Peppermint Pattie Brownies

Technically, you could just call these brownies “mint brownies” but that doesn’t really capture what is perfect about them - they’re creamy, have an almost fudge-like texture, and just enough mint to make your mouth both minty-fresh and happy. Now these brownies have three main steps and require a lot of refrigeration but I think it’s definitely worth it. You could take the time in between each step and do any number of things…you could clean dishes {if you’re super ambitious}, you could read the new Bon Appetit/People/Women’s Health Magazine {any magazine to fit your fancy} or you could sit in front of the oven waiting for the brownies to bake all the way - essentially, your options are endless so even if you don’t want a multi-step baking recipe where you have to wait a lot, I would make these anyway. I think next on the baking list should probably be turning all kinds of candies into brownies…Twix brownies, Reese’s brownies…what other kinds could you make?!  

Enjoy these Peppermint Pattie Brownies! 

Peppermint Pattie Brownies
Recipe yields 16 1-inch square brownies*
Recipe from Baking Unplugged

*Note: this recipe is for a 9x9 inch pan. I only had an 8x8 pan on hand so I made the full recipe and only filled the pan 3/4 way full.

Ingredients
For brownies
1 cup and 1 tablespoon of butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup flour

For peppermint frosting
3 tbs. butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. pure peppermint extract
2 tbs. heavy cream

For chocolate ganache
3/4 cup heavy cream
3.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Tools
8x8 or 9x9-inch baking pan
Small saucepan
Stand mixer with paddle attachment or large bowl and whisk and spatula
Two medium bowls, one heatproof
Offset spatula
Whisk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter baking pan and line with parchment paper.  Butter the parchment paper as well. Melt the butter for the brownies in the small saucepan. Once butter is melted, remove from heat, let cool slightly and transfer to large bowl. Whisk sugar into butter until combined. Add in eggs, vanilla and salt, all until combined. Finally, whisk in cocoa powder until no patches remain. Pour the brownie batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes (until skewer comes out clean, with only a few crumbs). Let brownies cool on cooling rack.

While brownies are baking, make the mint filling. With a mixer or by hand (although by hand will take longer), cream butter, powdered sugar and peppermint extract until light and fluffy. Add tablespoons of heavy whipping cream to increase thickness of filling. Once brownies are cool (at least warm to the touch), spread filling on top until evenly coated. Place in freezer for fifteen minutes.

While in the freezer, making the top ganache. Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.In small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.  Whisk until all cream and chocolate are combined and the chocolate has a shine to it. 

Take brownies with mint filling out of the freezer and slowly pour ganache over the brownies. Spread evenly across the top with offset spatula.

Do your best to spread it evenly but even if a little mint peaks out, it will look amazing. Place in the fridge for at least an hour until the ganache is until is set. Definitely cut brownies while still cold - they don’t have to be served cold but I highly recommend eating them cold, it makes them aaamazing. 

Kitchen Sink Cookies

So is “Kitchen Sink Cookies” a bad thing to name cookies? I was going for an “everything but the…” kind of feel and it just feels right.  It feels right because these cookies have everything you’ve ever wanted {and no kitchen sink}: rainbow sprinkles, pretzels, aaaand chocolate chips. You know how I feel about sprinkles - the sparkle of baking and best of all, they’re the cornerstone of these cookies.  I saw these cookies and was inspired to take my favorite cookie recipe and turn it into a vehicle for amazing toppings in my pantry. So, definitely make these cookies and definitely add all your favorite ingredients {which, I’m sure, includes sprinkles}. I want to know, what ingredients are you adding?

Also, on an unrelated note, Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there - especially, Happy Mother’s Day to my mommy, my favorite!

Kitchen Sink Cookies
Adapted from my Chocolate Toffee Cookies
Inspired by How Sweet Eats
Recipe yields apx. 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
1 ½ sticks (6 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup sprinkles {I used rainbow jimmies but you can use any kind!}
1/3 cup smashed pretzel bits

Tools:
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Medium bowl
Cookie sheet(s) 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in stand mixer until light in color and fluffy. Add eggs to mixture, one at a time until completely combined.  Add in vanilla.

In the medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add flour mixture into butter mixture all at once and mix until all the flour is incorporated.

Add pretzels, sprinkles, and chocolate chips into batter. Mix vigorously until combined. You can/should mix by hand, as needed.  You {obviously} want pretzels, chocolate and sprinkles in every bite!

Scoop tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls onto baking sheet, about one to one and a half inches apart. Place in oven and bake for 12 to 13 minutes, rotating half-way through. Let cool completely and enjoy!

