Chocolate Chip

Fudgey Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don’t think there is anything prettier and more rewarding than cutting into the perfectly ripe avocado. That creamy flesh, with a buttery texture and full of good things for our bodies. The avocado is complete in and of itself. I will eat an avocado sliced up, on toast, mashed into guacamole, in salad, on tacos, the possibilities are endless.

Finding the avocado at it’s perfect ripeness is that daily dance of checking to see- too firm, just soft enough? Then there is the occasional over ripe one I’ll try to make work, but an avocado is not like a banana. There’s no magical bread to make with the over ripe avocados. In my home, avocados rarely last long enough to be over ripe. So for me, it is a worth while weekly produce purchase.

Now, add some coconut sugar, some dark cocoa powder, and turn these beauties into cookie dough? Why not! If you are looking for an indulgent cookie that isn’t guilt laden. (Though truthfully, I am not looking at cookies like that ever at this point in my life…I am almost 50. Eat the darn cookie). Here we have an example of a healthier version, with no refined sugar, gluten free, oil free, and vegan. (I know there are vegan chocolate chips available at a lot of grocery stores at this point, which is great).

This cookie dough comes together quickly in the food processor, and it is dense, and fudge like. If you choose to make the cookies without the chips, they turn out as little brownie scoops. YUM

Because these cookies don’t spread much, slightly dampen your hand and give each of them a little pat to flatten. Ten to twelve minutes later, you have a delicious and mostly healthy treat!

I’ll be the first to admit that not many of my recipes fall into this category, so I am pleased to start incorporating healthier options for people in my life, and for me as well!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, I thank you for coming to the table!

Love,

Chrissy

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Fudgey Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These tasty, vegan, flourless, gluten free, oil-free, refined sugar free cookies are NOT flavor free! Tender little bites of chocolatey goodness let you have a treat without feeling guilty.  Original recipe from www.veggiekins.com

 

  • Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

1 Cup Avocado (ripe but not over ripe)

3/4 Cup Coconut Sugar

3/4 Cup Dark Cocoa Powder

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

1 Tsp Salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  3. Scoop avocado from skin and give a rough chop.
  4. Using a food processor, pulse coconut sugar to remove any chunks.
  5. Add avocado to coconut sugar and process until combined.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut, baking powder, and salt until combined.
  7. Transfer avocado mixture to the bowl with dry ingredients fold to combine.
  8. Add in chocolate chips if you are using them.
  9. Your dough will look a little wetter than usual cookie dough. Use a cookie scoop to place dough in scoops on parchment lined baking sheet.
  10. Using damp hands, pat down each cookie mound slightly- cookies will not flatten on their own.
  11. Bake cookies at 350* for 10-12 minutes. Tops of cookies and edges will look slightly cooked. 
  12. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet.

Cookies will be soft and store in an air tight container for a few days- they won’t last that long!

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Siblings and Skillet Cookies

skillet cookie

True story, my brother is one of the funniest and tender hearted people I know. As kids, we used to fight a lot. We were your average born in the 70’s, four-square and kickball in the neighborhood, come home when the street lights turned on kids. We rode our bikes and got lost in the woods. We fought over who would sit in the front seat, who’s feet got to rest on the bar under the table, and lord only knows what else. But mostly, even when we were arguing, we were laughing.

He was organized, I was not. He was the math brain, I wrote stories. He loved video games, I didn’t. We were different, for sure. But family is like that. I see it in my own two children- their similarities and differences, and the way they laugh and look out for each other amongst those things.

I will say this, when I had my wisdom teeth removed, he held half of the ice pack for me in the car ride home. (Thankful we didn’t have cell phones or for sure he would have recorded me).

When my children lost their father, he jumped on a plane to meet us. For the rest of my life I will remember the sense of relief when he walked into that funeral home. One spot of lightness amidst chaos.

He’s that kind of man.

The gift of being older is instead of seeing your differences, you see the similarities and honor the wonderful things you find in your siblings the longer you share this life’s journey.

Now we exchange parenting stories. We both enjoy leadership roles, and have puppies, and even give each other a heads-up and great podcasts or books we’ve listened to and read. I trust him implicitly with the stuff I share. And we both have a Momma we love and joke with. There are moments when I am down and I will call or FaceTime my brother just because I know I will feel better when I hang up. There is a fellowship in sibling hood that is singular in nature.

