Peanut Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

It is Friday, January 17, 2014, and I'm calling it: I'm officially D-O-N-E with winter. I'm over it. I don't want any more cold, I don't want any more snow, I don't want any more below-zero wind chills. I'm so ready for spring that I'm practically aching with it.

I always get kind of blah during the winter, but this year, it's especially bad. I have no energy and no motivation and I know it's all connected to the weather. Basically, I would like to hibernate until at least April in flannel pajamas, in my cozy house, with my family and a few batches of these peanut butter bacon chocolate chip cookies to keep me company. Why can't that be my life?

Let's talk about these cookies, because if anything can pull me out of my wintertime funk it's these beauties. These peanut butter cookies not only have sticky, brown sugar bacon pieces in them; they also have bacon drippings in them. Along with peanuts and chocolate chips, of course. This is another of those instances where I need the smiley face emoticon with the hearts for eyes to describe how I really feel. These cookies are a little sweet, a little salty, and a lot sinful. So, in short, you're going to love them.

Peanut Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Food Network

5 strips bacon
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

1/2 cup roughly chopped honey-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Place the bacon on the baking sheet with space between each strip. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Bake, turning once, until bacon is crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and set aside to cool. Set bacon aside to cool and, once cool, chop into small bits. 

 

2. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

 

3. Beat the butter and reserved bacon drippings in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the peanut butter until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the granulated and light brown sugar until creamy, about 4 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the bowl as needed, until just combined. Stir in the peanuts and all but 2 tablespoons each of the chocolate chips and bacon.

5. Form the dough into 12 balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with your fingers (the cookies will not spread in the oven); press the reserved bacon and chocolate chips on top. Bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Cream Cheese-Stuffed, Streusel-Topped, Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins

A few years ago, I started hosting a Christmas brunch for my family every Christmas. It's always so much fun, and I try to keep the menu very simple so it doesn't become stressful. I make a Crock pot breakfast casserole and some muffins, and my sister brings her French toast casserole. I serve things I can make ahead of time, and never have I been more glad about that than last year.

I can't remember if I mentioned it here, but last Christmas Eve, I was struck with a horrible, terrible, no-good stomach bug. It was so awful. I was stuck at home in bed, feeling miserable, while my family was celebrating without me. Thankfully, I'd prepared everything for our brunch the next morning earlier in the day before I got sick, so I didn't have to cancel it. I didn't feel like eating much on Christmas morning, but I was so happy to just be with my family at that point!

Sorry for talking about sickness in a post about food, but all of that was to say: I made these muffins for Christmas brunch last year, and they were ah-mazing. Like seriously, seriously delicious. As I mentioned, I like to keep things easy for this particular celebration, so these muffins start with boxed mix that is jazzed up with the additions of a sweetened cream cheese filling and a delectable orange-pecan streusel. I don't typically bake muffins from a box, but I was so surprised by how well these came out and how fresh they tasted. They're the perfect balance of sweet and tart and such a festive way to start Christmas morning...or any morning, really.

Cream Cheese-Stuffed, Streusel-Topped, Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins

slightly adapted from StoneGable

For the muffins:

 

1 box cranberry-orange muffin mix (I used Krusteaz Light)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon orange zest

For the filling:

 

8 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoons confectioners sugar

1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange zest

For the streusel:

1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest 

1. Preheat oven according to muffin mix recipe. Spray two 24-cup mini muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray. Mix muffin recipe as directed, adding vanilla and orange zest. 

2. In a seperate bowl, add all filling ingredients and beat on high with a mixer for 1 minute. 

3. In a third bowl, mix all topping ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork. The butter should be well-incorporated and the topping should be crumbly. 

4. Add a tablespoon of the muffin batter to each mini muffin cup (about half full). Add 1 teaspoon of the filling to the center of the muffin batter in the cups. Top with another tablespoon of the muffin batter. Top each muffin with crumb topping. 

5. Bake according to box directions, minus about 5 minutes for mini muffins. When done, cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Take muffins out of pan and let cool completely.

 

Individual Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pies

We caved and turned on our furnace this week. It was 61 degrees in our house when I got home from work one evening, and I just couldn't wait any longer. If it weren't for the little ones, I probably would have held out, but alas. I have tiny fingers and toes to protect.

