Peanut Butter and Julie

Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Raspberry Waffles

I know that I do several things which my husband finds annoying.  But hey -- that's one of the best parts  of marriage, right?  Taking pleasure in doing the little things that annoy your spouse?

No?

Oh. 

Awkward.

Anyhoo.....as I was saying.....

 

 

Of course, the difference is that the things that I do, which get on Eric's nerves, are actually completely normal and soooo not annoying, while the things that he does could be and should be easily fixed.  Ladies, you know that I'm right about this.

Example:  When we are watching a T.V. show that we have DVR'd, Eric is unable to sit through the opening credits, most of which run a lengthy and time consuming 20 seconds.  He MUST fast forward through them, inevitably overshooting the beginning of the show.  This means that he must then rewind, and then fast forward, and then usually rewind again, until he reaches the exact EXACT moment when the show begins.  All of this tomfoolery usually takes at least 20 seconds.  Clearly time well spent.

 

One thing that I do, also T.V. related, is that I religiously watch every red carpet countdown for every "remind me again how great I am" celebrity awards show, all 86 of which seem to occur between January and April. I usually don't make it through the entire drawn out snooze-fests that are the actual shows, but I'll be damned if I am going to miss seeing what who Charlize Theron is wearing (not that it matters--she could wear an Astroturf kimono and still win "best dressed").  I even enjoy the weak interviews ("Are you excited to be nominated???") and the time-filling back stories about the lady who gave a pedicure to the dog from The Artist.  Scintillating T.V., you know.

Now, I don't know if Eric finds this whole fashion ritual annoying because (A) he just doesn't get it, (B) he secretly wants to see what his style icon George Clooney is wearing, but he's too macho to watch, or (C) the red carpet always coincides with a Duke basketball game or a Patriots football game, and I called dibs on the good T.V.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess "C".  Happens every time.  And rightfully so.  I think that we can all agree that fashion trumps sports.  Right, Giselle?

 

 

In order to prepare for this red-carpet marathon, I need to do what any smart marathoner does: carbo-load.  While most marathoners do this via a huge pasta dinner the night before, my marathon is in the evening, so I like to fuel up with a hearty breakfast worthy of its own gold statuette.  It should be something a bit decadent, beautifully presented and, if possible, it should be chocolate.

I hadn't tried to make chocolate waffles in the past, or chocolate pancakes for that matter, so I thought that it was time to give them a go.  If you've been reading for awhile, you know that I am a big fan of recipes that are "double" this and "triple" that, so I went ahead and made these double chocolate with both dark cocoa powder and chopped bittersweet chocolate.  My original intention was to make the waffles chocolate cherry, but we didn't have any good cherries at the grocery store, so I went with my old chocolate partner in crime: raspberries (they ended up being a great choice.)

Oh, and since these are made with whole wheat flour, they are totally healthy.  Totally.

Here are my extra tips for making these Oscar level (and so not annoying) waffles:

• If you are making a large batch of these waffles, and you want to serve them hot all at once, keep them warm in a 200F degree oven on a baking sheet.  You can wrap them in foil in the oven, but that will result in a less crisp waffle.
• You can play around with the batter by adding chopped pecans or hazelnuts, replacing the raspberries, with either fresh or dried sour cherries, or by eliminating the fruit altogether. 
• You could also try making Double Chocolate Malt Waffles by stirring some malted milk powder into the batter or by stirring in some chopped malted milk balls.
• Although these waffles are best served fresh, they can be frozen, stored in zip-top bags, and reheated. 

Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Raspberry Waffles

Printable Recipe

Makes 10-12 rectangular waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups buttermilk

3 large eggs

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips

1 cup halved fresh raspberries

Confectioner's sugar, lightly sweetened whipped cream, or pure maple syrup for serving

Preheat a waffle iron  and spray it with nonstick baking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well combined.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.  Stir in the chopped chocolate and the fresh raspberries.

Pour or spoon the batter into the center of each waffle mold, spreading it out a bit with the back of a spoon so that it is evenly distributed.  Close the lid and cook until the waffle is browned and crispy (times will vary based on the model), and you can easily lift the waffle from the iron with a fork.

