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Lighter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

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Super moist banana cake loaded with chocolate but not loaded with fat!

Super moist banana cake loaded with chocolate but not loaded with fat!

My mom has made some version of this banana cake at least once (usually more) a year every year for as long as I can remember.  Chocolate chip filled for a holiday, chipless and stacked with chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting for an amazing layer cake, and loaded with cinnamon and chocolate chips just for fun.  We even made the cake completely fat free a couple of times years ago.  While the fat free version wasn’t bad at all, it was always pretty dense.  Adding some fat back into the cake (only 4 ounces for this large dessert), helped keep a bit of lightness.  And thanks to the bananas, you don’t have to worry about any dryness.  Of course the chocolate finds itself throughout the cake in a way that you definitely feel like you are indulging.  Win win!

I see this as the perfect brunch cake (or Yom Kippur /Break the Fast for those observing).  The sweet moist cake and crackly top is packed with bananas.  So really, you are actually adding another fruit dish to your meal…. right?!?!?!

Lighter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake - so moist you won't miss the guilt;-)

Lighter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
 
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Super moist banana cake loaded with chocolate but not loaded with fat!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12-16
Ingredients
  • 113g (1/2 cup) fat free plain Greek yogurt
  • 10g (2 teaspoons) baking soda
  • 320g (~3 cups) cake flour
  • 2g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
  • 2 ½g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 122g (1/2 cup) unsweetened applesauce
  • 530g (1 pound 2 ¾ ounces) (~2 ½) cups granulated sugar
  • 200g (~4 large) whole eggs at room temperature
  • 20g (~1 large) egg whites at room temperature
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • 570g (~2½ cups) mashed very ripe bananas (~4 large bananas)
  • 245g grated or finely chopped chocolate
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan (you could also use a large bundt pan)
  2. In a small bowl, stir baking soda into Greek yogurt and let stand to dissolve
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, cinnamon and salt; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and applesauce on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy
  5. Add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula
  6. Add bananas and mix on low speed; add flour and mix again on low speed low speed just until combined
  7. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in Greek yogurt; fold in chocolate
  8. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean from the center; set pan aside on a wire rack and allow to cool for one hour
  9. When ready to remove cake from pans; run a knife around the edges of cake and then carefully pull the inside of the tube pan up to remove the cake (if you notice it is stuck at all, run your knife around the sides again, do not force); then run a knife underneath the cake and around center of tube and use your hands to gently lift cake and place on serving plate (again be careful not to force and make sure cake is completely cool)
  10. Best enjoyed within 24 hours; store leftovers tightly wrapped with seran
Notes
Adapted from the Har Zion Cookbook
Note: Entire cake can be frozen whole or in slices wrapped well with seran and foil up to one month; defrost at room temperature a few hours before serving
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Lighter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake - perfect for brunch dessert

 

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Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl

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Dense and fudgy pumpkin blondies with a rich caramelized white chocolate swirl. 

Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl - the best blondies for fall!

About a year ago, I absolutely fell in love with caramelized white chocolate.  Luscious, creamy, sweet, decadent; so many reasons to love it.  And thanks to that wonderful ingredient, these pumpkin cupcakes are one of my favorite recipes on the blog.  This time around, I’m taking one of my favorite things, a dense and fudgy blondie, and infusing it with those fantastic flavors.  The pumpkin blondies are enhanced with cinnamon and nutmeg but seriously, the caramelized white chocolate swirl is where it’s at.

Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl - dense and fudgy, SO good.

I know, I know, it might be a little early for pumpkin, but I made these blondies a couple of months ago and I didn’t think you would want to wait. Pumpkin makes me happy year-round, but I figured that September was the socially acceptable time to start sharing my pumpkin sweets on the blog.

Incredible Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl

Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl
 
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Dense and fudgy pumpkin blondies with a rich caramelized white chocolate swirl.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24 blondies
Ingredients
  • Caramelized white chocolate*:
  • 280g good quality white chocolate
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) sea salt
  • Blondies:
  • 700g (~3 cups firmly packed)
  • light brown sugar
  • 170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
  • 120g (½ cup) canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • 460g (~3 cups + 6 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
  • 5g salt (1 teaspoon)
  • 4g (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
  • 1g (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
  • 220g (~4 large) whole eggs at room temperature
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Prepare the caramelized white chocolate; pre-heat oven to 250 degrees and place wrack in center of oven
  2. Spread white chocolate evenly over a clean rimmed baking sheet
  3. Put in oven for ten minutes; remove pan and use a rubber spatula to stir and spread white chocolate
  4. Place in oven again and repeat for additional twenty to thirty (stirring every five to ten minutes) minutes or until white chocolate begins to darken into a light brown
  5. I recommend reducing the increments to five minutes towards the end of caramelizing to prevent burning
  6. When caramelized white chocolate is done, stir in sea salt; place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with seran wrap until ready to use
  7. Prepare the blondies; pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  8. Line a 13×9 pan with parchment paper; set aside
  9. In a medium heavy duty saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter and pumpkin over medium heat and stir constantly until melted into a thick golden brown mixture; set aside
  10. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside
  11. In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined
  12. Whisk brown sugar butter mixture into bowl with eggs and vanilla
  13. Slowly whisk in flour mixture just until combined
  14. Pour batter into prepared pan; drizzle caramelized white chocolate over batter and use the back of a knife to cut through and create a white chocolate swirl
  15. Bake for 38-42 minutes or until top begins to crack and a knife or toothpick comes out clean
  16. Allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing; wrap leftovers tightly in seran wrap or tin foil and enjoy within one week; can be frozen for up to one month
Notes
*Caramelized white chocolate can be prepared up to one week ahead of time. If needed, microwave for about fifteen seconds prior to drizzling over blondie batter
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Seriously Good Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl

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Peanut Butter S’mores Parfaits

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Mini dessert parfaits layered with graham cracker crumble, peanut butter marshmallow mousse, milk chocolate ganache and toasted marshmallows!

No-Bake Peanut Butter S’mores Parfaits - so much fun for summer entertaining!

I haven’t posted any s’mores recipes for you this summer, I was waiting until I had something extra special.  These little parfaits… they certainly are that!  Peanut butter and milk chocolate play starring rolls, but the other classic s’mores components are here and prominent.  There is marshmallow infused into the peanut butter mousse (gotta love marshmallow fluff!) and then toasted marshmallows top each adorable shot-glass dessert.

Peanut Butter S'mores Parfaits OMG

I couldn’t resist digging into one for… you know, the good of the photo shoot.  Ha, who am I kidding?  I just couldn’t resist.

Peanut Butter S'mores Parfaits OMG these are good

Peanut Butter S’mores Parfaits
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 dozen mini parfaits
Ingredients
  • Graham Cracker Crumble (recipe below)
  • Peanut Butter Marshmallow Mousse (recipe below)
  • Milk Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)
  • 28g (~1/2 cup) mini marshmallows
Instructions
  1. Put about one teaspoon of graham cracker crumble on the bottom of each shot glass
  2. Pipe peanut butter mousse into each parfait glass so that they are ⅓ of the way full (you can also use a spoon but I find that this helps for a “cleaner” look)
  3. Layer each parfait with about one teaspoon of chocolate ganache
  4. Repeat layers and top each parfait with mini marshmallows; chill in refrigerator until ready to eat
  5. When ready to serve, use a blow torch to gently char the marshmallows right before serving
Notes
You will need 12 tall shot glasses (alternatively, you can use four larger sized glasses of choice for full-sized desserts, just scale up the size of each layer when putting them together)
I recommend making the components below around the same time, the mousse can be made earlier in the day if needed
Parfaits are best enjoyed immediately but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and enjoyed for up to five days
If making for someone who is gluten-intolerant, make sure all ingredients are labeled “gluten-free”
Inspired by these No-Bake S’mores Cheesecakes
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Graham Cracker Crumble
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 85g (3/4 cups) finely ground graham cracker crumbs (~5 full sheets)
  • 42g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
  1. Stir together graham cracker crumbs and butter;  set aside until ready to use
Notes
Use gluten-free graham crackers if making gluten-free
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Peanut Butter Marshmallow Mousse
 
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Ingredients
  • 155g (~1/2 cup) creamy peanut butter, do not use a natural version
  • 70g (~1/3 cup) marshmallow fluff
  • 175 milliliters (3/4 cup) heavy whipping cream, cold
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine peanut butter and fluff on low to medium speed until well combined; set aside
  2. In a separate large bowl for the electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form (will take a few minutes); mix in the peanut butter mixture on medium speed until smooth and creamy
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Milk Chocolate Ganache
 
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Ingredients
  • 113g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 120 milliliters ( ½ cup) heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Place chocolate in a medium heat-safe bowl and set aside
  2. Pour cream into a medium heavy duty sauce-pan and place over medium heat; bring to boil and remove from heat immediately
  3. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes; whisk mixture until smooth; use before ganache is set and hard
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Peanut Butter S'mores Parfaits - they will disappear in minutes!

Blog, Recipes

Fudgy Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

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This ice cream sandwich recipe is perfect for summer entertaining!  The brownie and ice cream combination is one of my favorites.

Fudgy Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches - so much better than traditional ice cream sandwiches!

Since it is my 30th birthday, I thought I should share a recipe that includes one of my favorite things in the whole world… ice cream (hello, obvious).  These Fudgy Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches were no let down.  The brownie layers are thick, and are definitely the standout part of the sandwich.  The flavor and richness of them is the perfect balance to a light and creamy ice cream (I wouldn’t use a super premium heavy variety).  I used the Turkey Hill All Natural vanilla and chocolate to keep it classic, that brand is my current favorite super market option  (no weird ingredients and super creamy).

Fudgy Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches - so fun for parties

Wrapping the ice cream sandwiches in parchment paper and tying them with cute little ribbons makes them the perfect late summer party treat.  Or if you are me, this is an any time of year treat… You can even make them half the size if you are feeding kids.  Hello perfect birthday party dessert!

Fudgy Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches - great dessert for summer entertaining!

Fudgy Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
 
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This ice cream sandwich recipe is perfect for summer entertaining! The brownie and ice cream combination is one of my favorites.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 6 sandwiches
Ingredients
  • 90g (~2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 150g (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 72g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 155g unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 55g (~2 large) whole eggs at room temperature
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
  • 177g (~3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 78g (~1/3 cup tightly packed) light packed brown sugar
  • 3 cups ice cream of choice (I used vanilla on half and chocolate on the other half, the classics!)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper
  2. Whisk flour and salt in a medium bowl; set aside
  3. Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly
  4. Remove from heat and whisk in sugars
  5. Whisk in eggs, one at a time; whisk in vanilla
  6. Fold in flour mixture; do not overmix
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 18-20 min or until edges appear a little firm and knife comes out clean from center
  8. Allow to cool and then cover pan and freeze for 2 hours before preparing sandwiches
  9. Once chilled, cut brownie in half horizontally
  10. Turn one half of brownie upside down on a large piece of foil on top of a cutting board
  11. Note: for following steps move quickly to avoid your ice cream melting too much
  12. Spread a layer about ½ – 1 inch thick of ice cream; top with other half of brownie and press down to flatten evenly; you will want to do this
  13. With a sharp knife, cut into sandwiches (cut once in half across and then in thirds in the other direction) but do NOT separate
  14. Wrap tightly with foil and place in freezer at least one hour before serving
  15. While sandwiches are freezing, cut parchment paper into pieces that are about 8 x 5 inches inches
  16. Wrap sandwiches with parchment prior to serving to keep them together and avoid major dripping
Notes
You will need several hours of freezing brownie and sandwiches for best results
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Fudgy Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches - NEED

 

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Vanilla Bean Bourbon Nectarine Bundt Cake (with vanilla bean caramel drizzle)

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The summer’s best nectarines are cooked with vanilla bean and bourbon then folded into a delicious cake batter.  Of course the vanilla bean caramel sauce doesn’t hurt!

Vanilla Bean Bourbon Nectarine Bundt Cake (with vanilla bean caramel drizzle)

Summer’s stone fruits are really peaking where we are.  I’ve had some super delicious peaches and nectarines in the last few weeks… I just can’t get enough of them.  As with any fruit I love, I stock up and then have a million ripen at once.  Earlier this summer I solved that issue with muffins, and then a few weeks ago I made this really delicious bundt cake.  The cake is full of super sweet ripe nectarines, but peaches would work just as well.  The caramel sauce poured generously over the top seals the deal.  I actually was on the verge of burning my caramel and that extra darkness really happened to work with this cake.  Between the vanilla bean, the bit of bourbon and the juicy flavorful summer fruit, this cake is a real win.

The summer’s best nectarines are cooked with vanilla bean and bourbon then folded into a delicious cake batter. Of course the vanilla bean caramel sauce doesn’t hurt!

 

Vanilla Bean Bourbon Nectarine Bundt Cake (with vanilla bean caramel drizzle)
 
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The summer’s best nectarines are cooked with vanilla bean and bourbon then folded into a delicious cake batter. Of course the vanilla bean caramel sauce doesn’t hurt!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 16 – 20
Ingredients
  • For the nectarines:
  • 60 milliliters (¼ cup) bourbon
  • 1 whole vanilla bean (Madagascar bourbon if you have them!)
  • 14g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 14g (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 680g (~5) ripe but still firm nectarines (567g (4 cups) chopped; peeling optional)
  • For the cake:
  • 395g (~3 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 3g (1/2 tablespoon) ground cinnamon
  • 2g (1 teaspoon) nutmeg
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) salt
  • 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 80 milliliters (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
  • 235g (~1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar)
  • 105g (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 150g (~3 large) whole eggs at room temperature
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease and flour a 12 or 14 cup bundt pan; set aside
  3. Pour the bourbon into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat; bring to a boil for one minute; reduce the heat to medium; add the inside of vanilla bean (do not discard pod), butter and sugar; cook and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved
  4. Add pod from vanilla bean and nectarine; let cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until nectarines are softened and most of liquid has evaporated
  5. Remove from heat and set aside; discard vanilla bean pod
  6. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside
  7. In the large mixing bowl of an electric mixer beat together the butter, oil, sugars and eggs for 3 minutes on low to medium speed; add vanilla extract and mix until combined
  8. Scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula and carefully add the dry ingredients while mixer is on low speed just until combined
  9. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the cooked nectarines; do not overmix
  10. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 44-48 minutes, or until cake is lightly browned and a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean
  11. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack; set aside to cool while preparing caramel
Notes
Adapted from this Apple Bundt Cake
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Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • 160g (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • ½ vanilla bean (Madagascar bourbon if you have them!)
  • 45 milliliters (3 tablespoons) water
  • 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) heavy whipping cream
  • 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) milk, any type
  • 2½g (1/2 teaspoon) sea salt
Instructions
  1. In a heavy duty saucepan, combine granulated sugar, seeds scraped from vanilla bean, and water
  2. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved
  3. Continue to cook for a few minutes until caramel reaches a deep amber (do not stir)
  4. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in heavy cream
  5. Stir in milk and sea salt
  6. Drizzle liberally over apple cake or refrigerate until ready to serve
  7. Make ahead tip:
  8. Caramel sauce can be made up to one week ahead of time.  Heat it gently over the stove or in microwave just prior to pouring over cake and serving
  9. Cake best enjoyed within 24 hours of baking
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Vanilla Bean BOURBON Nectarine Bundt Cake - hello!

 

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Ginger and Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Chewy ginger cookies sandwiched with homemade creamy lemon ice cream make amazing ice cream sandwiches!

Chewy ginger cookies sandwiched with homemade creamy lemon ice cream make amazing ice cream sandwiches!

I sure hope you listened to me on Monday and got your lemon ice cream ready!  If so, time to whip up these chewy ginger cookies and prepare for ice cream sandwich heaven.  If not, get to the ice cream stat.  Lucky for you it’s easy to make, you just need to be patient during the freezing time.

Amazing Ginger and Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches

 

Anyway, I’m pretty obsessed with these sandwiches.  The ginger cookies are chewy, even after freezing, and just so delicious.  If you eat a few while making the ice cream sandwiches, I won’t tell anyone.  Just don’t mistake them for a traditional gingersnap.  These are more like a brown sugar cookie with a nice ginger flavor.  No overpowering ginger to be found.

Ginger and Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 16 ice cream sandwiches
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pair cookies so that they are closely matching in size; turn one cookie from each pair upside down
  2. Place a scoop of ice cream (about ⅓ cup) on top of an upside down cookie; press matching cookie down to form an ice cream sandwich; repeat with a few ice cream sandwiches and then place in in the freezer (in a ziplock bag or tupperware) while making remaining ice cream sandwiches; repeat until finished
  3. Store ice cream sandwiches in a ziplock bag or airtight container in freezer up to one month; keep frozen until serving
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Chewy Ginger Cookies
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 32 cookies for 16 ice cream sandwiches
Ingredients
  • 260g (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 7 ½g (1 ½ teaspoons) salt
  • 2g (1 teaspoon) ground ginger
  • 2 ½g (½ teaspoon) baking soda
  • 170g (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 350g (~1½ cup packed) light brown sugar
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) minced ginger
  • 100g (2 large) whole eggs
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Whisk together flour, salt, ginger and baking soda; set aside
  2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and minced ginger on medium-high speed until light and well mixed; scrape sides of bowl
  3. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well; scrape sides of bowl
  4. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined (do not overmix)
  5. Chill dough for 2 – 24 hours
  6. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
  7. Use a medium cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to make cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (about 1½ tablespoons each) about 2 inches apart from one another
  8. Bake 13-14 minutes or until cookies are set on top and very lightly brown around the edges
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Chewy Ginger Cookies + Homemade Lemon Ice Cream!!!

 

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Creamy and Refreshing Lemon Ice Cream (No Churn)

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Another ice cream recipe that doesn’t require an ice cream maker!  This Lemon Ice Cream is super creamy and quite refreshing, a wonderful summer treat!

Creamy and Refreshing Lemon Ice Cream (No Churn)

Sometimes when I enjoy a lemon dessert, I feel like a traitor to my former self.  I was so sworn against lemon anything forever and now I feel like such a hypocrite.  But you know what, I’ll get over that, because now is the time to embrace new tastes and delicious, refreshing summer flavors.

Super Creamy Lemon Ice Cream - no eggs, no ice cream maker... so easy!

That isn’t to say that I’m not ultra picky about lemon sweets (even more picky than I am about all sweets, hard to believe).  Lemon bars still kind of gross me out, as does lemon meringue pie.  But when lemon desserts are done right, they can be quite delicious.  Not too sweet and not too tart are the most important factors.  And then there is texture.  This ice cream for example, has just enough lemon flavor to make it a refreshing treat, but it is also ultra creamy and has the potential to fulfill all of your ice cream loving needs.  Have a small scoop on a hot night or use it in an ice cream sundae.  This blueberry sauce would probably be perfect for that.  If you are really smart, you will make this ice cream right now so it’s ready for my recipe that’s coming on Thursday.  Hint, hint!

This Lemon Ice Cream is SO good and SO easy to make!

5.0 from 3 reviews
No Churn Lemon Ice Cream
 
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Another ice cream recipe that doesn’t require an ice cream maker! This Lemon Ice Cream is super creamy and quite refreshing, a wonderful summer treat!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1½ quarts
Ingredients
  • (2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6g (~2 tablespoons) lemon zest (from ~2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from ~1 lemon)
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
  2. While whipping cream, in a separate large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice
  3. Once cream is ready, fold it into sweetened condensed milk mixture
  4. Pour ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container
  5. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight before serving
Notes
Base from Martha Stewart
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I can't wait to make this Lemon Ice Cream again, especially since you don't need an ice cream maker

 

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

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Perfect fluffy vanilla cupcakes stuffed with a homemade blackberry jam filling and topped with creamy peanut butter frosting.  These peanut butter and jelly cupcakes would be perfect for a summer potluck!

These are the BEST Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes I've had!

Lately it feels like the productive hours in my day are decreasing on a regular basis.  I’m not knocked out tired like I was in my first trimester, but I’m definitely feeling some new afternoon exhaustion creep in.  I guess lugging around a growing baby and somewhere around 20 extra pounds in front of my body will do that to you!  It’s a little annoying because I still have a lot I’d like to do in the next couple of months, but I’m learning to work around the exhaustion and do what I can.  Namely that means being as productive as possible during the first six or seven hours of my day.  Because come 2pm, it’s a very good day if I am still on my feet and getting things done.  I try to push myself to do some dinner prep a bit later in the afternoon, but that second wind doesn’t always come through.

Homemade Blackberry Chia Jam for the BEST PB&J Cupcakes!

Anyway, it’s a good thing I still have enough energy to get a couple of baking projects done in the mornings!  These cupcakes are definitely not the simplest of desserts, but when you separate all the components and make one of the three ahead of time (the jelly), they really aren’t too bad.  And when you have a dessert come out like these peanut butter and jelly cupcakes did (read: seriously delicious), the extra bit of work and time is very much worth it.  The moist vanilla cupcakes are stuffed with a homemade blackberry jam and topped with a hefty serving of peanut butter buttercream.  I dare you to resist.

Fluffy PB&J Cupcakes with serious peanut butter frosting AND homemade jam!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
 
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Perfect fluffy vanilla cupcakes stuffed with a homemade blackberry jam filling and topped with creamy peanut butter frosting. These peanut butter and jelly cupcakes would be perfect for a summer potluck!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
  • 1 batch Vanilla Cupcakes (recipe below), cooled
  • ¼-1/2 cup jelly or jam of choice (recipe for homemade Blackberry Chia Jam below), cooled
  • 1 batch Peanut Butter Buttercream (recipe below)
Instructions
  1. Prepare jam and chill in refrigerator as directed below
  2. Bake cupcakes as directed below; allow to cool for one hour
  3. When cupcakes are completely cool, use a small paring knife to cut about one teaspoon out of top center of cupcake
  4. Fill whole of cupcake with a teaspoon jam and repeat with remaining cupcakes (refer to this blog post on stuffing cupcakes for tips and photos)
  5. Prepare Peanut Butter Buttercream as directed below; pipe or spread buttercream over stuffed cupcakes
  6. Store cupcakes in a covered container in refrigerator up to three days (best within 24 hours of making); bring to room temperature before serving
Notes
I recommend making the jam up to one week in advance and cupcakes one day prior to putting everything together and serving.
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Vanilla Cupcakes
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) milk, at room temperature separated (skim, low fat or whole will work)
  • 60g (~2 large) egg whites, at room temperature
  • 20g (~1 large) egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) pure vanilla extract
  • 175g (~1½ cups) cake flour, sifted
  • 150g (~3/4 cups) granulated sugar
  • 10g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
  • 3g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 43g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 43g (3 tablespoons) vegetable shortening
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour two regular sized cupcake tins OR fill them with cupcake liners; set aside
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg whites, egg yolk, 2 tablespoons of milk and vanilla; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the sifted flour, sugar, vanilla bean, baking powder and salt together on low speed for just 30 seconds
  4. Add the butter and shortening; mix on low speed for 30 seconds; add remaining milk and mix again on low speed until just moistened, about 30 seconds
  5. Increase mixer to medium speed and beat for 1½ minutes
  6. Scrape the sides of the bowl add the egg/milk mixture in 2 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition; do not overmix
  7. Pour batter evenly into cupcake tins (about ⅔ the way full for each cupcake); I like to use a large cookie dough scoop or small ladle
  8. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean; set aside to cool before filling and frosting
Notes
Slightly adapted from Sweetapolita
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Backberry Jam Filling
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1½ cups
Ingredients
  • 460g (~4 cups) fresh or frozen blackberries
  • 45 milliliters (3 tablespoons) real maple syrup
  • 20g (2 tablespoons) chia seeds
  • 2 milliliters (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a medium heavy duty pot, place blackberries and maple syrup over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until berries soften
  2. Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash about ⅔ of the blackberries; stir in the chia seeds
  3. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally for about fifteen minutes or until jam is thickened to desired consistency
  4. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and vanilla
  5. Store jam in an airtight container in refrigerator up to two weeks
Notes
Source: Two Peas and Their Pod
This jam is very seedy from the fresh blackberries. If you prefer something different you can buy a seedless jam to use for the filling instead.
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Peanut Butter Buttercream
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 85g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
  • 485g (1¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) creamy peanut butter (do not use natural)
  • 120g (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Beat butter until light and creamy; beat in peanut butter until creamy and smooth
  2. Mix in confectioners’ sugar on low speed just until combined and then beat for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy
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PB&J Cupcakes with everything made from scratch, OMG

 

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No Bake Blueberry Pie

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No need to turn on the oven for this pie!  The no-bake pie includes a thick graham cracker crust, luscious cream cheese layer and homemade blueberry pie filling.

No-Bake Blueberry Pie - such a great way to enjoy pie in the summer!

I don’t really think of myself as a pie person.  My sister?  She loves pie.  My dad, too.  I like pies a lot, but don’t get all that excited about them too often.  However, I have a history with this blueberry pie (it pretty much blows every other pie out of the water).  This summer I decided to make a no-bake version.  It simplifies things and adds a nice item to the “don’t-have-to-turn-on-your-oven” repertoire.  Traditional pie crust fans, I’m sorry.  But to the rest of us who are all about the filling anyway, the graham cracker crust is still a great compliment to this perfect specimen of a fruit filling.

No-Bake Blueberry Pie - 3 delicious layers and the filling is perfection

No Bake Blueberry Pie
 
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No need to turn on the oven for this pie! The no-bake pie includes a thick graham cracker crust, luscious cream cheese layer and homemade blueberry pie filling.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
  • 180g (1 ½ cups) finely ground graham cracker crumbs (10-11 full sheets)
  • 55g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 85g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Cream Cheese Layer
  • 113g light or regular cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 41g (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) heavy cream
  • 2 milliliters (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract
Blueberry Pie Filling
  • 165g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 25g (3 tablespoons) cornstarch
  • 1g (1/4 teaspoon) salt
  • 570g (4 cups) blueberries, separated in half (if you can, group the best looking blueberries together, you will want to cook the blueberries that aren’t “perfect”)
  • 60 milliliters (¼ cup) water
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice (from ~1/2 lemon)
  • 14g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Prepare pie crust; in a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter
  2. Press crust ingredients down with your hands into a 9-inch pie plate
  3. Place crust in refrigerator and make cream cheese layer and filling
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer use whisk attachment to combine ingredients until creamy, light and smooth; set aside and prepare blueberry pie filling
  5. In a medium heavy duty pot, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt; add half of the blueberries and water
  6. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until blueberry mixture turns thickens and turns a very dark purple; this will take several minutes
  7. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and butter
  8. Fold in remaining blueberries
  9. Assemble the pie; remove crust from refrigerator and spread cream cheese layer evenly over top; gently spread blueberry filling into pie, making sure to keep cream cheese layer intact
  10. Chill in refrigerator at least one hour before serving and store leftovers in refrigerator; serve at room temperature
Notes
Slightly adapted from this pie which I blogged about here
Crust can be made up to 24 hours before filling, just cover it in seran and keep refrigerated
Pie should be enjoyed within three days of making
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No-Bake Blueberry Pie - perfect for the amazing summer blueberries

 

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No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Salty Candied Peanuts

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Creamy chocolate ice cream filled with crunchy sweet and salty candied peanuts.  No ice cream maker needed!

No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Salty Candied Peanuts - the ice cream is SO creamy

I was hesitant to make an ice cream that Matt wouldn’t like (ahem, peanut hater), but ultimately I couldn’t resist.  Besides, he’d choose a vanilla base any day while I am a sucker for chocolate.  Especially when that chocolate has something fun in it.  These crunchy chunks of candied peanuts are the perfect compliment to the creamy chocolate base.  Again, this ice cream is so easy to make.  It’s joining my ever-growing list of no-churn obsessions.

No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Salty Candied Peanuts - love that you don't need an ice cream maker

No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Salty Candied Peanuts
 
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Creamy chocolate ice cream filled with crunchy sweet and salty candied peanuts. No ice cream maker needed!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~1½ quarts
Ingredients
  • 473 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
  • 50g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder (any kind will work, I used a lighter cocoa powder for a more milk-chocolatey flavor)
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • 1¼ cups Salty Candied Peanuts (recipe below)
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, cocoa and vanilla; mixture will be very thick; set aside
  2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
  3. Once cream is ready, gently fold ⅓ of it into sweetened condensed milk mixture; gently fold in remaining cream until fully combined; fold in candied peanuts
  4. Pour ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container; wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight
Notes
Base from Martha Stewart
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Salty Candied Peanuts
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 2½ cups
Ingredients
  • 150g (1 cup) chopped peanuts, roasted and unsalted
  • 110g (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 20 milliliters 4 teaspoons water
  • 2½g (1/2 teaspoon) table or kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
  2. Cook peanuts, sugar and water in a small heavy duty sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring regularly until sugar begins to caramelize
  3. When mixture begins to bubble, stir quickly until sugar is completely crystalized (it will appear very sandy and dry), about 3 minutes
  4. Continue to cook while stirring constantly until sugar re-melts and turns a dark golden brown (~3 minutes); be careful not to burn
  5. Remove from heat and stir in salt
  6. Spread nuts out onto prepared baking sheet and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes; break peanuts up into small chunks and place in an airtight container until ready to use (up to two weeks)
Notes
From Baking Bites
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I hope you aren’t sick of the ice cream recipes yet…

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(Fresh) Blueberry White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies

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Chewy brown butter cookies with the perfect crispy edge are filled with fresh blueberries and white chocolate chips.

