12 Days of Christmas Recipes: 4 Layer Brownies

These brownies happened by accident (or perhaps necessity).  And they are pretty delicious.  Four layers of chocolate, oats, and peanut butter.  These babies are super sweet.  Rich.  A little goes a long way.  Well, not that long if you find yourself carving off little slivers all day long as I may have done.

I was planning on making some buckeye brownies (think brownies, peanut butter filling, more chocolate) that caught my eye in one of my Christmas cookbooks, but when I got around to reading the recipe I realized that it called for a boxed brownie mix which I, of course, did not have on hand.  So, in my search for a brownie recipe I came across a recipe for 3 layer brownies (think oat layer, fudgy brownie, chocolate topping).  So I combined them together to make some mighty 4 layer peanut butter brownies.  Perfect for sharing with my awesome student teacher after a crazy Monday.

4 Layer Peanut Butter Brownies
adapted from taste of home and gooseberry patch

Oat Layer
1 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter, melted

Brownie Layer
1/2 c. butter
2 squares (1 oz. each) semisweet chocoate
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Peanut Butter Layer
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

Chocolate Layer
3 Tbsp. butter
1 c. chocolate chips

In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the oat layer and mix on low speed until blended.  Press into a greased 9 inch square baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate.  Remove from heat; stir in sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Gradually stir into chocolate mixture until smooth.  Pour over crust.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.  Cool.

Mix together the powdered sugar, butter and peanut butter.  Spread over cooled brownies.  Chill about 1 hour.

Melt the chocolate chips and butter over low heat, stirring occasionally.  Spread over brownies.  Let cool and cut into squares.

12 Days of Christmas Recipes: Eggnog Glazed Doughnuts

Can you believe it's December?  Me either.  There are a lot of things I love about this month.  Snow. Baking.  Family.  Eggnog.  Christmas music.  Christmas lights.  Friends.  Cookies.  We haven't had much snow yet, but we're enjoying plenty of everything else on the list. 

I have a long list of recipes I want to try, so I'm challenging myself to post about 12 of them again this year.  Last year I was cooking up these.

So, when I found myself making doughnuts this weekend for my friend's birthday (Hi Holly!) I decided to try some with an eggnog glaze.  If you love everything eggnog like I do, you'll understand.  Make sure to roll the doughnut holes in cinnamon and sugar.  It's the only way. 

Eggnog-Glazed Doughnuts
doughnut recipe adapted from Baked Explorations

Doughnuts
3 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 c buttermilk
1/4 c. yogurt
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled
vegetable oil for frying

Eggnog Glaze
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp eggnog

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and yogurt.  Add the melted, cooled butter and mix again.  Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until a sticky dough forms. 

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it out until it is about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with a doughnut cutter or two different sized circle cutters. 

Pour about 1 inch of oil into a deep skillet.  Heat slowly over medium-high heat until it is about 365 degrees.

Make the glaze while your oil is heating up by combining the powdered sugar and eggnog.

When the oil is hot,  place 2-3 doughnuts into the skillet at a time.  Once they have browned (about 2-3 minutes) turn them over and cook one more minute.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.  Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and decorate with sprinkles. 

apple challah

Craving something full of apples and cinnamon?  I came across this recipe in my bread machine cookbook and since we have an abundance of apples around I decided to try it out. 

 

There are three sections of dough braided together.  Each section of dough is like a apple cinnamon roll...the apple filling is rolled up inside. 

 

 

The result is a pretty braid full with apples, cinnamon, and honey in every bite.  



Apple Challah
adapted from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook

Dough:
3/4 c. water
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. oil
3 c. bread flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. yeast

Combine the ingredients in a bread machine and select the dough cycle.  Or, make the dough with any other method you prefer. 

Filling:
3 medium appkes, peeled cored and sliced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl.  Divide the dough into three equal sections.  Roll each portion into a 12 by 3 inch rectangle.  Brush with melted butter and place 1/3 of the filling down one side.  Roll up jelly-roll style and pinch the seam.  Place the 3 ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid together.  Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes).

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

saturday

Just a relaxing Saturday hanging out at home. It was much needed after a super busy week at school and an aching heart for a friend. I've spent a lot of time in prayer in the evenings and find such comfort in closeness to my Savior.

