Recipes | Oatmeal Cookies + Hot Chocolate

If one of your New Year's resolutions was to eliminate sweets, my sincere apologies, best you forget this post ever happened. :) I've spent the last month attempting to perfect recipes for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and homemade hot chocolate {an entirely different beverage than hot cocoa}. Why? Uh, no reason other than to squelch my ongoing and unrelenting chocolate cravings.  I narrowed the cookie recipes down to two favorites: a Martha recipe and my Mum's.  I enlisted a panel of willing taste testers and the winning cookie went to my Mum's recipe. But it was a close vote.  {the deciding voter was the illustrious Matt McClish.  An avid Food TV Network watcher and expert baked goods consumer that happens to be married to one of my best friends and {JOKINGLY} asked for a blog shout out, so he's getting one!}

My Mum's recipe is a bit more complex in flavor and texture.  It is amazing with raisins in place of, or in addition to, the chocolate chips. And walnuts or dried cranberries would also be perfect add-ins.

Mum's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 c old fashioned oats
1 3/4 c flour
1 TBS cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt {1/2 tsp table salt}
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 c butter at room temp
1 cup brown sugar {light or dark}
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. mix dry ingredients
2. beat butter and sugars till smooth, beat in egg and vanilla
3. mix in dry ingredients, stir in chocolate chips
Bake until lightly golden about 12 minutes {don't over cook or they will be dry}

PRINTABLE RECIPE

As for the other chocolate recipe... several weeks ago we ran out of cocoa powder, so I googled recipes for hot chocolate and came across this one.   I posted a pic on Instagram with the caption  "I never tasted anything quite so divine in a mug."  I will never make hot cocoa again.  Never. This has become the after-swim-practice beverage of choice for Andrew.  It's so good, I'd even serve it as a dessert for guests!.  I've had it so often since that I've made a few tweaks that make it even better than the original recipe. Dare I say that?!

Foley House Hot Chocolate
2 cups milk {I like 2% best, but any will work}
2 oz milk chocolate, chopped
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 TBS granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
a small pinch of cinnamon {1/8 tsp or so}
a small pinch of sea salt
Garnishes: whipping cream, chocolate shavings, very finely shaved hazelnuts
{makes 4-6 servings depending on how much the milk is frothed}

Warm 2 cups milk in a small sauce pan, over med low heat, until just simmering.
Remove from heat and add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, and chocolate.
Whisk until melted.
Return to stove, over low heat, use frothing wand for a couple minutes.

You can buy one at Ikea for a few dollars.  If you don't have one, it will still be amazing, no worries.  Frothing the hot chocolate makes it lighter and creamier at the same time.  It helps the chocolate to be completely incorporated so there is none left at the bottom of the mug when you finish.  Ladle into cups and top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and hazel nut shavings if you like.

It's ridiculously good.  When I told Andrew I was sharing the recipe on the blog he begged me not to because he said I should keep the recipe to myself and open the world's best hot chocolate stand."  Very cute.  A tip, the better quality the chocolate, the better the drink will be.  When I'm in a hurry I use Ghiradelli milk and bittersweet chocolate chips and they work great.  I like to think my short stint during college as a bookstore, coffee shop barista helped me in perfecting this recipe.  Ha ha!  Maybe it's just my love/obsession with chocolate. Enjoy every last sip {and spoonful}!!

PRINTABLE RECIPE