So, when on one of the many social media platforms on which we follow each other my brother sends a picture of a larger than life skillet cookie, I ask for the recipe. When he sends it to me from Tiktok, I slowly rewatch so I can catch all of the ingredients because, hey we are in the middle of the longest, loneliest winter in the middle of the pandemic, and sometimes, the concept of a skillet cookie is magical.

Who am I kidding, when is a skillet cookie NOT magical?

This is a one-bowl cookie dough you press into a skillet and bake. It is beautifully crispy on the edges and soft and tender in the middle. I, of course changed stuff up and added extra things because I am me. I did not add walnuts (even though that addition would have been amazing) because my children do not like walnuts in dessert. I did add butterscotch chips because they add a little extra something that was delicious, but not necessary. You can mix up the add ins because there are no rules to this cookie except you eat it warm (it is just as good fully cooled but I recommend heating it up a bit first). I also suggest a good quality ice cream. listen, if we are going there, let’s go big.

I think, if the last year has taught us anything, it is the importance of loved ones and spending time with them. We are fortunate to live in a time where technology makes seeing someone half way across the country in a heartbeat possible. Where we can see the funny faces that go with the sarcasm. Where we can check in to see how someone is and laugh as well. If we can share a recipe along the way, aren’t we blessed?

As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe, and thank you for coming to the table.

Chrissy

(Click on link below for full recipe)

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Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Skillet Cookie

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This one bowl mix cookie dough is easy to make and so delicious. You need to get a bowl and scoop of ice cream ready! you are going to want to eat this when it has sightly cooled, but still warm.

  • Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 Tablespoons of butter (2 sticks)
  • 1 1/2 Cup packed Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup White Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 2 1/4 Cups Flour
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips or Chunks
  • Additional add ins:
    • Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
    • White Chocolate Chips
    • Butterscotch Chips (Which I used in my recipe – 1-2 Cups)

Instructions

  1. In the skillet you plan to cook the cookie in, melt two sticks of butter. You can continue to cook until the butter is browned to add another layer of flavor. Set aside to cool.
  2. While butter is cooling add sugars to a bowl, then add melted cool butter to sugars and mix.
  3. Combine with vanilla extract, egg and egg yolk, and dry ingredients.
  4. Stir in chocolate chips, additional add ins (I added 1 -1 1/2 cups of Butterscotch chips)
  5. Preheat oven to 350*
  6. Press combined cookie dough into pan.
  7. Bake in 350* oven for 15 Minutes (If you think it is too doughy you can cook additionally but it should be slightly doughy in the center.

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Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Squares

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars

I know, I placed a teaser picture on my Facebook page and then made everybody wait because I was too busy being a mom and a daughter and a teacher and a multitasking human who didn’t actually get anything right last week. Cue the tears. Ok, maybe no tears. I think I put myself in time out last week maybe three times. People, one minute for every year adds up to a nice little segment of time to decompress. Or put away clean laundry. You decide.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars

 

Anyway… This is an absolute frankendessert of goodness. Oh. My. Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars. As in…make a chocolate chip brownie like bottom and then top it with the pecan pie filling and bake.

On the edges, the pecan pie absorbs into the cookie layer. on the inside, it remains that gooey, Karo

Chocolate Chip Layer

syrupy nutty amazing ness that is all things pecan pie.

You don’t like pecan pie? We need to talk. Unless you have an allergy, it could be a deal breaker in our friendship. Like country music, or not returning one of my books (you know who you are).

This recipe is actually pretty easy to prepare, you mix your cookie dough in  the mixer, and then as it bakes, you mix your pecan pie topping.

It bakes in two sessions, and the ingredients are a little higher end (I know, pecans are expensive) but if you want to impress a crowd, this is your dessert.

Chocolate Chip Layer

This is also a large dessert. This recipe fills a 9×13 pan, to the top. I lined my pan with parchment, making it easier to lift out after baking, easier to cut into bars, and saving me a lot of time with pecan stickiness on the pan after baking.

This dessert is so beautiful.

This was one of two desserts I made for the last of the pumpkin carving parties. Nothing says hello Halloween like a fire, friends, food, and more food.

Pecan Pie Layer

We have been lucky enough to be invited for several years, and it is hard to believe our kids are seniors this year. Sigh. We have transitioned to it being all about the pumpkins, to all about the hanging out. Party food needs to also be portable, so these bars work nicely. They don’t need a fork like pecan pie does. You will, however, need a napkin.

I did mention that these bars had to go to school the next day?