(Fresh) Blueberry White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies - the cookie of the summer!

When Matt told me we were going to a barbecue with his co-workers, I knew I had to bring my baking A-game.  They’ve actually all been eating my desserts for years, but I didn’t want to let them down when I met some of them for the first time.  A cookie made with brown butter is a surefire crowd-pleaser, and I figured that blueberries would be the perfect way to make them a special summer treat.  My cookie with fresh blueberry obsession started a couple of years ago and I love that most people are still impressed with the element of fresh fruit in a cookie.  This version was inspired by this winter cookie I made for the holidays.

If Matt gets a promotion any time soon, I’ll be taking full credit;-)  The blueberry pie I brought will be on the blog next week!

(Fresh) Blueberry White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies - sweet, chewy, crispy edges, everything you could want in a cookie!

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(Fresh) Blueberry White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies
 
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Chewy brown butter cookies with the perfect crispy edge are filled with fresh blueberries and white chocolate chips.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 30 large cookies
Ingredients
  • 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 310g (~1⅓ cups packed) light brown sugar
  • 110g (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 100g (2 large) whole eggs at room temperature
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
  • 400g (~3 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 5g (1 teaspoons) baking soda
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) salt
  • 227g (~1 cup) white chocolate chips
  • 210g (~1½ cups) fresh blueberries, washed and dried
Instructions
  1. Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and set aside to cool
  2. Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with sugars; beat on high speed until well combined
  3. Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well combined
  4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix
  5. Slowly stir in white chocolate chips; remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in blueberries
  6. Chill dough for 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking
  7. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  8. Scoop cookie dough with large cookie dough scoop (~3 tablespoons) on to prepared baking sheets (note it is normal for cookie dough to be very hard, you can let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes prior to scooping); be careful not to pack dough too tightly as to avoid crushing blueberries before baking
  9. Bake cookies until firm: 17-19 minutes or until edges are golden brown and blueberries have popped
  10. Allow to cool before serving; best enjoyed within 24 hours or frozen until a few hours before ready to eat
Notes
Adapted from my (Fresh) Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Brown Butter Cookies
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(Fresh) Blueberry White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies - basically cookie perfection

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream (No Churn)

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Super creamy pumpkin ice cream with a cinnamon brown sugar swirl.  No ice cream maker needed for this recipe!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream - you don't need an ice cream maker for this!

It was so much fun reconnecting with my best friends from childhood this weekend.  I was only with them for one night but we had such a good time.  We had dinner at Amada and then a few of us were up talking for a couple of hours in the room.  I stayed up to the record hour of 1am (well, I didn’t really sleep much so it was practically an all-nighter for me).  Only someone you know from the age of seven can get away with trying to wake up a baby in your belly.  Ha!  And only someone you’ve been best friends with since fourth grade knows that all you want after a night out is to get back to the room, change into PJs and have the options of many snacks.

Super Creamy Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream

But this ice cream… I made it a few weeks ago, shared a little bit, and then ate most of it myself.  Matt doesn’t love pumpkin but did admit that it was pretty darn good.  Pretty darn good is an understatement.  The flavor was fantastic, the texture was so creamy and the cinnamon bun swirl… well, what do you think?!  Make this immediately so that you can enjoy it later.  Trust me.

NO CHURN Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream - so many good things in one place

Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream (No Churn)
 
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Super creamy pumpkin ice cream with a cinnamon brown sugar swirl. No ice cream maker needed for this recipe!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~1½ quarts
Ingredients
  • 475 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
  • 160g (2/3 cup) canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
  • 2g (3/4 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
  • ½g (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
  • 120g (~1/2 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • 6g (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
  2. While whipping cream, in a separate large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg
  3. In a separate small bowl, combine brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon; set aside
  4. Once cream is ready, fold it into sweetened condensed milk mixture
  5. Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan and drop half of brown sugar mixture over top; top with remaining ice cream and top with remaining brown sugar mixture; wrap well with seran wrap or tin foil
  6. Freeze for 10 hours or overnight before serving
Notes
Base from Martha Stewart
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Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream - incredible and no ice cream maker needed

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Margarita Birthday Cake

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This citrusy layer cake is flavored with lime zest and the frosting is made with tequila, cheers!

Margarita Layer Cake - there is even tequila in the frosting;-)

A few weeks ago, my friend’s husband threw her a fabulous 30th birthday party.  There were chefs cooking Mexican food, plenty of drinks to go around, do-it-yourself ice cream sandwiches and finally this margarita cake.  For my friend that loves all things Mexican food and all margaritas, I couldn’t think of a better birthday cake to finish off the event.  These cake layers are light and citrusy, flavored with a bit of lime zest, and the frosting has just the right amount of tequila to satisfy any margarita lover.

I didn’t get a photo of the inside of the cake since I didn’t want to slice it ahead of time, but everyone who had a slice loved it.  This is such a fun celebration cake during the summer.  I’ll definitely be making it again.

Margarita Birthday Cake - the prefect summer celebration cake

Margarita Birthday Cake
 
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This citrusy layer cake is flavored with lime zest and the frosting is made with tequila, cheers!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 2-layer 9-inch cake; serves 12
Ingredients
Margarita Cake Layers
  • 240 milliliters (1 cup) milk, at room temperature separated (skim, low fat or whole will work)
  • 120g (~4 large) egg whites, at room temperature
  • 50g (~1 large) whole egg, at room temperature
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) pure vanilla extract
  • 300g (~1-1/2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lime zest (~2 limes)
  • 350g  (~3 cups) cake flour, sifted
  • 9½g (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) baking powder
  • 5g (3/4 teaspoon) salt
  • 85g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 85g (6 tablespoons) vegetable shortening
Margarita Frosting
  • 312g ( 2¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 113g regular or light cream cheese
  • 400g (~2½ cups) powdered sugar
  • 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) tequila
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest (~lime)
  • 1g (1/4 teaspoon) salt
Instructions
Margarita Cake Layers
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease and flour two  9-inch round pans and line bottoms with parchment paper
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg whites, whole egg, ¼ cup of milk and vanilla; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer use your fingers to rub the lime zest into the granulated sugar, this will help to release the flavor from the zest; then, with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar / lime zest, sifted flour, baking powder and salt together on low speed for just 30 seconds
  5. Add the butter and shortening; mix on low speed for 30 seconds; add remaining milk and mix again on low speed until just moistened, about 30 seconds
  6. Increase mixer to medium speed and beat for 1½ minutes
  7. Scrape the sides of the bowl add the egg/milk mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition; do not overmix
  8. Divide the batter into prepared baking pans; bake for 29-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of each layer
  9. Set cake layers aside to cool for 10 minutes then carefully remove each layer from pans; run a knife around the edge of each layer for easier removal
  10. Once cake layers are completely cooled, use a serrated knife to carefully cut each layer in half horizontally, creating 4 cake layers; set aside and make buttercreams
Margarita Frosting
  1. Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed or until light and creamy
  2. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix on low speed for one minute; add additional cup and mix on low for one minute again; add remaining sugar, tequila, lime zest and salt
  3. Mix on low speed for one minute and then scrape the sides of the bowl; beat on high speed for several minutes or until buttercream is light and fluffy
Notes
Adapted from this vanilla bean cake
Cake best served within 24 hours; store leftovers tightly covered with seran wrap to avoid drying up to three days
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Margarita Layer Cake - the prefect summer birthday cake

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Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple

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This healthy version of ice cream is naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Healthy Banana Ice Cream full of Chocolate Fudge Chunks!

I’ve got another ice cream recipe for you that doesn’t require an ice cream maker!  Although, this one is a little different.  When I was in the midst of a baking rampage a few weeks ago, Matt asked if I could try to make something healthy.  Well, wish granted!  This isn’t your typical ice cream, and I’m not going to lie, it’s not as creamy as the fat-filled regular version.  But when you want a sweet frozen treat that is on the healthier side, this banana ice cream is perfect.

I’m not the first person to make banana ice cream in a blender, I’ve seen it done about four million times before.  But for my purposes, I wanted a flavor that felt a little more indulgent and didn’t leave my sweet tooth and cravings completely unsatisfied.  The fudge ripple and chocolate chunks through definitely do the trick!

Healthy Banana Ice Cream loaded with chocolate, no ice cream maker needed!

 

2.0 from 1 reviews
Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple
 
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Fudge Ripple Makes ½ cup Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~3/4 quart (3-6 servings)
Ingredients
  • 610g (~4 large) frozen bananas, sliced
  • 60 milliliters (1/4 cup) almond milk
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
  • 65g dark chocolate, chopped (check to make sure dairy-free if Vegan)
  • ¼ cup chocolate ripple (see below)
Instructions
  1. In a high-speed blender (I used a Vitamix) combine frozen bananas, almond milk and vanilla for several minutes or until completely combined; should be the consistency of soft serve yogurt
  2. Fold in chopped chocolate and pour into a regular sized loaf pan
  3. Drizzle with fudge ripple; cover with seran wrap or tin foil and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving
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Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple
 
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Fudge Ripple Makes ½ cup Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ½ cup
Ingredients
  • 50g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 50 milliliters (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) light corn syrup
  • 60 milliliters (1/4 cup) water
  • 25g (~1/4 cup) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
  • 1 milliliter (1/4 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water and cocoa powder; whisk constantly until mixture comes to a low boil
  2. Cook for one additional minute, still whisking and then remove from heat
  3. Stir in vanilla
  4. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour or until ready to use (up to two weeks)
Notes
Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious
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Vegan Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple and Chocolate Chunks!

No guilt necessary!

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cake

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This is the best cookie cake that I’ve ever had.  It has a a chewy center, crispy edges and a wonderful brown butter flavor.

The BEST Cookie Cake! Chewy center, crispy edges and a wonderful brown butter flavor!

I’m turning 30 this year.  And actually, August 21st isn’t that far away.  How I feel about the age is a story for another post, but what I want for dessert on my birthday is always on my mind.  I have a few celebrations to plan with family and friends but the first thing that I thought about was what sweet treat each of those celebrations will involve.

The BEST Cookie Cake! Perfect for a party... and there is brown butter!

Growing up, I detested birthday cake.  And even now, it has to be a really good birthday cake to win me over.  Homemade layer cakes are  a different story but even as a kid they weren’t my first choice.  In fact most birthdays involved brownies, ice cream pie or a cookie cake (or all of the above).  My poor buttercream loving mom couldn’t win.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a cookie cake, but I imagine that the basic Mrs. Field’s type wouldn’t really appeal to me today.  For good or for bad, I’ve become a complete dessert snob when it comes to flavor.  Sweet is not a flavor and that’s pretty much what you get with any standard bakery item.  So I figured the basic cookie cake was due for an upgrade.  A brown butter upgrade to be exact.  Chewy center, crispy edges and that nutty caramel-y brown butter flavor.  Next time I’ll sprinkle some flaky sea salt over top and really be in grown-up cookie cake heaven.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cake
 
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This is the best cookie cake that I’ve ever had. It has a a chewy center, crispy edges and a wonderful brown butter flavor.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 50g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 155g (~2/3 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 55g (1 large) egg at room temperature
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
  • 190g (~1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 4g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 3g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 170g (~1½ cup) dark chocolate chunks
  • Buttercream and sprinkles for decorating (optional)
Instructions
  1. Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy duty saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and set aside to cool
  2. Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with sugars; beat on high speed until well combined
  3. Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well mixed
  4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix
  5. Slowly stir in chocolate chunks
  6. Spread dough evenly into an 11-inch tart pan; chill 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking
  7. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
  8. Bake cookie cake until firm: 18-22 minutes or until edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from center
  9. Allow to cool before serving frosting and serving
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This Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cake was amazing!

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No Churn Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

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This easy no-churn Vanilla bean ice cream is full of Oreo chunks and a delicious ribbon of fudge.

No Churn Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream - vanilla beam ice cream, loaded with oreos and homemade fudge

Other than the part where my tripod fell over and knocked my camera directly into the ice cream, I loved this.  After a slight moment of panic, I gently wiped the mess off of my lens and then used some windex on a soft cloth.  Phew!  So even though I’m not completely thrilled with the resulting photos, I think they will suffice because this ice cream is so good it shouldn’t even matter what it looks like.  Besides, I couldn’t wait another 24 hours for a new photo shoot, this ice cream needed to be eaten (Matt could barely wait the first night for the freezing process!).

No Churn Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream - make it easily without an ice cream maker!

This has officially become the summer of “how much ice cream can I possibly eat?”  This is only the third ice cream I’ve made, but I’ve been enjoying my fair share of store bought and specialty shop ice creams as well.  And I don’t know if there will be an official ice cream tour this summer, but I do have a few new places that I’m dying to try.  So between the collection of other flavors floating through my head and all of the above, this summer is already one of my favorites.  <—– I wonder how I’ll feel about that statement at the end of Summer when I’m 8 months pregnant and huge.

Anyway, I digress, back to this  Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream.  Matt had originally requested Cookies and Cream, but I didn’t want to do an old standard, hence the addition of a fudge ripple.  It is just enough to really satisfy a chocolate craving but doesn’t take over the entire ice cream flavor.  That’s a very good thing because the vanilla base is vanilla bean all the way.  Those two factors plus the big Oreo cookie chunks… this is an ice cream that is worth waiting for (even if six hours does feel forever).

No Churn Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream - no ice cream maker needed, one of the best flavors ever

No Churn Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream
 
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This easy no-churn Vanilla bean ice cream is full of Oreo chunks and a delicious ribbon of fudge.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~1½ quarts
Ingredients
  • 475 milliliters ( 2 cups) heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
  • Inside of one vanilla bean
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • 110g (~1 cup) roughly chopped Oreos (about 10 cookies)
  • 1 recipe for fudge ripple, chilled (see below)
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
  2. While whipping cream, in a separate large bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla bean, vanilla extract and Oreos
  3. Once cream is ready, fold it into sweetened condensed milk mixture
  4. Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan; drizzle with half of fudge ripple and carefully use a knife to cut through the fudge for a light swirl effect; repeat with remaining ice cream mixture and fudge ripple
  5. Wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight
Notes
Base from Martha Stewart
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Fudge Ripple
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ½ cup
Ingredients
  • 50g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 40 milliliters (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) light corn syrup
  • 60 milliliters (1/4 cup) water
  • 25g (~1/4 cup) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
  • 1 milliliter (1/4 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water and cocoa powder; whisk constantly until mixture comes to a low boil
  2. Cook for one additional minute, still whisking and then remove from heat
  3. Stir in vanilla
  4. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour or until ready to use (up to two weeks)
Notes
Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious
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Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream - you don't even need an ice cream maker!!

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New York Crumb Cake Ice Cream

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No-churn vanilla ice cream filled with the best coffee cake crumb topping and brown sugar cinnamon swirls.  You don’t need an ice cream maker to make this fantastic recipe!

No-churn vanilla ice cream filled with the best coffee cake crumb topping and brown sugar cinnamon swirls.,

I’ve talked a little about how my eating has changed since I’ve been pregnant.  It is so liberating to be able to enjoy food and worry less about the calories, more about what I’m putting into my body.  Not that ice cream and the myriad of other desserts I’ve enjoyed are the healthiest things to consume, but really truly enjoying them without guilt about exactly how many calories is in any single bite is quite freeing.  For example, I used to be pretty “strict” when getting frozen yogurt.  I often stuck with things like fruit and graham cracker crumbs because I knew they were the least caloric of the toppings.  Obviously frozen yogurt was still a treat, but the way I did it, there was a hard limit.  Now, I don’t go too crazy, but I’ve definitely been more liberal when it comes to the toppings bar.  Peanut butter sauce? It’s a must.  Heath bar?  Almost always.  And one of my new favorites?  The coffee cake crumb topping that they have at 16 Handles.  I mean, it’s pure butter and sugar, how could it possibly be bad?

New York Crumb Cake Ice Cream - huge chunks of crumb topping in the ice cream!

Well, if I can enjoy coffee cake crumbs on my fro yo, why can’t I take things one step further and really enjoy them in my ice cream?  Let’s just say this was a very good move.  Vanilla ice cream + LOTS of crumb topping + cinnamon brown sugar swirl = some sort of heaven.  Again, I’m going with an easy no-churn (aka NO ice cream maker needed) approach.  Your patience for allowing the ice cream for freezing will be rewarded, I promise.

NO ice cream maker needed!! NY Crumb Cake Ice Cream - amazing!

 

New York Crumb Cake Ice Cream
 
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No-churn vanilla ice cream filled with the best coffee cake crumb topping and brown sugar cinnamon swirls. You don’t need an ice cream maker to make this fantastic recipe!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~1½ quarts
Ingredients
Crumb topping:
  • 60g (~1/4 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • ½g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
  • ½g (1/4 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
  • 42g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • 60g (~6 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
Ice Cream:
  • 475 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 120g (~1/2 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 28g (2 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted
  • 6g (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make the crumb topping
  1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees; line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, salt and cinnamon; whisk in melted butter
  3. Stir in flour until it is completely absorbed; Spread topping mix out on a parchment paper using your fingers to break it into clumps
  4. Bake topping for five minutes; do not overbake
Make ice cream:
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
  2. While whipping cream, in a separate large bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk and vanilla
  3. In a separate small bowl, combine brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon; set aside
  4. Once cream is ready, fold it into sweetened condensed milk mixture; fold in one cup of crumb topping
  5. Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan and drop half of brown sugar mixture over top; top with remaining ice cream and top with remaining brown sugar mixture and crumb topping; wrap well with seran wrap or tin foil
  6. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight before serving
Notes
Base from Martha Stewart
Crumb topping adapted from this Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Topping can be kept in an airtight container or bag for up to a week at room temperature before using
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NY Crumb Cake Ice Cream - huge chunks of crumb topping and no ice cream maker needed!

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{Gluten-Free} Summer Berry Skillet Crisp

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A summer berry crisp topped with buttery oat crumble.  It just so happens to be gluten-free!

Gluten-Free Summer Berry Skillet Crisp - full of the best summer berries

I know I’ve talked about this before, but I have a serious issue when I see summer fruit at Costco.  I can NOT buy enough.  A few weeks ago, I needed food for five days, just five.  Now, given my current insatiable pregnancy hunger, I do eat enough for an extra person, but I’m pretty sure that either way, Matt and I can not possibly consume 4 pounds of blueberries, 4 pounds of strawberries and 1 pound of blackberries in just five days.  Believe me, I’ve tried.  So what’s a person to do when they have an excessive amount of fruit?  Bake of course.

{Gluten-Free} Summer Berry Skillet Crisp - just dig in with a spoon!

I generally don’t let a season pass without making at least one warm fruit crumble of sorts.  They are almost too easy to make and compared to some of my typical baking, they are definitely on the lighter side.  Of course a generous helping of ice cream is always necessary, but hey, a pregnant lady needs calcium!  This might be one of my favorites because it is heavy on the blueberries.  There was one summer where I swear, we made blueberry crisp multiple times a week throughout the entire season.  So between the nostalgia, and the wonderful bursts of flavor, this crisp definitely made me happy.

 

{Gluten-Free} Summer Berry Skillet Crisp
 
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A summer berry crisp topped with buttery oat crumble. It just so happens to be gluten-free!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
Topping:
  • 55g (~1/2 cup) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
  • 40g (~1/2 cup) old fashioned oatmeal*
  • 70g (~1/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 55g (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Filling:
  • 450g (~4 cups) blueberries
  • 370g chopped strawberries (from 465 grams / 1 pound whole)
  • 400g (~4 cups) blackberries
  • 57g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 15g (~2 tablespoons) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
  • 14g (1 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal and brown sugar
  3. Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
  4. Prepare filling; in 10 or 12-inch skillet, stir together fruit, granulated sugar, oat flour, lemon juice and butter; sprinkle evenly with topping
  5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned, if you see that topping has started to get to brown early, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time
Notes
Adapted from my Winter Fruit Crisp and Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp*
If serving to someone with a gluten allergy make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free
You can replace fresh berries with frozen but cooking time may increase
This warm berry crisp is best served family style with generous scoops of ice cream
The entire dish can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake; may require extra cooking time if cold
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{Gluten-Free} Summer Berry Skillet Crisp - so delicious!

 

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Blog, Recipes

Espresso Cookies with Salted Caramel Ganache

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These decadent cookie sandwiches are for a sophisticated palate.  The dark chocolate espresso cookie is sandwiched with a rich salted caramel ganache for the ultimate dessert.

Rich Espresso Cookies with Salted Caramel Ganache - a very decadent cookie sandwich!

After this weekend, I could use a cookie or ten.  We spent all day yesterday and Saturday cleaning out our second bedroom.  How is it possible to have so much STUFF in one little room?  Luckily we made really good progress.  Now we just need to sell a few pieces of furniture on Craig’s List and offload some extra packaging material I have from the business.  Making progress!  It seems that the baby might have sensed that we were preparing his room for him, because yesterday afternoon I FINALLY felt a kick for the first time.  In fact, I felt a few, but it took a couple of times for me to realize what was happening.  It really did feel like a “pop” as they say.  Totally incredible.  I told Matt that I thought it was happening and he managed to put his hand on my belly just in time to feel a tiny kick!  That really was an exciting moment to enjoy together.

Rich Espresso Cookies with Salted Caramel Ganache - a chocolate and coffee lover's cookie!

I made these cookies a few weeks ago but kind of wish they were still around.  They are definitely on the dark side, not a sweet sweet cookie by any means.  I really enjoyed, that, though, for a more sophisticated cookie option.  They would be perfect for an afternoon coffee date or even as a morning pick-me-up.   I won’t tell!

Espresso Cookies with Salted Caramel Ganache
 
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These decadent cookie sandwiches are for a sophisticated palate. The dark chocolate espresso cookie is sandwiched with a rich salted caramel ganache for the ultimate dessert.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~21 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
Espresso Cookies
  • 215g (~1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 55g (~1/2 cup) good quality dark cocoa
  • 11g (~3 tablespoons) instant espresso powder
  • 1g (~1/8 teaspoon) salt
  • 170g (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 120g (~1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 50g (1 large whole) egg, room temperature
Salted Caramel Ganache:
  • 170g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I used 72%)
  • 60 milliliters (1/4 cup) salted caramel
  • 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Make Cookies:
  1. Sift flour, cocoa, espresso and salt into a medium bowl; set aside
  2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until well combined
  3. Add egg and mix on medium until well combined
  4. Stop mixer and scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula
  5. Add dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined, do not overmix; Chill dough for 30 minutes
  6. While dough is chilling, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or slipats
  7. When ready to bake, use a small cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to make cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (about 1 tablespoons each); lightly flatten cookie dough balls with palm of your hand
  8. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes; cookies should appear set
Make Ganache:
  1. Combine chocolate and caramel in a large heat-proof bowl and set aside
  2. Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat for several minutes until cream begins to bubble (do NOT bring to full boil)
  3. Pour cream over chocolate and caramel; let set for 5 minutes
  4. Whisk together ganache until there are no lumps
  5. For cookies, chill ganache in refrigerator for 35 minutes or until it has thickened to a spreadable consistency
Notes
Cookies barely adapted from Food and Wine
Source for ganache recipe: Chocolate Moosey
There will be extra ganache. Chill it and roll into balls for truffles or eat it with a spoon, I won’t tell!
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Speculoos Sundae with Warm Blueberry Sauce

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Homemade speculoos (or Cookie Butter) ice cream layered with crushed speculoos cookies and a warm homemade blueberry sauce.

Speculoos Sundaes with Warm Blueberry Sauce - everything about these is amazing

This ice cream is now a serious obsession.  In case you couldn’t tell in Monday’s post.

Cookie Butter Ice Cream with Warm Blueberry Sauce - my new favorite sundae!

The thing is, despite the fact that it has so much flavor you can most definitely enjoy it thoroughly on its own, I couldn’t leave well enough alone.  So I dressed it up with a sauce made from my favorite summer fruit (seriously, I might turn blue this summer) and some cookie crumbs for extra texture.  The blueberry sauce is so pretty that this sundae will brighten up your summer table.  You can even make a few sundaes ahead of time for entertaining (just wrap and freeze), though, I definitely prefer the blueberry sauce warmed up before serving.  It’s sweet but definitely not too sweet (you wouldn’t want an ultra sweet sauce for the cookie butter ice cream) and since you are adding a fruit so high in antioxidants to your ice cream, an extra-large sundae is perfectly acceptable.

Homemade Cookie Butter Ice Cream, Crushed Speculoos Cookies and Warm Blueberry Sauce Make for Your New Favorite Sundae!

 

Speculoos Sundae with Warm Blueberry Sauce
 
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Homemade speculoos (or Cookie Butter) ice cream layered with crushed speculoos cookies and a warm homemade blueberry sauce.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 sundae
Ingredients
  • 2 scoops Cookie Butter Ice Cream
  • 2-3 tablespoons Blueberry Sauce (see below)
  • 1-2 speculoos cookies broken into small pieces
Instructions
  1. Layer ice cream, warmed blueberry sauce, and broken cookies; serve and enjoy!
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Speculoos Sundae with Warm Blueberry Sauce
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 285g (~2 cups) fresh blueberries (frozen can be substituted for slightly longer cooking time)
  • 70g (~1/3 cup) granulated sugar
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
  • 10g (~1 tablespoon) cornstarch
Instructions
  1. Place blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium pot stove with medium heat
  2. Stir occasionally until some of the berries begin to break down and juice begins to form (~4 minutes)
  3. Turn the heat to high, add cornstarch and stir quickly until sauce reaches desired thickness (1-2 minutes)
  4. Serve immediately or reheat gently before using; store leftovers covered or in an airtight container up to one week
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Speculoos Sundaes with Warm Blueberry Sauce

 

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

No-Churn Cookie Butter Ice Cream

34 Comments

You don’t need an ice cream maker to churn a batch of this delicious ice cream!  Packed with Cookie Butter, rich and creamy, this is an ice cram that you will love.

Super Creamy Cookie Butter Ice Cream - NO ice cream maker needed! So easy and so delicious!

Apparently no-churn ice cream is a thing, a big thing.  This might be the most dangerous fact I’ve ever learned.  In the past I’ve nearly broken an old ice cream maker in frustration.  I had no idea how easy it would be to make the real deal sans fancy machine.   Seriously, you whip some cream, combine it with a sweetened condensed milk / flavor mixture and freeze for a few hours.  I actually stopped myself from buying more than one large container of heavy whipping cream at Costco on Saturday for fear of my baby turning into a giant ice cream cone.

Super Creamy Cookie Butter Ice Cream - Don't even need an ice cream maker. Seriously easy and delicious!

Luckily I did have some help from Matt in eating this batch of Cookie Butter Ice Cream.  Infused with cookie butter AND speculoos crumbs, it is heavy on the cookie butter flavor in a very good way.  I used it for ice cream sundaes (recipe coming later this week), a fruit crumble (recipe also coming soon) and Matt made a couple of milkshakes (just some skim milk and ice cream blended together).  Part of me wants to make this recipe over and over again throughout the summer, but I have too many other flavors I’m dying to try.  Although, I would love to have a giant scoop of this ice cream stuffed into these cookies.  Um, how many weeks away is my glucose test?

Super Creamy Cookie Butter Ice Cream - If you like cookie butter, you will LOVE this

No-Churn Cookie Butter Ice Cream
 
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You don’t need an ice cream maker to churn a batch of this delicious ice cream! Packed with Cookie Butter, rich and creamy, this is an ice cram that you will love.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~1½ quarts
Ingredients
  • 475 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
  • 200g (~1/2 cup) Cookie Butter (or other speculoos of choice)
  • 84g (~2/3 cup) finely ground speculoos cookies (approximately 10 cookies)
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
  2. While whipping cream, in a separate large bowl, stir together remaining ingredients
  3. Once cream is ready, fold it into Cookie Butter mixture
  4. Pour ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan and wrap well with seran wrap or tin foil
  5. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight
Notes
Base from Martha Stewart
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Super Creamy Cookie Butter Ice Cream - NO ice cream maker needed! Almost too good to be true.

If you love Cookie Butter as much as I do, be sure to check out my growing list of speculoos-based recipes!

Oh, and I also spotted this version of Cookie Butter s’more ice cream last week on Baheaholic Mama, I’ll take both!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

{Gluten-Free} Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Brown butter chocolate chip cookies are made with quinoa flour and almond meal to satisfy your gluten-free and gluten-loving cookie cravings.

