Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wanted to try and new cookie recipe and this one sounded so good.

Double chocolate with a brownie-esque texure. Had to give it a try.

Preheat oven to 325F

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 C butter
2 eggs
1 1/4C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 C flour
1/2 C cocoa powder (Valharona)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2C semi-sweet chocolate chips


Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate over low heat. Cool


Mix together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.


On medium speed, beat eggs and sugar for 3 min. until light and fluffy.


Turn mixer to low speed and slowly add chocolate mixture.


Add flour to combine. Mix in chocolate chips.


Drop spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12 min. Cool.

It is Angel Baking time, so these got packaged up for my Soldier!

(along with Salted Oatmeal cookies and Smores bars.

Banana's Foster Cookie Bars

When I have overripe bananas, I make banana bread or cake.

B-O-R-I-N-G.

This time, I wanted to try something different.

One of my favorite banana deserts (besides banana cream pie) is Banana's Foster - sauteed bananas in butter, brown sugar and rum! Let's see what happens when I mix that caramelized banana goodness with a cookie bar...

Banana's Foster Cookie Bars
Preheat oven to 325F (racks set to the middle and near top)
Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper

Shortbread (Fine Cooking)
1C + 5 T butter, melted
3/4 C sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
3 C + 3T flour


Melt butter, set aside until cool.

Mix butter and sugar together. Whisk in egg yolks.


Stir salt into flour. Mix into butter mixture until combined.

Transfer 2C of dough to the prepared pan & press evenly.
Prick dough with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 min.


For the topping, mix 1/4C sugar with the remaining dough & crumble together.

Banana Filling
3 bananas
1/4C butter
3/4 C brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2C dark rum



Over low heat, melt butter, sugar and cinnamon stirring until almost dissolved.


Add sliced bananas and saute. Turn slices over once.


Add rum and heat through - boil or flambe until the sugar is fully dissolved.


Chop 3 of the banana slices and mash the other 3.


Take out 1/4C of the rum sauce and mix into banana mixture.
Heat the remaining rum sauce, bring to a boil and reduce down slightly and add.


Take pan out of the refrigerator and bake in the middle of the oven for 18 min. Until slightly brown on the edges.

Increase temp. to 350F.


Spread banana mixture over hot crust.

Scatter remaining dough on top.
Bake on the near top rack 25+ min. until top is browned.
Cool 1 hour.



Cut into bars.

They tasted pretty good! The bananas consistency reminded me a bit of apple sauce, which I guess... is okay. All in all, this one is a keeper.

Maple Shortbread Cookies with Candied Bacon

Dev and I LOVE bacon. Who doesn't like bacon?!

Last summer, I came across a recipe for Chocolate Chip BACON Cookies. It seemed odd but tempting: crispy bacon added to Chocolate Chip cookie dough. I've been meaning to make these for months now, BUT, the other week I saw a recipe for Candied Bacon Ice Cream by David Lebovitz - the bacon was coated in brown sugar and beautifully caramelized. It was THIS candied bacon, that got me thinking...
Maple Shortbread Cookies with Candied Bacon.

Preheat oven to 400F

Candied Bacon
10 slices of thick-cut Maple bacon
Brown sugar


Lay bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 9 min.

I transferred the bacon to another clean sheet of parchment paper at this point - a lot of grease came out and the sugar will burn if you don't. Flip the bacon over, sprinkle more brown sugar on top and bake another 9 min. Flip again and bake another 5 min., or until it looks mahogany in color.

Cool on a rack.


Chop up bacon and sprinkle on another baking sheet lined with parchment.

Reduce oven to 350.

Bake bacon bits for another 5 min.
You don't have to do this step, but I wanted the bacon xtra crispy.

Shortbread cookies
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 C + 2T maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/4C flour
1/2 tsp salt



Mix together butter and sugar. Add maple syrup and vanilla.



Add flour one cup at a time. Add diced bacon.


Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Turn out onto waxed paper.

Roll into logs and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.



Cut into slices 1/4in thick. Bake for 11+ min. until lightly golden brown.

Enjoy! A drizzle of maple glaze or dark chocolate might make these even tastier!