Salted Caramel Crepe Cake

Brunch is the best meal there is. Hands down, no question, brunch hits the spot. You can eat just about anything for about 6 hours in the day and qualify it as “brunch.” Frankly, I’m disappointed that brunch is really only a weekend thing - I feel like the weekdays probably feel left out because they only get breakfast and lunch. Now, I love breakfast too but that’s for another day. So brunch…I was thrilled when the fiancé thought that a brunch birthday celebration would be wonderful! It was just the reason I needed to try out the crepe cake inspiration I’d had for weeks. Martha and Deb {inspiration from Smitten Kitchen cookbook but a lovely one here} truly made beautiful crepe cakes but they were a little too intense to add to my long list of birthday brunch things to make - so I had to simplify. Turns out that my simplifications were the icing on the cake, pun intended, and made for a perfect birthday brunch celebration! If you’re into this cake but not into salted caramel, don’t be afraid to swap out the frosting for any delicious flavor you see fit - it will almost definitely turn out perfectly! 

Salted Caramel Crepe Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake {For the crepes}, here {for the frosting} and recipe from Martha Stewart’s Chocolate Ganache Glaze in the Martha Stewart Living Cakes & Cupcakes Special Edition {for the ganache}.
Recipe yields one 10 inch cake, serves 8 generously

Ingredients
{Crepes}
9 tbs. butter, plus additional for greasing the pan
2 1/3 cups milk
6 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar

{Frosting}
2 sticks butter, softened at room temperature
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup salted caramel {recipe here or you can buy at a store}
1 tbs. heavy cream

{Ganache}
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbs. light corn syrup
Sea salt flake for topping

Tools
2 small saucepans
Large bowl
Spatula
Immersion blender (or blender)
Medium skilled (8 to 9 inches)
Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment
Large offset spatula
Medium-sized heat-proof bowl

Directions
{Note: Crepe batter must sit for at least two hours in fridge prior to use so plan accordingly}

In a small sauce pan you’ll make the brown butter. Completely melt the butter - once melted, reduce to medium heat. The butter begins to foam, turn “clear golden” and then begin to turn a brownish color.  Watch carefully as this happens quickly and you’ll want to stir frequently. Once the butter has browned, remove from heat and let cool. The butter may not look totally brown when you remove from the heat but it should look like this while cooling:

While the butter is cooling, combine milk, eggs, flour, salt, sugar and 6 tbs. of brown butter in large bowl (If using immersion blender) or blender. Set the remainder to the brown butter to the side. Combine all ingredients until smooth. The blender or immersion blender is helpful in making the batter completely creamy. Cover and place in fridge for at least two hours or up to two days.

While the batter is in the fridge, make the frosting. Cream butter in stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined.  Add in salted caramel and heavy cream and whip until light and fluffy.  Set aside {Note: if not using for a while, I would put in the fridge until one hour prior to use}.

Once the crepe batter is ready, preheat the skillet over medium to high heat. Butter pan slightly - you’ll want to do this every two to three crepes. Now, the recipe says to pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan. This didn’t work for me, I poured the batter out of the bowl into the center of the skillet and approximated what looked like enough. Next, swirl the skillet around until the batter covers the entire pan. This was just about 1/4 cup but this technique worked best for me.

Now for the flipping - don’t be afraid! You’ll want to wait until the bottom is golden brown and the top is completely set (no liquid).  To check the bottom, you can carefully lift up with your fingers and see the color. Once ready, lift the crepe carefully on an edge with your fingers, slide a spatula under and flip quickly. Now for a recommendation from Smitten Kitchen that was like gold - don’t worry about that first crepe, no one’s first crepe is good so if it’s terrible, just toss it and keep going.  You’ll get the rhythm of crepe-making and you’ll be on your way!

Place crepes on a paper towel-lined plate and stack them until you’ve finished all the batter {20-30 crepes}.

Once all your crepes are made, lay the largest crepe on the surface you want the cake to be served on {plate, cake stand, anything pretty}. Spread a helping of frosting onto the first crepe, spreading with an offset spatula. I know, “a helping” of frosting isn’t helpful but I just eyeballed it - maybe 2 to 3 tablespoons - enough to have it evenly spread over the crepe and enough to taste in between crepe layers.  You can feel it out  Here it is visually:

Once the first crepe is frosted, layer it with another crepe, press lightly on the crepes and frost that next one. Continue until all crepes have been layered with frosting, finishing with crepe, no frosting on top.

