Homemade Caramel Delights

I have been trying to go through all of my saved recipes and make all of them...and there are a lot.  This particular recipe was the oldest saved thing I had, and I was really craving them: Homemade Caramel Delights.  Some people call them Samoas, some call them caramel delights, whatever you call them, they are fantastic and I wanted to make them.

One of my best friends, Caryn, had her 21st birthday this week and I went to the Wisconsin Dells for my fraternity's formal.  Obviously, I needed to stock up on cookies.  

Caryn's birthday was a fun time, and people loved the cookies.  We went to the Nitty Gritty for dinner, after all it is the birthday place of Madison, and then everyone who was able to, went out to celebrate with her for her 21st.  I, unfortunately, headed back to my house to watch Revenge in my PJs and get ready for middle school in the morning.  I really can't believe how old I am getting.  This was my third time at the Nitty for Caryn's birthday.  I feel really grateful to have made such great friends in college and it's really shocking to me how fast time is flying by.

The birthday crew

In the Dells we went to the Wilderness and we had a whole cabin to ourselves.  After playing in the water-park all day, we headed back to the cabin to shower and get all dressed up for our fancy dinner to Field's at the Wilderness.  We had some time to kill before our reservation and people were getting hungry.  Needless to say, the cookies (that I brought for everyone for dessert) were gone before dinner.

All ready for dinner :)

Homemade Caramel Delights (adapted from Once Upon a Plate)

 Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
0-2 tbsp skim milk
12 oz caramel sauce
3 cups sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (or more)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Next, mix in the vanilla.  Then, add milk (a half tbsp at a time) until the dough comes together.
3. Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2 inch sized round cookie cutter to cut out circles from the dough (I used a cup from my kitchen) then use a smaller circle (a large straw or a small cap from a bottle will work) to cut out the little holes in the cookies. Repeat until you use all the dough, re-roll as needed.

4. Place the prepared cookies on the parchment lined pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely.
5. Once cookies are cooled, preheat oven to 300, spread the coconut out on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes.  Stir the coconut after every 5 minutes to make sure that it is evenly toasted.

6.  When coconut is ready, place in a medium bowl and mix with the jar of caramel sauce.  Spread this mixture evenly on all the cooled cookies.

7. Melt the chocolate, milk, and salt in a microwaveable-safe bowl for 45 seconds, stirring after 30.  Dip each cookie into the chocolate and then place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the tops of the cookies.  You may need more chocolate.  Let the cookies set completely, and chill in the fridge before removing from the parchment paper.

Enjoy :)

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Apparently this is the "most amazing thing" I have ever made.

With that being said, you should all run right out and make these asap.  I was really unsure about how these guys would go over.  I mean, there is an avid group out there that does not like desserts without chocolate.  I had to make a dessert for 30ish people (thus the use of the GIANT mixer) for a "luau" themed party.  I decided on Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes, but I was nervous about how people would like them.

Not only did they turn out FANTASTIC, but I had enough extra cake batter to make a bundt cake and people were obsessed with them.  The cupcakes were amazing, and the cake was delicious with some fruit or whipped cream on top.  The desserts fit perfectly with the theme and were an overall huge success! In fact, they went so fast, that I didn't really have time to take any pictures! I apologize for the poor lighting here, but please take my word for it, they are amazing.


Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes (adapted from The Comfort of Cooking)

Before flip...

After flip! 

Ingredients:
36 pineapple slices
18 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups packed brown sugar
6 tbsp light corn syrup
9 eggs
6 cups sugar
3 cups canola oil
3 cups (24 oz) sour cream
6 tsp vanilla
7 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt





Directions:
1. Grease enough cupcake pans to make 36 cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup. Scoop 1 tbsp of this mixture into the bottoms of each cupcake well. Place 1 pineapple slice in each well.
3. In a large bowl (or giant stand mixer) beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the oil, sour cream, and vanilla until well combined.  Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Beat until just combined.
4. Fill each cupcake well to the top with batter.  Bake for 25-28 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before flipping.
Enjoy :)

Lightened Up Peanut Butter Brownie Pie

This post is dedicated to my most favorite treat.  Last year I found a recipe for peanut butter truffle brownies and since then I have continued to adapt the recipe to incorporate my favorite flavors and of course my style.  

