12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 12–Snickerdoodle Bars

Welcome to Week 12 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

Week 12! Already. It seems like the weeks flew by. Make sure to check out what amazing goodies everyone made for the last week!

These snickerdoodle bars are fantastic. They came together really quickly, dirty very few dishes, and make the house smell amazing while they bake. These are a very sturdy bar so they would hold up really well in a goody bag or basket. I highly recommend these, they are by far one of my favorite things that I have made this year and I will be making them a lot next year too I imagine, they are just that good!

 

Snickerdoodle Bars

From: one ordinary day

Ingredients

2 2/3 Cup Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)

1 Cup Butter (softened)

2 Eggs (at room temperature)

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Topping:

2 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar

2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with no-stick spray.

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat together the butter and brown sugar for 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the eggs one at a time and then add in the vanilla and beat until smooth.

Slowly stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended. Evenly spread the mixture into the pan.

Combine the topping ingredients and evenly sprinkle over the cookie batter.

Bake 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Allow to cool before cutting.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 11–Chocolate Chip Blondies

Welcome to Week 11 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

These blondies are a great thing to make for the holidays. They are easy to whip up – using very few ingredients and even fewer utensils – and they taste amazing. Definitely make these; they would be perfect on a dessert table.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

From: Lovin’ From the Oven

Ingredients

1 Cup Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

1 Stick Butter (melted)

1 Egg

1 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together the melted butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and salt.

Slowly add in the flour until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 10–Spiced Applesauce Cake

Welcome to Week 10 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

This cake is fantastic. I made it for my contribution to the dessert table for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. We are pretty sure this would be great even without the frosting, but who argues with cinnamon cream cheese frosting?

Spiced Applesauce Cake

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

Cake

2 Cups AP Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 Stick Butter, softened (unsalted)
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs (large)
1 1/2 Cups Unsweetened Applesauce

Frosting

5 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons Butter, softened (unsalted)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup Confectioners Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8 or 9 inch round pan (I put parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and buttered it too per the suggestion).

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices for the cake. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs slowly, beating completely after you add each one. Then mix in the applesauce.

Turn your mixer to a low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined.

Spread the batter into the pan into an even layer. Bake 35 to 45 (mine went to 45) minutes until golden brown and the center is baked through (use the toothpick test). Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a plate. Flip the cake upright and allow to cool on a rack until completely cool (can also put in the fridge).

To make the frosting beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixer until fluffy. Add in the confectioners sugar and cinnamon and beat until incorporated. Spread over the cooled cake.

This cake is awesome because it can be made ahead. I made the cake on Tuesday and stuck it in the freezer. I pulled it out and put it in the fridge Wednesday night and it was perfect for Thursday. I made the frosting Thursday and iced shortly before eating. Check out Smitten Kitchen for more tips on doing this ahead.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 8 Funfetti Cake Cookies

Welcome to Week 7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

These are pretty much the easiest cookies ever. Three ingredients, mix, bake, and enjoy. I used funfetti as it was my favorite growing up but you can use any flavor you want. These would be a hit at any holiday gathering and they’re so easy to make that you can squeeze them in between your other holiday projects.

Funfetti Cake Cookies

From Fabulessly Frugal

Ingredients

1 Box Cake Mix

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Mix the three ingredients completely.

Scoop cookies onto pan or roll into balls and place on cookie sheet.

Bake 6-10 minutes or until edges are golden.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 6 Banana Banana Bread

Welcome to Week 6 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun! I can’t believe we are already at week 6! These 12 weeks are flying by. I feel like I really need to get cracking on my Christmas shopping now!
This week I made Banana Banana Bread. I’m not really sure why banana is in the title twice but I promise that’s not a mistake (at least not as far as I know!) A lot of people only make banana (banana) bread when they realize “oh no, the bananas are on their last leg!” But I adore banana bread and purposely let a few bananas sit around every so often so I can make some delicious bread. I think banana bread is great because it is so easy to throw together, is pretty hard to mess up, makes your house smell great, and always tastes great.

