Topic: Christmas

Six Peppermint Chocolate Desserts You Need To Try

Posted on November 28, 2016

Six peppermint and chocolate dessert recipes to kick off the holiday season. Peppermint Mocha are my favorite holiday season guilty pleasure and it’s no surprise that I’ve translated a variation of that drink flavor into a few different desserts. The holiday season is upon us so it’s time to get baking! Double Dip Mints Peppermint…

Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies

Posted on April 21, 2016

Big bakery-style chocolate and pistachio cookies are the ultimate cookie treat! I feel a little bad because I’ve been keeping these cookies to myself for a few weeks now. They are exactly what I expect a perfect bakery-style cookie to be: BIG (when it comes to cookies, bigger really is better) Full of contrasting texture…

Gingerbread French Toast

Posted on December 21, 2015

A perfect breakfast for Christmas morning! Homemade gingerbread cooked in the skillet makes a delicious holiday breakfast treat. It’s normal to have French toast as a mid-morning snack, right? Oh, that’s just me? Oops. I’d actually been wanting to make this Gingerbread French Toast for a while now. And luckily, thanks to recipe testing for…

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies

Posted on December 18, 2015

Fudgy and gooey chocolate cookies full of intense chocolate flavor, melted marshmallows and peppermint pieces make the best Christmas dessert. It’s beginning to smell a lot like… cookies! I made this batch of Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies for Matt’s co-workers as a holiday treat, but struggled not to eat many, many of them myself. Even…

Gingerbread Loaf with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

Posted on December 14, 2015

This Christmas dessert is a lightened up gingerbread loaf topped with an indulgent caramelized white chocolate ganache. Something very major happened this weekend. I had an entire day (over six hours straight!) to myself. If you are wondering why this is such a big deal I must tell you, this is the longest period of…

Peppermint Chocolate Pavlova Parfaits

Posted on December 9, 2015

Holiday parfaits layered with peppermint whipped cream, fluffy meringue and shaved chocolate. I’m having a bit of a moment with pavlovas. Something seemingly simple can be playful and surprising when you translate it into a new and different flavor combination. Over the summer we enjoyed a refreshing lemon berry combo then warmed up in the…

Chocolate Covered Oreos, Three Ways

Posted on December 7, 2015

Chocolate covered Oreos are the best homemade Christmas gift! The three different recipes for this easy no-bake treat are so much fun. Chocolate covered Oreos aren’t exactly a new thing. I’ve been making them for years and have seen them sold in many candy stores. Usually, though, they are plain milk or dark chocolate. After…

Easy Chai Cookies

Posted on November 30, 2015

Crispy buttery shorbread cookies with the warm and spicy flavors of chai. Have you recovered from your Thanksgiving food coma enough to start making Christmas cookies yet? I’m so ready! Last year, I think I only made one batch (newborn mom life) and the years prior it was business cookie baking 24/7. I’m looking forward…

Peppermint Mocha Truffles

Posted on November 25, 2015

Rich dark chocolate truffles with a hint of coffee and splash of peppermint. The best no-bake edible Christmas gift!      Peppermint mocha is my ultimate holiday weakness. The drink, the sweets, everything. In fact, despite the fact that I’ve mostly given up fake sweeteners and usually drink coffee sans sugar, the skinny peppermint mocha latte…

Banana Pecan Bourbon Flapjacks

Posted on November 23, 2015

Thick buttermilk pancakes with a maple bourbon banana pecan sauce. This is the ultimate breakfast for dinner! It might seem a bit odd to share a pancake recipe the week of Thanksgiving, but I have a few reasons for this. You probably already have your Thanksgiving menu planned out so giving you an additional recipe…

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Posted on November 18, 2015

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SweetenTheSeason #CollectiveBias #ad Rich, fudgy and ultra chocolatey cookies with melted marshmallows taste like the best cup of hot cocoa you’ve ever had! It’s no secret that I love baking cookies, especially for the holidays. While I don’t…

Big Crumb Cranberry Coffee Cake

Posted on November 9, 2015

New York style crumb cake layered with fresh cranberries. This is the perfect holiday coffee cake! There are people who eat coffee cake as it’s probably intended, all of the components in one bite. And then there are the rest of us (most of us?), who are inclined to eat all the crumbs off the…

Cranberry and White Chocolate Pistachio Dusted Cookies

Posted on August 10, 2015

Chewy cookies loaded with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips then coated with layers of MORE white chocolate AND pistachios. Last week I needed a dessert to use as a thank you gift and wanted something pretty and portable. Cookies are always great for that sort of thing but this time I felt like jazzing…

Mega M&M Cookies

Posted on April 7, 2015

Big chocolatey cookies full of Mega M&Ms. I’m very aware that I eat my feelings. Tired, sad and stressed always lead me to chocolate, carbs, ice cream, cookies or all of the above. I try not to go overboard and realize that this isn’t the healthiest way to deal with emotions. But frankly, I don’t…

Smoked Sea Salt Chocolate Fudge Caramel Cookies

Posted on December 15, 2014

Rich and fudgy chocolate cookies filled with caramel and dark chocolate chips and seasoned with smoked sea salt. Are you still adding to your cookie baking list for the holidays? I hope so, because these babies are very deserving of a spot.  The cookie itself is ultra rich and like a fudgy brownie in the…

Double Dip Mints (aka Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Patties)

Posted on December 8, 2014

This recipe for Double Dip Mints was inspired by one of my favorite candy stores.  Homemade milk chocolate dipped peppermint patties are even better than the original candy you are used to! In all of my summers of going down the shore, there are definitely mixed memories of people and events  that seem to be…

