M&M Cookies for Valentine's Day

I love cookies. I love eating them, baking them, and sharing them. Finding new cookie recipes to try is one of my favorite things to do. I don't think I've ever met a cookie I didn't like. These M&M cookies are currently my favorite. There's just something magical that happens to M&M's when you bake them. That crunch! I can't get enough. 

I make M&M cookies all the time for holidays. I love the different colors that you can find. For Christmas, we make red and green to add to our cookie platter. For Valentine's Day, I adore the red, white, and pink M&M's. I also love the colors for Halloween, Easter...it makes me happy to have these in the cookie jar. 

My kids love them too. 

Some tips to help- stir in the M&M's by hand after you've made the dough. Then lightly press on a few before you bake them, making sure not to flatten the dough balls. Also, your butter should be soft- I take mine out of the fridge about 30 minutes before I plan to make them.

Source: Celebrating Sweets 

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 egg
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups M&M's and chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. 

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. 

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together for 2 minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Then add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing again until incorporated. Grab the bowl with the flour mixture and gently pour it in on low speed. I like to do this in batches so that I don't have a flour cloud over my head. 

Once mixed, stir in the M&M's and chocolate chips by hand, with a large spoon or spatula. I like to add about a cup of the chocolate chips & M&M's so that the rest can be pressed on top of the dough balls before baking. 

Scoop the dough into balls. You can use a cookie scoop, or a regular tablespoon. Whatever you have. Depending on how big you want your cookies- I do about a tablespoon, which is why my cookies weren't so big, but you can do 2 tablespoons if you want larger cookies. Keep in mind that cookies do spread while baking so make sure you have space between them. 

Bake for about 8-11 minutes (if you made your dough balls bigger, you might need more time). The centers should be slightly underdone, but if you want a crispy cookie, bake for another minute or two. 

Once out of the oven, allow the cookies to cool so that they can firm up.

Classic Fudge Brownies a La Mode

If you're still looking for something sweet to make for Valentine's Day (which is this Friday, yay!), I've got the perfect thing for you. Last week I mentioned that we had a last minute date night at home. We ordered take out from a great italian place, put the toddler to bed early, lit some candles, and ate in our dining room. It was perfect, low-key, and exactly what we needed.

We decided to do this about two hours before we normally eat, so I went to see what we had in the pantry o and for dessert. I always keep the essentials well stocked- flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are a necessary staple in our house. I saw that we also had cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate. All the things you need to make brownies!

I got to work and the brownies were in the oven in no time. Miss A ate her dinner while I measured, poured, and stirred. I checked to see if we had ice cream in the fridge and wouldn't you know it, we did! Brownies a la mode, my husband's favorite dessert. Seriously, he wants to order it every time he sees it on a menu when we go out. Me, I like to get something I wouldn't normally make at home, like cheesecake or something. Anyway, I knew he'd be thrilled to have it at home.

I've made these brownies twice before, and I have to say, they are definitely my go-to recipe. They're everything you want in a brownie- fudgy, chocolatey, and not too rich. A great dessert for Valentine's Day, or any special occasion, like a random Tuesday night!      

Source: adapted from Cooking Light

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks (that you see for baking)
1/3 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1/2 of the bittersweet chocolate and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute, then stir. Microwave on HIGH again for 30 seconds, then stir. Chocolate needs to be completely melted before you can move on to the next step, microwave more if needed. 

Pour the melted chocolate into the dry ingredients. Add the butter, vanilla, eggs, and the rest of the chocolate chunks into the bowl and stir until all is combined. Pour the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 22 minutes, brownies are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean, or with a few crumbs. 

New York Style Cheesecake- Guest Post

I'm so grateful to Amanda for guest posting for me today. I hope you'll take a minute to visit her blog! I'm still visiting my family in Florida and will be back to blogging later on this week. Check out this delicious cheesecake, one of my favorite desserts!

Hi! My name is Amanda and I blog over at Kids and Cabernet.  I blog about my kids, life, and my favorite wine finds - sometimes a mamma just needs a bottle glass of wine ;).  I was so honored when Christina asked me to guest post!  I love her blog - her recipes always look SO good.  Let's see if I can hold a candle to her baking skills!

