Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Red Velvet Brownies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 (4 ounce) bittersweet chocolate, chopped; 3/4 cup butter; 2 cups sugar; 4 large eggs; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 (1-ounce) bottle red liquid food coloring; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened; 3 tablespoons butter, softened; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla

Jan 26, 2016

Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting are rich and delicious brownies topped with creamy frosting. How cute for Valentine’s Day or Christmas!

Obsessed with red velvet? Try Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints or Red Velvet Cupcakes!

Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting - perfect for Valentine's Day! These are so pretty and so delicious!

What says Valentine’s Day more than bright red baked goods?!

These Red Velvet Brownies have that classic, rich red velvet flavor baked into a brownie and then they are topped with a cream cheese frosting!

These are a must make for all red velvet lovers! Plus, they would be cute for Christmas, too!

Ingredients for Red Velvet Brownies

Bittersweet chocolate – you can use semisweet if you want them sweeter but I find the bittersweet to be sweet enough in this recipe
Butter – no need to bring it to room temperature before beginning. It’s getting melted with the chocolate.
Sugar
Eggs
All-purpose flour
Red liquid food coloring – you are going to use a decent amount to get that classic red velvet color
Vanilla
Cream cheese – this is for the delicious cream cheese frosting on top
Powdered sugar – you want to use this on the frosting because it melts into the cream cheese better than granulated sugar

Directions

Melt chocolate. Melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth.
Combine. Whisk in sugar, eggs, flour, red food coloring, baking powder, vanilla, and salt.
Transfer. Pour mixture into the a 9×9-inch pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
Make frosting. Beat cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat until well blended.
Frost. Frost brownies once cool and cut into 16 bars

How Long Are They Good For?

These red velvet brownies are good for 3 – 4 days. I do recommend storing these in the refrigerator because they have that cream cheese frosting.

Make sure to store them in an airtight container.

Can You Freeze Red Velvet Brownies?

You can freeze these brownies but I would recommend freezing them without the cream cheese frosting.

Wrap the brownies individually in aluminum foil and then place them in a freezer ziploc bag.

They should be fine in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, let sit at room temperature overnight. Or microwave for 20 seconds at a time until it reaches the desired temperature.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 16 servings

Red Velvet Brownies

Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting are rich and delicious brownies topped with creamy frosting. How cute for Valentine's Day or Christmas!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1 (4 ounce) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 (1-ounce) bottle red liquid food coloring
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon salt

For the frosting:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil.
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake at 350F for 45 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar, salt,and vanilla. Beat until blended. Frost brownies and cut into 16 bars.

Grapefruit-Ginger Bourbon Sour

Jan 21, 2016

Grapefruit-Ginger Bourbon Sour has fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice, Bourbon, and an easy homemade ginger simple syrup. The most delicious tart and sweet cocktail recipe!

Grapefruit makes the most refreshing cocktails! Try Grapefruit Rosemary Sparkler and Grapefruit Margaritas, too!

Grapefruit-Ginger Bourbon Sour - fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice, Bourbon, and an easy homemade ginger simple syrup. The most delicious tart and sweet cocktail recipe!

Have I told you guys that I’m obsessed with grapefruit right now. I’m buying bags and bags of grapefruit every week and then running out within 3 days.

I can’t get enough.

This recipe was so delicious. I’m not usually a bourbon person, I just think it is way too sweet but the tart grapefruit with the sweet bourbon was just perfect. And then the homemade ginger syrup adds a little bit of spiciness. Everything just works so well together to create a delicious grapefruit ginger cocktail.

This got me really excited for summer cocktails. Anyone else ready for pool days and icy margaritas?

Ingredients

Sugar – this is going to be used to make a really quick and easy ginger simple syrup. It’s is just 1 part water and 1 part sugar with a knob of fresh ginger.
Water – also for the ginger simple syrup.
Ginger – it has to be fresh ginger because you are using it to make the simple syrup.
Grapefruit – I highly suggest using fresh grapefruit juice but in a pinch, the bottled stuff will work. I know most of the grocery stores around me now sell freshly squeezed juice in the produce section.
Limes – use fresh lime juice if you can. Plus, you’ll want to garnish the finished drink with a slice of lime!
Bourbon – use your favorite brand of Bourbon. I like Bulleit for a moderately priced but still really delicious Bourbon.

