Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies [Recipe]

September 6, 2013 By Laura

Let me apologize in advance.

#sorryimnotsorry

If you make these cookies, you won’t be able to stop at one. They don’t hide any veggies. They aren’t healthy… unless you count the partial sugar substitute. They are addictingly good. You will brave salmonella to eat the batter.

So what makes these cookies strange? Booze. It doesn’t have to just be for drinking; it also makes a tasty cookie! Who knew?!

The bourbon isn’t strong here; it merely adds a hint of caramel and enhances the vanilla in the cookie. I used Four Roses, which is a lighter, almost fruity bourbon.

No bourbon? You could use Frangelico or another liqueur. Or you could leave it out… ~~if you’re crazy.~~

Bourbon aside, this is a classic chocolate chip cookie. They are a teensy bit under-baked, resulting in a decadent, doughy center. Get your cold glass of (almond) milk ready.

There are some specific instructions. Don’t skip them.

Browned butter will elevate any dessert recipe you make to a whole new level. Be patient and let the dough chill in the fridge. It helps with spreading and allows the flavors to come together making an even more irresistible cookie.

Tall cookie dough scoops

If you want a healthy dessert, check out these Granola Cookies or these Chocolate Avocado cookies. If you have one of those weeks where you need to get down and dirty to treat yourself, do it with boozy cookies.

Why the treats this week? I quit my job and started a new one. It’s a good thing. I will miss my old team, but this job is more in-line with what I want to be when I grow up (in the world of marketing/product management). Changing jobs is scary and exciting all at once…. but it’s already clear to me that I made the right choice!

I deserve a cookie.

[Tweet “These doughy, boozy Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies will change your life. Really.”]

Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

2.25 C (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp cornstarch
3/4 C (1.5 sticks or 170 grams) salted butter, browned
3/4 C (150 grams) dark brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 C (100 grams) xylitol (or sugar)
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 T bourbon (I used Four Roses)
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks)

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

In a medium bowl, beat browned butter and sugars together. Beat in the egg, followed by the egg yolk. Add the vanilla and bourbon.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together. The dough will be very soft. Don’t worry.

Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill for at least an hour, or overnight. *Do not skip this step*

When ready to bake, heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper .

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll the dough into balls (~1 heaping tablespoon each). Shape them into tall balls to help them bake up to be thick. Place them on the lined cookies sheets with ~1 inch of space between (they will spread).

Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. Don’t bake them any longer!!! They should look soft and under-baked. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet.

*Note: Room temperature egg/egg yolks are best for even disbursement.

Inspired by Sally’s Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

“The difference between a success and a failure is that a failure runs away from his fears while successful people run towards their fears.”

Have you ever quit a job? It’s the most nerve-wracking thing to do!

What is your favorite decadent cookie?

A 50 K, a 50 mile, and Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

September 5, 2013 By Laura

Wise, insightful posts are so inspiring.

I so admire people who can write them.

Kat wrote one such post today in her bi-weekly guest spot below. I am forever grateful to her for bringing a ~~mature~~ different voice to this blog.

It make me feel less guilty for sharing ~~crap~~ interesting tidbits like this:

Hello Kitty beer. It’s a real thing in China. Apparently it comes in lime and peach flavors… and there are 4 more coming. Like banana. *gag*

Rather than making about a million inappropriate jokes, I going to stop and let Kat take over. Her Vegan Eggplant Parm recipe certainly tastes better than Hello Kitty fruity beer.

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A 50 K, a 50 mile, and Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

The rest of my West Coast Trip ROCKED! I finished 3rd in my age group at the Mount Tam 50K, and it was such a beautiful race! However, I wore the wrong shoes, and my feet ACHED! I wore the Saucony Kinvara trail shoes (which I love, but only for about 15-18 miles or so). I got new shoes as soon as I got home (to wear in my 50 miler last Sunday).

Mount Tam 50k

Then I went zip lining through the redwoods! I highly recommend this! (Editor’s note: I’ll pass on the 50K but sign me up for this!!!)

I learned so much about the trees and how adaptive they are. They really are super cool, and the zip lining is a blast, too.

After 10 days, getting back to “normal,” has been a slow process, at best, but I’m so happy to be home with all of my babies – the three kitties and the three puppies! (Editor’s note: I always feel that way too – even after the most amazing of trips.)

I also was super excited to run the Yeti Snakebite 50/50 on Sunday, September 1. So many of my friends were there to either run 50K or 50 miles, and it was awesome to see all the friendly faces. Unfortunately, it was a much harder race and hotter day than most anticipated, so tons of people were unable to complete the race (and I was super slow). However, I finished the 50 miler, a little over 12 hours after I started.

