pumpkin snack bars.

if you are anything like me

pumpkin season makes your soul smile.

the scent. the taste. everything about pumpkins is just glorious.

to kick off the season.

patrick & i threw together some pumpkin snack bars.

they were outstandingly tasty & fun for a toddler to get his hands into.

i love finding recipes that patrick & i can make together.

having a toddler in the kitchen is just so much fun.

and while it can get messy.

and sometimes {read: all the time} recipe directions are not followed.

and dirty little fingers touch all the ingredients.

and one pinch of sugar, mama?

turns into ten handfuls of sugar.

and then ten double fistfuls of sugar. on top of that.

even with all that.

the wonder. the exploration. the intrigue.

of a toddler in the kitchen is just the best.

so even though the recipe was short 1/8 of a cup of brown sugar.

we still carried on. 

ok. thats enough little mister.

{it was just before dinner time}

thats enough. patrick. that is enough.

{mentioned dinner was spoiled.}

our measurements were not totally accurate.

but thats ok with toddler friendly recipes.

because what was lacking in ingredients

was made up for with an extra dose of childish love.

so you are probably wondering about these bars . . .

all you need is

3 cups of trader joe's pumpkin o's cereal.

1/2 cup of nestle tollhouse pumpkin spice chips.

1/2 cup of raisins. 

1/4 cup of honey.

1/2 stick of butter.

1/4 cup of packed brown sugar.

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

combine the butter. honey. & brown sugar. in a microwave safe bowl.

melt in one minute increments. for three minutes total. stirring in between.

add the vanilla to the bowl & whisk together.

it will be a bubbly & extremely hot caramel. 

pour in the three cups of pumpkin o's & stir until they are covered with the caramel.

add in the raisins. the cinnamon. & half of the pumpkin chips.

stir well.

line an 8 x 8 pan with tin foil. then grease the foil to ensure the bars don't stick.

pour the mixture into the lined pan & pat down with a spatula.

sprinkle the rest of the pumpkin chips on top.

the next step is the really hard part . . .

put the dish in the fridge for 2-3 hours to cool & harden.

isn't that just torture?!

worth the wait. i promise.

because after they set. you have some delicious pumpkin snack bars to munch on.

let me tell you. they really are a yummy fall treat.

and totally tot approved.

enjoy!

Tweet

pillowy pumpkin cookies.

oh. yes. it is that time of year again.

the time when everyone gushes over everything & anything pumpkin.

pumpkin treats. pumpkin drinks. pumpkin soups. pumpkin all around. 

if it is consumable . . . it is given a pumpkin-ie twist.  

i am certainly no exception to the bandwagon of pumpkin lovers.

in fact. i could very well head up the gaggle of pumpkin.praising.peeps.

i sure do love pumpkin. & i love it any which way.

speaking of pumpkins . . .

baby patrick took a gloriously long nap yesterday afternoon.

so mama decided to carve out some time to bake a pumpkin treat.

{no pun intended. but proud nonetheless}

& friends. let me tell you . . .

these treats are not for the faint of heart.

they are outrageously. sinfully. impossibly delicious.

sure to sway even the strongest pumpkin critic. 

i am tickled to share with you.

my very own version of

perfect. pillowy. pumpkin. cookies.

these babies melt in your mouth.

they are extremely cake-like. & ridiculously crumbly.

i happen to think they are the best pumpkin cookie i have ever tried. 

& terribly simple to whip together. 

all you need for the cookie dough is  . . .

1 cup unsalted butter. softened.

1 cup sugar.

1 teaspoon baking powder.

1 teaspoon baking soda.

1/2 teaspoon salt.

1 teaspoon cinnamon.

1 teaspoon nutmeg.

1 egg. room temp.

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

8 ounces canned pumpkin.

2 cups flour.

and for the delectable brown sugar glaze . . .

4 tablespoons unsalted butter.

1/4 cup packed brown sugar.

1/8 cup whole milk.

1 teaspoon vanilla.

2 cups powdered sugar.

