Simple Yet Gourmet

If I had to choose only one cookie to eat for the rest of my life, it would be these cookies!! They are my favorite cookie ever! I took my favorite brownie cookie recipe, wrapped it around a Candy Candy Cane kiss, rolled it in crushed peppermint and then rolled it in powdered sugar. The result? A rich, fudgy brownie like cookie literally oozing with white chocolate and peppermint with a delightful little peppermint crunch on the outside. If you love peppermint and chocolate as much as I do these are a must make! 

These festive little cookies are so fun and delicious! They are intensely chocolatey with a fudgy, brownie-like texture.  So delicious even if you stop there, but to make these more festive I added in white chocolate chips and Reeses Pieces, then rolled them in sprinkles for an added pop of color! I left a few without sprinkles and liked that they weren't crunchy, but they also weren't as colorful so just do what you like.  You can play around with the add-in's too.  Halloween M&M's would be another great option, but you really can't go wrong here!  

These bars are fantastic!! S'mores bars have all the flavors of a classic S'more with a graham cracker base, marshmallows, and chocolate that we all love, but you don't need to go make a fire to enjoy one of these yummy treats!  I brought these bars to a ward party and every last one got eaten before the surrounding treats were gone.  Good thing I saved a few for us to enjoy later!  Kinda wish I'd saved a few more though ;).  Homemade marshmallow creme gave these bars a huge upgrade so if you have a few minutes to make your own, do it! You will NOT regret it. Besides being a ton easier to spread around the taste is so much better than store-bought.  I'll take these bars any day over regular old s'mores! 

I recently celebrated my Birthday and made this scrumptious cake to celebrate! Yes, I made my own cake- not because I had to but because I wanted to! I've had my eye on this recipe for awhile now (it's my favorite kind at the Cheesecake Factory), but it's so involved and requires enough ingredients to designate it to the "special occasion" category.  Well, I figured my Birthday was a special occasion so I went for it.  It was SO worth it! Every bite was pure bliss.  A chocolate lover's dream.   To make this, a moist chocolate cake is topped with decadent chocolate frosting, creamy Oreo Cheesecake, Oreo Mousse ( or not-more on that later ), more chocolate frosting, stabilized whipped cream, crushed Oreo's, and mini chocolate chips! Talk about sinfully delicious!  Since this cake has several layers it helps to make the individual layers ahead of time to break the work up.  All I did on the day of my Birthday was to assemble and decorate the cake. ...

I have always loved the 4th of July! The fireworks, parades, flags, feelings of Patriotism and love for our amazing country, Red-White-and Blue everywhere you look.  It's no wonder that I also love food with patriotic colors mixed in.  And if it also tastes amazing? I'm sold. This Patriotic Popcorn mix fits the bill.  Lightly salted popcorn, pretzels, and M&M's are coated with white chocolate and a few added sprinkles for an extra festive touch. It's simple to prepare and addicting to snack on! It's salty and sweet and perfect for munching on while watching fireworks!  So, good!  Note:I used Skinny Pop popcorn to make this, but you can pop your own if you prefer, and any type of pretzels will work as well. 

Have you experienced the deliciousness of a Pizookie yet?! It's a cookie baked like a pizza! Crispy on the edges and top while still being ooey gooey in the middle.  Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream it is absolute heaven! While this isn't a new idea, I hadn't actually had one until a few years ago.  We ate at a restaurant called BJ's on a family trip and got a mini version of this with the kids meal.  Wow, just wow!  It was so delicious.  We ate there again the very next night just so we could get another pizookie. Since that trip I've been trying to find a copycat recipe but hadn't found one as good…until now! These turned out perfectly.  The recipe itself uses brown butter which adds a caramel undertone, and Ghirardellli Milk Chocolate.  Quality ingredients make all the difference.  Hope you love these as much as we do! 

Guys, this frozen custard was so delicious!! Super creamy with a rich chocolate taste, marbled with just the right amount of peanut butter.  This is not a No-Churn recipe, so you'll need an ice cream mixer but it's totally worth it.  I was sneaking bites of it right and left while it was churning- I couldn't help myself! It's every bit as good as the stuff you get at Culver's!  I have a feeling we're going to be making this a TON this Summer! Frozen Chocolate Custard with Peanut Butter Ripple yield: 1 quart Ingredients: 4 egg yolks 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 TBSP Pure Vanilla Extract 1 cup Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate chips 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder 1/2 cup peanut butter Dash of salt Directions: Add egg yolks, sugar, salt, and Cocoa Powder to a medium saucepan and whisk until fluffy and well combined. Whisk in the milk.  Cook, whisking frequently over Medium-Low heat until it reaches 165º F, but do not allow it to come to a b...