I'm not a huge dessert person, but one thing I'll never turn down is cheesecake!  I was so happy when my mother-in-law shared this recipe that she's been making for years.  It is a very easy recipe to make.  The only trick that I've learned when making a cheesecake is that you really need to make sure that it's blended really good so that your cheesecake doesn't come out lumpy.

New York Style Cheesecake

Ingredients

4 – 8oz cream cheese squares

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups sour cream (add last)

Crust

1 cup gram cracker crumbs

2-3 tbsp melted butter

1/8 cup sugar 

Mix all together and press into bottom of 10” spring form pan

Preheat oven to 350*.  Put graham cracker crust at bottom of greased and floured pan. Combine all ingredients except sour cream in large bowl and mix until smooth (it won’t be totally smooth, but pretty close).  Add sour cream and blend.  Pour into pan and bake until edges of cake are golden brown and center is moist (about 1hr. 15min.).  Let cool completely and then refrigerate over night.  Add topping if desired.  

For the topping I like to take berries, add sugar, cover and let it sit for a few hours.  This draws the liquid out of the berries and makes for a delicious, fresh and sweet topping. 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Before holiday baking is over, I have to share with you one more treat. Maybe you're still looking for something to give to a friend or neighbor, or for Christmas morning while you're opening presents. I wish I had baked these cookies sooner, because I would have definitely made more than one batch, they are that good!

I found these fun festive white chocolate chips at Aldi a few weeks back and knew I had to have them. The original recipe calls for peppermint chips, which I'd love to try next time I make these cookies. 

These are easy to make and you probably have all the ingredients already in your pantry. The only thing I didn't have were the festive chips and chocolate pudding mix. Otherwise, we were good to go! 

I baked them to take to a friend's house and they were eagerly snatched up, by me, my husband, our friends, and of course, Miss A. She hasn't met a cookie she doesn't like!

Source: adapted from I Heart Naptime

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 small package chocolate dry pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup festive white chocolate chips, or crushed peppermint candies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until combined. Add in the dry instant pudding mix and mix again, just until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; mix. Next, add the flour and baking soda and beat until well incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate baking chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips. 

Use a cookie scoop (or tablespoon), drop cookie dough on to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes. Mine were done at 10 minutes. Best served warm!

Gingerbread Cookies

Over the weekend Miss A and I did some baking. Our sweet neighborhood had a caroling event, complete with hot chocolate and cookies at the end of the night. While I would  have loved to go, I figured taking Miss A out in the cold, by ourselves, at night, might not be such a good idea (hopefully next year my husband will have the night off!) Even still, I never pass up a chance to bake Christmas cookies, and signed up right away.

We made gingerbread cookies, using all my Christmas cookie cutters. Can you believe there wasn't a gingerbread man cutter in my set? I'll have to pick one up for next year!

Miss A was much more interested in the cookie cutters themselves instead of trying to help Mama. She took them in and out of the container, "counting", one at a time. When she was bored of that, she played with her own ball of dough and I'm happy to report she only tried to eat it once!

For the icing, I found this amazing little pouch at Aldi, with a spout, and it is one of the best baking items I've ever purchased. It made frosting the cookies SO easy. No mess with powered sugar, no stress over overdoing the frosting. I lined the cookies with the icing and then spread a little more in the center and used a butter knife to fill in the rest. Then I sprinkled the cookies with green and red sprinkles. After about 4 hours, the frosting has set, and you can stack the cookies!

I found this recipe in a magazine a few weeks ago, but can't remember which one. So forgive me for not having the source. A word of caution- this makes A LOT of cookies. I cut the entire recipe in half, but included the original for you here.

Gingerbread Cookies
Serves: 8 dozen

1 1lb box of dark brown sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup molasses
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp all-spice
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Combine sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Beat until combined. Add the molasses and eggs, one at a time.

In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing at a very low speed. You might need to use your hands to help the dough form. Once the dough comes together, it will be very thick. Divide dough into four parts and wrap each with plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 375. On a lightly floured surface, roll-out one portion of dough to 1/4 inch thickness. I had to knead my dough a bit before I could roll out it. You might need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Cut out shapes and place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Make sure cookies are 1 inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely before removing cookies from the pan. Decorate as desired.