If you're a furnace hold-out (or even if you, too, have caved and turned it on), these mini pot pies are the perfect thing to warm up your kitchen, and your soul. I firmly believe that anything in mini form just tastes better, I think because the cuteness factor just takes it over the top. These little pot pies are loaded with chicken, broccoli, and cheddar cheese, so they're just as delicious as they are adorable.

There is a bit of assembly involved in these, but they're still very simple to make. The hardest part was keeping myself from eating all of the filling before I put it inside the pie crusts! And if you don't have round cookie cutters, don't stress about it; just use the rims of two different-sized drinking glasses (which is what I did -- this is where having children comes in handy, since their cups are much smaller). My boys went nuts for these, which is another thing that's great about mini food: It's so fun for kids to eat. Next time I make these, I'll double the batch so I can freeze half of them for a later meal. I bet they'll freeze beautifully...much like I was, before I turned on the furnace. ;)

Individual Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pies
adapted from Food Network

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup cooked, chopped chicken breast
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
All-purpose flour for dusting
2 10-inch round prepared pie crusts
1 egg, beaten

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12-count mini-muffin pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

 

2. For the pot pie filling: Melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, cheddar, chicken and broccoli.

 

3. For assembly: On a lightly-floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 pieces of dough. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out another 12 pieces of dough. Press the large rounds of dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon the sauce into the pastry.

 

4. Combine the egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl, using a fork. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg mixture and place the remaining pieces of dough on top. Lightly press the edges of the dough together to seal. Press around the edges of the pies using the tines of a fork. Brush the tops of each pie with the beaten egg. Cut a 1/2-inch-long slit into the top of the pies using a paring knife. 

 

5. Bake until the tops are golden and the filling is bubbling, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Blueberry Zucchini Mini Muffins

I feel like the second the calendar changes over to September, everyone is all about the flavors of fall. Pumpkin, apples, maple, etc. etc. Especially pumpkin, am I right? I include myself in this "everyone," because the flavors of fall are probably my favorite; they're so warm and comforting and aromatic. However, it's still technically summer, as my boys (who spent all day yesterday engaged in an elaborate water balloon fight) would be quick to remind you.

And on that note, raise your hand if you still have a ton of zucchini, that pervasive summer favorite, to use up. If so, what better way to use it than in some muffins? Muffins are a huge breakfast favorite around here, even more so if they're bite-sized. This version is loaded with zucchini and blueberries, so they're pretty healthy too. My boys enjoyed them for breakfast for an entire week straight.

And the great thing about (shredded) zucchini and blueberries? They both freeze really well. So you can enjoy a batch of these muffins any day of the year. Next time I make them, I may whip up a quick brown sugar-pecan streusel for the top.

(By the way, I founds this recipe on The Baking Robot blog, which I highly recommend checking out if you haven't already. Hilarious!)

Blueberry Zucchini Mini Muffins
adapted from The Baking Robot

3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups zucchini, shredded
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two 24-cup mini muffin tins with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, vanilla and sugar. Fold in the shredded zucchini.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Fill the baking cups three-quarters of the way full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes (at least) 4 dozen mini muffins.

Bite-Sized Baked Strawberry Oatmeal Cups

I've been trying to be more efficient on the weekends to make life easier for myself during the week. For example, I've been prepping food for lunches and dinners, laying out the boys' clothes for the week so I'm not pawing through their wardrobe every morning, and preparing their breakfasts ahead of time. They're big fans of pancakes in the mornings, so I usually make a big batch of silver-dollar pancakes on Sunday morning and freeze them for breakfasts throughout the week.

Recently, though, when our neighbor gifted us with five pounds of strawberries from his garden, I thought it would be the perfect time to try out something new. My fellas would eat strawberries and cream instant oatmeal every day if I let them, so I thought they'd enjoy these baked oatmeal cups. Not surprisingly, they did! I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of oatmeal, baked or instant or otherwise (it's a texture thing for me), but I did try one of these and I liked it. These baked oatmeal cups are moist and flavorful and so easy to make. And they're so adaptable; I plan to try a version with bananas and chocolate chips next. 

With two little boys to get washed and dressed and fed every weekday morning, all before 7 AM, anything that makes the breakfast portion of the morning go more quickly gets a huge thumbs-up in my book.

Bite-Sized Baked Strawberry Oatmeal Cups
adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

2 cups oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup honey or agave 
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tray liberally with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, salt, and baking powder. Add honey and stir to combine (it will be sticky, obviously). Add the eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla. The mixture will be runny. Stir in the strawberries.

