Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These days, it seems like more and more people have food sensitivities and allergies (including myself). In truth, I often don’t eat many of the decadent sweets that I make – I’m sensitive to gluten and dairy (though, I often through caution to the wind, and enjoy small bites – which sometimes works out just fine, other times, not so much!). I’m starting to delve into the world of gluten-free baking, filled with a wide variety of alternative flours. The sheer number of flours alone in many gluten-free recipes can be seriously overwhelming, and I’m also very happy to find tummy-friendly recipes that I can make with what I already have in my pantry. And these cookies are seriously simple, and really, really delicious! They’re soft, super peanut buttery, and filled with texture from the oats, peanuts, and chocolate chips. I promise that you won’t miss the butter and flour one bit.

One note on the dough – it’ll seem seriously oily, particularly when you’re shaping the cookies. Don’t worry; it’ll all come together in the end!

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Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

This past week was tragic and absolutely surreal here in Boston. From the horrific events that took place on Marathon Monday (read about my experience as a spectator, and Jeff's as a runner) to the intense manhunt on Friday, and all of the sadness and anticipation in between - it was a week truly like none other. We are the lucky ones, who were able to leave the marathon finish line physically unscathed. Our thoughts are constantly with those who weren't so lucky - those who lost their lives, or were severely injured. With the families that need to press on without a loved one. If you are so inclined, please consider making a donation to The One Fund, or to the recovery funds of the severely injured.

We are doing our best to "get back to normal", and we're looking forward to a far less exhausting week.  And fortunately, this also means - back to baking :) And what better to soothe your soul than the best brownies, ever?

In my personal opinion, chocolate and peanut butter is a match made in heaven. Seriously. I'm pretty sure that I could live on just that combination alone! This delightful marriage of flavors is highlighted perfectly in these truly decadent brownies.

These brownies bake up nice and thick, are perfectly moist and chewy - not too cakey, not too fudgy - and are filled with chocolate and peanut butter goodness. The swirl looks gorgeous too - I think anything swirled gets extra ooohs and ahhs. Another plus - the brownie base and filling are super easy to prepare (you probably already have all of these ingredients, too!), and require only a few bowls.

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My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes, you just need a cookie. A classic chocolate chip cookie, to be precise, that's perfect in every way. Caramelized, crisp edges give way to a soft, chewy, flavorful middle, that's filled with chocolate chips. Oh, and a touch of divine sea salt in most bites. Total cookie bliss.

Saturday afternoon, my dad called me to chat. We talked for a while about our respective weeks, and made some plans for Sunday. The end of our conversation went a little something like this..."Hey, would you mind making me some cookies?" "What kind?" I reply. "Chocolate chip, of course!" "You got it, padre." And the next day, I set out to make the very best chocolate chip cookies.

This is my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and is everything that I described above. Now, you can bake these cookies up right after mixing, but the dough really benefits from sitting in the fridge for up to 72 hours before baking - the flavor intensifies, and really elevates this cookie above the rest. I know it's hard to imagine waiting a day or more, when what you really want is a cookie right NOW, but...whip up a batch, and put some unbaked dough in the freezer. You'll be fully prepared for your next cookie craving!

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Chocolate Ripple Coffee Cake

This is one seriously impressive coffee cake. It bakes up super tall, the streusel topping is gorgeous, and cut slices reveal a cinnamon-chocolate-pecan swirl that runs throughout the ultra-moist, buttery cake. Is your mouth watering yet??

There are quite a few steps here, but this cake is honestly very easy to put together. I baked one up this past weekend for Easter brunch, and it was a big hit - I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did!

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Chocolate Babka with Cinnamon Streusel

If you're looking for that special something to impress your friends or family (perhaps for Easter brunch?), this, my friends, is it. Decadent brioche-like dough is loaded to the brim with chocolate and cinnamon, twisted, and then topped with a delicious cinnamon streusel.

I'll admit - this recipe is a bit over the top, with over four sticks of butter, a whopping 36 ounces of chocolate, and you'll need to commit to fairly intensive process to pull these gorgeous loaves out of the oven. But I assure, you, it's well worth it. I'll also note that I like a lot of streusel topping; feel free to halve if you prefer less.

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Chocolate Toffee Matzo Crunch

Passover began last night, and thus begins a week of abstaining from many foods, included leavened foods, for many. This is one of my absolute favorite ways to dress up matzo, and let me warn you - it's very easy to prepare, and seriously addictive.

I believe that the only potentially problematic ingredient here for Passover is the vanilla extract; feel free to omit, or find a brand that is acceptable for use during Passover.

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Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel Caramel Turtles

This may surprise a few of you, but...I'm not really a cake person.  Or a cookie person.  I'd much, much rather have ice cream, or chocolate, or a chewy, caramel-y candy!  I already knew that I like making ice cream, but I recently found that I really enjoy candy-making.  There's something very satisfying about being able to turn simple ingredients like plain old sugar and cream into wonderfully chewy caramels.

I've had a multitude of baking projects going on lately - the largest of which is baking for charity!  My husband is running the Boston Marathon next year with the Dana Farber team, and as part of our fundraising effort, we've been offering baked goods packages to our friends and family.  One of the most popular items in our winter holiday dessert packages is our Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel Caramel Turtles, and today, I'll be sharing the caramel recipe and turtle making technique with you.  They do take a little bit of time to make, but there's still plenty of time to whip some of these up for your next holiday party!

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