Snickerdoodle Cookies

I've enjoyed this recipe for many many years, but had never actually made the cookies myself until I started writing this blog.  The first thing I said when mom emailed the recipe to me was "Shortening??!?!  Really mom, this isn't the 1950's.  Who uses Crisco anymore??"  Clearly I've come around since then and always have a (small) can of Crisco in my fridge waiting just for these cookies.  Other than the 2 hour chill time for the dough, these are one of the easiest cookies to throw together on a whim!  Unfortunately, 2 dozen snickerdoodles are NEVER enough...grandma always said to be weary of doubling though, so keep it to one batch at a time my friends!

Buttermilk Biscuits

These are the best biscuits I've ever made!  Ok ok...these are one of the only recipes I've ever made haha, but I swear they're really buttery, flaky and just overall yummy!  I don't know if any of you get the Martha Stewart magazine Everyday Food, but it's one of my all time favorites.  I've found SO many fabulous recipes from the magazine over the years, and this is just one to add to the list.

Strawberry Pie minis

Ok, when it comes to baked goods, there are two things I'll never be able to do without...mini's (duh) and pie crust!!!  Not only are these morsels bite-sized, but they also have the absolute perfect ratio of filling:crust.  Although I have to admit, they were quite arduous to make, but the payoff was well worth it when I popped the first twelve one in my mouth...

Nutella S'more Bars

That's right, you heard me...Nutella. S'more. Bars.  I think that says it all.  How could something with so many delicious individual parts be anything less than spectacular when combined??!!?  Well let me tell you, this recipe did NOT disappoint.  Unfortunately, I really can't take any of the credit for this one.  The brilliance came directly from Nikki at chef in training (via Pinterest of course).

(Please excuse the plate...I didn't cut these babies until I got to work this morning, and there weren't many options to choose from!)

Apple Pie

In addition to making the cranberry sauce, I was also put in charge of baking the apple pie for Thanksgiving last year (yes, that's right...it's August 2012 and it's been a busy year with little time devoted to baking and even less time devoted to blogging.  Clearly...)  The blueberry-ginger pie was my first pie creation, and since then, I've been hooked!  I honestly think that the pie crust is my favorite part, which is why this post is perfect for readers like me!  I've included my mom's recipe for rugelach (aka the little cinnamon sugar pinwheels made from the leftover pie crust).

Ginger-Orange Cranberry Sauce

I've been assigned to make cranberry sauce and apple pie (post soon to come) for the Thanksgiving feast this week, so of course I had to share!! This is definitely the best homemade cranberry sauce I've had, and on top of that, it's SOOOO easy to make!!  Literally, all you do is throw the 6 easy ingredients in a pot, stir occasionally for 10 minutes, and voila!!

Check out the before and after pics:

    

Spicy Mexican Brownies

First off, I must start by saying that a batter defines a recipe....good batter generally means the final product will taste good (not necessarily look great, but oh well!)  And with this recipe, I literally licked the bowl.  I'm serious...I scraped the whole thing out 'til it was clean!!  Eeek!!  Only slightly embarrassing, but I'm over it  :)  And on a side note, my kitchen smells aaamazing!!!

Snickerdoodle mini's

I'm not gonna lie...these are easily my absolute favorite cupcakes.  I have a cinnamon/sugar obsession and love making snickerdoodle cookies (that post is soon to come!), so when I tasted the cinnamon ice-cream at my neighborhood ice-cream shop I KNEW I needed to find a recipe that would translate that flavor into a cupcake.

Mounds bar mini's

The idea for these tasty choco-coconut mini's came about when I asked my landlord's 3 year old son, Joey, what kind of cupcakes he wanted me to make next.  Whenever I bake something, I always make sure to save a few for them (it doesn't hurt to keep your landlord happy), plus I just really love giving away treats!  So when I asked Joey for his request, he replied without hesitation "chocolate cupcakes with white icing!!"  (I love how to a three year old, "white icing" is a flavor.)

Blueberry-banana muffins

With a few ripe bananas in the kitchen and a freezer full of berries, I decided to throw together my standard banana bread, but with a twist!  The result: blueberry-banana mini muffins!!  Oh how I love mini's :)  I think my favorite things about minis are their tiny size (obviously), and the fact that they can feed so many more people in a bite size bundle...plus they bake faster!!  Of course, this quick baking time is only beneficial if you have multiple mini muffin tins, but luckily I stocked up on the tins with World Market coupons and can now bake 4 dozen at a time.  (Other wise you're in the kitchen forever baking batch after batch and that can get exhausting!)

Blueberry-Ginger Pie

Let me start by saying that this was my very first pie making experience, and I have to admit, I'm quite proud of myself  :)  This pie crust recipe is very easy and I recommend it to everyone!  I plan on making some ahead to put in the freezer for a later date....perhaps peach pie will be next??!

Vanilla with chocolate

These bite size morsels are perfect for any occasion: birthdays, get well, the office, any old Saturday...you get the drift ;) 

I was requested by my mom to make mini's for some little girls who were in a bad car accident with their mother a few weeks ago.  Two of the girls are home with their parents now, but the third daughter is still at Children's Hospital in the ICU and is slowly coming out of a medically induced coma, so we're all pulling for her!  Since these are relatives of a family friend, my mom wanted to put together a food/care package with basically a whole day's worth of meals, so she asked me to bake a dozen mini's of "something yummy" for these two little girls to enjoy during such a tough time.  How could I say no??  (On a side note, you must try these Orange-Ricotta Pancakes, courtesy of Martha Stewart, which my mom included in the goodie basket. They've become a special occasion breakfast in our household!)