How To Make Grapefruit Ginger Bourbon Smash

Make ginger syrup. Heat sugar, water, and ginger over low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Remove ginger and discard.
Assemble. Combine ginger syrup, grapefruit juice, and lime juice.
Serve. Fill 6 glasses with ice. Add ⅓ cup bourbon and ½ cup juice mixture to each glass.

How Long Is Ginger Syrup Good For?

The ginger simple syrup will be good in the fridge for up to 1 month. Make sure to store it in an airtight container. I store mine in mason jars with a plastic lid.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Grapefruit-Ginger Bourbon Sour

Grapefruit-Ginger Bourbon Sour has fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice, Bourbon, and an easy homemade ginger simple syrup. The most delicious tart and sweet cocktail recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 ¾ cup fresh grapefruit juice
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 cups bourbon

Instructions

Heat sugar, water, and ginger over low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Remove ginger and discard.
Combine ginger syrup, grapefruit juice, and lime juice.
Fill 6 glasses with ice. Add ⅓ cup bourbon and ½ cup juice mixture to each glass. Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Jan 19, 2016

Creamy and delicious Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is going to be your favorite fall comfort food. And it’s an easy way to get extra veggies!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese - creamy and delicious! An easy way to get some extra veggies in your diet. This recipe is amazing!

My squash obsession continues!

I’ve even changed my grocery store because the HEB right by my house never has winter squash. So now I drive to the next city to the HEB that does have squash.

Yesterday I was feeling particularly lazy and just went to the one close by and yep, I am squashless this week.

Whyyyy?! Why can’t they have squash?

I didn’t tell the kids there was squash in it and they happily ate it for dinner and asked for more.

It’s really easy to make too. If you are pressed for time, look for already cubed butternut squash near the salad mixes and chopped broccoli in your grocery store. I haaaate cutting squash and feel no shame buying the already cut stuff sometimes.

Baking dish filled with mac and cheese with panko breadcrumbs and shredded cheese on top

Ingredients

Butternut squash – I always buy the pre-chopped butternut squash because I struggle to cut into raw butternut squash
Chicken Broth – use a low-sodium chicken broth so you have more control over how salty the final dish is.
Milk
Garlic
Greek yogurt – this makes it super creamy and adds extra protein if you are looking for that sort of thing.
Salt and pepper
Swiss cheese – the strong swiss cheese flavor goes really well with the butternut squash.
Parmesan cheese – the nuttiness and saltiness of Parmesan goes so nicely with the butternut squash
Small pasta – you can use any small pasta shape that really holds onto cheese sauce like elbow macaroni or shells. I used a cavatappi because it’s my favorite shape for mac and cheese.
Panko breadcrumbs – this is going on top to provide a little bit of crunch.
Butter – the butter is just used to help the panko get crispy and browned.

How To Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Cook butternut squash. Bring butternut squash and chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer until squash is fork tender, about 25 minutes.
Make sauce. Transfer the hot mixture to a blender and add milk, garlic, Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Add cheese. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in Swiss cheese and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
Cook pasta Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well.
Combine everything. Stir into the squash mixture.
Transfer. Pour pasta into the prepared baking pan.
Make topping. Stir together remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs.
Add topping. Top the pasta with this mixture and dot with butter.
Bake. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve hot.

Overhead shot of butternut squash mac and cheese with panko breadcrumbs on top

How Long Is It Good For?

This butternut squash mac and cheese will be good for up to 3 – 4 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to reheat, I recommend reheating it in the microwave.

Can You Freeze It?

You can freeze butternut squash mac and cheese for up to 3 months. I like to do individual servings in freezer ziploc bags (start them silicone freezer molds and then transfer to the bags when they are frozen solid).

Let it defrost overnight in the fridge when you are ready to serve. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Creamy and delicious Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is going to be your favorite fall comfort food. And it's an easy way to get extra veggies!

