Mint Chocolate Crinkles

Just a quick post for you because holy smokes, it's almost Christmas!

But if you have time to squeeze one more cookie in, please consider these.  Chocolate Crackles (or Crinkles as my mom always called them) are a soft, chewy, fudgy, brownie-esque cookie, rolled in powdered sugar.  They are pretty well known, a staple on my family's cookie tray, and super Christmasy.

Powdered Sugar Cookies

I'm sure we all have certain smells and tastes that remind us of our childhood Christmases.  For me...it's these cookies.  Yes, they are amazingly delicious.  Yes, they are a huge pain in the butt.  Yes, the dough is like the best cookie dough I've ever eaten.  Yes, you will hate decorating them by the end of it.

Even if you decorate a bunch to look exactly like your dog.

Which only a crazy person would do, right?

Do you see a likeness?

Nutella Stuffed Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I committed the number one sin a food blogger can commit.  I ate them all before I got the picture.  Sure I got several pictures, and some of them are okay, but as you might imagine when you think of a stuffed cookie...the important part is on the inside.  And I did NOT cut one in half and take a photo...or even take a bite and take a photo.

Mostly because they were so good I almost ate my hand as well.

But then...providence!  I had ferreted away a tiny bit of dough (enough for three cookies as it were) that I had fully intended to eat raw, in one sitting, like the grubby little creature that I am.  However, as is typical of squirrel creatures that hide treats for later, I forgot where it was (or even that it existed at all).  And that's how I saved myself from having to eat yet another entire batch of these.

Thai Pad Se Ew

Really weird name right?  But it's my absolute favorite thing ever to order at Thai restaurants (besides mango and sticky rice...holy smokes).  Sort of like Pad Thai with way less peanut mess in there.

Thai brown rice noodles, chicken, soy sauce, garlic, broccoli, peppers...I dunno this stuff knocks the socks off plain old Pad Thai.

I know it's almost Thanksgiving week and I'm supposed to be making like...pie or something I'm sure.  But I've been meaning to post this recipe forever and am just now getting around to it so, enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookie Bars

I just got back from a trip visiting my gorgeous, wonderful, hilarious friend Amanda.  Between spa treatments, picking her wedding dress (it's beautiful) and gorging on cheese (that's a thing friends do, right?), we did manage to find time to bake these little guys.

They are cinnamon roll sugar cookie bars, which I understand may be a somewhat confusing name.  Basically cookie bars that taste like cinnamon rolls.  They can even pass as breakfast (lol) in a pinch.

Caramel Apple Brownies

It's here!  The Ween!  Trick or treaters are literally coming to my door right now, Halloween is playing on the TV, and I'm baking a pumpkin pie.  It's awesome.

In honor of Halloween this is a "brownie" recipe modeled after one of my favorite Halloween treats, caramel apples!

Monster Cookies

Halloween is so awesome.

I have loved it ever since I was a kid.  I don't know why...spooky stuff, it's awesome!  Sure Christmas is the obvious winner in the holiday favorites game, but Halloween...gosh it's close.  Candy, spookiness, staying up late, tricks, costumes...scary movies of COURSE.  Love it.

Frankenberry was even my favorite cereal!  If any of you out there were 80's kids maybe you recognize this cereal: 

It was basically neon pink cardboard flakes with strawberry crack-mallows, and I'm not sure how it ever passed as "part of a balanced breakfast"...in my opinion it's up there with that whole "the greatest trick the devil ever played convincing the world he didn't exist" thing.  

Anyway my point is...monsters.

Pumpkin Bread

So I dunno if maybe you've picked up on a theme yet, but I really like to make pumpkin stuff in October.  It just seems right to me.  That said, you'll never see me eating pumpkin pie before November.  I mean...I'm not a savage.

Chicken Pot Pie

To me, nothing is more perfect on a chilly fall evening than a nice warm dinner.  And of course, chicken pot pie is the mother of all comfort foods.

But...nobody every said it was particularly photogenic.  Then again, when it tastes that good...no one ever said it needed to be.  I did the best I could, and I think that if you're a fan, these pictures will look delicious to you.

If not...well.  Sloppy may or may not be fitting here.  Anyway.

Pumpkin Black and White Cookies

So maybe you know about my love affair with Black and White cookies from this, and also this.

I'm pretty sure I've enumerated in many ways how delicious these are, the amazing blending of flavors they offer, and even probably gone so far as to wax philosophical about how they represent the American spirit.  Whatever.

This time I made them pumpkin-y.

Pumpkin Scotchies

How is your October going?  Mine has been fantastic.  I'm burning my cinnamon, fall flavored candles, I'm enjoying the brisk weather, and my scary movie-watching has escalated to crazy person standards.  I've been watching one each day in the month of October, as many other weirdos are wont to do, and it's been a lot of fun.

