Campfire S'mores Brownies

Digging through the pantry cupboards this weekend, I spotted exactly three boxes of graham crackers and two bags of marshmallows (one mini and one full-size). S'mores, I reminisced. Sweet, sticky s'mores. In my home, these ingredients are rarely used for another purpose. Certainly the graham crackers are used for a lovely tart crust now and then, and the marshmallows fit perfectly atop a mug of steaming cocoa, but these ingredients will always be two components in what should be a trio of three.

With summer's heat long gone, it seemed a shame to keep these ingredients safe until the next warm summer's eve. I pulled them off the pantry shelf and set to work.

If you've been with me for a short while, you might imagine that I love the occasional s'more now and again. However, if you've been with me for some time, you know the sticky, messy truth. The word love may be not be enough to describe how I feel. I've shared S'mores Pie and S'mores Sundaes with you. I've even entered my original S'mores Cupcakes into a cupcake baking competition.

There may have been even more recipes, but I didn't want to scare you off. There is a fine line between fun and fanatic.

It's true that my love for s'mores lies partly in the unique flavor combination of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, but the majority of it is rooted in memories. Sweet, sweet, memories of hot summer nights. Of blazing campfires, folk songs, and sticky fingers. Of deep conversation, giggling, and cool summer breezes. Of warm faces, crackling logs, and marshmallows lost to the flames.

In the midst of winter's wind and ice, dreams of summer feel just right.

These Campfire S'mores Brownies are ooey gooey, sticky, and unbelievably fudgy. A pound of chocolate is melted, graham crackers are mixed in the batter, and mini marshmallows are broiled on top. The key to delicious brownies is knowing when to take them out of the oven. Leaving them in too long can result in dry, crumbling brownies, while taking them out at just the right moment produces thick and fudgy results. I drizzled my brownies with extra chocolate because, well, it just tastes better that way.

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Dark Chocolate Oatmeal

Oatmeal is on my short list of comfort foods. While meat and potatoes or thick hearty stews are perfect for cold winter nights, I look to oatmeal to warm my body and keep me snug on frost covered mornings. The stick-to-your-ribs goodness makes me feel as if I'm wearing a wool sweater (without the inevitable "itch"). Oatmeal has an ease and grace that stands out among the breakfast cereals. It's warm and friendly, soft and approachable (and it's good for you too). It's always pleasant to know that an honest breakfast is just five minutes away.

If only all of my comfort foods were just five minutes away...

On second thought, that would actually be a terrible idea.

I typically sweeten my morning oatmeal with a sprinkling of brown sugar, a spoonful of maple syrup, or a handful of fruit. Occasionally, when I have the urge to become a little more adventurous, I cook up a batch of pumpkin spice or banana bread oatmeal. Despite the rare bowl of bold oats, I tend to stick with the classic hits in the oatmeal world.

While wandering the aisles of my local grocery store recently, I spotted something dangerous, something so utterly corrupting to my healthy New Year's resolutions I had to take a closer look. It was, for all intents and purposes, a mix for chocolate oatmeal. Chocolate Oatmeal. No wonder it stopped me in my tracks.

The four dollar price tag, however, kept my feet moving.

Nevertheless, the idea had been planted.

As I contemplated the best way to make this oatmeal happen, I looked to my cabinets for the right ingredients. I used cocoa powder to supply a chocolate base, a dash of sugar to offset the bitterness the cocoa powder lends, and a small handful of chocolate chips to give it that chocolate punch I was craving. I call this recipe an easy success—easy to make (and even easier to make disappear).

This dark chocolate oatmeal is so sinful it tastes like a rich full-fat chocolate pudding. You'll want to eat this for breakfast, but you really, really shouldn't. However, if you do indulge (like me), you can count on me to keep that information under lock and key.

Your secret is safe with me.

This Dark Chocolate Oatmeal is the perfect snack to zap your chocolate cravings and keep you full until the next meal. Made with milk, cocoa powder, and dark chocolate chips, this oatmeal tastes more like a chocolate pudding than a breakfast staple (and trust me, that's a very good thing). This recipe serves two comfortably. If cooking for one, halve the recipe accordingly—it will be enough. Serve hot, with a splash of milk and a few extra chocolate chips scattered on top.

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Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I want you to take in these words, close your eyes, and visualize their meaning. Feel the warmth from the oven as you peer at them baking. Breathe in their scent, imagine the taste, the texture, and let it linger softly on your tongue. Chocolate Chip Cookies will always be my ultimate cookie. Certainly sugar, shortbread, and oatmeal raisin all have a time and a place, but they have never carved out such a sweet place in my heart like dear chocolate chip.

And oh what a sweet place it is.

In my year and a half of blogging, I have never shared a chocolate chip cookie recipe with you. There was a reason for this. I've shared a variation here or there, but you don't mess around with the true classic. When I was going to share a chocolate chip cookie recipe with you, I didn't want it to be just any cookie. I wanted it to stand out, to be special, to be different.

A good chocolate chip cookie has a few requirements. A great chocolate chip cookie has many more. I know some of you prefer them thin and crispy, but today's recipe is all about the thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie.

This chocolate chip cookie recipe comes to me from a close family friend. It is her secret recipe, sought after by everyone blessed enough to try one of her cookies (me included). Fortunately, she has given me permission to share her secret with you. I won't reveal my source, however. The woman has an image to uphold (and a secret recipe to stay "secret").

This particular recipe has a slight twist. It is made with vegetable shortening instead of butter, which keeps the cookies wonderfully thick (cookies with a high butter content spread out very thin). The cookie also uses a couple tablespoons of mild molasses for one specific purpose. The molasses keeps the inside of the cookies soft for days (if they last that long, of course), without lending a distinct flavor. Five days on my kitchen counter and these cookies are as soft as the day I made them.

These soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you'll ever need. With just the right ratio of chocolate chips to cookie dough, the cookie maintains a very soft center while the edges stay lightly browned and crispy. These are lovely dipped into a glass of milk or eaten warm and gooey, straight out of the oven.

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