chocolate chip cookie bars + baking without an oven

hi, friends! it's been over a year since I've updated this blog. I know that some of you have been following along all my Taiwan adventures with my new blog, but for those of you who are only here for the cookies might be interested to know I have finally [!] posted a new recipe. head on over to check it out.

I also wanted to mention that this week, my pop rocks cake pop recipe is featured in an article on bonappetite.com ... kindof a big deal. check out slide #8 [well, check out all the slides, but #8 is mine]

learning to bake without all my beloved kitchen gadgets [and also without gluten] while adjusting to expat life has certainly been a challenge. but I've learned that if you get creative you can bake just about anywhere with anything... including making pie dough by cutting butter with a cheese grater and using a wine bottle as a rolling pin. I hope to be sharing more recipes in the near future.

thanks for stopping by, xo

mini rolo cookies

A few weeks ago, I pinned a recipe that I found on one of the blogs I love to follow. The adorable Sydney blogs mostly about fashion and her baby Everett [also adorable] but this recipe sounded too good not to try.

Chocolate + caramel... I mean, come on!

superbowl bites

Well friends, it's Superbowl weekend!

I'm not hosting or attending a party this year [sad face]

but here are some recipes for those of you who are:

Game Day Mexican Layer Dip

Traditional game day dip with a fun football twist.

peanut butter + chocolate whoopie pies

Fun fact: two years ago today, I made my very first post on this blog!

Today, we're taking two old recipes and making something new: 

peanut butter + chocolate whoopie pies.

Christmas Cookie Round-Up

With only 10 days until Christmas I thought it would be nice to round up all the

cookies of Christmas past for easy baking reference. [The holidays kinda snuck up 

on me this year, but last December I was a cookie-baking fiend.]

chocolate gooey butter cookies

pumpkin pecan cheesecake chocolate pie

Husband and I wanted to make pie for Thanksgiving.

We decided regular pumpkin pie just wasn't enough, so we added a 

layer of cheesecake and topped it with pecans and chocolate.

pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

It's just about the perfect time of year for pumpkin baked goods, don't you think?

toffee brownie bites

What do you do when there's a hurricane about to roll through your state, 

you have limited supplies in your cupboard, and no idea how long your power will last?

Bake something of course...

updates and a bake sale!

Hi friends! Just popping in to let you know Blogger had been having some issues this week.

You may have seen a post or two disappear, or even reappear... it's not me, I swear!

I won't repost anything for a bit, hopefully it will all work out and reset itself 

[and this post won't go anywhere!]

BUT I did want to take the chance of posting to let you know some exciting news...

I've donated a dozen of my chocolate-dipped peanut butter cake pops 

to be part of a bake sale fundraiser over on Carrots N Cake next Monday May 16th!

So please head on over next Monday... you can bid on my cake pops 

or any of the other "donated" baked goods to help raise money for Team in Training.

I will post the link to the sale once it's up... Happy Weekend!

oatmeal cookies with walnuts, cherries, and chocolate chips

I know that sounds like a mouthful,  but I was cleaning out the cupboard 

and decided to mix some extras in to make the cookies more delicious and healthy!

Oatmeal = Fiber

Cherries and Dark Chocolate = Antioxidants

Walnuts = Omega-3s

So, healthy! [Right?]

chocolate cake pops and...

Hello, friends! Life outside the kitchen has been pretty busy as of late.

[Which, inevitably,  results in less life IN the kitchen]

mocha love brownies

So Valentine's Day is just around the corner, 

and you need a delicious [but easy] idea of what to bake your loved ones.

Your answer:

Mocha Love Brownies

chewy chocolate peanut butter cookies

 Don't freak out, you're on the right page!
I just did a little bit of redesign this weekend...

I also did some baking. Husband has been complaining that I never bake
anything for him anymore (which is completely UNtrue, as he samples
everything that comes out of the kitchen.)
But a good marriage means having to compromise sometimes,
so I decided to make something I knew he would love
using two of his favorite things: chocolate and peanut butter.

ebelskivers

Ebelskiver.  Isn't that a fun word?

And ebelskivers aren't just fun to say, they're fun to eat!

But what exactly is an ebelskiver?
A delicious spherical pancake with a filling inside...

candy cane oreo truffles

I'm not sure how this blog went almost a full year without Oreo truffles.

These decadent cookie bites are so delicious, and SO easy. 

And with a little candy cane... a perfect treat for holiday entertaining.

These little guys pack a great chocolatey taste that's like Oreo on steroids. In a good way.

chocolate gooey butter cookies

Today, I bring you another recipe from Food Network's 12 days of cookies:

Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

I love Paula Deen, which probably doesn't come as a surprise given my feelings on butter.

I knew I had to try this recipe as soon as I saw the ingredient list:

pumpkin pecan chocolate chip cookies

Happy Halloween everyone! The treat I have for you today is one of my favorite recipes 

from Bakerella's blog: pumpkin pecan chcolate chip cookies!

the perfect cake pop placecards

Everything about our wedding was distinctly "us", and the placecards were no exception. 

I decided to make them myself. And of course no ordinary placecard would do... 

I decided to make mine using cake pops.

I started by printing out the guests' names out on colored paper. I also printed some extra tags
that called out the type of cake pop, so people would know what they were getting.

german chocolate cake

A few months ago, my fiancee and I were watching Bobby Flay's "Throwdown" on Food Network, 

and he made this cake. The theme was german chocolate cake. Bobby's creation looked amazing, 

and we knew we had to make it. My fiancee decided that my birthday celebration 

(this past weekend) was the perfect occasion.

filled cupcakes

 

This post is not so much a recipe as a technique: how to make filled cupcakes.

Filling your cupcakes is a great way to add a little something extra. 

This technique works well with fillings like jam or jelly, peanut butter, or even pudding. 

(For frosting fillings, you will want to fill the cupcakes after baking.)