Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie is an amazing dessert. However, when it comes to holiday parties or potlucks, a regular pie doesn’t really go very far. You’d likely have to make a couple pies to make sure no one gets gipped. Anyway, that was my dilemma when my office had their most recent gathering. Since I’m incredibly fond of baking, I wanted to make a pecan pie-like dessert. After a little searching, I found a couple recipes that seemed doable and quite simple. While some called for a ridiculous amount of butter (four sticks) or way too much of a time investment (two and a half hours), this one was just about right - like Goldilocks finding the perfect temperature porridge.

Crust

1-3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Filling

1-1/2 cups dark corn syrup

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 large eggs

6 Tbsp flour

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1-3/4 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, for the crust, combine flour, butter and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer at medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients except the pecans; mix well. Stir in the pecans. Spread the filling evenly over the hot, partially baked crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set and a knife inserted into the outer edge comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Salted Caramel Cookie Cups

I love salted caramel anything … lattes, ice cream, cake; it’s all delicious. So, when we received the invite for my boyfriend’s annual family gathering asking us to bring either a dessert or appetizer, I began looking for a yummy dessert idea that incorporated salted caramel. I found a couple that caught my attention, but I decided to leave the final decision to my boyfriend. He chose the salted caramel cookie cups. After baking them and trying one or two, I knew they’d be a hit … and they were. I even ended up bartering with Jay’s uncle; he offered four pieces of chocolate cake for a half dozen cookie cups. Not that I wouldn’t have let him have them for nothing, it was quite entertaining. The recipe I found for these called for peanut butter cookies, but I took a different route and used both sugar and chocolate chip cookie dough. I’m sure you could use any kind of cookie for the cup - I was thinking about making some shortbread dough, but being pressed for time, I just bought refrigerated dough at the store.

1 - 16 oz. package refrigerated sugar cookies

1 - 16-oz. package refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

2-1/2 cups caramels, unwrapped

2 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. milk

4 tsp. coarse sea salt for garnish

Heat oven to 350°. Spray 48 mini muffin cups with cooking spray. Remove cookie dough from package. Place about 1 Tbsp. of the dough in each of the 48 muffin cups, 24 of each flavor cookie. Press the dough in the bottom and up the sides of each cup. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Using the end of a wooden spoon or rubber scraper, carefully press into center of each baked cookie to make 1-inch-wide indentation. Bake for a couple minutes longer if necessary. Allow to cool completely in the pan; when cooled, remove the cookie cups to a cake pans or large trays. 

Meanwhile, in a medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and water on high for one minute. Stir; repeat until caramels are completely melted and can be stirred smooth. Stir in milk until combined. Spoon the melted caramel into the cooled cookie cups. Let stand at room temperature about one hour or until set. When caramel filling is set, sprinkle a few granules of coarse sea salt on top of each. Serve.

Paleo Carrot Cake

I’ve always loved baking; it’s like therapy for me … and the end result isn’t bad either. Anyway, since I started to eat healthier, I haven’t baked as much because it’s difficult to find recipes for cakes and other desserts that are good for you and actually taste good too. So when I came across a recipe for Paleo/gluten-free carrot cake that sounded like it might be tasty, I decided to give it a go (and add some personal touches, of course). As this was baking, the house smelled phenomenal - just like I was making a real carrot cake full of sugar. And the end result was quite surprising to me. The coconut flour, honey and agave nectar gives it the perfect sweetness. Note: for the frosting, it is suggested that you refrigerate the coconut milk overnight (I just put it in the freezer for about 45 minutes and it came out fine).

Cake:

1/3 cup coconut flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

Pinch baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup honey

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

4 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

5 eggs

1-1/2 cups grated carrot

1 ripe banana, mashed

Frosting:

1 can coconut milk (roughly 13 oz. - refrigerated overnight ... the Thai Kitchen brand is the most reliable because it’s most likely to solidify properly)

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Grease a 9-by-9-inch square cake pan with oil. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cloves and cinnamon and stir together. The will amount will be relatively small, but coconut flour is very absorbent. Meanwhile, melt the honey, agave nectar and butter in a small saucepan; pour the mixture into a bowl and blend in the olive oil and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, grated carrot and banana; blend until mixed. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour the whole mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until firm (but still soft!) to the touch. Cool completely. To make the frosting, open up the can of coconut milk that has refrigerated overnight. The coconut milk on the top of the can should be firm and white. Spoon off all of the solid stuff (there will be some sort of watery liquid on the bottom that you don’t want). Put the solid coconut milk in a bowl and add the honey, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla extract. Blend it all together with your electric mixer. Spread over the cooled carrot cake. Cut and serve; refrigerate leftovers.

Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

My boyfriend has quite a few more work parties than we have at our office. Whenever they have one, he turns to me to come up with a delicious dish to bring. Recently, one of their potlucks was breakfast themed and I was asked to bake a coffee cake. After scouring websites for idea, I found one that looked particularly interesting called cinnamon cream cheese coffee cake. After looking through the ingredients and directions and thinking about what I could do to improve it, I decided to add apples. And it was a hit; my boyfriend forwarded me all the emails that were exchanged among his coworkers referring to how good the coffee cake was. So, if you’re looking for a good recipe to make for a work party, this seems to go over well with everyone.

Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup butter, softened and sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Swirl:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
10 oz. apple pie filling (about half a can), diced

Cake:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine all the crumb topping ingredients. Using a pastry blender, blend the mixture until it resembles crumbs. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Fold in the apple pie filling. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Add the sour cream and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to prepared pan. Top batter with spoonfuls of apple cinnamon cream cheese swirl. Use a back and forth motion with a knife to swirl. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top of cake. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool before cutting.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

This recipe came about entirely by accident. While trying to make Pumpkin Crunch,  I neglected to remember to put the eggs in the bottom layer before adding the toppings. Anyway, after realizing it, I almost broke down into tears I was so mad I had screwed up the recipe. But, alas, I had a plan. Instead of scrapping the whole thing and starting over, I added the eggs, mixed everything together and hoped for the best. And it turned out t be a delicious surprise. It was cake, but it tasted just like taking a bite of pumpkin pie … extremely moist and full of pumpkin flavor.

1 - 15-oz. can packed pumpkin

1 - 12-oz. can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 - 18.25 ounce package yellow or spice cake mix

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of a 9-by-13 pan. In a large bowl, combine the packed pumpkin and evaporated milk; stir until blended. Stir in the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Pour in the butter, cake mix and pecans and stir until combined. Pour into the greased pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the cake passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool before cutting. When serving, top with whipped topping and enjoy. 

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

With apple season in full swing, I like to take advantage of the variety of different ways in which to use the famous fruit. From applesauce to apple crisp and even using it to make an apple spice beer, I’ve done pretty much everything you can possibly think of. So when I saw a version of this recipe online, I had to try it. What’s nice about the recipe is you can make one loaf for home and give the other to a friend or neighbor (or just keep them both to yourself). The recipe is also easily halved in case you don’t want to make two. I just figure if I’m turning on the oven, I may as well make two loaves. Anyway, this loaf, fresh out of the oven, is extremely moist and fluffy. And the flavor of the apples and cinnamon is absolutely delicious. It’s so good, I decided to enter it in an apple recipe contest our local TD Bank was holding. So, if you have a couple leftover apples from making pies this holiday season, give this a try ... you won’t be disappointed.

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

2/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tsp. sugar

Batter:

1-1/3 cup white sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup milk

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Mix cinnamon sugar ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat white sugar and butter together using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract. In a third bowl, combine flour and baking powder; stir into creamed butter mixture a little at a time. Add milk to batter and stir until smooth. Pour a quarter of the batter into each of the prepared loaf pans. Add a quarter of the apples and a quarter of the cinnamon sugar mixture to each loaf pan. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter. Pour half the remaining batter over the apple layer in each pan; top with remaining apples and add remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Again, lightly pat apples into batter; swirl cinnamon sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon. Bake for 35 to 45 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean.

Apple Crisp

There’s no question that on a fall day, warm, fresh out of the oven apple crisp, topped with vanilla or caramel flavored ice cream is the absolute best dessert. Since I love apples but I’m not a huge apple pie fan, it’s also the perfect dessert for me. Normally, I don’t even like ice cream, but put a scoop on apple crisp and I’m a huge fan. What I like about making apple crisp is how easy it is compared to making a two-crust pie. Living in New England, I’ve also grown accustomed to driving to the orchard and getting fresh apples instead of buying the pre-bagged ones from the grocery store.