3. Portion the batter among the mini muffin cups, filling each cup nearly to the top. 

4. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops and edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes in the pan. Once they've cooled slightly, run a knife around the edges and gently remove from the pan. Serve warm or room temperature. Store in an air-tight container.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I can’t believe it’s Memorial Day weekend already! All of the months tend to fly by these days, but this month went especially quickly. And now, it’s officially time to kick off the holiday cookout season!

This pound cake is something that I will most definitely be making for several cookouts this summer, and I highly recommend that you bake it for your celebrations this weekend. It’s probably one of my new favorite desserts...ever. It’s made with pantry staples, so it won’t require you to purchase any special ingredients, and you can customize it in tons of different ways. The first day, we topped it with macerated strawberries and whipped cream. The second day, I made a simple chocolate sauce, which we poured over our slices and topped with vanilla ice cream (and yes, that was as phenomenal as it sounds). The cake itself has a slightly tangy flavor from the cream cheese and is dense and moist. I love the flavor that the almond extract provides. Just like the toppings, the cake itself can be customized (with the additions of citrus zest, fresh fruit, chocolate, etc.) – but I think it’s simply perfect, just as it is.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter at room temperature

1 8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan (or spray with cooking spray).

2. Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and airy, at least five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, then the flour and salt all at once. Beat just until incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake lightly to even out the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 1 1/4 hours.

4. Place the pan on a cake rack and cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Pecan Pie Bites

The Super Bowl is coming up in a little over a week, and, while I have never been one to turn up my nose at a delicious, hot, melty, savory dip (and will be making and devouring a few of those for the occasion, as a matter of fact), dessert is something that can never be ignored -- even when it comes to the Super Bowl.

Wow, that was a long sentence.

Anyway. I made these for Thanksgiving, but I think pecan pie is appropriate for pretty much every occasion, Super Bowl and random Tuesdays included. These little pecan pies using phyllo shells are perfect, because they can be assembled ahead of time, they're corn syrup-free, and they're as delicious as they are adorable. We topped ours with dollops of whipped cream, which I believe is a must when we're talking about pecan pie in any way, shape, or form. Yum.

Pecan Pie Bites

from Skinnytaste

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 large egg

4 teaspoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

15 miniature phyllo shells (1 package, from the frozen section)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except pecans. Mix well. Stir in chopped pecans.

3. Arrange mini shells on a baking sheet. Fill mini shells with one heaping teaspoon of pecan mixture. If any of the mixture remains, distribute evenly between all the shells.

4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies

I had to be sneaky about making these cookies. You see, my husband has a Reese's Pieces Problem -- the problem being that, if we have them in our house, they make their way into his mouth at lightning speed. I knew if I wanted to have any Reese's Pieces available for these cookies, I had to keep them hidden from him, or avoid purchasing them until right before I baked the cookies. I just made it; mere moments after I'd stirred them into the batter, he was in the kitchen saying, "Hey, are those Reese's Pieces?" Then he proceeded to eat what was left in the bag (well, all except for one little handful I kept for myself). It was a close, close call.

We were both glad he didn't get to them before I made these cookies, because we would have missed out on an absolutely delicious sweet treat. These cookies are awesome! They were a huge hit with all of us and disappeared more quickly than I'd like to admit. The color makes them perfect for fall, but the flavor is one that we will be enjoying year-round (as long as I can keep Joe away from the star ingredient).

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies

adapted from MD Cooks for 2

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup Reese's Pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, beat butter with sugar until smooth. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla.

4. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry mix until completely combined. Stir in Reese's Pieces and chocolate chips.

5. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool five minutes on baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread with Pecan Streusel

Earlier this fall, in an effort to get the most out of our favorite season, my husband and I made a "Fall Bucket List" for our family -- a list of about 20 things we want to do before winter descends upon us. The list has entries like "Rake the leaves and jump in the leaf pile" (check!), "Read 15 fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving books" (in progress), and "Drink pumpkin beer" (adults only, of course, and trust me, that was THE FIRST ITEM Joe and I checked off).

One of the items on the list is about fall baking: Bake an apple pie, a really good loaf of pumpkin bread, and one scary Halloween treat. The apple pie will most likely be happening next weekend, since we're going apple picking on Sunday (another item on the list). The Halloween treat is happening this weekend, and the pumpkin bread happened this past weekend.