Krista gave up her whole day to crew for me. She showed up at every aid station to bring me things I needed and wanted and to help me though. I am humbled and grateful to have people in my life who care about me and are willing to support me in my (crazy) endeavors.

My new Innov8 Trail Roc shoes also ROCKED! I was a little nervous, having only run in them once (for about 6 miles), to wear them in such a long race, but I highly recommend them. They are lightweight, but have a beastly cleat (Editor’s note: Best description ever) on the bottom to help you on the trails, while not hurting your feet for short spurts on pavement.

The Race itself was extremely difficult, and when it rained (POURED) on us, it was slippery and dangerous. EEK! I also got off-trail for a bit, which reminded me to just smile through it and eventually cross the finish line! The volunteers were amazing, and kept us going even when super frustrated.

It helps to step back after a race like that and ask yourself, “Why?” Why do we do this? Why do we intentionally do things that we know will hurt, that will push us to our physical and mental limits?”

I keep coming back to the answer that it shows me that I can push through the most difficult feelings, and survive when I want to quit. Applying this lesson to life, I keep wanting to also show myself I can do it with a smile. (Editor’s note: That, and you’re a little crazy. Which is why we get along. 😉 )

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At my house, we recently started getting fruit and vegetable delivery, once a week, from Cold Life Organics. They have several options for boxes, and you can add on to any box, skip a shipment, or change which box you need or want. It’s only $40 for one week for two people! It’s been awesome, and with the variety they bring, it encourages me to try new things and think outside the box. 😉 (Yes, that was a cheesy pun. You’re welcome!)

Last week we got eggplant. I wanted to have friends over, rather than going out and spending more money, so I decided to get creative for my vegan friend, Ann. I ended up doing a play on Eggplant Parmesan, sans the Parmesan… and it was SO GOOD! (Editor’s note: Holla at this friend!!!)

It was super crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, and perfectly delicious. Using the pecan meal with the nutritional yeast gave it the perfect amount of nuttiness that we didn’t get from the real Parmesan, and the garlic gave it an awesome little kick with some sweetness. And I would not do this without the fresh basil! Try this recipe!

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Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

1 Medium eggplant
1/2 T org. buckwheat flour
1 T almond meal
2 T pecan meal
1 T dried parsley
1 T nutritional yeast
Big pinch salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Large fresh basil leaves, chopped
Plenty of coconut oil
16 oz jar of tomato sauce, or homemade tomato sauce (I made my own)

Pre-heat the oven to 425.

Mix your buckwheat, almond and pecan meal, parsley, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and fresh basil in a bowl with a fork. In another bowl, pour some melted coconut oil.

Cut eggplant into ¼ – ½ inch rounds. First dip them in the dry mixture, then into the coconut oil, then back into the dry mixture. Make sure it gets a good coating on there. Repeat with the whole eggplant.

Place on baking sheet lined with foil and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy on top (I had to broil mine an extra 2-3 minutes after).

Let some of the oil drip onto a towel/paper towel and let cool for about 3-5 minutes. Then serve with sauce!

Makes 3-4 servings.

***

I think Kat nailed it this week with a #strangebutgood recipe! And I am adding this to the list of things to beg her to make me…

What do you do for self-improvement? How do your workouts help? It clears my mind and helps me remain more focused on goals!

Do you have organic veggie delivery!? Would you look into it?

PB & J Topped French Toast + WIAW

September 4, 2013 By Laura

My favorite porn is #yolkporn.

I can only imagine the search terms I’m going to get from this…

When I saw this video on Lifehack yesterday I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys. It’s (allegedly) a fool-proof way to cook a sunny side up egg.

In case you need the definition a perfect sunny side up egg should have the whites just cooked through, but the bright yellow yolky deliciousness should remain runny. Like a silky syrup for your toast or oats or salad or jicama nachos… anything!

Warning: this video will make you crave butter. And egg, obv.

The guy’s name is Mr. Breakfast. He must be an expert.

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In other news, I failed and didn’t have a runny egg on WIAW. I did win at food prep though! After a few weeks of being less than planned, I was happy to have my meals ready for me today!

Read on for my prepared food, and then check out Jenn’s blog. I don’t know if she’s doing the link up though… because she had her ~~bagel~~ baby!!!!!!!

♥ Congratulations and welcome to baby Mia! ♥

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Breakfast:

Of course I had my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) to start my day out right.