While you make the ganache, put the cake in the fridge {if you’re not ready to make the ganache, you can leave it in the fridge overnight}. Now for the ganache - you’ll want to use it as soon as you make it so make sure you have time to coat the cake.

After the chocolate is chopped, place in a heatproof bowl. In a small sauce pan, break cream and corn syrup to a boil.  Watch carefully, as soon as it begins to boils, remove from heat and pour over chocolate in heatproof bowl. Let stand for 10 to 12 minutes.

Whisk chocolate until all combined and the chocolate has is shiny.  Pour very slowly over the top of the cake, spreading periodically with an offset spatula. Add additional ganache to sides of cake (if not enough spilled over) with spatula. Once cake is coated with enough of the ganache, smooth the top of the cake with spatula, either completely smooth or add texture if you like. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Place in fridge until ready to eat. Cut with large knife but don’t be afraid to just go for it!  Cake should last a day or two.  Enjoy!

Banana Bread Nutella Cookies

Are you tired of trying banana bread recipes?  Ok, good, me either. After I made strawberry shortcake cookies, I got to thinking that you could really turn anything into cookies. It took me a rather long period of time to actually make another cake/bread/non-cookie baked good into a cookie but here they are: Banana Bread Nutella Cookies. Basically, this is a combination of the traditional banana bread recipe I use here and a few key baking measurements of cookies from these red velvet cookies. The Nutella flavor of these cookies was mild and at times overpowered by the very ripe bananas - if you’re not into Nutella, it can easily be left out or if you’re dedicated to Nutella, you can add more than the recipe calls for. Either way, these cookies turned out to have the exact texture of banana bread but have the on-the-go, eat four on your way out the door, cookie-convenience. What favorite baking recipe would you want to turn into a cookie?

Banana Bread Nutella Cookies
Inspired by Bakers Royale
Adapted from Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe yields apx. 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (apx. 1 1/2 - 2 very ripe bananas)
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup Nutella
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Tools
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Small and medium mixing bowls
Whisk
Baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. In small mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork and set aside. In medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon - set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter until light in color, fluffy in texture. Add sugar and mix until well combined. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add mashed banana and Nutella into mixture, mixing until combined. 

Add in flour mixture all at once and mix until no patches of flour remain. Batter will be extremely sticky. If desired, you could most likely add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour to decrease stick. I would recommend scooping 1 tbs. size balls of dough and rolling into spheres as best as possible. Place each sphere onto prepared baking sheets. Place baking sheet in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the dough to be less sticky and malleable, allowing you to roll them into perfect cookie dough balls. 

Pre-freezer sticky:

Post-freezer perfection:

Place in oven and bake for 12 to 13 minutes until cookies are lightly browned along the edges and spring back from a light touch to the top of the cookie. Let cool and enjoy!

Pretzel Peanut Butter Brownies

I’ve made these brownies before…maybe, oh I don’t know, a million times before {seen here and here}.  This week I realized that not only can I almost make these brownies in my sleep, I know the tips and tricks to make them quickly and perfectly.  Here’s the real key to these brownies: mise en place. Mise en place is having everything you’ll need to bake with measured, prepared and ready to go. It avoids running around like a chicken with your head cut off when you’ve got melted chocolate and butter that immediately needs sugar and eggs.  Mise en place made making these brownies easier than ever before.

The other thing about making these brownies a million times? I was ready to add anything delicious to them. After reading How Sweet It Is, I realized peanut butter and pretzels were the perfect addition. Hope you enjoy these treats! And tell me, what recipe could make in your sleep?

As a small side note: Happy birthday to my fiancé, my favorite person to spend every sweet Sunday morning with - you’re my favorite.

Pretzel Peanut Butter Brownies
Adapted from The Art & Soul of Baking, Inspired by How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup pretzels, chopped (OR place pretzels in sealed plastic bag and pound bag with bowl/hammer/cup until chopped. You can also smash with the bottom of a plastic cup in a large bowl) - plus smashed pretzels to sprinkle on top.

Tools:
8x8 in baking disk
Double broiler, alternatively pot of boiling water and a heat-proof bowl
Spatula
Whisk
Parchment paper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚ F.  Prepare baking dish - generously butter/grease the baking pan then the parchment in the dish.  Measure and prepare all ingredients (including preparing chopped/smashed pretzels), in addition to chopping the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate.

