chocolate chips Archives - The Midnight Baker

Quick Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 11 May 2019 23:00:21 +0000

When your sweet tooth gets you, these chocolate covered peanut butter sandwich cookies are blazingly fast to make.

Fastest Cookies Ever

When you get a late-night snack attack for something sweet, these cookies may just fill the bill.

They are lightening fast to make and I bet you have all the things you need to make them in your pantry!

You’ve Got All You Need

As I said before, you probably have everything you need on hand to make these chocolate covered peanutty delights.

I always have a box of those round buttery crackers on hand and I bet you do too. Peanut butter is always on my shelf too. Chocolate chips? You bet. One secret I picked up years ago was that if you buy “candy” from the baking aisle, there’s no tax on it–at least where I am in New York. So those chocolate chips are kept on hand for basically snacking purposes.

You may not have white chocolate chips on hand, but that doesn’t matter. These cookies are fine with the semi-sweet morsel coating. And the best part when making them with regular chocolate is they taste just like peanut butter cups.

The only real effort with these is dipping them and you don’t have to get fancy like I did by gussying them up with the drizzle. But there’s a big plus that you can scarf up the errant bits of chocolate on the waxed paper!!!

Easy Dipping

The original recipe called for shortening (like Crisco) to be melted into the chocolate chips. I chose to use unrefined coconut oil. The main reason is that it makes the chocolate taste wonderful because it will have a tiny whisper of coconut taste. If you’re not nuts for coconut as I am, then use the shortening because it’s pretty much tasteless.

Another reason it’s used is to make the chocolate flow easier because it makes it less viscous. It also adds a bit of sheen to the coating.

The Recipe

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Easy Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Easiest no-bake cookies ever.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate

Servings: 15

Calories: 147kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
30 round butter-flavored crackers
1 cup white semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1 tbs coconut oil or shortening

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spread peanut butter on half of the crackers; top with remaining crackers to make sandwiches. Refrigerate until firm.
In a double boiler over simmering water or in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil; stir until smooth. Dip sandwiches in chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

Video

Video in post (if available)

Nutrition

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 00:00:33 +0000

These pumpkin chocolate chip energy bites are a great healthy snack and are delicious too!

A Mini Muffin That’s An Energy Bite

Here’s a mini muffin that fills two roles.

If you look no further, it’s just a delicious chocolate chip pumpkin mini muffin. But a closer look shows it’s other side–it’s a healthy snack that fills the bill for an energy bite.

These “bites” are filled with pumpkin, oats and dark chocolate. I understand all those things are quite healthy too!

So these muffin bites are not only delicious, but good for you too!

Pans And Liners

You will need a mini muffin pan to make these. In fact, you’ll probably need two pans because this recipe makes a large amount,

I used mini muffin papers mainly because I didn’t want to have to clean the pan, but if you don’t have the paper liners, then a light spray will prevent the muffins from sticking.

I was able to find mini muffin papers in my local dollar store of all places, but you can find them anywhere cake decorating supplies are sold. Just be aware that sometimes the papers can be labeled as “candy” papers as they are often used for chocolate-dipped candies and nut clusters.

Freeze The Extras

While these will disappear quickly because they are so delicious, this recipe makes about 36 to 40 mini muffins (depending on how much you fill each cup).

They will keep about 4-5 days if kept in an air-tight container such as a Lock & Lock container.

However, if you want to preserve freshness so you can serve them at a later date, these mini muffins freeze well with no loss of flavor.

The Recipe

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

These pumpkin chocolate chip energy bites are a great healthy snack and are delicious too!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast, cupcakes, desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate chips, cupcakes, energy bites, pumpkin

Servings: 36 mini muffins

Calories: 154kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar packed
1 egg
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 cup quick oats
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1½ cups chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pumpkin puree

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Spray or line 2 24 cup mini muffin pans with mini muffin papers.
Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon in a separate bowl; mix well.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, mixing well. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill each muffin well 3/4 full.
You will probably end up with empty cups in one mini muffin pan--fill those 3/4 full with water.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Nutrition

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Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse

If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, this is the mousse for you!

I’ve been obsessed with desserts and dark food photography lately. Fancy desserts just seem to be made for this type of photography. I’m toying with it and really like the look! Now maybe I’ll invest in some more permanent props instead of cheap foam board and make my own backdrop.

Anyway, enough of that–I had some peppermint-flavored coffee creamer on hand. Had it at a friend’s house, liked it, bought it, but didn’t “love” it. That’s happened in the past with flavored coffee creamers and they usually get pushed to the back of the fridge, forgotten about, then deteriorate and get thrown out. These things aren’t cheap now so I wanted to find SOME way to use this. I’ve used flavored creamers in the past to make icings where I subbed it for cream and any extracts a recipe called for.

I’d read somewhere that a pudding won’t set up if soy milk is used. OK, creamers are NOT soy milk but it does contain soybean oil. Granted I used 1/2 cup or so and did not sub it entirely for the milk, and it set up fine. I wouldn’t advocate using more that 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the stuff since it is sweetened. I used the standard size of instant vanilla pudding–the one that makes 4 servings–and made it as directed for a pie filling. I tinted the pudding with 4 drops of green food coloring.