Happy Baking!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

My husband's birthday was almost two weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about his cake. I meant to share this with you earlier, but with Thanksgiving following right after, I had other posts in mind. Without further ado, meet the best chocolate cake you'll ever have in your life.

Seriously. It was that good. I've had the recipe for this cake dog-earred from an old issue of Cuisine at home. I have so many recipes stashed that I forgot about or that I'm waiting for the right time to use and when I asked my husband what kind of cake he wanted, he just said, "chocolate." I knew this was the one!

What's amazing to me is that you don't need to use a mixer, don't need any eggs, and can make the whole cake (minus the frosting) with one bowl and one spoon. Less to clean up makes me very happy.

I'm sad that I don't have any pin-worthy photos (I was barely able to snap a picture as it was), but rest assured, this is pin-worthy! So moist, soft, fluffy, and FULL of chocolate. If you're a chocolate lover or know others who are, make this cake. You'll be so happy you did! 

And if you need even more reason to believe this cake was good, take a look at this face.

Yep, just like Mommy and Daddy- a chocoholic! 

Source: Cuisine at home

Servings: 10-12

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups hot water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 8 inch round cake pans with cooking spray. 

Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until combined (a few lumps are okay). 

Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes completely on a rack.

For the frosting

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp instant coffee granules 

2 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt. The mixture will be thick and grainy. Combine the heavy cream, sour cream, and instant coffee a measuring cup until smooth. Gradually (this is VERY important, do it slowly), add the mixture to the chocolate until blended. Cook until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth, 6-8 minutes. Do not boil!

Take the saucepan off the heat and add the vanilla. Cool the icing completely, at room temperature, until spreadable and thick, about 2-3 hours. If you want to speed up the process, you can put it in the fridge after it has cooled a little, and warm it up in the microwave for 20 second intervals, so it becomes spreadable. 

Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies

There is nothing that I love to do more in the Fall than bake...while drinking apple cider, wearing leggings, and burning pumpkin scented candles. You know. All the things everyone else loves to do in the Fall.

It feels like everyone was very excited for Fall this year. I was shocked by the amount of people lining up for a pumpkin spice latte in August and busting out their boots and sweaters the first week of September. If you remember, I was holding onto summer in every way possible, wearing flip flops like they were going out of style, and I was in no hurry to retire my summer dresses. Actually, as I write this, I'm wearing one right now. Ha! I'm not the only one experiencing summer like temperatures lately, right? What's going on mother nature? Let's get the seasons straight!  

Not that I'm complaining. 

Maybe a little.

So. THESE COOKIES. I made them while we were experiencing Fall-like temperatures. It was chilly in the morning. There was a breeze outside. It was heavenly. As soon as that happens I make these cookies.

They are my absolute favorite Fall treat. All the flavors of the season in one cookie. Pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. These cookies are so soft and fluffy, I bet you can't just eat one. You'll be coming back for more and who knows, these might become your Fall staple too. 

Source: Cooks.com

Servings: makes about 40 cookies

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin

2 2/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup white chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, egg and pumpkin. 

Mix dry ingredients together and sift 2 times. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix until combined. The dough will be sticky. Add the white chocolate chips and fold into the batter using a spoon. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Crushed Oreo Vanilla Pudding Parfait

Sometimes you just want something simple. And tasty. Very tasty.

Something that isn't going to take 30 minutes to make and doesn't require you to turn on the oven. Something that's easy to whip up on a weeknight so your husband can say, "Wow, how'd you find the time to make that?" I made these Oreo parfaits one night while I was simultaneously cooking dinner, with Miss A on the floor, with no husband in sight. That doesn't happen very often around these parts. Making dinner is hard enough on it's own!  

I had some heavy cream in the fridge that was getting ready to expire. I also had a giant box of Oreo's that the hubby and I couldn't pass up on our last visit to Costco. And I had a box of vanilla pudding! Winning. Miss A was able to "help" me by smashing up the Oreo's. I put them in a ziploc bag and had her whack away at them with a wooden spoon. This kept her entertained for quite a while. I was able to make the pudding and whip up the heavy cream from start to finish and then layered them in these tall glasses.