8 Red Delicious apples, peeled and cored

4 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/4 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup cold butter

Preheat oven to 375°. Chop up the apples and place in a large mixing bowl, squirting with lemon juice as you go so they don’t brown too much. Add the vanilla and toss to coat. Layer the apples in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Meanwhile, in another large bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and oats. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Evenly sprinkle the oat mixture over the apples. Bake 45-50 minutes or until top looks crispy and apples are tender. Serve warm with whipped topping or vanilla or caramel flavored ice cream.

Ultimate Brownies

When I first found a similar version of this recipe for these on Pinterest, I was mystified; I had to make them. Of course, there was no way I was going to be stuck with an entire pan of these laying around the house for days … I’d look like a blimp by day two. So, keeping this concept in the back of my mind, I whipped up a batch for our end-of-summer cookout at the office. And what a great idea. My boyfriend and I had a few and were able to get rid of the rest guilt-free. Plus, they were a huge hit at the office party. If it weren't for someone making a cream puff, they would have won the dessert category. Now, to find another rich, decadent dessert to try for next year’s party …

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups chocolate and peanut butter chips

1 package Double Stuf Oreo cookies

1 package fudge brownie mix (to be prepared as directed on the box)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, followed by vanilla and mix well. Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt  in a medium bowl. Slowly add to the creamed sugar mixture and continue to beat until well combined. Fold in the chocolate and peanut butter chips. Press the cookie dough evenly into the parchment-paper-lined pan. Place the Oreos on top of the cookie dough. Prepare the brownie mix as directed on the package. Pour the batter on top of the cookies and smooth it around with a spatula. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking an additional 20-30 minutes; the brownies may look slightly under-baked, which will make them perfectly gooey inside. Let cool completely before cutting. Trim off the edges if desired before serving.

In-the-Apple Pie

Before attempting this recipe, I will warn you that, while delicious, it does require some tedious activity in getting all the meat out of the apple. I used a grapefruit spoon to dig it out, which, given the cutting edges on the spoon made it quite difficult not to puncture the skin of the apple. I’m guessing a melon baller would be the best tool to use for the process, but all I had on hand was a grapefruit spoon. Once you get all of the apple out of the shell, things go quite smoothly. I recommend serving these right after they come out of the oven so they’re nice and warm; topping them with ice cream or whipped topping is also highly recommended. What I like about these is the fact that they have much fewer calories than a slice of apple pie with actual crust, which has significantly more sugar and carbs.  

4-5 apples, depending on size

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 Tbsp. sugar 

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/3 cup raw pecans

Ice cream or whipped topping (or both)

Cut off the top of the apples. Very carefully, using a melon baller or grapefruit spoon, remove the inner core of the apple without breaking through the skin. Chop up the apple that has been removed (discarding the seeds, of course) and place it in a large bowl. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, sugars and raw pecans. Stir until well blended. Spoon the mixture back into the apple shells. Place filled apples in a 9-by-9-inch pan or inside two bread loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes. Serve in a bowl with ice cream or whipped topping. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Danish Bars

When I was younger, my mom would always buy strawberry and cheese coffee cakes from the grocery store. While they were amazingly delicious, I have always been looking for a way to recreate the taste. When I saw a pampered chef recipe that seemed like it would be similar, I thought I’d give it a whirl. Making a few changes - most notably, the addition of pie filling - this came out very close. This recipe can also be modified by substituting neufchatel cheese or by halving the cream cheese mixture (1 package cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 whole egg and a 1/2 tsp. vanilla). You can also substitute milk for the orange juice in the glaze.

2 cans ready-to-use refrigerated crescent rolls (Pillsbury butter flake is my favorite)

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

1 21-oz. can strawberry pie filling

1 egg white

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Lay a pack of crescent rolls in the pan and pinch the openings together. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg together until smooth. Spread the mixture over the crescent rolls evenly. Use a spoon to spread the pie filling over the cream cheese mixture. Lay the second pack of crescent rolls on top of the strawberry filling and brush with egg white. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Allow the bars to cool for 20 minutes. Combine all glaze ingredients and pour over the top. Allow to sit one hour before cutting. Refrigerate leftovers.

Valentine’s Ambrosia Fruit Salad

I have always loved fruit, so when I discovered fruit ambrosia somewhere around the age of 10, I was in heaven. I remember my mom used to make this phenomenal pistachio ambrosia fruit salad with Jell-O pudding mix and crushed pineapple. It was always a hit. Anyway, our newsroom here in New England is famous for its impromptu potlucks and celebrations for various holidays - any reason to throw a party. So when I received an email last week announcing that we were having a Valentine’s party and encouraged employees to bring in red and pink Valentine’s-themed dishes to share, my mind started churning. After some brainstorming, as well as realizing most people would most likely be making or buying some sort of cake or candy, I came up with this recipe. It was a hit … one of my coworkers even admitted to having three servings. And, even though Valentine’s is in the name, this dish is delicious year-round.

