Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for all of the support over the past year and I look forward to another great year with everyone! :)

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Pastillage Snowflakes

I'm so excited that it's almost Christmas! I really love getting together with all of my family and seeing everyone. One of my favorite parts is actually everyone sitting around eating and just enjoying the time together. Food really brings people together :). These cupcakes are no exception, their deep chocolate flavor just warms the heart. The have a lovely slightly dense texture, not the kind of cake that crumbles as you eat it!

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Shortbread Cookies

I'm not sure  if I've ever met anyone who didn't like shortbread. I know lots of people that love it though. It's such a simple cookie, and a real treat to eat because of it's simplicity. I love that it can be baked in a cake pan, cut into squares, cut with shortbread cookie stencils, or just cut out with cookie cutters. There are so many options. In addition, you could do as I did with some of them...dip them in bittersweet chocolate.

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A Day of Remembrance

Gingerbread & White Chocolate Biscotti

When I think of gingerbread I always think of cookies and houses. Sometimes I even think about gingerbread trains like the one I made last year. But gingerbread biscotti will now come to mind too, because it's delicious and I can't seem to get enough of it. The white chocolate adds just a touch more sweetness to it and adds a nice aethetic appeal as well. It pairs perfectly with a steaming cup of rich cocoa and would probably be just as delicious with coffee.

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Christmas Recipe Ideas

We are getting close to Christmas and are right in the middle of Hanukkah so baking and cooking are getting ready to go into full swing! This is one of my favorite times of the year to bake because everything makes the house smell wonderful and it's so nice to share the treats with friends and family. I have 20 different ideas for treats for the holidays that I would like to share with everyone. I hope they will inspire you :). Check them out below!

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Fancy Peanut Butter Cups

I love everything about peanut butter cups! The peanut butter...the chocolate...the snap. I love biting into chocolate and it has a snap. Yum! These are called fancy peanut butter cups because they're made in a chocolate mold, obviously. They make a beautiful presentation and are super easy to make. Super easy (I meant to write that twice). 

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Liebster Blog Award Nomination

I am embarrasingly late posting this, but I've been nominated for a Liebster Blog Award by Raquel at Organized Island. She has an awesome blog filled with crafts, recipes, and ideas (you should check it out). I'm so excited to be nominated for the award and it was sweet of her to think of me :).

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Molasses Cookies!

Christmas time always seems to be associated with molasses because of gingerbread. Instead of gingerbread I thought I would make some molasses cookies. The recipe comes from a cookbook that was published in 1949. One of my hobbies, I suppose, is collecting old cookbooks. I love the recipes that they have because they are so different than what's in books now. For example, in this recipe the original version asks you to "remove from fire and add butter". The fire...I love it.

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I wanna be a Milky Ways!

I probably should have named this blog after something chocolate since I love it so much, or maybe caramel something. I love caramel. These candies are so good I immediately told my husband when he came home from work that he had to take them to work, so I wouldn't eat them all. Because I would...all 55 of them. This is absolutely the best caramel I have ever made in my entire life, and the nougat is amazing. Do you hear me? Ah-mazing. It's a little softer than I anticipated but that's ones of the reasons I love it so much.

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Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

Peanut butter is arguably a favorite ingredient in this house. My husband is known to put it on lots of different foods, some that I'm not a fan of. These little truffles are pretty quick to make and are filled with peanut butter (obviously) and crushed pretzels. You could cover them in any chocolate that you want to, but I almost always opt for semi-sweet or dark. Growing up I loved milk chocolate but as I got older and started working in chocolate stores I definitely developed a love for dark chocolate. 

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Bourbon Bacon Jam!

You're in the right place! I write a dessert blog and have meatless Mondays but here we are...with bourbon bacon jam (real bacon, not the fake stuff). Anyone who hears about this jam wants to try it and everyone who does try it always wants more. It's made in a slow cooker so it's super easy to do and doesn't take much time. I make this for my husband, not nearly often enough though, and I thought I would share it with you too! With the holidays coming up it's a perfect accompaniment to all sorts of things, baguettes, sandwiches, pancakes, spoons :), maybe even turkey...

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Cinnamon Sugar Leaves

I find Cinnamon Sugar Leaves to be the perfect snackable treat. Good for you? Well...no, but good, very much so, delicious even. Addicting maybe too! I drank some hot apple cider and snacked on these little leaves consuming more than I would like to admit. They are adorable as a fall treat and may even be perfect for Thanksgiving for people to munch on while drinking cider, hot tea, cocoa, or coffee. Of course, you could also make other shapes, maybe you fancy tiny turkeys or simple circles.

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Meatless Monday! Quick Potato Dumplings

Sometimes I just want a quick and easy dinner that is not spaghetti and these are prefect for those nights. The prep time doesn't take to long and they taste warm and delicious on a chilly evening. To make the prep even quicker pre-made wonton wrappers are used for the outsides. The filling combinations are endless of course and you may find it fun to try all different dips too! The idea of these is that they are supposed to be similar to pierogis, alright, I can go with that :).

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Pear Chips with Yogurt-Caramel Dip

So it seems I've just missed pear season but these cute little chips are still pretty great. I've decided to serve them with a lovely yogurt-caramel dip to complement the sweetness of the pears. It would be fun also to bake up several different types of pears then at lease the skin of the pear would be different colors on the platter. This is a great little snack or a healthy dessert.

