Flourless chocolate brownie cookies….so easy & so GOOD!!

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Denise

I know it’s hot out and the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven. I get it! But for these little gems I think it’s worth it. These flourless cookies popped up on my radar this past spring when I was really at the height of my low carb experiment. I found them over at Recipe Girl and added them to my long list of recipes to try. The fact that they didn’t have flour intrigued me, and their texture just makes them look ooey gooey good, right? Yes….they are a must try!

So when vacation time rolled around last month I figured it was the perfect opportunity to make these. One afternoon at the beach house I could stand it no longer. I MUST MAKE THESE COOKIES!!!! And all the girls said YES, YES!! Imagine my horror when I had my first kitchen flop in a long, long time. Oh it’s not the recipe’s fault. I eventually succeeded as you’ll soon see.

Let’s just state something I’m sure most of you already know……wax paper is NOT the same thing as parchment paper. Duh! I’m almost bummed the recipe even mentions parchment paper at all, and am now finding that true of a lot of cookie recipes on the web. You don’t need it. They bake just fine on the right cookie sheet. But because we did’t have parchment paper at the beach house….you guessed it, I used wax paper.

Ten minutes later we were wondering why there was an awful lot of smoke pouring out everytime I opened the oven door. But it didn’t smell like it was burning, so it didn’t register right away. Yeah….sometimes it takes me awhile. 😉

The girls still devoured them though they were STUCK to the wax paper. I pulled them out before they really started burning, and they looked and smelled so good that we risked any toxic poisoning and began eating them as we PEELED them off the paper.

I didn’t let that deter me though, and the next day I set to making them again. This time I had the chocolate chips I didn’t have the day before. I just knew they’d be perfect. Lesson #2……scoop out smallish cookies and make sure you CHILL the tray for 5 or so minutes before baking. Let’s just say they spread into one BIG regtangular cookie. Ugh…..would I ever get these right? And fine impression I’m making on my friend Donna and her hubby….you know I’m the “food blogger” and all. She, her hubby and her mom cook me amazing meals all week and this is what I show them!

So you know when I got home the next week I just had to tackle this once and for all. No wax paper, check. Chill dough a bit, check. PERFECT cookies, check!! Whew……I can breathe again! They taste similar to the fudgy brownies I love that I’m surprised I haven’t blogged about yet. They are chewy, chocolaty and perfectly addicting! Not to mention EASY. Despite my trials….they are easy and they’re made with very few ingredients. If you whip up a batch, please come back and share with us what you think.

I know I’ve been heavy on the desserts lately, and though I have a heavenly peach dessert to share with you later this week or next….I promise some healthier posts are coming as well. You’ll have to trust me that I haven’t crossed over to the dark side for good. 🙂


4.4 from 17 reviews
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Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert, Cookies, Easy, Chocolate
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24 cookies
 
These ooey, gooey chocolate cookies are easy and addictive! Be warned!!
Ingredients
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together powdered sugar, cocoa powder and sea salt. Add in vanilla. Whisk in egg whites until just moistened. Add in chocolate chips.
  3. Spoon thick fudgy batter onto cookie sheets in small mounds. Chill for 5 or so minutes to keep them from spreading when they bake.
  4. Bake for 14 minutes or until tops are glossy and lightly cracked.
Notes
These cookies are considered "gluten-free" if using gluten free chocolate chips.

 

If you enjoyed this post, won’t you consider sharing it with others? Handy share and “Facebook recommend” buttons are below. It really makes my day when you pass things along! To make sure you don’t miss a post or recipe you can either follow Creative Kitchen on Facebook or subscribe by Email in the sidebar. Thanks for reading….I love having company in the kitchen!

This recipe linked up with Works for Me Wednesday, What’s on Your Plate, What I ate Wednesday, Show and Tell, Wednesday Window, Women Living Well, What’s Cooking Wednesday, What’s on the Menu Wednesday, Let’s Do Brunch, Simple Lives Thursday, Cooking Thursday, It’s a Keeper Thursday, Wednesday Weekly, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Fresh Food Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Potluck, Friday Favorites, Finer Things Friday, Food Trip Friday, Mangia Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Homemaker Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, My Meatless Mondays, Made by You Monday, Tuesdays at the Table, Delectable Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Hearth and Soul Hop, Tasty Tuesday & Summer 2011 ~ Labor Day Recipes at Family Fresh Cooking.

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Rediscovering my love of cheese & a fried egg breakfast

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Denise

Okay…..I know it’s hard to see the cheese on this egg, but trust me…it’s there! Since the freedom of allowing myself higher protein and fat & less grains and carbs in my meals, I have been able to indulge in types of cheese I had almost forgotten about. I normally keep colby/jack and mozzarella in the house (in bulk from Costco), but very rarely strayed from those.

