead. I love the way the compliment the flavor of the broth, soaking in all of it's flavor.

I use a paderno spiralizer that I absolutely love, but if you don't have one you can shred the zucchini lengthwise on the coarse side of a box grater.  The noodles will be a little thinner if you use a grater, so the texture won't be exactly the same, but they'll taste just as good.

To serve, I like to take a cue from pho and finish the soup with fresh basil, jalapeno slices and just a touch of sambal olek, a spicy thai chili paste. Let everyone add their own for a fun, customizable experience – and so they can have it be as mild or as spicy as they like. 

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Thai Chicken Soup with Zucchini Noodles Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro stems
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 stalk lemongrass, lightly smashed
• 2 jalapeños, split lengthwise
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 inches fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 medium zucchini squashes, spiralized
• cilantro cilantro, fresh basil, jalapeño slices and thai chili sauce, to serve

Directions

1. Heat the oil in the large skillet. Add half the drumsticks and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove and discard the skin for the remaining drumsticks.
2. Add the chicken, celery, carrots, cilantro stems, onion, lemongrass, jalapenos, garlic, ginger, and peppercorns to your slow cooker. Cover with water. Cook on low for 12 hours.
3. Remove the chicken and shred; set aside.
4. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Discard the solids. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the shredded chicken back into the stock. Bring to a boil and add the zucchini noodles; cook 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through.
6. Allow each diner to garnish their soup with cilantro, basil, jalapeno slices, and Thai chili sauce to taste. 

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