We started the morning off by making doughnuts. Mason just couldn't believe that we were going to have chocolate for breakfast. But, he actually ended up filling up on yogurt and he didn't even finish his doughnut. He informed me that it was too big. I didn't seem to have that problem.

The recipe came from the Baked Explorations cookbook. Ryan said they were his favorite so far.

We spent the morning making Valentines, reading books and chasing Emma around the house.

Now they're resting/napping and Ryan and I tackled the kitchen floor. Complete with pulling out the stove and mopping behind it. I'll spare you the details.
We're enjoying a sunny day. The peas have begun to sprout in the greenhouse and we're already dreaming about what seeds to order. More cleaning and writing papers this afternoon and then a card making session this evening. I know I say this all the time, but I love weekends!

12 Days of Christmas: Gingerbread Cookies

Day 11: Gingerbread CookiesI usually don't make cut-out cookies at Christmas, but I knew it was something I wanted to do with Mason's cousins. We spent one afternoon letting them cut out the cookies and then decorate them. They loved it. It was sweet to watch them working together, discussing the frosting and sprinkles.

Gingerbread Cut-out Cookies

From Gooseberry Patch: Christmas All Through the House

1 1/2 c. light molasses
1 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. cold water
1/3 c. shortening
6 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 t. allspice
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cloves
1 t. cinnamon

Mix the first four ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into molasses mixture. Chill dough overnight (we chilled it for a couple hours and it was great.) When ready to bake, roll dough into 1/4 inch thickness and cut out with cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets; bake at 350 for 15 minutes. (Maybe a little less if you want them chewy.) Decorate! 3 dozen.

12 Days of Christmas: Honey Knot Rolls

Day 10: Honey Knot Rolls

Last Sunday we had our Christmas meal at church after an amazing service. I was supposed to bring bread, so after searching around a bit on the internet I decided on honey knot rolls, and the recipe can be found here. These are wonderful, with a honey butter glaze on top. Watch them closely though, the bottoms browned up pretty quick.

The kids are napping and when they wake up their cousins should be here! We get to spend the holiday with Ryan's brother and his family who are stationed in Germany. It's going to be a great week! Four little ones will sure keep up busy, but we have lots of fun things planned.

12 Days of Christmas: Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

Day 8: Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
What should you do with leftover frosting from these cookies? Why, make cinnamon rolls of course. I just took a basic cinnamon roll recipe and eggnog-ified it. I added a dash of rum extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the dough and then slathered them with leftover frosting. These were delicious warm from the oven, but they were just as great the next day too.

Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from Quick Cooking 2001

1 1/4 c. water
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
4 c. bread flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. rum extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Filling:
1/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins

Frosting: leftovers from the nutmeg cookies

Knead all the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Let rise until doubled. Roll into a 17 x 10 inch rectangle. Spread with butter; sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting from a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 24 slices. Place cut side down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place, until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Frost warm rolls.

I actually made the dough the night before and put it in the fridge and then rolled them out in the morning and let them rise then baked them. Perfect for breakfast or to share with friends.

12 Days of Christmas: Nutmeg Logs

Day 7: Nutmeg Logs
Do you love eggnog? I do. I can only handle a little bit at a time though. Or mix it with milk. because it's so sweet. These log shaped cookies taste just like eggnog. They are a fun addition to our cookie trays. Luckily we don't have any more in the house between delivering them to friends and bringing the rest to school because I couldn't stop eating them. These are probably my favorite new cookie recipe so far.

Frosted Nutmeg Logs
From Taste of Home

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. rum extract
3 c. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Frosting
1/3 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. rum extract
1-2 Tbsp. half-and-half

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Combine the flour, nutmeg, and salt; gradually add to the cream mixture. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into 1/2 inch wide logs. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 11-14 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks.

For frosting, in a mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, extracts and enough cream to achieve a spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies. 4 1/2 dozen.

I'm looking forward to two (busy!) weeks home with my kids. Yesterday we cut out snowflakes to hang from the windows, played, read books, and made granola. I still have a pretty long to-do list, but I know it will get done. It always does. I still need to finish making a couple presents and do all the wrapping. I'm pretty sure our Christmas cards are going to be late considering the email I got from snapfish saying my pictures weren't going to ship for two more weeks because of the holiday frenzy. Bummer. That's what I get for finishing my cards in June but waiting until Thanksgiving to get a photo.