Gluten Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - promise you won't miss the gluten!

It’s pretty much common knowledge that cookies can cure almost anything.  So when a friend of mine was going through a hard time, I immediately wanted to send her some.  She happens to be gluten-free so I wanted them to be something special and taste just as good as the gluten-full versions that she misses!  Well, these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies definitely fit the bill.  They are thick and chewy and oh so satisfying.  Between the brown butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and salt, the flavor is full and well-rounded.  The combination of quinoa flour and almond meal made them feel substantial and satisfying, not at all dry or bland.

{Gluten-Free} Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
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Brown butter chocolate chip cookies are made with quinoa flour and almond meal to satisfy your gluten-free and gluten-loving cookie cravings.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 13 large cookies
Ingredients
  • 110g (~1 cup) quinoa flour
  • 90g (~1 cup) almond meal
  • 3g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 4g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 76g (1/3 cup) unsalted browned butter, cooled*
  • 295g (~1¼ cups tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 50g (1 large) egg at room temperature
  • 17g (1 large) egg yolk at room temperature
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • 160g (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, baking soda and salt; set aside
  2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined (1-2 minutes); add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until well-combined (1-2 minutes)
  3. Scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula and add dry ingredients; mix on low speed just until combined; do not overmix
  4. Stir in chocolate chips and place dough in refrigerator to chill for thirty minutes
  5. While dough is chilling, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and two line baking sheets with parchment paper or slipats
  6. When ready to bake, use a large cookie dough scoop to place cookie dough balls (about ¼ cup each) on top of parchment paper, 1-2 inches apart
  7. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until cookies have lightly browned around edges and are slightly firm to the touch
Notes
*To brown the butter, heat it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately.  You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter
Best eaten day of baking; store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze for up to one month
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies- you won't believe they are gluten-free!

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Oreo Overload Cookie Sandwiches

11 Comments

Chewy cookies infused with Oreo Crumbs and slathered with a Cookies n Cream filling!

Oreo Overload Cookie Sandwiches - Chewy cookies infused with Oreo Crumbs and slathered with a Cookies n Cream filling!

I made these cookies on Friday with the full intention of bringing them over to a friend’s yesterday.  Apparently I made the mistake of sharing a sample cookie with Matt because he almost lost it when I told him I was going to do that.  For a man who lives in a world where there are ALWAYS cookies around (test recipes and bakery leftovers), this was pretty major.  Although, I can’t say I’m surprised since he absolutely adores Oreos and this recipe pretty much takes that flavor to full blast.

Oreo Overload Cookie Sandwiches - Chewy cookies infused with Oreo Crumbs and slathered with a Cookies n Cream filling!

The cookie dough and the frosting are both infused with Oreo flavor by adding the ground cookies into both components. The only thing I can imagine that might be better is if I make the cookies again and use them to sandwich cookies n cream ice cream.  Now we are really talking!

Oreo Overload Cookie Sandwiches
 
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Chewy cookies infused with Oreo Crumbs and slathered with a Cookies n Cream filling!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 13 cookie sandwiches
Ingredients
  • 165g (~1¼ cup) all-purpose flour
  • 125g (~1 cup) finely ground Oreo crumbs (about 11 cookies)
  • 3g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 2g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 105g (~1/2) cup granulated sugar
  • 120g (~1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 50g (1 whole large) egg at room temperature
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Cookies ‘n Cream Buttercream:
  • 85g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 57g regular or light cream cheese
  • 130g (1 cup) powdered sugar
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
  • 16g (~2 tablespoons) finely ground Oreo crumbs (~1-2 cookies)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  2. Whisk flour, Oreo crumbs, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
  4. Beat in egg and vanilla on medium speed just until combined
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients but do not overmix; use a spatula to make sure all cookie batter is combined
  6. Use a medium cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to make cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (about 1½ tablespoons each)
  7. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes or until edges have slightly darkened and centers appear set
  8. Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack; once cool, match each cookie with a second cookie of same size to make the cookie sandwiches and prepare buttercream
  9. Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed for several minutes until butter is light and creamy
  10. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined then increase speed of mixer to medium-high and beat for several minutes until frosting is light and fluffy
  11. Stir in Oreo crumbs until evenly distributed
  12. Spread or pipe frosting onto bottom of half of the cookie sandwiches, about 1½ tablespoons each; lightly press remaining cookies down onto frosting to create sandwiches
Notes
Adapted from these graham cracker cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container up to four days (eat within two for best texture).
Can be frozen up to one month.
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Oreo Overload Cookie Sandwiches - Chewy cookies infused with Oreo Crumbs and slathered with a Cookies n Cream filling!

I hope my friend’s were satisfied with the brownies I brought instead!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Blog, Recipes

BLUEberry Buttercream Cups

14 Comments

These Blueberry Buttercream Cups are the perfect no-bake chocolate treats.  They are so easy to make.

Blueberry Buttercream Cups - the perfect no-bake chocolate treats (gluten-free)

I think I might be a little obsessed with buttercream candy cups now.  First there were the Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups and then I made these Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups.  The thing is, this is such an easy dessert to make.  I was able to do all of the work and clean up in the time it took Matt to go to the driving range.  I could have eaten them all and he wouldn’t even have had a clue.  Sometimes that is the best kind of dessert.

Blueberry Buttercream Cups - the perfect no-bake chocolate treats (gluten-free)

So when I was thinking endlessly of some sort of fancy gender reveal post, I’m glad that it finally occurred to me to make some buttercream cups again.  I still don’t have high energy levels so it’s hard to motivate myself to make anything overly complicated.  Besides, blueberry buttercream plus chocolate – it’s like a gourmet truffle on crack.

Blueberry Buttercream Cups - the perfect no-bake chocolate treats (gluten-free)

 

Wait, what? Did I say gender reveal?  The filling might not be super blue (I’m trying to stay away from artificial coloring right now), but it is blue!  And that’s pretty much my favorite color since we found out that we are having a boy a couple of weeks ago! It actually wasn’t a shock, everyone seemed convinced of that a couple of months ago.  If I had been told anything else, I wouldn’t have believed the doctor anyway.  I grew up with a sister so this whole boy world is new and exciting for me.  And besides that, finding out the sex made things feel SO much more real.  We’ve even started looking at furniture and all of the cute room decorations out there.  Seriously, how is everything baby so darn cute?  And Matt?  I don’t think I’ve seen him this happy in the entire 10+ years we’ve been together.  That might be the best part!

BLUEberry Buttercream Cups
 
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These Blueberry Buttercream Cups are the perfect no-bake chocolate treats. They are so easy to make.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 candy cups
Ingredients
  • 227g good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • 7g (1/2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
  • 1½ cups Blueberry Buttercream (see below)
Instructions
  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  3. Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge
  4. Remove pan from fridge and pipe buttercream into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon)
  5. Spoon melted chocolate over buttercream and around edges so that coated on all sides
  6. Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week
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Blueberry Buttercream
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter,  at room temperature
  • 240g (1½ cups) powdered sugar
  • ⅛ cup blueberry puree (made from ¼ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on high speed for several minutes until light and creamy
  2. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar; beat on high speed until combined
  3. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add blueberry puree, vanilla and salt; mix on medium speed for one minute;  beat on high speed for at least five minutes and until frosting is light and creamy; if it appears too thick, continue to beat for another couple of minutes or until it reaches desired consistency
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Blueberry Buttercream Cups - the perfect no-bake chocolate treats (gluten-free)

Dear Pottery Barn Kids – you might just be the end of my bank account.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Vanilla Bean Layer Cake with Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

16 Comments

Light but satisfying vanilla bean cake layered with vanilla buttercream and covered in a wonderful strawberry cream cheese whipped frosting!

Vanilla Bean Layer Cake with Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

I may not have any real quality photos of this cake, but it was such a hit and so delicious that I wanted to post the recipe anyway.  Plus, if I made it again just to photograph, I would absolutely eat half of the cake with a fork by myself.  To save my unborn baby from going into a sugar coma, I figured I probably should just work with what we’ve got.

So I had a few different cakes in mind to make for Samara’s 30th birthday celebration, but when Kris raved about a cake she had eaten with this frosting, I knew I had to work around that for the dessert.  I wanted the cake to be something that was light enough to let that frosting shine, but still a bit special.  The vanilla bean cake felt perfect in terms of light texture and balanced flavor.  For the filling I kept it really simple with thin layers of vanilla buttercream.  This cake was definitely a winner.

Vanilla Bean Layer Cake with Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Vanilla Bean Layer Cake with Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
 
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Light but satisfying vanilla bean cake layered with vanilla buttercream and covered in a wonderful strawberry cream cheese whipped frosting!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 237 milliliters (1 cup) milk, at room temperature separated (skim, low fat or whole will work)
  • 120g (~4 large) egg whites, at room temperature
  • 50g (~1 large) whole egg, at room temperature
  • 20 milliliters (4 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract
  • 350g  (~3 cups) cake flour, sifted
  • 300g (~1-1/2 cups) granulated sugar
  • Inside of one vanilla bean
  • 19½g (4 teaspoons) baking powder
  • 5g (3/4 teaspoon) salt
  • 85g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 85g (6 tablespoons) vegetable shortening
  • Vanilla Buttercream Filling (see below)
  • Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease and flour two  9-inch round pans and line bottoms with parchment paper
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg whites, whole egg, ¼ cup of milk and vanilla; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the sifted flour, sugar, vanilla bean, baking powder and salt together on low speed for just 30 seconds
  5. Add the butter and shortening; mix on low speed for 30 seconds; add remaining milk and mix again on low speed until just moistened, about 30 seconds
  6. Increase mixer to medium speed and beat for 1½ minutes
  7. Scrape the sides of the bowl add the egg/milk mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition; do not overmix
  8. Divide the batter into prepared baking pans; bake for 29-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of each layer
  9. Set cake layers aside to cool for 10 minutes then carefully remove each layer from pans; run a knife around the edge of each layer for easier removal
  10. Once cake layers are completely cooled, use a serrated knife to carefully cut each layer in half horizontally, creating 4 cake layers; set aside and make buttercreams
Notes
Cake slightly adapted from Sweetapolita
Be careful with the thin cake layers when lifting as they will be fragile
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Vanilla Buttercream Filling
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 187g (13 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 200g (1 3/5 cups) powdered sugar
  • 22 milliliters (1½ tablespoons) milk, any type
  • 7 milliliters (1/2 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • 1g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for eight minutes or until pale and creamy
  2. Add half of powdered sugar, mix on low for 30 seconds
  3. Add remaining powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; mix on low for one minute and then  increase speed to medium and beat for six minutes or until very light and fluffy
  4. Use a flat metal spatula to frost the first layer of cake; top with second layer and repeat; top with third layer and repeat; top with fourth layer of cake and set aside to make whipped strawberry cream cheese buttercream
Notes
Source: Sweetapolita
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Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 227g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 280g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar, divided
  • 100g (2/3 cup) chopped fresh strawberries
  • 355 milliliters (1½ cups) heavy cream, cold
  • 44 milliliters (3 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice (~ 1 lemon)
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and half of granulated sugar on medium-high speed with until smooth; add strawberries beat for 30 seconds(some strawberries should blended in, but some chopped strawberries should still remain intact)
  2. In a separate bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream and lemon juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and slowly add remaining granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form
  3. Gently fold half of cream mixture into cream cheese mixture; fold in remaining cream mixture
  4. Use a flat metal spatula to frost outside of cake
  5. Best served immediately; store leftovers in refrigerator and bring to room temperature until ready to eat (within three days)
Notes
Source: Southern Living
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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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The Best Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

7 Comments

Thick and chewy peanut butter cookies for peanut butter lovers only.

The BEST Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Wow, thank you so much for the kind notes, tweets, Facebook messages, etc. regarding our big news!  We really didn’t tell anyone (other than our parents and siblings) until a week or so ago.  Let me tell you, that is one hard secret to keep!  When you are exhausted constantly, hungry ALL the time and just generally overwhelmed by the big life change coming, it is difficult to look anyone in the eye when they say “what’s going on” and you have to say “nothing.” Phew!  So glad to be past that.  I have a pregnancy-related post coming later this week and am happy to share even more as long as people want to read about it.

The BEST Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

While many women suffer through morning sickness and get crazy food aversions, I was lucky to avoid that for the most part.  There were a few foods here and there (mainly random vegetables and fish) that stopped appealing to me, but dessert was never one of them.  In fact, anything that was carb-based sounded extra delicious.  Cookies excel in that category!

So, a few weeks ago I took a look at my massive baking inventory and decided to make something that revolved around peanut butter.  For peanut butter lovers, it’s hard to beat a perfectly chewy peanut-y  cookie.  This one is full of peanut butter, peanut butter chips, peanuts AND peanut butter cups.  (Sorry Matt, this cookie is kind of your worst nightmare.)  They were a big hit and I definitely enjoyed a couple myself.  The amount of food I consume on a regular basis astounds me.  While I’m trying to eat as healthy as possible (I figure that is the least I can do in taking care of the baby), there is definitely room for my sweet tooth cravings.  Don’t expect me to start turning my nose up at dessert any time soon.

The BEST Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

The Best Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies
 
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Thick and chewy peanut butter cookies for peanut butter lovers only.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 cookies
Ingredients
  • 130g (~1 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 12g (1 ½ teaspoons) baking soda
  • 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 258 g (1 cup) creamy peanut butter
  • 160g (~¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 117g (~1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 100g (2 large) whole eggs, at room temperature
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
  • 105g (~2/3 cup) chopped peanut butter cups
  • 90g (~1/2 cup) peanut butter chips
  • 75g (~1/2 cup) chopped peanuts
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda, set aside
  2. Using a mixer, in a large bowl beat peanut butter, butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy
  3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined
  4. Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture just until combined
  5. Stir in peanut butter cups, peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts
  6. Chill dough for 2 hours
  7. After, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  8. Use a large cookie dough scoop to place cookie dough balls (about ¼ cup each) on top of parchment paper, 1-2 inches apart
  9. Bake ~14 minutes until cookies are brown around the edges
Notes
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to two months
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The BEST Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

41 Comments

These dark chocolate candy cups are filled with a delicious creamy buttercream. They are a gluten-free, no-bake treat for any occasion.

Steph's Baby Shower

Today’s post is exciting because I’m part of a huge group of blogging ladies celebrating Steph’s virtual baby shower! This sweet and talented blogger is due to have a baby girl in just a few weeks and I am so excited for her. I’ve never met Steph in real life, but through talking online I already know what a kind, friendly and lovely person she is. Not to mention she is writing a delicious looking e-cookbook!

For the virtual shower, I went with one of my favorite party staples, a bite-size pickup dessert. I love small desserts at parties because they give guests the chance to try a little bit of everything. These candy cups are a new variation of the Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups I shared a few weeks ago. This version swaps the filling for a simple vanilla buttercream tinted in pink and perfect for a (girl) baby shower. Of course you could make them blue for a boy as well. I also left out the Oreos this time to keep them gluten-free and Passover appropriate (just in time!). I think this will be a nice treat to share at our seder on Tuesday night. Scroll down to see what treats everyone else is sharing!

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

 

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups
 
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These dark chocolate candy cups are filled with a delicious creamy buttercream. They are a gluten-free, no-bake treat for any occasion.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 candy cups
Ingredients
  • 227g good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • 7g (1/2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
  • 1½ cups Vanilla Buttercream (replace food coloring with just 2 drops red food coloring); optional
Instructions
  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  3. Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge
  4. Remove pan from fridge and pipe buttercream into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon)
  5. Spoon melted chocolate over buttercream and around edges so that coated on all sides
  6. Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week
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Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups
Don’t forget to take a look at what the other bloggers are bringing to the shower!

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes from Sarcastic Cooking

Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake with Lemon Drizzle from Greens & Chocolate

Super Chewy M&M Blondies from The Realistic Nutritionist

Strawberry Cinnamon Twist Knots from A Kitchen Addiction

Lemon Shortbread with Salted Chocolate Drizzle from The Lemon Bowl

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream from A Zesty Bite

Blackberry and Mango Curd Pie from Joanne Eats Well With Others

Pecan Sticky Buns from Warm Vanilla Sugar

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins from Garnish with Lemon

Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Susie Freaking Homemaker

Super Simple Sugar Cookies from Espresso and Cream

Raspberry Acai Frozen Margarita from Nutmeg Nanny

Berry Coconut Frozen Yogurt from The Law Student’s Wife

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups from Keep it Sweet Desserts

Broccoli Salad with Honey Toasted Walnuts from The Roasted Root

Neapolitan Baked Doughnuts from Climbing Grier Mountain

Giant Pink M&M and Raisinette Cookies from Steph’s Bite by Bite

No-Bake Rhubarb Cheesecake Parfait Cups from Hungry Girl Por Vida

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from A Cedar Spoon

Freckled Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade from Take a Megabite

Vanilla Anise Cupcakes from Blahnik Baker

Mini Vanilla Bean Layer Cakes from The Baker Chick

Mini Blackberry Hazelnut Meringue Cakes from Eat Your Heart Out

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

Fudgy Black and White Devil’s Food Cake

22 Comments

Four layers of rich chocolate cake filled with vanilla buttercream and covered in a luscious whipped chocolate buttercream.

Fudgy Black and White Devil’s Food Cake - the best ever birthday cake

Not only is my mom an incredible baker, but she also happens to love cake.  Actually, love is probably an understatement and I’m not sure that “cake” accurately describes it.  Birthday cake is her favorite food group and the buttercream is clearly the most important part.  Growing up, whenever we had birthday parties, my friends just knew to give my mom their extra frosting.  I actually chose ice cream pies and cookie cakes over birthday cake for quite some time, but eventually I learned that you can actually have both.

So given her passion for all things layer cake, it always amps up the pressure to make the “perfect” dessert for her birthday.  Given my mom’s reaction to this cake last weekend (she might have said that it was the “best one ever”), I think I finally nailed it.  Now the question is, will I make this cake every year or will I try to top it from now on?  Good thing I have some time to figure that out!

This cake really is the perfect birthday cake.  The chocolate cake layers are so fudgy that they are even delicious without frosting (a couple of years ago we had a chocolate cake taste test and couldn’t get over how well this cake could stand alone).  However, this is a birthday cake, and buttercream is very, very important.  So I sliced the 2 cake layers in half horizontally to give room for double the filling, a delicious basic vanilla buttercream.  Then I covered the entire cake in whipped chocolate buttercream.  Let me tell you, this cake is amazing and rich.  Even for me, who can eat dessert like a champ, a thin slice is enough.  (That concept makes me wonder if I’m feeling okay.)  Save this for your next special occasion, it will not disappoint.

Fudgy Black and White Devil&rsquo;s Food Cake
 
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Four layers of rich chocolate cake filled with vanilla buttercream and covered in a luscious whipped chocolate buttercream.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 43g (~1/3 cup) good quality dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1g (1 teaspoon) instant espresso powder
  • 112g dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • 240 milliliters (1 cup) boiling water
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
  • 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 232g (~1 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 210g (~1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 150g (~3 large) eggs, at room temperature
  • 246g (~2¼ cups) cake flour
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 4g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 240 milliliters (1 cup) buttermilk
  • Vanilla Buttercream (see below)
  • Whipped Chocolate Buttercream (see below)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease and flour two  9-inch round pans and line bottoms with parchment paper
  3. In a medium heat-proof bowl, combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder and chocolate; pour boiling water over mixture and whisk together until melted and smooth; stir in vanilla; set aside to cool
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter until light and creamy; add sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, mixing at medium speed between each
  5. Sift cake flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside
  6. Whisk buttermilk into cooled chocolate mixture
  7. Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to mixing bowl and mix on low speed just until combined; add half of chocolate mixture and mix on low again, just until combined; scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and repeat with ⅓ of flour mixture remaining chocolate mixture; remove bowl from mixer and fold in remaining dry ingredients; be careful not to overmix the batter
  8. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of cakes
  9. Set cake layers aside to cool for 10 minutes then carefully remove each layer from pans; run a knife around the edge of each layer for easier removal
  10. Once cake layers are completely cooled, use a serrated knife to carefully cut each layer in half horizontally, creating 4 cake layers; set aside and make buttercreams
Notes
Cake barely adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey
Store cake in refrigerator and serve at room temperature; best eaten within three days
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Vanilla Buttercream Filling
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 187g (13 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 200g (1 3/5 cups) powdered sugar
  • 22 milliliters (1½ tablespoons) milk, any type
  • 7 milliliters (1/2 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • 1g (1/8) teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for eight minutes or until pale and creamy
  2. Add half of powdered sugar, mix on low for 30 seconds
  3. Add remaining powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; mix on low for one minute and then  increase speed to medium and beat for six minutes or until very light and fluffy
  4. Use a flat metal spatula to frost the first layer of cake; top with second layer and repeat; top with third layer and repeat; top with fourth layer of cake and set aside to make chocolate buttercream
Notes
Source: Sweetapolita
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Whipped Chocolate Buttercream
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 250g (2 cups) powdered sugar
  • 7 milliliters (1/2 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • 1g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
  • 125g dark chocolate (I used 72%), melted and slightly cooled
  • 60 milliliters (1/4 cup) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed for one minute
  2. Add vanilla and salt; beat on low just for thirty seconds or well until combined
  3. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed for about two minutes or until smooth; scrape the sides of the bowl with a a rubber spatula
  4. Add whipping cream and beat on medium-high speed for one minute
  5. Use a flat metal spatula to frost the top and outside of cake; serve immediately or chill in refrigerator and bring to room temperature about an hour before serving
Notes
Source:  Sweetapolita
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Fudgy Black and White Devil’s Food Cake - the best ever birthday cake

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

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Brown Butter Pistachio Cake with Candied Pistachio Topping

11 Comments

This brown butter pistachio cake is so moist and flavorful that no one will miss the buttercream!
Brown Butter Pistachio Cake with Candied Pistachio Topping

We celebrated my dad’s birthday last night so it was only fitting that I make him another pistachio treat.  Last year I baked these cupcakes which were a huge hit with everyone who tried them, but admittedly my dad discarded the frosting.  So, I learned my lesson.  No buttercream (sorry, Mom!).  In a household where that wouldn’t typically pass the “dessert” test, I knew I had to go above and beyond with the cake itself.  Well, this brown butter pistachio cake was an enormous hit with everyone, my buttercream-addicted mom included.  My sister and dad kept talking about how much they loved the topping.  I couldn’t get over how much I enjoyed the cake.  The brown butter flavor came through but didn’t overpower the pistachio at all.  And the texture… it was slightly dense but extremely moist.  The edges had a light crunch to them, kind of like the perfect brownie corner.  This definitely isn’t something I’d normally think to make, but I’m definitely adding it to my future baking rotation.  My dad even joked, “you should open a bakery.”

Brown Butter Pistachio Cake with Candied Pistachio Topping

Brown Butter Pistachio Cake with Candied Pistachio Topping
 
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This brown butter pistachio cake is so moist and flavorful that no one will miss the buttercream!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 10-inch round cake; Serves 10
Ingredients
For the cake:
  • 120g (~1 cup minus 1 teaspoon shelled pistachios) salted shelled pistachios, ground in food processor to fine meal (about 1 minute)
  • 100g (~1¼ cups) almonds meal
  • 40g (~1/3 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 250g (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned and chilled for an hour*
  • 250g (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 205g (~4 large) eggs, whisked
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (~one large lemon)
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
For the candied pistachio topping
  • 127g (~1 cup) salted shelled pistachios
  • 210g (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) water
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; Grease and flour 1 10-inch round pan and line bottom with parchment paper
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together ground pistachios, almond meal and flour; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together browned butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy
  4. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula; add eggs, lemon zest and vanilla; mix on medium speed until combined
  5. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in pistachio mixture; do not overmix
  6. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and place in center of oven; bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
  7. Place cake on wire wrack to cool for 10 minutes
  8. Once cake has partially cooled, run a knife around the edge cake for easier removal; carefully turn pan upside down to remove cake;  set aside and make topping
  9. Make the Candied Pistachio Topping
  10. Place sugar and water in a heavy duty medium saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until mixture comes to a boil and then continue to stir for a few minutes or until it becomes a thick syrupy consistency; remove from heat and stir in pistachios
  11. Spread evenly over center of cake
  12. Slice and serve
Notes
Slightly adapted from Baker by Nature
Candied Pistachio Topping Adapted from My Kitchen Stories
*To brown the butter, heat it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately.  You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter
Store leftovers covered in a cool dry spot for up to four days for best results
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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

13 Comments

Rich dark chocolate candy cups filled with crème de menthe buttercream and crushed oreos.

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

I’m not feeling all that great today so I’m going to keep this short.  These candy cups will kind of win over anyone who loves a little 2-bite treat.  My mom, while a buttercream lover, isn’t usually a fan of mint desserts and loved these.  I’m currently coming up with many excuses to make other versions and flavors.

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Plus, I actually had some extra buttercream in the freezer so these were super easy to make.  Plus they are cute.  Plus you can pop one in your mouth whenever you have a sweet tooth.  Plus they are killer for chocolate cravings.

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups
 
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Rich dark chocolate candy cups filled with crème de menthe buttercream and crushed oreos.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 candy cups
Ingredients
  • 227 ounces good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • 7g (1/2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup Crème de Menthe Buttercream
  • ¾ cup finely crushed Oreos (from 6 Oreos)
Instructions
  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  3. Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge
  4. Combine buttercream with Oreo crumbs in an electric mixer with paddle attachment or with a spoon
  5. Remove pan from fridge and pipe buttercream into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon)
  6. Spoon melted chocolate over buttercream and around edges so that coated on all sides
  7. Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week
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Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

 

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Extra Dark Chocolate Cake with Cookie Butter Buttercream

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This light and moist dark chocolate cake is the perfect pairing for the creamy cookie butter frosting.  This is the perfect birthday cake or just because cake.

Extra Dark Chocolate Cake with Cookie Butter Buttercream

Confession time:  I have all sorts of stuff going on that I can’t talk about here and it is driving me insane.

Extra Dark Chocolate Cake with Cookie Butter Buttercream

I should just be super excited to tell you about this cake which Matt deemed one of his favorite combinations to date.  But I’m so distracted with everything else going in in my head that it’s hard to talk or write about other things.  Such is life, though, and hopefully soon that won’t be a problem anymore!  And no, I’m not holding out on a cookbook announcement or anything like that.  A Keep It Sweet Desserts cookbook would be fun, though, wouldn’t it?

Extra Dark Chocolate Cake with Cookie Butter Buttercream 11

Okay, I’ll talk about this cake for a second.  Like I said, Matt loved it.  He is pretty used to enjoying my desserts so when something gets an extra compliment it means I really did something right.  We had a few friends over who seemed to agree with the sentiment and considering I may or may not have had two big slices yesterday afternoon, I guess I liked it too (ahem).  The cake turned out perfect- it is the chocolate cake recipe my mom made for me growing up (my favorite used to always be chocolate on chocolate).  I added to the intensity by swapping water for coffee (she had just tried that too).  And the buttercream…. I almost forgot how much I loved egg white based buttercreams.  It is SO worth the effort.  I actually could have done with about 30% more buttercream for the cake.  Next time!

Extra Dark Chocolate Cake with Cookie Butter Buttercream
 
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This light and moist dark chocolate cake is the perfect pairing for the creamy cookie butter frosting. This is the perfect birthday cake or just because cake.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
  • 260g (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 65g (~3/4 cup) good quality dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 10g (1¼ teaspoon) baking soda
  • 3g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 170g (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 375g (~1¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 100g (2 large whole) eggs at room temperature
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla
  • 325 milliliters (1⅓ cups) brewed coffee
Cookie Butter Buttercream:
  • 75g (~1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) egg whites
  • 32g (~3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
  • Additional 150g (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 50 milliliters (~3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) water
  • 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 180g (~3/4 cup) Cookie Butter (or other speculoos of choice)
Instructions
Make cake
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch round pans and line bottoms with parchment paper
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla and beat one minute at medium speed
  5. Reduce speed of mixer to low and add ⅓ of the dry ingredients; add ½ of coffee and repeat
  6. Add remainder of dry ingredients and turn off mixer; make sure not to overbeat; if there are any lumps fold them in with a spatula
  7. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of cakes
  8. Set cake layers aside to cool for 10 minutes then carefully remove each layer from pans; run a knife around the edge of each layer for easier removal; set aside to finish cooling and make buttercream
  9. When buttercream is ready, put a spoonful on center of cake plate (this will help hold cake in place)
  10. Place one layer down and if rounded, use a serrated knife to cut off very top of cake; frost that layer and top with second cake layer; frost with remaining buttercream
To make buttercream
  1. Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk attachment, whisk, spatula and candy thermometer with a paper towel and vinegar to clean (if any grease is on these items your meringue will not work)
  2. Place egg whites in large bowl with whisk attachment and mix on medium speed; gradually add the 1⅛ ounces sugar; keep mixer on
  3. In a medium heavy duty saucepan, combine water and remaining 5¼ ounces of sugar over medium-high heat and whisk together; whisk occasionally until temperature of syrup reaches 248 degrees Fahrenheit
  4. Meanwhile, egg whites should begin to form loose peaks; if this happens before syrup is hot enough, reduce mixer speed to low
  5. Once syrup is hot enough, reduce mixer speed to medium-low and slowly and slowly add syrup to the mixer
  6. Increase speed to medium-high and keep mixer on for 10-15 minutes or until it holds stiff peaks AND bowl has cooled to room temperature
  7. Reduce the speed to medium and add softened butter, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until fully combined; mixture should be smooth and creamy
  8. If there are any lumps, increase speed to high until frosting becomes smooth
  9. Add cookie butter and combine on medium speed until well incorporated and buttercream is light and creamy
  10. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in refrigerator and beat with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer before using
Notes
Keep cake in a cool dry place (best kept refrigerated during summer)
Best served within 3 days of baking
Cake slightly adapted from Hershey
Buttercream slightly adapted from the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook
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Extra Dark Chocolate Cake with Cookie Butter Buttercream

 

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No-Bake Cookie Dough Oreo Cheesecakes

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Individual no-bake cheesecakes full of edible cookie dough chunks and sitting on top of a cookie dough Oreo crust

No-Bake Cookie Dough Oreo Cheesecakes

I don’t have a lot of pictures for you today (this dessert was not photogenic, but it was tasty!) and I am having major writer’s block.  I’ll just blame the winter, it seems to be the cause of most problems lately.

