Macarons

YES! Homemade macarons! I was so ridiculously excited about the mere idea of baking these that when they came out perfectly I was beside myself.

Use this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction.  She has great step-by-step photos to guide you along.  I followed her recipe as it is written.  We added almond extract and a little red food coloring.

I was intimidated by the process of baking macarons, but really there wasn't much that was actually challenging.  It is no doubt time consuming, but a lot of that time is waiting for things to sit. Probably the most difficult part was piping and making it so the cookies were an even size.



These are filled with strawberry preserves, but I am definitely itching to try it with some chocolate ganache. Next time....

Cranberry Bliss Bars, Starbucks Copycat Recipe

If you have never tried a cranberry bliss bar from Starbucks, I am really quite sorry for you.  However, luck is on your side, because now you can make them in your very own kitchen!

These are going to be a great addition to my Christmas dessert tray. I love a good bar cookie recipe because you don't have to keep rotating cookie sheets all day long.



Cranberry Bliss Bars
From Recipe Girl

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 oz white chocolate chips

8 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
6 oz white chocolate, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 inch pan, set aside. Melt butter a small bowl in the microwave, stir in brown sugar. In a large mixing bowl mix butter and sugar mixture with 2 eggs and vanilla.  Gradually add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
2. Gently stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan, batter will be thick and almost dough-like. Bake 18-21 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Using a hand mixer, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat in half of the melted white chocolate.  Spread over cooled bars. Sprinkle with cranberries and drizzle with remaining white chocolate.



I chose to cut mine in triangles because that is what Starbucks does.  Feel free to just make rectangles or just eat the whole pan with a fork while watching Lifetime Christmas movies.

Apple Cider Custard Bars

These apple cider custard bars would be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dessert spread.  This recipe has all the wonderful flavors of fall and it's in bar form so you don't have to worry about having another pie server.

Apple Cider Custard Bars
From Crepes of Wrath

Ingredients
For the crust:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, cubed

For the custard:
1 cup cider
8 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 13x9 in dish liberally with butter.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl.  Use your fingers, or a pastry cutter, to mix the dough until a crumbly coarse mixture forms.  Press into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Whisk cider, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl.  Pour over baked crust.  Bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until the top is set.
3.  Allow bars to cool for 4-6 hours before dusting with sugar and slicing into square.

Note: I halved this recipe and made my batch in an 8x8 inch pan and it worked wonderfully.

I cannot wait to make these again for Thanksgiving!

So much easier to make than a pie AND easier to eat too!

Zucchini Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tried to shorten the name of these cookies, but I just needed you to know all the fun stuff that's waiting inside!

Zucchini Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes
3/4 cup chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Combine oil and sugars until smooth add egg and vanilla.  Slowly add in flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in zucchini, oats, coconut, and chocolate chips.
2.  Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart on a parchment (or silpat) lined baking sheet.
3.  Bake 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges. Cool on wire racks.

The zucchini makes these cookies extra moist and chewy which is just the best way a cookie can be.

You can totally eat these cookies for breakfast because hello, vegetables and oats, totally a great way to start your day.

Lace Cookies

These cookies are always the first to go from the random bakery box assortment.  Well, after that 1 rainbow cookie gets eaten. Since they are almost exclusively found in bakeries, they seem like this totally fancy and challenging recipe.

Surprise, they aren't!

These cookies require so few ingredients; they are just begging to be baked.

Lace Cookies

Adapted from Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup rolled oats, not instant

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp beaten egg white (I know, this is an insane measurement.  Don't go crazy, try your best)

some chocolate you have on hand, perhaps some of that advent calendar chocolate that just doesn't taste great on it's own

1. Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a large bowl. Mix in oats, flour, and vanilla.  Let cool for 10 minutes. Then mix in egg white.

2. Drop dough in mounded teaspoons, on a baking sheet. The cookies will spread like crazy so put them about 3-4 inches apart. Bake 5-7 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. When your done with all the cookie baking, melt up your chocolate. Drizzle it over your cookies and allow to harden before eating.