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Homemade Holiday Buttermints & the 7th week of the blog hop!

I remember having buttermints and loving them, especially at restaurants for some reason. I don't remember ever having them at home but you should because they're quick and easy to make! I made two different batches, one cinnamon and one peppermint. Obviously you can tell which is which in the picture, yes? They make a lovely holiday treat for after dinner or would be beautiful as part of a gift basket.

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Lemon Shortbread

Shortbread always makes me think of the holidays for some reason. It is a simple treat that is comforting and usually pairs beautifully with cocoa or tea. I would go with tea for this shortbread because it is flavored with fresh lemon zest. The great thing about shortbread is that it can usually be made in a pretty short time period. This recipe does not disappoint, it can be prepared in about a half hour, start to finish. 

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Meatless Monday! Quick & Easy Noodles & Veggies

It has been two weeks since my last post. That makes me so sad! But on the upside we are all moved into our new house and now the fun can start again! I made this quick and easy noodle dish just for you, and me for dinner, but this is more about you now isn't it? I made this dish with tofu shirataki noodles because they are awesome in dishes like this (as in, not as good in spaghetti). If I were making spaghetti and didn't want to use actual noodles I would try spaghetti squash mixed with lots of veggies and sauce. That's a completely different topic, but that's alright. 

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Meatless Monday! French Onion Soup Sandwiches!

I really love going to farmers markets, there are usually so many different fruits, vegetables, and  crafts that you don't see everyday in a retail store or a grocery store. If they are in the store then they are from somewhere far away usually so one of the definite benefits of a farmers markets is that the food is typically grown locally. I have a farmer's market near my house where everything is grown within a 30 mile radius I think, pretty cool if you ask me. 

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Double Chocolate Peppermint Cake & the 4th week of the Blog Hop!

I'm simultaneously working on Christmas treats and Halloween treats in my head most of the time. I've been trying out some recipes this week and thought I had an awesome Halloween treat but the result wasn't what I wanted so I need to keep working on it. On the other hand, I made this cake which is filled with white chocolate ganache, frosted with dark chocolate frosting, and composed of fluffy peppermint cake!

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Caramel Apple Pie Apples

Caramel apples are one of the great foods of fall. They're also easy and so much fun to make! I love that you can put any toppings that you want to on them and there are a lot of toppings to choose from. One of my favorite apples is the Caramel Apple Pie Apple. It's dipped in caramel, then white chocolate, and rolled in cinnamon graham cracker crumbs. Want some?

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Caramel & Chocolate Popcorn

 

Caramel is one of my favorite flavors (chocolate optional), I love it pretty much any way it can be eaten. My husband actually came up with the idea of making the caramel and chocolate popcorn and I am so glad he did. It is so. good. A nice light crunchy coating of caramel with a little bit of chocolate on it really adds to the flavor. This would be great for a snack bowl for Fall or as gifts in little bags. 

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Orange Pinwheel Cookies!

Orange pinwheel cookies are the perfect addition to a Halloween party dessert tray. They have a hint of orange flavor and for a second I almost called them Spooky Orange Cookies because of their swirls. I've been working a lot on Christmas themed treats lately and I figured since it was October and all that I should probably come up with some fun Halloween desserts. Cookies definitely travel the best and are the easiest to take to friends. They're also already individual and don't need cutting, like a cake. Although I do love cake. 

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Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies & Week #2 of the Christmas Treats Blog Hop!

Soft, chewy, and slightly sweet are the three words that come to mind when I think about these cookies. They would make a beautiful holiday gift, partly because they're filled with cranberries and white chocolate, which are always delicious. The best part is that they're quick to make too, no chilling in the refrigerator and waiting. Just mix, scoop, bake, cool. Easy? yes. These would also be a lovely addition to an assorted cookie tray.

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Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Welcome to October everyone! Are we all ready for warm and cozy food now? I am. Carrot cake is a big deal in our house. It is well loved by my husband and my son who both actually love pretty much anything with carrots. For my sons second birthday I made him a carrot orange cake which was devoured immediately. These carrot cake cinnamon rolls are lightly sweetened and filled with carrots which is why they are so delicious! When I saw the recipe I had to make it. Had. To.

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Pumpkin Apple Pie & The first week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Blog Hop!

I know it's only September (even that's almost over) but I'm already thinking about Christmas treats. This pie would also be great for a Thanksgiving dessert. It's warm, comforting, a little different than the usual pies. The top is nice and crisp with a hint of sweetness from a sprinkling of sugar. The inside is warm and soft, but firm like an apple pie should be. The pumpkin and spices add a lovely harvest flavor.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

Dips are great for entertaining guests because they are usually easy and can be made ahead. Dessert dips are even better! This is a super simple dip that people will love and will ask for the recipe. It's also made with lowfat ingredients and everyone knows pumpkin is healthy :). I'm sure that you can come up with even more ideas of dippers to serve it with than I can!

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Meatless Monday! Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

 

It's officially fall and for some people that means more soup, more pumpkins, more apples, more of lots of things reminiscent of autumn. Yay! I love it when it starts to get chilly outside and I can wear warm, cozy sweaters and corduroy pants. In anticipation of fall I made this potato soup which is sure to warm you right up! I almost always serve soup with bread of some kind because I love to dip it in the soup. Do you ever do that?

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