I haven't been baking quite as much as I ought to be, but I'm keeping busy.  I did manage to find time somewhere between "Insidious" and "The Pact" to bake these up.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Fall is officially in full swing here, and it is the best.

Even here in Georgia, we're getting some seriously gorgeous weather, the first of the Honeycrips have arrived, and I am so ready.

I decorated the house for Halloween today (even thought I'm a couple days shy of October 1st, which is generally when I deem it acceptable, but oh well) and I'm getting ready to really pumpkin it out this season, but before we do all that, it's time to appreciate apples.

As a celebration of fall finally getting good down here, I baked these.  They are rich, sweet, indulgent little apple pie/cheesecake combo treats.  I'm pretty sure they're a hit.

Pancake Cupcakes

I did something awful.  Really really bad.  Like bad in the best way possible.  Sweet sweet pancake breakfast in a cupcake.  That's what.  The cupcake part technically IS pancake batter, so it's dense and not overly sweet.  Which makes the sweet maple buttercream frosting even more complementary.

But pancake breakfast isn't pancake breakfast without the bacon, right?  It's cool.  I sprinkled it on top.  The saltiness of the bacon really ties everything together and makes the whole thing the best decision you ever made.

Honey Beer Bread

Just look at that buttery crust.  That dense crumb.  Oh man.  How do people do Paleo?  

As you may be aware, I've made a lot of beer breads in my day.  It is oft-requested, always tasty, and seldom leftover.  

So in a celebration of September taking it's sweet sweet time to get here and all that is autumn beer, I used Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale in this one, and threw in some of the delectable new raw honey I bought for good measure.

I, of course, in typically brilliant fashion, slathered it with my super non-photogenic, somewhat chunky, hastily mixed honey butter.  Yes, even more honey.  It was as delicious as it is ugly.  And oh.  It's ugly.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

I know I've talked a lot about girl scout cookies.  And I'm sure I've mentioned my affinity for thin mints and peanut butter patties (aka Tagalongs?) but there was also some sort of peanut butter sandwich cookie that I was never really fond of.  Maybe that's why it took me so long to try this recipe.

Also I'm not sure about the name I chose.  "Sandwich cookie" makes me think of like... a sandwich made into a cookie.  Like a ham and cheese cookie.  Gross.  But you know what's not gross?  These guys.  And oh how much easier dieting would be if they were.

Peanut Butter Banana Dog Biscuits

So since I'm still struggling to lose a few pounds to get bikini-ready (although I don't know why...there's a suspicious complete absence of pools here, despite the fact that Georgia is hotter than the very surface of the sun, but anyway...) and can't make any cookies for myself, I decided to make a batch of treats for little Cricket.

Here she is doing her best cookie gator impression.

Restaurant Style Salsa

I haven't written a post in quite awhile, I know...I'm so sorry!

A lot has been going on in my life and it's been harder than usual to find time to post.  However, I think the best solution is just to dive right back into it.  Shall we?

My friend Amanda and I used to work together (I miss you!) and it seemed like we were called upon almost weekly to bring in food for various occasions.  It was a lot of fun, and it was so nice having a kindred baking spirit there.  However, sometimes if she was busy or didn't have time to bake, she'd bring in salsa.  

The best salsa.  

Steakhouse Brown Bread

Hello friends.  This week I'm struggling to eat healthy, having insane food dreams, watching 30 Rock, and snuggling with Cricket.

I may have mentioned this before, but in an attempt to be healthier and shed a few pounds, I'm trying to limit my dairy consumption.  This includes, but is not limited to the unofficial King of Foods...cheese.  This experiment has taught me several things.  I can go without meat and milk pretty easily.  I miss butter and eggs for baking, but that's really it.  The cheese is what gets me...and it's getting ugly.

I've been dreaming about pizza for about 2 weeks straight now.  I've always liked pizza, like any other carb and cheese loving human...but it's gotten out of hand.  I'm talking every night for about two weeks.  Pizza dreams.  I'm trying to hold out.  How I know I've gone off the deep end: the other night I dreamed of stuffing my face full of just a handful of shredded Cheddar cheese.  Not even the good kind.  Just like...prepackaged shredded cheese.  Gross.

However.  You know what doesn't even need cheese it's so good?  This bread.

Hummus

How's everyone's new years resolutions going?  If you're like me and you maybe need a little help making healthier eating more palatable...read on.

I'm switching to the night shift once again, so what better way to make myself stay awake than cooking a whole bunch of stuff while watching movies?  How about NOT cooking stuff while watching movies?

Because you don't even have to cook hummus...get it?  Lame, I know.  You know what's not lame?

This hummus.

Lentil Soup with Tomatoes and Carrots

Happy New Year!

Okay, so I'm more than a little late on that.  Admittedly.  The holidays this year have been a whirlwind, but guess what?  I trudged through the misery and sadness that is putting away all the Christmas decorations, so it's official.  We're done with the holiday season...for now.