DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK OAT BARS :: a {very easy} sweet treat recipe

Tomorrow afternoon I am hosting a Chalk Paint® class.    I really enjoy teaching classes.  It's an excuse to meet new people and get our creative juices flowing.  I like providing refreshments, even if I am the only one eating them ;-)

For tomorrow's class, I am having sliced apples, this yummy dip and tasty, dark chocolate chunk oat bars.  I made them last night and they are sooooooo good, especially warm and right out of the oven!!

I love to keep sweet treats around for me and my little family.  I usually we have sweets that are sweetened with honey, made with oats, and so on.  I try to go for a bit more wholesome than a traditional chocolate chip cookie. {I do love me some chocolate chip cookies!}

These fit the bill perfectly!

Healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars  (original recipe)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 18 bars

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted (if need you may sub canola oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)  ** I didn't have dark chocolate, I used 1 cup of dark chocolate chips and 1/2 of a hershey bar.**

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or line with foil or parchment papper.
3. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, melted coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and beat until combined and the dough holds together (the dough will seem oily, this is good). Mix in about 1 cup of the dark chocolate chunks.
4. Turn half the batter out into prepared pan, pushing the dough into pan. Sprinkle on the remaining dark chocolate chunks and then place the remaining half of the dough over the chunks. Some of the chunks will most likely be sticking out, that is fine. Don't worry about it looking perfect. If desired you may even add more chocolate to the top.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, just do not over bake.  Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!!

A LITTLE OF THIS AND THAT

I have been pretty busy with various design jobs, but not really any jobs that make for good 'before and after' photos.  Offices, bathrooms, material selections, etc., spaces or things that just don't photograph well.  Matt has been busy with drawing plans and various jobs that just don't photograph well either! But, in the next few months I will have some great photos to share with you!!

So today, I just have a little of this and that…..

My goal for the next month is to paint all of the random pieces that I have been collecting, but haven't taken the time to paint.

I must be craving some blue in my life! This morning I realized that the pieces I have been painting over the last few days are all blue.

I have also been working on painting cabinet doors with Chalk Paint®.  It really helps to have a big chunk of color when deciding on what color to use for a project!

My little helper!

I made Pioneer Woman's pretzel turtles this morning.  They are REALLY good!  Mine don't look as pretty as her's, but they sure taste good!

They are perfect little treats for delivering with Christmas cards.

I need to give them away because I am afraid I will eat them all!

We carry DASH & ALBERT rugs at the Studio….I love them!

I am going to use this rug in Addilyn's new bedroom.  I am also going to move the dresser from the master bedroom into her bedroom.  Don't you love the green dresser next to the rug?!? So fun!

I am going to paint Addilyn's bed and night stand 'SCANDINAVIAN PINK'.  I think it will be a fun pop of color!  Pictures coming soon!

Until then, have a great week!!

S'MORES BROWNIE :: a sweet treat

I made these ooey-gooey s'mores brownies last weekend and they are slightly addictive.

A perfect treat for your Labor Day weekend, especially if you won't be camping but still want to savor some of the last of summer's treats!  And really, who doesn't love chocolate + graham crackers + more chocolate + marshmallows??

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 9 broken in half (18 pieces) whole graham crackers, divided
• 1 package chewy fudge brownie mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.)  Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips,divided
• 2 chocolate bars, roughly chopped
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• chocolate (for melting), 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate bar or whatever your heart desires

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

LINE 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan with foil leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

PLACE 15 graham cracker halves into bottom of pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining graham cracker halves into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.

COMBINE brownie mix, water, oil and eggs in medium bowl until blended. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.  Spread over graham crackers in pan.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out still slightly sticky; remove from oven.

PREHEAT broiler.

SPRINKLE remaining graham cracker pieces, broken chunks of chocolate bar and marshmallows over warm brownies. Broil for 30 to 45 seconds or until marshmallows are light brown. Watch carefully as browning occurs very fast! Sprinkle immediately with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and drizzle melted chocolate over the bars.

COOL for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Lift out by foil edges to cutting board. Carefully remove foil. Cut into bars with wet knife. Store in tightly covered container.

I would recommend sharing these with friends because I promise you, it will be hard to stop eating them!!

Enjoy!!

xoxo~Darci

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE WITH SEA SALT

 I may {or may not have} eaten three of these warm, chocolate-y cookies right out of the oven.  They are so good!  If you are looking for an extra special chocolate treat, these are super easy cookies to make.

The sprinkle of sea salt balances out the sweetness and adds just a bit of crunch.  A sweet friend, just brought me a bag of sea salt from Hawaii, it was just perfect for these cookies!

Ingredients::

1 c all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

5 Tbsp unsalted butter

7 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 c granulated sugar

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1/3 c plain yogurt or sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions::

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat. Stir in cocoa powder and both sugars. The mixture will be very grainy and thick.
3. Add yogurt and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit 5-10 minutes, so that the chocolate chips don't melt.
4. Add dry ingredients with chocolate chips, stir until all is moistened and there is no streaks of flour in the dough. Do not over mix.
5. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes {or up to 2 days} for puffier cookies.
6. Pre-heat oven to 350 {I used convection, so I set the oven to 325}
7. Drop by tablespoons onto prepared sheet. Sprinkle each ball of dough with sea salt. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on the sheet, then gently transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!!  Preferably with a cold glass of milk!

xoxo~

Darci

chocolate chip cookies :: soft and chewy

 We really enjoy our cookies here at the Haney household.

I thought I would share my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It works perfectly every time.  Even if I leave the sweet little darlings in the oven for too long, they still taste good!

Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 sticks unsalted butter, COLD, cut into 1/2" cubes 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar 

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 cups all purpose flour  

1 teaspoon Kosher salt 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda  

2   1/2 good quality semisweet chocolate chips 

In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars just until creamy. Don’t overbeat. Add the egg and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. When thoroughly mixed, add to batter and stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Place over sized dough balls on parchment lined baking sheets { I like to use an ice cream scoop.}  Chill dough balls for at least 30 min before baking.  **If you don't have room in your refrigerator for the baking sheets, you can chill the mixing bowl full of dough for 1 hour.**

Pre-heat oven to 375.  Bake times: Put the cookies in a 375 degree oven and set timer for 8 minutes. When timer rings, without opening oven or removing cookies, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until cookies appear set. Otherwise, you can bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until done. 

Makes 12-16, depending on the size.  Just remember, the secret to these cookies is keeping the dough cold!

recipe adapted from here

Enjoy.....preferably warm out of the oven and with a cold glass of milk {wink}.

xoxo~

Darci