I had a craving for a chocolate cake at 10:30. Like, at night. And not many places (if any!) are open this late on a Sunday that will sell me a slice. And living by myself, I am not about to bake (and therefore eat) 24 cupcackes or an entire cake (or buy one!). If I did this every time I wanted cake or something, I’d weigh like 300 pounds by now! ;)

So, these super cute ramekin dishes I bought at Michaels for 30 cents each (it was a post-Valentines day sale) came in QUITE handy.

The best part is it’s a small reciepe, AND doesn’t use anything I don’t keep in the house (ie, chocolate chips or baking chocolate - uh, if I kept it here I’d eat it all before baking with it!)

So, that being said, may I present you with…

Cake For The Chocolate Craving, Single Girl
**note: I forget where I found this recipe - I’ve had it for awhile, and it was from some website/blog, so if anyone knows where it’s from please let me know and I’ll give credit where credit is due!

Ingredients
- Flour: 1/4 a cup, then 2 more tbsp
- 3 tbsp buttermilk.

If you’re like me, and don’t have buttermilk just kicking around - put 1 tbsp lemon juice into a measuring cup, then fill with milk until the 1 cup line. Let curdle for 5-10 minutes… ta da! Buttermilk replacement.

- 1 egg
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted) - I use margarine, though (mildly healthier!), and it works fine :)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda (1/8 = half of 1/4, if you don’t have a 1/8 measuring spoon)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup sugar

Directions
- Grease (or Pam!) the cooking dishes.
- Mix buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.
- Add butter tbsp by tbsp, mixing in between
- Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and sugar
- Pour wet over dry, and mix
- Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean)

Volia! Delicious cake, and in individual(-ish, I only ate half of one dish in one sitting) servings.

Who doesn’t love brunch?

Personally, I am a huge fan of the breakfast-meets-lunch phenomena - the sweeter, the better (and it’s always especially tasty when you borrow a page from Gossip Girl and the upper east side and throw in some champagne!)

Sadly, I missed the absolutely divine Mother’s Day brunch my family attended at the Granite Club this year (and I’m sure the champagne and sweets were there with a vicious abundance… actually, I am CERTAIN after hearing the reports from my younger sister. Tear.) 

To make up for it, I decided to make a personal favourite recipe for myself, my boyfriend, and my roommate this morning (errrr… afternoon) - Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes! One part Dad’s famous pancake recipe (allegedly his grandmothers, my grandmothers, and a cookbook’s combined), one part mashed bananas, and one part chocolate chips.

Can we say OH-EM-GEE YUMMY?
 

The process of making Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes (click to enlarge)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 mashed bananas
• 1 cup chocolate chips 

Preparation

• Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl
• Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl (be sure to beat the egg first!)
• Mash bananas (the most fun part - seriously!) in a smaller bowl
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients
• Mix well
• Add the mashed bananas and chocolate chips
• Stir

Cooking instructions

• Pour mixture onto a griddle (or frying pan - that’s what I use) on low-medium heat.
• Be sure to flip them!

—–

Ta-da! The most delicious pancakes you’ll ever eat ;)

So, today I decided to bake Mini Egg Cookies. A quick (okay, I was gone an hour and a half but who’s checking ; ) trip to the grocery store, and a few missing items later, I was ready to get started.

The finished product?

These cookies are absolutely DELISH! I’m so excited about how good they are, I thought I’d share the recipe.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups mini eggs (broken into large chunks)

Preparation

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
Stir the butter in a separate, large mixing bowl until creamy.
Gradually stir in both sugars, until well mixed.
Add eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition.
Stir in vanilla.
Gradually stir in flour mixture until combined.
Put the Mini Eggs in a ziplock bag, and crush into chunks (I used a hammer).
Stir in Mini Eggs.

Baking Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
Grease cookie sheets (or coat with cooking spray).
Bake for approximately 8 - 10 minutes (until edges are golden)

———-

Tada!

Now eat them and enjoy - I know I am :)