Serves: 2
1 box of vanilla pudding
2 cups cold milk
6 Oreo's
3/4 cup of heavy cream

First, crush cookies in a ziploc bag. Grab a bowl and prepare the pudding according to package directions. In another bowl beat the heavy cream on low, gradually increase to medium, and lastly high. Beat until it begins to thicken, about five minutes, until your desired consistency.  To layer the parfaits, start with the pudding, cookie crumbs, and whipped cream. For the next layer, pour cookie crumbs, pudding, and then whipped cream. Garnish with a cookie if desired.

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie {Guest Post}

I'm so happy to have Colleen here today! She is also a SAHM to a beautiful little boy and I absolutely love her blog. I hope you take a minute to check her out! Take a look at this tasty treat she has for you today- apple season will be here before we know it! Thanks again Colleen!

Hi! I'm Colleen, author of my mommy lifestyle blog, Meet the Sullivans! I'm wife to Keith and mom to 1 1/2 year-old Owen. In a formerly life I was a Catholic school Kindergarten teacher, but for now I’m a stay-at-home mom.

When Christina asked me if I would be interested in sharing a recipe with you I jumped at the chance! Great recipes (just like a great meal!) are meant to be shared! The recipe I'm here to share today, Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie, is a tried and true recipe, and a staple in the Sullivan family. It is usually my husband's first pick when I ask for a dessert recipe suggestion from him. I've made it over 20 times and it is always a major crowd pleaser, AND the flavors perfect for Fall!

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie
For a printer-friendly version click here. 

Makes 1 pie


Ingredients for Pie: 
1 pastry crust for a deep-dish pie 9-inch (I used store-bought)
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (I use Fuji or Galla apples)
1 recipe crumb topping (see below)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup caramel topping (the kind in the squeeze bottle works best) 

Ingredients for Crumb Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup butter 

Directions for the Crumb Topping:
1. Stir together brown sugar,flour, rolled oats.
2. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until topping is like course crumbs. Set aside. 

Directions for the Pie:
1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.
2. Add apple slices and gently toss until coated. (I used my mandoline on its thickest setting)
3. Transfer apple mixture to the pie shell (You can remove the store-bought pie shell from the aluminum pie plate and transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate of your own, but you do not have to.)
4. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture.
5. Place pie on a cookie sheet so the drippings don't drop into your oven.
6. Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil.
7. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 25 minutes. Then remove foil and put back in for another 25 to 30 minutes without foil.
8. Remove from oven. Sprinkle pie with chopped pecans then drizzle with caramel on top.
9. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm or at room temperature. Serve with vanilla ice cream for best results!

After I filled both pies with the apple mixture (and topped them with the crumb topping) I usually still have a bit of filling leftover. Instead of tossing it I fill ramekins with the leftovers and re-heat them the next night for dessert!

Recipe courtesy of Marsha Brooks, Good Morning America Apple Pie Contest 2001

If you'd like to see a few more of my recipes please take a minute and check out my Recipe Index!
 
Christina, thank you so much for allowing me to share this recipe with your readers today! I sure hope you all give it a try and that it becomes a staple in your home as well!

Classic Fudge Brownies

Brownies are not usually my choice of dessert. I mean, duh, I love brownies and will eat them if I see one, but if I'm out somewhere, at a restaurant, sweet shop, whatever, I'd pick ice cream, cookies, or a slice of pie before I'd get the brownie sundae off a dessert menu. I guess because to me, every brownie sundae tastes the same and I like to try something different when I'm out to eat.

I love having brownies as a dessert option for parties, get-togethers, or a night at home. They're a crowd pleaser, easy to eat, and will satisfy almost anyone's sweet tooth. Not to mention there's no serving involved, just grab and go! I made these recently when our family was in town and they were a hit.

Is it just me, or is making brownies from scratch a lot of work? I don't make them very often, usually because I'm disappointed in the outcome and puzzled how a boxed mix can taste better than homemade. That is, until I found this recipe!

