Category Archives: Dessert

Mini Peppermint Brownies

Posted in Dessert, Holiday by

I love brownies. More specifically, I love brownies made from the box. I know. I can’t believe it either. But I’ve tried making brownies from scratch before, and normally I still come crawling back to the boxed ones. I also have a particular soft spot for any place that sells brownies with that horribly fake chocolate frosting on top. There was this cafe in college that sold MASSIVE brownies with the frosting. And I mean really massive, like the size of a plate. I don’t even want to know how many of their brownies I ate.

Anyways, back to the subject at hand – homemade brownies. So normally I don’t make these myself, but because I wanted to make them slightly more festive for our holiday party, I decided to make my own, and I have to say, they were amazing. They turned out just like the mini ones you can buy at the store (Costco, Trader Joe’s, etc) but with peppermint added. And the best part – they are so easy to make! The only complication was trying to track down peppermint extract (it took way too many trips to different grocery stores, but I did eventually get it). If you’re not a peppermint fan, I think these would also be great with some peanut butter mixed in, or perhaps some broken up bits of peanut butter cups. Anyways, here’s how to make mini peppermint brownies…

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Mini Eggnog Cheesecakes

Posted in Dessert, Holiday by

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So I know this post is going up after Christmas, but I am hoping it will still come in handy for those of you who have some leftover eggnog in your fridge and are looking for a way to get rid of it. I made these for our holiday party because eggnog is such a classic holiday treat, but I personally have never been the biggest fan of drinking it. So instead of just serving it in liquid form, I figured I’d put it in a dessert. Plus, these were fun because they are mini and as I’ve mentioned before, small or bite size desserts always seem to do better at parties.

The only slightly complicated part about this recipe is the pan. First of all, you have to buy a special mini cheesecake pan. I found one on Amazon, like this one. Then, getting the cheesecakes in and out of the pan takes a lot of patience. Plus, assuming you only have one pan, you have to do these in batches if you are making more than 12 (I made 36). Despite all of the hurdles involved, these were very popular. You can do the mini cheesecakes with any flavor, not just a holiday appropriate one. So if you’re like me, and you like to bake things like this just for the challenge (and because you know people will like them), go ahead. However, if you’re not a big baker and are easily frustrated, this may not be the best recipe for you.
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Honey and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Posted in Cookies, Dessert by

In the last year or so, I’ve started using honey a lot more in my day to day baking and cooking. I throw it in salad dressings, oatmeal, smoothies, and pies. But up to this point, I hadn’t tried it in a chocolate chip cookie. These cookies were perfect for a dessert where I was serving a bunch of different kinds of cookies because they’re small, almost bite size, and simple. They’re also incredibly easy to make!

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Baked Apples

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Fall, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday, Winter by

So this post goes really well with my post from earlier this week – the roast chicken. Both these dishes are so easy and are perfect for late fall/early winter. They’re warm and make your kitchen smell delicious. We also used to have these all the time as kids so they remind me of fun filled childhood days spent playing games in front of a fire (not sure how often that happened, but I seem to remember it).

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Bourbon and Orange Pecan Pie

Posted in Dessert, Holiday, Pies/Tarts/Crumbles, Winter by

So in honor of Thanksgiving, which is right around the corner, I wanted to share a pecan pie recipe with you. But not just your average pecan pie. I chose to make one with a few extra special flavors – orange and bourbon. This pie will make a great addition to the dessert course on Thanksgiving! So if you feel like impressing your family, volunteer to bring a dessert. No really, I know what you’re thinking, ugh the last thing I want to do on Thanksgiving is bake. I just want to watch my parents do all the hard work, and sit around working up my appetite. But this is really REALLY easy. Yes, even for you novice bakers. I PROMISE!

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Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

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Who doesn’t love chocolate? No, really, who doesn’t? I may have been guilty of growing up without an appreciation for chocolate, but I’ve come around and now truly appreciate all that is holy about chocolate. So when I see chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, my brain gets excited.

I don’t normally participate in the cupcake craze. I judge the people I see waiting hours in line for a Georgetown Cupcake in DC. But sometimes, for parties, cupcakes are kind of handy because people can just grab one and eat it while standing without any silverware. Plus, sometimes I think people are intimidated by cake, but not cupcakes. So anyways, I made these double chocolate cupcakes for the June birthday party I threw, and well, all I can tell you is I only got to taste the dough and frosting because these were gone before I even got to eat one. So I’m hoping that means they were good. Plus they are super fun to decorate if you go the extra mile and create the chocolate toppings (it’s a lot easier than it seems, I promise!!).

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The 7 Layer Bar

Posted in Bars, Dessert, Holiday, Uncategorized by

This is hands down the easiest cookie to make ever. No really, it is. You pour some stuff in a pan and bake it. Oh and here’s the best part, PEOPLE LOVE THEM. So just keep how easy this is a secret – deal?

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Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (just put crackers in a bag and take your anger out by mashing it up)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray.

3. Cover bottom of pan evenly with graham cracker crumbs. Now layer the three different kinds of chips. Pour the can of condensed milk all over the chips. Then add a layer on top of coconut.

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4. Bake for about 25 minutes, edges and coconut will have started to brown. Once the pan has cooled, lift the foil up and out of pan. Set on a cutting board and slide bars off foil before cutting.

Apricot Oat Bars

Posted in Bars, Dessert by

So here’s the deal. I made these on a night when I made several other cookies and these got overshadowed by two really sweet and decadent cookies. But it wasn’t the apricot oat bars’ fault. They are much healthier than the other two cookies. And I really appreciated these guys the next morning for breakfast. So in conclusion, these are delicious, but more of a healthy brunch item than a decadent dessert.

And I firmly believe that when you want to go for it in the dessert department, you should! I do the two extremes, fruit salad or a massive fatty brownie covered in frosting.

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Mini Pies

Posted in Dessert, Pies/Tarts/Crumbles by

I just made these mini pies for a friend who came over for dinner because it was just the two of us and there was no way we were going to eat a whole pie, but these would be great for a party. I’ve mentioned this before, but I think people at parties always do better with mini desserts that they can just grab off a plate, and not something they have to cut and serve for themselves.

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Crostata

Posted in Dessert, Pies/Tarts/Crumbles by

So I think you guys know where I stand on easy desserts, I think they’re great. They’re perfect for dinner parties, especially if you don’t have a ton of time to prepare. My mom made me an amazing crostata while I was home this summer, and I’d been wanting to make my own. I did this with a classic summer fruit, peaches. But if you wanted to make this in the fall or winter, you could easily use a different fruit, like apples.

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