Chocolate

The PC Muffin

Leah Short — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 19:47:17 +0000

The PC Muffin is my absolute favorite muffin from Fido here in Nashville. Funny thing is I discovered it at a different coffee shop. A few years ago I worked down the street from a coffee shop that sold Fido goodies and my standing order was a café au lait with a PC Muffin. So, so good for breakfast. I would crave this muffin daily. It’s a jumbo muffin and it’s heavy and dense and one of those baked goods that gets better the next day.

That coffee shop stopped selling Fido goodies, and yes, I could go to Fido to still get my muffin, but it wasn’t as convenient and I was just heart broken. I lucked out and found a Nashville cookbook at my library with recipe! Jackpot!

The PC stands for pumpkin chocolate chip and although that combination may sound weird, the two go very well together. See Pumpkin Brownie Swirl Pie, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread for more proof! (Sorry to all those instagrammers who voted no to that combo…you’re missing out!)

I ended up making a double batch so I could share these muffins with my coworkers. It was funny to see their faces when they saw the jumbo muffin. You could make these in a regular muffin tin, but you’ll need to adjust your baking time. Now I can have them any time I want with no lines!

Yield: 10 large muffins

The PC Muffin

Fido's pumpkin chocolate chip muffin

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275F. (Note: I made a batch at this temperature and they weren't quite done. Next batch I baked at 300F and it worked better.)

Combine the sugars, oils, applesauce, pumpkin, and eggs in a mixer with the paddle attachment on middle speed until evenly mixed.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, about 1/3 at a time, until evenly mixed on low speed.

Spray a large muffin tin with cooking spray or use muffin liners. Scoop about 3/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The muffins may need about 5 more minutes if the toothpick has batter stuck to it.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nashville Chef's Table by Stephanie Stewart-Howard

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Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Cookies

Leah Short — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 15:14:27 +0000

How long has it been since you had Reese’s Pieces? Every time I think of them, I instantly think of E.T. If you were a child of the 80s, I’m sure you do, too! The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is as classic as it gets. Last year we made M&M’s Cookies, so this year we turned to Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Cookies! I always forget how good those peanut butter bites in a candy shell taste.

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Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Leah Short — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 15:23:40 +0000

I loved the way the Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies looked for Cookie Baking Day. So festive with the colored sprinkles and just so darn fun! You could really play around with the color of the sprinkles and make these for just about any occasion. Green, white, and red sprinkles would be really festive for the big day coming up soon!

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Peanut Butter-Honey Brownies

Leah Short — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 18:48:25 +0000

I remember being so excited when I put these Peanut Butter-Honey Brownies on my office birthday treat list. I couldn’t wait for someone to choose them. Brownies are so good by themselves, but when you put goodies on top, even better! I’ve had brownies topped with peanut butter before, but never a peanut butter and honey mix. Top that off with more chocolate and boom! What a decadent dessert made easy!

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Brownie Goody Bars

Leah Short — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 20:14:11 +0000

Nothing gets my mouth salivating like dessert. If I had it my way, I’d eat it every meal for my meal. I have a killer sweet tooth and if it weren’t for practicing a bit of willpower, you’d see me on that My 600-lb. Life show. These Brownie Goody Bars put that willpower to the ultimate test. A brownie topped with vanilla frosting, sprinkled with roasted and salted peanuts, and topped with a peanut butter-chocolate-rice crispy mixture is a dessert lover’s dream. It’s got sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy. It’s over the top, rich, and something you need to make right now!

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Leah Short — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 14:50:29 +0000

I almost feel like I’m giving away a family secret sharing these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. For as long as I can remember, my mom’s been baking these and they are pretty much the best oatmeal cookie out there. The recipe isn’t a secret as back in the day it was printed on the Quaker Oats can of oats. The difference is the recipe has changed over the years and just isn’t the same as the original. Lucky for you, I’m sharing the original. You can sub raisins for the chocolate chips, add nuts, or leave out the extras altogether. Nothing beats this chewy oatmeal cookie recipe.

