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. 

Funfetti Cookies

There was a 2 month span where the only way I could get my oldest to eat...pretty much anything...was to put a couple sprinkles on the top. Broccoli? yep. Hamburger? guilty. Yogurt? Yep and it tasted suuuper good. When I saw this recipe on Two Peas and their Pod I just KNEW I had to make it with my boy. These really are the best cookies to make with little helper hands. Really I have no idea what it is about sprinkles but they are so magical to children. To be completely honest with you - these did not taste like the boxed funfetti cake mix, which I was kind of hoping they would. A little bit of a bummer but they still taste good, especially with the almond extract. 

Recipe from Two Peas and their Pod
Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup Butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 1/4 cups Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups Flour
1/4 cup Cornstarch
3/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Rainbow Sprinkles (long skinnies)
2 tablespoons Nonpareil Sprinkles (little balls)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, and the egg. Beat until combined.

Turn your mixer down to the lowest speed and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Mix in the sprinkles, being careful not to over-mix or the color will bleed into the dough.

Scoop onto your prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, but start to check them around 8 minutes. You want the cookies to be very lightly brown. Dark cookies mean crunchy cookies. Yuck.

Enjoy!

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!