I was feeling like something decadent for breakfast in honor of the short work week. That only means one thing: french toast. My protein-filled toast tasted like a treat with the peanut flour sauce and strawberries.

Note: I order peanut flour from iHerb – use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order.

PB & J Topped French Toast

1/4 C egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
4-5 drops liquid Stevia
1 large slice of bread (I used p28 High Protein)
1 T peanut flour
1 tsp sugar-free syrup
1/8 tsp butter extract
Almond milk (adjust to desired consistency)
Strawberries and granola (to top)

Beat together first 5 ingredients in a shallow bowl. Soak bread slice in the mix, flipping once to coat.

Cook in greased pan over med-high heat until browned.

Meanwhile, mix together peanut flour, syrup, butter extract, and almond milk. I used 2 T almond milk; add it slowly and adjust to your desired consistency.

Plate toast and top with syrup, berries, and granola.

Lunch:

Things got busy and I missed my mid-morning snack so I had an early-ish lunch. I packed up the chicken, tabbouleh, and celery sticks from my food prep, and added to that some hummus and a piece of Ezekial bread.

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

No need to eat boring food just because you’re sitting in an office. This snack was incredible: salmon sashimi, lavar, edamame, and kabocha.

Totally normal work eats, no?

Late-Afternoon Snack:

My schedule was thrown off and I had to busy out an emergency bar to power through my workout before dinner.

Note: I don’t actually like these. It was a freebie.

Dinner:

I was going to eat the snapper from my food prep… but after I workout all I want is a smoothie bowl. Eating solid food after a workout just doesn’t appeal to me.

My new staple is this Chocolate Beet variety. Last night I wolfed it down with oats, fig, and a bar I made as part of meal prep (side note: I want to make some adjustments before I share – sorry!). Extra spinach.

Dessert:

Smoothie bowls are like dessert to me, but that didn’t stop me from having a second dessert. The post-Labor Day fall mood struck and I made a Sweet Potato Pie Protein Bowl as my midnight snack. I’ve been adding coconut flour to everything lately – it makes everything deliciously cake-y.

With all the toppings I had to take a bite shot for you to even see the pie!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

1/2 C sweet potato, mashed
1/2 C no-salt cottage cheese
1 T coconut flour
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp almond extract
Liquid Stevia, to taste
Almond milk (adjust to desired thickness)
Optional toppings: popcorn, figs, cacao nibs, breakfast bar crumbles

Mix it all together and devour!

Note: you could blend it to smooth… I was too impatient. 😉

***

How awesome that it’s already Wednesday?!

Do you have a hard time eating solids after a workout?

Do you ever eat something you don’t love just because it’s free? I don’t know why I’m so compelled…

Work It Out: Meal Prep

September 3, 2013 By Laura

Tuesday is the new Monday.

Why can’t this be a permanent thing?

Since Monday was a holiday, it became food prep day (usually Sunday). I get a lot of questions about what I prep for the week, so I am doing another kitchen-themed Work It Out.

I am diligent about prepping proteins and carbs on food prep day. Veggies most often I do as the week goes because I like then fresh and they don’t take long to put together.

Breakfast

First up is breakfast. This is a place I half-prep, often making bars or Baked Oatmeal To Go. This week it was bars. I’m going to see how this recipe keeps before I share it, but it was a Carrot Cake Protein Bar creation. Half I keep fresh and the other half I freeze to have as a quick grab in the future.

Carbohydrates

Then It’s on to the carbs. I always have Ezekial bread and edamame in the freezer for a quick add to lunch. Then I prep some sort of grain and my sweet potatoes and/or winter squashes.

This week I make kaboacha squash (this often gets the twice-roasted treatment), quinoa, and sweet potato.

Proteins

My proteins are a mix of turkey, chicken, and seafood. This week I baked a ton of chicken (some of which I will freeze – it was a LOT) and made turkey burgers.

Chicken is most often baked, and the turkey burgers are done on the George Foreman grill. This chicken recipe was another new experiment that I promise I’ll edit pics for and share. The burgers are a simple mix of salsa and onion.

If anyone can care an easy way to clean the George Forman, I’d love you forever.

The seafood this week is a yellowtail snapper and salmon sashimi. Most often, I bake seafood with a simple seasoning. Tonight I just drizzled it with lemon juice and added minced garlic and freshly ground black pepper.

You’ll see a few of my veggies in the pic too. I made more of my Tabbouleh Salad and cut up celery.

It may seem like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, the whole prep takes less than 2 hours. Plus you can do other things (like laundry) while you wait for the food to cook/cool.

