A Yummy Year in Review

Well folks, can you believe it? Another year has come and gone...

Seems like just yesterday we were ringing in 2011, celebrating in Crested Butte with friends, not knowing that just 2 days into the new year we were about to embark on an extremely exciting and jam packed year.

Let's have a little recap on year 2011 shall we?

We got engaged...

 We got some good traveling in...

We moved back to Virginia, closer to my family...

And oh yeah, we got married!

But you all don't want to see pictures of me and Mountain Man... how bout all those yummy sweets we saw this year?

From top left to right: 1.Chocolate Meringue Coffee Cake/ 2. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies/ 3. Strawberry Bread/ 4. Guinness & Bailey's Cake/ 5. My Wedding Cake!/ 6. Chocolate & Pomegranate Cake/ 7. Pomegranate & Champagne Jelly/ 8. Chocolate Pound Cake with Mocha Glaze/ 9. Popcorn Bread

From top left to right: 1. Chocolate Peanut Butter &Banana Granola Bars/ 2. Strawberry Shortcake Scones/ 3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie/ 4. Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls/ 5. Fresh Mango Curd 7. Homemade Mallowmars/ 8. White Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes/ 9. Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Biscuits

If 2011 was this good, I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us!

I hope you all had a lovely holiday with your friends and family and that you have an absolutely fantastic New Years celebration!!

See you in 2012! 

Happy Baking!

Happy New Year!

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie & Christmas Cookies

Has this Christmas snuck up on anyone else?

Seems like just yesterday I was walking down the aisle and now, all of a sudden, it's Christmas time!

Can I let you in on a little secret? I just finished my Christmas shopping this week...like as in Monday afternoon..thank goodness for the internet.

And you can imagine if it took me that long to get my stuff together to buy gifts, that my cookie/holiday baking also took a hit.

In addition to the busy-ness that was my whole month of Decemeber, my cake business has been booming recently (yay!) and with two cakes to bake and decorate every weekend I really haven't had the chance to spend any other time in the kitchen.

By this time last year I was smooth sailing till Christmas- I had all my cookies baked...

Thumbprint Cookies

Candy Cane Kisses

my favorite Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

and Jeweled Lace Cookies (only 35 calories a cookie!)

Not this year though... I just started baking cookies this past weekend! Would you all still want to see what I've made even after the holiday is over??

So while I'm not sharing any new cookies with you this year (yet)...If you're anything like me, and you've been slacking this year for one reason or another, I have the perfect dessert to make it up to you. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser at any Christmas dinner- a little twist on a holiday classic, this pecan pie infused with bourbon and chocolate chips will put a smile on anyone's face.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Adapted from myrecipes.com

Bake: 425/350 Total time: 1 hour

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup light corn syrup

4 TBS butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 TBS bourbon

2 TBS AP flour

1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 package prepared pie crust

Preheat oven to 425. Press pie crust into 9-inch pie dish as directed on package and press/crimp edges.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, bourbon, flour and vanilla until well combined.

Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into prepared pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then reduce temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 45 minutes.

Transfer to cooling rack and allow to completely cool before serving.

Happy Holidays

and

Happy Baking!

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Everything is better with a little frosting, wouldn't you agree?

During lacrosse season in high school we used to bring a box of Wheat Thins and a tub of funfetti frosting to lunch...Healthy? Not so much. Amazingly tasty? Absolutely.

So, how can you jazz up a plain old cookie? With frosting of course!

Now that we've relocated and I've started working in a new place, I have to start all over introducing my colleagues to my sweets. When a meeting showed up on the calender and I found out that a co-workers birthday had yet been celebrated I knew what had to be done.

These cookies are just the beginning.

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies
Oven: 350 Bake time: 12 minutes
Yields 12 large sandwich cookies

1 bag Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix (yes, I cheated a little)
1 egg
1 stick butter, softened
2-3 TBS milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup shredded carrots
scant 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream butter and egg until combined.
Add cookie mix, carrots, cinnamon, vanilla and milk, mixing until well combined.
Stir in raisins and walnuts, mixing until evenly distributed.
Use a large ice cream scoop for batter to ensure same size cookies- place 1 inch apart.
Transfer to oven and bake for about 12 minutes or until sides are lightly browned.

While cookies are cooling make Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese (half of the block), softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBS milk
2 cups powdered sugar

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth.
Add vanilla, milk and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
*Feel free to add more milk or more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.

