Cookies and Bars
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Soft Espresso Amaretti Cookies
Happy Fall, y’all! I know it’s cliche, but fall is my favorite. Crisp air, warm sunshine, beautiful leaves…and the BAKING. It’s all so cozy and I’m here for it. While these Espresso Amaretti Cookies don’t have the traditional fall flavors you might expect (I see you, pumpkin spice), they make such a lovely little treat to enjoy alongside your favorite warm fall beverage that it felt like the perfect time to share them. All About Amaretti A traditional Italian dessert that can be traced back to the 17th century, amaretti cookies are known not just for their flavor, but also for the gorgeous tins they’re sold in. There’s even a…
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Peanut Butter S’mores Bars
Getting this one in just under the wire (before summer is over). Summer is traditionally the high season for s’mores, though I think fall, with its campfire-y vibes, is just as good a time to enjoy this iconic treat. However, I propose we make s’mores a year-long affair. These Peanut Butter S’mores Bars will help us do just that. Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Grahams, and Marshmallows = Heaven in a Bar These bars have all the elements of the campfire treat we all love: graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. But they have one more thing that really takes them over the top: peanut butter! If you’ve never had peanut butter on…
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Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Consider this the chocolate chip cookie of the summer. All the things you love about a chocolate chip cookie, just…brighter. Fruitier. Dare I say…sparklier? A party of a cookie that’s just begging to be made into ice cream sandwiches and brought to the beach. Let me introduce you to Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies! Dark Chocolate + Freeze-Dried Strawberries = an Ideal Flavor Match I’ve recently become obsessed with freeze-dried fruit — especially berries. Freeze-dried raspberries and strawberries have made their way into my granola (especially this Chocolate-Lover’s Granola — YUM), oatmeal, trail mix, and, of course, baked goods. When it’s freeze-dried, the flavor of the fruit is more concentrated…
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7-Layer Magic Bars
It may technically be spring, but there’s a blizzard raging outside my window. Yes, it’s a typical Minnesota April—blustery, snowy, and cold. And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love living in the frozen north. Call me crazy if you will, but I truly love it. And I suspect, despite what most Minnesotans would tell you, that they secretly love it too. Because the truth is, there’s almost nothing we love more up here than complaining about the weather. Nothing, that is, except bars. No, not the kind you belly up to and drink (though, admittedly, we love those too), but the kind you eat. Dessert bars.…
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Coconut Lemon Bars
Spring is here (in theory, anyway), and it has me craving all things sunshiny: actual sunshine, of course, but also sunny scents, colors, and flavors. I pulled out my summer perfume the other day; I suddenly have an affinity for the color yellow; and I need to eat every lemony thing in sight. So in celebration of spring and my cravings, I added a slight twist to a classic lemony treat to make these utterly springy Coconut Lemon Bars. A Tropical Twist on a Classic I LOVE lemon bars. A shortbready cookie crust topped with a lemon curd layer that tastes like pure sunshine…what could be better? This version is…
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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Hey y’all, here I am again, with yet another chocolate chip cookie recipe. What can I say, I just love making them! (Case in point: I have like 10 more chocolate chip cookie recipes on the site already.) This time around, though, there’s a twist: they’re vegan. I’ve been wanting to create a recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies for a while now…since last summer when I discovered the wonder of flax eggs (but more on that in a minute). And since the price of eggs makes me want to start selling my organs, it seemed like a good time. So without further ado, let’s make vegan chocolate chip cookies!…
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German Chocolate Brownies
February is always chocolate month to me. Besides Valentine’s Day, it’s also ridiculously cold and dark up here in the north. We need plenty of chocolate to guide us through the second half of winter — because yes, we still have half the winter to go (sorry winter-hating friends, but it’s true). Well, more than half, because winter lasts until April here…or sometimes May…but I digress. The point is, we need a little extra chocolate this time of year. And what better way to up our chocolate intake than with rich, gooey brownies? Bonus points if they’re covered in a sweet, custardy, coconutty topping. Introducing your new winter BFF, German…
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Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti
🎶It’s the most wonderful time of the year… 🎶 Holiday baking time, that is! And this year I’m adding a new treat to my must-have list of cookies—these Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti! Light and crisp, biscotti are the ideal after-a-big-holiday-dinner treat to have with your coffee. And with dutch cocoa powder and tons of festive spices, these biscotti, in particular, are chock full of flavor. History of Biscotti Biscotti are a traditional Italian treat (though this flavor is decidedly non-traditional). In Italy, biscotti are often dunked in Vin Santo (a dessert wine), though outside of Italy it’s common to dip them in espresso or coffee. The word “biscotti” originates from the…
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Brown Butter Oatmeal Scotchies
As soon as the crisp fall air starts to rustle the changing leaves, I start to crave all the fall flavors. Along with the usual suspects—pumpkin, apple, maple, and spices—I crave anything caramelly. Caramel (salted and not) of course, but also its highly underrated cousin, butterscotch. And while homemade butterscotch sauce is probably far superior (case in point: these Butterbeer Cupcakes), there’s something nostalgic about the artificial taste and shortening-like texture of a bag of butterscotch baking chips. I think it’s because it reminds me of butterscotch Dilly bars from Dairy Queen (which have always been my favorite). These Brown Butter Oatmeal Scotchies are an ode to that nostalgic butterscotch…
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Maple Pecan Blondies
It’s finally here…the best time of the year! I know it’s basic to love fall, but I just can’t help myself…that crisp air, bright sunshine, changing leaves, and, of course, all the fall flavors. Chai spice, pumpkin, cinnamon, apple…I love them all. This particular recipe makes use of another fall favorite—maple—in a chewy brown butter blondie. Introducing Maple Pecan Blondies! Your New Fall Favorite (Trust Me) These are the kind of bars that, if they’re on a dessert tray with brownies or other more exciting-looking things, you might not go for them. But that would be a mistake. These blondies are much more exciting (and delicious) than they look. They’re…