I can’t be trusted with anything this lovely. My school peeps are so worthy of great love, and desserts.

The original recipe is from www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com. I did alter the recipe, par for the course, changing the brown sugar, the vanilla extract, and the amount of chocolate chips.

One thing I would mention is- really watch towards the end of the baking time. I actually cooked these a little longer because I wanted to make sure the topping set. In doing so, I think the color of the base layer was more brown and caramelish than intended.

Once the bars have baked, allow them to cool completely. Remove from pan, and slice into squares.

Because this is a richer dessert, the squares don’t need to be large, but I like a hearty portion, so this made enough squares for the party, to share at school, and still manage a portion to live on my countertop calling out to me.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars

In this season of thankfulness and abundance, this dessert just seems perfection to me. It’s a Thanksgiving treat, and my heart is always looking for another reason to be thankful.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe.

 

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Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Squares

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Chocolate Chip and Pecan Pie come together to make delicious bar dessert. Original recipe is from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen (Amazing Food Blog!) I changed a few of the measurements and the amounts of sugars.

  • Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Layer:

  • 1 Cup Softened Margarine
  • 1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 1/4 Cup Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 12 Ounce Package of Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips

Pecan Layer:

  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 1/2 Cups Corn Syrup (I used light)
  • 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons Melted Margarine, slightly cooled
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2–3 Cups Pecan pieces (I used a blend of pieces and halves- the halves add to the visual)

Instructions

  1. Line a 9 x 13 Baking Pan with Parchment Paper and spray with cooking spray.
  2. preheat oven to 350*
  3. For cookie layer: In a mixer, combine margarine and sugars until creamed and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until combined.
  5. Slowly add flour and baking soda to the mix.
  6. Fold in chocolate chips of choice.
  7. Press batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Your outer edges will appear more cooked (golden brown) than the inner portion.

Pean Layer:

  • While cookie portion is baking, combine eggs, sugars, corn syrup, vanilla, melted margarine and whisk until thoroughly combined.
  • Stir in pecans, combining and coating the pecans in mixture.
  • Carefully pour pecan layer over cookie layer and return to the oven.
  • Bake for an additional 25-35 minutes until the pecan layer is set (only a little jiggle) and golden brown. Your kitchen will smell amazing at this point!!!
  • Remove for oven and cool on countertop. Place in refrigerator to cool before slicing.
  • Remove liner and slice into squares.

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Salty Chocolate Chip Bars

One of the best parts of having athletes for children, especially when you didn’t grow up an athlete, is the whole “team” concept. I am the mother of a Field Hockey  player and a Wrestler. They both do winter sports as well, but overall, those are the dominating sports in our home. Fortunately one ends, I have a few weeks, and the next begins. We are busy, we are on the move, but life is a gift.

Salty Chocolate Chip Bars

I love every minute. From early drop offs to all day sitting on a bench, I am thankful. Thankful for my children, thankful for their teams, thankful for the families we get to know and grow with as our kids train and play. We holler their names out when they succeed, and cheer them on when they need to hear “Good hustle!” or “Great endurance!” We do our parent thing.

 

Another wonderful part of being on a team is working together, providing snacks, helping out in the concession stand, ribbons for the team, supporting the fundraisers. Tomorrow, the team is helping out a family in need.

Salty Chocolate Chip Bars

Tomorrow the Field Hockey Team is having a fundraiser for a fellow student who was diagnosed with cancer. In addition to charging admission and opening up the concession stand, there will be a Bake Sale. So this week, all of the posts will be about baked goods for a cause. Today, we have Salty Chocolate Chip Bars.

 

If you ever thought about a big soft cookie with the shape of a brownie, chewy and buttery, with big chunks of chocolate, this is your dessert.

It is a one bowl, one pan mix with the addition of, you guessed it, salty on top.

This recipe can be made with Sea Salt Flakes, or freshly ground sea salt, but we have a sea salt allergy in my building, so when I make these for work, I use regular Kosher Salt. The combination of salt on top with the sweet of the cookie makes this the quintessential snack. In fact, it will be the snack I pack for the team when it is my game to host. They slice up nicely and the chunks of chocolate stay gooey. Who can say no?!

On our first day of Staff Professional Development, a pan of these made their way into the training, still warm from the oven. I took home an empty pan. That, to me, says it all.

