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Cranberry Crumble Bars
The holiday season is here, and that means it’s BAKING season! Each year, I make dozens and dozens of cookies to serve at holiday gatherings and give away as gifts to friends and family. And this year, I have a new goodie to add to my cookie tray and yours: Cranberry Crumble Bars! Cranberry Season’s New It-Girl When it comes to fall and winter baking, everyone talks about pumpkin and apples…but in my mind, cranberries are the real MVP. Their tartness brightens up any sweet treat, and their vivid red color makes your bakes so enticing. These bars pair plump, juicy cranberries with a buttery cardamom shortbread and an oat-pecan…
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Apple Crisp Cake
Annnd I’m back! Maybe you didn’t even notice I was gone, but it’s been nearly six months since I last posted a new recipe. I didn’t plan on such a long break, but here we are. Sometimes, when it comes to creative endeavors, you lose your inspiration and need to take a break to find it again. For months, I didn’t have any great new ideas and I just didn’t feel like baking…and when I tried to bake, nothing turned out the way I wanted it to. *sigh* But a few weeks ago, I woke up one morning with a recipe idea in my head, and I knew I just…
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Soft and Chewy Monster Cookies
Halloween is almost here and I’m so excited. I moved into my new house last February, so I finally have a porch to decorate. Plus, judging by the number of neighborhood kids running around, I think there’s a good chance I’ll actually have trick-or-treaters this year! And even though my first jack-o-lantern in decades ended up becoming squirrel food (if you’ve seen my Instagram stories, you’ve seen the results 🎃 🐿️), I’m not daunted. I picked up some more decorations and Halloween candy, and came up with this delishhh Soft and Chewy Monster Cookies recipe to drown my sorrows in. Soft, Chewy, Peanut Buttery…a Classic Monster Cookie I’m going to…
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Cherry and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
A while ago, someone I follow on Instagram posted a cookie they got at a bakery somewhere…and that cookie had oatmeal, cherries, and toffee in it. Now, I can’t remember for the life of me when that was, who posted it, or what bakery it was from, but that cookie got stuck in my brain and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, naturally, I had to make my own. That’s where these Cherry and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies came from. And if you think that flavor combo sounds as good as I do, you’re in the right place! A New Fall Favorite When we think of fall, the usual flavors…
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Northern Ginger Cookies
This week marks five years since I hit “publish” on my first blog post! When I started this blog, I honestly thought I might do it for a year or two. But five years in, I’m still loving it and have no intention of stopping. To celebrate five years of baking and blogging fun, I decided to create a signature cookie recipe: one that reflects not only the name of my blog, but also the cozy vibes of this beautiful place I call home (and some of my favorite flavors). Everyone give a warm welcome to Northern Ginger Cookies! A New Kind of Ginger Cookie Northern Ginger Cookies are soft…
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Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Halloween is over, so naturally I’ve started planning out what holiday cookies I’ll bake this year. Not that I’m ready for Christmas decorations, music, and movies yet…I’m a firm Christmas-starts-the-weekend-after-Thanksgiving person. In the meantime, I’ll be snacking on these Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies while I do my holiday cookie planning. The Ideal Cookie for the In-Between Season These chocolatey cookies straddle this in-between season perfectly. With warm fall spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and allspice), they’re perfect for both your Thanksgiving dessert table AND your holiday cookie tray! Or for, you know, snacking while holiday gift shopping. And while I’m a fan of all the traditional flavors of this season —…
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Toffee Apple Crisp
It finally feels like fall! We’ve got that crispy air going, sweaters on, leaves turning red, orange, and yellow…that means it’s time for all things APPLE. Apple pie, applesauce, apple cake, apple donuts…and, of course, apple crisp. This recipe is a slight twist on a classic apple crisp, with little bits of homemade toffee mixed into the crumble topping. Sound good? Let’s make some Toffee Apple Crisp! Classic Apple Crisp: Updated There’s not really much to an apple crisp. This classic, easy treat typically has a filling made of apples, white or brown sugar, cinnamon, and maybe a little flour and salt. That gets piled into a pan, and topped…
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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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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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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Helloooo fall baking season! From now through the end of the year is my FAVORITE time to bake. There are so many great flavors to play with! Right now we have apples, maple, caramel, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pumpkin. Then once the holiday season hits, we add in peppermint and a whole slew of other nostalgic flavors I look forward to all year. This pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe is one that I’ve had for years. It came to me in bread form from a previous roommate, but it’s been so long that I can’t remember who that was (if it was you, let me know!). I tweaked the recipe…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