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

3 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black Pepper
1 ¼ cups Swiss cheese, shredded
1 ¼ cups Parmesan cheese, divided
1 pound small pasta
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with oil.
Bring butternut squash ans chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the hot mixture to a blender and add milk, garlic, Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in Swiss cheese and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well. Stir into the squash mixture. Pour pasta into the prepared baking pan.
In a small bowl, stir together remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs. Top the pasta with this mixture and dot with butter.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve hot.

Cake Mix Fudge Cookies

Jan 15, 2016

Cake Mix Fudge Cookies are fudge chocolate cookies filled with chocolate chips and walnuts! And they’re so easy because they start with a boxed cake mix.

Cake Mix Fudge Cookies - fudge chocolate cookies filled with chocolate chips and walnuts! And they're so easy because they start with a boxed cake mix.

I cleaned out my pantry the other day (because my real resolution for this year is to declutter) and realized I have a ton of cake mixes. It’s become the “just in case” thing I buy every time I’m at the store because I can never remember if I have white, yellow, chocolate, funfetti, etc. at home. I have somehow collected 15 cake mixes in the 9 months we’ve lived here.

No frosting. Just cake mixes.

Really, Amanda?

So one of my favorite things to do with cake mix is to make cookies. It has to be the easiest way to make cookies! You just need the cake mix, eggs, and oil! Plus whatever you want to mix in!

For this version, I started with a devil’s food cake mix for a rich chocolate cookie and then mixed in chocolate chips and walnuts, like classic fudge.

They are so soft and so delicious! Chocolate cookies are usually my last choice but man, these are good.

Ingredients

Devil’s Food Cake Mix – you could use a different chocolate cake mix.
Vegetable oil
Eggs
Semisweet chocolate chips – you can use dark or milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
Walnuts – pecans would also be delicious in this cookies.

How To Make Cake Mix Fudge Cookies

Beat together cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs until well combined
Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts
Roll heaping tablespoonfuls into balls and place onto prepared baking sheet
Bake 10 – 11 minutes
Remove to wire rack to cool completely before serving

How Long Are Cake Mix Cookies Good For?

Cake mix cookies will be good up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature (like on the kitchen counter).

Can You Freeze Them?

You can freeze these cake mix cookies for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely and then I would wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer Ziploc bag.

When you are ready to serve them, let them defrost at room temperature until defrosted.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 24 cookies

Cake Mix Fudge Cookies

Cake Mix Fudge Cookies are fudge chocolate cookies filled with chocolate chips and walnuts! And they're so easy because they start with a boxed cake mix.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, vegetable oil, and 2 eggs together until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Take heaping tablespoons and roll into balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake 10 - 11 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

Sausage Manicotti

Jan 13, 2016

Sausage Manicotti is pasta filled with sausage and cheese and covered in sauce and more cheese. Total comfort food!

Sausage Stuffed Manicotti - pasta filled with sausage and cheese and covered in sauce and more cheese. Total comfort food!

In the early years of my marriage, my husband worked down at the shipyards in Bayou la Batre.

It was a good 45 minutes from our tiny apartment and every day he was gone well before the baby and I woke up and didn’t get home until well after the baby went to bed.

Back then, alone in the apartment all day with just a baby and Desperate Housewives marathons, cooking dinner was the highlight of my day. I loved any recipe that required multiple steps and a bunch of different pans.

I was, like, a weird sense of accomplishment if I managed to dirty every pan in the kitchen.

Plus, I loved having something “wow” worthy on the table when my husband finally got home and manicotti was one of my faves.

Sausage Manicotti!

Buuuuut, I’ve tried to cut down on the number of pans in this recipe because I no longer have time for… well, anything.

This is a current favorite in my house. I can throw it together quickly and everyone loves it. I think the key to making it super flavorful and delicious without a ton of work is using sausage. It already has tons of spices and herbs in it so you really don’t have to do much.

I made a quick filling with the sausage, onion, garlic, and mozzarella. Filled the manicotti noodles with the mixture and then covered them with pasta sauce (jarred or homemade works!) and cheeses. After 20 minutes in the oven, it’s ready to go.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: about 4 servings

Sausage Manicotti

Sausage Stuffed Manicotti is pasta filled with sausage and cheese and covered in sauce and more cheese. Total comfort food!