I’ll tell you this much, though, these mini cheesecakes are pretty fantastic.  Maybe I would put them in a parfait form next time just to make them a little prettier.  I do have some extra cookie dough in my freezer so that might not be the worst idea…

No-Bake Cookie Dough Oreo Cheesecakes

 

No-Bake Cookie Dough Oreo Cheesecakes
 
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Individual no-bake cheesecakes full of edible cookie dough chunks and sitting on top of a cookie dough Oreo crust
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 mini cheesecakes
Ingredients
  • ½ batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (see below)
  • 12 Cookie Dough Oreos
  • 454g (2 8-ounce packages) cream cheese (light or regular), at room temperature
  • 177 milliliters (3/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk (fat free is okay)
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners; place a an Oreo on the bottom of each
  2. Make cheesecake filling; in the large bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat cream cheese for several minutes until smooth and creamy
  3. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; mix until combined
  4. Remove bowl from mixer and use a spatula to fold in cookie dough balls
  5. Use a ladle or large cookie dough scoop to distribute filling over each Oreo
  6. Cover with seran wrap and chill in overnight
Notes
Enjoy within one week
Cheesecakes might be a little messy, just be careful when you unwrap them
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No-Bake Cookie Dough Oreo Cheesecakes
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 113g (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 117g (~1/2 cup) light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 53g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) milk
  • 130g (~1 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 1g (1/4 teaspoon) table salt
  • 65g (~1/3 cup) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; stir in milk
  2. Gradually stir in flour and salt just until combined
  3. Stir in chocolate chips
  4. Use a teaspoon to scoop dough and roll into balls (1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon in size); Place in an airtight container and chill in freezer until ready for use
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Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

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Fudgy brownie bites full of mini chocolate chips and topped with a pretty in pink marshmallow buttercream, perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

This weekend completely flew by!  I’ve had a lot going on lately (work-wise and personally) so I feel like my weekend relaxing and me-time is extra precious.  I know myself, and I really need to get a chance to refresh and recharge when possible to stay motivated and keep working hard.

Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

This weekend was fun, though.  We celebrated my mother-in-law’s birthday (which is today, happy birthday Marcia AND Sara!) by seeing Motown on broadway.  What a fun show! The music was fantastic and the entire thing was so entertaining.  Yesterday we went to a housewarming party for friends and brought these brownies.  It was so nice to see some of our friends and steal time with their baby.  She is an adorable 9-month old that is happy ALL the time. It is amazing.

Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

And these brownies?  What brownie doesn’t do well with a little buttercream on top?  You could of course leave out the food coloring and eat them any time of year, but the pink is perfect for Friday’s holiday.  If you do nothing else for Valentine’s Day, I’m pretty sure that eating chocolate is required.

 

Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream
 
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Fudgy brownie bites full of mini chocolate chips and topped with a pretty in pink marshmallow buttercream, perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 18 brownie bites
Ingredients
Brownie Bites
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 9 ¾ ounces(~1⅓ cups) sugar
  • 2 large eggs  at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2⅞ ounces (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 ounces (~1/2 cup) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pink Marshmallow Buttercream
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 7 ounces marshmallow fluff (1 small jar)
  • 7 ounces (~1½)  cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 drops red food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Make the brownies
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease or line mini muffin pan
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside
  4. Melt butter and chocolate in large sauce pan over low to medium heat; stir in sugar; stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth
  5. Whisk in flour mixture just until combined; do not overmix; fold in chocolate chips
  6. Use a small ladle or medium cookie dough scoop to evenly distribute batter into muffin tin
  7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until tops are puffed up slightly and knife comes out clean
  8. Set brownies aside to cool
Make the buttercream
  1. Beat butter with an electric mixer for several minutes or until light and creamy; add marshmallow fluff and beat on medium high speed until creamy
  2. Add sugar, vanilla and food coloring; mix on low and then increase speed to high, mixing for several minutes until light and fluffy
  3. Remove brownies from pan and pipe buttercream onto cooled brownie bites
Notes
Brownies can be stored in a covered container at room temperature up to two days or frozen up to one month
Brownie adapted from Baker’s
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Meyer Lemon Sprinkle Cookies

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These Meyer Lemon Sprinkle Cookies are the ray of sunshine you need in the middle of winter.  They are chewy in the middle, crispy around the edges, and rounded out with the flavors of fresh meyer lemon zest.

Meyer Lemon Sprinkle Cookies

I’m going to fast forward past the winter-hating rant that you could probably spew out yourself and / or have heard a million times.  You know the one… we can just skip to the part where I tell you that these cookies are the bright and fresh comfort food that you need to channel your inner sunshine.  Because while we still need lots and lots of cold weather comfort food, we are craving things that remind us of spring and summer.  The brightness of the lemon zest does just that.  Pack the cookies with the brightest colored sprinkles you can find (pink for Valentine’s Day perhaps?) and they will instantly make you smile.

Meyer Lemon Sprinkle Cookies

I’m not a huge lemon lover, in fact citrus is not my go-to dessert flavor, but there is something about a these cookies that is pretty addicting.  But then again, I find most cookies addicting…

Meyer Lemon Sprinkle Cookies

Meyer Lemon Sprinkle Cookies
 
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These Meyer Lemon Sprinkle Cookies are the ray of sunshine you need in the middle of winter. They are chewy in the middle, crispy around the edges, and rounded out with the flavors of fresh meyer lemon zest.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces (~1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon meyer lemon zest (~2 meyer lemons)
  • 9.25 ounces (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons table salt
  • ½  teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 4 ounces (~1/2 cup packed) light brown sugar
  • 1 x-large egg + 1 x-large egg yolk at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup bright colored sprinkles
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper or a slipat and set aside
  2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, use your fingers to rub the meyer lemon zest into the granulated sugar; set aside for five minutes
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, table salt and baking soda; set aside
  4. Add butter and brown sugar to granulated sugar / zest mixture, cream high speed until light and fluffy
  5. Scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula; add egg, egg yolk and vanilla; beat at medium speed until well-combined
  6. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture just until combined; stop mixer and scrape sides of the bowl with spatula
  7. On low speed, add in sprinkles
  8. Use a medium cookie dough scoop and place scoops of cookie dough on prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart
  9. Bake cookies 11-12 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown
  10. Set aside to cool before eating
  11. Store in an airtight container for several days at room temperature or freeze for up to one month
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Meyer Lemon Sprinkle Cookies
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Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

11 Comments

These giant cookies are fudgy and chewy in the center but perfectly crisp around the edges.  The salted caramel enhances the flavor to create a well-balanced treat.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

When I originally came up with the recipe for these cookies, I thought I might end up with a chocolate cookie that came out of the oven with oozing caramel.  Rather, the cookie dough absorbed the salted caramel in the process of baking and the result was quite different.  A rich and fudgy chocolate cookie with the salted caramel undertone and perfect crispy edges happened instead.  I can’t say I was disappointed.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

The dough is easy to make, it just requires some chilling for ease of use.  After that, giant cookie dough mounds are formed with a well for the caramel to sit.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

A littler caramel oozed out the edges while baking in some of them, and it wasn’t such a bad thing.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies
 
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These giant cookies are fudgy and chewy in the center but perfectly crisp around the edges. The salted caramel enhances the flavor to create a well-balanced treat.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 22 cookies
Ingredients
  • 9 ¼ ounces (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2⅛ ounces (~¾ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 10 ounces (1 ¼ cup / 2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 15 ounces (~2 cups) granulated Sugar
  • 2 large eggs (1 x-large + 1 yolk)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup Salted Caramel
Instructions
  1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; and set aside
  2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy
  3. Add eggs and vanilla; mix on medium speed until combined
  4. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and then slowly add dry ingredients with mixer on low just until combined
  5. Stir in chocolate chips
  6. Chill dough for at least two hours or up to twenty four hours for best results (dough will also be easier to work with)
  7. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 375 and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  8. Using a medium cookie dough scoop or tablespoon, drop 11 scoops of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper 2-3 inches apart (cookies will spread a lot)
  9. Use your thumb to make a well in center of cookie dough
  10. Carefully spoon about a teaspoon of caramel into well of cookie dough being careful not to overflow
  11. Scoop remaining dough over caramel-filled cookie dough to cover
  12. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are set on top
  13. Allow to cool on cooling rack before serving
Notes
Cookies adapted from Hershey’s
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Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

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Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

23 Comments

These sweet and salty dessert bars are packed with an Oreo crust, chocolate, pretzels and salted caramel.  You won’t believe how easy these are to make.

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

Of all the salted caramel recipes I’ve made, these are by far the most dangerous.

The first time I made them, Matt joked about how ugly they were and then we proceeded to devour the pan…. warm with ice cream.

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

But a few days later, after they had disappeared, I decided that I simply must make them again because it just wouldn’t be fair to you if I didn’t share the recipe.  Let’s not talk about how much of both batches I inhaled.  Sweet and salty recipes just do it for me.

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

When I decided that January was going to be Salted Caramel Month, I wanted to make some spin on the ever famous Seven Layer Bars / Magic bars / Hello Dolly Bars.  These are quite different from that but conceptually the building blocks are the same.  Oreos instead of graham crackers, salted caramel instead of sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and pretzel pieces to replace the other toppings you may be used to (you know how I feel about coconut… just no).  Once you have your caramel, they are super easy to put together… and just as easy to eat!

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars
 
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These sweet and salty dessert bars are packed with an Oreo crust, chocolate, pretzels and salted caramel. You won’t believe how easy these are to make.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 9-12 servings
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces (~2 cups / 20 cookies) finely crushed Oreos
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 8½ ounces (~1¼) cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 ounces (~1½ cups) salted pretzel pieces
  • 1 cup salted caramel
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, combine Oreo crumbs and melted butter; press mixture down evenly into prepared baking dish
  3. Pour about half of chocolate chips over crust
  4. Combine pretzel pieces and salted caramel, pour mixture over chocolate chip layer
  5. Pour remaining chocolate chips over top of bars
  6. Bake for about 25 minutes or until caramel is bubbling around edges and bars appear set
  7. Allow to cool before slicing
  8. Store leftover bars covered at room temperature up to four days
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Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars that are SUPER easy to make!!

 

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Salted Caramel Sheet Cake

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This salted caramel cake is light and fluffy with a rich salted caramel buttercream and salted caramel sauce infused into the cake.

Salted Caramel Sheet Cake

I made this cake on Christmas Eve.  Matt and I had no plans so it was definitely a dangerous move, one large cake, two people.  We probably did more damage than I care to admit but the cake was so good, I don’t even regret it.  The white cake layer is nice and light which balances well with the rich creamy salted caramel buttercream.  Oh yes, and that salted caramel layer in between, that might have been my favorite part.

The Best Salted Caramel Cake

This would be a nice special occasion dessert as a layer cake as well, but baking a sheet cake is a little less overwhelming and definitely easier to put together.  In fact, now that I think about it, this cake is so easy I might have to make another one…. soon!

The Best Salted Caramel Cake

Salted Caramel Sheet Cake
 
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This salted caramel cake is light and fluffy with a rich salted caramel buttercream and salted caramel sauce infused into the cake.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 servings
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup Salted Caramel, cooled (note that you will need additional for buttercream)
  • 1 White Sheet Cake (recipe below), baked and cooled
  • 1 batch Salted Caramel Buttercream (recipe below)
Instructions
  1. Use a fork to poke holes in cake that go about an inch below the surface; go all the way across the cake (both ways) leaving about an inch between each set of holes
  2. Pour salted caramel evenly over cake
  3. Spread buttercream carefully over caramel layer
  4. Slice and serve! Leftover cake should be covered with seran wrap and eaten within four days; make sure to cover well or edges will get stale
Notes
Inspired by The Baker Chick
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White Sheet Cake
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 8 fluid ounces (1 cup) milk (any type), at room temperature
  • 6 egg whites, at room temperature
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 8⅝ ounces (~2¼) cups cake flour
  • 13⅛ ounces (~1¾ cups) granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan; set aside
  3. Whisk together milk, egg whites and vanilla; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix cake flour sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed just until combined
  5. Add butter and beat on low speed just until the mixture looks like wet sand with small clumps; scrape the sides of the bowl with spatula
  6. Add half of milk mixture and beat on medium speed for 1½ minutes only; scrape sides of bowl with spatula and add remaining milk; mix on medium speed for just thirty seconds
  7. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 32-36 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
  8. Set cake aside to cool and prepare buttercream
Notes
Recipe from Baking Bites
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Salted Caramel Buttercream
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup Salted Caramel
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy; add powdered sugar and beat on medium-high speed for several minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy; add caramel sauce and beat on medium speed for one minute
  2. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week; bring to room temperature before using
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The Best Salted Caramel Cake

 

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Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats with Mocha Ganache

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Rice Krispie treats are all grown up with the addition of salted caramel and a rich mocha ganache.  Make this special treat for Super Bowl or your next gathering and watch the Rice Krispie treats disappear!

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats with Mocha Ganache

Last Monday we talked the how-tos on making salted caramel.  Just a few ingredients and no thermometer; the basics really aren’t that hard.  Now that we have that covered, I figured you could use some new recipes for the salted caramel that you won’t want to stop making (and eating).

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats with Mocha Ganache

These sweet and salty rice krispie treats are a fun and easy no-bake treat to make.  They might be the perfect pick-up treat for the Super Bowl in a few weeks.  The salted caramel krispie treat base is slightly gooey so they are best stored in the refrigerator.  The mocha ganache is rich and really makes them something special.  I liked them with and without the ganache topping, though.

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats with Mocha Ganache

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats with Mocha Ganache
 
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Rice Krispie treats are all grown up with the addition of salted caramel and a rich mocha ganache. Make this special treat for Super Bowl or your next gathering and watch the Rice Krispie treats disappear!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24 servings
Ingredients
Mocha Ganache
  • 10 ounces dark chocolate (I used 70%), coarsely chopped
  • 4 fluid ounces cup extra-strong brewed coffee (4 fluid ounces hot water + 1 heaping
  • teaspoon + of instant coffee)
  • 5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature and sliced
Rice Krispie Treats
  • 1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows
  • 6 fluid ounces (3/4 cup) salted caramel sauce
  • 7 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
Mocha Ganache
  1. Set up a double boiler; bring water to a simmer in medium pot over
  2. low-medium heat
  3. Place heat-proof bowl of chocolate over the pot
  4. Pour the coffee over chocolate
  5. Continuously stir until chocolate is melted and smooth
  6. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in the butter until creamy
  7. Set ganache aside to cool, stirring occasionally
Rice Krispie Treats
  1. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray; set aside
  2. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter
  3. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted
  4. Remove from heat and stir in caramel sauce until well combined
  5. Stir in Rice Krispies
  6. Use a greased spatula to press mixture down into prepared baking dish
  7. Spread mocha ganache evenly over top of treats and sprinkle with flaky sea salt
  8. Chill in refrigerator for one hour or until set
  9. Cut and serve; leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to one week
Notes
Heavily adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
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Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats with Mocha Ganache

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

How to Make Salted Caramel Without a Candy Thermometer

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This basic recipe for salted caramel is all you need for the perfect sauce or dessert component.

How to Make Salted Caramel Without a Candy Thermometer

I’ve decided that January will be salted caramel month on the blog.  There are a few recipes that I’ll be sharing over the next few weeks that incorporate one of my favorite dessert components, but I didn’t want to dive into them without going over the basics.  This salted caramel sauce recipe is easy to make, even if you don’t have a candy thermometer!  It only requires a few basic ingredients, your stove, a heavy duty pot and a whisk.   The sauce is perfect for topping ice cream, fruit crisps, pies and other desserts but it also is great for enhancing things like cookies and cakes.  After you try it once, you might never go back to store-bought caramel!

How to Make Caramel Sauce

How to Make Salted Caramel Without a Candy Thermometer
 
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This basic recipe for salted caramel is all you need for the perfect sauce or dessert component.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons milk (any type)
  • ½ tablespoon coarse or flaky sea salt*
Instructions
  1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium** heavy-duty saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves
  2. Let boil for several minutes without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, watching closely so it doesn't burn; Once the caramel begins to darken, the rest of the process happens very quickly (see photos above for caramelization process)
  3. As soon as most of the sugar water mixture is a deep amber, whisk in the cream (be careful as mixture will bubble up) and remove from heat immediately
  4. Whisk in milk and sea salt; serve warm or store covered in refrigerator up to two weeks***
Notes
*If looking to make a basic caramel sauce without the extra salt flair, reduce to ½ teaspoon
**If doubling, use a large pot and allow extra time for caramelization
***For thicker sauce, chill in refrigerator for a few hours before using or serving; re-heat gently if desired
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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream Brownie Bites for Audra’s Virtual Shower

34 Comments

Fudgy chocolaty brownie bites topped with an extra special buttercream are a fun mini dessert for any occasion.

Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream Brownie Bites

Today we are celebrating one of my favorite people!  My friend Audra (The Baker Chick) is having a baby so a few of us got together to throw a virtual party.

I’ve actually been thinking about this for months.  Back in July over an afternoon coffee date, Audra told Jacqueline and I she was pregnant.  We both were so excited and immediately said we wanted to throw her a virtual baby shower.  Now here we are, months later, and it’s almost time for Audra to have her baby boy!

I met Audra at the Foodbuzz Festival a couple of years ago.  Lucky for me, Audra also lives in New York so I get to see her somewhat regularly.  She is one of the friendliest and most genuine people I have met through blogging and I am so happy we are now real-life friends.  It came as no surprise to me when a couple of bloggers actually asked to join in  on the shower when they heard about it from other bloggers.  Everyone loves Audra:-)

Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream Brownie Bites

I always like mini desserts for parties like showers where people are mingling and may want to sample a few different things.  Plus, Audra is the queen of salted caramel so I knew I had to incorporate it somehow.  I actually had picked up this Espresso Salt when I was in Boston and had been excited to finally use it for something sweet.  This felt like the perfect place.

And don’t forget to see what the other bloggers are sharing for the shower!

Cocktails:

Grapefruit Rosemary and Sage Spritzer from Brandy

Small Bites:

Sausage and Cheese Wonton Cups from Erin

Honey and Tangerine Whipped Goat Cheese Crostini from Liz

Desserts!

Bananas Foster Cupcakes from Meriem

Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Sea Salt from Joanne

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter from Katrina

Chocolate Mousse Mini Cupcakes from Jennifer

Cinnamon Nut Stuffed Persimmons from Gina

Coconut-Cream Meringue Cupcakes from Tracey

Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream Brownie Bites from Lauren

Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread from Jacqueline

Mini Eggnog Bundt Cakes with Salted Caramel Icing from Kelli

Mini Gingerbread Whoopie Pies from Julie

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream from Rachel

Sugar & Spice Layer Cake from Stephanie

Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream Brownie Bites

Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream Brownie Bites
 
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Fudgy chocolaty brownie bites topped with an extra special buttercream are a fun mini dessert for any occasion.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 18 brownie bites
Ingredients
For the Fudgy Brownie Bites
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 9 ¾ ounces(~1⅓ cups) sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2⅞ ounces (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream
  • 8 ounces (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup espresso salted caramel (see below, can substitute regular salted caramel if desired)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease or line mini muffin pan
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, espresso powder and salt; set aside
  4. Melt butter and chocolate in large sauce pan over low to medium heat; stir in sugar; stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth
  5. Whisk in flour mixture just until combined; do not overmix
  6. Use a small ladle or medium cookie dough scoop to evenly distribute batter into muffin tin
  7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until tops are puffed up slightly and knife comes out clean
  8. Set brownies aside to cool
  9. For the Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream
  10. Beat butter with an electric mixer for several minutes or until light and creamy; add sugar and beat until light and fluffy
  11. Beat in salted caramel until combined
  12. Remove brownies from pan and pipe buttercream onto cooled brownie bites
Notes
Brownie adapted from Baker’s
Brownies can be stored in a covered container at room temperature up to two days or frozen up to one month
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Espresso Salted Caramel
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • 5⅝ ounces (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) heavy cream
  • 1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) milk, any type
  • 2-3 teaspoons espresso salt (to taste)
Instructions
  1. Whisk the sugar and water in a medium heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil
  2. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, watching closely so it doesn't burn
  3. Quickly whisk in the cream (be careful; it will bubble up) and remove from the heat
  4. Whisk in milk and sea salt and chill in refrigerator until ready to use
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Espresso Salted Caramel Buttercream Brownie Bites

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Blog, Recipes

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

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These Pink Champagne Cake Pops are going to be your new go-to celebration treat!  Make them to ring in the New Year or for your next birthday party.  They are as delicious as they are pretty!

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

This is one of the most fun photo shoots I’ve ever put together and I’m excited to finally post all about these gorgeous cake pops!

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

The recipe was put together for this year’s holiday issue of Celebrity Cooking Magazine.  I was so honored to be featured in the magazine amongst great chefs like Giada De Laurentiis and Fabio Viviani.  If you skip to page 72 of the magazine, you will find a Keep It Sweet Desserts feature along with a couple of my holiday dessert recipes.  Since they didn’t include the recipe for these Pink Champagne Cake Pops (just a photo), I figured I just had to share them here!

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

Cake pops are a fun treat and can take a little bit of time to put together, but when you use a good recipe, they will taste just as delicious as they look (you can’t say that for all store-bought cake pops and mixes).  Also, since they are dipped in chocolate, the cake balls retain their moisture for a little longer than cupcakes or regular cake so they can be prepared up to one week in advance.

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

New Years Eve parties, bridal showers and 21st birthdays are just some of the occasions to celebrate with these cake pops.

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

And imagine your guests delight when they bite into the sweet champagne flavored cake pop and find a pretty pink center!

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

Sorry for the photo overload, I just couldn’t resist!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Pink Champagne Cake Pops
 
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These Pink Champagne Cake Pops are going to be your new go-to celebration treat! Make them to ring in the New Year or for your next birthday party. They are as delicious as they are pretty!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 60 cake pops
Ingredients
  • 1 Pink Champagne Cake
  • 1 batch Pink Champagne Buttercream
  • 60 6-inch lollipop sticks
  • 32 ounces white chocolate or white chocolate melts, roughly chopped
  • ½ - 1 cup diamond sugar (optional but recommended)
Instructions
  1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside
  2. Break cake into pieces and place in a large bowl; crumble cake into small crumbs with fingers
  3. Add buttercream to cake and mix with a spoon until all cake crumbs are coated
  4. Use a small cookie dough scoop or large spoon to scoop balls of dough onto wax paper
  5. Use your hands to roll the cake scoops into balls
  6. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place in freezer for at least two hours
  7. Prepare another baking sheet with wax paper for finished pops, alternatively, have a large piece of styrofoam available for drying cake pops
  8. Once cake balls are frozen, you can make the cake pops
  9. Put white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and place in over a pot of simmering water; stir chocolate constantly until melted (you can also melt the white chocolate in the microwave)
  10. Remove balls from freezer; dip the top of each lollipop stick about ¼ of an inch into the white chocolate and immediately press into cake ball two thirds of the way through
  11. Once complete, dip each cake pop, one at a time, into white chocolate; lightly tap off excess chocolate and place cake pop on wax paper or stick into styrofoam; decorate with diamond sugar immediately before chocolate hardens
  12. Repeat until all cake pops are dipped and decorated
  13. Allow to cool and for chocolate to harden before serving
Notes
Cake pops inspired by Bakerella
Cake can be made one day before making cake pops; just make sure it is covered tightly with seran wrap overnight
Cake pops can be made up to one week in advance of serving
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Pink Champagne Cake and Buttercream
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
Pink Champagne Cake
  • 13⅞ ounces (3 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 15 ounces (2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 x-large egg whites at room temperature
  • 4 drops red food coloring
  • 2 cups champagne (make sure to choose champagne that you like the taste of)
Pink Champagne Buttercream
  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup / ½ stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1¼ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons champagne
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 drop red food coloring
Instructions
Make the cake:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour 9x13-inch cake pan or baking dish; set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt); set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Reduce speed to medium and add egg whites, one at a time; add vanilla
  5. Mix in food coloring
  6. Stop mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula
  7. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and champagne in three alternating additions, starting and ending with dry ingredients
  8. Pour into prepared cake pan or baking dish and bake 25-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from center
Make the buttercream:
  1. Beat butter for several minutes until light and fluffy
  2. Add sugar, champagne, vanilla and food coloring and beat for several minutes until light and creamy
Notes
Cake and buttercream slightly adapted from Booze Cakes
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Pink Champagne Cake Pops–A New Years Eve Treat!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Baby Blue Cake Pops

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Blog, Recipes

Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake

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This moist cake is loaded with chunks of apples.  The vanilla bean in the cake and the caramel sauce enhances the flavor in a wonderful way.

Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

After tasting my mom’s version of Audra’s apple cake over the Jewish holidays, I couldn’t wait to put a spin on it myself.  My mom substituted butter for some of the oil and frosted it with cinnamon buttercream.  It was heavenly.  Of course I couldn’t leave well enough alone.

Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

I made this cake almost a month ago but wanted to save it as the big Thanksgiving week post!  So if you have already finalized your dessert menu for Thursday, you might want to make some room because this cake needs to happen.

Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

So many apples, moist cake, vanilla bean throughout AND in the caramel sauce… it is a winner.  I definitely ate more than my share but it was completely worth it.  Matt, actually, has not stopped talking about it.

Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

And if you can’t figure out a way to make this happen for Thanksgiving, add the recipe to your list of desserts to make asap.  Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake
 
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Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake Serves 16 – 20 Adapted from the Baker Chick
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 16 – 20 servings
Ingredients
  • For the apples:
  • 1½ pounds (~3) granny smith apples (4 cups peeled and chopped)
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 whole vanilla bean
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • For the cake:
  • 13⅞ ounces all-purpose flour (~3 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 8¼ ounces (~1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar)
  • 3¾ ounces (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 2 x-large eggs + 1 x-large yolk OR 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
  2. Grease and flour a 12 or 14 cup bundt pan; set aside
  3. Cut the vanilla bean open and scrape the seeds from inside into a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter; place skillet over stove on medium heat and stir until butter is melted
  4. Add pod from vanilla bean, apples, and tablespoon of sugar; let cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples are softened
  5. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside
  6. In the large mixing bowl of an electric mixer beat together the butter, oil, sugars and eggs for 3 minutes on low to medium speed; add vanilla extract and mix until combined
  7. Scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula and carefully add the dry ingredients while mixer is on low speed just until combined
  8. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the apples; do not overmix
  9. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 33-37 minutes, or until cake is lightly browned and a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean
  10. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack; set aside to cool while preparing caramel
Notes
Adapted from the Baker Chick
Make ahead tip: Prepare cake up to two days ahead of time and wrap tightly with seran wrap.
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Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • 5⅝ ounces (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • ½ vanilla bean
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons milk, any type
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
  1. In a heavy duty saucepan, combine granulated sugar, seeds scraped from vanilla bean, and water
  2. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved
  3. Continue to cook for a few minutes until caramel reaches a deep amber (do not stir)
  4. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in heavy cream
  5. Stir in milk and sea salt
  6. Drizzle liberally over apple cake or refrigerate until ready to serve
Notes
Make ahead tip:  Caramel sauce can be made up to one week ahead of time. Just heat it gently over the stove or in microwave just prior to pouring over cake and serving
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Vanilla Bean Apple Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

Cranberry Apple Pie and Pie Week Giveaway

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This double crusted cranberry apple pie is full of a melt-in-your-mouth fruit filling and covered in flaky pastry dough.  Wow your Thanksgiving guests with this holiday pie.

