Dark Chocolate Jumble Cookies (With Whole Wheat)

My daughter was begging for chocolate chip cookies today. I thought it might be fun to try some made with only whole wheat flour. We pulled out the wheat grinder and threw together these yummy cookies in a very short time. They were a hit! I'll definitely make them again.

You'll need:

1 cup softened butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

(Yeah, okay I never said they were health food...)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups whole oats, blended in the blender (measurement BEFORE blended.)

1 cup extra dark chocolate chips (with at least 60% cocoa.) My new favorite.

1/2 cup chopped almonds

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup shredded coconut

and next time I'm going to add 1 teaspoon almond extract. I think it's a secret ingredient for perfect cookies, but I forgot this time.

Cream together butter, eggs, and sugars. Sift together dry ingredients and combine it all together. Stir in chips, nuts, and coconut at the end. And remember the almond extract. You can thank me later.

Here's the dough. And you can just stop right there if you aren't opposed to consuming raw eggs, because the cookie dough is always superior to the cookies. And this dough doesn't disappoint.

Make the cookie balls small because these babies can really grow.

I shape them and flatten slightly.

Bake at 375 degrees for eleven and a half minutes. Well, if you have my oven.

Somewhere between 10 and 12 minutes should do the trick.

I'm at a high altitude that makes it difficult for trying new cookie recipes, and this one did just fine. They are a *tiny* bit crumbly, but plenty chewy and nearly a perfect texture. Especially for not having ANY white flour. Give them a try!

Molten Chocolate Cookies

Molten Chocolate Cookies
These rich cookies are best eaten warm, while the crust is crispy and the centers are gooey. They can be reheated in the microwave to soften the centers. Yield: 16 3-inch cookies

2 c. Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Chips
3 T. Butter
2 large eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder

Melt chips and butter in top of double broiler over low heat, stirring until smooth but thick. (Or in microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds at a time after that.) Remove from heat; set aside to cool.

In large bowl of mixer beat eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla on high speed about 2-3 minutes until pale yellow and slightly thickened. Mix in chocolate on low speed. Stop and scrape bowl. Add flour and baking powder on low speed just until incorporated, stopping once to scrape bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F.

Scoop 8-2 inch mounds onto parchment lined cookie sheet leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 minutes or until crusty on the outside but soft in center. Cool on cookie sheet 3-5 minutes. Best eaten warm. To reheat cookies, microwave on high power for about 10 seconds per cookie. Enjoy!

Nana's Banana Nut Bread

This was my great-grandma's banana bread recipe and it's pretty much all I've known. I've tried a recipe here or there since being out of college, but I always come back to this one. It's so moist and full of flavor. I think adding the chocolate chips (and peanut butter chips on occasion) really helps. Yum. I love it!

1/2 c. shortening (I use either room temperature butter or softened butter most of the time, but shortening works just fine if I'm out of butter, which I seldom am, but it happens!)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. mashed bananas

1 c. sugar (I usually do 1/2 c. white and a 1/2 c. brown sugar, but you can use whatever you prefer)

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

2 eggs

1-2 cups chocolate chips (Guittard are the best!)

*today I added peanut butter chips as well. It compliments the banana so well

Mix shortening (or butter) and sugar. Beat in eggs, bananas, and flour that's been sifted with the soda and salt. Add nuts. Bake in a moderate oven (350 ) for 40-60 minutes.

Makes 1 loaf.

Chocolate Rice

Yep, you read right. It says Chocolate Rice. This was something my grandma did and passed down to my mom and now I make it for my kids. I loved the mornings when I smelled the rice cooking and knowing that we were having this for breakfast instead of oatmeal or that horrible Zoom cereal. It's simple and delicious. But don't feel like you only have to eat it for breakfast. It's good anytime!

Stir together some spoonfuls of cocoa (I usually start with 1 Tbsp) then add some white sugar (usually double the amount of the cocoa, but it all depends on how sweet you like it). Drizzle in some boiling water until the mixture is smooth---be careful not to add to much at first, as you don't want to make the mixture runny. Add a dash of vanilla and stir, then pour over your rice until creamy and well-coated. Serve with cream or milk (but trust me, cream is better. I usually use half and half) and an extra sprinkling of sugar, if desired.

Let me know what you think when you try it. It sounds weird, but it's so good! Trust me.