We'll spend today finishing the ceiling trim, cleaning the house for company, going for a walk, and watching Emma perfect her crawling techniques. She can get anywhere she wants, but I wouldn't exactly call it crawling yet. She's too busy pulling herself up on everything. I've gone in to her room a couple times to find her standing in her crib, so pround of herself and as happy as can be! Then Ryan and I are off to have dinner with friends while the kiddos hang out with Lacy. Shaping up to be a pretty nice Saturday!

12 Days of Christmas: baking

Day 6: Double Chocolate Loaf with Peanut Butter and Cream Cheese Spread This loaf is in the breakfast section of the Baked Explorations cookbook. It would be like eating a giant slice of brownies for breakfast! I didn't actually try this since it was a gift, but it smelled amazing. And the spread was delicious. I definitely will be making it again so I can try them both together. This would make a great gift if you have a chocolate-lover on your list.

Double Chocolate Loaf with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread
from Baked Explorations

3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 c. buttermilk (I used whole milk)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped ( I used about 1/2 c. chocolate chips)

Peanut Butter and Cream Cheese Spread
5 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1/3 c. sugar

Place the brown sugar in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add all the dry ingredients and mix. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until blended, then add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Turn the mixer on low and slowly stream the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir in the dark chocolate chunks by hand. Pour batter into a bread pan prepared with butter and flour. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, until toothpick comes out clean.

To make the spread, beat together the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated.

wordless wednesday

12 Days of Christmas: baking

Day 5: Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

I made these cookies for our friend Tim. We hung out with him on Friday and celebrated his birthday. He got extra points for watching Mason while Ryan and I went to our eye doctor appointments. Let me tell you...it is a little difficult to pay attention to all the 1 or 2?, 3 or 4? , better or worse? questions from the eye doctor with a squirming baby on your lap. Somehow, even with all the baby passing back and forth, Ryan and I both ended up with Emma girl during this part of our eye exams. I think next time I'll bribe Uncle Tim to watch both kiddos and make him a dozen more cookies!

These are best warm out of the oven, when the Rolos are really melty inside! Mason helped me unwrap all the Rolos. And after every single one, he would ask "for Uncle Tim's birthday?" as he dropped it in the bowl. Oh, I love that boy. Here's the recipe:

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies
from Taste of Home
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans, divided
1 package (13 oz) Rolo candies
4 squares white baking chocolate, melted (I used white chocolate chips)

In a large bowl, cream butter, 1 c. sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in 1/2 c. pecans. Shape a tablespoon of dough around each candy, forming a ball. In a small bowl, comgine the remaining sugar and pecans. Dip each cookie halfway. Place nut-side up 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. 5 dozen.

12 Days of Christmas: baking

Day 4: Fennel Tea Cookies

These cookies taste a little unique because of the fennel. I think they are a great addition to the usual cookie tray if you want something a little different. The fennel is subtle, but lovely. Best of all, they're quick and easy to make.

Fennel Tea Cookies
from Taste of Home
1 Tbsp. fennel seed, crushed
2 Tbsp. boiling water
3/4 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
powdered sugar (for rolling)

In a small bowl, soak the fennel seed in boiling water; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg. Drain fennel seed. Combine the flour, baking soda, and fennel seed; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Roll into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar and let cool. 3 Dozen.

12 Days of Christmas: baking

Day 3: Sweet Potato Coconut Scones

I love to make scones for breakfast. Served with some fruit and coffee or tea, it's perfect for a chilly morning. I used to think that scones were a time-consuming special treat that I only made for tea parties. But, really they are pretty quick and easy. Just make up the dough, turn onto the baking sheet, shape, cut and bake.