This would be a very welcome item in a gift basket or goodie bag at the holidays or a welcome addition to a brunch or dessert table. Next time you buy bananas let a few hang out for a few days so you can panic
(on purpose) and make some of this delicious bread.
Banana Banana Bread
As seen on For the Love of Cooking (original recipe from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 1/3 Cups Bananas, over-ripe and mashed
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Grated Fresh Nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5 bread pan thoroughly with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Add the bananas, eggs, and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pan.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center is clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan and allow to cool on a rack.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 5 Rice Krispies Treats

 

Welcome to Week 5 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

This week I picked a really easy but much-loved recipe – Rice Krispies Treats. These are a favorite of mine because of how quick and versatile they are while also being incredibly tasty. I used pumpkin spice marshmallows for these but they are also awesome with classic marshmallows. Last year around Christmas I found French Vanilla and Gingerbread flavored marshmallows as well and I imagine either of those would be fantastic too.

One of the great things about Rice Krispies Treats is that you can make these while something else is baking since they don’t need to go in the oven and they don’t take very long to make. Then you can just put the pan aside and move on to something else with one more thing marked off your to-do list. Gotta love that!

And I’ve found that these treats are always a hit. They are a popular item in gift baskets, always seem to disappear from dessert tables, and are always one of the first things gone from bake sales. So clearly I’m not the only one that loves these.

I had never had pumpkin spice marshmallows and though I thought they were a bit different at first I did really like them. They taste a lot like the pumpkin spice kisses. These would be a big hit for Thanksgiving too I think, especially with kids!

I’ve never frozen Rice Krispies Treats before but the Rice Krispies Treat web site says you can freeze them by cutting them and placing them in an airtight container with wax paper between each layer. They will freeze well for up to 6 weeks and just need to sit out for at least 15 minutes before serving. This makes them an even better treat for the holidays I think!

Rice Krispies Treats

From ricekrispies.com

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 Package Marshmallows, regular size

6 Cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions

Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Once melted add in the marshmallows and stir until they are totally melted.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the cereal. Stir to coat completely.

Pat the mixture into a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed liberally with non-stick spray. Allow the treats to cool. Cut and enjoy!

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 4 Pumpkin Spiced Nuts

Welcome to Week  of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!
I love spiced nuts and pumpkin spiced anything. So pumpkin spiced nuts are heavenly! I will definitely be making these again and using different nuts – pecans and almonds are definitely on my to-try list. These are so good and so easy to make. They would definitely be a hit at any holiday gathering or in any holiday goody bag.

Pumpkin Spiced Nuts
From Tasty Kitchen
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 Cups Nuts, chopped
In a sauce pan, mix the water and sugar to make a syrup. Stir over medium high heat until it boils. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice.
Add in the nuts and stir to coat.
Turn hear to medium and stir until all the moisture has evaporated. Crystals will start to form on on the nuts and it will get very thick.
Pour the nuts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and allow to cool. You may need to break apart any clumps.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats Week 3–Pumpkin Bread

Welcome to Week 3 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun! I love pumpkin treats. Pumpkin is such a fantastic flavor and can be made so much more complex with seasoning and additions. Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite things to make. So easy to throw together, stick in the oven, and just walk away. It makes the house smell fantastic and makes a great gift. Quick breads are great because they can be frozen and pulled out to give away or grace a sweets table. To freeze just wrap the loaf thoroughly in plastic wrap and place in a zip top bag. Loaves thaw wonderfully and taste just as great as they did fresh. This recipe is great because it is low-fat but full of flavor. The original recipe covers the top with pepitas but I didn’t have any so I left them off. This bread is really moist and has a great deep flavor from the spices. I will definitely be making this again and again. Low Fat Pumpkin Bread From Skinnytaste 1 1/2 Cups Pumpkin Puree
1 1/4 Cups AP Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
T1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Egg Whites (large egg)
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5 inch bread pan. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl combine oil, egg whites, pumpkin, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer until thick.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Do not over mix.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Top with 2 tablespoons pepitas if desired.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the loaf.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats Week 1–Apple Cinnamon Scones

Welcome to week 1 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! I’m so excited to participate in this blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic. I’ve wanted to do one of these events for a few years now but have always chickened out. This year I heard a few people on my cooking board mention this event and thought it sounded like so much fun so I got brave and signed up. I’m so excited to see what all the other bloggers make these next 12 weeks. Heck, I’m excited to see what I make since I haven’t finalized all my ideas yet!