Begin to heat water for the double boiler.  In the heat-proof bowl or the top of the double broiler add the butter, semi-sweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate.  With a heat-proof spatula, stir the chocolate and butter and it slowly begins to melt over the simmering water.  Stir occasionally until butter and chocolate are melted and combined.

Once combined, remove bowl from the pot of water and add brown sugar.  Whisk until combined.  Then whisk in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla.  Whisk in flour and salt until mixture is completely smooth and shiny.  Add in peanut butter chips, mini chocolate chips and pretzels. 

Pour batter into greased 8x8 inch baking pan.  Sprinkle the top with additional pretzel crumbs.  Place brownies in the oven for 35 minutes or until a knife/skewer comes out with just a few soft crumbles.  Mine took exactly 35 minutes.  Let cool before cutting.  Enjoy!  

Bridal Tea Honey Cupcakes

As a part of the incredible travels of the last few weeks, the fiancé and I had the privilege of spending a week in Oregon with my family and going to a beautiful wedding. One of the highlights of their wedding week was a bridal tea that my sister-in-law {my SIL} threw for bride-to-be. I was so honored to be invited and my sister-in-law asked me to bake for this special day!  Obviously, we needed a delicate, very lady-like dessert for a bridal tea - so we went with mini cupcakes.  SIL picked out beautiful cupcake liners that looked like tulips and perfect pastel pink pearl sprinkles {note alliteration}.  I was so honored to have my cupcakes as a part of the bride’s special day and to be a guest at the bride and groom’s wedding. So thank you to SIL for asking me and to the bride & groom: thanks for having us and congratulations to Johnny & Lori!  Have you ever baked for a special occasion that you were touched to be a part of? Tell me about your special occasions! 

Honey cupcakes
Adapted from Sara Roeder, via SMP
Frosting adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Recipe yields 48 mini cupcakes 

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
12 oz. honey 
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
1 tsp. vanilla 
3 eggs

For frosting
2 sticks of butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs. vanilla
Sprinkles!

Tools
Mini cupcake tray and liners
Medium mixing bowl and large whisk or hand mixer or
Stand mixer with paddle attachment 
Medium bowl (for frosting)
Spatula
2 Piping bags and tip

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake tray with liners. 

If sifter is available, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. (Note I did not have sifter). With stand or hand mixer (or whisk if nothing else is available) combine honey, brown sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla until fully combined. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until fully combined. 

Add flour mixture to honey mixture and whisk until combined. 

Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full. I’ve found, especially with mini cupcakes, the easiest way to do this is to fill each liner with the batter in a piping bag, cut at the end, without a tip.  It makes for cleaner and easier filling of each cupcake. You may have to fill the piping bag a few times to ensure it doesn’t overflow.

Place the cupcakes in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. 

While cupcakes are baking, make frosting.  As I wasn’t at home while baking, I didn’t have all my normal tools and I did something I’ve never done before: cream buttercream frosting without a hand or stand mixer. I look at this way: people definitely made frosting long before there was a hand mixer and they were awesome so I can certainly try to be that awesome too.  

SO, leave the butter out at room temperature in a bowl for at least 12 hours.  With a rubber spatula, cream butter by smoothing the sticks and repetitively mixing until smooth and frosting like. Slowly add 3/4 of a cup to 1 cup of powdered sugar, also with a spatula.  Make sure to scrape the bowl down throughout the process.  Once all is combined, add vanilla. Place ready frosting into piping bag, prepared with tip and pipe onto cupcakes {sorry for lack of pictures!} Sprinkle cupcakes with sprinkles {if interested} and serve!  Enjoy!

Toffee Bars

It has been weeks of traveling - the best kind of traveling but a lot of traveling. I’m so lucky/happy/excited to see so many parts of my family over the past three weeks and so grateful to have so much quality time - not to mention super excited to attend a wedding {who doesn’t love weddings??!}. Having only been home two days in the last two weeks, I did need something I could easily bake and toffee bars fit the bill.  I’ll caution you that these bars don’t have the greatest structural integrity BUT even if they break apart, the fiancé pointed out, they would be incredible for an ice cream topping.  Problem solved. These are a two-part oven bar and have a great crisp crunch from the carmel-y brown sugar, butter topping.  Certainly a lovely addition to any dessert table.  Enjoy!

Toffee Bars
Slightly adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-You-Mouth Cookies
Recipe yields 39 bars if cut in 3x1”

Ingredients
Crust
12 tbs. butter, cold, cut into large pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups pecan halves

Topping
1 tbs. water
3/4 cup brown sugar
8 tbs. butter, cut into four pieces
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Tools
9x13 inch pan, greased, lined with foil, and greased again
Small saucepan
Large saucepan

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Position one rack in the lower third of the oven.