This recipe is adapted from the Carrot Coconut Scones recipe I found in the Baked Explorations cookbook. It called for carrot puree and I didn't have any carrots on hand. I did have a batch of sweet potato puree though (for little Emma). I thought I could give it a try. You really could only taste a hint of sweet potato, but the overall flavor was delicious. I think next time I would toast the coconut and put it on top. Sweet Potato Coconut Scones

adapted from Baked Explorations

2 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 c. cold butter, cut into chunks
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 c. sweet potato puree

Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-2 Tbsp. milk

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, salt, and coconut. Add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour until mixture is coarse. In a separate bowl, which together the egg, milk, vanilla, and sweet potato puree. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until dough just comes together. Knead dough briefly with your hands. Shape the dough into a disk and gently flatten to about 1 3/4 inches high. (I shaped it right on the greased baking sheet). Cut into 6-8 wedges. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

To make the glaze, whisk all the ingredients in a bowl. Add enough milk until desired consistency. Drizzle over the scones before serving.

12 days of Christmas: baking

I've been enjoying looking through all my cookbooks finding new recipes to try this holiday season. I'm challenging myself to post 12 of those recipes here on the blog. First up is White Chocolate-Cranberry Biscotti. I love biscotti. When Ryan and I were hanging out in Salida on Friday we went to a bakery in town and they had a basket full of huge biscotti. I have about a dozen biscotti recipes earmarked, but I'm sort of on a cranberry kick these days so I decided to try these first.
White Chocolate-Cranberry Biscotti
from Taste of Home: Cookies & Bars

1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar (the recipe calls for 1 cup, but it was plenty sweet with 3/4 c.)
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 c. dried cranberries
3/4 c. white chocolate chips
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in cranberries and white chips. Divide dough into 3 portions.
On ungreased baking sheets, shape each portion into a 10 by 2 inch rectangle. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1 inch slices. Place cut side down on baking sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 2 1/2 dozen.


Mason wanted to help me stack the biscotti. When I got the camera and told him to smile he said, "they can't smile mom, they don't have teeth!" I said, "yeah, you're right." He then said, "mommy didn't know?" Ha!

green tomato pie

After we pulled all the tomato plants out of the greenhouse we had an abundance of green tomatoes. Not really knowing what to do with them I started looking through my cookbooks. I found a recipe for green tomato pie. It had ingredients like brown sugar, melted butter, cloves, and cinnamon so I figured it couldn't be that bad. We were pleasantly surprised. It was really good. The tomatoes didn't really have a flavor, they just provided a texture and filling for the yummy fall spices. It almost tasted like apple pie. Mason helped me separate all the green tomatoes from the rest of the produce. Then he pulled them all off their vines while I chopped. He's such a good helper. Here is the pie before I added the top crust. I forgot to take pictures after I baked it. Give it a try.

Green Tomato Pie
From the Encyclopedia of Country Living

Cover 2 c. chopped green tomatoes (I used 3 1/2 becasue I wanted a really full pie) with water and bring to a boil. Drain. Add 1/2 c. brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 c. chopped raisins, 3 Tbsp. melted butter, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. cloves. Line a pie plate with a pie crust. Add filling. Put on a top crust and cut holes in the center. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.


It's shaping up to be a pretty nice weekend. Ryan and I, along with the kiddos, spent the morning stacking firewood and coating beams for a shed that Ryan and his dad are building tomorrow. It was beautiful outside. Mason kept running back and forth between helping me with the wood and watching Ryan paint. The roosters crowed at us the entire time. Then I met a friend at the park and we went out to lunch. It was nice to get out while Ryan headed to the big city to get supplies for tomorrow. Then we topped it off with homemade pizza for dinner and chai vanilla pudding for dessert. I love the weekends!

breakfast + family

So, these photos are a little old. It's not so green around here anymore. But, I finally found my other camera and these are some of my favorites from when my mom and sister came to visit.
We love cousin Karly!

Nana with the kiddos at the football game.

Bobcat fans!

And this is my new favorite recipe to serve up for breakfast when we have company. It's a cream cheese fruit braid. I made it for brunch with a friend a couple months back. Then I made it again for my family. Both times I used some of our peach jam and it was delicious.

But now I can't stop thinking about making it with some of our blueberry jam. Anybody want to come over for breakfast?

mango blueberry muffins

I had some mangoes sitting on the counter and decided to make some muffins over the weekend. I found a recipe for mango blueberry muffins and I thought they sounded delicious. I gave them a little makeover so they would be a little healthier (the original recipe had 1 1/4 cup of sugar!)