Cheese I’m enjoying these days:

  • Monterey Jack (oh my!!)
  • Muenster (another FAVE that recently moved Havarti over!)
  • Havarti
  • Pepper Jack
  • Feta
  • Gouda
  • Goat cheese
  • Pecorino Romano
  • Fontinella
  • Parmesan

And I’ve been eyeing:

  • Brie
  • Horseradish cheddar
  • Asagio

I’m surprised I’m enjoying the sharper varieties I normally find too strong! I find that shredded into other things like eggs or on pizza that the flavors mellow and the notes are tasted in just the right places.

What cheeses are your favorites? What do you like to eat them on?

This was a breakfast of mine last week. It looked so pretty I just had to take a picture to share with you all! I couldn’t finish everything on this plate, so when I duplicated it for my breakfast this morning I only made one egg. No real recipe here….just fried up some Coleman hormone-free bacon & eggs. As eggs are finishing, finely grate monterey jack cheese over the top. It was SO good!! I find I don’t miss the toast like I thought I would….I just dip the bacon in my egg  yolk. 😉

Do you see my Minnie mug in the background of this pic? I bought her on a Disney trip in Spring of 2010 and she’s been a faithful companion since. I’m an avid tea drinker (even in the hot months I tote it around in a travel mug), and I just have to have the biggest mug possible for each cup of tea. Am I the only one?

And one day I’ll share more about the product that revolutionized my tea drinking habits.

If you enjoyed this post, won’t you consider sharing it with others? Handy share and “Facebook recommend” buttons are below. It really makes my day when you pass things along! To make sure you don’t miss a post or recipe you can either follow Creative Kitchen on Facebook or subscribe by Email in the sidebar. Thanks for reading….I love having company in the kitchen!

This recipe linked up with Real Food Wednesday.

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Free yogurt from Dannon

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Denise

Dannon has partnered with Foodie Blogroll to help launch their new Activia French and Greek Select yogurts. In order to get the word out, they want to put FREE yogurt into your hands.



 

To get your FREE coupon do as follows:

1) Go to: http://freeactivia.com – this will take you to a FB page. Alternatively, you can click on the link provided in the assets page, that way we can track it.
2) “Like” the page
3) You may have to also click on the “Activia Select” link on the left sidebar
4) Enter your information in the form, select the yogurt you’d like to try and click on “Get Coupon”
5) You will receive an email with a link to the printable coupon.
6) Print the coupon (you may need to allow the Java print plug-in on your browser)
7) Bring it to a store to redeem your free Dannon Activia sample.

Visit the Activia Selects Facebook page to get your FREE coupon now!

* But HURRY….coupon needs to be redeemed by August 15th!

This sponsorship is brought to you by Activia Selects who we have partnered with for this promotion.
FREE coupon offer good 8/3 /11 – 8/15/11, up to 1 million coupons, on any Activia Selects Single Serve, up to $3.00. One coupon per household. Offer valid in the U.S only. VOID IN LA, NJ, CA. Coupon valid until 8/15/11.
Residents of LA, NJ, CA will be given a ‘$1 off 3 Activia Selects’ coupon.
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Are you a fan of Chipotle Mexican Grill?

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Denise

Over the years as a stay at home mom & homeschool mom, budget is the main reason we don’t eat out very often. As time has gone by and I’ve gotten to be a fairly good cook, we’ve really started to prefer the meals we eat at home. Add in the fact that you control the quality of the ingredients and the cleanliness of the kitchen (so many places our minds could go if we let them :), and the “eating at home” experience becomes SO attractive!

Let me just take a moment to say, if you’re struggling with your budget these days…..take a look at how much your family spends eating out. It’s amazing how much those meals cost for a family of 5. You could really see a huge improvement in your budget with just cutting back on eating out. Think of how much food you could buy for that $50 or $60! And that would be a conservative estimate for one meal out. That’s with trying to order wisely and everyone drinking water. See…..it adds up!

So now that I’ve thoroughly tried to convince you to eat at home…..it’s funny that I’m going to share with you one of my rare restaurant experiences. But the background will explain why I’m always SO late in the game with trying out places that have been around for years….like Marble Slab.

This time it’s a place I’ve heard others rave about for at least 8 years now….Chipotle Mexican Grill! In my defense we didn’t have one in our area, and I don’t get out much 😉 But finally one opened up a few miles from my house, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I stopped in to see what all the fuss was about. So this past May hubby & I popped in on a date night (we don’t get out much either) on our way to Barnes and Noble.

I’d done enough research to know that Chipotle (as stated on their website), “has a commitment to finding the very best ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment and the farmers.” I was very impressed, and knew I would be getting fresh, quality ingredients. Read more about Chipotle’s Food with Integrity policy.

Right away I was struck with the cleanliness of the store, and how streamlined and modern everything appeared. Things were simple, but simple didn’t mean they lacked attention to detail…wait till you see these ingredients! It was a place that felt comfortable and inviting. I ordered the Steak Salad Bowl, and was VERY impressed with the amount of food I was given and the selection of items to add.

