Tag Archives: chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate Oatmeal

To all of you who turn your noses up every time I stir bananas into my recipes where they don’t belong, you are in luck! With great self-control, I resisted the mashed banana. I did it for YOU.

0031

Obviously, regular hot chocolate is brilliant. I never realized how much I loved hot chocolate until I moved to the East Coast and experienced the brilliance of L.A. Burdick’s and City Bakery. These places serve up rich, thick, chocolate goodness that just coats your throat with luxury. What makes Mexican hot chocolate unique is the addition of cinnamon (and occasionally other spices). I included an optional pinch of cayenne, for I never turn down an opportunity for a little fire!
(more…)


Tiger Stripes Oatmeal

Confession: it took me less than a week to polish off this jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter. I have no regrets. I’m not ashamed.

tiger-stripe-oatmeal-2-

I got to make all the recipes I was hoping to make, so that expensive jar served its purpose. It served its purpose well, in fact. For example, it really made this particular recipe a treat. Oranges in oatmeal tend to be somewhat lackluster on their own. I worried about this porridge being too “plain.” If you look at the ingredients list, after all, the orange basically has to hold its own.

However, a little bit of Dark Chocolate Dreams was all it took to make this extraordinary.

(more…)


Raspberry Fudge Oatmeal

I must say, I’m an avid supporter of these creamy, fudgy porridges. Seriously, what could be better than a bowl of whole grain oatmeal with no added sugar that tastes exactly like the batter of a chocolate dessert?! I love the decadent base of my Fudgy Banana and Peanut Butter Oatmeal; the Brownie Batter Oatmeal is to-die for; and now I have Raspberry Fudge to add to my list.

0081

This oatmeal is perfect for those of you who want the creamy fudginess of my chocolate recipes, but without the banana. As much as I worship bananas in my oatmeal, I totally understand those of you who are averse. I myself went through an anti-banana phase. If you like raspberries, here is your solution.

(more…)


Dark Chocolate Dreams Oatmeal

If you’ve read anything on my blog, you’re probably well versed in my lust for peanut butter. I think we’re all clear on that, right? I’ve also mentioned my adoration for a certain sandwich shop in Greenwich Village. It’s called Peanut Butter & Co. and it was basically designed specifically for me (I’m pretty sure my name is even on the blueprint somewhere*).

*allegedly

dark-chocolate-dreams-oatmeal-25281-2529

Peanut Butter & Co. blows my mind for two main reasons: 1) flavored peanut butter with no trans fats (although there is palm oil, unfortunately), and 2) GOURMET PB&J SANDWICHES. Each of their peanut butter flavors stars in its own special sandwich, which you can request toasted (and why wouldn’t you?!).

This porridge does not replicate the Dark Chocolate Dreams sandwich, which actually consists of cherry jam and shredded coconut to taste like a black forest cake. I already have a Black Forest Cake Oatmeal, so instead, I went a different route.

(more…)


Chocolate Zucchini Baked Oatmeal

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve shared a recipe for baked oatmeal. I devoted most of July to stove-top recipes and had little ambition for heating up the oven.

008

I made an exception for this recipe. I came in possession of a zucchini from the farmers’ market in my hometown before I left for New York, and I knew I had to attempt this recipe. I don’t buy zucchinis often, so it was now or never.
(more…)


Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal

When was the first time you experienced Nutella?I had never even heard of it until my freshman year of college when I was taking French 101. A number of my classmates had birthdays within a week or two of each other, so one day, our professor walked into class carrying a stack of crepes and a jar of Nutella. Bon anniversaire, indeed!

002

(more…)


Choco-Strawberry Sauce

My mom and I bought a massive crate of strawberries last weekend. (Actually, we bought a box of peaches, too! We’re still waiting for those to ripen.) Much to our horror, they started going bad immediately. As in, we were throwing berries away by the next morning. 🙁

I’ve been making admirable attempts to salvage as many of these lovelies as possible. Naturally, I’ve been having pot after pot of strawberry-themed porridges. Duh! Yesterday, I whipped up a strawberry sorbet (which was delicious, if I do say so myself). This morning, I made this sauce!

0241

(more…)


Tiramisu Oatmeal

[Update: I feel the need to nudge you in the direction of my newer overnight version of this recipe. It’s simpler and tastier. Give it a try!]

I once told you that peach cobbler is my favorite dessert. Another time, I told you it was pumpkin pie. Well, both of those statements are only partly true. Actually, it’s a three-way tie…with tiramisu.

tiramisu-008

In fact, when my birthday rolled around, what did I chose for my “birthday cake?” Yep. Tiramisu. From Vivaldi Cafe in Greenwich Village. There was live jazz. 🙂
(more…)


Cookie Dough Muesli

Yes, there are recipes for instant and edible cookie dough all over the internet. You could certainly make any of them and be perfectly happy.

So why did I make my own version? Well, I didn’t make cookie dough, exactly. I made a muesli form of cookie dough. What up?

cookie-dough-muesli-003

Like I’ve explained before, muesli is a Swiss breakfast consisting of uncooked oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. It’s typically eaten with yogurt, milk, and/or fresh fruit (kind of like granola).

This recipe actually started a year ago when I made CCK’s flourless chocolate chip cookies. I really liked the result, but I realized that I liked the dough even more, and I frequently made it for dessert or a snack. As the months passed, my recipe simplified and progressed until I realized it was kind of like a muesli. Not exactly, but kind of. So that’s what I’m going to call it. 🙂
(more…)


Allison’s Chocolate Chip Cookies [Guest Post]

As someone who reads a lot of food blogs and watches many cooking shows, I cannot hear the phrase, “the best chocolate chip cookies” without rolling my eyes. Thus, when I met my roommate Allison and she told me she made the best chocolate chip cookies, my eyes nearly rolled all the way to the back of my head. “I’ve been perfecting these cookies since I was in middle school,” she proclaimed confidently, but I still wasn’t convinced.

And then she made them…and I became a believer. These cookies are in full dessert form–not vegan, not sugar-free, not whole wheat–but they contain a few special ingredients that will take the average cookie to the next level. One of these ingredients is oatmeal; that’s probably why I love these chewy little rockstars so much! With a little persuasion (very little, actually), I convinced Allison to share her secret recipe on the blog for all of you.

As Lauren’s roommate, I am happy to report that her oatmeal tastes just as good as it looks. I will be the first to admit that I don’t eat oatmeal everyday—mornings are hard—but when I do, my porridges are almost always Oatmeal Artist recipes made by the Oatmeal Artist herself. What can I say, I’m spoiled!

0032

The following recipe will probably be the first and only time that this blog will feature anything so explicitly unhealthy. Lauren and I have similar philosophies about fresh, unprocessed food, but she has better willpower. Sometimes you just want a cookie, ya know?

These chocolate chip cookies are not your average, run-of-the-mill Chips Ahoy. No, my friends, these cookies took several months of careful calibration and taste testing, many years ago. Since then, I have not looked back, and this has become my go-to recipe whenever I needed to bake something that was both quick to make and interesting to eat.
(more…)