I have a pumpkin bread recipe that I really like, but this time around I wanted to make something special: one that included both a cream cheese layer and a streusel topping (most recipes, including my go-to, have neither, or just one or the other). Andrew and I baked this bread on Sunday morning while Joe and Will slept in, and Andrew helped me every step of the way. He even swirled the cream cheese mixture into the pumpkin batter, and he was quite enthusiastic about it -- which is why you can only see a little bit of the cream cheese layer, as the rest got mixed into the pumpkin batter. But it didn't make this bread any less delicious, and I am so happy that he loves being in the kitchen with me so much.

This bread is pumpkin perfection, and it should be on everyone's fall bucket list!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread with Pecan Streusel
adapted from Hungry Couple

For the streusel:

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cream cheese layer:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the pumpkin batter:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make the streusel topping, combine the flour, sugars, pecans, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add butter and mix until completely combined. Set aside.

2. To make the cream cheese layer, blend the ingredients with a hand mixer, stand mixer or food processor until thoroughly combined and free of lumps. Set aside.

3. Make the bread dough by combining together the butter, sugar, egg, milk, vanilla and pumpkin and mix until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, spice and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir just until combined.

4. Pour half the bread batter into a greased loaf pan, add the cream cheese mixture and swirl into the bread batter with a knife. Top with the remaining bread batter and sprinkle on the streusel topping.

5. Bake for about 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then gently remove from loaf pan. We enjoyed it served warm.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting

I'm getting a late start on my pumpkin baking this year. Joe's been dropping not-so-subtle hints for about a month now, but we've been so busy on the weekends that I haven't had much time to bake. I have to say that I picked a real winner for my inaugural fall 2012 pumpkin recipe. These little cookies have just the right amount of pumpkin and spice flavor, and the frosting is simply divine. Oh, that frosting...it's so delicious, there really are no words. It tastes like a praline, minus the pecans; and in fact, next time I make these, I'm going to stir pecans into half of the frosting, because I think they'd add a delicious crunchy element to these cookies.

I used a half-tablespoon measuring spoon for the cookies to keep them pretty small, because I suspected that the frosting would be very sweet -- and I was right. I thought the cookies were the perfect size to be paired with such a sweet frosting, and I got about 5 dozen cookies out of one batch of dough. That was on Sunday, and I think there are probably only 2 dozen cookies left. Whoops!

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting
adapted from Your Homebased Mom

For the cookies:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until well-blended. Drop by half-tablespoons onto nonstick cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool completely before frosting.

3. To make the frosting, melt the butter in a small skillet. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is mostly smooth (this will take 2 or 3 minutes). Add milk and vanilla and whisk to combine, then remove from heat and add powdered sugar. Spread frosting over cooled cookies.

Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Muffins

My younger son is a muffin nut. The child has never met a muffin that he didn't like. He asks for them all the time, and it's gotten to the point where nearly every time I head towards the kitchen, he's trailing after me asking, "You makin' me muffins, Mama?" He recently asked me to make him some vanilla muffins, and since it is impossible for me to resist the big brown eyes and sweet little voice of my baby, I gave in.

Loaded with vanilla beans, vanilla yogurt, and vanilla extract, these muffins are absolutely bursting with flavor. The milk chocolate chips of course work perfectly with the vanilla, and the muffins themselves have a light and fluffy texture. I served both of the boys a warm muffin with just a bit of butter melted over the top, and they were very happy little guys. Hopefully these muffins will quell Will's muffin mania for a couple of weeks -- but I doubt it!

Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Muffins

adapted from 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out

2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, whisk the egg, butter, milk, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, and yogurt. Fold into the flour mixture. (If the mixture's too dry, add a little bit more milk or yogurt.) Once the batter is fully combined, stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Fill each tin two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden.

Triple Layer Mocha Brownies

Is it just me, or do four-day work weeks always seem longer than regular work weeks? I love a good holiday weekend to be sure, but the four days of work preceeding or following it always seem to drag on and on. So I'm definitely glad it's Friday, because I'm ready for the weekend for sure. I'm definitely feeling tired today. Granted, this could have something to do with the fact that I had two glasses of wine last night then stayed up past my bedtime giggling over the corny joke app on my phone (Q: What does a vegetarian zombie eat? A: Graaaaains. Come on, that is comedy cold, people!), but I'm tired nonetheless.

