egg-free chocolate chip cookies

You know I can't keep a good recipe secret for long, right? [Remember my easy, yummy homemade pizza crust recipe?] Well.... here comes another spectacular, easy recipe!

I had a hankerin' for something sweet [isn't this how it always starts...] and had all the ingredients to bake something except eggs! Before getting bummed out, I did a quick internet search for egg-free chocolate chip cookies and found an awesome-looking recipe. I set to work combining the ingredients and decided to go ahead and add some walnuts [left over from my delicious chicken feta salad] and some marshmallows because they were there. The cookies turned out amazingly, and I was so surprised that I didn't miss the eggs at all. In fact, the cookies turned out incredibly chewy and "flat", my favorite qualities in chocolate chip cookies. PS: These got my hubby's approval, and he's a picky cookie eater, so I know I struck gold with this recipe! Try it out and let me know what you think! xo.

Egg-Free Rocky Road Cookies 
adapted from this recipe on Bunch of Cooks
[makes approx. 2 doz. cookies]


1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars.
3. Slowly add in flour and baking soda (mix will be dry after this step).
4. Add in the vanilla, oil, and 1/4 cup applesauce. If the mix is not quite doughy, add a little more until a doughy consistency.
5. Turn off your mixer and stir in chocolate chips, walnuts, and marshmallows.

6. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and drop spoonfuls of dough the sheet, about an inch apart. I flattened my dough out a bit so the cookies would spread more and get really flat. 

7. Bake for about 10 minutes until light golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheets and then they are ready to enjoy!

chocolate peanut butter crisps

Heavenly. There is no other word to describe these "cookies".

I first tried these when I visited my grandmother's friend during Christmas several years ago. She had made these for us and I loved them. Fast forward to today, and I am married to a wonderful man who loves anything with chocolate and peanut butter. He doesn't have as big of a sweet tooth as I do, but this combination is his weakness. On a whim at the grocery story this evening, as I was picking up Theraflu and chicken noodle soup for my sick significant other, I grabbed the three ingredients I'd need to create these no-bake cookies.

Let's get started!

Ingredients (recipe makes 16 cookies)

Ritz Crackers (regular, whole grain, reduced fat... whatever floats your boat)

Creamy peanut butter

Chocolate almond bark or Candyquik

Directions

1. Open up one roll of Ritz Crackers. Smear peanut butter between 2 crackers to make a sandwich, and continue until you are done with the roll. You should have 16 sandwiches. I had one lone cracker leftover but it was broken. Sad face. :(

2. Break apart the almond bark or Candyquik. I used 4 squares of almond bark and it was the perfect amount. If you use Candyquik, use  a few chunks and if you need more, you can always add more!

3. Put the chunks of almond bark/candy coating into a coffee mug. Coffee mugs are great for dipping because they are not very wide but are deep enough to submerge your cookies.

4. Put the mug in the microwave for about a minute, but pause it periodically to stir it and make sure it is melting evenly and not burning. I had to microwave mine for several 15 second intervals--stirring in between--until my chocolate was evenly melted.

5. Drop a sandwich into the mug of chocolate and use a spoon to turn it around and coat it with chocolate. Once it is completely coated, lift it out of the mug with the spoon. I had to use the flat side of a butter knife to lightly brush off the excess chocolate from the top of the cookie back into the mug. 

6. Place coated sandwich cookies on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet to harden. Once you have finished coating all the sandwiches, transfer the cookie sheet to the refrigerator to finish hardening. This won't take long! In the meantime, pour a glass of milk and get ready to enjoy heavenly chocolate-peanut butter bliss.

xo.