This dessert not only combines my favorite flavors: peanut butter and chocolate, but it is also a brownie...and a pie...and it is LIGHT...WHAT?!?!?!

Oh, and by the way, it's super easy to put together.  The hard part is not eating it all in one sitting...which may or may not have happened...

I made this pie to auction off for the DTS Little Sister auction.  We raised money for the fraternity and a charity.  My pie alone brought in 20 bucks!

Check out those beautiful layers!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Pie

Ingredients:
1 box Trader Joe's No-Guilt Brownie Mix
1 6 oz cup Fat-Free Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp skim milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Make the Brownie according to the directions on the box (this is where you need the greek yogurt), but pour into a 9 inch pie pan and bake for about 25-28 minutes.
2. While the pie cools, beat the peanut butter with 1/4 cup of butter.  Beat in the powdered sugar and add the milk until you have your desired consistency. Spread the peanut butter mixture over the top of the pie.
3. Melt the chocolate and rest of the butter in the microwave, stirring after 30 seconds until fully melted.  Spread over the peanut butter. Let set or chill in the fridge.
Enjoy :)

Yum!!!

Pecan Chicken Wraps

I can't believe I am writing my 100th blog post! This blog has totally changed my life in so many ways and I am so grateful that I started it.

This blog has helped me to really focus on things that are important to me.  Since starting this blog I have become more involved with teaching and becoming a reflective practitioner, I have become President of the Little Sisters of DTS, I have become a more active member of my dance organization, and I have focused more on fitness and health in my life.  This blog has helped me to combine my love for food with the other passions in my life and through this I have discovered more about myself than I ever thought possible.

Along this journey, I have met so many other bloggers that share my passions and that has made this journey even more valuable.  I had no idea there were so many other people so close to me who shared these interests! Blogging has been so fun and so wonderful and I highly recommend it.

The meal I am about to tell you about was inspired by the blog, How Sweet It Is.  I am an avid follower of this blog and I love basically every post that it has.  How Sweet It Is made Pecan Crusted Chicken Wraps with Honey Mustard.  I was off to a Grey's Anatomy Night with my fellow future teachers and good friends, Tamara, Emily and Chelsea, and we decided to adapt this recipe based on what we were craving/what we had lying around and make an amazing and healthy meal!

Pecan Crusted Chicken Wraps (adapted from How Sweet It Is)

Ingredients:

8 Whole Wheat Tortillas (we used low-carb, 6-inch)

Strawberries, sliced

Fresh Spinach (about 3 cups)

Brie Cheese (small cubes, about 24)

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

2 chicken breasts

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 egg whites

1 avocado (ours wasn't so ripe, so we left it out, but I think it would be really good!)

light balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with foil.  Place a wire rack over the baking sheet and grease.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and pecans. Whisk the egg whites together in a small bowl.  Coat the chicken in the egg whites and then coat with the pecan mixture. Place both pieces of chicken on the wire rack and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken and then bake for another 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and then slice.

3. Toast the wraps by warming them in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Assemble the wraps: place some spinach and strawberries on each wrap (avocado too if you want) then place pieces of chicken on top along with some brie.  Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette on top. 

 Wrap and Enjoy :)

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

I have super exciting news to share today! Today, I woke up and decided to go for a run.  The weather was gorgeous, I was in a good mood, and I have been wanting to try out this run for a while.

I really wanted to run along the lake, but in order to do this, I would need to run about 7 miles.  I had never ran this far before, the longest run I did was about 6.25, and I had not run that far since last summer.  However, I felt like I needed to do something to excite me and make me feel great.

And...I did it! I ran the entire time, no stopping, and it was great! I ended feeling amazing about myself.  Also, the crazy part was that I felt like I could keep going! This whole experience made me feel so strong.  I think I might even go for 8 soon...