I've already enjoyed my customary cup of coffee this morning, but I think I could use another one...or maybe one of these brownies. There's coffee in every layer, so I think one of these would be enough to propel me through the rest of the day.

These brownies are absolutely delicious: dense and chocolaty with the perfect coffee flavor. Coffee and chocolate complement each other so well, and it just doesn't get better than these brownies.

Just for fun, leave me your favorite corny joke in the comments!

Triple Layer Mocha Brownies

adapted from The Curvy Carrot

For the brownies:

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee, cooled

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the coffee buttercream:

1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee, cooled

1 tablespoon heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

For the chocolate-coffee ganache:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee, cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make the brownies: In large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla and coffee. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to batter and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

3. To make the coffee buttercream: In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the coffee, cream, and butter on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. If the mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments. If it's too thick, add more coffee until it reaches the desired consistency. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownies.

4. To make the ganache: In a small saucepan, heat the coffee, cream and the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth and slightly thickened. Let cool to room temperature before frosting. Once smooth, frost the brownies with the chocolate ganache.

Peach Blondies

Now that summer is starting to wind down (finally! already!), I'm taking advantage of all of the fresh summer produce while it's still available. Peaches are definitely my favorite of the fruits in that category, and I'm a little sad that I didn't get to bake with them more this year. I need a board on Pinterest specifically for all of the peachy baked goods I've pinned lately!

I did make these peach blondies earlier this summer, and they were a huge hit with everyone who tried them. The peaches keep the blondies so moist, and the brown sugar and cinnamon give them such a rich, warm flavor. To guild the lily, I whipped up a quick cream cheese glaze for the blondies using some peach nectar I drained from a little plastic cup of the boys' peaches. Although the glaze is definitely optional, I highly recommend it. I thought it complemented the blondies perfectly. Although if you don't feel like making the glaze, I big scoop of vanilla ice cream would be perfect with these...just sayin'.

Peach Blondies

adapted from From Apples to Zucchini

For the blondies:

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced

For the glaze:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon peach nectar

1. Combine brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla and mix until well-blended. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and add to wet ingredients. Fold in peaches. Spread evenly in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

2. To make the glaze, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and peach nectar until fully combined. If the mixture is too thick, add more peach nectar. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Spread glaze over blondies.

Roasted Cherry Brownie Cheesecake

Oh gosh, you guys. I really don't even know where to begin with this one. I think this is one of those situations in which the photo just speaks for itself, but I'll try to compose myself enough to write some words, too. 

I didn't eat a lot of cherries growing up, other than the maraschino variety on the top of my ice cream sundaes or the chocolate-covered version in boxes of assorted chocolates (which I still have an intense dislike for to this day). And then I started dating Joe, who introduced me to the Wonderful World of Fresh Cherries. Joe could easily put away a pound of them in one sitting. He's passed his love for cherries on to me, and more recently, to our sons, who can both pound cherries like a boss. As soon as cherry season begins, we're bound to have at least two pounds of them in our refrigerator at all times.

I knew I wanted to bake with cherries before the season ended, and there was no shortage of recipes that sounded absolutely amazing, but when I saw this cheesecake I knew that it was The One. We were blown away by this cheesecake, and it's probably one of the best cheesecakes I've ever made. As if the brownie base isn't enough, it's topped with sweet roasted cherries, and then with cheesecake whipped cream. Yum, yum, and yum! It's sweet without being too sweet, and it's such an elegant, gorgeous dessert -- the perfect way to use summer's cherry bounty.

Roasted Cherry Brownie Cheesecake

adapted from Beantown Baker

For the roasted cherries:

1 1/2 pounds cherries, stemmed and pitted
1/4 cup sugar

For the brownie layer:

1 box brownie mix
Water, oil and eggs called for on the box
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the cheesecake:

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the cheesecake whipped cream:

4 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the garnish:

Whole cherries

1. To make the roasted cherries, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place pitted, chopped cherries in a small casserole dish or cake pan. Top with sugar and stir. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare the brownie batter and stir in chocolate chips. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray. Spread the batter into the pan and back for about 14 minutes, or until the brownies are just set but not completely cooked through.

3. While the brownies are baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until well combined and smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla on low speed and set the mixture aside.