Preparing my food at the beginning of the week saves me time (and stress) in the long run. When you eat 6-7 meals a day, food prep is a life saver.

For more on my staple foods, flavor adds, and typical grocery store buys, check out the No Shit Diet post. 🙂

***

Yes, these pics are all via iPhone. This is another time-saver. #sorryimnotsorry

Do you prep food for the week? How much time does it take you?

What your favorite things to take to lunch?

Will Labor for Food

September 2, 2013 By Laura

I wasn’t going to blog today.

Labor Day is about NOT laboring, right?

Then I realized that work isn’t always a thing to be avoided. I have a lot to share, and blogging isn’t “work.” It’s the perfect day for a short and sweet ~~over-share~~ blog post. This weekend has been all about fun work!

Job #1

My mom asked me to watch her dog, Honey, for the weekend. I am not home enough to have a dog, but a part-time dog is awesome! Honey and I walked until I was practically dragging her. Those short legs get tired. 🙂 She is a Golden Retriever and Corgi mix.

Did you see her video debut on Instagram?

Job #2

Waking up at the ass-crack of down to play make-up artist for a friend’s first Bikini competition. Chelsea has an amazing transformation story – check out her before pic! She trains at my gym, and I’m so happy to have met her.

Chelsea’s dedication and unwillingness to settle of anything less than her dream is inspiring. Visit her blog to read about her journey.

Side note: having to let the dog out at 5:30am felt like actual work.

Job #3

I workout like it’s my job when I have the time. After Chelsea’s pre-judging I came back home to hit the gym. I slacked on my laundry job and didn’t have a clean tank top to wear… so I cut up an old Georgia Tech tee to represent at the gym (we won the season opener 70-0!).

After killing my back and tris, I ate that green smoothie like it was my job. Then I took a nap.

The next day’s workout was eventful. I went for a bike ride. I am not a cyclist, and I am especially not a smart cyclist. As soon as I got the bike outside I heard a rumble in the sky. A smart person would have waited or stayed close to home. Hahahaha!

I headed down the Beltline, pausing to enjoy the art. The sky darkened, but still I thought maybe I’d ride around it. Notsomuch. I was 5 miles from home when the bottom dropped out. After hanging out under a bridge for a while, I got impatient and biked home through the rain. I arrived at my building looking like a drowned rat (see pic).

Job #4

Being a chef for myself is my favorite job. Some people dread being in the kitchen, but I find it relaxing. It’s art, not labor! I cooked ALL weekend long and couldn’t have been happier.

Clockwise from the top left:

Dessert porn. Cocoa-roasted kabocha topped with a mix of Greek yogurt, coconut flour, cinnamon, and stevia. Drizzled with cocoa powder sauce (cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, and stevia), then sprinkled with cinnamon toasted quinoa and a crushed Adora calcium disk
Cinnamon Roll Coconut Mugcake cut up over a sweet potato with peanut butter and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. The cake was based on Morganne’s mug cupcake recipe, but i amped up the protein. Here’s what I did: 1.5 T coconut flour, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 3 T applesauce, 1/4 C egg whites, 1/2 tsp butter extract, 4 drops English toffee stevia. Microwaved for 1 min in a cereal bowl
Meyer Lemon Roasted Brussels may be my new go-to. I roasted them to a crisp in coconut oil, Meyer lemon, cumin, and pepper
Overnight TVP Oats were a must since I was up early for the bikini comp. This was a TVP creation – 1/4 C TVP, 1/4 C oats, Greek yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, stevia, and unsweetened almond milk. With extra blueberries
What’s a weekend without #yolkporn? In addition to the egg, this tortilla pizza had salsa, spinach, tofu, jalapeno, purple peppers.

***

I’m spending the day pretending like tomorrow isn’t the return of “real” labor.

What jobs did you have this weekend?

What do you enjoy that most people view as work?

Strange But Good: Cinnamon Toasted Quinoa and PB Eggs

August 30, 2013 By Laura

Start your day out toasted.

I crack myself up.

When I prep food I usually end up double-cooking it. You get the groundwork done during your Sunday meal prep, but to keep it tasting fresh and crispy I pop it back in the oven before you eat. Oven, not microwave.

Double-roasted is my favorite way to eat kabocha, and yesterday morning I did that with my quinoa. Strange to do with stuff you already cooked, but oh-so-good.

Can you believe how cheap that giant thing of cinnamon was?! Love my farmer’s market.

