Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chunks and Coconut

So today I really wanted those fabulously fattening, filled with refined sugar....Mounds bars (or Almond Joys would have sufficed), but frankly I cannot justify buying that crap! I pretty much satisfy my rare, but intense, candy bar cravings once a year. That's right: Halloween. It is pretty easy to do considering that my kids still like the chewy, fruity stuff and are happy to pawn off the chocolate on Mom. In any case, the Halloween candy has hit the shelf at the grocery store and has been calling my name for days. Sadly. So I decided why not indulge in a cookie with chocolate, coconut and (to hearty it up a bit) oatmeal. I think they turned out great! So please enjoy... Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chunks and Coconut
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar (I use organic - it is now available at Costco)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 rounded tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unbleached flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 - 3/4 c coconut
3.5 oz. dark chocolate bar, chopped

Cream together the butter and sugars very well. Add your egg and vanilla, mix, scrape down the bowl, mix again. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt separately. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and stir slightly, scrape down the bowl, add the oats, coconut and chocolate - then mix again (just until all is incorporated). Bake the cookies in mounds (about 2 Tbls. of dough) at about 10 to a sheet. They will spread slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes. They will be very fragile when first removed from the oven, let them sit for a minute before you try to move them to a cooling rack. They will harden and set up a bit more as they cool.

Brownies.... heavely brownies!

This is going to make a thick brownie in a square 9 x 9 pan or a thin brownie in a rectangular 9 x 13. Either way they are tasty so just use your preference.

1 cup flour, unbleached
1/3 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cube of butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar, tightly packed
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line your pan with foil and spray with non-stick coating.
Melt chocolate (broken into bits) and butter in a microwave. Carefully watch, pulling it out before all the chocolate has dissolved and stirring to finish melting. Set aside. In a bowl combine the flour salt and baking soda, whisk to evenly combine. In a separate large bowl (preferable a mixer) whisk the eggs and sugar until the mixture lightens in color to a light, buttery, yellow. This will take a minute but it is a crucial step if you want to get the right crust on the brownies. Add the vanilla. Now take the whisked eggs/sugar and slowly pour in (while stirring) your cooled chocolate/butter mixture. Once the chocolate has been completely mixed in you can add your dry ingredients. Pour the brownie batter into your foil lined pan. Bake the square pan for 20 - 23 minutes or the rectangle for 18 - 20 minutes.
*Watch for the center of the brownies to rise up before they are done. Once the center rises up it should be about 3 or four more minutes. (This tip only works if your brownies have formed the crust I spoke of earlier.)

Heidi's Wedding!!!

So, for all of my loyal followers (yes I am talking to the 4 of you) you have probably been wondering just what I have been up to lately...I've been so distant! Well, here is the answer: Heidi's wedding! I have been baking miles of cupcakes and preparing for her lovely garden bridal shower. Photos were taken along the way and here are a couple of my favorite recipes from this weeks celebrations.

Ricotta Pound Cake
This is not too sweet and has such a great flavor you can nibble on it plain (although it would not be too shabby with strawberries and a mascarpone cream!). If you do not have ricotta handy you can substitute with a puree of cottage cheese and yogurt. The sugar sprinkled on top gives it a nice crust and sweetens the not too sweet bread perfectly.

1 stick softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar (plus 2 Tbls. for on top of loaf before baking)
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or 1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
1 rounded cup fresh ricotta
2 3/4 c. unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Mix the butter, sugar and eggs. Cream until light and fluffy. Add the ricotta (or substitute) and mix well. Combine separately the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until sell incorporated. Dump the batter into a well greased loaf pan, spinkle with the 2 Tbls. sugar and bake at 325 for about 45 minutes. The top should be a lovely golden brown and you may want to insert a toothpick to insure that it is done in the center. If it is getting too dark on top just cover lightly with foil.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
This is a variation of a Hershey's Chocolate Cake recipe I found in a magazine when I was 15 years old - honestly! I have remained quite loyal to this one, with only a few minor changes. It works quite well with all different sorts of cocoa - just make sure you use the same cocoa for both the frosting and the cake to make it flow...

Mix together in large bowl:
2 c. sugar ( I use a mix of both white and brown)
2 c. unbleached flour
3/4 rounded c. cocoa
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Add all then mix well:
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. melted butter
2tsp. vanilla

Mix the batter very well on high speed. Then slowly add (on low speed):
1 c. boiling water

The batter will be quite thin. Pour into 3 8" round pans for baking a layered cake (or it will make about 2+ dozen cupcakes). Bake at 350 for 19 - 22 minutes for the rounds and 9 - 11 minutes for the cupcakes. Wait for the center to round up and rise, then bake a few minutes longer.