Cranberry Apple Pie

Scroll to end of post for giveaway details.

After making my Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie, I couldn’t wait to use my new pan again.  And since I knew I wanted this pie to be another showstopper, I decided it was time to overcome my fear of top-layer pie crust.  I had to go big or go home.

Cranberry Apple Pie

As I mentioned before, I am up to my ears in cranberries so it wasn’t hard to decide to use them in a pie.  I’ve had huge success with cranberries and apples before so I figured that  a cranberry apple pie would be perfect.   I used the same base dough as the pecan pie but went to Cooks Illustrated for the method of putting the pie together.  It gave me a lot more confidence in putting this dessert together to have very clearly laid out instructions.  And excuse me while I do pat myself on the back for a second because look at that gorgeous crust!

Cranberry Apple Pie

I’m almost sad that Pie Week is ending because I think I just got hooked on pies.

Cranberry Apple Pie
Have you checked out all of the amazing recipes?  Which ones will you be making for Thanksgiving?

Toasted Coconut Caramel Cream Pie – The Baker Chick

Chocolate Drizzled Pecan Pie Bites– Nutmeg Nanny

S’mores Hand Pies– Chocolate and Carrots

Pumpkin Coconut Pie– Dessert for Two

Chocolate Pudding Pie– Eats Well with Others

Cranberry Apple Pie– Keep it Sweet Desserts

Caramel Chess Tart- Bake or Break

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Almond Bark- Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie– Dinners Dishes and Desserts

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Quiche– Country Cleaver

Apple Pie Ice Cream– Carla’s Confections

Triple Fruit Slab Pie– Foodie with Family

Cranberry Apple Pie and Pie Week Giveaway
 
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This double crusted cranberry apple pie is full of a melt-in-your-mouth fruit filling and covered in flaky pastry dough. Wow your Thanksgiving guests with this holiday pie.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
Cranberry Filling:
  • 4 ounces (~1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries)
  • 2 ounces (~1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 1 fluid ounce fresh lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 fluid ounce water
Apple Filling:
  • 1¾ pound (~3 – 4) granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
  • 1¾ ounces (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Finishing:
  • 1 egg white at room temperature, lightly whisked
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
  1. Prepare pie crust according to recipe directions and chill dough until ready to use
  2. When ready to bake, place a baking sheet on the lowest rack of oven and pre-heat to 425 degrees
  3. Prepare cranberry filling; cook cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in a small heavy duty saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally; cook for several minutes or until all cranberries have burst and filling is thick; remove from heat, stir in water, and set aside to cool
  4. Prepare cranberry filling; combine apples, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in a large microwaveable bowl; cover with seran wrap and microwave for 6 minutes, stopping occasionally to stir; apples should be slightly softened and limp when done; set aside to cool
  5. Roll half of dough out in a long rectangle (at least 16 inches long and 7 inches wide), dough should be ~1/8 inch thick
  6. Carefully press dough into tart pan, tightly into corners and edges; cut off any crust that hangs over more than ½ inch; wrap in seran wrap and chill in refrigerator for thirty minutes
  7. Roll other half of dough out in a long rectangle (at least 16 inches long and 7 inches wide), dough should be ~1/8 inch thick; place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly cover with seran wrap; chill in refrigerator until ready for use
  8. Once fillings have cooled and pie crust has been chilled for allotted thirty minutes, put together pie; gently spread cranberry filling along bottom of crust; carefully top with apple filling
  9. Carefully top pie with remaining dough; use your fingers to pinch dough from both layers together around the edges
  10. Brush egg white over top layer of crust (you do not need to use all of it) and sprinkle with sugar; use a sharp knife to cut three or four openings into top layer of crust, about ½ inch each
  11. Place pie on baking sheet that has been in oven and bake on lowest rack for 30 minutes or until crust is a nice golden brown
  12. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes or until filling is bubbling
  13. Set aside to cool before serving
  14. Pie can be stored tightly wrapped in foil at room temperature up to two days
Notes
Requires 1 13.75 x 4.25 tart pan (this inexpensive pan from Amazon does the job)
Pie adapted from Cooks Illustrated
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Cranberry Apple Pie
And let me just say, we are ending Pie Week on a high here because I have ANOTHER extra special giveaway, this time from Kitchen Aid!


Thank you so much to Kitchen Aid for sponsoring this giveaway!
And if you haven’t entered them yet, there is still a chance to win a $500 Amazon gift certificate and a Cabot Cheese / King Arthur Flour package!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Cranberry Apple Shortbread Bars

Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Brown Butter Cookies

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Cranberry Apple Pie
Blog, Recipes

Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie and Pie Week Giveaway

25 Comments

This chocolate pecan pie is the perfect addition to your fall holiday table!

Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie

Get excited because in addition to yesterday’s awesome Amazon gift certificate giveaway, I have a few more giveaways coming your way this week (scroll down for details).  Oh right, and lot’s of pie!  A few other bloggers and I are sharing pie recipes all week long.  The perfect week before Thanksgiving treat, I’d say!

Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie

To start things off, I’ve got what I decided to call a “Fancy” Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie.  I’m completely enamored with the shape of this pie and the pile of pecans above crust level.  This is the sort of thing that will look gorgeous on your Thanksgiving table.

Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie

Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie and Pie Week Giveaway
 
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This chocolate pecan pie is the perfect addition to your fall holiday table!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • ⅓ recipe of 1 double crusted pie crust (I used this Martha Stewart recipe)
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 ounces (~1/4 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 1⅝ ounces (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2½ cups pecans
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Prepare pie crust according to recipe directions and chill dough until ready to use
  2. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
  3. Roll dough out in a long rectangle (at least 16 inches long and 7 inches wide), dough should be ~1/8 inch thick
  4. Carefully press dough into tart pan, tightly into corners and edges; cut off any crust that hangs over
  5. Whisk together filling (eggs, sugars, corn syrup, vanilla and salt); set aside
  6. Mix pecans and chocolate chips together and pile evenly into pie crust
  7. Drizzle filling over pie being careful not to have any spill over
  8. Place pan in center of oven and bake for ~35 minutes or until filling is set; check occasionally and if pecans on top start to brown, lightly cover with foil for remainder of baking
  9. Notes:
  10. I suggest placing a large piece of foil on rack below pie in oven in case of any drips
  11. *If you do not have a pan this size, you can make the recipe into an 8 or 9-inch pie, just use one half of pie crust recipe, NOT one third and increase filling by fifty percent; increase baking time as needed
Notes
Requires 1 13.75 x 4.25 tart pan (this inexpensive pan from Amazon does the job)
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Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie

And now for the giveaway!  Today through November 25th you can enter to win a pretty awesome prize pack from King Arthur Flour (flour, spices, a pie plate AND a rolling pin) and Cabot (gift basket full of cheese and other fun products)!  There will be two winners which is really exciting. US entrants only.

A huge thank you to King Arthur Flour and Cabot for sponsoring this giveaway!

Looking for more Pie Week recipes?

Brown Butter Apple Custard Pie from The Baker Chick

Bourbon Apple Hand Pies from Nutmeg Nanny

Pumpkin Pie Croutons from Chocolate and Carrots

Mini Pumpkin Pies from Dessert for Two

Winter Squash Pot Pie with Chickpeas and Swiss Chard from Eats Well With Others

Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie from Keep It Sweet Desserts

Chocolate Pecan Tart from Bake or Break

Apple Cherry Galette with Kettle Chip Crumble from Country Cleaver

This post contains affiliate links.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Pie with Brown Sugar Marshmallow Topping

Roasted Butternut Squash Pie with Brown Sugar Marshmallow Topping

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Apple Pie Crumble Bars

Apple Pie Crumble Bars

Blog, Recipes

Cookie Butter Pumpkin Bites

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The chewy Cookie Butter shell is the perfect compliment to the creamy pumpkin flavored Kiss!  This is a fun twist on the usual thumbprint cookie.

Cookie Butter Pumpkin Bites

Raise your hand if you will be heading to Target / CVS / [insert favorite supermarket] tomorrow for the day-after Halloween candy sales?  You and me both!  I can never resist a candy sale.  And assuming the Pumpkin Hershey Kisses are marked down 50% you should probably buy twice as many as you need.  That way you can eat half and use half for these cookies!

This is one of those recipes that almost didn’t get published.  When the cookies came out of the pan, I eyed them suspiciously and decided that they just weren’t pretty enough.  But then as I was getting ready to shove them into the freezer to avoid eating them all, I tasted a bite.

Cookie Butter Pumpkin Bites

And you know what, at that moment I didn’t care how pretty the cookies might look on the blog.  They needed to be shared.  If you are already familiar with Cookie Butter (or Biscoff or any other form of speculoos) then you probably don’t need much convincing to make this cookie.  The flavor comes through really well in the cookie dough and it is buttery and chewy in a way that it just melts together with the soft pumpkin Kiss when you take a bite.

Cookie Butter Pumpkin Bites
 
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The chewy Cookie Butter shell is the perfect compliment to the creamy pumpkin flavored Kiss! This is a fun twist on the usual thumbprint cookie.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24 cookies
Ingredients
  • 5¾ ounces (~1¼ cup ) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup Cookie Butter
  • 3¾ ounces (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 4⅛ ounces (~1/2 cup) light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 24 pumpkin Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; take out a mini muffin pan and set aside (do NOT grease)
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter, Cookie Butter, and sugars until light and fluffy; scrape sides of the bowl
  4. Add egg and vanilla; mix on medium speed until combined
  5. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients; remove bowl from mixer and make sure all dry ingredients are incorporated
  6. Use a medium cookie dough scoop or tablespoon (~2 tablespoons each), distribute cookie dough evenly in mini muffin pan for 24 cookies;
  7. Bake 11-13 minutes in center of oven or until lightly browned around the edges and centers appear set
  8. Immediately put one Kiss into each cookie, pressing down lightly into center
  9. Allow to cool for about twenty minutes before gently removing cookies from pan; you can use a butter knife or small metal spatula to loosen each cookie around the edge before taking out
  10. Store in an airtight container up to a week or freeze for up to one month
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Cookie Butter Pumpkin Bites

And another note – Carrie is giving away some Keep It Sweet Desserts. Head over to her blog to enter!
This post contains affiliate links.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Looking for more Cookie Butter recipes? Try these:

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels (SO easy)

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Cookie Butter Lava Whole Wheat Banana Muffins (Healthy!)

Cookie Butter Lava Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Cookie Butter & Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches (LOVE)Cookie Butter and Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches

 

Blog, Recipes

Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

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Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache can take an ordinary cake, cupcake or cookie and turn it into something very special.  If you haven’t tried caramelized white chocolate yet, you are going to want to now!

Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

It’s official, I am obsessed.

Caramelized white chocolate is my new favorite ingredient.  It all started with a dessert we ordered at ABC Cocina.  We had a rice pudding that could have been ordinary but a touch of caramelized white chocolate made it anything but ordinary.  I couldn’t get the flavor out of my head.  I remember Kate waxing poetic about it a while back, but truly I didn’t imagine the love affair that I would develop.

Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

Imagine that white chocolate and caramel had a love child.  And it’s even better than that because I don’t even like white chocolate.  The touch of sea salt added to the rich caramelized white chocolate takes you on a flavor tour.  First sweet, then salt, then heaven.  If I could come up with better descriptive words I would, but frankly you just need to get in the kitchen and try it yourself.  Other than tending to the oven every five to ten minutes, the process is actually quite easy.

Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

If you want to go over-the-top, make these cupcakes.  You remember those?  If you want to take the caramelized white chocolate and turn it into a pure form of an unadulterated dessert accessory, stay here.  It is rich, creamy and light all at the same time.

This Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache is one of those things than can take an ordinary cake, cupcake or cookie and turn it into something very special.  Spread it on a graham cracker or use it to frost chocolate cake.  I grabbed some extra cupcakes from my freezer for the photos in this post, but I’m currently dreaming of cookie sandwiches and layered cakes galore.  That is if I can stop myself from eating it by the spoonful batch after batch!

Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache
 
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Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache can take an ordinary cake, cupcake or cookie and turn it into something very special. If you haven’t tried caramelized white chocolate yet, you are going to want to now!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: about 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 10 ounces good quality white chocolate (must be real white chocolate, standard supermarket brand white chocolate chips or melts will not work), roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees and place wrack in center of oven
  2. Spread white chocolate evenly over a clean rimmed baking sheet
  3. Put in oven for ten minutes; remove pan and use a rubber spatula to stir and spread white chocolate
  4. Place in oven again and repeat for additional twenty to thirty (stirring every five to ten minutes) minutes or until white chocolate begins to darken into a light brown (as shown in pictures here)
  5. I recommend reducing the increments to five minutes towards the end of caramelizing to prevent burning
  6. When caramelized white chocolate is done, stir in sea salt
  7. Make the ganache; place caramelized white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl
  8. Place cream in a heavy duty saucepan over medium high heat
  9. Bring to a boil and allow to bubble for about thirty seconds (surface will be covered with bubbles)
  10. Remove from heat and pour over caramelized white chocolate; allow to sit for thirty seconds to one minute
  11. Whisk mixture until smooth and creamy
  12. Cover and chill for one to two hours (up to twelve hours) or until ganache is firm
  13. Once ready, place ganache in the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment
  14. Beat on medium-high speed for five minutes, scraping sides of bowl with a spatula occasionally
  15. Ganache is done when it is light, smooth and creamy
  16. Use immediately to frost cupcakes, cake, cookies etc.; store finished products at room temperature up to two days
Notes
Make sure your baking sheet and spatula are clean and dry
For other tips and troubleshooting caramelizing white chocolate I recommend David Lebovitz’s post
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Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl

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Caramelized-White-Chocolate-Truffle-Pumpkin-Cupcakes-13.jpg

Gluten-Free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

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Pretty much the best frosting ever
Blog, Recipes

Graham Cracker Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling

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Chewy Graham Cracker flavored cookies filled with a toasted pumpkin marshmallow buttercream are the best cookie for fall!  Dip them in chocolate and decorate with colored sprinkles for a festive treat.

Graham Cracker Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling

These cookies.

Where do I even begin?  First of all, the graham cracker cookie is chewy, slightly crispy on the outside, and flavored like a graham cracker (duh) with just the perfect hint of salt.  It would make a great dunking cookie (milk, hot chocolate, pumpkin pie coffee, you name it).  But, why leave the cookie alone when I could sandwich it with buttercream, dip it in chocolate and decorate it with jimmies?  Yeah, exactly.

Graham Cracker Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling

So second of all, this buttercream.  Ever since devouring this cake a couple of weeks ago, I could not get, Sweetapolita’s toasted marshmallow buttercream out of my head.   The flavor of the toasted marshmallows is perfectly present, and I actually really like the bits of crunch you get from the browned marshmallows.  Well, I couldn’t leave well enough alone.  I had to take that buttercream and infuse it with fall’s favorite flavors.  Given that I’ve had two huge bags of pumpkin marshmallows in my pantry since last year, this was the perfect opportunity to finally use them!

Graham Cracker Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling

And third, the chocolate.  Honestly, you really don’t need to do this, but I wanted my cookies to really shine as a special fall treat.  So, I dipped them in milk chocolate and covered them with some cute Halloween sprinkles.  For those of you who enjoy pumpkin treats year round, you could swap the sprinkles for different colors depending on the season.

Graham Cracker Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling

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Graham Cracker Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling
 
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Chewy Graham Cracker flavored cookies filled with a toasted pumpkin marshmallow buttercream are the best cookie for fall! Dip them in chocolate and decorate with colored sprinkles for a festive treat.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 14 cookie sandwiches
Ingredients
Chewy Graham Cracker Cookies
  • 4 ¼ ounces (1 cup) honey graham cracker crumbs (about 8 sheets)
  • 5⅝ ounces (~1¼ cup) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 3 ¾ ounces (1/2) cup granulated sugar
  • 4⅛ ounces (1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling
  • 1 ½ cups pumpkin marshmallows (25 marshmallows)
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  • ¾ cup marshmallow fluff
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning
Optional Decorations
  • 12 ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped
  • ⅔ cup sprinkles
Instructions
Chewy Graham Cracker Cookies
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350
  2. Whisk graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
  4. Beat in egg and vanilla
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients but do not overmix; use a spatula to make sure all cookie batter is combined
  6. Use a small cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to make cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (about 1½ tablespoons each)
  7. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes and remove from oven
  8. Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack before serving
Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling
  1. Pre-heat oven to broil; line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray
  2. Put marshmallows on prepared cookie sheet and place on lower rack of oven for thirty to ninety seconds until nicely browned on top; remove pan and use tongs to flip marshmallows over onto other sides
  3. Broil marshmallows again for thirty to ninety seconds or until nicely browned on other side; remove from oven and set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on low speed just until combined; add marshmallow fluff, vanilla and pumpkin pie seasoning and mix on medium high speed until light and creamy (about three minutes); scrape sides of the bowl with spatula
  5. Add toasted marshmallows, mix on medium speed two minutes (there will still be bits of crunch marshmallow but they should be mostly combined)
  6. Spread or pipe frosting onto bottom of half of the cookies, about one tablespoon each; lightly press remaining cookies down onto frosting to create sandwiches
Optional decorations
  1. Once cookies have been cooled and frosted, place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl
  2. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper and set aside
  3. Melt chocolate in the microwave on high heat for thirty seconds; stir well and microwave again for thirty-second increments stirring in-between until melted
  4. Dip cookie sandwiches halfway into melted chocolate, place on  and immediately cover with sprinkles
  5. Place baking sheet in fridge for one hour or until chocolate has hardened
  6. Place cookie sandwiches in a ziplock bag or sealed container and store at room temperature in a cool place up to five days
Notes
Cookie adapted from these s’mores cookies and buttercream adapted from Sweetapolita
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Graham Cracker Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling

Please make them.  Just don’t drop them on the floor like I did.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Graham Cracker Cookies with Roasted Pumpkin Marshmallow Filling 17
Blog, Recipes

Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

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As if moist pumpkin cupcakes weren’t enough, I filled them with a luscious caramelized white chocolate ganache and topped them with caramelized white chocolate buttercream. 

Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

These cupcakes are easily one of my favorite recipe creations in the entire life of the blog.  I’m not the biggest cupcake lover (I’d rather have layer cake), so when I have cupcakes, they have to be extra special.

Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

These Pumpkin Cupcakes do not disappoint.  They are flavorful and extremely moist.  And thanks to the caramelized white chocolate (hello new favorite ingredient!), they are unique, over-the-top and pumpkin-neutral-husband approved.

Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

Before you scroll down for the recipe, I’m going to warn you; they are time consuming.  The recipe is, to put it lightly, lengthy.  You have to make caramelized white chocolate, cupcakes, ganache filling and buttercream.  For someone who spends all of their time in the kitchen, they took me a few hours from start to finish (so for most people they are likely an all-day project).  It was baking therapy at its finest, though, and the result was hands down worth every second of baking and dishwashing.

Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

Just look at the inside of the cupcakes!  The cake actually absorbs the liquid gold caramelized white chocolate ganache so the cupcakes completely melt in your mouth.  This is not a dessert for the faint of heart.  I recommend saving them for a quiet day in the kitchen and then serving them as the keynote dessert at your dinner party.  They are certainly worthy of a spot on the Thanksgiving table as well.

Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes
 
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As if moist pumpkin cupcakes weren’t enough, I filled them with a luscious caramelized white chocolate ganache and topped them with caramelized white chocolate buttercream.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 18 cupcakes
Ingredients
  • 1 batch Pumpkin Cupcakes (recipe below)
  • 1 batch Caramelized White Chocolate made with 12 ounces good quality white chocolate (see note below)
  • 1 batch Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)
  • 1 batch Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream (recipe below)
Instructions
  1. Prepare caramelized white chocolate; upon completion, immediately use ½ cup to make Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache; set aside to cool and make cupcakes
  2. Bake Pumpkin Cupcakes as directed below; allow to cool for one hour
  3. When cupcakes are completely cool, use a small paring knife to cut about one teaspoon out of top center of cupcake
  4. Fill whole of cupcake with a teaspoon of ganache and repeat with remaining cupcakes (refer to this blog post on stuffing cupcakes for tips and photos)
  5. Prepare Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream as directed below; pipe or spread buttercream over suffed cupcakes
  6. Store cupcakes in a covered container up to three days (best within 24 hours of making)
Notes
This is a more time intensive recipe because you will need to prepare caramelized white chocolate for the filling and the buttercream but I promise, it is entirely worth it; save the project for a fall or winter weekend inside
The cupcakes are moist enough that they don’t quite need a filling, so if you want to leave the ganache out they will still be delicious, just not AS delicious
*Directions on how to make Caramelized White Chocolate can be found here and here.  For the full cupcake recipe, use 12 ounces of white chocolate and ½ teaspoon of sea salt
Matt thought these cupcakes could use a bit of crunch.  I really liked that perfect melt-in-your mouth bite of cupcake, but if you want to add a little something something, may I suggest this Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle?
Make ahead tips:
You can bake the Pumpkin Cupcakes up to one month ahead of time, just freeze them until a couple of hours before stuffing with ganache
*Caramelized white chocolate can be made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container at room temperature up to one month; roughly chop what you will use for the ganache and then follow ganache instructions above
Buttercream can also be made and frozen for up to one month; just defrost in refrigerator for several hours until ready to use; it may need to be re-whipped for best results
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Pumpkin Cupcakes
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 4 ¼ ounces (~1⅛ cups) cake flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 ounces (10 tablespoons / 1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 4⅛ ounces (~½ cup packed) brown sugar
  • 3 ¾ ounces (~½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 x-large egg + 1 x-large egg white OR 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line regular-sized cupcake tins with cupcake wrappers; set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy
  4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition on medium speed
  5. Add pumpkin and vanilla and mix on medium speed until well combined
  6. Carefully add flour with mixer on low speed, mix just until combined; do not overmix
  7. Evenly distribute batter into 18 prepared cupcakes, filling about ⅔ of each cup
  8. Bake 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of cupcakes
  9. Set aside to cool
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Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache Filling
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • ½ cup prepared caramelized white chocolate* out of the oven
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. Place caramelized white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl
  2. In a small heavy-duty saucepan, bring cream to a boil over medium-high heat; allow to boil for thirty seconds (entire surface will start to bubble)
  3. Remove from heat and pour over caramelized white chocolate; allow to sit for thirty seconds to one minute
  4. Whisk ganache ingredients until caramelized white chocolate has melted and ganache is smoothe
  5. Allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour before filling cupcakes
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Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup prepared caramelized white chocolate (at room temperature; can be prepared ahead of time)
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat butter on medium high speed until creamy (one or two minutes)
  2. Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed for one minute; scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix on medium-high speed for two minutes
  3. Add caramelized white chocolate and beat on medium-high speed for three minutes or until buttercream is very creamy and light
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Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

Stay tuned for an upcoming post with more caramelized white chocolate love.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

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I took a perfect brown butter cookie dough and added chopped pieces of some of my favorite candies: Peanut Butter Cups and Heath Bars.  Topped with flaky sea salt, these chewy cookies might just become your new favorite recipe!

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

Before I get to these crazy good cookies, I just wanted to mention that Keep it Sweet Desserts is up for an American Made Award for the second year.  Last year we did really well, this year I’m determined to do better!  You can VOTE up to SIX times DAILY!  I’d really appreciate your votes and sharing with friends.  The winner will be selected based on VOTES and will be honored at the American Made workshop in October.  On top of that, Keep It Sweet Desserts would get $10,000 to help grow the business, it couldn’t get much better than that.

“American Made is a movement founded by Martha Stewart that spotlights the maker, supports the local, and celebrates the handmade. It’s made up of people and communities who have turned their passion for quality craftsmanship and well-designed goods into a way of life.”

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

Okay, back to important things like brown butter.

I made these cookies a few weeks ago.  And let me tell you, baking with brown butter when you are on a pre-vacation diet is torture.  I’ve gotten used to my usual recipes for the business, but when I try something new, and it incorporates all of the things I love about a cookie, it is self-cruelty at its finest.

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

They are chewy on the inside and just slightly crisp on the outside (you need to make sure you get that light brown color for the crisp).  Chunks of Heath and Peanut Butter Cups, flaky sea salt… really, I don’t need to say more.

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies
 
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I took a perfect brown butter cookie dough and added chopped pieces of some of my favorite candies: Peanut Butter Cups and Heath Bars. Topped with flaky sea salt, these chewy cookies might just become your new favorite recipe!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 large cookies
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⅞ ounces (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 5½ ounces (2/3 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 x-large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 7 ounces (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces (~1 cup) Heath Bars, roughly chopped
  • 4½ ounces (~3/4 cup) Peanut Butter Cups, roughly chopped
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and set aside to cool
  2. Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with sugars; beat on high speed until well combined
  3. Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well mixed
  4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix
  5. Slowly stir in chopped candy
  6. Chill dough for 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking
  7. When ready to bake,pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  8. Scoop cookie dough with large cookie dough scoop (~3 tablespoons) on to prepared baking sheets
  9. Bake cookies until firm: 15-17 minutes or until edges are golden brown
  10. Allow to cool before serving
Notes
Adapted from Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies
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Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

And if you missed it, be sure to check out the announcement of our brand new flavors before they are even available to the public!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Blog, Recipes

Cookie Butter & Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches

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These speculoos cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  They are delicious on their own, but the salted caramel buttercream puts them over the top.

Cookie Butter & Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches - the cookies are delicious on their own but the buttercream filling puts them over the top!

I made these cookies a few weeks ago, and while I froze some extras, I may or may not have eaten them straight from the freezer.  Oops!  Next time I’ll make extra cookies without buttercream to use for ice cream sandwiches.

Cookie Butter & Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches - the cookies are delicious on their own but the buttercream filling puts them over the top!

The cookies themselves are crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle.  If you slightly underbake them you can keep them completely chewy.  The flavor, well, if you like Cookie Butter or Biscoff, you will be in love.  They have that great flavor that is somewhere in the middle of a graham cracker and gingersnap with an extra touch of salt.  Plus the salted caramel buttercream.  Yes, heaven in a cookie sandwich.

Cookie Butter & Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches - the cookies are delicious on their own but the buttercream filling puts them over the top!

Cookie Butter & Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches
 
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These speculoos cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They are delicious on their own, but the salted caramel buttercream puts them over the top.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~2½ dozen cookie sandwiches
Ingredients
Cookie Butter Cookies
  • 1 cup (4⅝ ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 cups speculoos of choice (I used Cookie Butter from Trader Joe’s)
  • 5⅝ ounces (¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 4⅛ ounces (1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 x-large eggs, room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Buttercream
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks / 1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup salted caramel (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
Cookie Butter Cookies
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda, set aside
  2. Using a mixer, in a large bowl beat speculoos, butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy
  3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined
  4. Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture just until combined
  5. Chill dough for 24 hours for best results
  6. After, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  7. Use a small cookie dough scoop to place cookie dough balls (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of parchment paper, 1-2 inches apart
  8. Bake 8-10 minutes and until cookies are lightly browned around the edges
Salted Caramel Buttercream
  1. Beat butter with an electric mixer for several minutes or until light and creamy. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in caramel sauce until combined.
  2. Pipe or spread buttercream onto bottom halves of half of cookies; place another cookie on top of buttercream and gently press down
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to seven days or freeze up to one month
If  you prefer a chewier cookie, err on the side of underbaking them.
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Cookie Butter & Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches - the cookies are delicious on their own but the buttercream filling puts them over the top!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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COOKIE BUTTER cookie sandwiches with SALTED CARAMEL buttercream!
Blog

Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free}

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A summer fruit crisp topped with buttery crumb topping and crunchy pistachios.  It just so happens it is gluten-free!

Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

I don’t know if I mentioned this on here, but my sister was living with us for a few months.  Her NYC lease ended in April, she relocated to my Parents this past weekend and then she moves to Boston in August.  She is going to Harvard for grad school, no biggie. Ahem, huge biggie!

Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

Jessica has about ten times the social life that I do, so she wasn’t around all that much while she lived here.  Given the tight space (her “bed” aka air mattress was surrounded by packaging materials), I don’t blame her.  It wasn’t the most glamorous of places to live.  When she was around, though, it was really nice.  The apartment is already feeling empty in her absence!  Really, New York is feeling empty in her absence!  I’ve been here for seven years, and minus her semester abroad, so has she.  I have a feeling there will be a ton of trips to Boston in my near future.

Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

Over the last month or so I’ve tried to spend extra time with her.  Between girl’s night, days at the pool, Glee marathons and going away parties it has been a blast.  Last week we even had a couple of her friends over for a mid-week barbeque.  The best part of mid-week entertaining?  Dessert.  I stuck with something easy, summery and light-ish.  This fruit-filled dessert is topped with an oatmeal based crumb topping that I added pistachios to for a salty contrast and crunch.  You can use any fruit, really.  I used some lackluster blackberries that were better off in a dessert and giant juicy peaches.  Oh, and I am way too lazy to peel off the skin, so you can peel it if you prefer.

Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free}
 
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A summer fruit crisp topped with buttery crumb topping and crunchy pistachios. It just so happens it is gluten-free!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
Topping:
  • 2 ounces (~1/2 cup) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
  • ¾ ounces (~1/4 cup) old fashioned oatmeal*
  • 1½ ounces (~1/3 cup) salted pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 2.5 ounces (~1/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup /  ½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Filling:
  • 1½ pounds (3 large / ~4 cup yield) peaches, thinly sliced, peeling the skin is optional
  • 14 ounces (~4 cups) blackberries
  • 2 ounces (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • ½ ounces (~2 tablespoons) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9-inch baking dish (or one of comparable volume) and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal, pistachios and brown sugar
  3. Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
  4. Prepare filling; in a very large bowl, stir together fruit, granulated sugar, oat flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and butter
  5. Spread filling into prepared baking dish; sprinkle evenly with topping
  6. Bake for about 35 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned, if you see that topping has started to get to brown early, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time
Notes
Adapted from my Winter Fruit Crisp
*If serving to someone with a gluten allergy make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free
Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
The entire dish can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake; may require extra cooking time if cold
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Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Obsessed with this pear and apple crisp!

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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

I blame this on the cupcake wrappers.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

I’m actually not kidding.  It has been way too long since I shared a recipe on the blog and I thought that since 4th of July is right around the corner, it was about time I used the cute little American Flag cupcake wrappers that have been in my drawer for over a year.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Given my current obsession with blueberries (they are a required part of my daily breakfast), I wanted to incorporate them into the dessert somehow.  For inspiration, I started to flip through my United Cakes of America cookbook and immediately stopped on the red velvet cupcake page.  I’ve actually made this recipe before and loved it so I was happy to have an excuse to make it again.  And every real red velvet cake lover knows that cream cheese icing is absolutely necessary. So, why not infuse the blueberries into the frosting for a full-on patriotic cupcake?

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Looking for more delicious ways to incorporate blueberries into desserts?  Here are some of my other favorites:

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Frozen Yogurt

Blueberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars

Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

Chocolate Chip Blueberry Peanut Butter Cookies

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free}

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing
 
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Fluffy red velvet cupcakes topped with a fantastic blueberry cream cheese icing!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 2 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cupcakes:
  • 10 ounces (2¼ cups) cake flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature (low fat is fine)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 8 ounces (1 cup / 2 sticks)  unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 12 ounces (1½ cups) granulated sugar
  • 2 x-large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) red food dye
Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing
  • 6 ounces regular cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3 ounces unsalted butter,  at room temperature
  • 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) shortening
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup blueberry puree (made from ½ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Red Velvet Cupcakes:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 335 degrees; grease and flour two regular sized cupcake tins OR fill them with cupcake liners; set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt) and set aside
  3. in a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (buttermilk, vanilla and vinegar) and set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy
  5. Scrape sides of the bowl; add eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed between each one; mix in red food dye until combined
  6. Scrape sides of bowl again and then with mixer on low speed, add remaining ingredients- add one third of dry ingredients, then one half of wet ingredients and repeat until everything is added; stop mixer immediately to avoid overmixing
  7. If some ingredients are not well mixed, lightly fold into batter with a spatula
  8. Pour batter evenly into cupcake tins (about ⅔ the way full for each cupcake); I like to use a large cookie dough scoop or small ladle
  9. Bake 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of cupcake
  10. Allow cupcakes to cool and make the icing
Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing:
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and shortening on high speed for several minutes until light and creamy; make sure there are no clumps from the cream cheese
  2. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add one cup of powdered sugar; beat on high speed until combined; repeat with three additional cups of powdered sugar (make sure to mix between each cup)
  3. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add blueberry puree, vanilla and salt; mix on medium speed for one minute
  4. Add remaining powdered sugar, again one cup at a time; after last cup is added, beat on high speed for at least five minutes and until frosting is light and creamy; if it appears to thick, continue to beat for another couple of minutes or until it reaches desired consistency
  5. Pipe as desired onto cooled cupcakes
  6. Cupcakes can be stored at room temperature up to three days
Notes
Cupcake recipe from United Cakes of America
Frosting adapted from this recipe (unsure of original origin)
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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing
This post contains affiliate links.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Fluffy red velvet cupcakes + creamy blueberry cream cheese icing
Blog, Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

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 Rich pound cake layers with delicious fluffy frosting and a rich whipped chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake w Whipped Chocolate Ganache

I don’t know what it is, but when I travel for a weekend, I always have a million different bags.  Maybe I just should take 1 big bag and call it a day?  I just try so hard to be an efficient and minimalist traveler (ha!).

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake w Whipped Chocolate Ganache

What if I want to workout?  Sneakers.  Are we going out to a nice dinner? Heels (maybe).  Do I want to look pretty? Makeup.  Work to do? Computer (always).  Are we celebrating something? Gifts.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake w Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Am I supposed to bring some sort of dessert? Wait, that’s not actually a question.  Do I want to blog about it? Camera (woops!).  I am thankful for my iPhone!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake w Whipped Chocolate Ganache

I don’t really go anywhere without some sort of sweet treat, because frankly, I’ll be sent back from where I came if I don’t!  For Mother’s Day weekend, however, I was a little behind on my baking.  So instead of a finished product, I traveled with cake layers.  Completely normal, right?  Probably not, but you know what, it was worth it.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake w Whipped Chocolate Ganache

I’m actually a huge fan of pound cake.  I very rarely make it but when I saw this cake from Michelle a few weeks ago, I was completely inspired to translate her recipe into a layer cake.  It did not disappoint!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake w Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Since it was Mother’s Day, I knew the cake needed plenty of chocolate.  The moist and dense (perfect pound cake texture!) cake layers were filled with chocolate chips and the outside was covered with a rich whipped chocolate ganache.  The filling was vanilla buttercream.  I was actually experimenting with a shortening-based recipe, but next time I’d just use all butter or at least half butter instead.  Okay, now I am completely craving this cake again.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake w Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache
 
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Rich pound cake layers with delicious fluffy frosting and a rich whipped chocolate ganache.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12-16 servings
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Pound Cake:
  • 12 ounces (1½ cups / 3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 8 ounces regular cream cheese
  • 1 pound 6½ ounces granulated sugar (~3 cups)
  • 6 eggs at room temperature
  • 11½ ounces (~3 cups) cake flour, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces (~1 cup) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Basic Vanilla Buttercream with Shortening for filling:
  • ¾ cup shortening
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Ganache Frosting:
  • 1 pound semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Pound Cake:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans; line bottoms of pans with parchment paper and grease and flour the parchment paper; set aside
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and creamy; add sugar and beat mixture until light and fluffy; scrape the sides of the bowl
  3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed between each one until incorporated; mix in vanilla on medium speed until combined and then scrape the sides of the bowl
  4. With mixer on low, slowly add the flour and the salt just until combined; do not overmix
  5. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in chocolate chips
  6. Pour batter into prepared baking pans and bake 40-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center of each layer; edges will brown slightly; do not overbake
  7. Set aside cake to cool and prepare filling and ganache
  8. Once cake has cooled, carefully remove layers from pans; run a knife around the edge of each layer for easier removal
  9. Frost bottom layer with filling and top with second cake layer; frost entire outside of cake with whipped ganache
Basic Vanilla Buttercream with Shortening for filling:
  1. Beat shortening in electric mixer on high speed for several minutes until light and creamy; add powdered sugar and mix on low for one minute; scrape sides of the bowl and add vanilla; beat on high speed until light and fluffy; use immediately or covered in refrigerator up to five days; bring to room temperature before using
Whipped Ganache Frosting:
  1. Place chocolate in a large heat-safe bowl and set aside
  2. Pour cream into a medium heavy duty sauce-pan and place over medium heat; bring to boil and remove immediately
  3. Pour hot cream over chocolate, add salt, and let stand for 10 minutes
  4. Whisk mixture until smooth
  5. Chill ganache in refrigerator for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until ganache is thick in texture but not hard
  6. Once chilled, put ganache in the bowl of an electric mixer; beat on high speed for about four minutes or until light and fluffy and paler in color
  7. Use immediately
Notes
Cake very slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Whipped Ganache Frosting from Martha Stewart
Cake layers can be made ahead of time; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for one day or in freezer up to one month
Once frosted, serve immediately; cake can be stored in refrigerator up to two days covered lightly with plastic wrap; bring to room temperature before serving
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Chocolate Chip Pound Cake w Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

Peanut Butter Banana Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

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I’m so glad that you seemed to enjoy my new weekly blog series!  It makes me so happy to have a way of staying connected just a little more regularly.  Definitely let me know if there are any other topics you would like me to include!

Peanut Butter Banana Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

So these cake bars are another item I made when filming for eHow.  In case you aren’t familiar with what happens when you film any kind of cooking how-to, you actually have to make everything at least twice.  There has to be a final product to show in the short time you have to film, but you also have to make everything while filming.  I sent the film crew home with leftovers, but was still left with a crazy amount of desserts after the fact.

Well, when Matt was helping me clean up, I decided to taste a bite of the version of these cake bars I’d made a few days earlier.  They were still really, really good.  It was at that moment that I told Matt he had to take the plate away immediately.  I knew I was in trouble.

The cake bars are moist and flavorful.  I added the peanut butter chips because without them, the peanut butter flavor in the cake is very subtle.  You actually don’t need the cream cheese icing, but really, you always need cream cheese icing.

Peanut Butter Banana Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

Peanut Butter Banana Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 servings
Ingredients
Cake Bars:
  • ¼ cup light sour cream or plain low fat greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5⅝ ounces (~1½ cups) cake flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons / ½ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 9⅜ ounces (~1¼) cups granulated sugar
  • 2 x-large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cups mashed very ripe bananas (~2 large bananas)
  • ½ cup peanut butter chips
Icing:
  • 8 ounces light cream cheese
  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake Bars:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish and set aside
  2. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in sour cream and let stand
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer,  beat sugar, butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy
  5. Add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed
  6. Stir in bananas and mix on low speed; add flour and mix again on low speed low speed just until combined
  7. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in sour cream; fold in peanut butter chips and do not overmix
  8. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 27-32 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center; set aside and allow to cool
Icing:
  1. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer for several minutes or until light and creamy. Add butter and beat until well combined
  2. Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed; when sugar is incorporated, add vanilla and beat icing on high speed until mixture is light and fluffy; spread over cooled cake
  3. Cover cake and store at room temperature up to three days
Notes
Adapted from my mom’s banana cake recipe
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P.S. Thinking about cooking or baking for Mother’s Day?  Check out this very extensive round-up of Mother’s Day recipe ideas!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Funky Monkey Cheesecake Bars

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Blog, Recipes

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

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These peanut butter cookies are thick and chewy (like most cookies should be), sweet and salty, and absolutely delicious. 

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Last week was…. well, it sure was a week.  Emotionally my head was somewhere else.  As soon as I heard about the marathon bombing my heart just ached for everyone there.  Then there was the explosion in West, Texas.  It was too much for one country in just a few short days.

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

But then something amazing happened.  Early Friday morning, my beautiful niece was born!  Hannah is the most amazing baby girl and just like that, I was reminded of the wonderful miracles happening every day!  I’ve been excited to be an aunt for months, but this brand new addition to the family is even beyond what I could have expected.

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

And in the middle of all that, for every minute that I wasn’t glued to the news or hanging around the hospital maternity ward, I was prepping to film videos for eHow.  10 videos.  In one day.  AKA craziness.  When I originally agreed to do this, I didn’t grasp quite how much work it would entail prepping to film, baking on camera, and rushing to clean up during the taping.  In case you are wondering, it is a lot of work.  Initially I was also really nervous.  I’ve never done something like this before.  Well, in all of the excitement of everything else.  Okay, mostly because of the fact that I could NOT wait to finish taping so that I could get to the hospital and meet Hannah, I actually wasn’t nervous at all.  There is another miracle for you!  I think I’m actually more nervous to see how cheesy and awkward I ended up looking.  If I’m not completely embarrassed by the final products, I promise to share them with you once they are done! [UPDATE: You can see the eHow video for the Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies here!]

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

So the good news for you?  I made a few things that I really want to share the recipes for.  These cookies for instance, make them.  You know how much I love chocolate and peanut butter and this cookie is no exception.  Thick and chewy (like most cookies should be), with a little crunch from those salty pretzels.  Seriously, just make them.

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies
 
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These peanut butter cookies are thick and chewy (like most cookies should be), sweet and salty, and absolutely delicious.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24 large cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (4⅝ ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 5⅝ ounces (¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 4⅛ ounces (1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 x-large eggs, room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pretzel pieces (1 ½ ounces)
  • Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda, set aside
  2. Using a mixer, in a large bowl beat peanut butter, butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy
  3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined
  4. Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture just until combined
  5. Stir in chocolate chips and pretzels
  6. Chill dough for 2 hours
  7. After, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  8. Use a large cookie dough scoop to place cookie dough balls (about ¼ cup each) on top of parchment paper, 1-2 inches apart
  9. Lightly sprinkle cookie dough with sea salt
  10. Bake ~14 minutes until cookies are brown around the edges
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And a few behind-the-scenes pictures for good measure

eHow filming for Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter CookieseHow filming for Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter CookieseHow filming for Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter CookieseHow filming for Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies
This post contains affiliate links.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Blog, Recipes

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream

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Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream

This recipe came about while I was testing out ideas for an upcoming Cookie of the Month, and wondering how I could brighten up the resulting flat and not so exciting lemon cookies.

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream

Don’t let me fool you, the lemon cookies actually taste quite good on their own- they are chewy and delightfully lemon flavored (not overly sour or overly sweet).  But you know, they were just so boring.  Besides, I gave you a lemon cookie before that stood so well on its own it didn’t need any extras.

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream

So of course I had to consult with my mom, my go-to dessert expert.  She had the genius idea of adding strawberry buttercream.  So smart because not only do these cookies now scream summer, but they also have the prettiest pink filling!

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream

I used this strawberry buttercream before for cupcakes and it was a huge hit, so I’m so glad we found a way to highlight it again!

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream

Oh, and I realized that I might have left a few of you hanging.  For those of you who don’t follow me on social media, you may not have seen the big news I had teased about a few weeks ago.  Keep It Sweet Desserts was featured on the TODAY Show!  We were showcased as having the BEST BLONDIES on the East Coast.  Why yes I am still freaking out about that!

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream

Anyway, back to these cookies!  Make them right away and then make them again for Mother’s Day, they’d pair very well with a package of Strawberries and Cream Cookies ;-)

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream
 
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Chewy lemon white chocolate chip cookies sandwiched together with creamy strawberry buttercream.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 20 cookie sandwiches
Ingredients
White Chocolate Chip Lemon Cookies:
  • 10⅛ ounces (~2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 11¼ ounces (~1½ cups) granulated sugar
  • 2 x-large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest (~1 large lemon)
  • 1½ cups white chocolate chips
Strawberry Buttercream:
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • ½ cup strawberry jelly
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
White Chocolate Chip Lemon Cookies:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper or slipats and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar for several minutes until light and fluffy
  4. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add eggs and lemon zest, mix on medium speed just until combined
  5. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture just until combined; scrape sides of bowl again and then stir in white chocolate chips
  6. Use a medium cookie dough scoop (~2 tablespoons) and scoop cookie dough 1-2 inches apart on prepared pans
  7. Bake 8-10 minutes or until center of cookie appears set and edges are a very light golden brown
  8. Set aside cookies to cool and prepare buttercream
Strawberry Buttercream:
  1. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed for several minutes until butter is light and creamy
  2. Add jelly and beat on high speed for one minute; scrape the side of the bowl
  3. Add sugar and mix on low speed until combined; then increase the speed to high and beat for several minutes until frosting is light and fluffy
To make the cookie sandwiches:
  1. Set cookies into pairs closest in size to one another
  2. Pipe or spread 1-2 tablespoons of buttercream on the bottom half of one cookie in each pair; lightly press other cookie on top of buttercream
  3. Store cookies in an airtight container up to three days; may be frozen up to one month
Notes
Cookies very slightly adapted from Martha Stewart  (as seen on Baked by Rachel)
These were pretty large cookie sandwiches, you can definitely use a smaller cookie dough scoop and just reduce the cooking time by a couple of minutes.
If you aren't a fan of white chocolate chips, feel free to leave them out, but they do compliment the other flavors really well.
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Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips & Strawberry Buttercream
This post contains affiliate links.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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My favorite lemon cookies!
Blog, Recipes

(Real) Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

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Flavorful pistachio cupcakes made from scratch and topped with the best brown sugar buttercream.

Recipe for Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

My dad isn’t a dessert person.

Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

I know, cover your mouth in horror!  Him and my sister both… my mom and I, we are just made differently.  Actually, I relate to my dad in a lot of other ways.  His math and science-geared brain, his smile, and his stubbornness, to name a few.

Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

When I was growing up we used to get in such arguments where we would fight it out all the way, each of us standing firm on either side until the very end when one person was clearly “right”.  But at that point, we would resolve it, both content in how the conversation was finalized.  Yes, I did deserve the nick-name “Last-Minute Lauren” and yes, real chemists probably do know better than my idiotic 10th grade chemistry teacher.

Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

Well, it is that stubborn part of me that refused to let his birthday go without making some dessert that he would like.  There are a few that we all know he enjoys from time to time- angel food cake, pecan pie, and very crispy cookies.  Well, sorry, but those are just not exciting enough for a birthday dessert.

Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

Knowing that he does love pistachios I decided to try to win him over from that direction.  The result: WIN for me!  He loved the cupcakes.  Well, win for him too, then.  He just might have skipped the buttercream and passed his along to my mom, but hey, I’ll take it.

Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

(Real) Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream
 
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Flavorful pistachio cupcakes made from scratch and topped with the best brown sugar buttercream.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 2½ - 3 dozen regular-sized cupcakes
Ingredients
Pistachio Cupcakes:
  • 4⅜ ounces (~1 cup) roasted and salted shelled pistachios (plus more for garnish)
  • 9⅝ ounces (~2½ cups) cake flour
  • 3½ ounces (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • 1½ cups ice cold water
  • ½ pound (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 13⅛ ounces (~1¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 4 x-large egg whites, separated
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Brown Sugar Buttercream:
  • 4¼ ounces egg whites at room temperature (~4 large egg whites)
  • 1 pound 0.5 ounces light brown sugar (~1 cup, packed)
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ pound (1 cup / 2 sticks) of room temperature unsalted butter sliced into tablespoons
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pistachio Cupcake
  1. Pre-heat oven to 325; line muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside
  2. In a food processor, pulse the pistachios just until they are coarsely chopped; remove 2 tablespoons and place in a large bowl
  3. Continue to pulse remaining pistachios until they are finely ground; be careful not to grind too long or they will begin to turn into more of a paste; add to bowl with other pistachios
  4. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl of pistachios; whisk mixture and set aside
  5. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy (at least 5 minutes)
  6. Add 1 egg white and vanilla and mix until combined; scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula
  7. Turn mixer down to the lowest speed and slowly add part of the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients; do not overmix
  8. Remove bowl and set aside
  9. Use a clean bowl (I wipe mine down with white vinegar) and whisk attachment and whisk the 3 remaining egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form (several minutes on medium-high speed)
  10. Carefully fold egg whites into batter just until combined
  11. Use a large cookie dough scoop or small ladle to evenly distribute batter into prepared tins
  12. Bake 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of cupcakes (I usually test 1 or 2 towards the center of the tin)
Brown Sugar Buttercream:
  1. Wipe down your metal mixing bowl, whisk attachment, whisk and candy thermometer with lemon juice or white vinegar to make sure they are all grease free
  2. Place mixing bowl over pot of shallow simmering water (do not want bowl in the water) with candy thermometer attached
  3. In that bowl, combine brown sugar and egg whites, whisking continuously until temperature measures 160 degrees (if you do not have a candy thermometer, you want the mixture to be warm and the sugar to be dissolved); this will take about 5 minutes
  4. Place bowl back on mixer and place a bowl of ice directly underneath to help the cooling process; use whisk attachment and beat meringue in medium speed until a creamy meringue is formed, it should be thick but not stiff; bowl should also cool down while you are mixing
  5. Once texture is right and bowl has cooled, reduce speed to low; add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is completely combined; whisk in vanilla
  6. Pipe or spread buttercream over cooled cupcakes as desired; sprinkle with extra chopped pistachios
Notes
If your buttercream is too wet, it may have been too warm; place bowl in fridge for 15-20 minutes and then mix again
Cupcakes slightly adapted from cake by Kitchen Trial and Error who adapted it from Baked Explorations
Buttercream adapted from Martha Stewart
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Pistachio Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

So what if I ate more cupcakes than he did.  Happy (belated) birthday, Dad!
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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Mini Cookies ‘n Cream Cupcakes

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Mini Cookies ‘n Cream Cupcakes

Well, I’m pretty much at that point before vacation where I’m in a little bit of denial about how much I need to do beforehand.  Lots and lots and lots of cookies need to be made and my head is already in a world where the sun is shining and I have a tequila infused cocktail on my hand.

Mini Cookies ‘n Cream Cupcakes

Never mind that I am freaking out a little bit about being away from the kitchen for a week, no biggie.  I’ll just keep pushing that worry to a place in the far corner of my brain!  Who needs stress and anxiety when I can get excited about hiking, beaches, tacos and the sun.  We are heading west for a glorious 7 days in San Diego and I couldn’t be more excited.  While the rest of the world relaxed during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, my vacation time is now revolving around Hallmark holidays.  I hoped/am hoping that saving my days off for after Valentine’s Day proves to be a good move.

Mini Cookies ‘n Cream Cupcakes

My lists of places to visit and explore and places to eat is nice and long thanks to the help of Krissy and Kathy, but if you have anything to add to the list, all suggestions are welcome!  I’ve only been to San Diego once for a couple of days as a teenager and Matt has never been.  Good thing we are very good at packing copious amounts of eating into our trips!

Mini Cookies ‘n Cream Cupcakes

But before I go, I couldn’t leave without sharing a sweet recipe with you.  Mini cupcakes are one of my favorite treats because the ratio of buttercream to cake is just so much better than the regular sized version, and mini means you can eat many of them, right?  The bonus? This Cookies ‘n Cream cupcake was a serious hit and my husband, who has recently been deemed the “Oreo expert” of our apartment, gave them firm approval.

Mini Cookies &lsquo;n Cream Cupcakes
 
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Mini cupcakes full of Oreos in the cake AND the buttercream.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24 mini cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
  • 5¾ ounces (~1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 5⅝ ounces (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (or 1 x-large egg plus 1 yolk) at room temperature
  • ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup milk at room temperature (I used skim)
  • ½ cup cup roughly chopped or broken Oreos (~4 cookies)
Buttercream:
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 4 ounces regular or light cream cheese
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup finely ground Oreo crumbs (~3 cookies)
Instructions
Cupcakes:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners or grease the cups with butter or non-stick cooking spray; set aside
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla on high speed for about 3 minutes or until mixture is well combined and thick
  5. Add butter and oil and beat on high until well combined; scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix for another minute
  6. Reduce the speed to low and add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and then ½ milk; add another ⅓ of dry ingredients and remaining milk; add remaining dry ingredients and remove from mixer immediately
  7. Use a spatula to incorporate any dry ingredients that have are not fully combined; distribute batter evenly among cupcake cups with a ladle or ice cream scoop
  8. Bake in center of oven for 12-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
  9. Allow cupcakes to cool for several minutes and then remove from tin and place on cooling rack; set aside and prepare buttercream
Buttercream:
  1. Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed for several minutes until butter is light and creamy
  2. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined; add remaining powdered sugar and vanilla and increase speed of mixer to high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy
  3. Stir in Oreo crumbs until evenly distributed
  4. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes as desired
Notes
Yellow Cupcakes from Food and Wine
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Mini Cookies ‘n Cream Cupcakes

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Fluffernutter Chocolate Cake

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You favorite chocolate cake covered with peanut butter and marshmallow swirled icings.

Fluffernutter Chocolate Cake

Sometimes cakes don’t work out like you want them to.  But sometimes, they turn out better.

Fluffernutter Chocolate Cake

This cake actually started out as a recipe for “salted caramel fudge cake” but frankly all I got was chocolate cake.  Certainly not enough to stand on its own!  As a result, I did what any normal person would do, went into my freezer for my collection of “extra buttercream” and went to town.

Recipe for Fluffernutter Chocolate Cake

What, not everyone stores “extra buttercream” just because?  I highly recommend it.  Good things happen when you do!  See also: Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream and Mocha Ganache. Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches and Macarons

Anyway, I decided it had been way too long since I made a dessert revolving around chocolate and peanut butter (has it seriously been since July?!).  That is a travesty that needed to be immediately fixed.  And fixed it was.

The result:  I convinced myself that I was slicing the cake for photos and taking a bite for photos… but that bite turned into way more cake than I should be eating these days.  Oh, but in the moment it was so worth it.

Fluffernutter Chocolate Cake

Fluffernutter Chocolate Cake
 
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You favorite chocolate cake covered with peanut butter and marshmallow swirled icings.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 chocolate cake baked in a 9x13 pan, cooled (can use box mix or something easy like this 1-bowl chocolate cake recipe
  • 1 batch Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting (recipe below)
  • 1 cup (1/2 of batch) Easy Marshmallow Buttercream (recipe below)
Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
Easy Marshmallow Buttercream
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • ~7 ounces marshmallow fluff (amount in a small jar)
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Spread peanut butter frosting over entire cake
  2. Drop spoonfuls of marshmallow buttercream over peanut butter frosting layer
  3. Use the back of a knife to carefully swirl the marshmallow buttercream into the peanut butter frosting (any kind of marble effect will work!)
  4. Cut and serve
Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
  1. Beat butter until light and creamy; beat in peanut butter until creamy and smooth
  2. Mix in confectioners’ sugar on low speed just until combined and then beat for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy
Easy Marshmallow Buttercream
  1. Cream butter on high speed until light and fluffy
  2. Add fluff and combine on high speed until smooth
  3. Add sugar and mix on low speed until combined; increase speed to high
  4. until light and fluffy
  5. Mix in vanilla on high speed until combined
Notes
The frostings really speak for themselves here, so I won't tell if you use your favorite chocolate cake mix
If you want it to be even more peanut buttery, use the Reese's Pieces Cake Bars recipe with the Easy Marshmallow Buttercream shown here
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Fluffernutter Chocolate Cake

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Sweet & Salty Party Cookies for a Virtual Bridal Shower

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Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies. aka Salted Milk Chocolate Almond Caramel Corn Cookies.  Nothing less for my lovely friend, Christina!

Christina Bridal Shower (4)

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

For those of you who don’t know her, Christina is the incredibly sweet blogger behind Dessert for Two.  She is getting married soon and since she is such an amazing example of what a blogger should be, I knew we needed to celebrate.  Krissy put together the pretty invitation and from there it wasn’t hard to get a group of bloggers to agree.

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

I’ve been emailing with Christina forever, but got to meet her in person when she came as my plus-one to a Foodbuzz Festival event last fall. She was just as awesome in person as she is on her blog. We even talked about her relationship with the Mr. and I could tell that an engagement was right around the corner:-)

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

I’m so incredibly happy for her and can not wait to hear all about their fabulous wedding.  I just know there will be incredible food, lots of drinking and a whole lot of people there to celebrate a wonderful couple.  Oh, and I’m pretty sure she is going to be one beautiful bride.

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Want to know what else everyone else brought to the party?  Check out the delicious dishes that the other bloggers contributed for Christina’s Virtual Bridal Shower!

Strawberry Macarons from Krissy
White Wedding Cake Cupcakes from Julie
Mini  “I Do”-nuts from Tara
Moon Pie Cupcakes from Madison
Whiskey Walnut Blondies from Jenna
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles from Joanne
Lemon Cupcakes with Sweet Tea Frosting from Kristan
Chocolate Covered Cheerios from Shelly
Mini Coconut Cream Pies from Megan

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies
 
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Salted Milk Chocolate Almond Caramel Corn Cookies
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~40 cookies
Ingredients
  • 9.25 ounces (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons table salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 8.25 ounces (~1 cup packed) light brown sugar
  • 3.75 ounces granulated sugar (~1/2 cup)
  • 1 x-large egg + 1 x-large egg yolk at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup) milk chocolate almond Hershey kisses (about 35), roughly chopped (can be substituted with chopped milk chocolate and unsalted almonds)
  • 2.5 ounces (1½ cups) caramel corn (I used Popcorn Indiana) + ¼ cup additional
  • Sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper or a slipat and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, table salt and baking soda; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
  4. Scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula; add egg, egg yolk and vanilla; beat at medium speed until well-combined
  5. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture just until combined; stop mixer and scrape sides of the bowl with spatula
  6. On low speed, add in kisses and all but ¼ cup of additional caramel corn
  7. Use a medium cookie dough scoop and place scoops of cookie dough on prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart; press the additional caramel corn into top of dough and sprinkle each with sea salt
  8. Bake cookies 11-12 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown
  9. Set aside to cool; best results if eaten same day (caramel corn begins to get a little stale) and store in an airtight container
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Sweet & Salty Party Cookies
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Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

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I made this fruit crisp so long ago, I had to hunt through piles and piles of notes and butter-stained papers to find it.  Well, I guess Thanksgiving wasn’t that long ago, but right now it feels like a lifetime.