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

10 manicotti noodles
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage
2 tablespoons flour
¾ cup milk
¾ cup mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups pasta sauce
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cook manicotti according to package instructions. Let cool.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until it just begins to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in Italian sausage (remove from casings if necessary) and cook, breaking it up a it cooks, until no pink remains. Drain and return to the pan.
Sprinkle the flour over the sausage mixture and stir to combine. Let the mixture cook for about a
minute and then stir in the milk. Let the mixture cook until thickened, just a minute or 2. Remove
from heat and stir in ¼ cup of mozzarella until melted.
Using a zip top bag with a corner cut off to fill your cooled manicotti with the sausage mixture
and place the filled manicotti in a single layer in a baking dish.
Pour the pasta sauce on top of the manicotti and use a rubber spatula to make sure all the
manicotti is covered. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 770Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 1688mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 5gSugar: 13gProtein: 38g

Orange-Balsamic Chicken Thighs

Jan 11, 2016

Orange Balsamic Chicken Thighs – chicken thighs and spinach cooked in an balsamic vinegar and orange juice sauce. A quick, easy, delicious 30 minute dinner!

Happy Monday!

This is the first day in weeks I don’t feel like total garbage so I am so excited for the day. Also, can we talk about how I’ve been sick more in the last year than I have been my entire life?

Is this what getting old is like?

I don’t like it.

Now let me tell you all about my new favorite chicken recipe. I made this twice last week. Which is unheard of for me. I rarely repeat recipes in a month, but especially never in a week!

I made it the first time and decided not to take photos and then kicked myself when everyone loved it and there wasn’t a single piece of chicken leftovers. So two days later, we had it again. And no one complained!

…

Grapefruit Pound Cake

Jan 05, 2016

Grapefruit Pound Cake is the most delicious way to use grapefruit! Moist grapefruit cake topped with a sweet and tart glaze.

Grapefruit Pound Cake - the perfect spring dessert! Bright and delicious and really easy! Perfect with fresh fruit and whipped cream!

I feel like now that the holidays are behind us, I’m in full on spring mode. Which is ridiculous because I’m sure we still have several months of cold ahead of us here in central Texas.

I put up all my winter candles and brought out my hoard of watermelon lemonade candles – they just smell like summer! I am buying watery strawberries at the grocery store and pretending they don’t taste awful. I’m even getting aggravated when I have to go back into the house for a hoodie.

For whatever reason, citrus-y baked goods just feel like spring to me so, of course, I’ve got a mile long list of cakes, bars, and cookies that I want to make RIGHT NOW.

I’m obsessed with all things grapefruit, all the time. Sometimes I buy those ginormous tubs of precut grapefruit and I kill it within 24 hours. It’s a problem.

I got the idea of grapefruit pound cake stuck in my head weeks ago and finally had to go for it. Paired with some freshly whipped cream… perfection. It’d be great for potlucks or parties because who doesn’t love pound cake?

Ingredients

All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Granulated sugar
Butter – make sure to bring the butter to room temperature before beginning.
Cream cheese – this ensures that your pound cake stays very moist and doesn’t dry out. Make sure you bring the cream cheese to room temperature before beginning.
Eggs
Canola oil – you can use vegetable or coconut oil if you prefer.
Grapefruit – you are going to use the zest and the juice from the grapefruit.
Vanilla
Milk
Powdered sugar – this is for the glaze. It dissolves better than granulated sugar, giving you a really smooth glaze.