These have been a family favorite for many years.  I found this recipe when my daughter we very young.  I cut the sugar in half and used half whole wheat in the recipe.  I found it to be a healthy breakfast for my little ones. It brings back many happy memories each time I make these. When I have a ton of ripe bananas that need to be used up, I make these for breakfast. Today I added chocolate chips and sprinkled a little brown sugar on top for a little crunch to give the recipe a new twist, it was a hit, even with my non banana lovers.  This recipe requires only one bowl, which makes it super easy and quick on those hectic mornings!      

Ooey, gooey deliciousness is what these bars are made of! They're basically two layers of a buttery oatmeal cookie sandwiched with loads of caramel and chocolate.  So good, and so rich! They are divine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but are absolutely dreamy by themselves with a nice cold glass of milk as well.  They cut best when cool, but if you want to just scoop them into your bowl right out of the oven, I won't judge.  In fact, that's what typically happens at our house.  We just can't wait to dig in!  

Looking for a fun and easy St. Patricks Day treat? These Not So Thin Mints are an easy and fun treat to whip up.  The crunchy mint chocolate cookie gets dipped in Milk Chocolate Chips and drizzled with melting chocolate.  I absolutely love Mint Chocolate, and I think these are even more delicious than actual Thin Mints, probably because of the Milk Chocolate coating! If the Mint/Chocolate combo isn't your thing though, just leave out the peppermint extract and you'll still have a delicious chocolate cookie. While these were fun to dress up for St. Patricks Day  they are delicious any time of the year.  The green drizzle and sprinkles are completely optional but make them extra festive! 

With their bright rainbow colors and larger size, these Soft and Chewy Colors are not only delicious but very pleasing to the eye as well! All those bright rainbow colors just make me happy, and biting into one makes me even happier.   While they are very similar to chocolate chip cookies, the higher ratio of brown sugar makes these taste a little more of butterscotch and have a chewier texture. These are also larger than normal cookies with 3 TBSP of dough each, making them extra thick and delicious!  The key here is to not over-bake the cookies. The first batch I baked stayed in a bit too long. They were still good, but more fluffy than chewy.  I decreased the time on the second batch, taking them out when the outside looked a little brown but the middle still looked soft and that was just right. They may seem a bit underdone at first but when cooled to room temp. they're perfect! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and lots of melty chocolate throughout...

Have you ever had a Scotcheroo?  They're like an extra delicious Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat with a topping made of Butterscotch and Chocolate Chips.  I'll have to post a recipe for those someday, but these Scotcheroo Peanut Butter Bars are every bit as delicious! Basically they are like a chewy and delicious Peanut Butter Cookie topped with a smooth and Creamy Chocolate Butterscotch layer.  Dangerously addicting, these flavors were just made for each other!  Funny story- when I made these I intentionally saved out the middle row to take pictures of the following day.  When I went to grab them, I realized one of them was missing and turned to find Brynlee munching away on one! Guess I should have made my intentions clear, but it just goes to show that they couldn't be left alone! 

So I have started a new tradition in our house this year.  Every Sunday I always make a yummy dessert for us to share while we play games or watch a Disney movie.  This year I have decided to make a NEW dessert each week to expand our choices.  So far, the recipes I have tried have been amazing.  This chocolate cake recipe was a huge hit at my house.  Even my husband, who does not like dessert ate two pieces and finished the cake on Tuesday.  The cake is extremely moist and the cream cheese frosting is a nice change to the sweet buttercream I usually add to my cakes.  I hope you and your family enjoy this cake as much as mine did!  

Oreo’s, cheesecake, raspberry mousse, and chocolate ganache ( have I got your attention yet? ) layer to make this stunning Valentine’s Dessert! And it's quite delectable too if I do say so myself. Other than the taste though I’d have to say the best part of these cheesecake cups is that they are entirely no-bake and can be made a few days ahead of time!  I used Double Chocolate Oreo’s for these but regular would work great also.  The cheesecake layer comes together quickly and is creamy and sweet with just a little tartness to offset the sweetness of the other layers while the mousse adds a fluffy layer of raspberry yumminess. A thin, decadent layer of chocolate ganache seals the deal. You could stop there, but if you want to go the extra mile, add a swirl of whipped cream, another Oreo and some fresh raspberries for a truly Simple, yet Gourmet dessert!  Note: These jars can be made all at once or a layer at a time to make them more manageable!

