Tag Archives: dark chocolate

Dark Chocolate and Pecan Cookies

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Some times you feel like a nut, some times you don’t. In this case, we are talking pecans—not loosing your marbles. With the dark chocolate morsels, they elevate flavor another notch above your typical chocolate chip cookie.

I like to add a whole pecan on top of each cookie after you drop them onto the cookie sheet and before they go into the oven. This takes the guess work out of wondering if they contain nuts for those who deal with nut allergies; or for those who have an aversion to particular nuts, such as walnuts (ahem, my other half).

Make sure your butter is softened, otherwise you won’t obtain a creamy base with which to start.

Dark Chocolate and Pecan Cookies

  • Servings: Yields 3 1⁄2 to 4 dozen
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup granulated whit sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 10 oz. dark chocolate morsels, more for topping
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, more for topping

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine flour baking soda and salt.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  5. Beat in flour mixture gradually. Hand stir in nuts and chocolate morsels.
  6. Drop onto ungreased baking sheets by rounded tablespoon. Top with a whole pecan.
  7. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Switch and turn each cookie sheet after 6 minutes, continue baking.
  8. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

I made another batch a few weeks later and packaged them up for a bake sale.

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate

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Healthy-ish. A closer look at the ingredients of whole wheat flour, ripe bananas, fresh blueberries, dark chocolate and 2% Greek yogurt, you can’t help but feel a bit smug when eating something so decadent. No butter, honey instead of refined sugar, and you are patting yourself on the back.

This combines parts of two previous banana bread recipes I’ve made in the past. And it is a treat anytime of day—for breakfast with more fresh fruit, a snack in the afternoon, or dessert in the evening with perhaps a dollop of good French vanilla ice cream. OK, so maybe the ice cream isn’t in keeping with the healthy factor, but sometimes you just need some self-love, right?

No mix master needed. Simply get a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas, add the other ingredients and then pour batter into your prepared loaf pan. Top with a smattering of additional blueberries and chocolate pieces, pop in the preheated oven for an hour. Voila, masterpiece accomplished!

A popular item to share at a Sunday brunch. If it is not all eaten right away, wrap in plastic wrap followed by a layer of tinfoil and keep in the refrigerator, or freeze.

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate

  • Servings: 8-10 slices
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and broken into large chunks
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup fresh blueberries, plus about 20 more for topping
  • ½ cup dark chocolate pieces, plus about 20 more for topping

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
  • In a medium bowl, mash bananas. Mix eggs, yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and baking soda into mixture.
  • Add flour and mix.
  • Gently fold in blueberries and chocolate chips into mixture. Save about 20 blueberries and chocolate pieces for the top.
  • Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Press in parchment that slings over the sides for easier removal. Pour the batter into the pan. Top with the saved berries and chocolate.
  • Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle of the bread.
  • Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan. Lift out of pan using the parchment sling and cool another 15 minutes or so before serving.

http://www.lynnandruss.com