How To Make Grapefruit Pound Cake

Dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Wet ingredients. Beat granulated sugar, butter, and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in oil, zest, and vanilla.
Combine. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to the butter mixture.
Transfer. Spoon batter into pan and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake. Bake at 325F for about 1 hour.
Cool. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake. Cool completely before glazing.
Make glaze. Place juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 4 minutes). Cool slightly. Whisk in powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth.
Glaze. Drizzle over cake.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: about 12 servings

Grapefruit Pound Cake

Grapefruit Pound Cake is the most delicious way to use grapefruit! Moist grapefruit cake topped with a sweet and tart glaze.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
¼ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons grapefruit zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk

For the glaze:

½ cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F.
Coat a 10-inch tube or bundt pan with baking spray.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to remove lumps.
Using an electric mixer, beat granulated sugar, butter, and cream cheese at high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in oil, zest, and vanilla.
Add flour mixture and milk alternately to the butter mixture.
Spoon batter into pan and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean.
Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake. Cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, place juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 4 minutes). Cool slightly. Whisk in powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Dec 14, 2015

My ultimate favorite type of cookie is any kind with crunchy coarse sugar on top.

Related: whenever I go to a coffee shop, I always go for the drink with coarse sugar sprinkled on top. Why is crunch in a drink appealing? I don’t know.

I just love it.

The best sugar to use for that kind of thing is Sugar In The Raw®. It is perfect for topping cookies, pies, muffins, anything that needs a little sweet crunch on top! Plus, it’s unrefined and unbleached which I appreciate.

It was especially delicious on these Soft Gingerbread Cookies! It added a bit more sweetness to the spicy cookies and that crunch that I love so much.

I really don’t like crunchy gingerbread cookies so every year I make soft ones and these are my favorite. They stay fat and really soft and I can’t get enough.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: about 36 servings

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Sugar In The Raw
1 cup molasses
1 eggs
4 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon Sugar In The Raw

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until fluffy. Beat in Sugar in the Raw, molasses, and egg.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg to remove lumps. Slowly add this mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.
Drop by heaping tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch in between. Sprinkle tops with remaining Sugar in the Raw.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until they just begin to brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Snowball Cookies

Dec 10, 2015

Chocolate Snowball Cookies are a must make Christmas cookie! Soft, buttery cookies with chocolate chips and rolled in powdered sugar.

Snowballs are such a classic holiday cookie. Like Snickerdoodles or Italian Sugar Cookies, snowballs are an absolute must make every holiday season!

They’re soft and tender butter cookies filled with chocolate chips and then rolled in powdered sugar. They are so delicious and practically melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

Butter
Sugar
Salt
Egg
Vanilla
All-purpose flour
Pecans
Chocolate chips
Powdered sugar

Instructions

Prepare. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together and beat until light and fluffy. Add salt, egg, and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients. Gradually add in flour and beat until just combined. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.
Shape. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet with 2 inches in between each ball.
Bake. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes.
Coat with powdered sugar. Put a good amount of powdered sugar on a large plate. Roll warm cookies in the powdered sugar and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

How Long Are They Good For?

Snowball cookies will be good for about 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can extend their life by a couple days by storing them in the fridge, also in an airtight container.

Can You Freeze Snowball Cookies?

You can definitely freeze snowball cookies!

Let them cool completely and then transfer them to a freezer ziploc bag. They will be fine in the freezer for about 3 months.

When you are ready to serve them, let the frozen cookies sit on the counter at room temperature until thawed, probably a few hours.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Chocolate Snowball Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

¾ cup 1 ½ sticks butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup 6 ounces chocolate chips
powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together and beat until light and fluffy. Add salt, egg, and vanilla. Gradually add in flour and beat until just combined. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet with 2 inches in between each ball. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes.
Put a good amount of powdered sugar on a large plate. Roll warm cookies in the powdered sugar and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Chex Party Mix

Dec 07, 2015

Chex Party Mix is classic Chex mix made with Chex cereal, pretzels, nuts, and bagel chips.

My alltime favorite party snack is The Original Chex™ Party Mix. And I have zero shame in standing over the bowl and picking out all the Wheat Chex. And then when I run out of Wheat Chex, I go for whatever pieces are absolutely covered in seasoning.

The. Best.

I’ve made several batches of Chex Mix over the last few weeks. There was the Cranberry Nut Chex Mix, and then I made a sweet one for snacking on during the Thanksgiving parade, and then I made this one to snack on while I try to figure out what the dang Elf is going to be up to tomorrow morning.

