Chewy and Rich Chocolate Cookies

I don't think anything beats a cookie that reminds me of my mom's fudge sauce. This cookie recipe, which I got off the back of a package of Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate, just looked like it might be tasty, and I was very pleasantly surprised.



It's also really easy to make. I'd recommend doing it in a mixer if you have one, because the dough gets very stiff at the end, but it's nothing that a little muscle can't handle either.



If you are in need of a chocolate fix, these cookies are certainly for you!



Chocolate Cookies
Makes between 60-70 cookies

Ingredients
4 squares of Baker's unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour



Place chocolate and butter into a microwave safe dish. Microwave the chocolate and butter until melted. This will probably take approximately 2 minutes, but depending on the strength of your microwave, might be slightly more or less. It's important not to microwave the chocolate and butter too long; you risk the chance of burning the chocolate. If you are worried about the strength of your microwave, try microwaving just a minute, and then giving the chocolate and butter a stir. When it's almost melted, bring the cooking interval time down to 30 seconds.

Once the chocolate and butter are completely melted, stir until completely blended. Next, mix in the sugar. The mixture will look kind of grainy.

Stir in the eggs and vanilla. I like to lightly beat the eggs before mixing them in so that they blend in well and are not mostly yolk in one place, and white in another.

Finally, stir in the flour. Do this in three or four additions, so that the flour doesn't go everywhere. The dough will feel quite stiff.



If it's not firm and easy to roll, place the dough in the refrigerator for up to an hour.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls, and, on to a greased cookie sheet, place approximately 2 inches apart.



Bake for 8 minutes. The cookies should be just set. This will ensure that they stay nice and chewy. Cool the cookies on the sheet for a minute, then remove to a cooling rack.



I ate a couple when they were still warm, and they were soft and chewy and delicious!

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Yesterday was Taylor’s birthday. And at 8:00 at night I decided he needed birthday cupcakes.

Cut to tonight, a mere 24 hours later… there are 2, count them 2, cupcakes left. Out of a batch of a dozen. While I would like to blame the kitchen elves for this, or the kitty, I know that we, just the two of us, are solely responsible for the extinction of this batch of oh-so-rich chocolate cupcakes.

That should tell you something about the amount of deliciousness we’re talking about here.

I knew I had made something good when Taylor marched into the office at 8:15 am this morning, with a cupcake in hand, saying, “It’s my birthday. I can have a cupcake at 8 in the morning if I darn well please!”. Me, well, I waited until at least 10 to have my morning cupcake. :)

Rich and chocolaty, with a smooth and not too sweet frosting speckled with vanilla, topped with a few sprinkles… yes these cupcakes beat a birthday cake any day, hands down.

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Makes 11-12 cupcakes.
Recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch processed or regular
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Bean Frosting:
1/4 cup margarine (or butter), softened
1/4 cup tofutti (or regular) cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the soymilk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to the soy milk mixture and beat till foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no lumps remain (or very few remain).

Pour into liners, filling each with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

For frosting, cream together margarine and cream cheese until just combined. Add confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing each addition until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, and beat until fluffy and smooth. Keep tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use, then pipe/spread onto fully cooled cupcakes. Add sprinkles and don’t blink or they’ll all be gone.