&

cinnamon for garnish.

using an electric mixer . . .

simply beat the butter for about 30 seconds.

then add the sugar & remaining dry ingredients. 

{with the exception of the flour}

beat until well combined.

while the paddle is still running add in the egg & vanilla. 

then add in the pumpkin.

lastly add in the flour.

be certain all the ingredients are well mixed. 

using an ice-cream scooper. 

place dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

the dough will feel more like a cake batter than a typical dough. 

do not fear . . . that is exactly what you want!

bake the cookies at 350 for 11-12 minutes. 

the bottoms will be golden & the tops will be set.

while your cookies are baking. prepare the glaze.

heat the butter & brown sugar on the stove until they are melted & smooth. 

take off the heat & transfer to a small bowl.

whisk in the milk & vanilla.

then beat in the powdered sugar.

you can play with the amount . . .

it depends on how thick you wish your glaze to be. 

after the cookies have baked & completely cooled . . .

glaze those pumpkin babies.

i used a spoon to drizzle the frosting. 

you could also spread the frosting over the entire cookie. 

then simply sprinkle with cinnamon on top. 

voila! the most perfect. pillowy. pumpkin. cookies. ever.

hope you enjoy them as much as we did. 

Tweet

lemon almond shortbread cookies.

i believe that summer days should be sprinkled with lemony treats.

it just seems so wonderfully appropriate to enjoy a zesty sweet on those hot summer days. 

whether it be a tall glass of ice cold lemonade or a slice of lemon pound cake . . .

i am always on board for a lemony treat. 

i baked a yummy. and quite darling. 

little lemony treat that i wanted to share with you.

this is my own little recipe for lemon almond shortbread cookies. 

topped with a scattered bouquet of summer daisies. 

the wonderful thing about this recipe is 

that you will likely always have the ingredients in your kitchen.

the ingredient list is short & simple.

basically pantry staples that one should always have. 

all you need is . . .

3 sticks of unsalted butter. room temperature.

1 cup white sugar.

2 teaspoons almond extract.

3 1/2 cups flour.

1/2 teaspoon salt. 

2 lemons.

1 cup powdered sugar.

thats it. 

start by mixing the butter & sugar until smooth.

add the almond extract in to the mixture.

squeeze the juice of one lemon in. as well. 

in a separate bowl. 

sift together the flour & salt.

then slowly add the dry mix into the butter mix.

keep mixing until the mixture forms into dough.

roll the dough onto a floured surface. 

wrap in saran wrap & chill in the fridge for thirty minutes. 

take the dough out & roll it to 1/4 of an inch thick. 

cut the cookies into whatever shape you desire.

i used round biscuit cutters. 

place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.

bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

or just until the edges start to brown. 

while the cookies are cooling . . .

go ahead and make your glaze topping.

using a whisk. mix together the powdered sugar & the juice of one lemon.

add tiny bits of almond extract or water until you get the consistency that you like.

{i prefer to have my glaze a bit thicker so that it does not run off the cookies}

using a spoon. spread the glaze onto your cooled cookies.

i use the back of a spoon to bring the glaze to the edge of the cookie. 

while the glaze is still wet place your embellishment of choice.

i used sugar flowers from miette bakery in san francisco. 

i think they are just the sweetest little things.

and voila!

you have your lemon almond shortbread cookies!

both delicious & beautiful.

enjoy!

Tweet

a simple brunch.

i love playing the hostess.

to me. it is so fun to decorate a beautiful table. 

cook delicious eats. & welcome loved ones into my home.

it brings me great joy. 

this year for mother's day.

i was delighted to invite my in-laws over for a simple brunch.

it was just the four of us. and baby patrick. too.

it was sweet. it was intimate. it was very special. 

yogourt parfaits are such a simple starter for a brunch.

it is easy to create a beautiful presentation with minimal effort.

i used vintage champagne glasses to hold a few bites of vanilla yogurt.

then topped it off with a sprinkle of granola. berries. & a mint leaf.

bright pink blooms just scream happy mother's day!

a very simple. yet punchy. centerpiece for a simple celebration.

i was so thrilled to bring out my wedding silver for this special brunch.

sterling silver is always the icing on the cake when playing hostess.

for my tablescape. i kept it very clean & light. 

just three vases of flowers. two crystal candle holders.