1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 - 16 oz. container Cool Whip

2 Tbsp. cherry juice or grenadine

1 lb. strawberries, chopped

1 - 12 oz. jar maraschino cherries, de-stemmed and chopped

1 lb. red grapes, rinsed and de-stemmed

3 cups miniature marshmallows

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Blend cream cheese, Cool Whip and cherry juice together in a bowl until the mixture turns a bright pink color. Feel free to add more cherry juice or grenadine for a darker pink. Mix well and add the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for five hours or overnight before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

S’mores Sandwich Cookies

I don't know many people who don’t like s’mores. And there are even fewer people I know who don’t like chocolate chip cookies. Therefore, why not combine the two? I took this recipe from Taste of Home and, though I didn’t change anything when I made this the first time, I made some adjustments for my second batch. With the first batch, I felt the batter was too runny for my liking, so, with the second go-around, I used yogurt in place of milk and added more graham cracker crumbs. Though they tastes wonderful the first time around, I definitely thought the extra graham crackers made the second batch taste more like s’mores.

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 24 squares)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

24 to 28 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, yogurt and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by 1-inch round balls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

When cooled, place four cookies bottom side up on a microwave-safe plate; top each with a marshmallow. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 10-15 seconds or until marshmallows begin to puff (do not overcook). Top each with another cookie. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

The one thing I hate about making cookies is the fact that you have to putz around making several batches. Wanting something sweet with minimal fuss, I decided to make a batch of sugar cookies - in bar form. Since bars bake differently than cookies, I consulted my friend the Internet for guidance on how to alter a basic sugar cookie recipe and baking times for bars. What really surprised me was the fact that they tasted so much like cookies, which I didn’t expect. Unlike cookies, you have to wait until the bars are cooled entirely before cutting them. That’s probably the only disadvantage.

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 container vanilla cream frosting

Preheat oven to 375°.  Line a 13-by-9-inch pan with foil.  Spray with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour mixture, until just combined. Spread the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bars pass the toothpick test. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

While I’ve used regular chocolate chip cookie recipes and baked them in the form of bars, this recipe is a little bit different and makes the bars slightly better than plain old cookies. I happened upon a similar recipe because I only had one stick of butter and was craving something chocolatey (which is weird for me, to say the least). Not wanting to go to the store, I just altered a few things (the original recipe called for 2 cups of brown sugar so I reduced that by a half cup and used white sugar in its place). With the amount of sugar, these actually border on being blondies, but aren’t quite - perhaps, that’s why I like them better than regular old cookies. Regardless, if you like chocolate chip cookies of any sort, I’m sure you’ll like these as well.

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

6 oz. (1 cup) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-13 pan. In a large bowl, combine sugars and melted butter, blending well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt a little at a time, mixing well between each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie mixture in prepared baking pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until set. Be sure not to overbake. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Brown Sugar Spice Cookies

If you like sugar cookies, molasses cookies or snickerdoodles, you definitely have to try these. They’re like a wonderful blend of all three. I had my doubts about making these cookies when I saw how much brown sugar the original recipe called for. I thought they’d be way to sweet for my liking. Thus, I threw nutmeg and cinnamon into the coating mix to give it more of a spice flavor … and they turned out amazing. There is a great deal of fuss involved in making them, but, believe me, it’s definitely worth it in the end. 

14 tablespoons butter (1 3/4 sticks), divided
1- 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Coating:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat 10 Tbsp. butter in a medium uncoated - not non-stick - saucepan over medium heat until melted (about 2 minutes). Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma - 2 to 3 minutes. Browned butter can burn easily and quickly so keep a close eye on it. Remove the saucepan from heat and transfer the browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Stir the remaining 4 Tbsp. butter into the hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder together and set aside. Add remaining 1-3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to the bowl with the cooled butter and mix until no sugar lumps remain, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined (about 1 minute). Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

In a shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix the coating ingredients together, rubbing it between your fingers until well combined and free of lumps. Divide the dough into 24 portions, each about 2 Tbsp., forming balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss the balls in the coating mixture. When completely coated, set them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and the edges have begun to set but the centers are still soft - about 12 minutes. Cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone – don’t overbake. Cool the cookies for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies & Creme Brownies

