Chewy Grapefruit Sugar Cookies

I originally set out to bake and mail these cookies to my sister in Calgary who was feeling a little blue. The original recipe, which is for Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies, comes from My Baking Addiction. I have made the lemon version quite a few time and have always received rave reviews. This time I thought I would change it up use grapefruit. The only difference in this recipe is the use of grapefruit juice and zest in place of lemon juice and zest. The recipe worked out quite wonderfully. So wonderfully in fact that the cookies never made it to my sister in Calgary (due to tastiness and my own procrastination unfortunately). But I will make sure to send her something else just as tasty:)

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I have made many banana loaves, but have never really tried to change up the recipe or the ingredients. After finding a new “healthy” banana bread recipe on Pinterest, I took a leap and decided to try it. This Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe comes from Pastry Affair and is a ostensibly little healthier than normal because of the addition of whole wheat flour. Having never used whole wheat flour in a loaf, I was a little worried about the possible results but the banana bread turned out to be quite delicious.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Mark loves peanut butter frosted cupcakes and so I thought that would be nice treat for him on Father’s Day. However, I did not want to make an entire tray of cupcakes for us to sit and eat at home, so I searched for some recipes that allowed me to bake and decorate a small amount of cupcakes. Who knew there were so many recipes out there for small batch cupcakes!

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes – Sweet Revelations

yield 4 standard size cupcakes

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 tbsp buttermilk, room temp

1 large egg, room temp

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line eight muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Combine the buttermilk, egg and vanilla in a small bowl, and whisk to mix. Gradually pour the melted butter into the buttermilk mixture, whisking constantly.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-size mixing bowl, and then whisk to blend well. Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk mixture and whisk just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared liners and until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 16 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Peanut Butter Frosting – Martha Stewart 

I only made a fourth of the recipe for a small batch

6 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar with a mixer on medium speed. Add salt, then peanut butter, then vanilla. Whisk cream until soft peaks form, and then fold into peanut butter mixture. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

Dark and Milk Chocolate Skillet Cookie

I have been trying to stay healthy and not bake too many desserts…especially ones that I can eat in one sitting:) This Dark and Milk Chocolate Skillet Cookie recipe, however, did not allow me to achieve that goal. My husband and I managed to eat this cookie in two evenings…sad, but very very delicious. I found the idea on Pinterest (again), but I used my go-to cookie dough recipe from Michael Smith with a few  changes. It was really easy and would be a great dessert to have with some ice cream or whip cream.

Dark and Milk Chocolate Skillet Cookie

Adapted from Michael Smith’s Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup milk chocolate, chopped

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

Using a stand mixer or a food processor, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. If you don’t have a stand mixer, beat vigorously by hand in a large mixing bowl.

Add the egg and vanilla and continue beating until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate.

Place mixture in an 8-10 inch cast iron skillet and flatten until even.

Bake for exactly 20-5 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes on the wire rack.

Nutella filled baked donut muffins

The Nutella filled baked donut muffins recipe from USMasala is a good way to make a donut-like dessert without a deepfrier. This was another Pinterest find that looked prettier and tastier than the outcome. The muffins were really easy to put together ( you just have to add some batter, then some Nutella and then some more batter) and it was fun to bite into a muffin filled with Nutella, but that was pretty much where the fun ended. The muffin was pretty dense and a little dry. I didn’t think they were anything special.

Rolo Brownie Bites with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

I made the Rolo Brownie Bites Recipe from Cook Lisa Cook for a group of Mark’s co-workers. I would advise anybody, who is like me and does not have air conditioning, to avoid baking this dessert (and icing it) when it is 30 degrees outside. I am a novice baker in some respects and attention to weather in relation is baking is one of them. Because it was so hot in my house, I had to put the Rolo brownies in the fridge once they were cooked. This meant that the centre of the brownies became quite hard to chew (although still tasty). I also tried to make a caramel cream cheese icing that would hold it’s shape, but clearly from the picture I was not able to achieve this in the extreme heat. The recipe suggested using Ferrero Rocher, which I may try the next time. Despite all of the above, the  brownies got good reviews:)

Rolo Brownie Bites

Adapted from Cook Lisa Cook’s Rolo Brownie Bites

1 box fudge brownie mix plus necessary eggs, oil & water per package instructions
24 Rolo candies

Refrigerate the Rolo candies.  Pre-heat oven to 325F.  Prepare brownies according to package directions.  Grease a 24 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray and fill each cup 3/4 full with batter.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven and immediately press a Rolo, smaller side down, into the center of each brownie bite until the top of the Rolo is even with the top of the brownie bite.  Cool for a couple of minutes then carefully remove the brownie bites from the pan to a cooking rack.  Allow to cool completely.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting 

4 tbs butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 tbs caramel sauce
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted

Whip the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.  Add the caramel sauce and blend.  Add the confectioners sugar and whip until creamy and smooth.  Using a pastry or plastic bag with a piping tip, pipe the frosting onto the top of each brownie bite.  Chill in the refrigerator to set the frosting a bit before serving.

Chocolate Toffee Saltines

This Chocolate Toffee Saltines recipe from A Southern Grace blog is another easy Pinterest dessert find. All you need is chocolate chips, saltine crackers, butter and sugar. This dessert is simple to make and a super fun snack!

Chocolate Toffee Saltines

Adapted from A Southern Grace’s Terribly Terrific Toffee

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line cookie sheet with foil and parchment paper. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the parchment. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer. Let cool and refrigerate until hardened. Slice into pieces.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

I was convinced that any cake with red wine and chocolate in the title would be fantastic. Unfortunately I was mistaken. The Red Wine Chocolate Cake recipe from smitten kitchen, sadly, did not live up to expectations. Now this may not be the recipes fault, but perhaps the bakers. I don’t have much experience making cakes and at the point where I added the red wine to the batter, I think things started to go wrong (I would have thought that would be the moment where things went right:)). The batter separated and never quite looked right (or what I assume to be right in the cake batter world). I think, surprisingly, I would have preferred this cake to taste more like chocolate and less like wine.

Marshmallow Popcorn

I have fallen in love with Pinterest and the never ending recipe and craft ideas that I’ve found. Marshmallow popcorn is one of these amazing finds. One night when I wanted a late night snack that was tasty, unhealthy and super easy to make, I went to my “fun recipes” board and found this great pin. The recipe comes from Today’s Mama and all I can say is if you like sugar, butter and sticky sweet popcorn, this recipe is for you!

Marshmallow Popcorn

Adapted from Today’s Mama. Portland Mama

1 bag microwave popcorn, popped and unpopped kernels removed.

3/4 cup of butter

half of a 16 oz bag of mini marshmallows

1/2 cup brown sugar

Microwave butter, marshmallows, and brown sugar for 2 min. Take out and stir. Microwave again for 1 minute. Repeat until all is melted.

When done pour over popcorn and mix.

Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies

I am a big fan of anything Chai and also have a nostalgic love for snickerdoodles (memories of the cookies in the high school cafeteria). So when I saw this Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies recipe from my baking addiction, I had to make it. Plus almost anything I have made from mybakingaddiction in the past has turned out great! These cookies look a lot like snickerdoodles, but taste like you are taking a sip of a chai late….well almost:) They were simply wonderful!