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

Fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts.  I mean, anything that is served warm with ice cream is always good, but since there is fruit you can pretty much rationalize that it is healthy, too.  This version is a good compromise since it is made with oatmeal and oat flour.  Butter, sugar, what?  Just look at all that fruit!

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

I’ve actually been making a version of this for years but wanted to take out the gluten so that my sister could also enjoy it for the holiday.  Honestly, you don’t miss a thing.  I could not taste a difference and neither could any of our guests.

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}
 
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A warm and comforting winter dessert! This fruit crisp is full of apples, pears and cranberries.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12-18 servings
Ingredients
Topping:
  • 4 ounces (~1 cup) oat flour (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
  • 3⅜ ounces (~1 cup) old fashioned oatmeal
  • 5.5 ounces (~2/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup /  1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into small cubes
Filling:
  • 6 medium apples (preferably a combination of honey crisp and granny smith)
  • 3 large pears, any type (ripe but still firm)
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 5⅝ ounces (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1⅜ ounces (~1/3 cup) oat flour (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
  • ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
  • 3 ounces (6 tablespoons / ¾ stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9x13 or two 8-inch square baking dishes and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal and brown sugar
  3. Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
  4. Prepare filling; In a very large bowl, stir together fruit, granulated sugar, oat flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and butter
  5. Spread filling into prepared baking dish(es); sprinkle evenly with topping
  6. Bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until filling is bubbling, apples can be poked with a fork and topping is browned; if you see that topping has started to get to brown, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time
Notes
Adapted from Bon Appetit
*If serving to someone with a gluten allergy make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free
Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
The entire dish can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake; may require extra cooking time if cold
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Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

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The best M&M Cookies!!!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

I have so much I want to say and tell you about what is going on here at Keep It Sweet Desserts, but my thoughts are coming through in a pretty chaotic stream of consciousness so I’ll hold off until things calm down a bit!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

For now, though, I can say, I am SO happy I planned ahead and sent out my Food Blogger Cookie Swap packages early this year.  If I had waited, my cookies would have been who knows what and my photos rushed and blah.  I took these photos a few weeks ago when I was enamored with the wonderful chew in the cookie and fragrant aroma coming out of my kitchen.  For the swap, I wanted to make something that combined some of my favorite elements of a cookie, chew and salt.  While the brown butter flavor was only slightly apparent in the final product, the texture of these cookies and overall taste more than made up for that.  I sent my cookies to Angie, Crystal, and Michelle, I just hope they agreed!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

And of course I enjoyed receiving cookies in the mail for myself (such a nice change of pace!) from some wonderful bloggers.  Caroline (who I already adore) made wonderful florentines.  I was so impressed that she packaged them without them breaking at all!  Felice sent great Rosemary Lemon Shortbread cookies, the smell was amazing!  And finally, I got some terrific Cherry Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Cookies from Cher.  What better way to find new blogs than by exchanging cookies?!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 2 dozen medium-sized cookies or 1 dozen large cookies
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⅞ ounces (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 5½ ounces (2/3 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 x-large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 7 ounces (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup M&Ms
  • Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and set aside to cool
  2. Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with sugars; beat on high speed until well combined
  3. Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well mixed
  4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix
  5. Slowly stir in M*Ms
  6. Chill dough for 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking
  7. When ready to bake,pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  8. Scoop cookie dough with a medium (~2 tablespoons) or large (~4 tablespoons) cookie dough scoop on to prepared baking sheets
  9. Bake cookies until firm: 7-8 minutes for medium and 9-10 minutes for large
  10. Allow to cool before serving
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Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Oh, and want to know what’s keeping me busy lately?  Mostly this, a ton of this, and quite a bit of this.  Yes, I may or may not be turning into an actual baked good.

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies
The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2012

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Baby Shower Chocolate Clusters for a Virtual Shower!

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Baby Shower Chocolate Clusters for a Virtual Shower!

SURPRISE!!  A few of us are hosting an intimate blogger baby shower for sweet Rachel at The Avid Appetite!  Rachel is having a baby girl and I am so thrilled for her and Sean!  Rachel is one of my favorite blog friends, we’ve actually had dinner together a couple of times.  I’m excited for her and her family and can’t wait to hear/read all about it!

For Rachel’s shower, I did what any person who about negative ten minutes of free time would do, I made a no-bake treat.  To make it festive, I topped my little chocolate clusters with some cute little pink candy cane sprinkles.  Lucky for Rachel, some of the other bloggers made even more delicious sounding treats, be sure to check them out!

Garlic Mini Monkey Bread from Yums and Loves

Candy Stuffed Peanut Butter Bars from the Lean Green Bean

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Marshmallow Filling from Eats Well with Others

Baby Shower Chocolate Clusters from Keep It Sweet Desserts

Congratulations, Rachel! I hope I get to meet your baby girl in person soon:-)

Baby Shower Chocolate Clusters for a Virtual Shower!

Baby Shower Chocolate Clusters for a Virtual Shower!
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 4 sheets graham crackers, broken into small pieces
  • Pink sprinkles (or blue for a boy!)
Instructions
  1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside
  2. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt by heating in 30-second increments and stirring chocolate in between
  3. Once chocolate is melted, fold in marshmallows and graham crackers
  4. Use a large spoon to place clusters on wax paper
  5. Drop sprinkles over clusters as desired
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In case you haven’t seen my Twitter or Facebook rants, things are a little nuts with holiday at Keep It Sweet Desserts!   I’ll be back tomorrow with a great cookie recipe and hopefully coherent post!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Last night was my 10-year high school reunion.  I didn’t really know what to expect, but for some reason I was a little nervous about going.  There was the whole cliché of wanting to look good, which isn’t all that convenient two days after Thanksgiving, but I also wondered if it would be all that interesting given Facebook’s presence in all of our lives.

Luckily, my best friends since forever and I had dinner beforehand which made walking into the event a little less nerve-racking.  Oh, and a jalapeno blackberry margarita didn’t hurt either.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

But I have to tell you, I’m not sure what I was so worried about.  It was actually really nice to see most of the people who were at the reunion.  I spoke to a girl who sat next to me in third grade.  She was the nicest person then, at eight years old, and she is just as nice today.  There were a few people who had seen Keep It Sweet Desserts postings on Facebook and ordered cookies, they came up to me and raved about them.  And then there were others who told me that they voted religiously during the Martha Stewart American Made contest.

Frankly, I was overwhelmed by how many people wanted to hear about my business and tell me how wonderful they think it is.  Of course some of these people had been my friends, but there were others who I didn’t even think knew me way back in my awkward teenage years.  So to all of my UD 2012 classmates, you guys are pretty awesome.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Meanwhile, it has been such a crazy week that at 6am this morning I headed back from Philly to package lots and lots of desserts.  It was hard to be motivated to come back and work after a week of very little sleep, but then I remembered the Thanksgiving leftovers I’d avoided in my effort to look good for the reunion.  Let’s just say that the last of this cheesecake did not stand a chance.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
 
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Pumpkin cheesecake meets cinnamon roll!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Batter
  • 9¼ ounces all-purpose flour (2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 5 ounces granulated sugar (2/3 cup)
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 x-large egg, at room temperature
  • ½ cup whole milk at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature (I actually snuck in fat free cream cheese, SHHH don’t tell!)
  • 2⅛ ounces (1/4 cup, packed) light brown sugar
  • 1⅞ ounces (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • ½ ounce (1½ tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon table salt
  • 2 x-large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
Cinnamon Filling
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 8.25 ounces (1 cup, packed) light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • Cream Cheese Icing
  • 3 ounces cream cheese (preferably light or regular here)
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9 inch spring-form pan (also, wrap with tin foil if your pan tends to leak like mine); set aside
  2. Prepare cinnamon roll batter
  3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter on high speed for several minutes or until light and fluffy
  5. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined; scrape sides of bowl and with mixer on low speed, slowly add in dry sifted dry ingredients; mix just until combined
  6. Spread half of this batter onto the bottom of the spring-form pan, this will be the bottom layer; grease your hands to help press batter down
  7. Prepare cheesecake filling
  8. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese until light and creamy
  9. Add sugars, flour and seasonings and beat on high speed; scrape the sides of the bowl
  10. Add eggs and vanilla, beat on medium speed
  11. Mix in pumpkin until combined
  12. Pour cheesecake batter over cinnamon roll layer
  13. Prepare cinnamon filling
  14. Stir together butter, brown sugar and cinnamon
  15. Drop spoonfuls of cinnamon filling on top of cheesecake layer
  16. Top that with big drops of cinnamon roll batter; use a knife to carefully swirl the batter
  17. Bake cheesecake for 45-55 minutes or until top is firm and lightly browned
  18. Chill cheesecake in fridge for a few hours or overnight
  19. Prepare cream cheese icing
  20. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on high speed until light and creamy
  21. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; mix on low for one minute then beat on high speed for several minutes until frosting is light and fluffy
  22. Pipe or spread icing on cheesecake as desired; I iced around the sides of the cheesecake and piped a big swirl on top to play on the “cinnamon roll” theme
  23. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything who found it on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
This cheesecake has a lot of components and dirties a lot of bowls, but the end result is completely worth it
Store cheesecake in fridge up to four days
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Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

P.S.  Stay tuned for an AMAZING Cyber Monday special!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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It doesn't get much better than cheesecake + pumpkin + cinnamon roll
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No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

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No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

1 week. 7 days.  Some amount of hours that does not feel like enough.

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

That’s how much time there is until Thanksgiving.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m so excited for the holiday, but boy did things get crazy really fast!  It seems like just yesterday I was in the summer lull and just like that I’m organizing and delegating (SO thankful for family members who like to help!) for Thanksgiving dinner all the while coordinating hundreds of corporate orders to go out over the next 30 or so days.

My current mantra: do anything and everything possible ahead of time. If I had the space, I’d have all of my UPS boxes made and piled for the mass exodus that will be taking place in the form of Fudgy Caramel Pecan Brownies.  I’ve even started chopping the gazillion pounds of chocolate that will be transformed into Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies and so on. I actually thought I was so smart to pull out the food processor to help but when it started to smell like fire I decided that chopping would be my arm workout for the day.  If there is one added benefit to being super busy that I didn’t expect, it would be the fact that I don’t actually have to workout because this job can be extremely physically demanding.

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

Anyway, back to my main point, getting ahead.  I have a gazillion amazing desserts planned for our Thanksgiving dinner (between my mom and I there might be more desserts than people), but I’m definitely trying to get some done in advance and sneak them into my day when I have a few free moments.  That is where these No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars come in!  They took almost no time to make (oh, except for that chopped chocolate that you know I love…), and once they are done you can stick them in the freezer until the day you want to eat them.  Not all holiday desserts have to be complicated!

5.0 from 1 reviews
No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24-48 servings depending on desired size (I cut them into small pieces to compliment the rest of the dessert spread!)
Ingredients
  • 6½ ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
  • 5½ cups Rice Krispies
  • ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup toffee bits
Instructions
  1. Line a 13x9 baking pan with tin foil and set aside
  2. Pour Rice Krispies into a large bowl and set aside
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt together chopped chocolates (not chips), corn syrup and butter, stirring constantly until combined
  4. Remove from heat and pour over Rice Krispies; use a spatula to combine
  5. Add chocolate chips and toffee bits and combine
  6. Spread mixture into lined pan and pack down using the back of the spatula
  7. Cover pan and place in refrigerator to chill for at least four hours
  8. Once chilled, remove foil from pan and slice into squares to serve
  9. Store tightly in a cool place up to two days or wrap and freeze until the day of
Notes
Slightly adapted from Nigella Kitchen
If making these gluten-free, check that all of your ingredients are specifically marked as such.
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No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Looking for other EASY desserts to add to your holiday menu?

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Apple Cinnamon Blondies

Chewy Ginger Cookies {Gluten-Free}

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Six Fun and Easy Ice Cream Desserts

White Chocolate Cinnamon Bun Rice Krispie Treats

22 Easy Desserts That Make You Seem Like a Pro

Chewy Gooey Cinnamon Toffee Blondies

And of course, that is where I can help!

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars
Blog, Recipes

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

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The fudgiest blondies loaded with everyone’s favorite sweet and salty candies.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

When I asked my Father-in-Law what he wanted for his birthday dessert, his only request was chocolate covered pretzels.  Sweet and salty, who doesn’t love those?

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

But come on, it is a birthday dessert!  And since chocolate covered pretzels are what I make as an afterthought when I have extra melted chocolate, I just had to make something else.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

So I threw together something else sweet and salty that required just a little more time and effort than the pretzels (of course I made those too) and was thrilled with the result.  What I love about blondies is how flexible they can be.  You can load them up with whatever you are in the mood for.  Since Halloween is just a couple of weeks away, these would be the perfect way to use up any extra candy or the inevitable post-holiday candy sale purchases.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies
 
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The fudgiest gooey blondies loaded with everyone's favorite sweet and salty candies.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12-16 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 12⅜ ounces (1½ cups packed) light brown sugar
  • 7 ounces (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 x-large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
  • ½ cup M&Ms
  • ⅓ cup chopped Heath Bars (~8 minis)
  • ¼ cup Reese's Pieces (I used mini but regular sized would work, too)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside
  2. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly; remove from heat and set aside when butter is completely melted
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder; set aside
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla; whisk in butter and sugar mixture
  5. Whisk in flour mixture until almost combined and then fold in any remaining crumbs with a spatula
  6. Fold in peanuts and candy until evenly distributed throughout batter
  7. Pour into prepared baking pan
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean
  9. Set aside to cool before cutting
Notes
Blondies will stay fresh for several days if wrapped or packaged in an air-tight container.  They also freeze incredibly well, just wrap them tightly in tin foil.
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Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake

11 Comments

This 5-ingredient pumpkin cake is so good, you would never know it is guilt-free!

This past Saturday, I took some of my own advice and set aside a day where no work would be done!  It was actually something I scheduled a few weeks ago when the Jewish holidays had me swamped.  Scheduling time off is one of the best ways I can really force myself to take a break and a good way to motivate myself when things are a little crazy.

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake from Keep It Sweet Desserts

The day off meant getting to hang out with Matt.  We did mostly everyday activities like working out, grocery shopping and watching TV, but that is just how I like it.  The highlight of Saturday, though, was homemade pizza and champagne for dinner with some junky movies on the television.  It was our second time making pizza dough from scratch and I was reminded of just how worthwhile the few extra minutes of making dough can be.

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake from Keep It Sweet Desserts

Of course, I couldn’t end the day without dessert.  And since it was an “off” day, I let myself cheat a little with cake mix.  Oh, but in case you were worried I at least made two cakes: chocolate cake for Matt and pumpkin cake for me.  I couldn’t help myself.

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake from Keep It Sweet Desserts

This cake recipe is actually a nod to my college days.  Cooking usually consisted of boca burgers, egg beaters and salads with the occasional stir fry thrown in.  And while I loved to bake, we didn’t keep many basic ingredients in the apartment so cake mix recipes were the perfect solution.  I actually made a version of this cake for my roomate’s birthday one year (miss you, Rach!).  Pretty sure she and I ate most of it ourselves…

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake from Keep It Sweet Desserts

The best part about this cake (besides the short list of ingredients and ease of making) is how moist and delicious it is without having much fat.  The moisture in the pumpkin gives the cake a perfect texture and you don’t even need frosting.  But a cake without frosting, what fun would that be?

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake
 
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Low fat pumpkin cake that's so good you won't know it only took 5 ingredients!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 15.25 box spice cake mix
  • 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 1.4 box pumpkin spice instant pudding
  • 1 cup light almond milk OR 1¼ cup skim milk
  • 1 8-ounce container fat free cool whip
  • Optional:  Fall sprinkles and gingersnap crumbs
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside
  2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, pumpkin and water until combined
  3. Spread into baking dish and bake 25-30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center
  4. Set cake aside to cool and prepare frosting
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk for two minutes
  6. Fold in cool whip just until combined
  7. Spread frosting over cake and serve; store leftovers in refrigerator up to 3 days
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Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake from Keep It Sweet Desserts

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches

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These cookies are so much fun for Halloween, not to mention, delicious!  Cater them to your holiday of choice with different colors.

Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches

As much as I prepared before launching Keep It Sweet Desserts, there is so much learning that I’ve done on the job over the last few months.  Countless lessons learned, mistakes made, products changed and instances of thinking on my feet.  I’ve been mentally making a list but I thought I’d share a few of the more important highlights*.

Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches

1)  When you do anything for the first time, you won’t get it 100% right.  Learn from the challenges and mistakes to do it better next time.

2) There is no one right way.  Talk to people and get advice but figure out what is best for you and your business, one strategy does not fit all.

3)  But still, talk to people.  Take what pieces of advice you can and implement them when and how you can.  I talked to someone in marketing a few weeks ago and was overwhelmed by all of the ideas she had because there is no way that I can do everything.  However, I picked a few elements that I could act on right away and did that.

Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches

4)  And along with that, there is ALWAYS more work to do; prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.

5)  There is always more work to do, force yourself to take breaks (for me that is out of the kitchen and away from the computer).  I spend a lot of my time working from home so whenever I am home I feel like I need to be productive.  If I never take a break, I’ll burn myself out and that won’t get my business anywhere.

6) Be patient.  Don’t hire people, build kitchens and buy equipment until you are over capacity.  I actually learned this in my last job but constantly am reminded of how important it is to be conservative with my growth expectations.

Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches

7) Think long term and invest in the future, whether through time, money or people. Find a way to balance this with being patient.

8)  Put yourself out there.  Send emails, make phone calls, go to networking events.  This is something I still need to work on.  I’m always afraid of being too pushy, but no one made money waiting for business to show up at their door.

9)  Give.  The other day I was talking to the CIO of a major company.  He is one of the most successful people I know, yet he is also one of the most generous.  He is generous with his family, friends, community and colleagues in a way I constantly admire.  He said to me, “the more you give, the more you get back.”

10)  Stay months ahead of the holidays.  Believe it or not, I’m already behind on Valentine’s Day.  For someone who is a notorious procrastinator, It is almost a miracle that I’m getting you a Halloween recipe a few weeks in advance.

Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie SandwichesMini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches

These cookies are easy and fun to make.  I took a simple sugar cookie base and sandwiched it with one of my favorite buttercreams.  Plus, I made them mini, which is always fun.

Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches
 
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These cookies are so much fun for Halloween, not to mention, delicious! Cater them to your holiday of choice with different colors.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~3 dozen cookie sandwiches
Ingredients
Cookies:
  • 13⅞ ounces (3 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 13⅛ ounces (1¾ cups) granulated sugar
  • 2⅛ ounces (1/4 cup packed) light-brown sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 extra-large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cups Halloween colored sprinkles
Buttercream:
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 2 ounces regular or light cream cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 26 drops yellow food coloring
  • 13 drops red food coloring
Instructions
Cookies:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars on high speed for several minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy; scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula
  4. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed for a 2 minutes; scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula
  5. With mixer on low, slowly and carefully add the flour mixture; add the sprinkles and mix just until combined; use a spatula to fold the sprinkles completely into the batter
  6. Use a small cookie dough scoop (about 1 tablespoon) to scoop the cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets with each cookie about an inch apart
  7. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cookies feel slightly firm to the touch
  8. Set cookies aside to cool and prepare filling
Buttercream:
  1. Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed or until light and creamy
  2. Add ½ cup of powdered sugar and mix on low speed for one minute; add remaining sugar, vanilla and food coloring
  3. Mix on low speed for one minute and then scrape the sides of the bowl; beat on high speed for several minutes or until buttercream is light and fluffy
To Make Cookie Sandwiches:
  1. Match cookies in pairs so that each side is about the same size
  2. Spread about 1 teaspoon of frosting on the bottom of one cookie from each pair
  3. Top other cookie and press down lightly
  4. Store cookies in an airtight container up to three days; may be frozen for up to one month
Notes
Cookies adapted from Martha Stewart
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Mini Halloween Confetti Cookie Sandwiches

*In no specific order.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Baby Blue Cake Pops & A Virtual Baby Shower!

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Baby Blue vanilla cake pops made from scratch!

Baby Blue Cake Pops from scratch!

SURPRISE!  Today’s post is a special part of Krissy’s surprise virtual baby shower!  A special thanks to sweet and talented Audra for organizing the shower.

Baby Blue Cake Pops from scratch!

I met Krissy last year at the Foodbuzz Festival and she was absolutely as sweet as can be.  We’ve been friends ever since and I’m hoping to see her and meet baby Ezekiel when I am in California next year!

Baby Blue Cake Pops from scratch!

I’ve actually been making a lot of cake pops lately.  Some for baby shower favors and then some more for an Anthropologie event.  The baby shower made a lot of sense because they went off of the line “Andrea is about to pop” so I figured, why wouldn’t that be perfect for Krissy’s shower, too?

Baby Blue Cake Pops from scratch!

Note the missing cake pops above, Matt could not stop eating them!

Baby Blue Cake Pops from scratch!

Since Krissy is expecting a baby boy, I wanted to make the pops a pretty baby blue, and a white cake seemed the best base for that.  That cake combined with a basic buttercream and coated with white chocolate made the perfect combination.  I actually think that while these are very baby shower friendly, they would also be a nice addition to a winter wonderland themed party!

Baby Blue Cake Pops from scratch!

Of course there are some other wonderful ladies participating in this shower with so many delicious recipes.  I only wish we could all get together to celebrate Krissy in real life!

Audra of The Baker Chick | Mini Salted Caramel Brownie Pies
Averie of Averie Cooks | Cinnamon Oatmeal Date Bars with Chocolate Chunks
Cassie of Bake Your Day | Red Bell Pepper Ranch Cheese Dip
Erin of Big Fat Baker | Blueberry Punch
Jacqueline of The Dusty Baker | Kid-friendly Gluten-and-Dairy-Free Chicken Fingers
Lauren of Keep It Sweet | Baby Blue Cake Pops From Scratch
Nicole of Sweet Peony Blog | Roasted Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Baby Blue Cake Pops
 
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Homemade cake pops (no cake mix!) are perfect for a special occasion.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 50 cake pops
Ingredients
  • 1 Baby Blue Cake
  • 1 batch Baby Blue Buttercream
  • ~50 6-inch lollipop sticks
  • 32 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup blue sprinkles
Instructions
  1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside
  2. Break cake into pieces and place in a large bowl; crumble cake into small crumbs with fingers
  3. Add buttercream to cake and mix with a spoon until all cake crumbs are coated
  4. Use a medium cookie dough scoop or large spoon to scoop balls of dough onto wax paper
  5. Use your hands to roll the cake scoops into balls
  6. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place in freezer for at least two hours
  7. Prepare another baking sheet with wax paper for finished pops
  8. Once cake balls are frozen, you can make them into pops
  9. Put white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and place in over a pot of simmering water; stir chocolate constantly
  10. until melted (you can also melt the white chocolate in the microwave)
  11. Remove balls from freezer; dip the top of each lollipop stick about ⅓ of an inch into the white chocolate and immediately press into cake ball two thirds of the way through
  12. Once complete, dip each cake pop, one at a time, into white chocolate; lightly tap off excess chocolate and place cake pop on wax paper; decorate with sprinkles immediately before chocolate hardens
  13. Repeat until all cake pops are dipped and decorated
  14. Allow to cool and for chocolate to harden before serving
Notes
Inspired by Bakerella
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Baby Blue Sheet Cake
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 cup milk (I used skim) at room temperature
  • 6 x-large egg whites at room temperature
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 drops blue food coloring
  • 2¼ cups (8⅝ ounces) cake flour
  • 1¾ cups (13⅛ ounces) granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg whites, vanilla and food coloring; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; add butter and beat on low speed until all of the ingredients are in wet lumps
  4. Add half of milk mixture and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or just until combined; scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and then add remaining milk mixture; beat on medium speed just until combined without overmixing
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 25-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
  6. Set aside to cool and prepare buttercream
Notes
Cake adapted from Baking Bites
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Baby Blue Buttercream
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 4 ounces regular or light cream cheese
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 drops blue food coloring
Instructions
  1. Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed or until light and creamy
  2. Add one cup of powdered sugar and mix on low speed for one minute; add remaining sugar, vanilla and food coloring
  3. Mix on low speed for one minute and then scrape the sides of the bowl; beat on high speed for several minutes or until buttercream is light and fluffy
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Baby Blue Cake Pops from scratch!

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Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Perfect Silky Buttercream

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Mini lemon cupcakes with the silkiest lemon buttercream.
Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Perfect Silky Buttercream

First off, for those of you who don’t already know, I’m a finalist for a Martha Stewart American Made Award!  Not only is this an honor, but it is also an amazing opportunity.  The winner will be selected based on VOTES and will be honored at the American Made event in New York City AND appear in Martha Stewart Living Magazine.  On top of that, Keep It Sweet Desserts would get $10,000 to help grow the business. It couldn’t get much better than that.

Please help me by voting EVERY DAY from now through September 24th!  I’ve been doing pretty well so far, but can use a little extra push in the contest.  Your support means the world to me.  For those of you who have been voting, tweeting, facebooking and emailing, thank you a million times over!

Please VOTE for Keep It Sweet Desserts!

Now, onto cupcakes.  These lovelies were just one of the desserts that we enjoyed to celebrate my husband’s 29th birthday.  His birthday is today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!!!!!), but we had our families over to celebrate on Sunday night.  Dinner was all about the meat:  hot dog appetizers (full-size, not mini); burgers; and two different cuts of steak.  There was also a side of mashed potatoes, tomatoes and mozzarella and a chopped salad.  To my vegetarian friends, please know that we bought high quality meat that came from well-treated animals.

Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Perfect Silky Buttercream

And yes, Matt did eat all of the different items we served.  I, however, had my once-a-year cheeseburger and lots of salad on the side.

Lucky for me, my meat-loving husband also loves dessert.  I like to take credit for his refined sweets palate and discretion over worth-it desserts but he should also get credit for the quality of all of the Keep It Sweet Dessert cookies and bars.  He is an MVP taste-tester.  But I digress.

As for the birthday desserts, it was a menu of all things Matt loves:  Yellow layer cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, warm salted chocolate chip cookies AND warm chocolate chip cookie cheesecake (Thank, MOM!) just out of the oven, and finally these Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Perfect Silky Buttercream.

Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Perfect Silky Buttercream

While I would never request a lemon dessert for my birthday, I’m glad that Matt did!  These cupcakes were the perfect balance of lemon flavor without an intensely sweet or overly sour note to them.  If anything, Matt thought there could have been a little more lemon in the frosting, but I really wanted it to just compliment the cake, not overtake it.

Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Perfect Silky Buttercream
 
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Mini lemon cupcakes with the silkiest lemon buttercream.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 36 mini cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (5⅛ ounces) all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ¼ cup plain greek yogurt (I used fat free)
  • ¼ cup milk (I used skim)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (5⅝ ounces)
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
Lemon Kissed Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  • ½ cup egg whites (I used 3 extra-large but pasteurized egg whites work fine)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1⅛ cups (2¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • <1/8 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; fill mini cupcake tins with 36 cupcake wrappers; set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; set aside
  3. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla; set aside
  4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on high speed for several minutes or until light and fluffy; at this point you can’t really overbeat the batter, you want to get as much lightness at this stage as you can; scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula
  5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed for one minute after each; scrape the sides of the bowl with the spatula
  6. Reduce speed to low and slowly add ⅓ of flour mixture and then ½ of wet ingredients; repeat with ⅓ of flour mixture and remaining wet ingredients; add remaining flour mixture and remove from mixer immediately (there should still be lumps in the batter)
  7. Gently fold batter so that you can no longer see any dry ingredients but there are still some small lumps; do not overmix
  8. Evenly distribute batter into cupcake wrappers; I find this easiest with a medium cookie dough scoop or small ladle
  9. Bake cupcakes for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from a center cupcake; do not overbake
  10. Set cupcakes aside to cool and prepare frosting
Buttercream:
  1. Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk attachment, whisk, spatula and candy thermometer with a paper towel and vinegar to clean (if any grease is on these items your meringue will not work)
  2. Place egg whites and sugar in mixing bowl over pot of simmering water; water should not be high enough to touch mixing bowl
  3. Whisk mixture slowly but constantly until temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 5-10 minutes
  4. Remove from stove and attach bowl to electric mixer with whisk attachment
  5. Put mixer on low to medium speed and whisk until meringue is shiny and thick and bowl has cooled down to room temperature; if bowl does not cool and meringue has formed, you can put an ice bath under the mixing bowl while it is mixing
  6. Once ready, replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment and add cubes of butter one at a time mixing on low speed until the mixture is light and creamy; if mixture gets lumpy, keep mixing for several minutes; if it gets runny, place bowl in fridge for 10 minutes before continuing to mix
  7. Stop mixer to scrape sides of bowl and continue to beat on low speed for another minute
  8. Add lemon zest, vanilla, and salt and mix on medium speed until the SMB is light and creamy
  9. Frost cupcakes as desired (I prefer piping for swiss meringue buttercream)
Notes
Cupcakes adapted from Sweetapolita
Buttercream adapted from Sweetapolita
Cupcakes are best that day or refrigerated overnight; may be frozen up to one month and served at room temperature
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Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Perfect Silky Buttercream

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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

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Moist brown sugar cupcakes topped with a flavorful buttercream and surprise brittle topping.
Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

Sometimes it is easy to get in a rut.

