Chocolate Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

Today is National Macadamia Nut Day, and what could be more perfect that Chocolate Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies. These cookies are chewy, and since the nuts are slightly salted, they really complement the chocolate! I use two kinds of chocolate chips, but you also use white chocolate chips. Macadamia Nuts remind me of Hawaii, so if you want to make these cookies more 'Hawaiian," add some dried coconut to the batter, too. Yum!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies 

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp espresso powder
1 cup + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/3 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 cup roasted and salted macadamia nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Dried Coconut (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In large bowl, beat butter (with hand mixer or standing mixer) until light and fluffy. Add in brown sugar and granulated. Beat until well combined.
Add in egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Add in salt, espresso powder, and baking soda; mix until combined.
In separate bowl, mix flour and cocoa powder together. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing until combined.
Add in macadamia nuts, and chocolate chips (and dried coconut, if you'd like). Mix until combined.
With medium cookie scoop, scoop dough and spread evenly on cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake 15-16 minutes.
These cookies are fudgy.

CHOCOLATE CHIP ORANGE SCONES: Afternoon Tea Day!

Summer Afternoon (Tea in the Garden): Theo van Rysselberghe, 1901

There are few hours in life more agreeable
Than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
--Henry James

As a tea drinker, I can definitely confirm that I love a cuppa and a scone around 4  p.m. So for today's post, I want to celebrate the Birthday of Anna Bedford, Creator of Afternoon Tea. Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford and lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, inadvertently invented Afternoon Tea in 1840. At that time, the main meal of the day shifted from midday (luncheon) to evening. English high society didn’t dine until 8 p.m. Anna needed something to tide her over, so she ordered tea with brown bread to be brought to her room around 4 p.m. Initially this meal was brought surreptiously, but after awhile she began to invite her friends to join her, and “afternoon tea” expanded, both in what was served and the number of friends who partook. When Anna Bedford returned to London, she continued her afternoon teas, and soon Afternoon Tea became the rage of the elite. In addition to brown bread and small sandwiches, there were sweets and special “tea cakes.” The custom spread and tea rooms and tea gardens opened to serve tea to all classes. 

Afternoon Tea is not the same as High Tea. Afternoon Tea is a lighter meal, and scones are almost always served. I love clotted cream with my scones, and luckily, fresh clotted cream is readily available at my market. I enjoy 'plain' scones, but these Chocolate Chip Orange Scones are delicious! Make some for your afternoon tea today!

Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar

Victorian postcard: Afternoon Tea

1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and grated (keep cold until ready)
1 -1/3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup miniature dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons orange juice (1 large orange and zest from 2 oranges)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or smear with butter.
In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
With pastry blender or large fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can also do this with your hands.
Put in freezer for 5 minutes.
Take out of freezer and add cream, chocolate chips, orange juice and orange zest.
Mix together.
Turn out dough on floured surface. Pat or roll into 9 inch circle about 3/4 inch thick.
With 2 1/2 inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out about 12 scones, pushing dough scraps together for last few, if necessary.
Transfer scones to baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until golden-brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Serve with clotted cream and jam.

EASY BLACKBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE for Labor Day

Labor Day Weekend is coming up. When I was growing up Labor Day weekend meant the last weekend before school started. We'd go down the shore or up to the mountains, or just kick back at a neighborhood barbecue. Sometimes we'd go to the country and pick blackberries for jam and pies. When I moved to California, I found blackberries everywhere at this time of year -- by the roadside, in the fields, and later in my own backyard! They were a bit of a bramble, prickly bushes, but the blackberries were, oh so, sweet and plentiful!

I used to make an awesome Blackberry Apple Pie, but since this is a Chocolate blog, and this is Labor Day Weekend, I'm recommending this easy and delicious Blackberry Chocolate Chip Pie. I adapted a recipe I found at Allrecipes. com, and there was a caveat with the original: "Adjust the ratio of berries and chocolate chips to suit your preferences." Well, that's wise, so you might want to make it several times, just to get it right. FYI: whatever you decide, the attempts will still be great!

EASY BLACKBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) package pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (I use Trader Joe's pie crusts if I don't make my own)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups blackberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Place one pie crust in bottom of 9 inch pie plate.
In bowl, mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Gently stir in blackberries and chocolate chips. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Transfer to pie crust in pie plate.
Put second pie crust on top, and secure to bottom crust by pressing with fork, or fluting with fingers. Bake 35 minutes in preheated oven, until top is golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing.

Fudgy Greek Yogurt Brownies: National Yogurt Day!

I can never have too many brownie recipes, can you? Since today is National Yogurt Day, here's a recipe for Fudgy Greek Yogurt Brownies. These brownies are very goey-fudgy. 

Fudgy Greek Yogurt Brownies

Ingredients 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted  

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2/3 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

3/4 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt, room temperature 

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 °F 

Line 8"×8" pan* lined with parchment paper. 

In medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside. 

In large mixing bowl, stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Once combined, add yogurt, and stir until just combined. 

Add dry mixture to wet and stir just until almost no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix! 

Fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips. 

(The batter will be gooey and not like most brownie batters)

Put batter into prepared pan, and use spoon to even out, a

Bake for 20-24 minutes or until middle is no longer jiggly. 

Cool before cutting. 

These are very fudgy. Chill to firm up. 

*This recipe can be doubled, and you can use a 9 x 13 pan