chocolate recipe Archives - 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on February 5, 2013

Valentine's Day M&M Cookies {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

I have been meaning to share this cookie recipe for the past two weeks, but these M&M cookies seem to disappear before I can even take a photo of them! I was finally able to make a batch this past weekend and sneak in a photo session before we ate them all. While this recipe does take a little bit of time because you need to chill the dough before baking them, I have been been breaking it into two baking sessions. I make the M&M cookie dough on one night, and then I bake the cookies the next day. I sometimes prefer baking this way because it makes the clean-up seem much more manageable when split over two days.

Valentine's Day M&M Cookies {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

I used Valentine’s Day pink, red, and white M&Ms to make these, but you could switch up the M&M colors for any holiday or theme party…think Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas, etc. You could even use the personalized M&Ms to bake up a special message for someone for this upcoming Valentine’s Day. Way better than conversation hearts in my opinion!

My husband and I gave out customized M&Ms as a wedding favor since our first name both starts with the letter M. We had our wedding date and our names printed on blue, green, and white M&Ms (our wedding colors). I should have used the extras to bake up a batch of these M&M cookies! Maybe I’ll have some reprinted for a fun anniversary gift in future years.

Valentine's Day M&M Cookies {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

M&M Cookies for Valentine's Day

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoons baking soda
1 and ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup M&Ms (regular or seasonal)

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour and baking soda with a whisk. Set flour mixture aside. Using the paddle attachment with an electric stand mix, mix the butter, brown sugar, and regular sugar together until combined and creamy. Next, add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and continue to mix. Add the flour mixture ½ cup at a time and mix until all flour/baking soda is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and fold in the M&Ms with the spatula. (Don't mix in the M&Ms with the electric mixer or they will get crushed!)
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The cookie dough will keep up to five days in the fridge.
When you are ready to bake the M&M Cookies, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a mini ice cream scoop to create small balls of dough and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Before baking, press a few more M&Ms onto the tops to add a little more color to the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. The centers should still be slightly soft. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool a few minutes on the baking sheet and transfer to cooling racks. Store in a airtight container for up to seven days.

Source: Slightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction (I highly recommend checking out this blog if you have time- so many great cookie recipes…)

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Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on October 18, 2012

Today we have a guest post from someone near and dear to our heart- our mom! K and I owe our love of cooking to her. She is always sharing the latest recipes she has found on various food blogs. Today she shares with us a cookie recipe she recently made: chewy chocolate cookies with fleur de sel. If you can’t find fleur de sel at your local store, it can be found in the 2S2C Amazon store or at O&CO.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Fleur de Sel

One of my fun memories as a newlywed in the 1970s was searching for and trying five new recipes a week. At that time, my search was limited to magazines and my collections of cookbooks, which grew not surprisingly large with time. Trends over the years certainly have changed. I remember the very first Asian stir-fry beef recipe that I cooked- it used 3/4 cup of oil . A contemporary version would have a tablespoon or less!

The quest for new recipes continues 38 years later, but today there are so many new options for finding them, including food channels and of course , blogs, that m. introduced me to a few years ago. She may have created a monster. I follow so many blogs that it often takes a full afternoon to read through my blog list, but I am partial to 2 Sisters 2 Cities!!

While my 4 children were growing up, we baked and cooked and ate together! Although, some of their memories are fading and only k. can remember great details about every recipe that I cooked! Now,my 4 daughters are all grown adults , but I still like to bake for my husband and myself. The evening is not complete without a “treat” with our tea. Here is a recent cookie recipe that I tried. I just enjoyed one with a glass of milk this afternoon- so good!

Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Fleur de Sel

Author: Mom

Recipe type: cookie

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs ( I try to bring to room temp, it makes the mixture cream together easier)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup cocoa powder ( I used "Special Dark" but regular would work)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Fleur de Sel for sprinkling (or coarse sea salt)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpats, if you are lucky enough to own them.
In a medium size bowl, whisk or sift (if yours is lumpy) together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and light, about 3-4 minutes with mixer on medium high. Add each egg, 1 at a time, mixing briefly after each and then add the vanilla extract.
Now, add the dry mixture to this and gently combine until mixed. Using a medium cookie scoop ( or 1 rounded tablespoon), drop onto prepared cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with your hand and sprinkle the tops with the fleur de sel.
Bake about 9-10 minutes until the edges are crisp. Cool slightly on pan and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep well for several days if you can keep them that long. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Source: Adapted from Erin’s Food Files

-Mom

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on August 15, 2012

At last- the recipe you have been waiting for! It’s the final dessert recipe from my family’s Fourth of July Party, the salted caramel brownies. I have been waiting to post this recipe because I wanted to bake them again for a baby shower that I was going to. Let me tell you, these brownies are to die for! At both parties these brownies went very quickly and everyone who got to try them loved them. One of my good friends I work with told me that she wants me to make these for her birthday next year. I am totally okay with is because I would love another excuse to make these brownies again.

I am starting to wonder what world was like before this whole salted caramel thing came around. I hope it is here to stay because I love love love it!! The combination of the salt and sweet caramel is so amazing. I assure you there will be plenty more salted caramel recipes to come on this blog because this girl can’t get enough.

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Author: K

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 24

Ingredients

For the caramel sauce: 1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
2 tbsp. corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream, warmed in microwave for 15 seconds
1 tsp. fleur de sel or kosher salt
¼ cup sour cream
For the brownies: 1¼ cups AP flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
11 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1½ cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For topping: 1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. fleur de sel or kosher salt

Instructions

To make caramel sauce- mix sugar, corn syrup and water in a sauce pan. Heat on stove top over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. The mixture should be deep gold in color. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in heavy cream. Once the cream is all mixed in add in salt and sour cream and stir until smooth. Set caramel aside while making brownie batter.
For brownies- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9X13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a small bowl whisk together flour, salt and cocoa powder and set aside.
In a large microwavable bowl, add in chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter cup up into 1 inch chunks. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring with a spatula in-between until the chocolate and butter are melted together and smooth.
Whisk sugar and eggs into the melted chocolate mixture until smooth.
Next whisk in vanilla extract.
Mix in dry ingredients until just combined.
Spread half the brownie batter into the lined baking pan. Smooth with a spatula so that the batter is evenly spread in the pan.
Pour the caramel sauce over the first layer of brownie batter in an even layer.
Top the caramel sauce with the remaining half of brownie batter making sure to cover then caramel layer completely.
Bake for 30-38 minutes, turning the pan half way.
Remove from over and place on cooling rack.
Combine 1 tsp. sugar with 1 tsp. fleur de sel and sprinkle on top of warm brownies to your liking.
Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting.

Source– adapted slightly from Annie’s Eats

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on August 8, 2012

I happened to be reading a book on the couch one Sunday afternoon when the book mentioned a couple sharing a hot fudge sundae. For the life of me, I could not stop thinking about hot fudge sundaes and I decided to look up what I needed to make hot fudge sauce. I happened to have all of the ingredients and my boyfriend ran out to get whipped cream and light vanilla ice cream. The hot sauce came together so quickly and I was soon back to my book eating a hot fudge sundae like the characters in my book.

I don’t always make what I am thinking about because if I did I would be eating bad foods all the time. I just happened to be going home later that week and needed a dessert that did not have gluten in it for my little sister. The hot fudge sauce fit perfectly into a medium sized mason jar and after we had some on our ice cream, I put it away in the refrigerator to store for later. Then later that week when we were traveling to Syracuse, I just put the chilled fudge sauce in our cooler and took it with us. The sauce heats up in the microwave very easily in 30 second intervals.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Author: K

Ingredients

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup water
⅓ cup of sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

In a double-boiler or a heatproof bowl set over simmering water in a sauce pan, add in chocolate and butter. Stir until melted and smooth.
In another sauce pan heat boil the ⅔ cup of water. Stir in the melted chocolate/butter mixture into the boiling water.
Mix in sugar, corn syrup and salt until smooth.
Increase the heat until the chocolate sauce comes to a boil. Boil for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Take off heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm on top of ice cream. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To heat up, microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between intervals until heated.

Source- Adapted from Annie’s Eats from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Silver Palate Cookbook