This is really a non-recipe. There are no measurements, only flavors you should adjust to your liking. 3 simple ingredients: my new English toffee liquid stevia from iHerb (you can use any sweetener), cinnamon, and ginger.

Basically, it tasted like cinnamon toast. Much healthier than the butter-slathered stuff mom made us. Add to that some bananas brushed with coconut oil and thrown under the broiler with the quinoa and you’ll wonder who put the dessert on your breakfast plate!

The quinoa was prepped on Sunday (after I burned the beans), making it quick and easy to grab from the fridge to make this. When you toast already-cooked quinoa, it becomes crunchy and granola-like. The added texture was amazing on top of my PB eggs!

How do you make PB eggs? I’ve posted them a lot in all my “Jegg” creations (there’s even a
vegan tofu version), but here’s the run down.

Peanut Butter Eggs

Mix peanut flour, cinnamon, butter extract, and a teeny bit of liquid stevia with enough water to make it a runny PB consistency
Prepare egg whites in a small pot until almost cooked
Stir in peanut flour and allow to cook the rest of the way (~30 secs)

PSA: It’s also awesome on top of a protein-rich bowl Chocolate Zucchini Bread Batter (this recipe, but with chocolate protein powder).

Cinnamon Toasted Quinoa

Quinoa, cooked
Liquid stevia (I used toffee)
Cinnamon
Ginger

Toss together all ingredients and spread evenly on a piece of non-stick foil

Place in over under the broiler until crisp. Watch closely – it’s easy to burn on broil!

Remove from oven, top your eggs (or yogurt, salad, etc).

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

There aren’t many (any?) things I say this about, but caramelized bananas could honestly replace dessert.

Quinoa for breakfast: yay or nay? Yay!

Have you ever tried peanut butter eggs? How about just sweet eggs?

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

August 29, 2013 By Laura

Quinoa is one of the easiest things I never make.

Maybe it’s not strange enough?

After complaining about the lack of fresh tabbouleh available in restaurants, it was brought to my attention that I could just make my own. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Traditional tabbouleh uses bulgur, but I’m not traditional. I use quinoa for the added protein. And because that’s what was in my pantry. 😉

I really loved the bright lemon in this. It compliments the parsley perfectly and helps make this salad last several days in the fridge. It also nicely complimented the sea bass I ate it with.

One of the reasons I had not made tabbouleh before was the overwhelming thought of mincing that much parsley. Then I remembered my kitchen shears.

Best short cut ever. In fact, I even cut the onion with them!

This dish is a fantastic way to get more parsley in your diet. Why should you eat more? I’ll tell you…

Parsley Benefits:

Rich in Vitamin C, B 12, K and A (good for immune system, bones, and nervous system)
Acts as a diuretic, helping flush out excess fluid
Can help control your blood pressure due to the folic acid content
Rich in luteolin, which eradicates free radicals, promotes carbohydrate metabolism, and is an anti-inﬂammatory
May impede growth of cancerous tumors.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

1 C cooked quinoa
1 large bunch fresh parsley, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small cucumber, diced
1/4 C red onion, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground garlic

In a large bowl, toss together parsley, chopped tomato, cucumber, onion, lemon juice, and seasonings.

Add chilled quinoa to bowl and mix together. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

***

It’s also a great way to use those massive bunches they sell. Who can eat all that so fast?!

Do you eat much parsley? Tabbouleh?

What’s your favorite herb? Keep it legal (in most states 😉 )…

Peanut Flour Love + WIAW

August 28, 2013 By Laura

What’s more exciting than packages?

Chocolate cake.

I came home last night to a delivery from iHerb. After a massage and a trip to Whole Foods, it was the icing on the ~~chocolate~~ cake.

Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!

Many of these are new to me – toffee stevia, Walden Farms caramel, and the peanut butter protein powder. I have been out of tahini and coconut flour for a while, so I’m excited to use those again. I bet I can use it all together!

Do you think I got enough peanut flour? I love that stuff. It’s better than the other stuff (ahem… PB2) because it’s just the de-fatted nuts. No added sodium or sugar.

What should you do with your peanut flour? Allow me to help…

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Rum Butter Kabocha Bowl

Sweet Potato Scramble with Spiced Maple-Peanut Sauce

Sweet Potato Pan-lette

French Elvis Toast

There’s a lot more where that came from… check out my Recipage. I may or may not have an addiction…

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This WIAW was a good one. I was much more prepared this week to stick to my plan. I’m using more quinoa to help me hit my carbs. This time I made extra to keep in the freezer for quick access next week too.

Read on for my food, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s tasty eats.

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