And when I say “I made”, I really mean that my kids made them. This is a microwave recipe which means they can do pretty much the entire thing on their own.

So it’s the Wheat Chex, Corn Chex, and Rice Chex tossed together with mixed nuts, pretzels, and garlic bagel chips. And then you melt butter with some worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, and seasoned salt. Pour that over the Chex mixture and pop it in the microwave for a few minutes.

Seriously, so easy.

The hardest part is waiting for it to cool off!

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📖 Recipe

Yield: about 24 servings

Chex Party Mix

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 21 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups Corn Chex™ cereal
3 cups Rice Chex™ cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex™ cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 221Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 201mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g

Smoky Bacon Chili

Dec 07, 2015

The best hearty chili recipe! Smoky Bacon Chili is full of ground turkey, bacon, and pinto beans all in a smoky tomato base. This is the perfect cold weather dinner.

Smoky Bacon Chili - bacon makes everything better! This hearty and delicious recipe is going to become your winter favorite!

Is chili your go to cold weather food?

It’s totally mine this winter. Last year it was veggie soups but this year I am all about the chili. I think we’ve already had 3 or 4 different versions and it’s only been cold for, like, 5 minutes here in Texas.

Ingredients

Bacon – the bacon is going in the chili and the bacon grease will be used to cook the vegetables.
Onion
Garlic
Ground Turkey – you can use ground beef or ground chicken if you prefer.
Chili Powder
Cumin
Paprika
Cayenne
Crushed Fire Roasted Tomatoes – use regular crushed tomatoes if you can’t find fire roasted. The fire roasted tomatoes just add a little bit more of a smoky flavor.
Tomato Sauce
Beer – use chicken broth if you don’t want to use beer.
Worcestershire
Pinto Beans – you can use black beans if you prefer.

Instructions

Cook bacon. Cook bacon over medium-high heat.
Cook aromatics. Add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic.
Add meat. Add ground turkey and break it up as it cooks.
Add seasonings. Stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt.
Add liquids. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, worcestershire.
Cook. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 30 minutes.
Add beans. Add beans and cook 10 minutes.
Serve. Serve immediately with toppings if desired

How Long Is Homemade Chili Good For?

This smoky bacon chili will be fine in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container to keep it good as long as possible.

These glass airtight containers are my favorite for leftovers because they’re super airtight and makes taking leftovers for lunch easy.

Can You Freeze Homemade Chili?

You can freeze homemade chili for up to 3 months. Make sure to put it in a freezer-safe airtight container, such a freezer ziploc bag.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Smoky Bacon Chili

Smoky Bacon Chili - chock full of ground turkey, bacon, and pinto beans all in a smoky tomato base. This is the best hearty chili recipe for wintery days!

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 14.5 ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes or regular crushed tomatoes
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup beer
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 can, 14.5 oz. pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Sour cream, red onion, and/or cheddar cheese for topping

Instructions

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon, stirring until it just begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent. Stir in garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up, until cooked through. Drain if necessary.
Stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beer, and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 30 minutes.
Add beans and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. Serve warm, with toppings on the side.

Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints

Dec 03, 2015

Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints will be Santa’s new favorite cookie! Red velvet peppermint dough filled and drizzled with white chocolate!

Thumbprints cookies are so fun for the holidays! Some of my other favorites are Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies and Salted Caramel Chocolate Thumbprints!

Happy almost weekend guys! How cute and festive are these Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints?!

I am obsessed.

Okay, so do you do the Elf thing? You know, the one on the shelf?

The one that causes all sorts of trouble after the kids go sleep?

I am already over it. This is, like, year 4 for me and I am out of ideas. I reused one of last year’s ideas for day 1, threw him on the husband’s drums and muttered something about him being loud when the kids found him on day 2, and then reused another idea today.

So then I check Pinterest and these people have crafted some sort of basket for their elf and he’s hanging from balloons in the middle of their living room and I’m like, DO YOU HAVE A HELIUM TANK IN YOUR HOUSE?! Did you really leave your house after your kids were asleep just to have balloons filled? Do you not value your precious TV time after the kids are in bed?!

