Cake Fridays

I intend to make these buttermilk-spice cupcakes today.

Happy Halloween everyone!

6 hours later...

FYI: My 18 cupcakes baked for 15 minutes.  I plopped 1/2 T of crunchy cookie butter on top of the last 6 cupcakes before baking to achieve a molten, spicy center.  Try adding any topping that would go well with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  You may even want to frost these beauties with smooth cookie butter.  Yum!  

Pumpkin Pie Casserole

This casserole tastes like dessert, preferably pumpkin pie but is meant to be served alongside dinner.  Best case scenario in my mind!  It was a huge hit with my family.  This would make an excellent Thanksgiving side dish as well. You may want to triple it if you're serving it to a crowd.  Enjoy a taste of fall on your plate :)

Pumpkin Pie Casserole
Slightly adapted from Closet Cooking

Casserole:
2 C canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
cinnamon to taste
maple syrup to taste
1/4 C milk

Mash ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.  Set aside.

Topping:
2-3 T softened butter
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C chopped pecans
1/4 C flour

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl.  Pour casserole mixture into a greased 7 x 9 inch Pyrex and sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Turn up the heat to 400 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes. Watch it closely to avoid burning the topping.  You just want it to get golden brown.

Makes 4 servings.    

Homemade Granola Bars

These are great for busy mornings and perfect for little kids' hands.  My kids have been seen running out the door with one of these granola bars in tow, eager to get to the bus stop to chow down.  They are not sweet so if you like sweeter granola bars, feel free to add more brown sugar.  This is a recipe I've been wanting to try for years and am so glad I finally made these wholesome, hearty snack bars that my kids have been enjoying everyday this week!

Here is the recipe.

FYI: I omitted the pecans.  After baking for 25 minutes, I cut my loaves into 17 bars.

Oatmeal Mondays

I bought a jar of Nutella at the store so I thought what better way to use it than in this Nutella fudge crumble?!

Chewiness from the oats + creamy richness from the Nutella + crispiness from the butter = bars that pack a texture and flavor punch!

Next time I would sprinkle flaked sea salt on top to get more of that beloved sweet and salty marriage.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and you've got a winner of a dessert.

FYI: I halved the recipe and baked my crumble in an 8 x 8 inch pan for 25 minutes.  I used 6 T of melted butter and 200 g of Nutella to cut back on some of the fat and sugar.  Next time I might warm up the Nutella in the microwave to make it easier to spread over the bottom oatmeal layer.            

Flourless Donuts

 Peanut butter, a banana, an egg, baking soda, honey and vanilla extract = donuts of the gods

I love these!  I tried another flourless recipe before (flourless banana bread muffins) and they were good but these are a bit more refined.  They are soft and creamy on the inside, hold their shape beautifully, and are even easier to make.  

Here is the recipe.

FYI: I left out the chocolate chips and salt.  I used a donut pan and baked 8 donuts for 8 minutes. Easy peasy!

Gingerbread mini muffins

What a fun, festive, delicious mini muffin recipe.

Check it out here.

Dark brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, molasses and buttermilk...what more could you ask for?!  I left out the butter and substituted applesauce.  They were moist, spicy, and bursting with fall flavors.  I love this recipe because it's easy, reliable, and kid friendly.  Pop 2-4 of these tempting mini muffins at a time, slathered with apple butter, pumpkin butter, or tub butter.  They are distinctive, delightful, and delectable.

FYI: My mini muffins baked for 11 minutes and produced 48 in number.  I added a few handfuls of chocolate chips to half the batter.  They freeze very well :)

Oatmeal Mondays

Today's post celebrates a decadent oatmeal cookie that is worth every calorie.  These jam packed treats are sure to please everyone on your list.  I gave some away to good friends of ours and a neighbor on her birthday. They are a feast for the eyes with their semi sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and pecans peeking out.

FYI: My cookies baked up in 16 minutes and I didn't even use a small ice cream scoop to measure each one!  Have fun and roll them into whatever size you'd like.  Mine were still on the smaller size so if you make them larger, add more minutes to the baking time.  I got about 4 dozen so freeze half the dough and bake the other half today :)

Mini Muffins

I was intrigued by these treats because they combine chocolate chip cookies and muffins.  But when I made them, they definitely have the texture of a muffin and less of a chocolate chip cookie.

Nonetheless, they are absolutely delicious, somewhat nutritious, and bake up beautifully.  Save the bottoms for last because that's where the chocolate chips sink to :)

Here is the recipe.