So, let’s get started! Originally I figured I’d start with a cookie of some sort, but I had this bag of applies sitting on the counter just begging to be turned into some sort of yummy item. Then I started seeing a bunch of scones pop up on Pinterest and my mind started to think – apples….scones…apple scones? A little searching let me know that apple cinnamon scones are pretty popular (I’ve never had one before!) and the idea sounded great. But how does this tie in with Christmas Treats?
That part was actually pretty easy to figure out. Every year on Christmas we gather with my family to open presents and then eat lunch. There’s never any actual breakfast foods present so during the course of the morning we all end up wandering over to the table or counter where all the cookies and candies are and grabbing a snickerdoodle here, a peanut cluster there until we’re all full of sugar and ready to open more presents. So I figure a scone will be a perfect thing to put in amongst all the cookies. It is a breakfast food (less guilt!) and very tasty (more appealing!) plus it is easy to pick up and eat with one hand so you can check out your new toy with the other. These will definitely be nice to pull out of the freezer and have ready for Christmas morning.

  Apple Cinnamon Scones
From: Simply Scratch

Apple Cinnamon Scones

Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour, plus some for dusting 1/4 Cup Sugar 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg, (fresh grated is awesome if you can find nutmeg – I can’t!) 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 1 Stick {or 8 tablespoons} Unsalted Butter – chilled 2 Apples (I used Jonathan but golden delicious or honeycrisp were recommended and would be great), peel and shred – I had smaller apples so shred a packed 1 Cup 1/4 to 1/2 Cup Milk, plus more for brushing – Whole is recommended but I used 2% because that’s what I had 1 Tablespoon Sugar, for sprinkling Steps: Preheat oven to 425 and line a cookie or sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Mix all the ingredients up to and including the salt. Then cut your very cold butter into cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter (or your fingers) blend the butter and flour mixture until it makes small crumbles. Add the apple and mix together. Slowly add the milk, adding in a small amount at a time while you stir until it forms a nice dough consistency. On a floured work surface knead the dough 8 to 10 times and then form into a rectangle. Cut into 8 wedge shapes (I used my pizza wheel and it worked great) and move to the pan using a spatula. Brush each wedge with a small amount of milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until you see that the edges are golden brown. I baked mine in 2 batches of 4 so as not to crowd my pan. Serve warm or microwave for just a few second to warm up.

Eat to the Beat: Monkey(Wrench) Bread

I loved when Elly at Elly Says Opa did Eat to the Beat back in the day. As someone who loves baking and adores music it was such the perfect combo for me (prior posts here and here) . I was so sad when she stopped doing it. So, needless to say, I was beyond thrilled when Elly announced she was doing a special Eat to the Beat to celebrate her 5 year blog anniversary. I knew I had to participate, the only question was what band or song to honor with a yummy baked good.

The answer? Foo Fighters of course. Besides the fact that the band is awesome, their music is incredible, and Dave Grohl is amazing - the fact is their name is just one letter off from being FooD Fighters. Perfect, no?

I adore the Foo Fighters. Have since they came out. They are such a fun band with awesome rhythms and lyrics and they just seem like they would be so much fun to hang out with. They were also one of the first rock bands I saw in concert when they opened up for the Red Hot Chili Peppers when I saw them in concert. It was awesome.

I decided to make monkey bread in honor of the song Monkey Wrench because it is an amazing song that I love to rock out to while I’m in the kitchen and I’ve never had monkey bread before. I always think it looks really good but I’ve never had the opportunity to make it. So this was the perfect opportunity to change that fact.

This is such an easy thing to make and I think it would be so much fun to make with a kid. Shaking the bag up would be so much fun for a kid I think, I know it was for me! I danced around the kitchen and made funny faces at Doug while he was on the phone while I shook the bag to coat all the biscuit pieces with the yummy cinnamon sugar mixture.

This would be an excellent addition to a holiday brunch or a get together with friends. It is fun to eat as you can pull apart the pieces, it is really tasty, and it takes no time at all to make. Definitely a winner in my book!

So, happy birthday, Elly Says Opa! Thanks for brining back Eat to the Beat for your celebration!!

Monkey (Wrench) Bread

Source: The Pioneer Woman

3 Cans Buttermilk Biscuits (not the flaky kind)

1 Cup Sugar

2 to 3 Teaspoons Cinnamon (your preference)

2 Sticks Butter – melted

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut each biscuit into quarters.

