Chocolate Waffle Cookies

I was going to share this recipe over the weekend, but a horrible thing happened to my laptop. The "I" key broke off. That really makes typing words correctly more than a challenge. I will do my best to get this typed out correctly. The "I" still works as long as you press down really super firmly... 

maybe I should try a hammer?

I was going to let this recipe hang in limbo while I get things fixed, but my mom is going a little nuts waiting for it! That's what I get for putting a teaser picture online ahead of time!

These cookies are awesome! Couple things though... Tip Number One, They are definitely best on the day you make them. Even though I stored them well, on day two they really lost their awesomeness. Tip Number Two on making these is to make them when you aren't short on time or patience. It took a gentle hand and some patience to get them out of the iron, not something I would be good at when in a hurry! Also, my waffle iron is a Belgian Waffle Maker, so if you have a different type of iron, your timing will be different! You may want to use less batter, also.

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered Sugar

Preheat waffle iron. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla, mixing until light and fluffy. Blend in the melted chocolate. Add flour, mixing until completely incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop 2 tablespoons of batter in each section of waffle iron (my iron has 4 squares). Bake for 4 minutes*** Carefully lift cookie out and cool on wire rack. After cookie has cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

***Note**** I used a Belgian Waffle Maker for these cookies. If you are not using Belgian style, I suggest using less batter, and decreasing your baking time.

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Keepin' it Local

We did something new a couple months ago, we ordered a pig from a local farmer. We really try to eat local as much as we can. And knowing where our food comes from, and what goes into it, is becoming more and more important to us. I mean really, did you know what you were eating in your Subway bread until the news stories this week? I didn't, but that's a whole other story, if you want more on it, click here.

I thought it would be fun to see the pigs, so we checked in with Farmer George to see if we could visit. The next time Truckin' Man was home, we headed over.

We only ever had one hog when I was growing up on the farm, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The "hogs" were so friendly, I got to go in the pen with them! 

I was having so much fun, I never did count how many pigs there were, but I think there were eight.

 Aren't they cute?

 They were really intrigued by my boots!

 I did learn something while we were visiting.....

I could never raise hogs ..... I would get to attached.

 We also got to see some cows while we are out. It's been many years since I was up this close to any cattle. 

My dad used to milk dairy cows until I was 13, so lets see.... Just a couple years ago!

 And of course, there were some barn cats!

 Have a great day!

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What'd you do this weekend?

Random 5 Friday

• Our outdoor dog and two barn cats have become permanent residents in our basement. I hope someday it's warm enough for them to be outside full time again. 

• I am starting to think about our garden, and what I want to plant this year. Every year we try a new vegetable to help us eat new things. I have been buying beets lately, and I think those will be our new garden veg.

• Words I never thought I would say. "Hold the milk, I need to get pickles out of my pocket"! In my defense, we had been out to eat and had pickles left on our plates (neither of us eat pickles). I wondered if the chickens would eat them, so I brought them home.

• I finally went in for testing on my allergies, the tests revealed several mild allergies. The most interesting result I got back was that I have a sensitivity to egg whites, 

apparently that was my strongest  reaction. I am really bummed out about that,
but better to be "sensitive to" than "allergic to", right?

• Super excited for my blogger friend Mandy today. She made the announcement that she has been to Food Network! How cool is that?! I am so excited to see how this adventure goes for her. If you have been following my blog long, you know that I love love love her cooking!

 If you don't know Mandy, check her out at here!

Cranberry Valentine's Cookies

It's time to "Fill the Cookie Jar"! This month I am bringing a Valentine cookie. I really was excited for this theme, as it gave me the push to try a recipe I had stumbled across quite some time ago at Love.Peace.Happiness.Cooking.   You know the recipes you find, fall in love with, pin, but then forget? I never forgot this one, it was safely tucked way far back in my memory. I am so glad my memory didn't fail me this time!

Truckin' man and I really did love this cookie. With the coconut and cranberries, there was so much more flavor than a traditional sugar cookie. They are soft and chewy, just how I love my cookies! And they are just plain fun, and so perfect for Valentine's Day!  The cookie cutter was a little more work than normal with the cranberries and coconut, so keep your cookie cutter clean. And if you need to, gently pull the coconut and cranberries out from around the edge to keep a cleaner cut.

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.
We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Cranberry Valentine's Cookies  (Source:  Love.Peace.Happiness.Cooking)

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Red food coloring

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until completely combined. Add several drops of food coloring until you reach the shade of pink you like (I used 4 drops).  Stir until food coloring is completely incorporated. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mixing until flour is completely combined.  Add coconut, and cranberries; mix well.

On floured surface, roll dough out to between 1/8" and 1/4" thick, and cut with cookie cutter.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or just until a hint of golden-ness around the edges.

Cool on sheet 4-5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

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A Reminder of Warmer Days

In our ongoing days of unusually cold temperatures, I needed pictures to remind me of warmer days. 

Hope these can brighten your day, too.

Double Chocolate Muffins

I recently won a cookbook from Carole over at Carole's Chatter. If you don't know Carole, please stop by her blog, she always shares so many wonderful things! This cookbook was so fun for me to win because it was a MUFFIN cookbook, perfect for me!  I'm definitely looking forward to trying more of the recipes in this cookbook because they are just a little bit different from what I am used to....  the recipes are from New Zealand!

The first recipe I tried is Double Chocolate Muffins. Reasons for trying this recipe are obvious by the name, right? I have to tell ya, just from the batter, I knew they were going to be chocolatey bliss. Once sitting down to enjoy the finished product, they have the perfect crisp muffin top, and moist inside. And definitely, the right amount of chocolate!

Double Chocolate Muffins Adapted from (Marvellous Muffins by Alison Holst)

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
7 Tbsp butter
1 egg
1 cup yogurt (I used Greek Strawberry Yogurt)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup white coarse sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 12 muffin cups with non-stick spray; set aside.  In large mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients.

In medium sauce pan, melt butter. After melted, let set for 5 minutes to cool. To the melted butter, add egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.  Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold together until all ingredients are moistened. Do NOT over mix.  Divide mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle each muffin with chocolate chips and coarse sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Enjoy as many of them as you like, then repeat with another batch! (optional)

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Grandma's Favorite Sugar Cookie

I've shared before about Gram's Coconut Crisps that we were always treated to when visiting Gram and Gramp. Today, I am sharing the Favorite Sugar Cookie that we always had when we visited my Grandma. It was always fun that both grandmothers cooked different types of cookies, so there was always a different treat waiting! My grandma, almost always, had this sugar cookie on hand. Once in a while she would have a different cookie, or she would be out and we would get to help her bake some. Always a treat!

I haven't had this cookie in YEARS! I was so surprised when reviewing the church cookbook, that Grandma gave me when I was 5 years old, to find her name next to a recipe for sugar cookies. That had to be her signature cookie. Mine are missing her years of expertise, but this was definitely her recipe, and I am so happy to have it in my collection! Grandma's sugar cookie is a crisp cookie, with just the faintest hint of lemon. Perfect with a cup of tea!

Grandma's Favorite Sugar Cookie

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Nonpareils, optional or other seasonal sprinkles


In large mixing bowl, add powdered sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are combined. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mixing until all ingredients are combined.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop dough using a small cookie scoop, roll dough into balls, then roll in remaining granulated sugar.  Place on baking sheet several inches apart.  Flatten ball with fork that has been dipped in sugar. Sprinkle with nonpareils.  Bake about 13-15 minutes or until edges are a just turning a very light tan.

Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Sharing this at:
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