FYI, mine baked for 10 minutes and produced 41 mini bites.  Good thing they freeze well.

Oatmeal Mondays

I made flourless banana bread donuts the other day and they were really good!

Here is the recipe from a friend of mine:

1/4 C natural peanut butter
2 bananas
1 egg
2 T honey
1/2 C oats
1/4 C almond meal
2 T ground flaxseed
1 t vanilla
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients in a blender and scoop into donut pan.  I got about 10 donuts, just FYI.  Bake for 7 minutes at 375 degrees.  Carefully remove donuts from the pan and let cool on wire racks.

Delicious, delicious bars

 
I bought blueberry preserves at Costco last week because my kids love blueberry flavored anything. They were also out of frozen blueberries (a family favorite) so I was hoping the substitution would make everyone happy.    

These are a variation of my cherry-filled white chocolate blondies.  I used my newly purchased blueberry preserves instead of cherry and pecans in place of the sliced almonds.  These baked up so tall and beautiful, almost like a cheesecake.  The flavor was outstanding!  The sweet white chocolate crust paired with the tart blueberry layer forms the perfect base for the fluffy, chewy white chocolate coconut layer dotted with chopped pecans.  A harmonious blend of texture and taste, these are bars you will not soon forget.

Blueberry-Filled White Chocolate Blondies
Slightly adapted from Southern Living

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (12-oz.) package white chocolate morsels, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup blueberry preserves
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring just until melted. Remove pan from heat, and add 1 cup white chocolate morsels. (Do not stir.)
2. Beat eggs at high speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Stir in white chocolate mixture and almond extract, stirring until blended. Add flour and salt, stirring just until blended. Spread half of batter into a lightly greased and floured 8-inch square pan.
3. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
4. Melt 1/2 cup blueberry preserves in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Spread evenly over partially baked blondies in pan. Stir together coconut, remaining 1 cup white chocolate morsels, and remaining half of batter; spread over melted blueberry preserves, spreading to edges of pan. Sprinkle batter with 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
5. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 bars.

The Fudgiest Cookies Around

When you bite into one of these cookies, you might be confused because they taste like a brownie! They are ultra fudgy and moist, with pops of melted chocolate chips running throughout. We love these cookies and they are actually healthy! Bake a batch today and indulge your senses :)

Avocado Chocolate Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 batch avocado chocolate pudding*

¼ C soft butter

¾ C brown sugar

¼ C white sugar

1 egg

2 C flour

2 t cornstarch

1 t baking soda

pinch salt

¾ C chocolate chips

Beat pudding, butter, sugars, and egg in stand mixer for 4 minutes.  Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and beat on low 1 minute.  Add chips and beat on low 30 seconds.  Cover with Saran wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets, roll into balls and flatten slightly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then cool completely on racks.       

*1 mashed avocado, 2 T cocoa powder, ½ t vanilla extract, ¼ t cinnamon.  Mix well.

Oatmeal Bars

INSERT PICTURE HERE

These bars went so fast I didn't have the opportunity to take any pictures of them!  But trust me, they are appealing to the eye, kid friendly, and taste amazing!  Healthy, moist, and full of flavor, these are my favorite homemade granola bars to date.  I didn't need to add the chocolate drizzle; they are that good.  Perfect for breakfast, school lunches, a midday snack, or a quick dessert, these versatile bars can be dressed up or eaten all on their own.  Cranberry oatmeal yogurt bars will be a hit with everyone in your household!

FYI: Mine baked for 27 minutes.    

Avocado Cookies

These are the deepest, darkest, richest cookies you will ever eat, period.  I'm not saying that in a bad way. I'm saying that in a very good way.  A tad on the bitter side, these cookies are for dark chocolate lovers, like my husband.

They do not set-up like your average cookie since they contain no flour or butter but when frozen, they hold their shape beautifully.  The crunch from the semi-sweet chocolate chips (which is what I used) paired with the soft, fudge-like texture makes you think you want to plow into the whole batch of 16. I don't say this often but less is more with these cookies.  Two were perfect whereas I always contemplate having a third cookie and in most cases, follow through with it.  Make these for the chocolate lover in your house and they will be happy to know they are actually good for you. All hail the mighty, versatile avocado :)

Here is the recipe.

FYI: I used granulated sugar instead of coconut sugar and baked my cookies for 10 minutes.  I let them set-up on the baking sheets lined with parchment paper for 10 minutes or so before transferring them (still on the parchment paper) to the refrigerator.  After a few hours, I then placed them in a freezer safe plastic bag and left them overnight.