inexpensive chocolate taste test

I am in the 99.9% of women who love chocolate.

But, I'm a little picky. Milk chocolate is a waste of sugar in my opinion, my true love is dark chocolate. However, I am not particular about brand. I love some good cheap chocolate. My favorites are Trader Joe's and Ikea (yep) chocolate.

I wasn't sure which I liked better, so I decided a side-by-side comparison was necessary.
The TJ's chocolate is creamier, with a slightly more mellow chocolate flavor. The cocoa flavor shines through even more in the Choklad Mork (the Ikea) chocolate, but it is less creamy. James said he liked the Ikea stuff better.

I can't decide. I suggest doing what I did: buy both and eat both.

Are you a chocolate lover? What is your favorite chocolate? Is there a brand of dark chocolate you know of that I should try?

Happy first day of Spring! Hooray!
Ashley

PS stay tuned tomorrow for a VIP- very important post... Thanks for reading!

french yogurt snack cake

I need to start this post with a confession: This is an adapted recipe.

I generally only post original recipes here on my little blog, but this one is a cover of another's work (obviously, because it is a French recipe, and I am not French).

It is actually adapted from a book that is not a cookbook. The book is called "Bringing Up Bebe". It is about French versus American parenting and is written by an American living in Paris. I have many thoughts on the book, but that is a whole other post. So for now, we will focus on the one recipe in the book.

This recipe is (apparently) often made by French children who eat it as their one snack of the day (my kids wouldn't survive a day in France). They use containers of yogurt as the base, and then measure out the other ingredients using the containers. One of the several adaptations I made was to convert the measurements from six ounce containers into cups. Another was to substitute olive oil for the vegetable oil. There is just something about that pure olive oil taste that I love in baked goods, and this cake is no exception.

James helped me make it, and later enjoyed his with a glass of cold milk. My slice was perfect with a cup of coffee.

We may not be French, but we can sure bake a great snack cake.

Gateau au Yaourt   (French Yogurt Cake)

3/4 cup yogurt (I used nonfat, a mixture of Greek and regular)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup olive oil
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 chocolate chips*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with cooking spray or butter.

Combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle in flour and baking powder and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a knife in the center comes out clean. The top will turn a golden-brown.

*I would love to make this again during berry season and substitute some berries for the chocolate chips and add a little lemon zest

Happy snacking!
Ashley

PS Coffee in the background of the photos brought to me by a sweet friend from my favorite coffee shop.

rosemary walnut maple shortbread cookies

The idea for this recipe popped into my head when I tossed a bag of walnuts onto the counter and they landed next to a glass full of fresh rosemary sprigs my mother-in-law had just brought to me.

I wish the rosemary sprigs had actually come from my garden, but, alas, I have killed every rosemary plant I have ever bought or been gifted.

When we moved into this neighborhood I hoped that someone may have a huge rosemary bush sitting conveniently near the sidewalk in their front yard so that I could casually stroll by, scissors poised, and swipe a few handfuls for use in various savory and sweet dishes.

Sadly, the only rosemary bush (which is ginormous*, by the way) is in the middle of the traffic circle I drive around to enter our hood. I imagine that it soaks up quite a bit of exhaust, so I haven't snagged any rosemary from that bush. However, I have considered uprooting part of the plant and attempting a transfer into my own yard. I don't know if this would work, but it may have to be done at night so the neighbors don't notice. But I'm pretty sure digging out plants from the middle of the traffic circle in the dark would put me into the "crazy" category.

Wow. And now that you know the ridiculous extent of my rosemary woes and fantasies, here is the cookie recipe already...

Rosemary Walnut Maple Shortbread Cookies
makes about 20

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1/2 cup maple syrup (or white sugar**)
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the butter and syrup (or sugar).
In a separate bowl, combine the four, salt, and rosemary.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined. Mix in the nuts.
Drop the dough by heaping tablespoon onto a un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are just becoming golden brown around the edges. Let cool on a rack before eating with a hot cup of tea.

Enjoy,

Ashley

*Did you know "ginormous" is a legit word? Me either, until I googled it when spell check didn't red-squiggly underline it.

**Using maple syrup created a more chewy cookie, whereas the sugar caused the cookie to be crunchier. Also, the cookies made with maple syrup spread out slightly more while baking.

Another additional note: the rosemary begins very subtly, but actually becomes more flavorful after the cookies have been stored for a couple days. I prefer them with a strong flavor, so about three days after baking is ideal to me.