These brownies are absolutely perfect. I'd have to even go so far as to say they are probably the best I've ever had. For real! They're chewy, fudgy, and bursting with chocolate flavor. I couldn't resist adding chocolate chunks over the top of the batter before putting it in the oven. Your fingers will get all messy from ooey gooeyness, totally worth it!

Source: Food Network Magazine Jan. '12

Servings: 20 
3.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup granulated sugar 
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks, divided 
1/3 cup fat-free milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided (omitted)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine 1/2 cup chocolate and milk in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir in butter, vanilla, and eggs. Add milk mixture, 1/2 cup chocolate, and 1/4 cup nuts to flour mixture; stir to combine.

Pour the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup nuts. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 20 pieces.

Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

This weekend one my very best friends came to visit. She is one of those rare people that I instantly clicked with from the very first conversation. We have so much in common; a desire for things sweet and savory, the ability to shop till we drop, and a TV lineup longer than we'd like to admit. I've only known her for a year and she already feels like family.

It was her birthday earlier in the week and since I couldn't be there to celebrate with her I thought I'd make her some belated cupcakes. It's been a while since I've baked after all, and a birthday is a perfect excuse to tie an apron around my waist.

The hubby got me a cupcake calendar for Christmas this year. It's adorable and every month has a new cupcake recipe glossing the pages. Instead of using the one for February, I skipped all the way to June, knowing they would be the perfect cupcakes for my friend.

I can't tell you how amazing this frosting was. It definitely stole the show and we devoured these cupcakes in a matter of 24 hours. Luckily, I saved the little that was left in the mixing bowl for those middle of the night cookie-slathered-with-frosting cravings.

Ingredients 
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

For the frosting
3 tablespoons strawberries, fresh or frozen, pureed
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A dash of salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time and then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed sugar and butter. Mix well. Stir in milk until batter is smooth. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack and let cool completely.  Cupcakes must be completely cool before topping with icing.

For the frosting
Blend 1 cup butter and salt on medium high until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar and blend well. Add vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of strawberry puree. Blend well. Frost the cupcakes and top with sprinkles if desired.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

The days are getting shorter. I can see the change happening gradually as the sun begins to set earlier and earlier every day. I'm craving pumpkin donuts and warm cozy blankets and embracing this fall as if it might be our last. Who knows where we'll end up for residency and if it's somewhere down south (finger crossed!) we might not have a fall again.

That's why I'm sharing my first pumpkin/fall recipe with you today. I couldn't wait any longer to break out the pumpkin! As we speak (or you read), there are five cans in my pantry just waiting for their debut.  

We had a birthday celebration recently for one of our friends and the prospect to bake something made me very excited! Oh to bake, to bake again. How I've missed my measuring cups and spoons. I searched through all my recent pins and dog-eared recipes (pinning is much easier than flipping through a magazine these days, who knew) and was overwhelmed with so many choices. Deprivation. I wanted to bake everything!

Then I remembered a day I was waiting in line to pay for groceries, flipping through Taste of Home's recent magazine of fall recipes. I wrote down the name of these cupcakes and suddenly I remembered them- light blub! I knew these would be perfect.

They are so moist and flavorful, practically melting in your mouth as you bite into one. And the frosting- I stuck my finger in the bowl as I was making it and felt my eyes go wide. The balance of spice and sweetness is spot on- delicious! Too bad it's not nutritious. :)

I tried to frost these with my fancy cupcake kit- piping bag and frosting tips, but it turns out baby girl isn't quite ready for me to devote entirely too much time in the kitchen. I had to settle for a plain old butter knife during one of her naps. Not that anyone cared. They were gone in minutes!

Source: Taste of Home
Servings: 2 dozen

3/4 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.

S'more Chocolate Bars

Yesterday we had one last hoorah before our baby decides to make her debut. We celebrated the 4th in style grilling out back in our patio with good friends and good food.

On the menu: mustard and herb marinated chicken, grilled steak, roasted potato wedges with red ranch dressing, slices of Italian bread with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, garden salad, corn on the cob, S'more chocolate bars, and lemon blueberry muffins.   