A cookie rut. An exercise rut. A wearing the same $12 gap t-shirt every day rut.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

We get a little comfortable with the usual. Cookies are easy and I’ve gotten great at them. I know what ingredients make the best dough, what amount of refrigeration time creates the best final product and what flavor combinations will always taste good (chocolate and peanut butter, obviously). I’m not being cocky, I just spend many hours most days making cookies for my business.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

I’m not actually in an exercise rut right now, I’m in more of a Sean T kicks my butt every single day and I can’t wait until Insanity is over phase. And the t-shirts? Yeah, I can’t help it. I’ll stop when the weather cools down and I can break into my new fall wardrobe.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

Sometimes these ruts are really hard to escape. But sometimes, all it takes is just a little bit of excitement over something new. At the start of Insanity I was excited because I wanted to look like those women in the video (ahem, no matter how many level 3 drills I do, it isn’t happening).

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

Well, ever since we went to Bi-Rite, I’ve had the brown sugar ice cream on the brain.  That dark, almost burnt brown sugar flavor and the swirls of ginger throughout were such a perfect combination of flavors.  I’ve been wanting to recreate that experience in a different way.

I don’t know how it happened exactly, but the idea of this cupcake just popped into my head last week.  It was one of those moments where as soon as it happened, I had to do something.  Brown sugar cupcakes were in and out of the oven before I really knew what hit me.  What followed was a lightly flavored creamy swiss meringue buttercream and a sweet and salty crunchy topping inspired by one of my favorite bloggers.  The result was almost too good.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

2.0 from 1 reviews
Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle
 
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Moist brown sugar cupcakes topped with a flavorful buttercream and surprise brittle topping.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 17 cupcakes
Ingredients
  • 1 batch brown sugar cupcakes
  • 1 batch cinnamon ginger swiss meringue buttercream
  • 1 batch ginger cookie pecan brittle
Instructions
  1. Prepare cupcakes as directed below
  2. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare brittle and set aside to cool
  3. Once cupcakes and brittle are cool, make frosting; frost cupcakes with a spatula or piping bag and top with broken brittle pieces
  4. Serve immediately; if you are making cupcakes in advance, do not top with brittle until just before serving
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Brown Sugar Cupcakes
 
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Ingredients
  • 1½ cups (7 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1⅛ cup (10.25 ounces) tightly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 extra large eggs at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅜ cup buttermilk
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 325 and line regular-sized cupcake tins with cupcake wrappers; set aside
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl; set aside
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed using an electric mixer for several minutes; beat until very light and fluffy
  4. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl; add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed in-between until each egg is combined
  5. Add vanilla and beat on high for one minute
  6. Reduce speed of mixer to low and slowly add one half of flour mixture, do not overmix
  7. Add buttermilk and then remaining flour mixture; turn off mixer before all dry ingredients are combined; remove bowl of mixer and slowly fold batter until dry ingredients are combined; do not overmix
  8. Evenly distribute batter into 17 prepared cupcakes, filling about ⅔ of each cup
  9. Bake cupcakes for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Notes
Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
I wasn’t thrilled with the appearance of the cupcake by itself, it was completely flat on the top. Luckily, the taste and moist texture more than made up for it and the frosting covered up any lackluster looks I was worried about.
The cupcakes can be made up to one month in advance and frozen. Defrost for a couple of hours at room temperature prior to frosting.
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Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • ½ cup egg whites (I used 3 extra-large but pasteurized egg whites work fine)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1⅛ cups (2¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger (if you are using fresh ground ginger, start with less and add more to taste)
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • <1/8 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
  1. Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk attachment, whisk, spatula and candy thermometer with a paper towel and vinegar to clean (if any grease is on these items your meringue will not work)
  2. Place egg whites and sugar in mixing bowl over pot of simmering water; water should not be high enough to touch mixing bowl
  3. Whisk mixture slowly but constantly until temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 5-10 minutes
  4. Remove from stove and attach bowl to electric mixer with whisk attachment
  5. Put mixer on low to medium speed and whisk until meringue is shiny and thick and bowl has cooled down to room temperature; if bowl does not cool and meringue has formed, you can put an ice bath under the mixing bowl while it is mixing
  6. Once ready, replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment and add cubes of butter one at a time mixing on low speed until the mixture is light and creamy; if mixture gets lumpy, keep mixing for several minutes; if it gets runny, place bowl in fridge for 10 minutes before continuing to mix
  7. Stop mixer to scrape sides of bowl and continue to beat on low speed for another minute
  8. Add vanilla, ginger, cinnamon and salt and mix on medium speed until the SMB is light and creamy
Notes
Adapted from Sweetapolita
You can frost the cupcakes up to one day in advance and keep them chilled until ready to serve so that the buttercream does not melt. Serve at room temperature
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Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ cup lightly chopped raw pecans
  • ¼ cup broken gingersnaps (about 3 cookies)
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ teaspoon unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
  2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, stir together sugar and corn syrup; microwave mixture on high for three minutes
  3. Stir in pecans, gingersnaps and salt; put in microwave for one minute and then stir; microwave for another thirty seconds keeping an eye on the mixture so as not to burn
  4. Stir in butter and vanilla; microwave for 30 seconds; be careful bowl may get very hot
  5. Stir in baking soda and immediately spread brittle onto parchment paper
  6. Allow to cool for 30 minutes; break brittle into small pieces for cupcakes
  7. If not using immediately, store in an airtight container for up to five days
Notes
Slightly adapted from Dessert for Two
The brittle can be made a couple of days in advance and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.  Top the cupcakes with the brittle right before serving for best results.
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Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream and Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

Cookies, what?

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

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Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

Well, I think I am officially old.

Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

My 28th birthday is on Tuesday and while I know that in the big picture that really isn’t old, I certainly feel it.  After a late night out in the city last night, my body is just begging for a day of rest.  A big difference from when I moved to New York six years ago.

cooking bananas for Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

In fact, a lot of things have changed in those six years.  Jobs, twice.  Boyfriend turned fiance turned husband.  Sister turned real life best friend.* Studio turned one bedroom then into two.  Jean size.  Insecurities faded**.  Passions realized.  Parents seen more as equals.  Views on life.  Priorities.  Dislike of goat cheese to love of goat cheese.  Suits to chef coats.

*Well, that wasn’t exactly a change, just more of a realization

**Some

brownies for Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

It is actually amazing how much has changed but then again there is a lot that stayed the same.  Love of dessert.  Partner in life.  Balance of health and pleasure.  Love of family.  Drive, motivation, determination.  Heart. Morals.  Devotion to peanut butter, pumpkin, and fresh baked cookies.  Joy in baking for others.  Desire to eat only worth-it foods.  And of course, a love of frozen yogurt.

making Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

You knew I’d tie this recipe in somehow.  I’ve actually been meaning to make this recipe since the last frozen yogurt I made.  It just took most of the summer for me to remember to put the ice cream maker bowl back in the freezer.  Matt gets credit for that reminder.

Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

This frozen yogurt is creamy and full of fudgy brownie chunks to add the perfect indulgent touch.  The only thing missing is a little peanut butter swirl but I figured I’d be better off if I made a dessert my husband would also eat.

Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt
 
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Caramelized bananas and fudgy brownies make the best frozen yogurt!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 1 quart
Ingredients
  • 3 large brown bananas cut into slices (about ¼ inch thick)
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
  • 1½ cups fat free plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup fudgy brownie pieces, size based on preference
Instructions
  1. Place banana slices, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a heavy duty saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until bananas and sauce are very thick, stirring occasionally; remove from heat
  2. Place two thirds of the banana mixture in a food processor or blender and puree
  3. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, sugar and pureed bananas; fold in remaining banana mixture and brownies
  4. Place in refrigerator for one hour or until mixture has cooled
  5. Once cooled, freeze yogurt in ice cream maker as directed by manufacturer's instructions
  6. Serve immediately or store prepared frozen yogurt in freezer until ready to eat (allow to defrost and soften a few minutes before serving)
Notes
Already frozen ripe bananas will work just as well as fresh
This frozen yogurt isn't overly sweet making it the perfect base for a touch of hot fudge or peanut butter sauce and whipped cream
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Oh, and beware.  This yogurt barely lasted a full day in my house.

Banana Brownie Chunk Greek Frozen Yogurt

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

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Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

In my undying adoration of peanut butter over the years, I’ve looked past some other nuts that are just as delicious.  Sure, I’ve shown almonds some love (even cashews, too).  But in all this time, I’ve ignored pistachios.

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

Well, one giant bag of pistachios from Costco later and I won’t ever make that mistake again.  Salted pistachios are just so completely underrated as a snack, to top salads and especially to add a salty crunchy kick to baked goods.

Last week I added them to a salad of field greens topped with blue cheese, sliced strawberries and mango vinaigrette and this week I stuffed them into a chewy oatmeal cookie full of chocolate chunks. This nut can do no wrong.

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

So this cookie recipe originated from the Old World Inn, the bed and breakfast we stayed at in Napa.  The first time we went there, three years ago, we were one over by their afternoon plates of cookies and late night chocolate dessert bar.  Those cookies, though, stood out the most.  The inn’s chewy chocolate chip cookie was flat and innocent looking but just so delicious.  I made the original recipe shortly after that first Napa trip and hadn’t made them since.  As soon as I came home with a giant bag of pistachios, I knew a play on that cookie dough recipe would be the perfect suit.

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies
 
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Chewy oatmeal cookies with big chunks of chocolate and crunchy salty pistachios.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup roughly chopped dark chocolate
  • ½ cup salted shelled pistachios, lightly chopped
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl. whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
  3. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined; scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed
  4. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture; add the rolled oats and mix on low just until combined
  5. Stir in chocolate and pistachios just until combined
  6. Refrigerate dough for one hour before baking
  7. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  8. When oven is hot, scoop cookie dough using a medium cookie dough scoop or tablespoon (about 2 tablespoons each) onto baking sheets leaving at least 1½ inches between each scoop
  9. Bake cookies in oven for 9-11 minutes or until they appear firm around the edges and on the tops; do not overbake
Notes
Adapted from the Napa Old World Inn
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Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

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Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies are always a crowd pleaser!
Blog, Recipes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

Well, I think/hope that this will be the last banana recipe for a little while.  As I said before, the banana consumption in my apartment has a direct correlation with our workout frequency and things are finally back to normal at home.  We are headed to Napa later this week so the motivation of a trip filled with food and wine (plus actually wanting to fit into my summer clothes) has helped.  Even Matt got motivated by vacation and is back on the Insanity track.  Funny how my husband going back to the gym makes me want to workout more.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

So this recipe is another win for not-so-decadent but satisfying.  If you look at the ingredient list (peanut butter, oatmeal, bananas) you will probably agree that these could make for a breakfast on-the-go, afternoon snack OR dessert.  They look a little bit like cookies but are a little softer and chewier, almost like a cookie/muffin top hybrid.  The chocolate in the peanut butter is enough to satisfy my cravings and the sweetness in the bananas means that you don’t need to add any sugar.  I may or may not have snuck a few of these right out of the freezer for a treat.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}
 
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Healthy chocolate, peanut butter and banana cookies.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 40 oatmeal bites
Ingredients
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (make sure to use a gluten-free brand if avoiding gluten)
  • 1 cup Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter
  • 1 cup mashed ripe banana (~2 medium bananas)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined
  3. Use a mini cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to scoop batter onto prepared sheets about 1 inch apart
  4. Bake 7-10 minutes or until they are firm
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

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Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free}

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Gluten-free banana bread that is moist and just as delicious as regular.  No crazy ingredients needed.

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

Besides my tight shorts, another symptom of my less than stellar gym attendance is an abundance of browning bananas in my kitchen.  They are the pre-workout snack of choice in our apartment and when they don’t get eaten it means Matt and I are slacking.

Let’s just say that this recipe and that pie are not the last banana recipes you will see for a while.  Oops.

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

I claimed to have made this gluten-free treat for my sister, but after eating slice after slice of this surprisingly moist and flavorful banana bread, I’ll call myself out.  It may be made with almond meal, but you will not miss the flour at all.  The texture is almost spot-on and the blueberries and chocolate more than make up for anything you could possibly be missing.

Again, I chose the recipe because it is no-fuss gluten-free baking.  Some other almond-meal based desserts I’ve made include Chewy Ginger Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free}
 
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Gluten-free banana bread that is moist and just as delicious as regular. No crazy ingredients needed.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: Serves 8-12
Ingredients
  • 120 grams / 4¼ ounces (~1½ cups) almond meal
  • 100 grams (2 whole) eggs + 90 grams (3) egg whites, lightly whisked
  • 2 fluid ounces / ¼ cup canola oil
  • 170 grams / 6 ounces (~3/4 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 200 grams / 7 ounces (~1 cup or 2 medium) mashed ripe bananas
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 5x10 loaf pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray; set aside
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except for blueberries and chocolate chunks; whisk just until combined
  3. Gently fold in blueberries and chocolate chunks
  4. Pour batter into prepared baking pan; bake for 45-55 minutes or until top is no longer wet and a knife comes out clean from center
  5. Allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing
Notes
Adapted from The Wannabe Chef
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Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free} from KeepItSweetDesserts.com

For some other easy gluten-free recipes, just check out the gluten-free tag!

Blog, Recipes

Fudgy Double Crème de Menthe Brownies

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Fudgy Double Crème de Menthe Brownies

Saturday was a case of “I have a few hours in the kitchen to make non-KISD desserts, how much can I bake for the blog and how fast?”

Fudgy Double Crème de Menthe Brownies

Of course I had another reason to bake, other than for Matt to have three cupcakes as an afternoon snack.  And the reason wasn’t to give me an excuse to eat the last three brownies sliver by sliver until they “magically” disappeared.  But Matt was going to a birthday party and I was headed to a housewarming party and apparently when you run a bakery you are expected to bring baked goods.  Who knew?

Fudgy Double Crème de Menthe Brownies

In fact, any time I show up empty handed I get some pretty disappointed faces.  Even from our friends and family members on diets, they are always slyly trying to see if I have a plate/box/bag of goodies behind my back.

Fudgy Double Crème de Menthe Brownies

But I digress.  These brownies went to the birthday party and they were a perfect case of “what do I have on hand that needs to be used up?”  We had leftover mint buttercream in the freezer that has been taking up valuable real estate for a while and a bag of Andes pieces in the drawer from before the holidays.

Fudgy Double Crème de Menthe Brownies

Let me tell you, those two items did not go to waste.  These brownies were a heavenly combination of fudgy, creamy, rich and minty all at the same time.  A few hours after I finished the leftover brownies, I completely regretted not doubling the batch.  Looks like the rest of those Andes candies won’t be around for long!

Fudgy Double Crème de Menthe Brownies

Fudgy Double Creme de Menthe Brownies
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients
Brownies
  • 3 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
  • 1⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup Andes crème de menthe pieces or chopped Andes candies
Creme de Menthe Buttercream
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup creme de menthe
Instructions
Brownies
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease a 9x9 brownie pan or baking dish with cookie spray or butter; set aside
  3. In a large microwavable bowl, melt chocolate and butter by microwaving in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  4. Whisk in sugar until well combined
  5. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until well combined
  6. Whisk in four just until combined
  7. Fold in crème de menthe pieces
  8. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake 25-30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean
  9. Set brownies aside to cool and prepare buttercream
Creme de Menthe Buttercream
  1. Beat butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer on high speed until light and creamy
  2. Add powdered sugar and crème de Menthe and mix on low until incorporated
  3. Increase speed to high and mix until filling is light and fluffy
  4. Spread buttercream over cooled brownies; slice and serve
Notes
Brownies adapted from Baker’s
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Blog

Mixed Berry Sauce

44 Comments

berry sauce 3

I’ve been wanting to make a variation of this sauce for a while now:  something that would take a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the next level (because let’s face it, vanilla will never be chocolate), add texture and flavor to a slice of basic angel food cake, or be so pretty you want to put it on top of everything.

berry sauce 2

This Mixed Berry Sauce is made with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.  It has a wonderful balance of sweet and tart as well as a lovely texture from the slightly decomposed berries.  Last weekend I served the sauce alongside my banana cheesecake and it was a huge hit.

slice of cheesecake 8a

 

It was so easy to make that I will definitely make it again.  Whip it up and take it with you to a barbeque  to serve with store-bought pound cake (I won’t tell) and vanilla ice cream.  Make it Saturday morning and pour it over fluffy pancakes or even greek yogurt.

berry sauce 4

Start by combining mixed berries, sugar and lemon juice on medium heat over the stove

berries with sugar and lemon juice

Stir occasionally and break down some of the larger berries with a spoon

cooking sauce 2

Continue until all berries are slightly soft and a juice begins to form

cooking sauce 4

Add cornstarch and stir in quickly

cooking sauce 5

Turn the heat up to high and stir constantly until sauce reaches desired thickness

cooking sauce 6

5.0 from 2 reviews
Mixed Berry Sauce
 
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Easy Mixed Berry Sauce made with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~2 cups of sauce
Ingredients
  • 2 cups mixed berries (frozen or fresh)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or up to half a lemon to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
  1. Start by combining berries, sugar and lemon juice on medium heat over the stove
  2. Stir occasionally and break down some of the larger berries with a spoon
  3. Continue until all berries are slightly soft and a juice begins to form
  4. Add cornstarch and stir in quickly
  5. Turn the heat up to high and stir constantly until sauce reaches desired thickness
  6. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week
Notes
Adapted from Serndipity Sundaes
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berry sauce 12

What would you do with this sauce? Drinking it IS an option;-)

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Blog

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

46 Comments

Crispy gingersnap crust, rich chocolate cheesecake layer and a light pumpkin cheesecake filling, i.e. a delicious dessert just in time for Thanksgiving.

My favorite pumpkin chocolate cheesecake bars of all time!

I may have served eight (yes, 8) varieties of pick-up desserts at my Thanksgiving with Friends, but these Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars won me over as the number one pick for the evening.  That wasn’t easy because all of the desserts were decadent and delicious.  Maybe it was the combination of two of my favorite flavors, pumpkin and chocolate.  Maybe it was the surprising spice from the gingersnap cookie crust.  Maybe it was the lovely creamy texture with a perfect thin crispy crust in one bite.  Maybe it was the balance of richness and lightness that allows you to eat not just one, but four two.  Frankly, it doesn’t matter.  These are delicious and if you like the sound of any of that, you must make them.

We have these every year because they are SO good!

I saw Sharon’s recipe on the Curvy Carrot about a month ago and new right away I had to make it myself.  There were a couple of modifications, but the recipe is largely based on hers.  Just like she said, they were easy but a little time consuming.  Definitely worth every minute, though!

One of my all-time favorite desserts!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
 
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Crispy gingersnap crust, rich chocolate cheesecake layer and a light pumpkin cheesecake filling, i.e. a delicious dessert just in time for Thanksgiving.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 36 small bars
Ingredients
Crust:
  • 275g (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 35 cookies)
  • 85g (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter
Filling:
  • 454g (2 8-ounce packages) light cream cheese softened at room temperature
  • 371g (1¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 165g (3 large) whole eggs
  • 16g (2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 240g (1 cup) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
  • 170g (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
  2. Line a 13×9 pan with tin foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside
Prepare crust:
  1. Stir together gingersnap crumbs and melted butter
  2. Spread evenly into prepared pan using fingers to push down crust mixture and set aside
Prepare filling:
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, whip cream cheese on medium high speed for several minutes until creamy and lumps are gone
  2. Add granulated sugar and combine on medium-high speed well until light and creamy
  3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed in-between; mix in flour on low speed
  4. Add pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and mix on medium speed until mixture is thick and creamy
  5. Now, separate 380 grams (1¾ cups) of the pumpkin cheesecake filling and set aside in a large bowl
  6. Melt chocolate chips and butter in a small saucepan over low heat; mixture will get very thick
  7. Add chocolate to the pumpkin filling that you set aside and stir thoroughly
  8. Pour chocolate batter over crust and bake for 15 minutes
  9. Remove from oven and pour remaining pumpkin cheesecake filling on top
  10. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until edges begin to separate from foil and middle bounces slightly when touched
  11. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight
  12. Remove cheesecake from pan and cut into small bars
Notes
Adapted from The Curvy Carrot
I used light cream cheese because I wanted a final product that wasn’t overly rich, but regular cream cheese would work as well
When cutting the bars, I recommend cleaning your knife with a paper towel between slices to keep from contaminating the layers with one another
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SONY DSC
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Blog

Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Filling

37 Comments

Chewy and flavorful red velvet cookies with creamy white chocolate frosting.

Amazing red velvet cookies with a white chocolate buttercream!

This post was originally published November 2010. The photos were updated November 2015.

After I saw Jessica’s post of red velvet chocolate chip cookies, I knew I had to make them.  As I’ve mentioned before, red velvet is currently my favorite kind of cake, so how could I not try the cookies?  Jessica promised dense and chewy and she does not disappoint.  I didn’t just make cookies, though, I made cookie sandwiches, Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches with White Chocolate Buttercream to be exact.

So in love with these cookies!!!

So far, for my upcoming dinner party, I’ve made Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Bars and Gooey Caramel Butter Bars.  In the past I’ve made a mix of cakes, cookies, pies and other desserts, but this year I am going with pick-up desserts only.  However, I still want to have a wow factor, so I have some big plans for upcoming desserts.  These cookie sandwiches definitely fulfill the wow piece.

The cookie itself is dense and chewy as I mentioned above, but it also has a nice mild flavor that isn’t too sweet.  A silky smooth white chocolate buttercream worked as the perfect complement.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Heaven
 
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Chewy and flavorful red velvet cookies with creamy white chocolate frosting.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 22 cookie sandwiches
Ingredients
Cookies:
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons red food coloring
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • Buttercream:
  • 4 ounces baking white chocolate
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ⅓ cup milk (any type is fine)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Make the Cookies:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375
  2. Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt); set aside
  3. Beat together butter and sugars until fluffy
  4. Add eggs and vanilla and combine
  5. Add red food coloring and beat until well mixed
  6. Slowly add dry ingredients
  7. Stir until well combined
  8. Stir in chocolate chips
  9. Drop even tablespoons of cookie dough on baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart
  10. Bake for ~8 minutes or until slightly firm
  11. Set your cookies aside on a wire rack to cool
Make the Buttercream:
  1. Combine the white chocolate and whipping cream in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat, stirring continuously
  2. Remove from heat and stir in milk
  3. Refrigerate for mixture for half hour
  4. When white chocolate mixture is cool, finish making the buttercream
  5. Beat the butter until creamy
  6. Beat in confectioners’ sugar until butter and sugar are light and fluffy
  7. Now beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture until buttercream is creamy and light
  8. Build Sandwiches
  9. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of buttercream on the bottom half of a cookie (more or less icing depending on your taste)
  10. Place second cookie on top and lightly push together
Notes
I basically used Jessica’s recipe for the Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips. Her recipe is easy and definitely worth a try!
The recipe for White Chocolate Buttercream makes twice as much frosting as you will need. Start thinking of other ways to eat it, you won’t want this deliciousness to go to waste (well, you could always freeze it too)
Cookies store well in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days, or in freezer for a few weeks
I don’t even like white chocolate and I love these cookies; the flavor in the icing is subtle enough and i made myself a sample cookie without chips:-)
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Do you have a favorite pick-up dessert?

Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches with White Chocolate Buttercream!

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Uncategorized

Fan Favorite

34 Comments

Do you have a dish or dessert that friends and family are constantly requesting?  There is one dessert I make that people are always asking for, and go and figure, it is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made.  I actually was hesitant to post it on the blog in case my friends see this and decide they don’t need my baking services anymore because they can do it themselves;-)

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are so easy but oh so delicious.  They are rich and fudgy and begin and end with chocolate chip cookie, what could be bad?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Interestingly enough, this is actually a Pillsbury recipe.  Pillsbury has some great, easy recipes on their website.  Usually I’ll prefer desserts completely made from scratch, but there is a time and a place for shortcuts if the outcome is still tasty!  My mom made this recipe a few years ago and replaced the top layer of cookie with melted chocolate, but I am sticking with the basics here.

Not only is this easy, but the ingredient list is super short.  All you need are 3 1/2 ingredients (I count vanilla as a half:-)).

ingredients

Here are the easy steps:

Mix your peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla

I actually reduced the portion of peanut butter this time around and was happier with the result.  The bars cooked perfectly.

measured peanut butter

measured peanut butter 2

Your peanut butter batter will be very thick.  Mixer not necessary but easier.

mixing ingredients

Layer about 2/3 of the cookie dough and then the peanut butter

layering 1 layering 2

Top with drops of the remaining cookie dough

layering 3

Bake

done 1 done 2

Cool

done 3

Slice

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Try not to eat them all in one sitting

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Fan Favorite
 
Save Print
Super easy cookie bars that are layered with a delicious peanut butter filling.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 16 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 roll of chocolate chip cookie dough, 16.5 oz
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Combine peanut butter, sugar and vanilla and set aside
  3. Spread ⅔ of cookie dough in 8x8 or 9x9 ungreased baking pan
  4. Spread peanut butter mixture on top of cookie dough
  5. Drop remaining cookie dough on top of peanut butter layer
  6. Bake 28-33 minutes or until golden brown
  7. Cool before cutting.  Serve at room temperature
Notes
Adapted from Pillsbury
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Uncategorized

Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies

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Rich brownies with chunks of Oreos and a cheesecake swirl.

Updated October 2015.

Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies!

When I saw this recipe on Annie’s Blog, I knew I had to make it for Matt’s birthday.  It combines Oreos and cream cheese, 2 of his favorite dessert elements.  Plus, these are the perfect pick-up dessert for a day of guys watching football and eating chips and wings.  Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies it was.

I love these Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies!

I made very few changes to the original recipe, and they turned out really delicious.  There was only 1 brownie left on the plate by the time the guys left our apartment.  Next time I will definitely double the recipe as suggested.

I chopped my Oreos in a food processor leaving big chunks for a nice surprise when you bite into a brownie.  I used extra Oreos because, well, why not?

Seriously Good Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies!

Happy Birthday to the Husband!
 
Save Print
Rich brownies with chunks of Oreos and a cheesecake swirl.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24 servings
Ingredients
  • 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 318g (1½ cups) granulated sugar
  • 197g (1½ cups all-purpose flour)
  • 105g (1¼ cups) unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 3g ½ teaspoon salt
  • 220g (4 large) whole eggs at room temperature
  • 118 milliliters (1/2 cup) whole milk
  • 375g (5 cups) chopped Oreos (~32 cookies)
  • 454g (2 8-ounce packages) light or regular cream cheese at room temperature
  • 160g (1 cup) powdered sugar
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter and sugar over medium level heat, whisking frequently until boiling. Allow to boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Set aside.
  3. Combine remaining dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.
  4. Once butter and sugar mixture has cooled slightly, whisk in eggs and milk.
  5. Add wet ingredients to dry and combine.
  6. Stir in Oreo pieces.
  7. Spread brownie batter into pan.
  8. Using an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat the cream cheese until fluffy.
  9. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until well combined.
  10. Drop cream cheese mixture onto brownie batter.
  11. With a knife, draw lines back and forth through mixture to swirl.
  12. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until firm. Do not overbake.
  13. Allow to cool and chill brownies in refrigerator for one hour before slicing
  14. Store in refrigerator up to three days or freezer up to one month
Notes
Very slightly adapted from Annie’s Eats
Notes:
I used light cream cheese which worked out nicely. However, regular cream cheese would make for a richer brownie.
Although you can stick a knife in to assess if the brownies are done, you will still see some batter when you pull it out. Since the cream cheese mixture stays moist, it is a little more tricky than usual. I suggest moving the pan from side to side to see if they are firm.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!!

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