Mocha Swirl Cookies

I am not a coffee drinker, in fact, I don't think I've ever drank a full cup of coffee. I just don't like the taste of it. I love coffee flavored desserts though, and really like these Mocha Swirl Cookies that I'm sharing with you today! I love how pretty these cookies look, with their coffee speckled vanilla and dark chocolate swirl! They are buttery and have that wonderful coffee smell, and are so delicious with some milk or hot chocolate (or coffee if you're a coffee drinker!) Here's the recipe...

MOCHA SWIRL COOKIES

(Recipe from Sprinkle Bakes)

YOU WILL NEED:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp instant coffee

2 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled

DIRECTIONS:

1. In your electric mixer bowl, cream your softened butter. Then, with the mixer running on low, add the sugar, egg and vanilla extract, until all the ingredients are combined into a smooth mixture.

2. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer running, begin adding the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix until everything is well incorporated.

3. Now remove the dough from the mixer and divide it into two parts. Return the first half into the mixer, and add the instant coffee to it. Mix until the coffee is incorporated and the dough is speckled with the granules.

4. Next, return the other half of the dough into the mixer, and add the melted chocolate to it, and mix until the dough is smooth and chocolaty! (I absolutely love this dough, it's smooth, buttery, and smells like vanilla and chocolate = amazing!)

5. Now roll out both of the doughs between some sheets of wax paper (roll each out separately) into about a 9 x 14 inch rectangle. Place each piece of rolled out dough onto a baking sheet, cover it, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

6. Once they are ready to be taken out, top the chocolate dough with the coffee dough, and gently press them together with a rolling pin. (Make sure the dough isn't so cold that you can't work with it, you don't want it to tear or crumble because it is too cold).

7. If your dough is uneven, cut it to make a rectangle using a knife. Begin rolling the dough like a jelly roll (make sure you roll it tightly!) Roll it SLOWLY and CAREFULLY so it doesn't start tearing. Once you have your roll, wrap it in wax paper, and chill it in the fridge for up to an hour (this will make it easier to slice it). The original recipe says you should rotate the halfway through chilling, so that it doesn't get flat on one side.

8. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Take your roll out, and cut it into 1/4 inch slices. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

If you are looking for a new cookie recipe, try these Mocha Swirl Cookies! They taste great fresh out of the oven, but the coffee flavor is actually even more fragrant and delicious the following day! These cookies would also make a very cute addition to a gift basket for someone who loves coffee - you could pack the basket with different kinds of coffee, mugs, and some of these cookies!

Happy Baking, Everyone!

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Valentine's Day Love Tree

I hope that you are all having a great week, can you believe that January is almost over?! It really doesn't feel like January here in New Jersey, last weekend we had snow and today I only wore a light sweater because it was so warm outside - I can't keep up with this weather! I'm always a little sad once all the Christmas decorations disappear from our house and the space feels so bare and empty, but luckily Valentine's Day is right around the corner! Time for some Valentine's Day crafts!

VALENTINE'S DAY LOVE TREE

Today, I wanted to show you my Valentine's Day Love Tree! It's very easy to make... all you need is a pretty vase or pitcher and some branches, red and white felt, red and white thread, ribbon, a glue gun, polyfill to stuff your ornaments with and things to decorate the hearts with (sequins, beads, buttons, pearls... whatever you want!). I stuck to the red and white theme, but you could do any colors you wanted, of course!

First, I made a heart shape stencil so that all my ornaments would be the same size, and then I cut out lots of red felt hearts (two hearts for each ornament). I then decorated the top heart piece and cut a piece of ribbon, which I stuck to the back of the front heart piece using a glue gun. Next, I put hot glue all along the edges of the bottom heart piece, but leaving about an inch of edge space without any glue (this is where you will stuff the ornament through). Stick the top and bottom heart pieces together, and then stuff the ornament with polyfill (you won't need a lot) through the hole you left without any hot glue. Once the ornament is stuffed, put some hot glue on that edge too, and seal the heart!

Here some pictures of my heart ornaments for my Valentine's Day Love Tree!

This would also be a fun craft to do with kids, you could have each child design their own heart or do a heart with their names! It's also a very inexpensive craft, all you need are some branches, felt, ribbon and embellishments! If you're trying to look for fun, new crafts for Valentine's Day, try this one! I will definitely keep all my heart ornaments, and add to them again next year!

Happy Crafting, Everyone!

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Coconut, Chocolate and Almond Granola Bars

Last week I shared my Homemade Raisin and Peanut Granola Bars recipe with you, and they were such a hit that I decided to make another batch! This time I made Coconut, Chocolate and Almond granola bars, and they are absolutely delicious! They are chewy, crunchy and sweet, and if you like coconut, you will LOVE these! They make for a perfect breakfast on the go, or you can crumble them over yogurt and add some strawberries or other fruit that you like, and you have a very nutritious breakfast! I promise you these are so easy to make, and you won't ever want to buy granola bars at the store again! Here's my recipe...

COCONUT, CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND

GRANOLA BARS

*Makes 10 Granola Bars*

YOU WILL NEED:

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 - 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together oats, flour, sugar and salt. Add in the wet ingredients (oil, honey, egg and vanilla) and mix until everything is well combined. Add the almonds, coconut and mini chocolate chips. Make sure everything is coated in honey and oil, this is what keeps the granola bars moist and chewy.

2. Transfer the granola mixture into your pan. Pat it down to make it smooth, and make a rectangle, leaving about an inch around the edges of the pan.

3. Bake for 18 - 2o minutes, then let it cool for about 5 minutes. Cut into bars before it cools completely, as it's much easier to cut the bars while they are still warm. Store them in an air tight container, and they will stay chewy for a couple of days!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, we're expecting a snow storm here in New Jersey tomorrow, it would be our first snow this winter! Happy Baking, Everyone!

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Lentil Vegetable Soup - The Perfect Dinner for a Cold Winter's Night

Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of hearty warm soup on a cold windy day? I could eat soup every day, especially during the winter months. Although smooth and creamy soups are my favorite, I absolutely love this soup. It is comforting, filling and full of vegetables, and tastes great fresh off the stove, but also the following day, when the flavors have had time to sit together. It's quick and easy to make, the hardest part is probably all the chopping of the vegetables... and how hard is that! Serve it with some fresh bread and you have the perfect dinner on a cold winter's night, and the ultimate comfort food! Someone said that, "Soup is cuisine's kindest course. It breathes reassurance; it steams consolation", and it is so true! After a rough day, there is nothing more reassuring than a bowl of steaming hot soup! So next time you crave this comfort, try this Lentil Vegetable Soup!

Lentil Vegetable Soup

(Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa)

YOU WILL NEED:

1 lb French green lentils (I used regular lentils, and reduced the amount to about 3/4 lb)

3 large onions, chopped

2 leeks (white part only), chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs kosher salt (adjust this depending on how salty your chicken stock is)

Dash of freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp ground cumin (this is what gives the soup its great flavor!)

5 stalks celery, chopped

6 carrots, chopped

12 cups chicken stock (substitute with vegetable stock for vegetarian soup. The soup is pretty thick, so if you prefer soup that isn't very thick, add more stock)

1/4 cup tomato paste

(Optional - 2 tbs red wine or red wine vinegar)

*You could add sausage, ham or shredded chicken to the soup too

DIRECTIONS:

1. First, prepare your lentils. Follow the directions on the packaging, or place the lentils in a large bowl and cover it with boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain them. Set aside.

2. Add olive oil to a large stock pot, and saute onions, leeks and minced garlic for about 20 minutes, seasoning them right away (salt, pepper, thyme and cumin). Add the carrots and celery, and cook for another 10 minutes.

3. Pour in the chicken stock, tomato paste and lentils, stir well and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and let the soup simmer uncovered for 40 minutes to an hour, until the lentils are cooked well. Serve with fresh bread!

I love my "Comfort Food" dishes from Pottery Barn, I just wish I had more pieces of the set, but unfortunately they don't sell them anymore. I love their rustic look, and they are perfect for serving a dish like this soup!

Pottery Barn

Happy Cooking, Everyone!

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Homemade Raisin and Peanut Breakfast Granola Bars

I'm pretty sure that most people's new year's resolutions included something about a healthier diet for 2012. I didn't make any resolutions this year, but after the holidays, I feel like it's time to get back to eating healthy again! I'm not a big breakfast eater, I never was, but when I'm running out of energy by lunch time, I always wish I would have had breakfast. I love granola bars, but they often contain so much sugar and so many preservatives, that while they are meant to be healthy, they actually really aren't. So I decided to try to make some at home, and they turned out great, so I wanted to share my recipe with you! They are chewy and delicious, sweet thanks to the honey and raisins, and crunchy thanks to the peanuts. They make for a great breakfast on the go!

HOMEMADE RAISIN AND PEANUT

BREAKFAST GRANOLA BARS

*Makes 10 granola bars*

YOU WILL NEED:

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar (you can add more, I just didn't want the bars to be too sweet)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F. In a large bowl, mix together oats, flour, sugar, salt, peanuts and raisins (dry ingredients). Then add the wet ingredients - the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix all ingredients very well with your hands, so that everything is coated with the honey and oil, as this will make sure the granola bars are chewy.

2. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, then transfer the granola mixture onto it. Pat it down with your hands, and form an even rectangle, leaving about an inch around the edges of the pan.

3. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, then let cool for 5 five minutes. Cut into bars before it cools completely, it's a lot easier to cut the bars when they are still a little warm. Store granola bars in an air tight container so they stay chewy!

*Other ingredients you could use - dried apricots, sunflower seeds, nuts, dried cranberries/cherries, dried apples, coconut.

Happy Baking, Everyone! And don't forget to eat breakfast!

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Felt Flower Journal

Anyone who knows me knows that I love pretty notebooks. I always have, and I've collected more than I can count over the years! It's a slight obsession. But the thing is, they are always filled - you always have new ideas, new memories to write down, new recipes to record, new pictures to draw... and so you can never have enough! This is a cute way to decorate a plain notebook, or make a little personalized present for someone! All you need is a notebook of your choice, some felt, embellishments such as pearls, beads, buttons or anything else you may have on hand, a needle and a thread and a glue gun! Happy Crafting, Everyone!

A New Year, A New Journal!

All you need to do is pick a plan notebook, and measure out different colored pieces of felt to cover it on both sides. Using a glue gun, stick the felt on, then cut out felt shapes to decorate the cover with. You can add any kind of thread stitching, beads, pearls, crystals, or anything else you'd like!

And what better time to do this than at the beginning of a new year! A new year calls for a new start, a clean page, a blank canvas. This would make for a cute gift for someone, and you don't have to use a notebook. You could cover and decorate a sketchbook, a daily planner, a photo album... anything!

I hope that 2o12 has started off well for you, and that you have lots of creative ideas ready to fill a new notebook with! Happy Crafting, Everyone!

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