Thick and Fudgy Peppermint Mocha Brownies

Posted on December 1, 2014

Super rich and fudgy brownies infused with the infamous peppermint mocha holiday flavor. Sometimes you just need a great brownie.  These peppermint mocha brownies are the perfect holiday brownie for this season’s festivities.  Thick, fudgy, rich and decadent… the peppermint mocha combination is a holiday favorite around here and it is hard to beat in…

Cranberry Apple Shortbread Bars

Posted on November 24, 2014

An easy last minute dessert recipe for Thanksgiving. These cranberry apple shortbread bars are a delicious holiday treat. I love any excuse to use this shortbread recipe. It’s seriously buttery, slightly chewy and lightly crispy on the outside. Plus, the basic flavor lends itself to almost any type of filling. I’ve done Meyer Lemon Shorbread…

Chewy Milk Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Posted on November 20, 2014

Chewy ginger-flavored brown sugar cookies filled with milk chocolate chunks.  This is a great holiday cookie! I have a bit of a weakness for ginger cookies.  My dad loves gingersnaps, but unless they are super crunchy (ahem, teeth-breakingly so), he will probably tell you they are underbaked.  I, on the other hand, like crunchy, chewy,…

How to Bake and Freeze Cookies for Holiday Gifts (and 30 recipes that are perfect for that)

Posted on November 6, 2014

Baking and freezing cookies is a great way to reduce holiday stress.  Here are 30 of my favorite recipes for cookies that you can bake ahead of time and freeze for a month or two for holiday gifting! I learned from my mom. When it comes to entertaining, she and I are a lot alike. …

Giant Caramel Apple Cinnamon Bun with Cream Cheese Glaze

Posted on September 10, 2014

This giant cinnamon roll is oozing with a gooey caramel apple and topped with a perfect cream cheese glaze. I think Matt put it perfectly when he said, “You know how when you eat a cinnamon roll and the middle is the best part?  This is like getting almost only the middle!” Seriously, though.  I’ve…

Pistachio Muffins

Posted on December 16, 2013

Make these hearty pistachio muffins for a holiday brunch with friends! I made it through the weekend, and pretty much in one piece. The last seven days were by far the busiest, craziest and most overwhelming of the season so far.  I could not be more thankful for my family and friends that chipped in…

Cranberry Apple Pie and Pie Week Giveaway

Posted on November 22, 2013

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. 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…

Fancy Holiday Chocolate Pecan Pie and Pie Week Giveaway

Posted on November 18, 2013

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

(Fresh) Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Brown Butter Cookies

Posted on November 11, 2013

Looking for a new way to use up your extra cranberries?  Cranberries get an upgrade in these brown butter cookies that are loaded with rich dark chocolate chunks. I have to tell you, these cookies surprised me!  They are so much better than I even expected.  Tart cranberries, rich dark chocolate (a lot of it)…

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Posted on December 12, 2012

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! For now, though, I can say, I am SO happy…

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

Posted on November 15, 2012

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

Chewy Ginger Cookies {Gluten-free}

Posted on April 2, 2012

Today I’m guest posting over on All Day I Dream About Food.  In case you’ve never been to Carolyn’s blog, she has an impressive collection of low carb and gluten-free desserts.  The woman has a real talent in the kitchen!  These cookies are another example of easy gluten-free baking:  No complicated ingredients and so easy to…

Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Posted on January 18, 2012

So here’s the thing.  I used to hate lemon desserts. And I used to hate shortbread. But that was when I thought all lemon desserts tasted like the filling to lemon meringue pie (still grosses me out) and all shortbread was boring and flavorless. But at some point in the last couple of years, something…

Rugelach, Three Ways

Posted on December 22, 2011

I decided to get a little crazy with my last holiday cookie.  Rugelach is a traditional Jewish dessert, perfect for Channukah.  However, I’m pretty sure that these would be welcome on any Christmas table as well. So instead of making a traditional version of rugelach, I took the basic cream cheese dough and added a…

Gingersnap Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

Posted on December 19, 2011

Please don’t be mad at me. It’s just that I’ve had this recipe for weeks and have been holding it in the backlog so that I didn’t completely overload you with cookies.  Meanwhile, almost every person who has eaten one of these has asked me for the recipe.*  Biting into one of the gingersnap sandwich…

Milk Chocolate Almond and Toffee Cookies for a Virtual Cookie Swap

Posted on December 6, 2011

Chewy cookies with bits of toffee and chunks of almond filled Hershey's Kisses There are some cookies that I can eat just one of*, but there are others where I can’t stop going back for more.  Those are the cookies that are so addicting as soon as I come up for a breathe, they have disappeared**. *Complete lie unless said cookie is…

Pretzel and Chocolate Chip Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on December 1, 2011

So we are basically a week into the holiday season and all I want to do is bake all day and eat cookies. Even more so than usual.  The good news is that in one week I’ll be on a much needed vacation from work that will allow me to focus most of my energy…

Mint Chocolate Chip Meringues

Posted on October 18, 2011

Sometimes you need a light and refreshing cookie to balance out desserts like this.  As the cooler weather is moving in, the comfort of indulgent cookies, cakes and pies is more and more appealing.  However, I’m determined not to gain weight as we get through the winter.  In fact, I’d like to get rid of…

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on July 12, 2011

Sometimes you just want a chocolate chip cookie.  There are very few things that smell as good warm out of the oven and even fewer things that will illicit a memory as wonderful as dunking a homemade chocolate chip cookie into a cold glass of cold milk. My fond memories of eating the cookies standing…

A Bite-Sized Dessert You Will Love

Posted on December 4, 2010

Do you remember the sandwich cookies I served at my Thanksgiving with Friends?  Well I am finally sharing my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mocha Ganache! It was all I could do to keep the Taster from popping a dozen of them into his mouth before our party, but luckily this recipe makes  A…

Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Filling

Posted on November 1, 2010

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