Once cookies are completely cooled, match cookies by size.
Place large dollop on flat side of one cookie and sandwich with the other.
Continue until all cookies have been filled and matched.

 All packed up and ready to go to the meeting!

Happy Baking!

Proving my point, that everything is a little better with frosting.

Pumpkin Cookies

After two years of living in a place that doesn't do Fall, it feels fabulous to be back in a state that truly appreciates the awesomeness that is this beautifully colored season.

Pumpkin and mums stands have popped up on every corner, bags of candy can be found throughout the grocery store, the trees are turning beautiful shades of orange and yellow, and the cooler weather is rushing in.

Fall is in full swing and I love it.

Another thing I absolutely love about Fall are all the pumpkin flavored treats.

I can no longer pass by Starbucks without craving a Pumpkin Spice Latte and every sweet that runs through my mind involves that wonderful little gourd-like squash. I even served Pumpkin Cupcakes at my wedding and the centerpieces at each table were white pumpkins... I'm slightly obsessed.

These cookies are one of my favorite Fall treats and I'm so excited to share them with you. Don't let their appearance fool you... they're delicious.

Pumpkin Cookies
Oven: 350 Bake time: 12 minutes

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups AP flour

Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and pumpkin.
Add egg and beat until incorporated.
In a small bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix until blended.
Use an ice cream scooper and scoop cookies 1-inch apart onto prepared cookie sheet.
Transfer to oven and bake for about 12 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool completely on cooling rack before icing.

Icing
3 TBS butter
4 TBS milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan, heat butter, milk and brown sugar over medium heat.
Stir until sugar dissolves.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Pour over cookies.

And if you haven't already, make sure to enter my giveaway for 3 free bags of Tate's Bake Shop Cookies and the Tate's Bakeshop Cookbook. You don't want to miss it!! You have until October 31 to enter!!

Happy Baking!

Whirlwinds & Giveaways

Wow.

That's all I have to say about these past few weeks.

I'm a married lady now!!

                                                              ...just a little sneak peak...
A little recap of what's been going on since I last left you: we moved out of our storage unit the Monday before the wedding, moved things into the new house throughout the rest of week (to include the DAY OF the wedding), baked 3 cakes, 80 cupcakes and 2 batches of sugar cookies for MY wedding and decorated said cakes/cupcakes/cookies, spent time with out of town guests, had the day/best night of my life, went on the most relaxing/amazing honeymoon, started the new job, unpacked the house and decorated 2 more cakes.

I know what you're thinking... wow. There's nothing else you can say really.

But enough about me.. how have you all been?


I hope you all have been having a good October so far- maybe not as busy as mine, but good nonetheless.

Did you also know that October is National Cookie Month? I came back just in time!

To get back in the swing of things I decided not only to make you all some of my favorite Fall time cookies, but also host a giveaway!

The wonderful folks at Tate's Bake Shop let me taste some of the their latest creations and are giving me the opportunity to not only share cookies with you, but giveaway a signed copy of Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook as well.

Their newest cookie is the award winning Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie... and let me tell you, these 3 bags were on my parents kitchen counter for a whopping 20 minutes before they were all completely gone. Crumbs- that's what was left. They were delicious.

So how can you win 3 bags of these wonderful cookies AND a cookbook?* Simply let me know what your favorite fall inspired cookie is! And make sure you leave me an email address so I can get in touch with you.  *giveaway only open to US residents*
Even if you don't win, you can still recieve a 15% discount if you order cookies online by using the code: COOKIE. You won't disappointed with these cookies!

Using a random number generator, I'll be picking a winner on Halloween so get your cookies in now- Kathleen King's cookies are delicious and her cookbook is one I use often in my own kitchen.

And later on this week I'll be back with one of my favorite Fall treats.

                                                                        Happy Baking!

Peanut Butter Chocolate & Potato Chip Cookies

It's crazy right?

Potato chips in cookies!?

If you love that salty and sweet combination anywhere as much as I do then you'll really enjoy these cookies. After devouring a few, I actually wish I would have put more potato chips in them!

The idea came to me from a number of different avenues...

Remember when I used to work at The Sweet Factory? Well, they sold chocolate covered potato chips there and to be honest, they were surprisingly quite amazing.