Combine the white sugar and cinnamon together in a gallon zip bag. Shake to mix up.

Place all the biscuit pieces into the bag, close the bag tightly, and shake until all the biscuit pieces are coated in the cinnamon-sugar mixture (dancing optional).

Place the biscuit pieces evenly around a bundt pan.

Melt the sticks of butter and stir in the brown sugar until completely combined.

Pour the brown sugar – butter mixture over the biscuits.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is a deep brown on top. Allow to cool 15-30 minutes and then turn the pan over a plate to remove the bread.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Anyone else drooling yet? Because as soon as I heard the name of this cheesecake I know I was. This was actually one of the two cakes I made for Doug’s birthday (yes, I like that guy so much I made him 2 cakes) and he found the recipe himself – in a Redbook magazine sitting out in the break room at work.

This cheesecake is incredibly delicious. I knew it would be just reading the name and the ingredient list. Peanut butter? Reese’s cups? Oreo crust? How could it not be? Granted, I am a major lover of all things chocolate and peanut butter so of course I loved it. But the other 3 lucky people who got to try this loved it too. And I already know I’ll have to make at least one more of these this year – my peanut butter & chocolate loving dad was pretty sad he didn’t get any. And even though this is a little more labor intensive than any of the other cheesecakes I’ve made I’m cool with making it again – it is totally worth it.

 The middle of the cheesecake.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

From Redbook

Crust

1 1/2 Cups Oreos – broken up into crumbs

4 Tablespoons Melted Butter

Filling

4 – 8 Ounce Cream Cheese packages, at room temperature

1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1 Cup Sugar

4 Eggs, Large at room temperature

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

3 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, melted

6 Regular Size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch springform with cooking spray and cover the bottom of the pan with a double layer of aluminum foil.

Combine the cookie crumbs and the butter and press into the bottom of the pan and 1/2 inch up the side. Bake for 10 minutes and then let cool.

Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Then add in the sugar until smooth. Reduce the speed of the mixer and ad the eggs 1 at a time until just incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla.

Remove 1 1/2 cups of the batter and put in a separate bowl. Add in the chocolate.

Add the peanut butter to the remaining batter in the first bowl and combine until smooth. Remove 1 3/4 cups of this batter to a separate bowl.

Pour the remaining batter from the first bowl over the crust. Then place the quartered peanut butter cups evenly over this layer. Then alternately drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter batter you put in a small bowl and the chocolate batter over the layer of peanut butter cups. Then use a knife to swirl the peanut butter batter and the chocolate batter together until they look marbleized.

Place the springform pan into a larger pan and place in the oven. Then pour enough hot water into the larger pan so that it is 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until the cheesecake barely jiggles in the center when you lightly shake the pan. Then remove the springform from the bigger pan and remove the aluminum foil. Use a thin knife to run around the edge of the cake to release it from the pan. Let cool completely and then refrigerate at least 6 hours.

This was my first attempt at a chocolate cheesecake. And I’ve now made it twice. It is so rich and delicious, Everyone who tried it loved it. It did crack a little but honestly it is so good no one complained about the imperfection.

This recipe is definitely a keeper. I think it might be incredible with some nice rip strawberries alongside on a warm evening.

Chocolate Cheesecake                               

From Kraft Foods

24 Oreo Cookies – crushed

1/4 Cup Melted Butter

4 – 8 Ounce Packages Cream Cheese – softened

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Flour

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 Package (8 squares) Semi-Sweet Chocolate – melted and slightly cooled

4 Eggs

 

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees.

Mix cookie crumbs and butter and press into large springform pan that has been sprayed with no-stick spray.

Beat the cream cheese, flour, sugar, and vanilla. Once well mixed add chocolate and continue mixing. Add eggs 1 at a time mixing each one in completely on low speed. Pour into pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until center is almost set – check with a light touch. Cool totally and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Baked Maple Cinnamon Donuts

I love donuts. When I was little we had an awesome donut place in my town and I used to love going there with my parents and getting right up to the big glass case filled with donuts to pick what I wanted. Sadly that place closed long ago and the only options for donuts now are at the grocery stores. So now I never pass by a Krispy Kreme when I’m on vacation (when we were on vacation in November I almost did a happy dance when we went into one and I saw the Pumpkin Spice donut – yum). Sadly the nearest location is about 2 hours away, boo.