Serve hot topped with confectioner's sugar, warm maple syrup, or lightly sweetened whipped cream (or all three!)

 

Sweet and Simple: My Favorite Blueberry Streusel Muffins

 

I know.  Big whoop.  Blueberry muffins.  C'mon, Julie.  You're totally phoning it in with this recipe.

Or am I?

O.K., well I kind of am. 

Just hear me out.....after you look at all of this streusel:

 

 

What this recipe may lack in terms of originality, it certainly makes up for in terms of flavor.   I know that sounds incredibly cliched, but it's true.

About 8 years ago, I went on a personal kitchen crusade.  The purpose of this endeavor? To create "the best" recipes, at least in my opinion, for some of the basics: brownies, banana bread, peanut butter cookies, and yes, blueberry muffins. 

I mean, let's be honest here.  For every great--or even pretty good--blueberry muffin out there, there are at least a dozen that are dry, tasteless, gummy, overly sweet, or dense as a cinder block.  Sometimes, if you are really lucky, you get a muffin that is all of these things rolled into one.  It's roughly the size of your head, it contains 3 blueberries, and it apparently has Elmer's Glue as a secret key ingredient due to the way in which it sticks to the roof of your mouth.

I won't go so far to say that a bad blueberry muffin can ruin your day, but it can certainly put you on the expressway to Crankytown.  I've been there.  It's not nearly as nice as Funkytown.

 

 

Everyone should have a never-fail great blueberry muffin recipe up their sleeve(next to their never-fail chocolate chip cookie recipe.)  It should be a recipe that you can whip up for overnight guests at a moment's notice, one that wafts an intoxicating aroma throughout the house while baking and, more importantly, impresses the heck out of your mother-in-law. 

What it should not be is rocket science.  We're talking minimal effort here.  These are blueberry muffins, people.  No electric mixer required.  Ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry and refrigerator (except maybe the blueberries--but seeing as these are blueberry muffins.....)  And streusel.  Always streusel. You know how I feel about my streusel.

 

 

While I was doing my experimenting, I tried recipes that used both butter and oil in the batter.  Hands down, the oil created a moister muffin.  I didn't use gobs of oil--a mere 1/3 cup--but it still yielded good results and fluffy muffins that don't dry out for days.  The muffins themselves are not overly sweet, which is balanced out by the crunchy streusel topping. Adding a generous amount of fresh blueberries, which start to bubble and burst while baking, was a no brainer.

I should add that these are just my idea of the "perfect" blueberry muffin.  Others might like them cakier (is that a word?), without streusel (crazy!), or the way that their family has always made them.  But, if you aren't married to any one particular recipe, I encourage you to give these a try.  You won't be disappointed.

Here are a few extra tips for making these berry best muffins:

• As noted below, this recipe makes extra streusel.  I happen to like a generous amount of streusel, but feel free to cut back on it if you do not (or you can eliminate it altogether.)  The streusel will also keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to one week.
• If you want to make larger 'bakery-sized" muffins, this recipe should make about 8.
• The muffin batter can be prepared and refrigerated, covered, one day in advance. 
• These muffins freeze nicely sealed in zip top bags.  Thaw them at room temperature.

 

Julie's Favorite Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes 12-15

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg

1/2 cup whole milk

1/3 cup safflower or canola oil

1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries

For the streusel (makes a lot--cut in half if you don't like lots of streusel!)

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray them with nonstick baking spray. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and oil.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.  Fold in the blueberries.  Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin cups almost to the top.

For the streusel topping, mix together all ingredients with your fingers, rubbing to make a coarse meal.  Sprinkle the streusel over the muffins before baking, pressing lightly to adhere.  Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.  Cool muffins in the pan for five minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

 

Chewy Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Overall, I'd give the quality of this year's Super Bowl commercials a B-, not a bad grade in general, but a horrible grade where $3.5 million per 30 seconds is concerned.  I mean, really, if you're going to pony up that kind of scratch to promote your company, then that commercial better be memorable, relevant, and most of all knock-your-socks-off-good (as opposed to played out, gratuitous, and sexist -- I'm looking at you, GoDaddy!)