& beautiful place settings of gold & white.

simplicity at its finest.

i truly pieced together items that i already owned to create this look.

white dishes from pottery barn. gold plates from pier one. 

vintage butter dishes & champagne glasses.

& that is the fun part. pulling pieces together to create different looks.

orange juice always adds a zesty punch of color to a brunch table.

not to mention. its terribly delicious to sip on.

pick a few divine dishes to whip up . . .

and you have yourself a simple. beautiful. wonderful. brunch. 

our menu was a dynamite bacon. spinach. gruyere quiche. 

blueberry cobbler crumb cake. & fresh minted strawberries. 

it turned out just delicious if i do say so myself. 

will be sharing the recipes soon! 

hope this inspires you to play hostess for a simple brunch.

Tweet

bakers box of recipes. fudgie fudge.

there are few things quite as indulgent as good ol' fashioned fudge. 

its sweet. its chewy. it is just so deliciously evil. 

now . . . i have had my fair share of fudge over the years.

but none quite compare to this very special recipe.

my sweet-as-fudge-mother-in-law was so gracious to share 

her fave recipe for homemade fudge.

adapted from mamie eisenhower's million dollar fudge recipe

my mother.in.law. brenda. added a few special things of her own.

a few things worth way more than a million dollars of anything.

a dash of compassion. a sprinkle of kindness. & a heaping scoop of love.

{because she has more than enough of those to share with us all}

& that my friends makes this particular batch of fudge

the one & only b.i.l.l.i.o.n. dollar fudge. 

*bakers tip*

you may want to start baking this with a full tummy.

or you will surely want to eat this by the spoonful.

you will need . . .

four and a half cups of sugar

a pinch of salt

two tablespoons of butter

one twelve ounce can evaporated milk

two cups coarsely chopped pecans

one pint marshmallow cream

twelve ounces of semisweet chocolate

& twelve ounces of german's sweet chocolate

bring the sugar. salt. butter. & milk. to a boil.

boil for six minutes.

place the pecans. marshmallow. & chocolate in a separate bowl.

then pour the boiling syrup into that bowl. 

wisking away until the chocolate is completely melted.

grease a jellyroll pan & then pour the fudge in.

allow the fudge to cool completely before cutting & serving.

voila.

i hate to be braggadocios . . . 

but this recipe is number 473 of all the reasons 

why my mother.in.law is hands down the best in all the land. 

Tweet

bakers box of recipes. perfect sugar cookies.

i have a dear friend named norni.

she is quite possibly the sweetest person in the entire world.

she is soft spoken. gentle. and impossibly kind.

the type of lady who makes everything feel like its going to be ok.

the type of lady that you know is just a wonderful mother. wife. & friend.

because with her kind & sweet heart comes a quiet strength that can move mountains.

she is the type of lady that has mastered the art of baking a pie. 

creating the perfect buttery. flaky. pie crust.

& can roll out the most perfect sugar cookies.

she is quite an inspiration if you ask me. 

i am so grateful that she invited me over 

to give me a personal lesson on sugar cookie baking.

actually. i take that back.

i completely invited myself over.

so. norni. thank you for accepting my invitation.

after several hours of mixing. rolling. cutting. baking. frosting. & nibbling.

i left with flour covered clothes . a basketful of beautifully decorated sugar cookies.