So of course I had to jump on the homemade donut bandwagon and pick up a pan of my own. I searched for a while for the perfect recipe to break in my pan, and I’m really pleased with the one I picked. This Baked Maple Cinnamon Donut recipe from Sweet Cheeks in the Kitchen is incredible. It is easy to whip up, doesn’t take long to bake, and tastes incredible. I will definitely be making these again. And of course more donut recipes will be finding their way into my kitchen.

Baked Maple Cinnamon Donuts

Seen on Sweet Cheeks in the Kitchen

1 Cup Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
1 6 Ounce Non-fat Vanilla Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
2 1/2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray pan with nonstick spray.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the egg, yogurt, oil, and syrup.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and fold in the wet ingredients until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly into the pan (you can pipe into the pan by putting the batter into a baggie and cut off the tip and then pipe. I got six donuts.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. While the donuts are cooking combine the cinnamon and sugar and melt the butter. Allow the donuts to cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack over a pan or towel. Dip each donut into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Eat right away or store in an airtight container.

Lunch Lady Bars

Show of hands: how many of you are now singing the Adam Sandler song? I know I am (I love me some Adam Sandler).

Anyway, these bars are so incredibly good. They are easy to whip up and require basic ingredients that I pretty much always have on hand. Whenever one of us has a sudden sweet or chocolate craving I can turn to these and be assured that they'll be ready to eat before we cave and give in to the awfulness that is a store-bought cookie.

These would also be a great treat to take to a party - especially a cookout on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. They're a classic that everyone is pretty much guaranteed to love.

Lunch Lady Bars

From Yum

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Oil (I use vegetable)

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 Cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Combine all dry ingredients and set aside.

Mix together oil and sugars and add eggs one at a time.

Add vanilla and then gradually add dry ingredients.

Mix in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips.

Spread the mixture into a 9x13 that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray.

Sprinkle the rest of the chips on top and lightly push them in.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until light golden brown.

Allow to cool and cut into small squares.

M&M Cookies

I love these cookies. They are so good and simple. They'd make a perfect addition to any holiday spread or goodie basket with holiday M&Ms.

These come from the amazing Katie at Good Things Catered, so you know they are guaranteed to be good. I made mine with semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of the white chocolate in Katie's recipe because Doug's not a huge white chocolate fan and they tasted really well, so it would work with whatever you choose. I think these would be awesome with mint or dark chocolate M&Ms too. These are great cookies to experiment with - so go crazy!

M&M Cookies

From Good Things Catered

2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
12 Tablespoon (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg

1 Egg Yolk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup M&Ms
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Adjust oven racks to upper & lower-middle positions & heat oven to 325 degrees.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
Mix butter & sugars until combined.
Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.
Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined.
Stir in M&Ms and chips.
Roll about a 1/2 cup dough into ball.
Bake, reversing cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy (about 15 minutes for me).
Cool cookies on sheets and place on wire rack to cool.

YWPWT: Hidden Candy Pie

Welcome to my second pie for You Want Pie With That?! This month's theme was Masquerade Pie and Halloween was totally my inspiration here.

This pie looks all nice and sweet and innocent with that lovely whipped cream topping. It looks like any regular cream pie.

But then you cut into it and -yowzers!- there's candy in this pie!

I wanted to come up with a super easy and fun pie to go with Halloween and the tasty treats of my youth - so this pie features M&Ms and half of a Hershey bar. Plus the layer of peanut butter filling (it sandwiches the candy) tastes just like a Reese's cup.

This pie could not be any easier to throw together - in fact I feel a little funny even calling this a recipe. But it's so yummy that no one will care how little effort you put into it!

Hidden Candy Pie

By Me

1 Pie Crust, cooked and cooled (I've yet to find a pie crust I love. Use your favorite or even a store bought - I won't tell).

3 Cups Whipped Cream (I used frozen Cool Whip - thawed of course)

3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1 Small Bag of M&Ms

1 Regular Size Hershey Bar

Combine 2 cups of whipped cream and peanut butter until well mixed, spread half of this into the bottom of the baked and cooled pie shell.

Chop up 1/2 to 3/4 of the bag of M&Ms (however much sounds good to you) and place on top of the peanut butter cream. Chop half of the Hershey bar and layer on top of the M&Ms. Cover the candy with the rest of the peanut butter cream.

