Chocolate

Cookie Friday: Triple Threats

September 10, 2010 by Hillary 18 Comments

Three cheers for Cookie Friday!

Three cheers for finishing my 3rd week!

Three cheers for running 3 speedy miles!

I’ve been itching to make this recipe since it made an appearance at In Praise of Leftovers. After all, they include three of my favorite things: 1) apricots, 2) dark chocolate, and 3) espresso. I finally had an excuse – and the time! – to bake a batch today. After my final class for the week, I made a quick 3-minute stop at the store to buy a bag of $3 choco chips. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, so I was tempted to take an afternoon siesta, but boy am I glad I decided to turn on the oven and make these babies instead. The recipe was so simple; I had bakery-worthy cookies and washed dishes in <30 minutes.

As Tina would say, “holy yummm!”.

Apricot Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. all-purpose flour + 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c. rolled oats
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 T baking powder
1 T instant espresso powder
pinch of salt
3/4 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled*
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp. pure vanilla
2 c. chocolate chips
1 c. coarsely chopped dried apricots

In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, sugars, salt, baking powder, and espresso powder.

Add egg, egg yolk, melted butter, and vanilla – stir once or twice, then add chocolate chips and dried apricots.

Refrigerate dough for 10-20 minutes as you clean up the kitchen.

Place balls of cookie dough [small or large – you chose!] onto cookie sheets.

Bake @ 350* for 12-14 minutes.

*Note: I reduced the amount of butter from the original recipe from 2 cups to less than 1 1/2 cups. Though, when combining the wet ingredients with the dry, I decided the dough needed a bit more moisture, so I added 2 T of canola oil – perfect! [You could just as easily add more buttah.]

Make these please please please… and then eat three!

* * *

So, like I said, I decided to forgo my nap and instead, I drank a 24oz. Ball jar of green tea and ate a warm, homemade cookie. Caffeine + glucose and I was ready to run into the weekend! My roommate and I headed to The Resort for some exercise around 5:00pm – what exciting Friday night lives we have, huh? I wasn’t intending to have a great workout [my legs were throbbing last night], but my body surprised me.

Unplanned Speed Workout:

Mile 1: 9:00
Strength Training:
- 3 planks @ 1 min.
- random arm exercises + squats
Mile 2: 8:30
Mile 3: 7:30!

If all this speed and strength training doesn’t pay off, I’m going to be quite disappointed. Do you think I should be worrying about neglecting my long runs!?

Gotta get back to my exciting [wink wink] Friday night.

xo Hill

I’ll leave you with three:

1) Three things that made you happy today…

1) Braided Hair 2) Cute Boys 3) Sunshine

2) Three favorite cookie ingredients…

1) Chocolate – duh! 2) Oats – yes please! 3) NUTS

3) Three things you’re looking forward to…

1) Pumpkins 2) The Holidays 3) Running Half Marathon #3

I Love You, Grains and Greens.

August 28, 2010 by Hillary 13 Comments

I didn’t think I’d be hungry after eating the day away, but when 6 o’clock rolled around, I was hungry for dinner. Listening to my body, I headed into the kitchen and put together a meal that you probably wouldn’t see in any other ‘normal’ college kid’s kitchen.

There are no words to describe how much I love healthy food. I do not forcefully make myself eat this healthy – I just L.O.V.E. vegetables so so so much. Call me nutty… but a very healthy nut, I am.

Quinoa + fresh spinach, edamame, chevre and black pepper.

Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger – nothing added.

Organic Heirloom Tomato – sweet ‘n’ juicy.

My mason jar got a lot of lovin’ today.

Not long after cleaning my dinner plate, I pulled the berry colander from the fridge, and the chocolate chips from the freezer.

Yes, you bet that is a mug of melted semisweet chocolate chips… and you can bet some of those s-berries took a dunk in that swimming pool of rich, dark chocolate.

I just poured myself a second cup of green tea. I don’t know what was up with my hunger today, but I ate an awful lot of [healthy] food for only 32 minutes of physical activity. My Sunday is a bit busier than today was, and hopefully the eats will be a bit lighter too.

If the weather is suitable, I may go for another outdoor run in the morning. Speaking of running, I signed up for a race! I’m going to run the Chico Ten on September 18th at the park that’s just a few minutes away from my house. I used to run races rather regularly, but it’s been months since I’ve participated in one. I think this 10-mile run fits in nicely with my half-marathon training. Yay, I’m really looking forward to my fall races! : )

Reading, writing, online quizzes… such an eventful Saturday night.