& a recipe in my hand that i could try at home.

although mine are not quite as delicious. nor quite as beautiful as hers were . . .

i think these are a pretty good start. 

i knew that i wanted my sugar cookies to be for a special valentines day treat.

so naturally i choose to bake pink ombre heart shaped cookies.

i found this darling little valentine tin mailbox at target {love the dollar section}

and just knew that it would make the perfect little box to deliver treats in.

i particularly love the pale pink hearts.

there is just something so lovely about the simplicity of them. 

these cookies. when baked to perfection. have the most beautiful buttery color.

i love how the edges turn a light golden color.

i sprinkled sanding sugar on top of my cookies.

i just found that it gave an extra dash of whimsy to the look.

all packed up in my little valentine mailbox.

now i just need to sign. seal. & deliver.

how stinkin cute is that?!

i adore. 

the beauty of this recipe is that you can cater it to any occasion.

use any cookie cutter. any color. any size. and so on.

i made snowflakes at christmas time that turned out beautifully 

and i look forward to trying out many other styles. 

so . . . i bet you want the recipe. huh?! 

here it is.

for the cookies:

2 cups flour.

1/4 teaspoon salt.

1/4 teaspoon of baking powder.

1 stick unsalted butter.

1 cup sugar.

1 large egg.

2 tablespoons water.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

for the icing:

i cup confectioners sugar.

i egg white.

almond extract to taste. 

cream together the butter & sugar until light & fluffy.

add the egg. water. & extracts.

with the mixer on low. slowly add in the dry ingredients. 

mix until just combined. 

transfer the dough onto a floured working space.

roll out slightly. wrap in saran wrap & place in the fridge for about an hour.

then roll out the dough to about 1/8 of an inch thick.

use the cookie cutter of your choice to cut out the cookies.

place the cut outs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. 

watch them carefully. because you do not want them to brown.

leftover scraps of cookie dough can be rolled out again.

after the cookies have cooled completely.

mix together the egg white. confectioners sugar. & the almond extract.

mix until it is smooth & there are no clumps left.

using a knife. spread the frosting on the cookies.

take the frosting all the way to the edge of the cookie but

clean up the edge of the cookie so that the frosting does not leak over.

allow them to dry completely before serving & packaging. 

i hope you enjoy these delicious sugar cookies!

thank you. sweet norni. for sharing your perfect sugar cookie recipe with us. 

xoxo

Tweet

bakers box of recipes: big & chewy chocolate chippers.

while i have never met a cookie that i did not like . . .

i am quite picky when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.

i hold my go-to. amazingly delicious. chippy cookie recipe near & dear to my heart.

and in my mind . . . very few cookies come close to comparing to those.

i like my cookies to be big & buttery. 

chewy on the outside. crispy on the edges.

a touch of saltiness. lots of chocolate chips.

{and slightly under baked}

i was absolutely blown away when i tried little miss keri's 

big & chewy chocolate chippers.

they. are. amazing.

tied for first place with my chippy cookies.

keri has been a dear family friend for too many years to count. 

& we consider ourselves the lucky ones for that.

she happens to be the identical twin sister of our sweet friend kim.

{the one who shared her divine chocolate cake recipe with us a few weeks ago}

kim & keri may or may not be the cutest twinsies around.

they are besties to the max. full of energy. & sassy to boot.

the type of girls that just make you smile nonstop.

they really are the best & quite the dynamic duo when it comes to baking.

that being said.

i am thrilled. and honored. and so excited to share 

keri's recipe for her big & chewy chocolate chip cookies.

you will need:

3  3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter

{melted & cooled}

1  1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

plus 2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla

1  1/2 bag chocolate chips

preheat your oven to 325 & line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

whisk flour. baking soda. & salt together. set aside.

beat melted butter & sugars together for two minutes on high.

beat in eggs & egg yolks. then add the vanilla.

reduce the speed of the mixer & gradually add in the flour mixture.

add chocolate chips in last.

use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure out each cookie ball.

place at least 2.5 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

this is very important as these cookies spread a lot.

if they are too close . . . you will have a big ol' mess of a cookie.

bake these babies for 17-18 minutes.

allow them to cool for ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

 . . . then enjoy!

love you keri.

thank you for sharing your sweet treat recipe with us.

it certainly has a place in my all-time fave recipe box.

oh. oh. oh. i almost forgot.

we have a giveaway winner to announce.

big congrats to miss ashley nall.

you are the lucky winner of the pure barre giveaway.

get ready to lift. tone. & burn girlfriend.

xoxo 

Tweet