Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

This recipe is my baby.  It’s the first recipe I ever developed myself and it’s the recipe I’m most often asked for. When I ask people what I should bring to their picnic, bake sale, birthday party, the answer is invariably MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES. DUH.  They are spicy, chewy, chocolatey and just the right size.  If you usually just window shop when you look at baking blogs, I encourage you to give these a try. They’re memorable, foolproof and delicious. Continue reading “Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies”

Black and White Halloween Cookies

I don’t usually dress up for halloween.  There was a Bridezilla costume in 2014 that involved a thrift-store wedding dress, blond wig and a t-rex mask, but that’s the exception, not the rule. But I love making Halloween cookies.  The kids always get really into it and it’s the project that reminds me that all the fun holiday baking is just around the corner.  I usually try to keep things simple, using the same basic sugar cookie recipe I use for all of my holiday-themed cookies (like these bunnies).  These don’t require any piping tips or fancy techniques, you can make them with supplies from your grocery store’s baking aisle. Continue reading “Black and White Halloween Cookies”

Swedish Coffee Cake Caramels

Swedish Coffee Cake Caramels

I have known how to make caramels for three days and still feel like I just invented fire.  The Salted Mezcal Caramels were a hit with the adults, but the kids didn’t really like them so I told Weezy I’d make some for her friends that were plain vanilla and she could decorate them.  They ended up with so many sprinkles on them that I had to vacuum my kitchen counter when I cleaned up. Continue reading “Swedish Coffee Cake Caramels”

Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream

I totally fan-girled last week when I realized my pastry chef crush David Lebovitz had pinned my Earl Grey Lavender Lemon Tart.  To celebrate, I wanted to create a fresh take on the cream-topped tart.  You know those amazing dreams you have when you can fly?  This Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream is what your morning coffee dreams it can do.  A chocolate crust, not-too-sweet dark chocolate filling topped with luscious swirls of deep espresso flavored whipped cream.  It’s rich and it’s elegant.  In my house, it’s also breakfast. Continue reading “Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream”

Decadent Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

These chocolate banana cupcakes are insanely delicious.  Moist banana cake dipped in dark chocolate then topped with chocolate almond buttercream and a banana chip.  After getting rave reviews for these Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes, I put my thinking cap on to see if I could come up with a new take on the chocolate-covered cupcake.  This was a no-brainer.  My family says that these are the best cupcakes I have ever made.  They look so appealing and the two kinds of chocolate take it to the next level.  It’s like a decadent version of the classic chocolate chip banana bread. Continue reading “Decadent Chocolate Banana Cupcakes”

Pawpaw Ice Cream

 

Pawpaw Ice Cream

Pawpaw is the super-yummy native fruit most people have never heard of.  It is the largest fruit native to North America and grows abundantly in midwestern forests.  It’s the only fruit in its family that grows in our temperate climate.  The rest, like the custard apple, are tropical.  And the best, most delicious way to enjoy pawpaw is Pawpaw Ice Cream.

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Bourbon Butterscotch Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream

Thanksgiving Pie Perfection

My quest for the perfect Thanksgiving pie is over. This Bourbon Butterscotch Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream is going to make you a dessert table hero. Rich and buttery with deep butterscotch flavor, the brown sugar and molasses help cut the sweetness and a crust sturdy enough to resist sogginess. If you’re looking for a non-pie Thanksgiving dessert check out this Cranberry Curd Tart with White Chocolate Mousse, but if you want pie, this is your new best friend.

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Chewy Chocolate Espresso Cookies

I got a little carried away and baked about 2,000 cookies.  It was fun, it was for a good cause and I was into it.  Until about the last hundred.  Around the last 100 I hit a lightly floured wall and just got so sick of my recipes.  I was making mostly Chewy Molasses, Mexican Hot Chocolate and Eggnog Snickerdoodles.  And Orange-Cardamom Snowflakes.  Those are all so good, and so pretty.  So I got to dreaming about a way I could put a twist on one of my most dependable recipes.  And these Chewy Chocolate Espresso Cookies are the result.

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Bunny Sugar Cookies-Simple Iced Cookies For Easter

These bunny sugar cookies couldn’t be easier. Use store-bought cookie icing to frost, then sprinkle with sugar to make them fuzzy. I’ve used simple pink and white but you can mix and match any pastels you like to get the perfect assortment.

Bunny Sugar Cookies

 

Best Bunnies Ever:

I’m a sucker for family traditions.  Somewhere along the way I picked up the belief that if you faithfully repeat the same holiday events, music and recipes year after year your kids will grow up with happy memories of childhood.  I think in my kids’ case, the best I can hope for is Stockholm Syndrome but at least I’m trying.  Bunny sugar cookies are my Easter tradition, no exceptions.  Now that the kids are a bit older I’ve given up on elaborately planned Easter baskets and sugar-sweet Easter egg hunts in matching outfits.  But you’re going to have pry the bunny cookies out of my cold, dead, lightly floured hands. I know you probably think you don’t have the time or creativity or whatever to decorate Easter cookies, but I really think you do.  Continue reading “Bunny Sugar Cookies-Simple Iced Cookies For Easter”

Sparkly Pumpkin Cookies

I made some fun Black and White Halloween Cookies this week.  But when I went to take pictures they just didn’t pop.  What the pics really needed was some color for the black and white to stand out against.  So I revved the oven back up and baked some pumpkins from the same sugar cookie dough recipe I make all my holiday-themed cookies with.   Continue reading “Sparkly Pumpkin Cookies”