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Clean Slate: Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Leah Short — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 13:52:52 +0000

I’ve saved the best for last in my Clean Slate series. However, I’d never argue that dessert wasn’t always the best anyway. Have you seen that movie Simply Irresistible with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery? Super cute movie with a food theme, so I love it. There’s one line where SMG says something like “dessert is the whole point of the meal” and I couldn’t agree more! You will not believe these Chocolate Walnut Brownies are in a clean eating cookbook! I don’t usually like to mess with desserts, but these are a winner. I didn’t share one single brownie. That’s saying something!

So, how’s it taste?

Would you believe there’s no all-purpose flour in this recipe? It’s all almond flour, making these brownies gluten-free! Instead of sprinkling the walnuts on top, as the recipe suggests, I mixed them in. I didn’t want them to get too toasted on top and it worked perfectly.

The brownies were a bit more fragile than brownies made with all-purpose flour, but the flavor more than makes up for that. They’re just perfect.

I was nervous about being able to detect the olive oil in the finished brownie, but you can’t. You also can’t detect the maple syrup, which is what I wanted. I still want them to taste like good old-fashioned brownies, even if they are part of clean eating! Believe it or not, you don’t have to give up decadent desserts!

The dishes you see in the pictures above are part of the Martha Stewart Collection white dishware available exclusively at Macy’s. Fantastic dishware for everyday use, plus they’re dishwasher and microwave safe!

Yield: 16 servings

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
8 oz. dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao), chopped
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
2/3 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with oil. Line with parchment, leaving overhang. Brush parchment with oil.

2. Melt half of chocolate in a heatproof bowl; whisk in oil, sugar, and syrup. Remove from heat.

3. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Fold in flour and remaining chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with walnuts (or fold in).

4. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack. To serve, cut into squares.

per serving (1 brownie): 206 calories, 16g fat, 17g carbs, 3g protein, 2g fiber

Source: Clean Slate by the editors of Martha Stewart Living

Disclosure: I received a copy of Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide: Reset Your Health, Detox Your Body, and Feel Your Best and the Martha Stewart Collection white dishware at no cost. All opinions expressed here are solely my own, as always. This post contains affiliate links.

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Deep Dark Mocha Cake

Leah Short — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 18:58:14 +0000

Forgive me for all these gnarly pictures I’m posting lately. I’m still playing catch up from holiday goodies and I just never get good pictures then. You’d never speak to me if I didn’t share this Deep Dark Mocha Cake with you though. I could not wait to get a slice of this! The name is a bit confusing because there’s no dark chocolate in sight, so I’m not sure why it’s named “deep dark.” When it tastes this good, I don’t care what you call it! Take an ordinary chocolate cake and soak it with espresso, next add a layer of cream cheese filling, then cover the entire cake in chocolate ganache. Done, done, and done!

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M&M’s Cookies

Leah Short — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 10:10:56 +0000

Merry Christmas!

This is such a classic cookie in general, but I love to make M&M’s Cookies with the red and green M&M’s for the holidays. Way back in the day when mom and I started making Christmas cookies, these were always on the list. You know how I like to change up the list every year and make new varieties, so I didn’t give them much thought…until this year. Wow, I really did forget how darn delicious they are! It’s that brown sugar in the recipe that does the trick I think. I also love that candy crunch. This cookie just might make the list every year from now on.

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Mocha Toffee Chocolate Cookies

Leah Short — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 15:00:36 +0000

If you’re a coffee lover, you’ll love these Mocha Toffee Chocolate Cookies! Soft, chewy, chocolatey cookies sprinkled with mini chocolate chips and toffee bits and a taste of espresso. The espresso is really strong initially and gets more subdued the older the cookie. I loved the contrast between the chewy cookie and the crunchy toffee bits.

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