I started off with a base of romaine lettuce (instead of chips) and then added steak. I topped that with black beans, freshly made guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo. For $5.95 it was an incredible deal!! I also ordered a bag of chips and salsa for $1.65.

Look how much food I received…..easily 2 meals in one. Couldn’t you just dive right in?

And a little closer………….just look at that cheese!

And it tasted as GOOD as it looks!! Mmmm……

Now I’m surprised to find that when I mention Chipotle to others I wasn’t actually the last kid on the block to find out or experience Chipotle. Really? How could that be? Either way I kind of describe it as a Mexican version of Panera Bread (another restaurant I speak highly of).

Now you fill me in……Are you a fan of Chipotle? What’s your favorite item to order? Do you have one in your area? Are their other “non-fast food” restaurants you’d recommend?

*There are two easy ways to make sure you never miss a post here at Creative Kitchen. Subscribe by email for FREE, and get reminders delivered right to your inbox (sign up in the sidebar), or LIKE Creative Kitchen on Facebook to see recipes & posts come through your newsfeed. Sharing this post with friends with the “Facebook recommend” button below is much appreciated! Thanks!!

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Lemon Curd…perfect summertime treat!

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Denise

It sure has been hot lately, hasn’t it? And this heat has had me craving food that’s cool and refreshing. Last week I kept thinking of all the lemons in my fridge. Have I ever mentioned how much I love lemons? For as long as I can remember I’ve loved lemon filled doughnuts, lemon meringue pie, lemon tarts, well….pretty much lemon anything. Lemons are SO refreshing, tart, juicy and just so lemony. Don’t you love lemons?

Anyway, I began dreaming of a tangy lemon curd, lemon cheesecake, lemon mousse, and my mind was mulling over the many possibilities. I was after a frozen dessert that would incorporate lemon curd and homemade whipped cream or cream cheese. But I’m getting ahead of myself, that’s a post for another time. Either way, the first step in this treat is lemon curd, and since it had been so long since I’d made it, I’d forgotten how easy it is. So today I have a quick, easy, step-by-step recipe to show you how to make lemon curd.

And you’ll only need 4 ingredients. It’s a recipe I adapted from my Joy of Cooking cookbook, which if you don’t remember is my trusted companion and my most used wedding gift. It’s my go-to manual for all things cooking, and a culinary must-have!

First you’ll need 3 large eggs, 1 large lemon (juice and zest) and 1/3 cup sugar. Zest and juice your lemon, and add all ingredients to a medium saucepan. Don’t make the same mistake I made the first time I ever zested a lemon. I grabbed the lemon and grated all the zest (yellow rind) and white (pithe) not knowing that the white will make it bitter. You don’t want that. 😉

One day I’d like one of these cool microplanes, but instead I use the small holes on the side of my box grater to zest the lemon. Another trick I learned is that in order really bring out the lemon flavor take a portion of the sugar for the recipe and incorporate the zest into it (rub them together). It really does make a difference in bringing that lemon out to it’s full flavor potential. Mmmm…..lemon!

Whisk everything together really well, and then add 3/4 of a stick butter, diced small so it melts relatively quickly. Turn your burner onto medium heat, and start whisking as the butter melts.

Within a few minutes of cooking time your mixture will thicken up like this. Just make sure you keep whisking or stirring with a wooden spoon and being sure to scrape the bottom. If needed, lower temperature a bit. Whatever you do, don’t leave it unattended. It cooks up quickly. Now doesn’t that look good? Wasn’t it easy?

You can use this lemon curd as pie filling or add in whipped cream for a lemon mousse or just eat it right off the spoon. But watch out…..it’s addicting!!


4.6 from 5 reviews
Print
Lemon Curd...perfect summertime treat!
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert, Easy, Summer Treat
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3-4
 
This 4 ingredient recipe is easy and addicting! The perfect treat for a hot summer afternoon.
Ingredients
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¾ stick butter, diced small
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar. Blend well.
  2. Add the diced butter.
  3. Stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Lower heat as you are cooking and keep stirring as lemon curd is thickening up.
  4. Chill. Will keep up to a week in the fridge (if it lasts that long!)
Notes
*The original recipe calls for straining it. The bits of zest are small and I prefer to leave them in. Plus this saves what could be a messy and time consuming step. It also adds ½ tsp of vanilla which I omitted because I prefer ALL lemon!! Original recipe called for ½ cup lemon juice, and I just used the juice from the whole lemon. It was SO tart and tangy and good!!

 

This recipe is linked up with Let’s Do Brunch, Wednesday Window, Show and Tell, Works for Me Wednesday, What’s on the Menu Wednesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Recipe Swap, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, It’s a Keeper Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Creative Juice & Simple Lives Thursday, Food Trip Friday, Finer Things Friday, Friday Favorites, Friday Potluck, Fight Back Friday, Fresh Food Friday, Mouthwatering Monday, Mangia Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Homemaker Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Made by You Monday, Delectable Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop & Summer 2011~ Recipes for Labor Day Weekend at Family Fresh Cooking.


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