Mango Blueberry Muffins with Toasted Coconut
adapted from this recipe

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. blueberries
1/4 c. flour
1 c. mango, chopped

Coconut Topping:
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. shredded coconut
pinch salt

Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and salt. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Combine dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredients. Toss blueberries with flour. Fold in mangoes and blueberries. Combine coconut topping ingredients. Pour batter into greased muffin tins and top with coconut. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

I have one more mango sitting on the counter which very well could end up in a smoothie today!

more baked

I'm still baking my way through this cookbook. A few weekends ago we celebrated my mom's and sister's birthday. I brought the peanut butter banana cream pie found in the pies and tarts section of the cookbook. It was my first time baking with a vanilla bean. Yum!
It was my first time making pudding from scratch. So easy!
It was four layers of deliciousness!

That weekend was so much fun. I can't believe how our family is growing. I love that mason and emma are close enough to jackson to get together now and then. Especially because I am so close to my cousins and I want the same for my kids. It was hard to get a good picture of the bunch, but there will be many more opportunities for photos! This weekend I made the nutella scones. These did not last long in our house. They were perfect with a cup of coffee. Sweet, nutty, and full of chocolate.Nutella Scones
from Baked Explorations

2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg
1/2 c . heavy cream
3/4 c. toasted hazelnuts, coarsley chopped ( I used walnuts)
1/2 c. Nutella

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub it into the flour until the mixture is coarse. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and cream. Slowly pour into the dry ingredients until the dough just comes together. Add the nuts and knead to incorporate. Flatten the dough into a rectangle (about6 by 12 inches) and spread 1/4 c of the Nutella on top. Roll the dough up into a cylinder and gently flatten into a disk. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Heat the remaining 1/4 c. of Nutella in the microwave and drizzle over scones.



We just may have a bottle of Jack on the counter...next up: Whiskey Pear Tart

salt-n-pepper cookies

I got a new cookbook from my brother and sister-in-law. I love cookbooks. I read through the whole thing. Multiple times. This particular cookbook, Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, was no exception. The photography is excellent and every single recipe looks delicious.

The first recipe I tried was the malt waffles. Ryan loves malt, so I couldn't wait to make them for him. They had a wonderful flavor and baked up brown and crisp. We didn't get any photos though.

But, the cookies on the cover kept grabbing my attention (you can get a glimpse of them in the photo above). Since we had friends over this past weekend, it was the perfect excuse to make them. I'm a little slow though. Every time I looked at them I thought they were called salt-n-pepper cookies because some were black and some were white. It wasn't until I actually looked through the recipe again that I realized they had salt and pepper in them! The white cookies in the photo are actually malted milk sandwich cookies (another recipe in the book:) They just look so pretty all stacked up together.

So, I set to work on the salt-n-pepper cookies. The description said they were a tribute to the oreo. I thought they were much better than oreos. A hint of salt and the spice of the pepper mixed with the cocoa powder was unlike any cookie I had ever had before. Yum!

My little helper. He loved pushing the cookie cutter into the dough.

He didn't love waiting until they were assembled and until he ate his lunch to try one:)

Next up: peanut butter banana cream pie!

oranges

We've really been into oranges around here lately. They just taste so good on a cold, windy day. They feel a little bit like spring.

I recently made orange yogurt muffins which were delicious. The glaze is the perfect touch.

Orange Yogurt Muffins

From Light & Tasty

1/2 c. sugar, divided

2 Tbsp. grated orange peel

2 Tbsp. water

5 Tbsp. butter, cubed

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 c. plain yogurt (we used greek yogurt)

3/4 c. milk

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1 tsp. grated orange peel

In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c. sugar, orange peel and water. Cook and stir over low heat for 3-5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Add butter; stir until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining sugar. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, milk, and reserved butter mixture. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Coat muffin cups with cooking spray; fill each with about 1/4 c. batter. Bake at 375 for 13-18 minutes. Combine glaze ingredients and spoon over warm muffins. Yum!

Mason has been surviving on oranges the past few days. He eats them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And Mr. Independent will only eat them if he gets to peel them himself. Then he says "pull apart" as he pulls apart each little segment. He sure is a cutie enjoying his Cuties:)