Of course, I also have a fantastic recipe to share with you all.  My friend, Casey, came back from spring break with a "surprise" for me.  Turns out, his uncle works for Nestle and his mom thought I would like a ton of chocolate chips! He brought me back EIGHT bags! Dark, milk, semi-sweet, white, and butterscotch! With only a month left of school, I knew I had to get baking to use up all this deliciousness.  I didn't have any good recipes saved that called for butterscotch, so I asked Casey for some suggestions.  He said his favorite butterscotch recipe was for oatmeal butterscotch cookies.  I took his advice and went on a search for some fun recipes.  I found a great one from Sweet Treats & More!  The original calls for a brown sugar glaze, but I decided to just make the cookie bars.  They were super delicious and they smelled soooo good.  My room still smells like yummy butterscotch...I love it.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars (adapted from Sweet Treats & More)

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups old-fashioned oats
12 oz butterscotch chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time until well combined.  Mix in the vanilla.  Slowly, incorporate the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the oats and butterscotch chips.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake for about 25 minutes.
Enjoy :)

Pretzel M&M Blondies

Tonight I am all about preparing for tomorrow. Tomorrow is a big day in my life! I am lead-teaching the honors algebra class and I am being observed for the first time by both my university supervisor and my cooperating teacher (the main teacher of the class).  I am a little nervous, but I am mostly excited.  Also, tomorrow is a DTS study night so I am getting all prepped for that.  That means baking something delicious.  What is truly convenient about this is that baking helps me de-stress and feel good and Glee is on tonight, something that also puts me in an awesome mood!

I am totally going to rock tomorrow!

Tower of Delish!

I can't wait to teach my lesson.  I designed the lesson plan a while ago, and as of now, it is all set to go.  I am teaching a lesson on simplifying radicals (things with square roots).  The lesson in the book is pretty simple and I used the teacher-edition to help me get ideas.  I think I have a pretty solid plan.  The key ingredients: confidence and an exit slip.  I am going to start with a warm-up, check homework, go over homework (there shouldn't be too many questions), and then jump right in!  The kids are going to do some problems in groups and share their ideas for solving the problems.  We will go over strategies and definitions as a class and then I will hand out the exit slip.  An exit slip is an awesome teacher tool (not to mention all-the-rage in teacher education right now) and so I am using it to both get/give feedback for my class and get a good report from my supervisor (because he loves exit slips!).  An exit slip is a good way to give the kids practice and then see how they understood the lesson.  Then, you give them feedback on their work and hand it back to them the next day.  This way, they get to see if they understood the material and receive ideas for improvement if needed. My cooperating teacher loves them, but also expressed the frustration she has with them. Exit slips are awesome, but when you have 100 or more students, they can be unrealistic.  So, lesson learned: use them sparingly and use them on lessons and in classes where it is more difficult to gage student engagement during class.  After the exit slip, the class will have some time to work on homework.  I have a really good feeling about tomorrow and I can't wait to teach!!!

My life in a photo...

For tomorrow's study night, I made blondies with pretzel M&Ms in them! MMM! I am obsessed with pretzel M&Ms.  M&Ms were always one of my favorite candies, but when they came out with the pretzel variety, I was sold: they are no longer one of my favorites, they are my one and only favorite! So, why not throw them into blondies?  Check it out:

Pretzel M&M Blondies (adapted from Bakeaholic Mama)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups Pretzel M&Ms

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. In a large bowl, beat melted butter with both sugars until well combined.  Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat to combine.  Slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the M&Ms.

4. Spread batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-28 minutes or until edges begin to brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely.

Enjoy :)

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

The weather is dreary, I am exhausted, and I have a paper to write.  Plus, it's Monday.  How can I make this day better? Muffin Monday! I am sharing a great recipe for super easy muffins today.

All you have to do is go to Trader Joe's and find their fantastic pumpkin muffin mix...and then make them! I am usually not one to take the easy way out and make something from a mix, but I love these muffins, and sometimes, when you need a good pick-me-up, doing something simple and still delicious is the way to go! Oh...and I added a dash of nutmeg! Yum!

Enjoy!

Challenges and Pan Seared Scallops

I think that this post is all about challenges.

I have faced quite a few at this point. There are the obvious challenges or the things that are expected to be challenging such as homework or other assignments.  Right now, I have to create a 3 week unit lesson plan for a math class.  This isn't too terrible, but the thing is, the unit has to be about a book.  The book is about girls with eating disorders and other challenges that some teenagers face.  The unit has to address these themes as well as math goals.  This is a challenge.  My group and I really had to stretch our imaginations and get creative to make this happen.  This assignment has been especially stressful because of how impractical it seems.  While it would be super cool to address all sorts of issues in all different subject areas, sometimes it is just not genuine.  I guess at this point in my teacher-prep program, I am wondering if what I am learning is actually going to help me when I am in a real school with real students.