Help me. Give me ideas.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter
Sugar
Egg
Red food coloring
Peppermint extract
All-purpose flour
Baking cocoa
Baking powder
Salt
White chocolate chips

Instructions

Prepare. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, red food coloring and peppermint extract.
Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into the butter mixture.
Shape cookies. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets and use a round teaspoon to make a deep indention in each ball.
Bake and cool. Bake 9-11 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Fill cookies. In a microwave, heat white chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Spoon a teaspoon of filling into each cookie.
Drizzle and serve! Drizzle tops with remaining mixture. Let stand until set.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 48 cookies

Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints

Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints will be Santa's new favorite cookie! Red velvet peppermint dough filled and drizzled with white chocolate!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Total Time 31 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
4 teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, red food coloring and peppermint extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into the butter mixture.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets and use a round teaspoon to make a deep indention in each ball.
Bake 9-11 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
In a microwave, heat white chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Spoon a teaspoon of filling into each cookie. Drizzle tops with remaining mixture. Let stand until set.

Ambrosia Streusel Bars

Nov 30, 2015

Ambrosia Streusel Bars – a shortbread crust with a pineapple, orange, and cherry filling and topped with delicious coconut streusel!

Another Christmas cookie!

Errr… kind of.

These count, right?

Bar cookies are my absolute fave because there’s minimal hands on time.

I mean, with cookies, you have to bake batch after batch after batch and who can remember to come back to the oven every 10 minutes to pull cookies out?

Not me.

But we’re not gonna talk about how many cookies I’ve burned in my life.

Because we would be here all day.

Ambrosia Streusel Bars!

These Ambrosia Streusel Bars are perfect for people like me, who want dessert but don’t want to fuss with scooping cookie dough and using multiple baking sheets.

It’s a simple shortbread crust (which is my faaaaave kind of cookie) with a filling made of pineapple, orange, and cherries and then it’s all topped with a coconut streusel.

It’s also a great dessert for this time of year when fresh fruit is pretty bleh for the most part. This one uses all canned or jarred stuff.

I’m not a fruity dessert person – you know this about me – but I am all about these.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 16 servings

Ambrosia Streusel Bars

adapted from Southern Living

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ cups cold butter, cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks

For the filling:

1 ½ cups crushed pineapple
1 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup drained maraschino cherries, coarsely chopped

For the streusel:

½ cup sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sweetened coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a 9x13-inch pan with aluminum foil. Spray with baking spray. Set aside.
To make the crust, pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor 2 to 3 times or until combined. Add 1 ¼ cups cold butter pieces, 2 or 3 pieces at a time, pulsing after each addition. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, pulsing after each addition. Process until mixture is crumbly.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven to 10 minutes.
To make the filling, bring crushed pineapple, marmalade, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cherries, and spread in prepared crust.
To make the streusel, stir together ½ cup sugar and next 2 ingredients; cut butter into sugar mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in coconut; sprinkle over pineapple mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes, covering with foil halfway through if the coconut starts to burn. Cool completely before removing from pan and slicing into bars.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 385Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 298mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 4g

30+ Christmas Cookies

Nov 30, 2015

A list of all the Christmas cookies you need this holiday season! Santa is going to love them all.

30+ Christmas Cookies! So many delicious Christmas cookie recipes in one place - you are sure to find something you love!

I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving! Did you do the whole Black Friday thing? I did not. I ordered a bag and some new glasses – prescription, not sun – and then I spent the rest of the day doing all the millions of dishes we somehow created on Thanksgiving.

I did go for groceries on Saturday and found $5 turkeys so you better believe we have a freezer full of turkey right now.

And then I found a cat on the top shelf in our shed yesterday, talked Fat Baby out of calling it Potato, and sent my husband 57 photos of the cat while he was at the gym.

He was all, “Did you steal somebody’s cat?”

And then, “Where did the cat get a can of cat food?”

Oh! We also put our Christmas tree up! Which means it’s time for me to start planning the ridiculous list of cookies I want to make on the 24th of December! If you’re like me, this list should be a big help. So many delicious ideas – I wish I had time to make them all!

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