This was by FAR my favorite commercial.  Go ahead and watch it again -- I know that you loved it too.

 

 

 

The reason why this commercial resonated with me is because I too have a fat dog.  He's not husky.  He's not big-boned.  He's not curvy or pleasantly plump.  He's fat.  There is no way that he would be able to fit his behind through a doggy door if we had one, and if he started to chase a VW down the street, he would likely wear out before the second block.

And I know that I am partially to blame for this.  I am guilty of feeding him between meals, especially when he sits like a good boy and stares up at me with pleading eyes that say "I'm hungry."  It's easy to let food that I have accidentally dropped on the floor be vacuumed up by my Hoover with a wagging tail.

So, like the dedicated canine in the commercial, it's time to put the dog on a diet and exercise plan.  I'm not sure that he has the attention span for the treadmill or pilates, but he is pretty good at chasing things, and he does a mean impression of Michael Phelps, so the pool and the backyard will be his gym.

 

 

If you know me, or if you've read this blog for any period of time, then you know that my two dogs are my babies.  The aforementioned portly Labrador, Fenway, is about 5-years-old, and our smarter, svelter Rottweiler mix, Cameron, is 10 1/2.  Despite the fact that Cameron (a.k.a. C-Dog) is incredibly energetic and spry for her age, it absolutely kills me to leave her in the kennel for any amount of time when Eric and I go out of town.  I know that it stresses her out to be away from home, and she looks at me as if to say, "How could you do this to me?" whenever I drop her off.

Fenway isn't quite as, er, perceptive as Cameron is, so he usually isn't as aware that we are dropping him at the kennel.  That said, I don't like to leave him either (although he does tend to lose a few pounds during his stay.)

 

 

Eric and I are getting ready to leave for a quick Jackson Hole vacation tomorrow (woo-hoo!), and I feel very fortunate to have both my dad and my brother house-sitting while we are gone.  Trust me, it's never a difficult task convincing people to come to Las Vegas for a visit, but throw two disobedient dogs into the mix, one of whom always seems to be wet with muddy paws, and the ante is significantly upped.

Dad and bro have generously agreed to watch the dogs along with the house, saving us pricey kennel fees and saving the pups from another stay at the dreaded doggie camp.

 

 

So to thank them (and to apologize in advance for any dog-related incidents), I made them cookies. 70 cookies to be exact.  I had no idea that this recipe would create so many cookies, but I have faith that my dad and brother can make a serious dent in the supply by the time that they leave Las Vegas.  These are indeed cookies for cookie lovers.  Finely chopped ingredients produce a cookie that is thin, buttery, chocolately, nutty, and chewy with a hint of tartness from the dried cranberries.  In a word, addictive.

And no, Fenway, you can't have one.

Here are my extra tips for making this yummy way to say "thank you!":

• The prepared batter can be covered and chilled for up to one day before baking
• The pecans can be replaced with walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds, and the cranberries can be replaced with chopped tart dried cherries.
• The baked cookies will keep for 4-5 days at room temperature, sealed in an airtight container.  They can also be frozen for several weeks, sealed in zip-top bags.
• Other variations include substituting butterscotch or peanut butter chips for the chocolate or adding shredded coconut to the dough.
  

 

 

Chewy Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Printable Recipe

Makes 5-6 dozen

Ingredients:

8 ounces pecans

1 cup old-fashioned oats

12 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups golden brown sugar, packed

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the pecans in the work bowl of a food processor and process until they are finely ground.  Add the oats and pulse 5 times, until they are chopped but not finely ground.  Place the nut and oat mixture in a large bowl.

Place the chopped chocolate in the work bowl of the food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped.  Add the chocolate to the bowl with the nut and oat mixture and whisk to combine.  Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Beat in the vanilla.

With the mixture on low speed,  add the flour mixture to the bowl, a little bit at a time, mixing until just incorporated.  Mix in the chopped cranberries.  Cover the bowl and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees.  Roll tablespoon-sized portions of the dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 2-inches apart.  Flatten the balls with your hand or with the bottom of a glass.

Bake until the cookies are set and golden brown, 13-15 minutes.  Cool the cookies on the baking pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.