I was so impressed with myself for baking these cookies.  Don't tell anyone that I totally burned 2 trays because I tried to do other things in the few minutes these guys bake up.

LACE COOKIES! Like you would find in a bakery! WOOO!

Brown Sugar Shortbread Toffee Bars

I don't want to oversell this dessert, but it was my favorite that I made this holiday season.  It is quite decadent so you'll want just a bite, but then you'll need many many more bites later.

You can't go wrong with a sweetened condensed milk layer.

Not to be outdone is a chocolate layer.

Then top it all with toffee bits! I told you it was decadent!

Brown Sugar Shortbread Toffee Bars

From Cookies and Cups

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp butter

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Beat butter and sugar until combined, 1-2 minutes. Mix in flour. Dough will be dry.  Press into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned, and let cool slightly.

3. Melt butter and milk in a small saucepan and pour over shortbread.  Bake 12-15 minutes, until filling is bubbled and browned. Remove from oven.

4. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the filling and place back in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from oven and spread chocolate with an off-set spatula.

5. Sprinkle toffee bits evenly and press into chocolate layer. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

YES! I need more!

Brownie + Cookie = Brookie

It's time for the 3rd annual Christmas cookie party! You can see our previous parties here and here.

I baked up a massive batch of brookies to bring to the event. What is this mythical brookie I speak of? Why, it's when a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie come together in the words of Grayson from Top Chef "like sex in the mouth."

Yes, they are that good.

Brookies
From Cookies and Cups

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips

For the brownie
1 box brownie mix, 18oz
1 1/4 cup flour
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Mix in baking soda, salt, and flour until combined. Then stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.
3. Mix flour and brownie mix. Add in eggs and oil and stir until combined.
4. To assemble the cookies: Take a tablespoon full of each dough and roll together. Bake 2 inches apart for 9-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cool for 3-4 minutes on sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Note: If you only have 1 cookie sheet to bake with, put the dough in the fridge while each batch bakes in the oven.

This recipe makes a ton of cookies and you will be glad because they are delicious!

We will definitely all be eating cookies for days. Excellent work everyone!

Pumpkin Recipe Round Up

In case you are still deciding how to add some pumpkin spice to your Thanksgiving table this year, here are a few of my favorites.

Top row: Pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin blondies, double chocolate pumpkin spice cookies, pumpkin potato gratin

Middle row: pumpkin mac and cheese, pumpkin shortbread

Bottom row: sopapilla pumpkin bars, pumpkin chocolate chip bars, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin brownies with apple butter

Happy Thanksgiving!

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies

So I came upon these awesome pumpkin spice chips by Tollhouse during pumpkin mania at the supermarket.

Before we go any further can I just comment on the fact that pumpkin madness began before fall started and the supermarket has already deemed the season over before the end of October! What is this nonsense!? Pumpkin flavors have a least another month to go in my meal rotation.  I have a feeling no one is starting their Christmas baking yet, despite the stores encouragement.

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients
1 package Betty Crocker chocolate chunk cookie mix
1 cup pumpkin spice chips
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Drop dough by the tablespoon-ful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing.

Here is a little bonus idea for you crazy kids out there: take some pumpkin gelato and sandwich it between 2 cookies!

Hellooooo fall chip-wich! 

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies were so freaking good.  Also, they have fruit in them so you can totally eat them for breakfast.  Perfect, right?

Before I get to the recipe I wanted to show you guys a neat little trick.  If you don't have any brown sugar in the house, you can make your own!

All you need to do is add molasses to granulated sugar.  For 3/4 cup of sugar, add 3/4 tbsp of molasses.  Mix it all together with a fork and voila! DIY brown sugar!

 Now on to the cookies!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted From Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375. Mix butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Slowing add flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in chocolate chips and dried cherries.

2. Place heaping tablespoons on dough onto a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Let cookies cool on a rack before serving.

The cookies will stay nice and chewy for a solid week if you put them in an air-tight container.  This recipe makes about 30 cookies, depending on how large you make them.  Enjoy!