Top with a layer of plain whipped cream, 1 cup would work but Doug loves whipped cream so I made a really thick layer of it.

Chill for 30 minutes and serve.

TWD: Flaky Apple Turnovers

These. Are. Incredible.

Seriously, we loved them. They are so good and really pretty easy to make. They take a few hours because of the dough, and that part requires a few steps, but really they could not be easier.

I really loved the dough of these. It has a really nice, unique taste and was really easy to work with.

The filling of these is a basic apple filling, which is a perfect compliment for the dough.

I will definitely be making these again!

And I have Julie of Someone's in the Kitchen to thank for picking these. Check out her blog for the recipe and check out the TWD site to see how all the bakers handled these awesome treats.

Flaky Apple Turnovers from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, pages 316-317.

TWD: Applesauce Spice Bars

I'm back! I missed TWD (and baking) so much! I've got the basics put away in the kitchen and was itching to get back to baking, so these were the perfect things!

This recipe was super simple to throw together and didn't require anything I didn't have. I left these super basic: just the main ingredients and the chopped up apple, I didn't didn't make the glaze for these because 1. I'm not a big glaze/icing fan and 2. I didn't want anything getting into the simple taste of these awesome bars.

And awesome these are! I really like the simple, sweet flavor of these. They hit the spot perfectly and would make an awesome fall treat. I will definitely be making these again.

These bars were picked by Karen of Something Sweet by Karen, check out her blog for the recipe. And make sure to check out how all the TWD members handled this recipe.

Applesauce Spice Bars from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, pages 117-118.

TWD: Parisian Apple Tart

This week's recipe was one I knew I had to make from the second I saw it. First of all, it's apples - which Doug and I both love. Second, it's an apple tart, which I've always wanted to make. Third, it is so incredibly easy to make and only required me to add one ingredient to my grocery list. And fourth (and most importantly), it was picked by one of my favorite people who just happens to run one of my favorite blogs (ever) and who also happens to be the main reason I am in TWD. So I knew this one had to be done.

And I have to say, Hornedfroggy/Jessica made an awesome pick here! This recipe comes together so quickly and tastes so incredibly good. I love how simple the ingredient list is, it's really a classic group of items, and it tastes so pure and good. I will definitely be making this again ---- actually I have already made it twice! I had a sheet of pastry left and some apples to use up, Doug didn't complain!

This was the first time I've ever used puff pastry and I was really happy to see that it's very simple to use (and I was really happy to find it here!!). I used one whole sheet and one whole apple on my first tart and thought it was really good. The second time I used one whole sheet of dough and two apples and it was really good, although just a little soggy.

So if you're looking for an easy and quick recipe that will really wow people, try this one. You will not be disappointed!

This recipe was picked by Jessica of My Baking Heart, check out her blog for the recipe (and then look at all the other incredible things she has done!) and check out all the TWD members to see how they tackled this one.

Parisian Apple Tart from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan, page 319.

Strawberry Cake

Happy Mother's Day!

Today I'm having lunch with my parents and grandma to celebrate Mother's Day. I'm providing the sweet to end the meal and a side. This cake was requested by my mom after she saw Paula Deen make it on her show last weekend.

This was one of the easiest cakes I have ever made (probably cause of the cake mix). I love playing around with cake mixes (red velvet cookie, anyone?) and adding the strawberries to this is such a neat idea (plus it meant I got to use my mini Cuisinart). This cake smelled awesome while it was cooking and I adore the bright pink color.

I ended up just using a whipped vanilla frosting from a can so that it could sit out and everyone could eat it without worrying about the ingredients in butter cream. I still love these whipped frostings, this one reminded me

of marshmallow fluff.

I cannot wait to eat this cake (2 more hours!), I'm hopeful it will be amazing.

Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake

From: Paula Deen

Ingredients:

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix 
1 (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin 
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed 
4 large eggs 
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
1/4 cup water 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease pan (I used 9x13 but you could use 2 9 inch round pans).

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pan(s), and bake for 20 minutes (mine was about 27 minutes), or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pan(s) if desured, and cool completely on wire racks. Frost.

You can decorate the top with strawberries, I used red sugar crystals.

Ingredients: