Triple Chocolate Spice Cookies

This recipe started as ordinary chocolate-chip cookies and evolved over time. First I added the cinnamon because I like cinnamon with chocolate. Later V inspired me to try cardamom, and one night I needed a bigger chocolate fix and added some cocoa powder to the dry ingredients. Many iterations later, we have this:

Ingredients

1 1/8 C all-purpose flour
1/8 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/4 C unsalted butter, softened
1/4 C vegetable shortening
3/8 C granulated sugar
3/8 C brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/4 C semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter flavor extract (optional)
1 C semisweet chocolate chips, NOT melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 & position racks close to the center.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
In another bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar. Blend in the egg, melted chocolate, vanilla, and butter flavor. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, depending on how soft-&-gooey or well-done you like your cookies. Remove from oven and let stand on the tray long enough to firm up for handling, then remove to a cooling rack or directly into your mouth. I won't judge.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on how much dough you eat straight out of the bowl.

Summertime Strawberry Sorbet (Pops)

Ah, Summer! Here in Maryland that means hiking, swimming, kayaking, chasing fireflies... and day after day of hot, sticky, humid weather that leaves you panting and sweat-soaked after just walking outside to get the mail. The antidote? Strawberry Sorbet Pops. You can make this recipe in your ice-cream maker and get actual sorbet, but I forgot to put the cold part of my machine in the freezer, so my girlfriends and I made pops instead. I think I like the pops better. What's that you say? You don't have retro-fabulous Tupperware Popsicle molds? Keep your eyes peeled at yard sales and thrift stores- they show up often. In the meantime just mold your pops in Dixie Cups with popsicle sticks or straws. Put a little foil over the top and poke your stick through, to hold it up until the sorbet freezes.

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh strawberries

3/4 C Sugar (yes, you really need that much. trust me!)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1tsp real vanilla extract

Directions:

Rinse the strawberries, remove the stems, and slice them up into a big bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and allow to sit for at least an hour, no more than two, until the berries get all juicy and mushy. The fancy cooking word for this is "macerate," which is very fun to say. Then dump the whole mess into your blender or food processor and puree it. Pour the puree into popsicle molds and freeze. Or, churn it into sorbet according to your ice-cream maker's instructions (don't forget to freeze the cold part of your machine the night before, like I did). These pops are delicious, sweet & creamy-textured, perfect for Summer. Enjoy!

(This recipe is slightly adapted from The Perfect Scoop of Strawberry Sorbet on www.yumsugar.com. Mainly we took out the kirsch and added vanilla, increased the lemon juice, and made pops instead of churned sorbet.)

Ginger Apricot Softies

This recipe started out as scones, but after I modified it to fit my friend V's food sensitivities, what we got was a batch of big, soft cookies. They were delicious.

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp lemon juice

1/3 C soy milk

1/4 C sugar

1 C flour

2 Tbsp almond meal (can substitute corn meal)

1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground dried ginger

4 Tbsp melted dairy-free margarine

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 C dried apricots, cut into small bits

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or nonstick foil. In a small bowl, stir the lemon juice into the soy milk and set aside to thicken. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, almond meal, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Add the melted margarine to the thickened soy milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a large spoon, being careful to scrape the sides and bottom and incorporate everything well. Gently stir in the apricot bits. Scoop the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet to form 12 biscuits and flatten slightly. Bake 15-18 minutes or until the bottom edges are golden brown. Share with friends to prevent eating all 12 by yourself in one sitting.

Chocolate Lava Cakes

This recipe is adapted from a similar one in Cuisine at Home, a magazine I truly love. Ground rule for these decadent little cakes: use really good ingredients. That means quality chocolate, good cocoa powder, and real pure vanilla extract and butter. I will hunt you down and kick your butt if you defile this recipe with generic butter-flavor shortening, imitation vanilla, or store-brand chocolate chips. So don't do it.

Ingredients:
For 4 to 6 individual cakes:
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, or about 1 1/3 C chocolate chips
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
4 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1 Tbsp cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp kosher salt

For 1 single, decadent cake for your private chocolate indulgence:
2 oz chocolate, or 1/3 C choc chips
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 scant tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp kosher salt

Steps:

1. Find the needed number of ramekins, small oven-safe bowls, or single-serving baking dishes. They should hold between 6 oz and a cup. You can use bigger ones, but the baking time will become more experimental; it's up to you. Spray your baking vessels well with non-stick spray. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. If using block chocolate, chop it into small pieces. Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave, checking and stirring in 30 second increments until melted and blended smooth. Don't scorch!
3. Meanwhile, beat the egg and sugar together in a bowl. I highly recommend an electric hand mixer for this. Keep beating until the color turns from bright to pale yellow and the consistency starts to thicken like lightly whipped cream. By hand this will take 5 minutes or longer. The beaten egg is the only leavening in this recipe, so don't wimp out on this step!
   
4. Add flour, salt, cocoa, and vanilla to the egg mixture, and beat even more until it's well combined.
5. Add the chocolate/butter mixture and beat again for several more minutes. The batter will be rather thick.
6. Divide batter evenly among your baking vessels, place the vessels on a baking sheet, and bake 15-20 minutes (small sizes less, larger sizes longer). Check frequently after the first 15 minutes. Don't overbake! The cakes will be done when they are puffed and the edges are mostly dry, but the centers will still appear sunken and somewhat wet. They should still jiggle slightly in the middle when shaken.
7. Let the cakes rest several minutes in their baking dishes after removing from the oven. Then, while they are still warm, run a dull knife around the inside of the dishes to loosen the cakes. Place a plate over the top of each baking dish and quickly invert. The cakes should unmold easily onto the plates. No topping is needed, but whipped cream, good vanilla ice cream, or macerated berries make a delicious extra. Break into one cake with a fork; if you find warm gooey fudge puddling out of the center, you will know the cakes are just right.

Sneaky make-ahead tip: The batter may be made several hours in advance, portioned into the baking dishes, tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to bake. Add an extra minute or so to the baking time, and put the cakes in the oven as you sit down to dinner. You'll have warm-from-the oven dessert ready 20 minutes later.

Afghan Biscuits

This recipe comes from my friend K, in New Zealand. (A "biscuit" in NZ is what Americans like me call a "cookie) I had some of these biscuits at little bakeries & cafes all over New Zealand when I was there 2 years ago, and K very kindly converted the recipe to American measurements and sent it to me. Thanks, K!

Ingredients
Cookies:

• 14 Tbs. butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups flour
¼ cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups cornflakes (measure without crushing)

Icing:

• 1 Tbs. butter
• 2 Tbs. water
¼ cup chocolate chips
• 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• 24 walnut halves

Instructions
Cream the 14 tbs. butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift together flour and cocoa, and stir into creamed mixture. Add vanilla. Lightly crush the cornflakes, then gently and thoroughly fold into the batter. They should be well distributed without crushing them too much – which is what gives this cookie its special crunch!
Grease a cookie sheet. Form balls about the size of a walnut, and place on sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes, until firm to the touch. Cool on a rack.
Icing: melt the 1 tbs. butter, the water and chocolate chips over low heat. Then stir in the powdered sugar, and beat until it is spreading consistency. Add more sugar if necessary. Ice the cookies and decorate each with a walnut. Makes 2 dozen.