Red Velvet Oreo Cookie Dough Brownies

Seriously you guys. I baked up brownies from scratch.  Then topped them with cookie dough frosting filled with red velvet Oreos!

Whaaatttt???

Yes, it's true. And it's delicious.

Red Velvet Oreo Cookie Dough Brownies

Ingredients

For the brownies:
1 4oz package Baker's unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla

For the frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
10 Red Velvet Oreos, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13x9 pan.  In a microwave safe bowl, heat butter and chocolate for 2 minutes.  Stir until chocolate is melted.  Add sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla.  Mix until combined. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

2. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add milk, flour, and vanilla until frosting becomes a spreadable consistency. Stir in Oreos.  Spread frosting onto cooled brownies.

Side note- look how ridiculously tiny this package of Oreos is. 10 oz!! The package is no longer a rectangle, it's square.  Also, as exciting as the name sounds regular Oreos still reign supreme.

They do a great job with the filling though.  It really does taste like cream cheese frosting.

These brownies would be the perfect ultimate indulgence for Valentine's Day or a Monday. 

You decide.

Christmas Cookie Party

It cookie time folks! This is my second year hosting a cookie swap party.  The first was back in 2012 and can be seen here.

I decided to make treasure cookies.  They have all the ingredients of a magic square in cookie form.

Treasure Cookies

From Cookies and Cups

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cup flaked coconut
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss it all into a big bowl and mix it up.  Sorry, I just can be bothered with that whole separate bowl for dry and wet ingredients.
3. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto prepared pan leaving and inch or two for the cookies to spread. Bake 9-11 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
4.  Allow cookies to cool 3-4 minutes on the pan before removing them to a cooling rack.
5. Eat them all!!

So excited to use some new bake-ware!

Treasure cookies stay soft and chewy even days later.

Those are gingersnaps covered with marshmallow fluff, caramel, and pecans!

These are snowball cookies made with ground peanuts and filled with chocolate chips and peanut butter cups!

These are chocolate cookies filled with crushed peppermint and chocolate ganache!

Another successful evening of nonstop eating. I hope to do it all over again next year!

Ice Cream Cake

Before we get down to the business of the cake, I just wanted to let you all know a little something amazing.

I am the proud owner of a KitchenAid stand mixer!  It's pretty darn exciting so I took some glamour shots for you. It comes with a paddle attachment guys!  Like the real cooking shows use all the time!

Ok, I'm done making a stink over that...moving right along...

This is not a frozen cake.  This is a cake made with ice cream... and cake mix.

Let me break that down for you because I know calling this an ice cream cake is a little confusing.

You take the ice cream and melt it down. Then you mix it with some eggs and cake mix.

Make sense now?

Melted Ice Cream Cake
From Cookies and Cups

Ingredients
1 box cake mix
2 cups ice cream, I used chocolate chip cookie dough
3 eggs

1. Measure out 2 cups of ice cream in a mixing bowl and set aside, allowing the ice cream to melt.
2. Preheat oven to 350.  Once ice cream is completely melted, mix in cake mix and 3 eggs.  Beat 2 minutes on medium speed.
3. Baking times will vary according to the pan you use.

I threw in some sprinkles and glazed my cake with some vanilla frosting that was microwaved for a few seconds.

I was really really excited about this cake and I'll say in the end it was a let down.  It tasted fine, but it tasted just like regular cake.  Maybe if I used a different flavor ice cream the results would have been different.  I was a bit disappointed in the under-whelming results.

Coconut Macaroons

Looking for the perfect addition to your Easter dessert tray? Look no further folks because you are not going to find a simpler recipe around.  These coconut macaroons take about 30 minutes to bake up and you probably have all the ingredients in your cabinet right now.

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 egg whites

1.  Preheat oven to 325. Toss ingredients in a bowl and mix it until batter comes together.  

2. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter on to a parchment lined baking sheet.  Cook for 20 minutes, coconut will be slightly browned. 

How easy does that sound guys?  This recipe makes about 18 tiny cookies, so if you are cooking for a crowd you might want to double it.