Then, there are also the challenges that sneak up on you.  The things that you don't expect to be challenging, but all of sudden stress you out and make your life super difficult.  I feel as though these are the challenges that cause you to question who you are and what your purpose is.  Last night, I had dinner with my friend Max and we debated many different issues, namely education in this country.  Why are there so many problems?  We fumed over paying too much for college and alienating certain people from the college experience.  We talked about grading and why we actually grade the way we do.  We discussed honors and AP classes and why they exist.  Why can't every class be honors?  Why do we even have those labels?  All these questions don't have answers.  It made me wonder what I can actually do as a teacher.  I feel as though I have all these thoughts and all these ideas for being the best teacher and really inspiring kids to do the most that they can with their lives, but there are so many obstacles.  It is wildly frustrating to think that this is what I am going to be dealing with forever and I found myself wondering what I can do and what I should do.  Again, there does not seem to be a concrete answer.

My current education experience has taught me to be a critical thinker and be an inspiring reformer, but it has also showed me what I am up against.  I know that other teachers out there are dealing with the same feelings and frustrations.  I wonder how many are able to actually motivate change.  I wonder how many get so frustrated that they give up.  I wonder how I will be.

I think that all we can do right now, is do what we feel is right.  We can't sit back and take the easy way out; we have to constantly try to improve.  I know that for myself, I am going to need all the support I can get.  What I mean by this, is that I am going to need to surround myself with people who care about me and activities that I love.  When I am with my family and friends and when I am engaging in activities that make me feel happy, I am better able to remember who I am and who I want to be.

Cooking and baking are ways that I remember who I am and how to be happy.  In this long, vague, and possibly boring post, I bring you a new recipe that was also a challenge.  I apologize if this post is dense or confusing, but I think it is something that I needed to write for me.  Hopefully, if you were not entertained, you skimmed through to this part and just checked out the recipe.  It is a good one, I promise.

I was craving a challenge in my cooking life: scallops.  I had heard they were difficult because they are hard to get just right.  I don't think mine were perfect, but they were super tasty and it was a good experience.  Cooking scallops made me nervous and excited and it was really fun! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

Sesame Seared Scallops with Brown Rice Noodles (adapted from the Food Network)

Ingredients:

8 oz brown rice noodles

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. bay scallops

pepper

1 package mini wanton cups (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook brown rice noodles according to directions.  Strain and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes.

3. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the scallops, season with the pepper, and cook for 2 minutes.  Flip the scallops and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add the soy sauce mixture and cook until the scallops turn opaque and the sauce thickens, about another 3-4 minutes.

4.  Serve in the mini wanton cups with the noodles, or just with the noodles.

Enjoy :) 

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

Today I had to wake up at 5:45 in the morning to get ready for work.  Not only is that 15 minutes before my normal weekly wake-up time (6) for school, but it is SATURDAY.  Also, last night was Relay for Life.  That means, I tried to stay for as much relay as possible while still getting home and going to be to attain a reasonable amount of sleep...5 hours.  It also means that I was at relay for 5 hours and then woke up while it was still going on. 

Relay for Life was a ton of fun and a huge success.  I am always amazed to see the massive turn out and it is shocking to me to think of the amount of money that is raised at those events.  At the same time, it was very sad to see the sheer number of people so closely affected by cancer.  My heart goes out to everyone who has had to witness this terrible disease in any way.  I was proud to be a part of an event such as this one.  Nights like last night remind all of us of how much we can do to show we care.

All this waking up early and getting very little sleep has made me want to share a recipe with you for Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal.  I made this over spring break and it was fantastic.  I am already a huge oatmeal lover and this was the best oatmeal I had ever had! I can't wait to try different flavors and variations.

Also, this oatmeal is perfect for the life of a teacher, which is going to look very similar to my life nowadays.  The whole waking up before the sun and getting going is what my life is going to be all about.  I love how this recipe is so simple.  YOu throw it together the night before and in the morning you have hot, steamy, delicious oatmeal all ready to go!

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal (Inspired by Chocolate & Carrots)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 cup skim milk
2 cups water

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a ceramic bowl that can hold at least 4 cups.  Place the ceramic bowl in your slow-cooker.  Fill the slow cooker with water so that the water comes almost to the top of the bowl.  Let cook on  low for 6-9 hours (I did 8).
2. Top with your favorite toppings! I used a little honey, dried cranberries, and fresh blueberries...yum!