4. Carefully spoon 1 cup of the roasted cherries into the center of brownie, leaving a 2-inch brownie border along sides of pan. Place remaining roasted cherries in a covered dish and refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Gently scoop the cream cheese mixture over surface; carefully spread to edges of pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set, but jiggles when the pan is lightly tapped. Leaving the cheesecake in the oven, turn off oven and crack oven door. Allow to come to room temperature. This will take about an hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

6. To make the cheesecake whipped cream, beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup whipping cream until smooth. Add the rest of the cream and beat until it has the consistency of whipped cream (don’t overmix).

7. To serve, slice a piece of cheesecake and top with a spoonful or two of the reserved roasted cherries. Finish with a dollop of the whipped cream and a fresh whole cherry.

Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I’ve come to the realization that I shouldn’t make cookies unless I have a group of people to share them with. I just shouldn’t. Every member of my family is a cookie monster. We simply can’t control ourselves around them.

And speaking of Cookie Monster...you’ve all seen the video of his new song, right? Yeah, you know the end of it? When he’s shoving multiple cookies into his mouth? That’s basically my family, with every batch of cookies I make.

Our cookie addiction came out in full-force with these beauties, not surprisingly. Chocolate and peanut butter has long been one of my favorite sweet flavor combinations, and putting them together in oatmeal cookie sandwich form was of course going to be delicious. I even upped the chocolate flavor by adding chocolate chips to the cookie batter. The cookies are crispy on the outside and fudgy in the middle, and the creamy peanut butter filling is just so tasty.

“It hard to look at your snack baby. But you got cookie, so share it maybe.” Cookie Monster speaks the truth. Go watch the video if you haven’t seen it yet; it’s hilarious!

Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

adapted from Cate’s World Kitchen and Joy the Baker

For the cookies:

10 tablespoons butter (2/3 cup), softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup milk chocolate chips

For the filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy and add both sugars. Mix well, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and mix until all traces of dry ingredients disappear. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

4. To form cookies, scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and flatten slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until set on the edges but slightly fudgy inside (they’ll harden up as they cool). Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the filling, place butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed, drizzling in vanilla extract. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

6. When cookies are completely cool, flip over and spread half of the cookie bottoms with peanut butter filling. Top with a similar size cookie. Store covered.

S'mores Whoopie Pies

My family definitely eats more than our share of s'mores during the summer months. We have a fire pit in our back yard, and at least one night a week, we can be found out there, roasting our marshmallows and enjoying the sticky, messy results. We're having a Fourth of July cookout on Wednesday, and I'm excited to try something I recently I found on Pinterest: marshmallows that are stuffed with miniature Rolos. How delicious are those going to be in a s'more?

While these whoopie pies are a bit more labor-intensive than your average s'more, they are definitely worth the extra time. The whoopie pies themselves are loaded with graham cracker flavor, and the marshmallow buttercream and melted chocolate complete the trinity. If you're looking for a delicious dessert for the Fourth, look no further: These s'mores whoopie pies are a must make!

(By the way, no meal plan this week. Tonight and tomorrow we're having carry-over meals from last week, and the rest of the week is up in the air since the Fourth is Wednesday, and I'm off work Thursday and Friday.)

S'mores Whoopie Pies

adapted from Cookies and Cups

For the whoopie pies:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 9 whole crackers)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla

6 (full sized, 1.55 oz) Hershey Bars

For the marshmallow buttercream:

1/2 cup butter room temp

1 cup marshmallow fluff

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder in bowl and set aside.

3. In a small bowl stir milk, vanilla, baking soda and vinegar together and set aside.

4. In a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add eggs and continue to beat until incorporated evenly.

5. Turn speed to low and slowly add in flour mixture and milk mixture. Turn mixer up to medium and beat for an additional 1 minute.

6. Drop by heaping tablespoon sized portions onto lined baking sheet. Place the batter at least 2 inches apart, as the cookies spread during baking. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until cookies are set. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

7. When all cookies are baked, melt chocolate bars in microwave on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring after each 30 seconds. Continue until melted.

8. Flip half of the cookies over and spoon a tablespoon sized portion of melted chocolate on the bottom, spreading to the edge of the cookie.

9. To make the frosting, mix the butter and marshmallow fluff on medium speed until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar with mixer on low. Add milk and turn speed up to medium. Mix until combined and smooth.

10. Fill a piping bag or ziplock bag with prepared frosting and pipe frosting on the remaining, non-chocolate cookies. Leave room at the edge for the frosting to spread when sandwiched. Sandwich the cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days; refrigerate if desired.