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

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 chocolate chip muffins

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

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?]

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

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!

mint chocolate chip cookies

This week's recipe is a simple variation on my chocolate chip cookie post. 

I love mint and chocolate together, so this seemed like a no-brainer. 

And of course, I had to add some green food coloring for St Patrick's Day! 

They might look a little funny, but they taste great!

irish car bomb brownie bites

I wanted to make something with an Irish kick for St. Patrick's Day. 

I understand that Irish Car Bombs are not really Irish...
but in my limited Americanized experience of the holiday,
the Irish Car Bomb is an essential element in the celebration of
St. Patrick's Day. (for those of legal drinking age, of course)

chocolate chip cookies

For my first post, I wanted to bake a recipe that was simple and delicious: chocolate chip cookies. One of my favorite childhood memories is "helping" Grandma in her kitchen, scooping and rolling chip-laden mounds of dough to place on the baking sheet. After years of trying to re-create her recipe, I've come up with my own adaptation. These cookies should come out golden brown at the edges, chewy in the middle, and so full of melted chocolate chips that they fall apart when you pick them up.