Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies

I receive a "Cookie of the Day" daily recipe from Martha Stewart in my inbox. The other day I got one in which the title intrigued me. Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies. Flourless? I didn't know you could make a peanut butter cookie that was flourless. The only flourless type cookie I've made are coconut macaroons.

Flourless. No flour means less carbs. Peanut butter. Peanut butter has protein. Less carbs and protein. Great! Convinced I had to try this. I'm so glad that I did. So. so. good.



Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts (I didn't have any, so I omitted this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 large egg (lightly beaten), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined. Stir in 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts.

With moistened hands, roll dough, about 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, into balls. Place 2 inches apart on two baking sheets.

Bake until cookies are golden and puffed, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

New Wall Prints - Curved Text

I added these two wall prints to the mateo & tobias Etsy shop. I've been experimenting with creating curved text. I absolutely love the result. So cool. Both prints are fully customizable in regards to color and/or fonts. I also created a new color chart and added some more fun colors.

This print would be fantastic for a wedding or anniversary gift or for your sweetheart.



This print would be beautiful in a child's room or nursery or as a shower gift.



This is the new color chart. If you don't see your color choice in the chart, you can email me a picture of the color you would like me to match and I would be happy to create a custom color for you.

A Month In Photos

I wanted to embark in Project 365 in 2011. This is taking a photo a day, every day, for the whole year. I tried it last year and started off good, but then I would find myself forgetting a day here and there. Then it started to feel like I had an obligation to pick up my camera and take a picture. This took the creativity out of my photo taking. And I didn't like that.

I recently came across a wonderful solution to this from talented photographer Rebecca Cooper. She calls it a month in photos. It is a scaled down version of project 365 where each month you take as many photos as you would like and then at the end of the month create a photo collage based on those photos. No pressure, no obligation. I absolutely love this solution to Project 365!

Rebecca generously created some templates for you to make a photo collage each month. Just go to the "a month in photos" link above.

Being a scrapbooker, I wanted to include some journaling to go along with the pictures. So I created a 12x12 page, resized Rebecca`s templates slightly so that the top half of the page will be pictures and the bottom half journaling.

I'm so excited to be doing this! I haven't had too much time to scrapbook lately, being busy with every day life and my Etsy shop, so this is the perfect solution for me to remember those precious memories!

Here is an example of the 12x12 page. I may still change it up a bit. The black boxes are where the photos will be and the white space at the bottom is where the journaling will be.

Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns

I made the Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns the other day. They are so good and so easy to make. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com (love that site).

Here are the buns the night before. Frozen rolls topped with brown sugar, pudding mix, ground cinnamon, and raisins and then melted butter poured on top.



Here are the buns the next day after they have risen. Can you believe how big they got?
Just overflowing out of the pan! I had to bake them with a pan under them, just in case
it overflowed onto the bottom of my oven. (That would be a burnt yucky mess!)



Here are the cinnamon buns after being baked. Yum! I should have gotten a picture of
them being pulled apart with the raisins and syrupy goodness from the brown
sugar oozing out. They were so soft. Not too sweet. Just right.



Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns

20 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup butter, melted

Lightly grease a 10 inch Bundt cake pan. Place frozen rolls into pan and sprinkle with brown sugar, pudding mix, ground cinnamon and raisins. Pour melted butter over rolls. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and leave overnight at room temperature.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake rolls for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Turn rolls out onto a serving plate and serve warm.

*NEW* 5x7 Digital Art Prints

Introducing my line of 5x7 digital art prints.

These art prints would add a wonderful touch to an office, bedroom or family room.

They would look absolutely lovely perched on a bookshelf or sitting on top of a desk or table or tacked up on an inspiration board. They would also look beautiful hanging with other works of art on your wall.

Here are a few samples. More can be found at my Etsy Shop - 5x7 Digital Art Prints

Ready. Set. Organize.

I am a pack rat. It is so hard for me to part with things. Who knows when I may need them...even if it's like, uhm, 10 years from now!! ;)

This year, I am determined to let go. To simplify my life. To get organized.

I created this Etsy treasury of some unique items to help organize your life and living space.

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was quite busy with one get together after another with family and friends. I did lots of baking on Christmas Eve...way too much! But when I get into a baking mood, I go nuts! :) I made chocolate fudge, butter tart slices, whipped shortbread, mint thins (recipe below), and lemon squares.




It's hard to believe that it is 2011 already. I have no idea where last year went. And I'm sure that this year will go by just as fast. I have lots planned for this year, so stay tuned! :)


Here is the recipe for the mint thins. This is the first time that I tried making them.
They turned out SO good!



Mint Thins

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
36 Ritz Crackers
1 candy cane (6 inch), crushed

Microwave chocolate in small microwaveable bowl as directed on package. Stir until completely melted. Blend in extract.

Dip crackers in melted chocolate, completely coating crackers with chocolate. Carefully scrape off excess chocolate. Place crackers in single layer on waxed paper-covered (I used parchment paper) baking sheets; sprinkle with crushed candy.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.