These cupcakes are a peanut butter and chocolate lovers dream!   There are four main components to these delectable little cakes, starting out with a moist chocolate cupcake base sprinkled with chocolate chips. Next comes an absolutely dreamy peanut butter frosting, a drizzle of milk chocolate ganache, and a Reese's Peanut Butter cup to top it off. Holy Moly. These are SO good! My favorite part of these cupcakes has to be the peanut butter frosting.  It is just so delicious! It's packs a big peanut butter punch while still being fluffy and just sweet enough without being overly sweet.   I made these for Danny's 7th birthday with his favorite candy bar in mind and he LOVED them!  He also insisted that he get to help by unwrapping and placing the Reese's on the top of the cupcakes, so if they look a little skewed that's why ;).   Any type of Reese's will work here, or you can leave them off all together.  We used Peanut Butter Lovers for these....

 Guys, you NEED to try these bars! They are the perfect balance of sweet, salty, chewy, and crunchy. The Cinnamon Sugar sprinkled over the top adds a nice warm spiciness to the whole thing making for a very satisfying bite. So scrumptious without being overly sweet!  If that didn't quite convince you, how about the fact that they are SUPER easy to make.  Perfect for when you don't have an hour or two to spend in the kitchen. I love how these White Chocolate Caramel Churro Bars turned out!! One of my new favorite treats for Christmas or anytime!

Hot chocolate mixes are so convenient for a quick cup of hot chocolate, and we definitely go though our fair share at our house, but when I want to make an extra special treat I spend a few extra minutes and make this creamy, decadent hot chocolate using real chocolate chips.  You'll want to use a good quality chocolate here and whole milk for best results.  Customize to your likes! Milk, white, semi-sweet, or bittersweet chocolate chips would all work here.   Real chocolate chips, whole milk, cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla all work together to make a rich and creamy cup of hot chocolate!  This warm and cozy treat can be made on the stovetop, but I'm also including an option for the Instant Pot.   To make it even more fun set up a tray with toppings such as marshmallows, Hershey Kisses, peppermint meringues, red hots, candy canes, etc! Perfect as a treat on Christmas Eve while watching a favorite movie or a snow day!

Hot Cocoa bombs are so delicious and so much fun!  My kids always get excited when I make these, much more so than with just regular hot chocolate because they are so fun to watch as the "bomb" goes off.  Picture chocolate melting and the marshmallows and other fillings popping up to the top.   These are really simple to make, and totally customizable, but you will need a mold.  I used a silicone mold, but I have seen plastic ones that make the process look even easier!  Don't have a mold? Try using the little dixie cups instead! Make it the same way as the bombs but just pour in melted chocolate to seal off the top. I love the peppermint/chocolate combo so much!  To me, it's the must have flavor of the season.  The fantastic thing about Hot Chocolate Bombs though, is that you can make them any way you want to!  Use your choice of chocolate for the shell and fill with any type of hot chocolate.  From there use whatever fillings your hear...

My husband Aaron celebrated a birthday recently!  He isn't a huge cake fan- I know, crazy right?  Typically he just wants his favorite chocolate chip cookies, but this time he said he would be okay with a Chocolate Bundt cake.  After some searching, I came across this copycat Nothing Bundt Cake recipe.  I'm not sure it was exactly the same, but it was pretty delicious! Danny said it was like a dream ( haha! ) and was not happy at all when I tossed the remaining cake after a few days.  

 I know, I know.  We already have like 5 banana muffins posted on this blog.  I have put off posting this recipe because of that fact, but here's the thing.  While those muffins are all delicious and great in their own way, when I have ripe bananas you know I'm either making these muffins or banana bread.  More often, these muffins because they are perfect for a grab and go snack or breakfast.  My family LOVES these muffins! They have such a deep chocolate flavor and are so moist.  What my family doesn't think about, but I love, are that these muffins are healthier than your average muffin.  They are made with whole wheat flour, coconut oil, greek yogurt for extra protein, and have less sugar that most other muffins.  These are best warm (they can be reheated in the microwave for 10 seconds) and those bites with melted chocolate chips are the absolute best!