I prepped all the food in the morning, starting with slices of Italian bread, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. I also made the S'more chocolate bars and did a little sampling. Delicioso! 

I also got a little crafty. I took out my Cricut and made some stars. I found an old blue ribbon, glued the stars on, and hung it on our door. It came out great, if I do say so myself. I was very proud.

We arranged all the food out back and grilled chicken, steak, and corn. Later on in the evening we cheered watching a "show" of fireworks, hosted by the hubby.

_____________________________________________________________________

 Now, what can I say about these S'more bars? They were a hit! Gooey, chocolatey, with a yummy brownie layer, I knew I was going to make them for the 4th as soon as I saw them in one of my cookbooks. As our friends arrived they started to eat them, before we even had anything set out on the grill!

Source: adapted from Celebrating Cookies Book 2 
Servings: about 4 dozen bars

1 box of brownie mix
vegetable oil
water
egg
14 graham cracker sheets, crumbled
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix and the oil, water, and egg (follow directions according to your mix for measurements). Stir until well combined. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Crumble the graham cracker sheets over the mix, giving it a shake before it goes into the oven to evenly spread out the crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take out the brownies and top with the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Place back into the oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until marshmallows begin to brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

When the bars have cooled,  oil a knife and cut into bars.

Chunky Chocolate Cookies

These are the best cookies I've ever made. Ever.

They are rich without being overly rich. Sweet without being overly sweet. Chocolatey without being overly chocolatey. The perfect chocolate chip to cookie ratio. If cookies are served in heaven, these would be it.

I could gush on and on about these cookies for hours. We couldn't get enough of them. I must have scarfed four in a row after having my first one. The hubby too, proclaiming them "the best cookies I've ever had."

I don't think you should rule these out to be solely a cookie for chocolate lovers. Sure, they will definitely satisfy any chocolate lovers craving, but if there is someone out there that you know doesn't like chocolate (how is that possible?), make these for them and see if they can resist.

Source: Celebrating Cookies
Servings: about 4 1/2 dozen

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (10 ounces) dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup chopped pecans (omitted)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is a pale yellow color. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Stir in chocolate chunks and pecans.

Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes or until cookies are set and bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Snickerdoodles with Biscoff "Frosting"

A few weeks ago, the hubby and I became obsessed with these cookies.

On their own, these snickerdoodles are great. Lots of cinnamony and sugary goodness. But with biscoff added to the mix...these cookies are dangerous. I bet you can't just eat one. 

I took a shortcut and instead of making a filling to sandwich between two cookies (like in the original recipe), I decided to "frost" them with biscoff spread. Best.decision.ever. We were eating these cookies like they were going out of style! I froze several bags of dough balls in one morning to take out once baby arrives- for our sanity, for when family and friends drop by. 

  
Our obsession decreased, gradually, and we moved on to chocolate chunk cookies...which are, I have to say, some of the best cookies I've ever made! I gotta make more though, we ate them all before pictures could be taken. ;) Stay tuned!

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture.

3. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into balls, I used a heaping teaspoon of dough. Roll balls in cinnamon and sugar. Place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Roasted Mini Apple "Pies"

Talk about cuteness overload.

I'm in love with these mini apple "pies."

This is one of the easiest, simplest, and quickest desserts I've ever made. I recently watched several hours of the Food Network. I was a complete couch potato (pregnancy allows for that though, right?) and jotted down a ton of new things I want to try before baby decides to make her arrival. In possibly 6 more weeks, yikes! These mini apple pies are one of the many I wrote down. I also happened to have everything in the fridge at that very moment, therefore, this is the first thing that I'm sharing with you. Another perk for this recipe- you might not need to make a special trip to the store!

I'm sure you could jazz it up and make some sort of caramel sauce to go with it. Which would be divine, mmmm. If you do that, tell me how it goes! But the simplicity of this can't be beat. Roll out your store-bought pie crust, slice some apples and toss them in cinnamon and sugar. Make your own whipped cream or dollop some out of a tub of Cool Whip. Dessert is ready under 15 minutes. 

Source: Foodnetwork

1 (9-inch) refrigerated rolled pie crust
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
cookie cutter or glass

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.