Salty Chocolate Chip Bars

When a day spent in my kitchen brings smiles to people’s faces, my heart is happy. When I can add a fundraiser for a great cause to the mix, my heart is filled and overflowing. I’m hoping tomorrow there are no left overs, and a family in need is blessed.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

(click below for printable recipe)

 

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Salty Chocolate Chunk Bars

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Delicious combination of sweet and salty.

  • Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 C Softened Butter
  • 1/4 C Cream Cheese
  • 1 1/2 Packed Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 1/2 Cup Cake Flour
  • 1 1/4 Cup AP Flour
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Package (approx. 2 Cups) Chocolate Chunks
  • Additional Kosher Salt for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Line and prepare a 9 X 13″ cake pan with foil or parchment.
  2. Preheat oven to 350*
  3. Use either a hand held mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
  4. Cream together Butter and Cream Cheese, add Brown Sugar.
  5. Add Salt, Baking Soda, and Beat until combined.
  6. Add Eggs and Vanilla.
  7. Add Flour(s) until combined.
  8. Fold in Chocolate Chunks.
  9. Turn mixture out into prepared pan and smooth until flattened and even.
  10. Bake 20 minutes, until tester in center comes out clean.
  11. Sprinkle Kosher salt as soon as bars come out of oven.
  12. Cut into bars. (Wait for a few minutes before you devour them)!

Notes

You can use Sea Salt Flakes in this recipe, but for school we do Sea Salt Free (That’s what you do when your friend is allergic)!

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Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a confession. Actually it’s more of a life banner, if there was such a thing. There is no dessert of which I am not a fan. For a long stretch there was a dispassion when it came to strawberries, but for some reason, this spring strawberry love came back in full swing.

Now, I loves me some vegetables. I was a vegetarian for a few years, and embraced it, and so meatless meals are a steady stream in our house as well. But, I have to say, if I can incorporate that vegetable into some sort of sweet its a win win. What? It’s a zucchini cookie, it’s practically breakfast.

All teasing aside, I love this recipe which I found on www.howsweeteats.com Her Chewy Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies was the base recipe for this post.

I made a double batch of these, brought some to a field hockey tournament, the rest to coffee hour at church, and the responses were positive. They are chewy, and puffy, and filled with chocolate, oats, and zucchini, so they resembled tiny little zucchini breads. Just enough spice and sweet, and the perfect little mouthful.

Now, as always when it comes to zucchini, I am a huge fan of a fine grater. I like to grate the zucchini ahead of time and place in a colander over a bowl to drain. For this recipe I didn’t drain the zucchini for a long time, thinking the oatmeal would soak up the moisture. The other things I changed, and only a little, were the amounts of zucchini, spices, and chocolate. What can I say, when I get my hands on a nutmeg and a microplane, I go overboard. I also did my mix of flours, which could contribute to my cookies being more puffy and less chewy.

My mom has this gift, where she makes all of her cookies exactly the same size and shape. It’s one of her many talents. For this recipe, I really did try to strive for the same effect, so I scooped the dough, then rolled them in my hands before putting them on parchment lined baking sheets. I was close to Momma perfection. Ok, true story, we ate the ones that didn’t conform. The rule in my house is any ugly cookies are up for dibs. At least eating these we felt a little less guilty!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

 

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Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Perfect little cookies of zucchini, oatmeal, and chocolate chips. Original recipe is from Jessica Merchant of How Sweet it is @www.howsweeteats.com

  • Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Original recipe based from www.howsweeteats.com

  • 2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
  • 1 ½ C Quick Oats
  • 1 Cup AP Flour
  • ½ Cup Cake Flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  • 2 and 1/2 Cups Finely Grated Zucchini
  • 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 12 Tbsp. Melted Butter
  • 2 Large Egg Yolks
  • 4–5 Tbsp. Milk (depending on level of moisture in cookie dough)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Cups Semi-Sweet Morsels

Instructions

Directions:

  1. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.
  2. Combine melted butter and sugar, then add in egg yolks and remainder of wet ingredients.
  3. Combine wet and dry ingredients, checking to see if additional milk needs to be added.
  4. Add Zucchini, and chocolate morsels until all incorporated. Wrap dough in wax paper or parchment, refrigerating for at least an hour.
  5. The dough will be firm when you are ready to bake.
  6. Preheat oven to 325*
  7. Scoop out spoonfuls and round into balls between hands. Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake 14-16 minutes, removing parchment from baking sheets but keeping cookies remaining on parchment (magic trick! You’ve got this)!

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