A have I ever told you about how much I used to love crushing my potato chips and sprinkling them in my peanut butter sandwich? (Before you call me crazy I highly suggest you at least try it)

And of course, everyone knows the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is a no-brainer.

So if you're following my crazy logic you can plainly see it's a simple "if-then" equation:

If chocolate + potato chips = fantastic,
and peanut butter + potato chips = phenomenal,
and chocolate + peanut butter = amazing,
then chocolate + peanut butter + potato chips = fantastically & phenomenally amazing

Peanut Butter Chocolate & Potato Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from allrecipes: tried & true favorites
Oven: 375 Bake time: 15 minutes
Makes 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup peanut butter, warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 TBS honey
2 TBS water
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup crushed potato chips *if really craving salty increase to 1/2 cup
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs one at a time, incorporating after each addition.
Stir in honey, water and vanilla.
Stir flour and baking soda into peanut butter mixture and mix until smooth.
Fold in crushed potato chips and chocolate chips.
Using a small ice cream scooper or a tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges are golden.
Allow cookies to cool 1 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

Happy Baking!

Snickerdoodles & Ice Cream Sandwiches

A good friend of ours left for Afghanistan a few months ago.

Before he left I promised I would send him a care package a few weeks into his deployment with the essentials: VIA Starbucks coffee, nutella, trail mix, Easter candy, silly toys and homemade cookies.

What more could a boy want while fighting our nation's war in the desert? I can't think of much.

As I was getting the package put together, Dan requested his favorite cookies- snickerdoodles.  I have to be honest, I kind of got excited... mostly because they are one of my favorite cookies too and not only was I looking forward to sending him a little bit of home, but I was also looking forward to eating all the extra that wouldn't necessarily fit :)

Shortly after the package was received, I was happily informed that the cookies were gone in a matter of minutes.. I think the word "A-mazing" was used.

I did a little something extra with our share of cookies, so you'll have to read the whole post to make sure you see it!

Snickerdoodles
Recipe from Pilsbury Kitchen's Cookbook
Oven: 400 Bake time: 8-10 minutes

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup AP flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small shallow bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs.
Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt- blend well.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls (about a TBS of dough).
Roll balls in cinnamon and sugar mixture, placing on baking sheet when covered.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies slightly crack.

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches:
Use your favorite vanilla ice cream and allow to soften.
Line cookies, in sets of two, flat side up.

 Place one scoop of ice cream on the flat side of a cookie... 

and press second cookie (flat side down) on top

There's no better way to eat a snickerdoodle!

Happy Baking!

Cadbury Cream Egg Surprise Cookies

When I was a kid I used to give up candy for Lent.

But instead of focusing on the sacrifice part of the tradition, I looked at it as a means to hoard as much candy as possible the 40 days leading up to the Bunny's big day.

By the time Easter Sunday came around, I would have a bag full of candy waiting for me in my room...everything that I managed to save through various holiday parties at school and church- sneaky sneaky.

After my "sacrifice" was through, I would wake up and sneak a piece of candy before running downstairs to see what the Easter Bunny had brought us.

My favorite candy during the Lenten season, then and ever shall be, Cadbury Cream Eggs. I have to admit it takes me a little longer to finish an entire egg these days (thank goodness they make the mini ones now!), but I still look forward to getting a carton come spring.

Now that I have a blog I felt it was my duty to pay homage to my little creamy eggs of goodness and incorporate them into a cookie this Easter.

Cadbury Cream Egg Surprise Cookies
a swEEts original
Makes 12 cookies

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
1 cup flour
12 pack of mini cadbury cream eggs
assorted sprinkles

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream butter, vanilla and sugar.
Add salt and flour, mixing until well combined and soft dough is formed (if you dough seems too sticky add a little more flour).
Unwrap your mini Cadbury Cream Eggs.

Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball and flatten it with your fingers. Place an egg in the center of your dough.... 

...and gently press the remaining dough around the egg, until it's completely covered. 

Lightly roll in the palm of your hand to cover smoothly.
Once your egg is covered, roll in assorted sprinkles.

And place on prepared parchment paper.

Repeat until all your eggs have been covered, then place in fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.
With about 10 minutes left, preheat your oven to 350.
Place cookies in oven for about 10-12 minutes- these cookies won't really brown so just gently press into one to feel for doneness.
Allow to cool completely before sinking into.

Your little bunnies won't be able to keep their paws off these! 

