Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Pistachio Cookies

These cookies are the PERFECT blend of sweet and salty. I have recently acquired a taste for nuts in my desserts but even if you aren't a fan I think you will like these. The pistachios still retain their crunch after baking so there is this great combination of warm, soft cookie with a touch of sweet chocolate and a salty crunch of nut. 

Side note: I highly recommend buying shelled pistachios because time is money and pistachios are a pain the buttocks to shell. 

That's a scientific fact. 

Confession: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips since that was all I had on hand.  I don't think the integrity of the cookie was harmed by using the wrong chocolate. They were still dang delicious. 

Recipe adapted from Two Peas in their Pod
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder 
½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup pistachios, shells removed and coarsely chopped

1 cup, chopped dark chocolate (or, ahem, semi-sweet chips)

sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350* and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add the chocolate and pistachios and stir until they're coated in the flour. 

Using a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Turn mixer to low speed and add the egg and vanilla, then turn to high and whip for 2 more minutes. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl. With your mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. 

Pull out your cookie scoop and form tablespoon-size balls of dough. Place on your prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Get your hands wet with a little water, shake off the excess and then press down slightly on the tops of each dough ball. The water keeps your hands from sticking. Sprinkle each cookie with a little bit of sea salt.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. 

You may eat them as soon as you are no longer in danger of burning your tongue. IF you have the self-control. 

Biscoff Krispie Squares

I wanted to make The Pioneer Woman's Krispie Treats last Sunday but I discovered I was out of Nutella, instead I grabbed my biscoff cookie spread and did a little swap. If you have a rubber spatula or mixing spoon - USE IT. The mallow is suuuuuppper sticky. Also, wash or rinse all of your dishes right after you put the treats in the fridge - the stuff will harden and it will be impossible to clean. 

Adapted From The Pioneer Woman
Makes 1 - 9x13 pan

6 tablespoon salted butter
1-10 ounce bag of large marshmallows
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup biscoff cookie spread
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
10 biscoff cookies, crumbled
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Generously grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons of your butter in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and salt, stirring frequently. When the marshmallows begin to melt, add the biscoff spread and continue to stir until the mixture is nice and smooth. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter and stir until combined. Remove from heat. Add the cereal to the melted marshmallow mixture, two cups at a time, stirring between each addition. Add the mini marshmallows and gently fold the mixture until everything is combined and somewhat evenly distributed.

Working as quickly as possible, press the marshmallow-cereal mixture into your prepared pan. Scatter your crumbled biscoff cookies on top.

Melt your chocolate (my microwave has a dedicated "melt chocolate" setting and it works like a charm) and then use a spoon to drizzle it over the top of the your treats.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow everything to firm up and then slice and serve.

salted caramel blondies

I discovered Kraft Caramel Bits at the grocery store and then I got angry thinking about the hours of my life I've wasted unwrapping caramels to make these. 

...I realize that makes it sound like I've spent hours unwrapping caramels to make these...So I make these a lot. But remember that "a lot" is completely subjective. And I give most of them away. And they are incredible. Whatever. 

 If you are going to make this recipe, I highly recommend buying the Bits for convenience. OH - and Kosher salt will work too if you don't have sea salt. 

Adapted from Two Peas and their Pod
Fills a 9x13 pyrex dish

3 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
18 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
2 11-ounce bags of caramel bits
1/3 cup heavy cream
sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray your 9x13 pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk your flour, salt and baking soda together. Add the chocolate chips, mix and set aside.

Throw your butter and sugars into your stand mixer and whip for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Turn mixer on low and add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, until combined. Then add the vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients/chocolate chips until JUST combined. Take half of the cookie dough and press evenly into the bottom of your prepared 9x13 pan.

In a large glass bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, stopping to stir the mixture every 30 seconds until melted and bea-u-ti-ful. Pour your smooth caramel over the cookie dough in your pyrex and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt (about 1/4 teaspoon).

Dot the top of the caramel with small spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough. Sprinkle with a little more sea salt and bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops of the bars are lightly browned and the edges are a teeny bit darker. I think mine were perfect after 27 minutes.

Cool in the pyrex on a wire rack until room temperature. Cut and serve!

whoopie pies with salted caramel buttercream

I have a love-hate relationship with this recipe. I've made it a half dozen times and I've messed it up half  of the time. I cried with each failure because I was too tired to start over again and the thought of not getting to eat one was heartbreaking. Any Psychologists reading this, yes, clearly I have an unhealthy relationship with food if I'm crying about it. Even though it will seem like you dirty every single dish in your kitchen, it's worth it. And when you take your first lick of frosting you just might cry it tastes that good.

And you salty tears will complement the salted buttercream. boom.

Adapted from Foodess
Makes between 12-14 whoopie pies

1 3/4 cup AP flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the cookie paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla extract - be careful to turn the speed down because the milk will slosh. a lot. don't mop your floors before making these. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Using a small cookie scoop, drop scoopfuls onto your prepared sheet pans. Be sure to leave enough space as they will double in size. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched.  Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. Rinse out your stand mixer bowl, you'll need it for the frosting!

Spread a generous amount of frosting on the flat backside of one cookie and top with another to form a little sandwich.

Chow down.

Salted Caramel Buttercream 

1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons heavy cream
2 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

In a medium saucepan place 1/4 cup of sugar and the water together over medium-high heat. To avoid crystallization DO NOT STIR but swirl the saucepan gently every so often. The sugar mixture will begin to bubble and turn a gorgeous deep amber color. Watch it carefully- this happens quickly and I have ruined many-a-caramel by turning my back at just the wrong moment. Remove from heat immediately and stir in the cream. It will violently foam - BE CAREFUL! Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Place egg whites, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl (I use a glass bowl) set over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 140 degrees (an instant read thermometer will be your best friend here!)

Transfer egg mixture to your stand mixer bowl with the whisk attachment in place. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Slowly add the butter, a tablespoon at a time until absorbed. Add vanilla extract and caramel. Beat for 5 more minutes. Then have your first lick and cry. Clearly I want someone to cry about this so I'm not the only weirdo in the world...