Unroll the pie crust out on a work surface. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 8 disks of pastry. Arrange the pastry disks on the prepared baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, prick the pastry all over. Bake until brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 10 minutes.

Slice the bottom of the apples to create an even surface for cutting. Slice each apple into 6 (1/2-inch) slices.
Cut each apple slice in half and remove any seeds or pieces of core. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Add the apple slices and toss until coated. Shake off any excess mixture. Arrange the apple slices on the same baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until dark brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream until thick, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until the cream is very thick.

To assemble the pies: Place the pastry disks on a work surface. Divide the cooked apple slices among 4 of the disks. Dollop about 2 tablespoons of the cream on top of the apples and cover with the remaining disks. Serve immediately.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

The search for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe has ended in this household.

That's not to say that I won't be trying out more recipes and different versions of the chocolate chip cookie. But I have to say, I think these win, hands down, as the best classic, homemade, thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie. I've even got a second opinion- my hubby, who declared a few weeks ago that his favorite chocolate chip cookies were the ones he gets every day at work from the hospital cafeteria (they are really good). Not anymore! Take that lunch ladies.

They're huge, perfectly sweet and fluffy. I'm beyond addicted to them. The perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner snack for a pregnant woman. I could easily gain the rest of my pregnancy weight eating these babies. I'm totally planning on being that soccer mom with a jar of freshly baked cookies to dig in to every day after school. When baby arrives and has her first chocolate chip cookie, these will be it.

I highly suggest you follow the instructions to the 'T-' including clicking on the link to Brown Eyed Baker's illustration of how to roll these. Normally I skip those kinds of things because I'm lazy impatient, but it's totally worth it!

Source: Just Baked, orginally from Cook's Illustrated

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar I use light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 to 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, the yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed (or mix by hand with a spatula) just until combined. Stir in the chips according to your taste.

Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart. Brown Eyed Baker has a great illustration for this.

Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, the outer edges start to harden, and  yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. 

Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Every now and then I get in the mood to bake a cake. Slathered in frosting, layer by layer, covered in sprinkles. Instead of making a huge cake that would taunt me and wink at me from across the room, I made a smaller, "healthier" version of a cake by using bananas and my 8 x 8 pan. But I didn't skip out on the frosting.

It is brown butter frosting, after all. The magic of brown butter. I love watching the butter melt and allowing it to become a warm amber color. It's so easy to make and once it's done you'll be surprised at how moist this cake is. It holds up well too, hanging out in an air tight container for more than a week.

Source: Lauren's Latest
Servings: 12


Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup plain applesauce, unsweetened (I used yogurt)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large bananas, mashed

Frosting
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8×8 square dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, excluding the sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.

In a different bowl, whip sugar, oil and applesauce together. Stir in eggs, vanilla and mashed banana. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Pour into prepared dish and bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool completely.

To make the frosting, place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Just after the butter melts, start swirling the pan in small circles. After about 30 seconds or so, the butter should start foaming and will turn an amber color and smell nutty. Once this happens, remove from heat immediately and pour into a different container. Cool to room temperature.

Once butter has cooled, whip together with vanilla, powdered sugar and cream until smooth and creamy. Spread over cooled cake and top with chopped walnuts, if desired. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know about you, but chocolate chip cookies should be baked all year round.

Who says they're not part of the holiday baking season? Not that I know anyone who would say that...I can't imagine not having them around among all the other holiday baked gooies. Who won't be thrilled to receive a batch of these babies freshly made? With love. <3

After taking a break from cooking since Thursday, I got my bake on Sunday night. This recipe makes a lot of chocolate chip cookies- I think I've got 24 sitting in my cookie box! They are soooo much better than the other chocolate chip cookie I've got on my blog, I'd even go so far as to say they're the best I've ever made.

Oh yes. I said it. These are my favorite chocolate chip cookies!

Source: Life of a Wife
Servings: at least 24

2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.  With electric mixer or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined.  Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges are just starting to harden but the centers are still soft and puffy (about 11-14 minutes).  Do not overbake!

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking.  Transfer to wire rack to cool. 

What's on your holiday baking list?