Risotto Stuffed Mushrooms

Today I have a recipe for you that is honestly one of the best things I have ever ate.  I hope that you all enjoy as much as I have!

In other news, I just registered for my senior year of college! I can't figure out where the last three years have gone and honestly I am freaking out about entering the "real-world."  I love it here and I am having such a hard time imagining life after college.  However, part of my registration includes: "Part-Time Student Teaching-Middle School," and that makes me truly excited.  I have had such a great time testing the waters with teaching this semester and I can't wait to really take over a class or two next semester! Middle schoolers are also the funniest/most interesting/most fascinating people ever.  Every day I find myself being totally okay with waking up at 6 am because I get to hang out with some pretty awesome students by 7:30.  They are just great.

Oh and by the way, if anyone has any spectacular ideas on how to teach 8th graders how to simplify radical expressions (you know, square roots) in a fun and interesting way, I am all ears.  Next week, I have to teach that lesson and, while I want it to be fun and interesting, it is very simple and I am struggling in the creativity department. Help!

Along with all these fun and new developments are my new Page on facebook: facebook.com/BinomialBaker (please "like") and my new twitter account: JodieBerman21 (please "follow").

I have so much fun sharing my thoughts on life and recipes with you all! Enjoy the following recipe for Parmesan Risotto Stuff Mushrooms and please please please let me know if you have any advice for a future math teacher! Thanks :)

Parmesan Risotto Stuffed Mushrooms (adapted from Carina-Forum and RealSimple)

Ingredients:
3-4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry, white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
6 large portobella mushrooms
olive oil

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and keep warm over medium-low heat.
2. In a separate medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of butter and mix with the chopped onion and garlic.  Stir with a wooden spoon until the onion starts to become transparent. This will take about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 2 minutes.  Add the wine and continue to stir until it is absorbed, about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup of brother and stir into the risotto until absorbed.  Continue to do this, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, though stir firm.
5. Add the rest of the butter, salt, pepper, and parmesan and stir to combine.
6. Preheat oven to 300. Wash the mushrooms and cut off the stems.  Lightly brush olive oil on the bottoms and tops of the mushrooms and place on a cookie sheet. Scoop risotto on top of each mushroom.  Bake for about 20 minutes.
Enjoy :)

Chocolate Espresso Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches

I know I know, this is insane! This dessert combines basically everything I love: dessert, chocolate, cookies, coffee, ice cream, and it's light! Crazy! The only thing that is missing here is peanut butter, but I suppose that's not everyone's cup of tea.  First I made the Chocolate Espresso Cookies.  I found the recipe  at Petite Kitchenesse and simply used white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose! Then, I made my recipe for Vanilla Frozen Yogurt.  As I was finishing up mixing the yogurt, I decided to do something truly insane.  I went through my parents liquor cabinet! I found the Bailey's and I added a little bit of it.  It is so not overpowering and I did only add a tiny bit.  If you want more of an Irish Cream Coffee taste, just add more until you are satisfied! MMM!!! So here it is: Chocolate Espresso Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches with Bailey's FroYo!

Chocolate Espresso Cookies (adapted from Petite Kitchenesse)

Ingredients:
16 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp espresso
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Melt the bittersweet chocolate and the butter in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. While this is melting, combine the sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl with a mixer until well combined. Once you have a smooth chocolate mixture, beat the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and espresso together. Slowly add to the wet ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

4.  The dough will be very runny.  You can stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes to let it harden a little if you want.  Otherwise, drop tbsp of the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Make the FroYo if you want with the recipe here plus a few tsp of Bailey's (add as much as your taste desires).

Let the cookies cool completely on wire racks before assembling the ice cream sandwiches.

Enjoy :)

So there you have it! The greatest ice cream sandwich I've ever had! Plus, I didn't feel at all guilty about eating it! Also, get excited because I had so many extra cookies, that I brought them back to school with me for DTS Study Night! I can't wait to share these cookies with everyone.  The only downside to all of this: It's still Passover and I can't actually eat the cookies tonight :(.  I'll have to leave the room while everyone eats so that I don't torture myself.  Seriously, all I want is a good cookie right now...My family friend, Marcy, sent me a great Passover cookie recipe...might have to make those ASAP!