Ta ta for now,

Hillary

Are you participating in any races this fall?
My internship @ College Lifestyles is almost over: Keep College Eating Peachy Keen

Shhh… it’s top secret!

June 15, 2010 by Hillary 22 Comments

I’m a tease, aren’t I? This recipe is just so gosh darn uh-mazing, it needs its own separate post. It took a little squeezing to get this “top secret” recipe from my mom, so you should all thank her later when your taste buds are singing.

We all know that chocolate and strawberries together are not something to be messed with. The creator of this recipe is a genius in my book, combining bittersweet chocolate, flaky dough, juicy ripe strawberries, and slightly sweet soft peaks of heavy whipping cream. I didn’t say there was anything healthy about this dessert. It’s an indulgence for sure… but it is real food, darn good real food. Enjoy, my friends!

Top Secret Chocolate Strawberry Scone Cake

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 c. room temperature butter, unsalted of course

2/3 c. milk

2 eggs

6 oz. chocolate chips

whipping cream & fresh strawberries

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter until dispersed throughout in pea-sized pieces. In a small bowl, combine milk, 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk. Mix, then add to dry mixture. Mix until just moistened. Plop onto a lightly-floured surface. Kneed ever so slightly. Divide in half. Roll each half into a circle, approximately 10 in. in diameter. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the ‘bottom’ piece of dough. Top with second round. Crimp edges. Brush top with leftover egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Score cake into 8 equal slices. Bake @ 425* for 18-20 minutes until top is deliciously golden brown.

Meanwhile, whip heaving cream to your liking and slice as many strawberries as your heart desires [macerate if you please].

Slice into the flaky dough and gooey chocolate center. Then top with a large dollop of the freshly whipped cream and juicy berries. It’s best served the same day as made with a birthday candle, family, and tea.

From my kitchen to yours,

Hillary

Baking > Books

April 3, 2010 by Hillary 7 Comments

Hello hello!

Hope you had a lovely Saturday. I really shouldn’t complain, but why does tomorrow have to be Sunday already? I see a cram sesh in my future =[

I woke up a little later than I had planned – 8:30am on the nose – but I suppose that’s not too terrible for a Saturday morning. Breakfast was a bowl of cold cereal + an English muffin with raspberry jam for some pre-spinning fuel.

I was surprised when a different spin instructor walked into the studio today, but a great surprise it was. She taught the most challenging and FUN spin class this morning…plus the music was actually good [my style] for once! My roomie and I left with numb legs =]

After an hour at the gym, I did my weekly grocery shopping at TJ’s [I saved my trip for today since I am not of fan of running errands in the rain]. I was excited to see organic strawberries on the cheap – yay for the beginning of berry season!

I munched on a plate of raw veggies, a couple Wasa crackers and homemade hummus, showered and then headed to school. Again, I can’t complain since I had a mid-week “weekend”….but a 2-hour O.Chem lecture does not make Hillary a happy student. Baking to the rescue!

When I got home I threw together one of Tina’s speedy recipes: Peanut Buttery Bars. Side Note: I love that this girl whips up baked goods in the middle of the week. She is the queen of quick & healthy treats! You can literally count the minutes on your fingers that these take to make – so simple.

With only five ingredients, a 6-year-old could make these. In fact, they look like they were made by a first grader.

P.Nut Buttah ~~Bars~~

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 egg

chocolate chips [optional, but recommended!]

Combine all ingredients until smooth. Spread batter into a prepared pan and bake at 350* for ~15 minutes. In my case, I used a muffin pan with my favorite papers. I think this jeopardized their presentation, but I still got 12 chewy, nutty, chocolaty treats.

***

There wasn’t anything special about my dinner tonight, but it hit the spot: vegetarian comfort food.

Baked Beans + Tofu Dogs

Broccolini sautéed in Olive Oil & Garlic

Alrighty, I must close my laptop and open my book now. I hope ya’ll enjoy some time with family and friends tomorrow. Wish I could say the same. Instead, I’ll be relieving my stress with the box of Spring See’s chocolates someone sent me in the mail – thanks G.ma & G.pa!

Until we meet again,

Hillary