Coping Through Chocolate Chips

Sinful Dip

Is there a time stamp for this post? Did I even set one of those up? If I did, don't look at it. Seriously, I pretty ashamed of it. Well, if there isn't one and you're now wondering...it's 3:37AM (especially if the "posting" time differs from the actual composure time). Hubbyhubs (yep, still looking for that suitable nickname) is out of town for a business trip. My sleep suffers when he's gone. For you romantics and sentimental people out there...stoppit. It's not sweet, it's not swoon-worthy...it sucks. It's annoying. Do you realize how flipping aggravating it is to not be able to sleep? I got four hours of sleep last night, and it looks like I'll get none tonight. I have to work a full day on no sleep. In fact, my alarm goes off in   1 hour and 34 minutes. Totally not worth attempting sleep.

I'm also ashamed to admit that at *checks clock* 3:43AM, I am sitting here with a container of chocolate chip cookie dip that I made this past weekend. I'm eating it with a spoon. I take back the ashamed statement. No shame, baby. Full, indulgent glory! And "glory" is studded with mini chocolate chips!

I discovered this recipe well over a year ago. Maybe even two years ago. It's a rich, sinful recipe that is best left forgotten. Otherwise, I will creep out to the fridge at butt-crack-o'-dawn to consume it. Consume the dip, not the recipe. Assuming the recipe has been made into a dip...assuming that a dip has been created with ingredients from the pantry while following the recipe. Sorry, my Grammar Girl gets a bit wonky at this time of night...day...hour.

So, let's say you're up at this ungodly hour with me. Now that you've read this and seen a photo of the end result, you want some. Let me show you how ridiculously easy this recipe is.

Grab your ingredients: some mini chocolate chip morsels, brown sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, a block of cream cheese, and a stick of butter

Cut up your butter (it doesn't have to be softened or room temp)

Move butter to a microwave safe dish...let the pieces fall gracefully *plop*

See? All pretty.

Add brown sugar to the dish

Let's all play nicely together

Into the microwave to get warm and cozy

Warm, cozy, and squishy

Stir with your favorite utensil (mine happens to be chopsticks)

Add in vanilla extract

Keep stirring...it may stay separated. That's okay.

Open up your room-temperature-softened cream cheese

Cut into pieces

Plop it into the mixing bowl

Add in powdered sugar

Admire the fluffiness. I wanna go skiing in that. 

Mix lil' mixer, mix!!

Add in your ooey, gooey, mix that you nuked earlier

Watch it all come together. Try not to drool.

Alllllllmost there!!

Scrape down the sides and make sure everything is all incorporated evenly.

Pour in some mini chocolate morsels. Eyeball the measurement.

Hmmm, a 1:1 ratio of mixture to morsels should work, right?

Fold in the morsels to have an even distribution.

Mmmmm, ohhhhh, ummmmmmm....I just wanna faceplant into that right now!!

Put it into containers and let it set up in the fridge for a couple of hours. I found these adorable, small  mason jars online.

Serve with graham crackers or vanilla wafers...or eat it by the spoonful.  No shame!!

I got the recipe from How Sweet It Is. Boy howdy am I glad I did!!

Cookie Dough Dip

makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cups chocolate chips

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to bubble. Set aside to cool, and whisk in vanilla.

Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar for 60 seconds. With mixer on low speed, add in brown sugar and butter mixture. Mix until combined. I added the chocolate chips at this time so the mixer could break them up into pieces. You can so that, or just fold in the chocolate chips.

Garnish with additional chopped chocolate. Serves with fruit, cookies, crackers, pretzels or a spoon.