The result was this and it was as good as I’d imagined it. So, enjoy and of course you don’t have to use coffee creamer. You can use all milk and add about 1/4-1/2 tsp peppermint extract or a drop of food approved oil of peppermint (caution: essential oils go a LONG way. Use only 1 drop and that may be too powerful). I also used a few drops of green food coloring, but if you’ve got a problem with food colorings, leave it out. Flavor will be the same and it’ll look like that ice cream brand that leaves the mint part white.

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Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse

If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, this is the mousse for you!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mint chocolate chip, mousse

Servings: 4

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla pudding*
2 cups whipped topping
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
3 drops green food coloring

VANILLA PUDDING

1 pkg serves 4 instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
3/4 cup mint flavored coffee creamer I used Carnation Peppermint Mocha
4 drops green food coloring

Instructions

Make up vanilla pudding (if you are not using coffee creamer, use 1 3/4 cups milk and about 1/4 tsp peppermint extract) as per box directions for pie filling, adding the food coloring. Cover and refrigerate until set; about 30 min.
In a medium bowl, add whipped topping and fold pudding into topping. If you are using food coloring, add it drop by drop to the desired color you want. I found 3 drops gave me a nice light mint green.
Fold chocolate chips into pudding mixture. Spoon into dessert cups. Chill well. Decorate with a dollop of whipped topping and additional chips/sprinkles.

Nutrition

Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse

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Butterscotch Zebras

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 04:12:00 +0000

Butterscotch Zebras

So, what do you do with an open package of graham crackers where you used part for something else?

You make Butterscotch “Zebras”, of course. And surprise–they’re diet friendly too.

I had a pack of graham crackers I’d opened to make “bits” for another dish, and I knew there was nothing I could really do with them. I had tons of graham cracker crumbs, so I couldn’t make those. Didn’t want to eat them. Didn’t want to use a big Lock and Lock container just to put 2/3 of this package in. I also had about a scant cup of butterscotch chips, so the idea came to me to make a candy/cookie concoction similar to what I put in the dessert I’d made with some of the crackers.

So I melted the butterscotch chips–and the same caveat goes for these as melting white chocolate chips–NO LIQUID/MILK/CREAM. I’d forgotten that but was able to salvage the molten mixture. OK, it’s texture was more like fondant than ganache, but it could be worked with and it tasted fine.

Speaking of fine taste, that’s these cookies…or candy…or whatever you want to call them. I gave them a final drizzle of melted chocolate ganache just for effect, but it tastes fine. Plus I discovered I need a finer round decorating tip! I’d have liked the chocolate thinner because it would have looked better, but I seem to think the chocoholics would disagree there.

Butterscotch Zebras

12 whole graham crackers
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1-2 tbs Crisco (NOT butter or margarine)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 tbs heavy cream

Prepare a large cookie sheet by laying a piece of waxed paper or parchment across the bottom. Lay out graham crackers–I left mine whole but you could break them in half or even into individual quarters.

Melt butterscotch chips and Crisco in a microwave-proof bowl for 1 minute at HIGH. Stir. Keep stirring until there are no lumps. You may have to microwave for an additonal 10-30 seconds.

When butterscotch sauce is smooth, pour over graham crackers, trying to pour as evenly as possible to cover most, if not all, of the cracker. It’s OK if you don’t though.

Place in refrigerator to set butterscotch sauce; about 5 minutes.

When set, prepare chocolate ganache as follows–place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream, starting with 1 tbs (that may be all you need). Microwave for 30 seconds and stir until no lumps are in chocolate. You may have to microwave for an additionsl 10-20 seconds.

Drizzle over graham crackers. Refrigerate to set; about 10 minutes.

Makes 24 servings (1/2 a whole graham is a serving)

Butterscotch Zebras

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Black Forest Mousse

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Black Forest Mousse

An excellent and easy dessert. With just two main ingredients, you can’t get much simpler than this and it’s low calorie too.

First I started with a dark chocolate ready-to-eat pudding I got for free on a store promotion–the shelf-stable ones that come in the little tubs. I folded that into some extra-creamy whipped topping then added some chopped dried cherries and mini chocolate chips.

So easy!

The result was a delicious and quick dessert that company thinks you fussed over.

You can substitute lower-fat versions of all things used and by the same token, it can be made even richer by folding in real whipped heavy cream.

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Black Forest Mousse

An excellent and easy dessert. With just two main ingredients, you can’t get much simpler than this and it’s low calorie too.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: black forest mousse, chocolate mousse

Servings: 3

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups individual cups shelf-stable dark chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups whipped topping or real whipped cream
2 tbsp chopped dried cherries
1 tbsp mini chocolate chips
additional mini chips and topping for garnish

Instructions

Empty the pudding tubs into a medium bowl. Add whipped topping or whipped cream and fold pudding into the topping.
Fold in the mini chocolate chips and dried cherries.
Spoon into 3 dessert cups (such as mini trifle bowls). Add a dollop of whipped topping and a few mini chocolate chips to garnish.

Nutrition

Black Forest Mousse

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