Take a Megabite

Peaches {cookies in disguise}

Maybe someday I’ll live somewhere where my cactuses can live comfortably and not shiver on my windowsill. They are really mad it’s not summer. I’m kinda mad it’s not summer. Especially when I want to make a peachy fruity dessert of my dreams.

Don’t worry though guys, it is really possible to have super delicious peaches despite the cold. While they may be cookies disguised as peaches, they are pretty and summery in a way that’s making my cactuses really jealous. AND they are filled with nutella instead of a wriggly pit.

I happen to love these cookies. I maybe wish I had some marzipan leaves and teeny stems to make these even peachier, but I do think that these guys look just peachy enough without a leafy accessory.

So what are you waiting for?! Make some cookies that look like fruit, but taste like a dream!

Peaches
Recipe from Cafe Chocalada

Ingredients:

cookies -

• 4 eggs
• 1 heaping cup sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 250 ml vegetable oil
• 4 T flour + 2 cups flour (separated) (500 g)
• 2 t baking powder

filling -

• 2/3 cup nutella (the majority of the 2/3 cup container of Nutella)
• cookie crumbs from discarded centers of cookies

coloring and coating -

• 1 cup milk, divided
• yellow + red food coloring
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add oil, 4 tablespoons flour and baking powder. Mix well. Allow to sit at room temperature for an hour.
2. Fold in additional 2 cups of flour (500 g) gently with a rubber spatula until there are no patches of flour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a teaspoon make little cookie dough balls, and arrange on cookies sheets about an inch apart. Bake for about 9-12 minutes, rotating at 5 minutes. They should remain white in color. ( My first batch had a tan. Oops.)
4. When they are cool, use a small paring knife, gently “core” the cookies, cutting a shallow circular hole out of the flat side and digging a bit of crumbs out, keeping the discarded crumbs for the filling. Repeat with all the cookies as they cool.
5. Make filling. In a medium bowl mix together 2/3 cup nutella and all the discarded crumbs. Stir together until no longer runny at all. Fill the cookies with about 1/2 t on each side and gently press together.
6. Meanwhile divide a cup of milk between two bowls. In one bowl but 2-4 drops of red food coloring and in the other 2-4 drops of yellow food coloring. In another small bowl place about 1/2 cup of sugar. Dip each paired up cookie quickly in both colors of milk. Being careful not to soak them. Then gently roll them in the granulated sugar. Place in an airtight container or large ziploc bag. They are somehow even better the next day!

Pink and yellow milk makes for magical peach-like cookies.

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

These cupcakes are like a fun-size candy bar that would be a complete mess to toss in a bowl for people to grab and eat in one bite…but they are a good combination of candy bar, Nutella, and cake.

I’m going to be honest here. These cupcakes aren’t super moist, but this texture combined with with the rich mousse-like frosting was just right. And wouldn’t you agree that chocolate goes really good with chocolate? Trust me, on these guys it’s far from matchy-matchy.

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 regular size cupcakes or about 31 little guys
Recipe adapted from 125 Best Cupcakes by: Julie Hasson

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 T Nutella ( chocolate hazelnut spread)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl mix together dry ingredients. (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions with the flour mixture and two with the buttermilk. Finally add two tablespoons of Nutella to the mix, and beat with electric mixer until smooth.
3. Scoop batter into mini cupcake tins, with small cookie scoop, that have been sprayed with pam or lined with cupcake liners. Bake in preheated oven for 7-8 minutes for the mini cupcakes or 22-27 minutes for regular sized cupcakes. If the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched they are done! Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes and carefully remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting
Recipe adapted from 125 Best Cupcakes by: Julie Hasson

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
• 3 T whipping cream

Toppings: 1/2 of a chocolate hazelnut candy bar roughly chopped

Directions

1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat in confectioner’s sugar in two additions so that the sugar doesn’t fly all over the place. Add cocoa powder and salt and beat until smooth. Add Nutella and whipping cream and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Roughly chop a chocolate hazelnut candy bar and place in a small bowl or ramekin. Pipe or spread frosting on the cupcakes and swirl the top gently through the chopped candy bar.