Eggnog Fudge

It's the most wonderful baking time of the year!  I whipped up some easy eggnog fudge to add something different to my cookie tray this year.

I'm not going to pretend to be a super fan of eggnog, but put the flavors into fudge and it works out nicely.

Eggnog Fudge
From Real Housemoms

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup eggnog
1 tsp nutmeg, plus more for sprinkling
12 oz white chocolate
7 oz marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla

1. Grease a 9 inch square pan.**
2. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, butter, eggnog, and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. When it comes to a rolling boil, insert a candy thermometer. Heat to 235 degrees F.  This will take about 10 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and add white chocolate, vanilla, and marshmallow cream. Stir until mixture is fluffy and has lost its shine.
4. Spread evenly into prepared pan.  Cool completely before cutting into squares.

**I found the fudge difficult to get out of the pan, so I would recommend lining it with parchment paper.

Don't be intimidated by the candy thermometer!  I just used the digital thermometer I use for cooking meats and everything worked out perfectly.

I wish you all a sweet holiday season!

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.

Cadbury Creme Egg Brownies

I'll be completely honest with you, I am not in love with Cadbury creme eggs.  I am much more of a Cadbury mini-egg addict. But, since it's that time of year and this guy I live with seems to love those sugar bombs I decided to make a cream egg dessert.

Cadbury Creme Egg Brownies
Adapted from Love and Olive Oil

Ingredients
1 box brownie mix and ingredients to make them

1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
yellow food coloring

3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp butter

1. Bake brownies according to box directions. Let cool completely.
2. With a stand mixer combine corn syrup, butter, salt, and vanilla.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar. Spread on to cooled brownies.  *This was a challenge for me as the cream was very sticky, I found using my fingers worked best.  Then I used a toothpick to streak the cream yellow. Let set in the fridge for an hour or so.

3. Melt butter and chocolate over a double boiler.  Spread on to brownies.  Allow to set up in the fridge before cutting.

These babies are a serious Easter treat! 

I hope the bunny brought you all something tasty this year!

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!

Cannoli Cake

THIS. CAKE. IS. EVERYTHING.

You need it in your life. I made it for Christmas, but it's definitely not a project for holiday baking.  It's totally like a lil' Saturday/Sunday afternoon casual kitchen romp. Go for it!

That is a lovely bowl of sugar, being scented by citrus zest! 

Cannoli Pound Cake

From Smitten Kitchen

Butter or cooking spray to coat pan
1 cup sugar
zest from 1 orange
zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 or 2 pinches allspice
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup mini-chocolate chips or 6 ounces semisweet chocolate bar, chopped into tiny bits
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

1. Heat oven to 350. Coat a standard loaf pan with butter or a nonstick spray.

2. Place sugar in a large bowl, and add zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar.  Whisk in olive oil, wine (if using), ricotta and eggs. Sprinkle baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice over wet ingredients, then whisk to combine. Gently stir in flour, then chocolate and pistachios until just combined.

3. Scrape into prepared loaf. Bake oven for 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out-batter free. Let cool on wire rack in pan for 15 minutes, then invert out onto rack to finish cooling.

I am so sorry for not taking a photo of this baby dusted with powdered sugar and sliced to see the beauty of it's innards.  Perhaps that mystery and intrigue will get you to bake up a cannoli cake of your own.

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!

Green Tea Chocolate Cake

I got a free can of matcha powder from an Amazon seller a few weeks ago.  It was fine as a cup of hot tea, but I wanted to know what else this perplexing green powder can do.  A quick internet search led me to see I could bake with it!

And so I give you green tea chocolate cake!

Green Tea Chocolate Cake

From Crepes of Wrath

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2-3 tbsp matcha powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 inch pan. Beat butter and sugar until light an fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add in flour, baking powder, milk, and sour cream.

2. Take half of the batter into another bowl and mix in cocoa powder. Mix matcha powder to the first bowl. 

3. Place alternating dollops of the batter in the prepared pan.  Use a knife to swirl. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

I know this sounds totally weird, but it is delicious I promise. Try the batter with 2 tbsp of powder before you go and add another to the mix to see if you like the flavor.

This would be a fun addition to your Christmas baking...because it's green and it's delicious! Also, since it has tea in it you can totally eat it for breakfast.

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! 

No Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

This right here is the best kind of dessert.  It's a no bake (yeaaa) and it's chocolate and peanut butter (ooohhh yeaaa)!

Check out that flowing melted chocolate! Yes, please!

No Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips, melted
3/4 cup rice cereal

1. Spray a 9x9 or 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Mix melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Press into pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Wipe out bowl.  Mix together melted chocolate, remaining peanut butter, and rice cereal. Spread on top of chilled graham cracker layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares. Limit yourself to one a day...or 2...

Seriously guys, this recipe is so easy and comes together so quickly you need it. You NEED it. 

OK, it's official I need another batch of these right now.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Here is a nice no-bake-one-bowl dessert for you all.  Seriously minimal effort here with big time results.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

From Cookies and Cups 

Ingredients

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup peanut butter

4 cups rice krispies

1 cup mini marshmallows

1. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler.  Stir in peanut butter. Add in rice krispies and marshmallows, stir to combine.

2. Press into a foil-lined, greased 9x13 inch pan*.

3. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge until set, I just rested mine on the counter for an hour or so.  Cut into bars.

*When I pressed my bars into the pan I was nervous that I wasn't able to pack the mixture dense enough.  If you feel you are having a similar issue, I wrapped a cookbook in plastic wrap and placed it on top of the bars while they hardened.

These bars are perfectly decadent!

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!