I have never really been a fan of brownies … more than likely because I never had these. Plus, growing up, my mom would typically just make the Duncan Hines or Betty Croker box/bag brownies, which were never all that gooey. Then she would add nuts, so, if you take into consideration the fact that I don’t like chocolate, that’s three strikes. The original recipe for these called for a bag of brownie mix and I wasn’t having any of that. I’m definitely a, “if you can make it from scratch, do it,” kind of person. Thus, I searched the Interweb for a recipe for homemade brownies that used chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate squares. Lo and behold, I found one that included rum as one of the ingredients. Whenever I can use booze in a recipe, I consider that a win-win!

1/2 cup butter

1 11.5-oz. bag milk chocolate chips

1-2/3 cups sugar

1-1/4 cups flour

2 Tbsp. rum

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

12 Double Stuf Oreos, crushed

2/3 cup vanilla frosting (about half of 16-oz. container), optional

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, melt the butter ver low heat. Add the chocolate chips and stir constantly until completely melted. Beat in the sugar, flour, rum, vanilla, baking powder, salt and eggs in the order given. Stir in 8 crushed Oreos. Bake in a greased 9-by-13-inch pan for 25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool completely. Crush remaining 4 Oreos and sprinkle over the top of the brownies. Put frosting in a pastry bag and drizzle over cookies.

Maple Chocolate Walnut Bars

Not everyone in my family is a huge fan of maple flavor unless it’s in syrup form, so I wasn’t sure how these would go over. When it came time to sample them, I was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t have an overwhelming maple taste. It was just the right blend of maple, chocolate and gooey for me. Granted these bars are quite rich, it’s probably a good thing … otherwise I would have ate like five.

1-1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup cold butter

2 eggs

1 - 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1-1/2 tsp. imitation maple flavor

1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1-1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in 1 beaten egg. Press the mixture evenly into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat milk, remaining egg and maple flavoring. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle chocolate chips over prepared crust. Top with walnut mixture. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Coffee Cake

While this blog contains a number of recipes that I have taken from cookbooks, magazines or websites and altered or improved upon, this one is, by far, my favorite. One afternoon, I got the idea that coffee cake made with cookie dough would taste amazing. Of course, I assumed someone out there, at some point, had the same idea, so I took to scouring the Interweb for a recipe … and found nothing. So, instead, I found a basic coffee cake recipe and turned it into this. And, yes, I was correct - it tastes amazing.

2 - 16-oz. tubes refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°. Press about 20 ounces of chocolate chip cookie dough into an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Set aside and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add sugar and eggs and mix well. Blend in sour cream, vanilla, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the batter over the cooled cookie dough crust. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Sprinkle over top of coffee cake dough. Break off small pieces of remaining cookie dough and sprinkle over top of the cake (you will have leftover dough). Bake for 30 minutes or until cake passes the toothpick test.

Can’t Leave Alone Bars

It turns out, the name for these bars really is quite fitting. They are so gooey and chocolatey, I’m really not surprised. I made these when I lived back home and they were gone within a matter of days. Even though I used my lower fat applesauce trick, they were still deliciously irresistible.

1 - 18.25-oz. box white cake mix

2 eggs

1 - 4-oz. container applesauce

1 - 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and applesauce. With floured hands, press two-thirds of the batter into a greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Set rest of batter aside. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and butter. Microwave on high for 45 seconds; stir. Microwave an additional 60-75 seconds until chips and butter are completely melted. Stir until smooth. Pour over crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

As I’ve said in the past – and as this very blog demonstrates – I’m a huge fan of any and all recipes that incorporate. Though I’ve only tried this recipe once, it is definitely one I plan on making a lot in the future. While I used an angel food cake pan for this, I would imagine a bundt cake pan would also work. However, you would need to do the steps of pouring the cake into the pan backwards, as you will need to invert the bundt pan once the cake is done.

1 - 18.25-oz. box yellow cake mix

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup sour cream

6 Tbsp. water

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

Topping:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 tsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pumpkin, sour cream, water, soda and pumpkin pie spice. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Beat the mixture on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium and beat an additional 2 minutes. Pour half of the pumpkin mixture into a greased angel food cake pan. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle half of the mixture over the batter. Carefully spread with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining topping. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the cake passes the toothpick test. Cool completely before serving.