Fun with Brownies These fantastic Whole Wheat Gingerbread Brownies are the result of what I like to call kitchen shenanigans. I know not everyone regards cooking and baking quite the same way that I do. To me, it's an adventure. The only limit is my imagination. Well, total failure is a bit of a limiter, but we don't need to talk about that right now, do we? What if... What if I sub in whole wheat flour? It will be nuttier, richer, and maybe a little more dry, because whole wheat ... Read More about Whole Wheat Gingerbread Brownies
Cookies - Bars
Coconut Blondies
It's spring now, and overall, that often means less baking, but it's always nice to have a few fast, easy, and delicious cookie recipes in your repertoire. You just never know when you might be called upon to produce cookies - or in this case, bar cookies, like these Coconut Blondies. Blondies are the non-chocolate counterpart to brownies. They generally have the same chewy texture and crisp edges as brownies do and they are an open book when it comes to ingredients. I like blondies for all ... Read More about Coconut Blondies
Sour Cherry Almond Bars
As I have mentioned a time or two [or 50!], my husband is rather fond of cookies. When our house is in a state of no cookies, it makes him a sad, sad man. So you can probably imagine that he is a huge fan of this time of year. He doesn't think of it as "Christmastime", like the rest of us do. To Larry, this is "cookietime". And now that he is retired, he can devote himself even more fully to the testing of whatever new cookies I am trying out for the blog this year. This makes him a happy happy ... Read More about Sour Cherry Almond Bars
Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
Every year, I do the same thing. We haven't seen a trick or treater in these parts since the girls were small - we live out in the middle of nowhere, we have a rather long driveway, none of the neighbors have little kids anymore, and we don't turn on the porch light. I leave the porch light off mostly because of Riley, who is not fond of strangers. I can only imagine his reaction to seeing a person dressed up in a costume, with some kind of scary mask on. It would not be good. Still - I like to ... Read More about Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
Macadamia Lime Blondies
I am still pretty caught up in fall - in getting everything put up, and in enjoying stuff like winter squash and apples. But fall also means that citrus starts showing up in the stores more, and for better prices, which got me thinking about making these Macadamia Lime Blondies again - and this time, shooting a few photos and getting the post out here on the blog. I think you will be glad. Not only do these blondies have lots of bright lime flavor, but there are also crunchy, buttery macadamias ... Read More about Macadamia Lime Blondies
Skillet Pumpkin Fudge Brownies
This recipe solves a pesky little kitchen problem that I will bet anything you have run across. It goes like this: You find a great recipe for some pumpkin muffins, or maybe pumpkin doughnuts. You open a typical grocery store can of pumpkin puree, measure out the one cup needed for the recipe - and don't they all just need that ONE cup - and then thriftily scrape out all of the remaining pumpkin into a refrigerator dish and pop in in the fridge. "I'll make some thing out of that later in the ... Read More about Skillet Pumpkin Fudge Brownies
Peanut Butter Bars with Milk Chocolate Ganache
Though for the most part, I prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate, there is one exception to the rule: milk chocolate and peanut butter, as in these Peanut Butter Bars. This flavor combination brings back memories for me every time. Closeted in my bedroom as a teenager, devouring book after book, and nibbling on my secret stash of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. As the oldest of five kids, I felt I had a lot from which to hide, along with a bunch of teen-aged angsty stuff that we all go through, ... Read More about Peanut Butter Bars with Milk Chocolate Ganache
Lime Buttermilk Bars
Happy Thursday! Wait - you say you aren't having a happy day? I think I know why. It's because you don't have any of these Lime Buttermilk Bars at your house. We can fix that! You will feel like spring has come to stay when you bite into one of these delightful, citrusy, creamy-on-the-top, crunchy-on-the-bottom bars. Trust me when I tell you this, because I am always truthful when it comes to dessert I have to tell you a story about the making of these bars. Well, more about the photographing of ... Read More about Lime Buttermilk Bars
Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies
We have lots of big changes going on in our family. Mostly because our younger daughter and her husband are expecting their first baby, and he is starting a new job and they are moving from Georgia to Pennsylvania. Besides general moral support, we get to be involved to the extent that we are keeping Sammy the super-jowly dog while they get moved, as well as having them stay with us off and on through the process. If there is a better time to make Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies than when ... Read More about Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Leftover Candy Cane Brownies
I know there are people in this world who can look at something like a half full package of candy canes in January and just throw them away. But I am not one of those people. I have a streak of frugality in me that was forged in the many years when we had to stretch every penny as far as it would go. Larry is a carpenter, which in Upstate NY can sometimes mean very lean winter months when there may not be a lot of building going on. I was, for the most part, a stay at home Mom, though I did work ... Read More about Leftover Candy Cane Brownies
Almond Shortbread
I have a terrible weakness for the rich, buttery taste of good shortbread, most recently, for Almond Shortbread. I taught Sunday School for years and each Christmas, the Mom of one of the families in the church made each teacher a lovely little shortbread cake. They were about 6 inches across with golden edges and little holes all over the top. Once all 3 of that family’s kids had gone through my 1st and 2nd grade class, I just happened to move into the Junior High class, which meant I got to ... Read More about Almond Shortbread
Apple Crisp Bars
There is no big back story here - I love apple crisp, and I wanted to turn it into something a little more portable, like a bar. Apples have done very well around here this year, which has brought the prices way down, and it is really difficult for me to pass up a deal, so we've ended up with quite a supply of all my favorites - Northern Spies, Cortlands, Jonagold, Macintosh and Macouns. Later in the season, some of these varieties get a little softer, and they aren't so great for baking, but ... Read More about Apple Crisp Bars