Cookie Butter Popcorn

Yes you read that right, cookie butter popcorn. If you don't know what cookie butter is you live under a rock. Sorry if that was offensive...if you don't know what it is, it's basically Trader Joe's mascot. 

I have a weakness for white chocolate covered things. Pretzels, raisins, chex mix, strawberries, popcorn. You know that amazing white chocolaty mix people make at Christmas that has chex, m&ms, pretzels, etc? That stuff is my ish. Even though white chocolate isn't really chocolate, it still reigns supreme. Throw a little cookie butter in with white chocolate and it's basically game over. 

Cookie Butter Popcorn

Ingredients:
6-8 cups air popped popcorn (I used 1/2 cup kernels and 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil)
8 oz. vanilla almond bark
2 Tbsp. cookie butter or biscoff spread
sprinkles for decorating

Directions:
Pop your popcorn in a large pot over medium high heat, or in a popper. Melt the almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals, until fully melted. Stir in the cookie butter. In a large bowl mix the melted mixture and the popcorn together. Spread out on foil, decorate with sprinkles and let harden for at least hour. 

This popcorn would be perfect to take to your Super Bowl party. The Super Bowl is basically just an excuse to have a party, eat a ton of food, and drink on a Sunday. We all only watch it for the halftime show anyway #yonce. But still, bring the popcorn and people will love you. 

For more cookie butter deliciousness try these rice krispies.

Annie

Chocolate Chunk Cookies Round 3

So pretty right? Pretty and they taste good! Let's just sit and look at them for a second.....

Okay moment's over. With lots of new things happening in 2016, some things stay the same. Such as the fact that I am still recipe testing to find my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I've tackled four recipes (only two were worth posting) so far, and today includes another great contender. 

A delicious recipe this is, they are adapted from an excellent cookbook I trust. I loved using chocolate chunks to give big bites of chocolate, and I think the sugar, butter, and vanilla ratios are pretty spot on. I will endorse this recipe, but I have to be honest and say these still aren't "the one." More testing to come, for your and my enjoyment. Linked here and here are my other two attempts.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies
yields 30 cookies

Ingredients: 
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. chocolate chunks*

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. (I'm partial to whisking instead of sifting, much easier). In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combines. Mix in the chocolate chunks. 

Using a cookie scoop, scoop generous size balls of dough onto prepared sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time for 9-12 minutes or until lightly brown. 

*I'm usually a mini chip person, but I love using chunks in this recipe! They give the cookies fun height and shape from the big chunks.

Annie

Baked Egg Sweet Potato

A quick recipe post because I couldn't wait to share it! I am lucky enough to work pretty close to home, so I love when I have the chance to run home for lunch instead of shoveling in a sub-par salad at my desk. 

I've had this image of an egg baked in a sweet potato floating around in my pool of recipe ideas for a while. Yesterday I was able to sneak home for lunch and finally got around to making it. It's the same idea as baking an egg in an avocado.

A little coconut butter, salt and pepper then a runny baked egg make this the most satisfying lunch. If really helped me get over the mid day hump of hump day.

Baked Egg Sweet Potato

Ingredients: 
1 sweet potato
1 egg
coconut oil
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes

Directions:
Cook your sweet potato to your desire. I like wrapping it in foil and placing in the crock pot on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. You can bake it wrapped in foil at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Or the easiest, by popping it in the microwave for 10 minutes. 

If you cooked your potato in the oven, keep it on. If you didn't, preheat your oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Once your potato is cooked, make a cut across the top and open your sweet potato. Scrape the insides. Keeping it all in the skin, mix a pat of coconut oil, salt and pepper with the sweet potato insides. Create a little well in the potato. Crack the egg right into the potato. Place it back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes, or until the egg is set. I like my egg running so 10 minutes was enough. 

Top with a little more s&p, and some red pepper flakes for heat!

Annie

Better For You Brownies + Giada's Happy Cooking

For me, I'm happiest when I'm cooking. For Giada De Laurentiis it's the same. It's also the mantra behind her new cookbook, Happy Cooking. I chose her book for this round of my Blogging For Books.  I have grown up watching Giada on Food Network, but in her past few seasons she has really focused on healthy and nourishing recipes. Something you don't always see on Food Network. I love ya PW but a stick of butter can't go in everything...

Happy Cooking is stock full of happy healthy recipes. And nothing that is too difficult. GDL quotes "make every meal count...without stressing out!" Between her lightened up pasta dishes, gorgeous vegetable sides, Sunday dinner comfort food, I not surprisingly leaned toward her sensible sweet treats for this recipe post. 

Black bean brownies. Don't be scared of them. If Giada is doing it, you know it's no fluke. They are satisfying without being too sweet, the perfect thing to end a meal with. She includes peanut butter chips in her recipe which I obviously omitted. Check the recipe below for some alternate additions!

Better For You Brownies adapted from Happy Cooking
yields 9

Ingredients:
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed well and drained
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. espresso powder or coffee granules
1 large egg, plus 1 yolk
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed so it is a liquid

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray and 8x8-inch pan with cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and adhere it with the cooking spray, then set aside. 

In a food processor, place the drained black beans, cocoa powder, oats, salt, brown sugar, vanilla, baking powder, coffee, egg and yolk. Puree to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the melted coconut oil until everything is pureed and smooth. Spread the batter in the pan. Bake fro 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool and enjoy!

*Would be great with chocolate chips sprinkled over the top, a coffee glaze made from coffee and powdered sugar, or a big slathering of almond butter over each piece. Or, you can take these somewhat healthy brownies and serve them with a big scoop of ice cream like I did. Balance ya know?

Annie

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. Read more about my thoughts on Happy Cooking here.

 

Zesty Chicken Salad

I'm coming in clutch for your lunch game. This chicken salad is zesty, fierce and Barre3 approved. I found the recipe in Barre3 founder, Sadie Lincoln's book, Love Your Lower Body. Not only is my lower body loving this recipe, so are my taste buds. 

It takes the traditional idea of chicken salad, but gives it a little kick in the tush. Pickles? I love. Paprika? Zesty. Apple? Why not. Best part is it only uses a little bit of greek yogurt and dijon mustard. Traditional chicken salad calls for mayonnaise, but mayonnaise gives me the heebie jeebies. I watched a video in 10th grade chemistry on how mayonnaise was made and that was pretty much it for me. 

One of my roommates and I got into a chat about chicken salad after I made this and we love how versatile it is. It can be a salad, a wrap, a sandwich, even a dip. Add some curry powder and you've got an Indian spin on. So many options with this zesty lunch!

Zesty Chicken Salad adapted from
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups diced cooked chicken breasts*
1 cup diced dill pickles
1 Tbsp. finely diced onion
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. plain greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 granny smith apple, chopped
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Spinach, kale, arugala, or whatever your favorite greens are; for serving

Directions:
In a medium size bowl, mix together all ingredients. Done, that's it. To serve, place about a cup of greens on a plate with equal portions of the chicken salad on top. 

*My favorite way to cook chicken breasts is by placing them in the crock pot with 1/2 cup of water, salt and pepper and let them go on low for 3-5 hours. You can even do this with frozen chicken breasts they will just take a little longer. 

Annie