In large saucepan, melt butter for the crust. Melt completely and remove from heat. Add in sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk until combined. Add flour and cinnamon and combine with heat-proof spatula until no patches of flour show. The dough will be separated in chunks but pour into prepared baking dish and push until the bottom of pan is covered. 

Sprinkle pecan halves evenly over dough. The original recipe says to not press the pecans into the dough but in retrospect, I would have pressed them slightly into the dough to allow for more cohesion of topping and crust. Either one will turnout fine!

Put a sheet of foil on top of crust to avoid pecans from burning.  Place in oven for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden brown - crust will continue to bake when in the oven second time.

While the crust is baking, make the topping. Combine water and brown sugar in small saucepan (not over heat).  Whisk together until the sugar is wet throughout.  Put saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sugar begins to boil along all edges.

Whisk in butter and once melted, remove from heat.

Once crust is ready, whisk topping until smooth, the pour over crust.

Return to oven for 12-15 minutes (I left it in for 12) until topping is bubbling on all edges.

As quickly as possible, sprinkle chocolate chips along the top.  Let cool, in pan as long as possible, overnight if you can.

Broken pieces, ready to ice cream topping

Raspberry Chocolate Rugelach

Ok, I know I’ve taken almost this exact picture with other baked goods, but come on - these plates are MADE to be photographed on a wooden surface.  It’s just too perfect to ignore - I’m sorry {sort of}.  Anyway, another thing I’ve done before? Use a Smitten Kitchen recipe but, yet again, you just  can’t deny how perfect they are! For our engagement party, the fiancé and I received the wonderful gift of the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and it’s the perfect addition to our cookbook collection. So what was the first thing to make? Obviously, rugelach.  It seems unbelievably complicated and intricate and uber fancy. Turns out, Smitten Kitchen’s recipe is accessible, achievable and still uber fancy.  I LOVED making rugelach and highly recommend you try it out.  You should probably also by her cookbook STAT.  Enjoy!

Raspberry Chocolate Rugelach
Recipe from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Recipe yields 48 rugelach

Ingredients
2 sticks butter at room temperature
8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour

2/3 cups seedless raspberry jam
2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tbs. cinnamon
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
(original recipe includes 3 tbs. pecans - I left out to be nut-free friendly!)

1 egg yolk
1 tsp. sugar

Tools
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Medium bowl
Baking sheets lined in parchment paper
Small saucepan
Three small bowls
Rolling pin
Spoon or offset spatula
Small sheet of parchment paper
Pastry or pizza cutter
Pastry brush
Cooling rack or surface to cool the baked rugelach, not on the baking sheet

Directions
*Note: dough will need to be prepared at least two hours in advance so prepare accordingly.

Combine butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix until there are no more patches of flour. Take dough out of mixing bowl and push into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to three days.  Dough can also be frozen. 

Once you’re ready to start making the rugelach, heat the seedless jam in the small saucepan, mixing every-so-often until jam is bubbling a bit.  While the jam is heating, line baking sheets in parchment paper.  Once jam simmers, remove from heat and let cool.

In three small bowls, prepare the rugelach filling. In first bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. In the second bowl add the egg yolk and water. In the third bowl, add all the mini chocolate chips. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove dough from fridge and divide into three equal parts.

Sprinkle a dry surface with flour to roll out one third of the dough. Place remaining dough in the fridge until read to roll out.  Shape the dough you’re rolling out into a sphere. Then roll into a 12-inch diameter circle. 

If you don’t have a very circular shape, fold over the excess edges until you make a circle and roll the dough until all the folded pieces are combined.

Once your dough is ready, spread three tablespoons of jam across the dough with a spoon or small offset spatula.

Sprinkle the dough with three tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar, followed by two tablespoons of mini chocolate chips. Once all toppings are on the dough, place the extra piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and press down lightly to stick the topping to the dough.

Cut the dough into sixteen equal pieces, cutting like a pizza pie. 

From the outside of the dough, into the tip of the triangle, roll each section of the dough.

Once all pieces are rolled, place them on the prepared baking sheet, one inch apart, pointed end underneath. Brush each rolled rugelach with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Place in oven for 12-15 minutes - watch carefully as original recipe calls for them to bake for longer. Rugelach should be golden brown and toasted. Once out of the oven, transfer to a cooling rack to remove from spilled over jam. Let cool and eat!

Peanut Butter Blondies

Taking pictures of these blondies was really hard….mostly because I found myself taking bites as I photographed.  That proved to be ineffective and resulted in photos like this one:

My mid-bite photography was totally worth it. Sometimes I try to do the take a bite out of the baked good thing for an artistic effect - this was purely for my tastebuds.  Basically, these blondies are a peanut butter cup in brownie form - and there is nothing wrong with that.  I may have a slight obsession with blondies and I don’t believe that these peanut butter blondies will help curb my addiction - again, there is nothing wrong with that.  I hope that you’re equally obsessed with these - enjoy!

Peanut Butter Blondies
Adapted from this previous recipe
Recipe yields apx. 16 blondies (depending on how you cut them)

*Note about this recipe: I realized that I recommended making these in a stand mixer - but you can actually make these with a medium bowl, whisk and spatula - it is way less mess and satisfying to make them without any electronics!

Ingredients
One stick butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks 

Tools:
Medium-sized mixing bowl
Whisk
Spatula 
8x8 in. baking pan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚ F.  Grease baking pan, cover in parchment paper and grease again (as seen here.)

Combine brown sugar and melted butter in medium bowl.  Add in the peanut butter.  Add in egg and vanilla and mix until completely combined.

Add in salt and flour.  Once combined, add in dark chocolate chips or any other additions.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish and smooth across pan. Place in oven for apx. 27 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is firm - these blondies should bake for a bit longer with the peanut butter addition. Let cool completely before cutting.

Nutella Biscotti

Let’s talk biscotti. I never really thought that it would be easy to make biscotti but I also thought it would be really fancy to make it. Turns out, making biscotti is completely achievable. This recipe is actually the base for the one seen here and has many of the same steps. But the cleanliness of this recipe, the marriage of the awesome flavors, and the sheer delight of dipping homemade biscotti in your coffee all week long, is amazing. A few notes: previously I said this recipe made about two dozen but turns out, if you cut these very nicely {i.e. thinly} you will end up with closer to four dozen {which sort of makes them last longer}. Secondly, don’t be afraid to leave these in the oven for a few extra minutes on the first bake to ensure that they are baked all the way through.  With these notes in mind, you’ll end up with beautiful biscotti. Enjoy!

Nutella Biscotti
Slightly Adapted from the Art & Soul of Baking 
Recipe yields apx. 48 pieces of biscotti

Ingredients
1 cup toasted, skinned and chopped hazelnuts (apx. 2 cups unchopped - see directions below on toasting and skinning)
1 stick butter at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup Nutella
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Tools
Stand mixer fit with paddle attachment
2 cookie sheets and parchment paper or Silpat
Medium mixing bowl
Small bowl

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place hazelnuts on uncovered (no paper) baking sheets. 

Heat in oven for 10 to 14 minutes until toasted and darker in color. Immediately place in a clean dish towel or cloth napkin and wrap tightly to “steam” the hazelnuts. After 4 minutes of steaming, pick up the dishtowel from all ends, and rub the hazelnuts together to remove the skins.

Some of the hazelnuts will still have their skin but they will still be perfect to add to the biscotti.  Let them cool in a bowl while you make the biscotti.

Cream the butter and sugar together in the stand mixer until light and fluffy in color. Add the Nutella, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Be sure to scrape the bowl down as you go.

In medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt and add to the Nutella mixture. Mix until there are no patches of flour. Chop hazelnuts and add to mixture, followed by mini chocolate chips.  Scrape the bowl down and mix once or twice by hand.

Place silpats or parchment paper on one baking sheet. Sprinkle it lightly with flour. Divide the dough in half and roll one half of the dough into a 12 to 13 inch long log. Press lightly on the top so that it is about 2 inches across the top. Repeat with the second half of the dough and place both on cookie sheet, about two inches apart.

Place second baking sheet underneath the first so that the bottom of the biscotti does not burn. Put the biscotti in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until firm to the touch on the top and slightly golden.  You want to ensure that biscotti is completely cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack {at least an hour}.

Turn oven down to 275° F. Put oven racks, one in the top third, one in the bottom third. Cut the biscotti logs on slight diagonal, about 3/8 of inch in width.

Place all slices on the two baking sheets (each should be covered with a Silpat or parchment paper).  Bake the cookies another 30 or so minutes until golden and darker in color through out. Be sure to rotate baking sheets front to back and switch top to bottom at about 15 minutes for even baking. Once ready, remove from oven and let cool completely on cooling rack. Be sure to dunk in coffee!