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Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies
Well friends, the past couple of weeks have been pretty terrible across the world, there’s no two ways around that. With more than half a million people having contracted COVID-19, and nearly 25,000 dead from it worldwide (www.worldometers.info/coronavirus, as of today), we are all in the grip of fear and grief, and it’s difficult to be hopeful. There is hope though, if you look for it – medical staff and other essential workers putting their lives at risk for us all, neighbors helping each other out, whole communities coming together (in a properly socially distant way of course) to support small businesses and artists, and so much more. With everything…
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Mocha Swirl Meringues
Well my friends, we’re nearing the end of February, so I thought we could all use one more chocolate recipe. Chocolate month continues this week with one of my favorite flavor combinations in one of my favorite treats. These Mocha Swirl Meringues combine my love of chocolate with my love of coffee, all in a crisp and airy meringue. Plus, they’re shaped like snowballs which is appropriate because it’s still very much winter around here. This is the time of year when I start to get antsy for Spring. Unfortunately for me, Spring is still a long way off here in Northern Minnesota. We’ll likely still get a couple of…
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Espresso Brownies with Chocolate Glaze
This has got to be one of my favorite chocolate recipes of all time. These Espresso Brownies with Chocolate Glaze are dense and deeply chocolatey, with a hit of espresso and crunchy pecans. Topped off with a glossy chocolate glaze and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt (or actual sprinkles, if you prefer), these brownies will make any grey day brighter. And in February in Northern Minnesota, we have a lot of grey days. Yes, we don’t see the sun around here much this time of year, so we have to make our own sunshine. Chocolate helps. A lot. Especially if you share your chocolate with loved ones. (Valentine’s Day…
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Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies
It’s February, which means BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE! This month I have a couple of great new chocolate recipes to share with you, beginning with these Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies. February always seems like the perfect month for chocolate – in part because of Valentine’s day (really, is there any other acceptable V-day treat??), and in part because it’s still winter, still cold, and still dark out most of the time. Hand me the chocolate, please. Chocolate Mint – Decadent and Refreshing I absolutely love a deep, dark, chocolate cookie. Full disclosure – I think Oreos may actually be my favorite cookie of all time. I know that’s a controversial…
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Chocolate Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream and Salted Caramel
The beginning of the year brings lots of chances to celebrate in my world – New Year’s Eve/Day, my birthday (last week!), and now my blogiversary! A year ago today I started this blog. And what a fun year it’s been! My first post a year ago was for my Grandma’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, a recipe that is beloved in my family. This year, I’m sharing a cake I’ve been wanting to make for a while (and the one I made for my birthday this year) – Chocolate Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream and Salted Caramel Sauce. The Cake The cake itself is Ina Garten’s famous chocolate cake, and…
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Amaretto Dream Cookies
With the leaves turning, the blustery weather, and Halloween around the corner, my reading preferences are quickly turning to murder mysteries. Now, I have to tell you – I can be a bit of a book snob, and have been known to turn down my nose at anything that isn’t a classic. However, more recently I’ve embraced the joy of a good murder mystery. A few years ago I discovered a series of books that are equal part murder mystery and BAKING(!) by Ellie Alexander. This recipe for Amaretto Dream Cookies comes from book two in that series, “A Batter of Life and Death: A Bakeshop Mystery”. (Side note: if…
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Brown Butter Bourbon & Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ok, so I didn’t plan it this way. I started working on this recipe about a month ago, with no concrete idea of when I’d have it ready. And it just so happens that the day I finally post it is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Talk about serendipity! Let’s all give a hearty welcome to Brown Butter Bourbon & Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies. I know I already have a boozy chocolate chip cookie recipe on my site (Kahlua Chocolate Chip Cookies), but can you really have too many recipes for chocolate chip cookies, much less boozy ones?? I don’t think so. This recipe is adapted from Joy the Baker’s…
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Devil’s Food Snack Cake
I’m not sure who first came up with the concept of a “Snack Cake”, but whoever it was was brilliant. It’s cake, but it’s just a “snack”. No big deal. It doesn’t have to be a special event like someone’s birthday or anything – it could just be a random Tuesday and you think, “gee, I’d like some cake”, so you make one. If you like the idea of having cake for no other reason than that you want cake, this Devil’s Food Snack Cake is for you. Now, you could definitely use this cake for a special occasion if you want. It’s rich, chocolatey and delicious, with a fluffy…
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola
Growing up, I always wanted the sugary cereal for breakfast. Cookie crisp especially. I mean, what kid doesn’t want to eat cookies for breakfast? (Or what adult, for that matter??) Unfortunately for my childhood self, my Mom insisted I eat the healthy cereal (Shredded Wheat, anyone?), and I rarely got to indulge in that sugary goodness. So, this Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola is my way of having my Cookie Crisp and eating it too. (Oh, and thanks Mom for trying to keep me healthy – love you!) If you’ve never made your own granola before, you may be surprised at how easy it is to do. If you can…
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Biscotti – A Cookie Made for Dunking
I’m a dunker. I love dunking a crispy cookie into a steaming cup of coffee (or better yet, espresso!). When I bake cookies and inevitably leave a batch in the oven too long, I don’t consider them ruined – they’re perfect for dunking. Are you a dunker? If so, you probably already love biscotti. But if you haven’t made your own at home yet, you’ll want to keep reading. Biscotti is one of my favorite treats to dunk. These crispy Italian cookies are sort of like the crouton of the dessert world. They’re supposed to be REALLY crunchy – to the point where it’s hard to bite into them without…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