Happy Baking!

Monster Cookies

Normally when the word monster comes up in conversation negative things are to follow, but that is not the case with these cookies.

It's quite the contrary actually. When you hear monster cookies in conversation only positive things are to follow.

I think monsters get bad raps really...they're just misunderstood if you ask me.

Take Cookie Monster for instance- does his passion and love for all things cookie make him a monster?

If that's the case then I'm a Baking Monster and more recently a Wedding Monster (not to be confused with Bridezilla- she is nasty).

When I say wedding monster I mean to say that I now find myself consumed by everything and anything wedding. The Knot, Wedding Channel and WeddingWire have become my new best friends... I find myself browsing Martha Stewart Weddings for ideas, stalking facebook wedding albums for inspiration and scouring the internet for the perfect dress at all times of the day.

I've also thought long and hard and finally decided that I am going to make my own wedding cake- it just seems right. Am I crazy for doing this? Maybe, but let's hope not...

But enough about the wedding monster...I'm sure she'll be making an appearance or two in the coming months.

Lets make some cookies!

Monster Cookies
A Paula Deen recipe
Oven: 350 Bake time: 8-10 minutes
Yields 2-3 dozen cookies (depending on size)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
12 oz peanut butter
4 1/2 cups Quick Oats
1/2 cup m&ms
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins* optional

Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars.
Add eggs, salt, vanilla and peanut butter.
Stir in quick oats, baking soda, m&ms, chocolate chips and raisins*- mix well.
For Monster-sized cookies, use an ice cream scoop to get a heaping spoonful of dough or just use a small scoop for regular sized cookies.
Place on parchment paper a few inches a part from each other.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just browned.
Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before eating.

What kind of monster are you??

Happy Baking!

Classic Shortbread

I don’t know what it is about shortbread, but I can’t get enough of it. 

There’s something about the rich, buttery, cookie that makes my heart skip a beat every time it's placed in front of me.

Not to mention the ease of preparing and the basic ingredients make it even more appealing to skip the box at the grocery store and make it yourself.

During the holidays I was seeing shortbread pop up all over the place and knew it was a sign- I had to make some. I even got some delicious chocolate covered shortbread from Sara over at Caffe Ina and boy was it amazing. 

When Mountain Man came home from work the other evening and knew I had something in the oven his eyes lit up when I let him know what was slowly baking its way into our tummies.

Like I said, this cookie couldn’t be more simple and I think that’s part of its charm.

So go ahead and bake yourself a little piece of buttery heaven..

Classic Shortbread

Oven: 300 Bake time: 30-40 minutes

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cup flour

dash of salt

Sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking dish with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Slowly sift in flour and salt and mix until well combined.

Press cookie dough into baking dish and flatten with spatula.

With a fork, prick dough into small squares, pushing all the way down.

Sprinkle generously with sugar.

Bake at 300 for 30-40 minutes or until light brown.

Happy Baking!!

ps. In other news, we set a date! Come Oct.1, 2011 I'll be Mrs. Mountain man!!

Don't Forget to Leave Some Cookies for Santa!

Are you a last minute shopper/cookie baker/present wrapper like me? 

I can't go shopping for you or wrap your presents for that matter, but I can at least help you in the cookie department. 

I have one more quick and easy recipe for yall that I wanted to get to you before the big day!

Chocolate Cookie Bark

Covers 1 cookie sheet

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate, melted

2 cups white chocolate, melted

10 mint oreos, crushed

1/2 cup holiday M&Ms

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix crushed oreos with white chocolate.

Place spoonfuls of chocolate mixtures on parchment paper, alternating chocolates.

Using a knife, cut through spoonfuls creating a marbling effect and smoothing chocolates together.

Sprinkle M&Ms over bark and lightly press into chocolate.

Place in refrigerator for about an hour or until firm.

Remove from fridge and break into pieces.

And here's a little recap of some effortless holiday favorites!

Bacon Caramel Corn 

Candy Cane Kisses

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

Gingerbread and Pear Muffins

Thumbprint Cookies

Jeweled Lace Cookies

Gingerbread Men

Pecan Caramel Surprises

And there you have it folks.. Christmas is right around the corner and I still have a lot of cleaning and prepping to do before both sets of parents get here!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday spent with plenty of friends and family. I can't wait to see what Santa brings everyone :)

Happy Holidays!

and

Happy Baking!